National News Agency News

Israel gave its preliminary nod on Sunday to a draft U.S.-brokered deal demarcating a maritime border with Lebanon that may lead to profit-sharing in a disputed Mediterranean gas prospect. Hoping to defuse one source of conflict between the hostile countries and prod them toward accommodation, U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein last week submitted a new proposal that would pave the way for offshore energy exploration.After years of stop-start shuttle diplomacy, agreement seems closer than ever.

South Korean and Hungarian divers have recovered a body from the wreck of a tourist boat which sank last week in Budapest, national news agency MTI said on Monday, citing the Hungarian counter-terrorism unit running the rescue.Twenty-eight people are presumed dead in the accident - the worst river disaster in Hungary in more than half a century - when a pleasure boat carrying South Korean tourists capsized after crashing into a larger cruise ship.Reporting by Krisztina Than

The Competition Commission approved the sale of a majority stake in Piraeus Port (OLP) to China’s COSCO during its meeting on Wednesday, saying it is in line with Greek competition laws. According to Greek national news agency AMNA, the next and final step for the changing of hands at Piraeus port is for the concession agreement to be submitted to parliament for approval. “Having taken into account the conditions and prospects of the relevant market, the improvements in its efficiency and the commitments given, concluded that the concentration does not raise serious doubts as to the compatibility of the deal with the performance requirements of competition in the individual markets it concerns,” the Commission said in its decision.

The National Privatization Fund (TAIPED) sources said that Greece's Court of Audit has approved the sale of a 67 percent in the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP) to Chinese Cosco, according to Kathimerini. Greek national news agency AMNA also reported, citing credible judicial sources that Greek Court of Audit, Greece's supreme administrative court, approved  the sale of the majority stake. On February 17 Greece's privatization fund had declared COSCO Preferred Investor for the sale of the controlling stake in Greece's largest port for 368.5 million euros. Under the concession deal which expires in 2052, COSCO will invest an extra 350 million euros over the next decade in infrastructure works at Piraeus.

The 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) has established a hotline to resolve maritime disputes and to ensure the line of communications between the countries remain open during a crisis, reports the Star. The unveiling of the Direct Communications Link (DCL) took place as the region’s defence ministers continue efforts to bridge differences over the South China Sea maritime and territorial spat. The meeting’s chair, Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, told reporters at a press conference yesterday that having the direct and secure communication method in place will prevent “emotional” or “irrational” behaviour from spiralling out of control and affecting peace in the region.

MT Orkim Harmony, the fuel-laden Malaysian tanker that “disappeared” off the east coast of Johor last Thursday has been detected in Cambodian waters, according to Chief of Navy Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar says a report in Bernama. Abdul Jaafar said the tanker had been repainted and renamed. The tanker was being tailed from the air by aircraft of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), national news agency Bernama quoted Aziz as saying. The Malaysian-registered tanker was laden with 6,000 tonnes of RON95 petrol worth RM21 million when it went missing on June 12, while sailing from Malacca to Kuantan Port.

Syria's ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel-Karim Ali expressed his government's gratitude to the Lebanese Army and security apparatuses for seizing the ship suspected of smuggling weapons for the Syrian rebels, the National News Agency (NNA) informed the official Chinese News Agency. Lutfallah II, a Sierra Leonean-flagged vessel was intercepted by the Lebanese Navy on April 27. Weapons were found aboard its three containers. As a result, 21 people were charged and 14 are in custody. "However, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, in the words of their own foreign ministers, announced backing the (Syrian) fighters and the opposition," he added.

According to a Dec 30 report from the Malaysian National News Agency, Kasturi Marine Heavy Engineering Sdn Bhd, in view of the booming oil and gas industry, will undertake the development of a major yard capable of housing some large projects in the fabrication of offshore modules and platforms as well as a shipbuilding yard to facilitate clients around Asia and the Asia Pacific region. The proposed yard could accommodate approximately 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes of steel fabrication works and possess infrastructure capabilities such as draft depth of more than 35 meters for off loading activities including dry docking activities. (Source: Malaysian National News Agency)

According to a Dec. 14 report from the Malaysian National News Agency, Shipbuilder NGV Tech Sdn Bhd is collaborating with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd to construct two 249-ft training-cum-patrol vessels for the Royal Malaysian Navy. (Source: Malaysian National News Agency)