U.K. concerned over environmental damage after ships’ collision
Global News
Jet fuel from a ruptured tank poured into the North Sea after the Portugal-registered container ship Solong broadsided the U.S.-flagged tanker MV Stena Immaculate on Monday.
U.K. officials were concerned about possible environmental damage Tuesday and looking for answers a day after a cargo ship hit a tanker transporting jet fuel for the U.S. military off eastern England, setting both vessels ablaze.
Jet fuel from a ruptured tank poured into the North Sea after the Portugal-registered container ship Solong broadsided the U.S.-flagged tanker MV Stena Immaculate on Monday. The collision sparked explosions and fires that burned for more than 24 hours. Footage filmed from a helicopter on Tuesday morning showed the fire appeared to largely be out on the tanker, which had a large gash on its port side.
The U.K. coast guard agency said Tuesday that “the Solong is still alight and the fire on board the Stena Immaculate has greatly diminished.” It said the cargo ship was drifting south, away from the tanker, and a 1 kilometer (around a 1/2 mile) exclusion zone had been put in place around both ships. The government said the cause of the collision was being investigated, but there was no indication of foul play.
Government minister Matthew Pennycook said it was a “fast-moving and dynamic situation.”
He said that air quality readings were normal and coast guard units “are well-equipped to contain and disperse any oil spills,” with equipment including booms deployed from vessels to stop oil spreading, and aircraft that can spray dispersants on a spill.
The collision triggered a major rescue operation by lifeboats, coast guard aircraft and commercial vessels in the foggy North Sea.
All but one of the 37 crew members from the two vessels were brought safely ashore in the port of Grimsby, about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of London, with no major injuries. One crew member was missing, and the coast guards called off the search late Monday.
The U.K. Marine Accident Investigation Branch has begun gathering evidence of what caused the Solong, bound from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, Netherlands, to hit the stationary tanker, which was anchored about 10 miles (16 kilometers) off the English coast.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says his canola industry is under fire due to tariffs on Chinese EVs, "which nobody wants," to protect North American EVs, which few can afford.
Russian air strikes have killed at least 20 people, officials say, following a U.S. decision to stop sharing satellite images with Ukraine.
China announced retaliatory tariffs on some Canadian farm and food imports, after Canada imposed duties on certain Chinese-made products in October.
U.S. President Donald Trump created a task force Friday to prepare for the 2026 World Cup hosted by North America at a time when his tariffs have ratcheted up tensions.
Ongoing clashes between the two sides have marked the worst violence since Assad’s government was toppled in early December by insurgent groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
The 88-year-old Francis spent 20 minutes in the Gemelli hospital chapel, praying and doing some work in between rest and respiratory and physical therapy, the Vatican said.
Russian forces damaged energy and gas infrastructure inside Ukraine overnight in their first major missile attack since the U.S. paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine.
The unexploded bomb caused major travel delays, halting the Eurostar, a trans-European train that connects western Europe.
Trump's announcement of the pause until April 2 did not mention Canada, and came shortly after he levelled new attacks against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
EU leaders are set to address the issue of nuclear deterrence, among other issues, during a special summit in Brussels on Thursday.
In light of his recent actions and claims, Democrats took it upon themselves to stand up to the president and his party.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe called the suspension a “pause” and said it came after the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy in the Oval Office last week.
'We will make you rich. And together we will take Greenland to heights like you have never thought possible before,' Trump said in his televised address to Congress.