Sea warnings

Crotone, May 16, 2025 - A busy day in the Ionian Sea, with the Crotone Coast Guard playing a key role in a delicate medical rescue operation for a passenger aboard the Bermuda-flagged cruise ship Azura. The alarm was raised this morning when a health emergency necessitated the urgent transfer of an individual from the ship, en route to Split, Croatia. According to real-time information gathered, the Crotone Coast Guard vessel CP321 immediately headed towards the Azura. The latter, which departed from Valletta (Malta) the previous day at 19:37 UTC and had an estimated time of arrival in Split for 05:45 UTC tomorrow, was sailing at a speed of 21 knots on a course of 244°. At 12:29 UTC, the ship began to slow down to facilitate the transfer operations. At the same time, the port of Crotone was experiencing adverse weather conditions, with heavy rain. An ambulance was already waiting at the New Port of Crotone to receive the patient upon arrival ashore. The planned location for the transf...

May 15, 2025 — A Chinese fishing vessel issued a distress call yesterday off the coast of Guinea-Bissau, raising fresh concerns about the presence and practices of foreign fishing fleets operating in West African waters. At 14:20 UTC on May 14, 2025, a Digital Selective Calling (DSC) distress signal was received on the international maritime frequency of 16,804.5 kHz. The message originated from MMSI 412549634 , which corresponds to the YUAN YU 971 , a Chinese-flagged fishing vessel. The signal was directed to "All Ships" , indicating an urgent situation requiring immediate attention. The distress transmission, received by multiple global listening posts, pinpointed the vessel’s position at 11.06°N, 17.07°W , an area just off the coast of Guinea-Bissau. This same stretch of ocean has, in recent years, become a hotspot for large industrial trawlers — predominantly Chinese — whose activities are increasingly under international scrutiny. A Fleet Operating in the Shadows Th...

  Trapani, May 13, 2025 — An unusual incident occurred this morning involving the cargo ship Catania , operated by the Grimaldi Group, which suddenly reversed course while en route to La Goulette Nord, Tunisia. According to navigation data, the reversal took place at 07:48 UTC , when the vessel was already sailing through the Sicilian Channel on a heading of 31° at 8.6 knots. The ship had departed from Palermo at 23:56 UTC on May 12 , with an expected arrival at the Tunisian port scheduled for 11:00 UTC on May 13 , but that plan was temporarily suspended. During the maneuver, a military helicopter — an AgustaWestland AW-139 (MM82026) belonging to the Italian Air Force — was observed approaching the vessel. Identified as RIMA with squawk code 1751, the aircraft hovered over the cargo ship for several minutes, as confirmed by flight tracking data. The helicopter then left the vessel and flew to mainland Sicily, landing at a hospital in Palermo , presumably for a medical evacuatio...

Tripoli, May 13, 2025 — A fragile calm in Libya shattered overnight following the assassination of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli , also known as “Gheniwa” , a powerful militia leader and head of the Stability Support Authority (SSA) . The incident occurred during a meeting at the base of the 444th Combat Brigade , one of the most prominent armed groups operating in Tripoli. What began as a targeted killing has rapidly spiraled into widespread clashes across the Libyan capital, reigniting fears of a return to full-scale civil war . A Targeted Killing with National Consequences According to early reports, Gheniwa was killed late last night while attending a closed-door meeting at the 444th Brigade’s base. Though details remain unclear, the symbolic weight of this assassination is enormous: Gheniwa was one of the most influential militia leaders in post-2011 Libya , known for his stronghold in western Tripoli and close—but often tense—ties to the Government of National Unity (GNU) . His dea...

In the early hours of Friday morning, a vessel from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition was attacked by drones while navigating international waters approximately 17 nautical miles east of Malta. The ship, Conscience , which sails under the flag of Palau, was en route to Gaza carrying humanitarian aid and 30 international human rights activists. According to multiple eyewitness reports and statements from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the ship was struck twice by what are believed to be Israeli drones. The attacks reportedly targeted the vessel’s front section and its generator, igniting a fire and causing a breach in the hull. The damage forced the crew to issue a distress call. Authorities in Cyprus responded by dispatching a naval vessel to assist. Maltese authorities later confirmed that the onboard fire had been extinguished. The attack marks a significant escalation in efforts to prevent humanitarian support from reaching Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, an international init...