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A US oil tanker that collided with a container ship in the North Sea is set to have its cargo of more than 200,000 barrels of jet fuel removed this weekend.

The Stena Immaculate and Portuguese vessel the Solong collided about 12 miles off the coast of East Yorkshire earlier this month, leaving one man missing, presumed dead.

Shipping company Crowley, which manages the Stena Immaculate, said salvage and recovery operations will move into the next phase on Saturday and Sunday.

A view of the MV Stena Immaculate oil tanker, operating as part of the US government's Tanker Security Programme, at anchor in the Humber Estuary, off the coast of East Yorkshire following a collision with the Solong container ship on Monday. Picture date: Tuesday March 11, 2025.
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The Stena Immaculate, a day after the collision, with a hole in its side. Pic: PA

The remaining 202,485 barrels of Jet-A1 cargo will be transferred to a tanker anchored nearby, it said.

The jet fuel will then be delivered to its original destination of Killingholme in Lincolnshire, Crowley added.

The Solong arrived in Aberdeen on Friday after being towed to the city’s port.

Tug boats shadow the Solong container ship as it drifts in the Humber Estuary, off the coast of East Yorkshire following a collision with the MV Stena Immaculate oil tanker, operating as part of the US government's Tanker Security Programme, on Monday. Picture date: Tuesday March 11, 2025. PA Photo. The maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate, Crowley, said the vessel was struck by the Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull, causing "multiple explosions" on board and Jet A-1 fuel it was carrying to be released. See PA story SEA Collision. Photo credit should read: Danny Lawson/PA Wire
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The Solong container ship drifting in the Humber Estuary, a day after the collision. File pic: PA

Thirty-six people were rescued from both ships following the collision on 10 March. A sailor from the Solong – named as 38-year-old Filipino national Mark Angelo Pernia – is missing and presumed dead.

The Solong’s Russian captain Vladimir Motin has been remanded in custody, charged with gross negligence manslaughter. He is due to stand trial in January 2026.

Read more:
Why did the ships crash?
Crew of tanker praised as ‘heroic’

After the jet fuel is removed, the Stena Immaculate will be towed to the Port of Tyne on the North East coast, near Newcastle, for further inspection, which is expected to take place in early April.

Map showing Stena Immaculate and Solong crash location on 10 March, and various ports linked with both boats

Following the collision, thousands of plastic pellets, known as nurdles, were released from ruptured containers on the Solong.

They began washing up on beaches on the Norfolk coast, where a clean-up operation is continuing.

The National Trust said nurdles had appeared on Brancaster Beach in Norfolk and the RSPB confirmed they had washed up at the charity’s reserve at nearby Titchwell.

While the plastic pellets are not toxic, they can be a risk to wildlife if ingested.

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Protesters throw powder on Tower Bridge during London Marathon

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Protesters throw powder on Tower Bridge during London Marathon

Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators have thrown red powder on Tower Bridge – just moments before leading runners in the London Marathon went past.

The protesters were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance and remain in custody, said the Metropolitan Police.

A video shared by Youth Demand, which is calling for a trade embargo on Israel, shows two people jumping over a barrier that separates spectators from the race course.

The pair, wearing t-shirts that say “Youth Demand: Stop Arming Israel”, are then seen standing in the middle of the road on the bridge.

Pic: LNP
Image:
Pic: LNP

They throw red powder in the air as an official marathon car goes past displaying the race time.

A motorbike with a cameraman on board continues along the route, while a second motorbike stops and one of the riders gets off and pushes the pair out of the way, just before the men’s elite runners pass.

Several police officers then jump over the barrier and detain the pair, the footage shows.

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There appeared to be no impact on the marathon.

More than 56,000 participants were expected to take part in the 26.2-mile race through the capital.

Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men’s elite race in a time of two hours, two minutes and 27 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa shattered the women’s-only world record in two hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds.

Assefa beat the previous best of two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds set last year in London by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.

Read more:
Sky’s Beth Rigby running marathon in honour of ‘dearest friend’
Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform

Pic: LNP
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Pic: LNP

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: “At around 10.38am, two protesters from Youth Demand jumped over barriers at Tower Bridge and threw red paint on to the road.

“Marathon event staff intervened to remove the protesters from the path of the men’s elite race which was able to pass unobstructed.”

The force added that they were “quickly supported by police officers who arrested the protesters on suspicion of causing a public nuisance”.

The Met said the paint “appeared to be chalk-based” and was not expected to “present a hazard to runners yet to pass this point”.

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Kemi Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform after next week’s council elections

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Kemi Badenoch does not rule out local coalitions with Reform after next week's council elections

Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out forming coalitions at a local level with Reform after the council elections next week.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, the Conservative leader did however categorically rule out a pact with Nigel Farage’s party on a national level.

“I am not going into any coalition with Nigel Farage… read my lips,” she said.

However, she did not deny that deals could be struck with Reform at a local level, arguing that some councils might be under no overall control and in that case, “you have to do what is right for your local area”.

“You look at the moment, we are in coalition with Liberal Democrats, with independents,” she said. “We’ve been in coalition with Labour before at local government level.

“They [councillors] have to look at who the people are that they’re going into coalition with and see how they can deliver for local people.”

She added: “What I don’t want to hear is talks of stitch-ups or people planning things before the results are out. They have to do what is right for their communities.”

More on Electoral Dysfunction

A total of 23 councils are up for grabs when voters go to the polls on Thursday 1 May – mostly in places that were once deemed Tory shires, until last year’s general election.

It includes 14 county councils, all but two of which have been Conservative-controlled, as well as eight unitary authorities, all but one of which are Tory.

Ms Badenoch has set expectations low for the Tories, suggesting they could lose all the councils they are contesting.

The last time this set of councils were up for election was in 2021, when the Conservative Party was led by Boris Johnson who was riding high from the COVID vaccine bounce.

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Counter-terrorism police investigating after two women injured in Leeds

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Counter-terrorism police investigating after two women injured in Leeds

Counter-terrorism police are investigating after an incident involving a crossbow and a firearm left two women injured in Leeds.

Police were called to Otley Road at 2.47pm on Saturday to reports of a “serious incident involving a man seen with weapons”, West Yorkshire Police said.

Officers arrived at the scene to find two women injured – and a 38-year-old man with a self-inflicted injury. All three were taken to hospital, with the man held under arrest, but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

“Two weapons have been recovered from the scene, which were a crossbow and a firearm,” Counter Terrorism Policing North East said in a statement.

The incident happened on the ‘Otley Run’ pub crawl, with one venue saying it was closed for the evening due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

Officers guard one of the crime scenes in Leeds
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Officers guard one of the crime scenes

Officers inside the cordon in Leeds
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Officers inside the cordon in Leeds

Counter Terrorism Policing’s statement added: “Due to the circumstances surrounding the incident, Counter Terrorism Policing North East have taken responsibility for leading the investigation with the support of West Yorkshire Police.

“Extensive enquiries continue to establish the full circumstances and explore any potential motivation.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described it as a “serious violent incident” and said she was being kept updated by police.

“Thank you to the police and emergency services for their swift response,” she said. “My thoughts are with the victims and all those affected by this attack.”

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