In the evening Aug 17 Tunisian Coast Guard patrol boat intercepted fishing vessel with illegal migrants off Sfax, Tunis, in their attempt to make way to Italy. When ordered to stop, migrants started to throw Molotov cocktails at CG boat. Accidentally or intentionally, migrants set their vessel on fire. 14 migrants of Congo, Ivory Coast and Tunisian nationalities were rescued and arrested. At least 4 migrants died. Source: Maritime Bulletin
- Editor of nationalist tabloid Global Times claims China’s death toll was ‘far smaller than India’s’
- It’s the first time state media has acknowledged any casualties in the incident, while Beijing has declined to say how many troops died Source South China Morning Post
The Turkish navy issued three new navigational telexes on Friday reserving areas of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea. Source Ekathimerini
Taiwan has said it had to scramble fighter jets to track approaching Chinese aircraft that also crossed the sensitive mid-line of the Taiwan Strait, in an escalation of tensions as a top United States diplomat visited the self-ruled island in a move that angered Beijing. Source Al Jazeera
