Fishing

• Filipino coast guard vessels and Chinese maritime militia engaged in a tense standoff Friday near Scarborough Shoal, with both nations claiming territorial waters; no shots were fired, but vessels came within 500 meters of each other, Filipino officials reported. • The incident involved disputed fishing rights and resource access; the Philippines detained three Chinese fishing boats accused of illegal harvesting in Manila-claimed waters, while China demanded their immediate release. • The US State Department reiterated commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines and called for peaceful resolution, warning that any military escalation in the strategic waterway threatens global trade and stability.

• Philippine coast guard vessels confronted Chinese fishing fleets in the Scarborough Shoal area Saturday, with Manila accusing Beijing of illegal harvesting in disputed waters and demanding immediate withdrawal. • The incident involved three Chinese ships ramming a Philippine patrol boat, injuring two officers, prompting Manila to lodge a formal diplomatic protest through the US State Department. • Analysts view the confrontation as part of China's broader strategy to consolidate control over contested maritime zones, with the US signaling support for Philippine sovereignty claims.

Bibby Boys photo exhibition documents experiences of the men who lived on the former asylum seeker vessel in Dorset and the local community that rallied around them The Bibby Stockholm barge, which was moored off Portland, Dorset, to accommodate asylum seekers, attracted many negative headlines – from evacuation after the discovery of legionella bacteria, to the suicide of Albanian asylum seeker Leonard Farruku and angry far-right protests.But an exhibition launching this week reveals a less reported side of life on the barge, where enduring connections between asylum seekers and members of the local community were forged and continue long after the last group of asylum seekers left the vessel in November 2024. Continue reading...