China coast guard boarded Taiwanese boat near frontline islands, Taiwan says

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Chinese coast guard personnel briefly boarded a Taiwanese tourist boat near Taiwan-controlled islands next to China’s coast on Monday, the government in Taipei said, in an escalation of tensions after China said it would carry out regular patrols. China announced on Sunday that its coast guard would strengthen law enforcement activity around … Read more

Maldives government asks India why its coast guard boarded 3 fishing boats

MALE, Maldives — The Maldives government says it has asked for clarification of why Indian coast guard personnel boarded three Maldivian fishing vessels operating within its economic zone earlier this week without consultation. The Maldives defense ministry said in a statement Friday night that its military was informed on Wednesday that personnel from a foreign … Read more

Iran confirms navy seized tanker in Gulf of Oman boarded by men in military uniforms

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s navy captured an oil tanker Thursday in the Gulf of Oman that only months earlier had seen its cargo of Iranian oil seized by the United States over sanctions linked to Tehran’s nuclear program, further escalating the tensions gripping the Mideast’s waterways. The vessel was previously known as the … Read more

Video of 73-year-old boarded up inside his apartment sparks investigation

HARVEY, Ill. (AP) — Rudolph Williams was home in a Chicago suburb when he realized the doors and windows to his courtyard-style apartment had been boarded up with plywood, locking him inside. “I didn’t know exactly what was going on,” the 73-year-old said Monday in describing how he tried to open his blocked door. “What … Read more