Latest news with #SouthPacific
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Carnival Cruise Line celebrated for heroic rescue
Carnival Cruise Line celebrated for heroic rescue originally appeared on Come Cruise With Me. Just a week after Carnival Paradise rescued a group of refugees from an adrift vessel near Cuba, another Carnival Cruise Line ship's crew sprang into action to make a dramatic rescue on the other side of the world. Carnival Splendor was sailing south of New Caledonia in the South Pacific during an eight-day cruise from Sydney when the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Noumea alerted them of a distress call from a disabled catamaran carrying four people and three Splendor was five hours away from the catamaran and immediately rushed to their aid in the middle of the night, as cruise ships will always do when they learn of anyone in peril at sea. One of the rescued couples, who feared for their lives while stranded on board the disabled catamaran, have since recounted the frightening ordeal and the cruise ship's extraordinary response, in a touching letter addressed to the entire Carnival Cruise Line Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald shared the letter from rescued sailors Juli and Ivan on his popular Facebook page that's followed by more than 600,000 Carnival cruisers. 'To all the Carnival crew, we are Juli and Ivan, two Argentinians 25 years old, traveling around the world for one year. We got the opportunity of crossing from Australia to Fiji in a catamaran, a bit more than a month ago, and from what you all know, it didn't end as expected,' the letter began. The sailors detailed how they ended up adrift at sea hundreds of miles from land.'After 8 days of crossing the ocean and having lost both engines, we were caught in a storm, which first made us think we were going to get hit by lightning and ended up breaking our mast in two after 50 knots of wind surprised us. 200 nautical miles away from New Caledonia, and this being our first passage, we were frightened to death,' they explained. The sailors reported contacting every coast station they could, but did not receive a reply for hours until the voice of Carnival Splendor Captain Eduardo Ferrone brought them hope. 'After two hours with no news, we received a call from your captain, saying he knew about our situation and that by doubling their speed in the middle of the storm, could reach us in just five hours. That was and will [for]ever be the best notice of our lives,' the letter emphasized.'After 5 hours, hoping the catamaran didn't sink because of the mast hitting us on every wave, we received the second-best call of our lives, from your captain asking us to drop the first flare, and straight away confirming he could see us,' the letter continued. Finally, Carnival Splendor reached them at 3 a.m., swiftly bringing them aboard the cruise ship and saving their lives. But what Carnival crew members did for them did not end there. 'What followed was just beyond reality,' the letter continued. 'This boat and its crew not only saved us but gave us all kindness, warmth, smiles, and attention which made recovering a completely different experience and a much easier one. There are no words to thank you all for being part of this recovery and exceeding expectations. Human values on board showed us better, and for that, we will be forever thankful.' More Carnival cruise news:The letter ended with heartfelt words of gratitude to Carnival Splendor's captain and several other crew members whom Juli and Ivan thanked by name. 'Special thanks to the Captain, Eduardo Ferrone, for being our guiding light in the middle of the ocean, giving us hope by making the call to save us and taking us back to land,' the emotional letter read. The rescued sailors went on to thank many other crew members who not only made sure they were safe, but who received them with exceptional kindness and concern for their health, well-being, and happiness. 'To all of you, thanks for the warm words and treatment, this would have been a different story if it wasn't for you," they added. "We will forever be grateful to Carnival Cruise Line.' (The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.) , or email Amy Post at or call or text her at 386-383-2472. This story was originally reported by Come Cruise With Me on May 28, 2025, where it first appeared.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
New Zealand defense minister pledges more deployments, co-operation
SINGAPORE: New Zealand is seeking to expand Asia-Pacific military deployments in its quest to show it was now 'pulling our weight' with increased spending on its armed forces, the South Pacific nation's defense minister said in Singapore on Friday. Defense minister Judith Collins raised the prospect of welcoming increased warship visits to the country, deepening joint training and other cooperative efforts with its traditional defense partners including ally Australia, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Britain and the Philippines. 'So we're open for business, we're back in the world and we're pulling our weight,' Collins said on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue defense meeting in Singapore. The New Zealand government announced in April that it would boost defense spending by NZ$9 billion ($5 billion) over the next four years, with the aim of nearly doubling spending to 2 percent as a share of gross domestic product in the next eight years amid growing international tensions. The new spending is a significant boost to the defense budget of just under NZ$5 billion in 2024/25, and follows its first national security review in 2023. The review called for more military spending and stronger ties with Indo-Pacific nations to tackle issues of climate change and strategic competition between the West, and China and Russia. The USS Blue Ridge, the command ship of the US Pacific Fleet, visited Wellington earlier this month and further visits from partners could be expected, Collins said. The ship was just the third US warship to visit in 40 years. When asked about Chinese concerns at New Zealand's more assertive military posture, she said Beijing realized Wellington had 'actually got a spine,' but 'I don't think China stays awake at night worrying about us.' 'I don't think we're any threat to China, or anyone else really,' Collins said, describing relations with China, an important trading partner, as 'very mature.' Regional military attaches and analysts say that after years of relative neglect, New Zealand still had to improve its ability to sustainably project power given its small, aging navy and air force but supporting its traditional relationships were key. Nuclear-free since the 1980s, New Zealand maintains an independent foreign policy but remains part of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network with the United States, Britain, Australia and Canada. Deployments of its four new Boeing P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft are being closely watched, given how they can help other countries plug gaps in the hunt for Chinese submarines, analysts say. Collins said New Zealand and Australian pilots now had the ability to fly each other's P-8 and transport planes — a sign of growing 'interoperability' in action. Collins said the P-8s had already flown up toward Canada and she expected further patrols in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. 'I think you'll see quite a lot of that,' she said. 'We go everywhere. Everywhere where we're wanted we go, if we can.'
RNZ News
2 days ago
- General
- RNZ News
Norfolk Island police say nothing untoward suspected after package washes ashore
A package with barnacles growing on it, believed to hold about 40 kilograms worth of cocaine, has washed up on a Norfolk Island beach Photo: Supplied Norfolk Island locals are shocked after a 40-kilogram package - believed to contain cocaine - washed up on one of their beaches. It was found by tourists on Tuesday afternoon at Anson Bay. Sergeant Mark Watson, the officer in charge of Norfolk Island Police Force, said the barnacle-covered package has generated quite a bit of community interest. "It appeared to contain smaller packages - so about 40 packages inside, which we believe to be cocaine and we believe it's about 40 kilograms' worth," he said. Norfolk is home to just over 2000 people, sitting between New Zealand and Australia in the South Pacific. Watson had been living on the island for years and said it's the first time he had seen anything like this. "We believe it's washed up. We don't believe there's anything untoward from Norfolk Island but investigations are continuing." He said he hadn't heard of Norfolk being used to traffic drugs to Australia. Local resident Rael Donde was just as surprised. "As far as I'm aware this has never happened before, so we're pretty shocked about this," he said. Like Sergeant Watson, she did not think Norfolk is being used as a drug transit point. "There's barnacles growing on the netting around the drugs so it seems like this was a random situation - it just happened to wash up on Norfolk Island as opposed to Australia or the New Zealand mainland." Another local, Brett Sanderson said the community is shocked. "This is stuff you see on TV that happens somewhere else, or you know maybe there's a drug bust in Australia's waters, a trawler or something is intercepted, but it always happens somewhere else." He also doesn't think the island is being used for transhipping drugs. "We're eight by five kilometres, so there are not a lot of secrets here." Sanderson, who owns a jewellery store on the island, said he first heard of the possibility of drugs on the island through tourists who visited his shop. "When these things happen, you're never quite sure whether it's just some crazy rumour that's spreading the island like Chinese whispers, or whether it's actually true." A spokesperson for the Australian Federal Police said investigations into the source of the drugs are continuing, including liaising with international partners. The Norfolk Island Police Force are asking the community to report any further sightings of suspicious packages but not to handle them.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Thompson eager to end first Edinburgh season on a high
Ross Thompson feels he has "grown" as a player in his first season with Edinburgh and is determined to help Sean Everitt's side progress in the 26-year-old stand-off has started 16 of 18 league games since his move from Glasgow last to prior to Saturday's quarter-final against Bulls in Pretoria, Thompson said: "I think there's definitely things I can get better at, but I feel like I've grown."As the team performances have got a bit better, I feel like I've been playing a little bit better."I'm really happy here, I'm really glad I made the move and I've enjoyed this season. Hopefully there's still a few games left for us."Thompson won the last of his seven Scotland caps on the 2024 summer tour of the Americas, but is fully focused on club matters for if he had hopes of earning a recall to Gregor Townsend's squad for this summer's tour of the South Pacific, the fly-half said: "I'm not too sure to be honest, I'm not giving it too much thought. I'm just looking forward to this quarter-final and the chance to go far in knockout rugby."We did it in the Challenge Cup, got to a semi-final, and it's really exciting to be a part of."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Vantage Recognised at Wealth Expo Argentina 2025 with "Best Trading Platform"
PORT VILA, Vanuatu, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantage Markets proudly wrapped up a standout appearance at Wealth Expo Argentina 2025, held on 23–24 May, marking another milestone in its participation in international finance events. The event, known for bringing together top voices in finance and investment, served as the perfect stage for Vantage to showcase its leadership, innovation, and commitment to financial inclusion. Vantage was honored with the "Best Trading Platform" award during the expo, a recognition of the company's continued excellence in delivering cutting-edge technology, user-friendly features, and secure infrastructure to its global community of traders. This accolade reinforces Vantage's position as a trusted and performance-driven broker. "We are incredibly proud to be recognised as the Best Trading Platform at Wealth Expo Argentina," said Marc Despallieres, CEO of Vantage Markets. "This award not only affirms our commitment to delivering powerful trading solutions but also reflects our dedication to our global community of traders and partners who trust us every day. Events like this give us the opportunity to share knowledge and connect with the broader financial community." Over the course of the event, Vantage's team led a lineup of informative sessions aimed at sharing insights and promoting financial literacy. On the main stage, Alejandro Zelniker, Affiliates and Partners Business Strategist, presented "Your Money Security Comes First", highlighting best practices for safeguarding financial assets in today's increasingly digital economy. Meanwhile, at the workshop stage, Agustin Zanardo, Business Development Manager, addressed "Common Mistakes Among Traders," offering general insights to help participants better understand trading pitfalls and risk management concepts. In a compelling panel discussion, Juan Gonzalez, Client Relationship Growth Market Analyst at Vantage, contributed to the conversation around "Trading for Everyone: Challenges of Financial Inclusion." He discussed the challenges faced by underserved populations and how brokers can contribute to improving access to financial services through inclusive and education-driven solutions. Adding to the on-stage highlights, Vantage also hosted in-booth speaker sessions led by Alejandro Caravotta, a digital asset expert. The sessions served not only as educational touchpoints, but also as a chance for attendees to interact with Vantage experts, gaining valuable insights into financial markets in an informal setting. As the main sponsor of the official Wealth Expo Argentina Cocktail Event, Vantage brought together partners, influencers, and industry experts for an elegant night of luxury, networking, and entertainment. It was a fitting end to drive powerful dialogues, brand presence, and shared momentum. As Vantage continues to grow its global presence at finance events, the brand remains focused on empowering traders through innovation, education, and meaningful community engagement. Visit Vantage Markets, for more updates. About Vantage Vantage Markets (or Vantage) is a multi-asset CFD broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs) products, including Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, and Bonds. With over 15 years of market experience, Vantage transcends the role of broker, providing a reliable trading platform, an award-winning mobile trading app, and a user-friendly trading platform that provide clients access to trading opportunities. trade smarter @vantage RISK WARNING: CFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Ensure you understand the risks before trading. Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, an offer, or solicitation of any financial products or services. The content is not intended for residents of any jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation. Readers are advised to seek independent professional advice before making any investment or financial decisions. Any reliance you place on the information presented is strictly at your own risk. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Vantage
