How France Sank Japan's Sub Dream
Ousting of Japan ally PM Abbott opened door to rivals; Tokyo slow to respond to new competitive process. In 2014, a blossoming friendship between Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe looked to have all but sewn up a $40 billion submarine deal. Then French naval contractor DCNS hatched a bold and seemingly hopeless plan to gatecrash the party. Almost 18 months later, France this week secured a remarkable come-from-behind victory on one of the world's most lucrative defense deals. The result: Tokyo's dream of fast-tracking a revival of its arms export industry is left in disarray. Interviews with more than a dozen Japaneseā¦
Tanker Sinking Could Expedite New Ship Rules
As the International Maritime Organization grapples with the issue of the phasing in of safer tanker tonnage around the world, local political pressure in France is pushing the country towards acting within the confines of the EU to ensure safer ships, ala the OPA 90 regulations enacted in the wake of the Valdez disaster. The sinking off the coast of France of a tanker carrying toxic chemicals could push the European Union to speed up a planned crackdown on shipping safety, local media was reporting in the wake of the latest downing of a ship carrying environmentally harmful materials off the coast of France. The Italian tanker Ievoli Sun sank in the Channel with 6,000 tons of toxic chemicals aboard.
Tanker Not An Environmental Disaster Yet
Environmental disaster has been averted for now but France is taking no risks after a tanker carrying thousands of tons of toxic chemicals sank off the Normandy coast, Reuters reported President Jacques Chirac as saying. Visiting an emergency operations center in Cherbourg, northwestern France, Chirac said information was still being gathered on how best to recover the chemicals that officials said were already leaking from the Italian tanker Ievoli Sun, which sank in the English Channel on Tuesday. "It's escaping in bursts," Cherbourg maritime captain Jean-Francois Choquart said. "It has to be styrene that has escaped from a forward storage tankā¦
Broken-Up Tanker Sinks Off Brittany
The broken-up Maltese-registered tanker Erika, carrying up to 25,000 tons of fuel oil, sank in stormy Atlantic seas off northwestern France on Dec. 3, according to the Cross Maritime Rescue Center. The tanker's stern, which contained most of the oil, sank as it was being towed farther out to sea to try to avoid pollution on Brittany's tourist coast. The bow disappeared earlier beneath the waves, about 24 hours after it split from the stern 45 miles south of Brittany's rugged Finistere Peninsula in 60 mph winds and 20-ft. (6 m) waves. Helicopters rescued the 26 crew members on Dec. 12. Officials said the oil did not pose an immediate threat to the coast.
Giant Fuel Oil Slick Threatens French Coast
Authorities along the length of France's Atlantic coast were on alert last Wednesday as a giant fuel oil slick slowly drifted south of Brittany, threatening an ecological disaster. Maritime officials said two navy ships were heading for the slick equipped with floating booms and giant vacuum cleaners to try to contain and pump the oil which escaped from the sunken Maltese-registered tanker Erika. Three more vessels, including a British ship, also equipped with vacuum pumps, were scheduled to join them on Thursday, and a Norwegian ship was due on Friday. Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot said France had also asked for help from Germany and Spain. Despite the international response of equipment and personnel, stormy seas were threatening to hamper the pumping.
