| Photos: Last Sunken Tug Raised on Illinois River
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 The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the sinking of three tugs on the Illinois River near Hardin, Illinois earlier this month. On July 5, Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi River received a report of three moored tugboats and a deck barge that began taking on water at mile marker 21 on the Illinois River. Sector UMR responded to the scene to find all three vessels fully submerged. The vessels - the Chatty Sue Smith, Mary-R and Mary-Fern - were owned and operated by Missouri-based marine services firm Hex Stone, Inc. The owner reported that the three vessels contained a combined 4,850 gallons of diesel fuel and oil. According to the USCG, Hex Stone quickly took action and contracted an oil spill removal service to mitigate the spill and deploy 1,500 feet of containment boom. The owner also hired a salvor to remove the sunken vessels. Scene of the sinking, July 7 (USCG) Spill response, July 7 (USCG) Spill response, July 7 (USCG) The raising of the Mary R, July 17 (USCG) Coast Guard ...
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| The NATO Alliance's Role in Arctic Security
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| [By Tyler Cross] Canada, much like Russia, is heavily invested in the Arctic. Ranking second in Arctic interests, it also ranks second in land holdings with 1.2 million square miles found above the Arctic Circle. Canada's northern borders have also long been secured by the vast expanses of Arctic ice, but they may find their Arctic holdings precariously exposed if ice sheets become non-existent. There exists a dichotomy of Canadian strategy in the Arctic. Of all 28 NATO countries, Canadians are the least excited to see an allied military presence in the Arctic. Multi-national military presence there, they feel, will undermine their near hegemony in large portions of the high latitudes. Anti-military cultural bias is relatively higher in Canada, and a significant portion of the populace ardently supports indigenous societies who call the Arctic home. The Canadians prefer decisions to be made by the diplomatic and intergovernmental Arctic Council as opposed to the more military-oriented policies of NATO. In ...
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| Study: "Hidden" Chinese Loans May Sow Seeds of Debt Crisis
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| [By David Uren] Tonga, a nation of 170 islands and just over 100,000 people, is carrying a heavier Chinese debt burden than any other nation except Djibouti, the strategic port at the mouth of the Red Sea. Official figures show Tonga owes China $108 million or about 25% of its GDP, but hidden debts raise the total to closer to 40%. In Djibouti, hidden financing raises its Chinese debt burden from 88% to over 100% of its GDP. The International Monetary Fund believed that 88% was unsustainable. A careful study tracking almost 5,000 Chinese loans and grants to 150 nations shows that the total advances to emerging nations have reached $530 billion, only about half of which have ever been officially reported. The total surpasses lending by the World Bank or the IMF, although US private lending is greater. The study says its estimates are conservative; Chinese balance-of-payments figures suggest total outstanding loans are $650 billion. The study, which is published by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy ...
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| Iranian Forces Seize One UK-Operated Tanker and Board Another
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| [Updated: Communications have been re-established with the tanker Mesdar, her operator reports, and Iranian forces have permitted her to continue her commercial voyage.] UK shipowner Stena Bulk reports that the UK-flagged product tanker Stena Impero has dropped out of contact and headed towards Iran after she was approached by a helicopter and several small craft in the Strait of Hormuz. "Stena Bulk and Northern Marine Management can confirm that at approximately 1600 BST on 19th July UK registered vessel Stena Impero (built 2018, 49,683 DWT) was approached by unidentified small crafts and a helicopter during transit of the Strait of Hormuz while the vessel was in international waters," Stena said in a statement. "We are presently unable to contact the vessel which is now heading north towards Iran." In a statement, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that its naval forces have seized the Impero. "UK tanker ship, Stena Impero, has been detained by the vessels unit of the IRGC Navy's ...
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| Should You Avoid Alcohol Once It Starts To Warm Up?
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 The hotter it gets, the more refreshing a beverage seems - including an ice-cold beer or a glass of frosé. Stuck in these long winter months, you're probably longing for the days of summer and the chance to kick back - but did you know that if it gets too hot, you shouldn't drink alcohol at all?
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| How To Remember Where You Parked Your Car At The Airport
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 Little is more miserable than getting off a six-hour flight, spending an extra hour in the airport to get off the plane, get all your baggage, and huff it over to the main transport hub and then realising you have no idea where you parked your car.
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| How To Balance On Your Hands
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 Last week we talked about how to balance really well on your feet (or, better yet, one foot). This time let's flip the script and balance on our hands.
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, all countries ( USA, Great Britain, India, Australia, New Zealand ) (sources)
