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Obama Cancels Meeting After Philippines’ Duterte Threatens to Curse at Him

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  •  The US has killed 15,000 Isis fighters for every American soldier Isis has killed

Barack Obama ditched a bilateral meeting with Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte Monday after the blustery leader told Obama he would “swear” at him if questioned about the extrajudicial killing of drug dealers.

Obama instead planned to meet with Korean President Park Geun-hye, National Security Council Spokesperson Ned Price said.

Duterte — often described as southeast Asia’s answer to Donald Trump — delivered the statement earlier at a news conference ahead of this week’s ASEAN regional meeting in Laos.

Duterte has faced international criticism, including from Washington, over the killings of more than 2,000 suspected drug pushers.

Answering a reporter’s question about how he intends to explain the extrajudicial killings to Obama, he said that Obama must be respectful and not just throw questions at him, or else, “Putang ina, I will swear at you in that forum,” Duterte said, using a Tagalog phrase for “son of a *****.”

He said he was leader of a sovereign country and answerable only to the Filipino people.

When Obama was asked at a news conference in China whether he would press ahead with a plan to meet with Duterte at a gathering in Laos this week of the summit, Obama said he had instructed his staff to determine whether a meeting would be “productive.”

Obama called the Philippines a close “friend and ally” of the United States and shrugged off Duterte’s statement.

“Clearly, he’s a colorful guy,” Obama said.

In the meantime, Isis has lost a staggering number of jihadists and has only killed three US troops in return, making the US-to-Isis “kill ratio” 15,000-to-one.

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama declared the group had lost swathes of territory and said its fighters “realise their cause is lost”.

The US president said the so-called Islamic State had lost 40 per cent of its “caliphate” in Iraq and 10 per cent in Syria, and had suffered numerous financial setbacks.

The number of Isis militants killed in US strikes has increased from 6,000 in January 2015 to 45,000 in July 2016, Time reports.

Isis has recently lost control of its last territories on the border with Turkey, isolating it from the rest of the world and strangling its ability to bring in new recruits.

The area previously controlled by Isis has been taken by the rebel Free Syrian Army, backed by a Turkish ground offensive that began at the town of Jarablus on 24 August.

On Saturday, more Turkish tanks rolled over the border into Al-Rai, a town some 55km (34 miles) west of Jarablus, and over the weekend a pincer Turkish-rebel offensive has closed the gap between the two.

Advances by Iraq’s army and allied militia towards its most important possession of Mosul have put the group under renewed pressure.

Baghdad could retake Mosul by the end of the year, Joseph Votel, the head of the US military’s Central Command said on Tuesday.

Turkish-backed rebels have been closing in on Isis on two sides from Jarablus (circled in NE) and Al-Rai (circled to W), leaving only a tiny stretch still connecting Isis with the rest of the world. It became apparent Isis was losing control of the border area when the key town of Manbij (circled, SE) fell in early August

One of the terror group’s most senior figureheads was killed in Syria last month.

Abu Muhammed al-Adnani was “martyred while surveying the operations to repel the military campaigns against Aleppo [province],” the group’s Amaq news agency said, without providing further details.

NBC with additional report from MSN

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WAIVER CESSATION: Igbokwe urges NIMASA to evolve stronger collaboration with Ships owners

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…Stresses the need for timely disbursement of N44.6billion CVFF***

Highly revered Nigerian Maritime Lawyer, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Igbokwe has urged the Nigeria Maritime Administration and safety Agency (NIMASA) to partner with ship owners and relevant association in the industry to evolving a more vibrant merchant shipping and cabotage trade regime.

Igbokwe gave the counsel during his paper presentation at the just concluded two-day stakeholders’ meeting on Cabotage waiver restrictions, organized by NIMASA.

“NIMASA and shipowners should develop merchant shipping including cabotage trade. A good start is to partner with the relevant associations in this field, such as the Nigeria Indigenous Shipowners Association (NISA), Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), Oil Trade Group & Maritime Trade Group of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

“A cursory look at their vision, mission and objectives, show that they are willing to improve the maritime sector, not just for their members but for stakeholders in the maritime economy and the country”.

Adding that it is of utmost importance for NIMASA to have a through briefing and regular consultation with ships owners, in other to have insight on the challenges facing the ship owners.

“It is of utmost importance for NIMASA to have a thorough briefing and regular consultations with shipowners, to receive insight on the challenges they face, and how the Agency can assist in solving them and encouraging them to invest and participate in the maritime sector, for its development. 

“NIMASA should see them as partners in progress because, if they do not invest in buying ships and registering them in Nigeria, there would be no Nigerian-owned ships in its Register and NIMASA would be unable to discharge its main objective.

The Maritime lawyer also urged NIMASA  to disburse the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF)that currently stands at about N44.6 billion.

“Lest it be forgotten, what is on the lips of almost every shipowner, is the need to disburse the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (the CVFF’), which was established by the Coastal and Inland Shipping Act, 2003. It was established to promote the development of indigenous ship acquisition capacity, by providing financial assistance to Nigerian citizens and shipping companies wholly owned by Nigerian operating in the domestic coastal shipping, to purchase and maintain vessels and build shipping capacity. 

“Research shows that this fund has grown to about N44.6billion; and that due to its non-disbursement, financial institutions have repossessed some vessels, resulting in a 43% reduction of the number of operational indigenous shipping companies in Nigeria, in the past few years. 

“Without beating around the bush, to promote indigenous maritime development, prompt action must be taken by NIMASA to commence the disbursement of this Fund to qualified shipowners pursuant to the extant Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (“CVFF”) Regulations.

Mike Igbokwe (SAN)

“Indeed, as part of its statutory functions, NIMASA is to enforce and administer the provisions of the Cabotage Act 2003 and develop and implement policies and programmes which will facilitate the growth of local capacity in ownership, manning and construction of ships and other maritime infrastructure. Disbursing the CVFF is one of the ways NIMASA can fulfill this mandate.

“To assist in this task, there must be collaboration between NIMASA, financial institutions, the Minister of Transportation, as contained in the CVFF Regulations that are yet to be implemented”, the legal guru highlighted further. 

He urged the agency to create the right environment for its stakeholders to build on and engender the needed capacities to fill the gaps; and ensure that steps are being taken to solve the challenges being faced by stakeholders.

“Lastly, which is the main reason why we are all here, cessation of ministerial waivers on some cabotage requirements, which I believe is worth applause in favour of NIMASA. 

“This is because it appears that the readiness to obtain/grant waivers had made some of the vessels and their owners engaged in cabotage trade, to become complacent and indifferent in quickly ensuring that they updated their capacities, so as not to require the waivers. 

“The cessation of waivers is a way of forcing the relevant stakeholders of the maritime sector, to find workable solutions within, for maritime development and fill the gaps in the local capacities in 100% Nigerian crewing, ship ownership, and ship building, that had necessitated the existence of the waivers since about 15 years ago, when the Cabotage Act came into being. 

“However, NIMASA must ensure that the right environment is provided for its stakeholders to build and possess the needed capacities to fill the gaps; and ensure that steps are being taken to solve the challenges being faced by stakeholders. Or better still, that they are solved within the next 5 years of its intention to stop granting waivers”, he further explained. 

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Breaking News: The Funeral Rites of Matriarch C. Ogbeifun is Live

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The Burial Ceremony of Engr. Greg Ogbeifun’s mother is live. Watch on the website: www.maritimefirstnewspaper.com and on Youtube: Maritimefirst Newspaper.

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Wind Farm Vessel Collision Leaves 15 Injured

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…As Valles Steamship Orders 112,000 dwt Tanker from South Korea***

A wind farm supply vessel and a cargo ship collided in the Baltic Sea on Tuesday leaving 15 injured.

The Cyprus-flagged 80-meter general cargo ship Raba collided with Denmark-flagged 31-meter wind farm supply vessel World Bora near Rügen Island, about three nautical miles off the coast of Hamburg. 

Many of those injured were service engineers on the wind farm vessel, and 10 were seriously hurt. 

They were headed to Iberdrola’s 350MW Wikinger wind farm. Nine of the people on board the World Bora were employees of Siemens Gamesa, two were employees of Iberdrola and four were crew.

The cause of the incident is not yet known, and no pollution has been reported.

After the collision, the two ships were able to proceed to Rügen under their own power, and the injured were then taken to hospital. 

Lifeboat crews from the German Maritime Search and Rescue Service tended to them prior to their transport to hospital via ambulance and helicopter.

“Iberdrola wishes to thank the rescue services for their diligence and professionalism,” the company said in a statement.

In the meantime, the Hong Kong-based shipowner Valles Steamship has ordered a new 112,000 dwt crude oil tanker from South Korea’s Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & Engineering.

Sumitomo is to deliver the Aframax to Valles Steamship by the end of 2020, according to data provided by Asiasis.

The newbuild Aframax will join seven other Aframaxes in Valles Steamship’s fleet. Other ships operated by the company include Panamax bulkers and medium and long range product tankers.

The company’s most-recently delivered unit is the 114,426 dwt Aframax tanker Seagalaxy. The naming and delivery of the tanker took place in February 2019, at Namura Shipbuilding’s yard in Japan.

Maritime Executive with additional report from World Maritime News

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