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At least 2 dead and 12 missing after a fishing boat sinks off South Korea's Jeju island

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At least 2 dead and 12 missing after a fishing boat sinks off South Korea's Jeju island
News

News

At least 2 dead and 12 missing after a fishing boat sinks off South Korea's Jeju island

2024-11-08 14:50 Last Updated At:15:01

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A fishing boat capsized and sank off the coast of South Korea’s Jeju island on Friday, leaving at least two people dead and 12 others unaccounted for, coast guard officials said.

Nearby fishing vessels managed to pull 15 crew members out of the water, but two of them were later pronounced dead after being brought to shore. The other 13 did not sustain life-threatening injuries, said Kim Han-na, an official at Jeju’s coast guard.

She said 27 crew members -– 16 South Koreans and 11 Indonesians -– were on the 129-ton boat, which left Jeju’s Seogwipo port late Thursday to catch mackerel.

The coast guard received a distress signal at around 4:30 a.m. Friday from a nearby fishing vessel that conducted rescue efforts as the boat sank about 22 kilometers (13 miles) northwest of the island. The rescuers were slowed by strong winds and waves of about 2 meters (6 feet).

At least 30 vessels and 13 aircraft from South Korea’s coast guard, police, fire service and military were deployed as of Friday morning to search for survivors. They were being assisted by 13 civilian vessels.

Jung Moo-won, Jeju coast guard’s director of security and safety, said rescue workers have confirmed the location of the sunken boat and have dispatched divers to search the vessel.

The two crew members who died were South Koreans. Of the 13 survivors, nine were Indonesians, Jung said. Among the 12 missing, 10 were South Koreans. Jung said South Korean officials contacted the Indonesian Embassy to reach the families of the Indonesia crew members.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called for officials to mobilize all available resources to find and rescue the missing crew members, his office said.

Rescue team prepare to help rescued crew members of a fishing boat at a port on Jeju Island, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (Park Ji-ho/Yonhap via AP)

Rescue team prepare to help rescued crew members of a fishing boat at a port on Jeju Island, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (Park Ji-ho/Yonhap via AP)

Rescued crew members of a fishing boat wait for transfer to a hospital at a port on Jeju Island, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (Park Ji-ho/Yonhap via AP)

Rescued crew members of a fishing boat wait for transfer to a hospital at a port on Jeju Island, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (Park Ji-ho/Yonhap via AP)

Rescued crew members of a fishing boat wait for transfer to a hospital at a port on Jeju Island, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (Park Ji-ho/Yonhap via AP)

Rescued crew members of a fishing boat wait for transfer to a hospital at a port on Jeju Island, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 8, 2024. (Park Ji-ho/Yonhap via AP)

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Princess of Wales joins royals as Qatari state visit to the UK starts

2024-12-03 20:57 Last Updated At:21:00

LONDON (AP) — The Princess of Wales helped kick off the emir of Qatar’s trip to Britain on Tuesday as the U.K. government enlists one of the most popular royals to ensure the success of a state visit by the leader of a key ally, even as the princess recovers from cancer treatment.

The event will be just one of a handful of appearances that Prince William’s wife, better known as Kate, has made since she was diagnosed with cancer in March, underscoring the importance of the gas-rich gulf state that invests billions in Britain and has played a central role in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas.

William and Kate greeted Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani in the morning. The couples then traveled to Horse Guards Parade in central London, where King Charles III formally welcomed the emir and Sheikha Jawaher to Britain at the start of a two-day visit that will include a trip to Westminster Abbey, a banquet at Buckingham Palace and a meeting with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Queen Camilla, who has been suffering from a lingering chest infection, pulled out of the formal outdoors event on medical advice. She plans to take part in a lunch at the palace and attend the evening banquet.

Though smaller than the U.S. state of Connecticut, Qatar has the world’s third-largest reserves of natural gas and is a key investor in the U.K. The Qatari Investment Authority owns the luxury retailer Harrod’s and holds large stakes in British companies such as Barclays Bank and the supermarket chain Sainsbury’s. It has also invested heavily in London real estate, including the Shard, western Europe’s tallest building.

But the display of pomp being rolled out for the emir sits uneasily with human rights advocates who say women and LGBTQ+ people face discrimination in Qatar, and migrant workers still haven’t been compensated for “egregious abuses” that occurred during preparations for the 2022 soccer World Cup.

“Hosting the royal visit without addressing these issues is tantamount to royal-washing Qatar’s troubling rights record,” said Yasmine Ahmed, U.K. director of Human Rights Watch.

The state visit comes at the end of a difficult year for Britain’s royal family.

The king was sidelined for two months after it was announced in February that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. Just a few weeks later, Kate made public her own cancer diagnosis and said that she, too, would be stepping away from public duties to focus on her treatment and recovery.

While Charles returned to public duties at the end of April, Kate needed more time and her return has been slower.

The princess has made only a few public appearances this year, mostly at moments of national significance. They included the king’s annual birthday parade in June and the men’s final at Wimbledon in July. Most recently, she took part in the annual Remembrance Day ceremonies in November to honor the nation’s war dead.

The princess announced in September that she had completed chemotherapy treatment.

One reason the government and royal family may have asked Kate and William to play a major role in the Qatari state visit is because they have a lot in common with the emir.

All three are in their early 40s and were educated at elite British prep schools. The emir and William are both graduates of the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, with the emir going on to serve in the Qatari military and William serving in both the British Army and Royal Air Force.

Kate and William will join the Qatari royals and the king and queen for a carriage procession to Buckingham Palace.

After lunch at the palace, the emir and Sheikha Jawaher will visit Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament.

Later in the day, the king and queen will host a state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

On Wednesday, the emir will visit Sandhurst, meeting with some of his former classmates and current Qatari cadets. He will also meet with RAF personnel who are providing advanced training for Qatari air force pilots.

The emir will then travel to the prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street for his meeting with Starmer.

Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/royalty

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, greets dignitaries as she arrives ahead of a Ceremonial Welcome for the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher, at Horse Guards Parade in London, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024. (Henry Nicholls via AP, Pool)

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, greets dignitaries as she arrives ahead of a Ceremonial Welcome for the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher, at Horse Guards Parade in London, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024. (Henry Nicholls via AP, Pool)

Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, right, Prince William and King Charles III, left, welcome the Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani in London, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool)

Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, right, Prince William and King Charles III, left, welcome the Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani in London, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool)

Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, Prince William and King Charles III, from left, welcome the Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, second right, and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani in London, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool)

Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, Prince William and King Charles III, from left, welcome the Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, second right, and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani in London, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool)

Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, Prince William, front left, and King Charles III, right, welcome the Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani in London, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool)

Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales, Prince William, front left, and King Charles III, right, welcome the Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani in London, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, Pool)

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, greets dignitaries as she arrives ahead of a Ceremonial Welcome for the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher, at Horse Guards Parade in London, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024. (Henry Nicholls via AP, Pool)

Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales, greets dignitaries as she arrives ahead of a Ceremonial Welcome for the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Jawaher, at Horse Guards Parade in London, Tuesday Dec. 3, 2024. (Henry Nicholls via AP, Pool)

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, front left, and Sheikha Hind bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, front right, arrive at Stansted Airport in Essex, England, Monday Dec. 2, 2024, for a state visit hosted by King Charles III. ( Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, front left, and Sheikha Hind bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, front right, arrive at Stansted Airport in Essex, England, Monday Dec. 2, 2024, for a state visit hosted by King Charles III. ( Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, front left, and Sheikha Hind bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, front right, arrive at Stansted Airport in Essex, England, Monday Dec. 2, 2024, for a state visit hosted by King Charles III. ( Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, front left, and Sheikha Hind bint Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, front right, arrive at Stansted Airport in Essex, England, Monday Dec. 2, 2024, for a state visit hosted by King Charles III. ( Joe Giddens/PA via AP)

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