A Japanese warship collided with a cargo ship off southern Japan last week, injuring three crew members and starting fires on both vessels. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Kurama and the South Korean container vessel Carina Star collided in the Kanmon Strait, some 500 miles southwest of Tokyo. The fire and damage appears to have been more extensive on the JS Kurama. Fortunately there were no serious injuries or deaths on either vessels. Minor injuries were reported for several crew members on the JS Kurama.

The U.S. flagged M/V Maersk Alabama has been hijacked by pirates approximately 280 miles (450 kilometers) northeast of Eyl, a town in the northern Puntland region of Somalia. The ship reportedly has 21 U.S. citizens aboard and is the first U.S. flagged vessel to be hijacked by Somali pirates.

The U.S. cancels the scheduled port call for the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter DALLAS in the Georgian port of Poti, and shifts it to the safer port of Batumi, where 1 U.S. Arliegh Burke class Destroyer is already present.  Meanwhile, Moscow has ordered the large cruiser MOSKVA back to the port of Poti.  More from [...]