Robbers Pull Off Multimillion-dollar Copper Heist in Chilean Port
Chilean authorities said on Wednesday they were investigating a violent heist in Chile's main seaport where thieves stole several shipping containers filled with copper belonging to state-owned giant Codelco.Juan Carlos Catalan, the local prosecutor, said in a statement that ten armed men entered the San Antonio port early on Tuesday morning, attacked workers and stole 13 containers, 12 of which had copper."There was one guard and four workers that (the assailants)tied up and beat and left locked up…
AIDA Prima on Fire - Third Time!
AIDA Prima, a new ship for Carnival Corp.'s AIDA Cruises brand, was damaged by a fire early Sunday at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.’s shipyard in Nagasaki, the Japan Times reports. The fire reportedly was quickly extinguished by workers, with no injuries. Citing police and firefighters, local media said a worker found cardboard and insulation materials burning. The fire, which is the third to strike at the shipyard in January, is reportedly being investigated as an arson. It follows an electrical fire near a theater space on January 11, and a fire in a cabin involving a piece of cloth that took place January 13. AIDA Prima is set to be the new flagship for AIDA Cruises. Its most recent launch date was April of this year.
Tianjin: No Petrochem Fraud
China's Tianjin Port Holdings has found no evidence of an alleged fraud involving petrochemicals reported by media earlier this month, the company said in a statement on Monday. Citing police and trade sources, Reuters had reported police were investigating a suspected contract fraud at Tianjin Port that involved "mixed aromatics", a refinery product commonly used for blending petrol. But Tianjin Port said it had made checks with the companies said to be involved and had found no evidence of the alleged fraud. Mixed aromatics, also known as reformates, have become popular as a financing tool in recent years, as China has tightened credit and companies look to profit from interest rate differentials, trade sources said.
Lampedusa Shipwreck Victims Abused: Police Detain 5
Italian police have detained five people in an operation in Agrigento, Catania, Milano, Rome and Turin in a probe into the October 3, 2013 migrant boat disaster off Lampedusa that killed 366 people. Another four arrest warrants were issued but the persons were declared fugitives: two in Africa, one in Sweden and the fourth in Rome, reports ANSA. Migrants aboard the boat underwent continuous physical violence and reiterated torture as well as repeated rape, including gang rape, reported the news agency citing police statements after arresting the five traffickers Tuesday. The arrests came the same day as statements from Palermo prosecutors saying anti-immigration policies adopted by the majority of host countries are a boon for human traffickers.
