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Al Jazeera
a day ago
- General
- Al Jazeera
Message in a bottle found in Ireland prompts theories about Taiwanese crew
A message in a bottle found off the west coast of Ireland has revived hopes for answers about the fate of a Taiwanese fishing crew that disappeared four years ago. Internet sleuths have linked the note, a purported SOS message written in a mixture of Chinese, Indonesian and English, to the Yong Yu Sing No 18, a Taiwanese fishing vessel that was found adrift with its crew missing in 2021. Matthew Long said that he and a friend were walking on a beach on Inisheer, a small island located about 8km (5 miles) off County Clare, last week when they came across a wax-sealed bottle containing the handwritten note. 'We used Google Translate and the first half of the message translated to an SOS message in Indonesian,' Long told Al Jazeera. Long said he handed the note over to the local police before posting about his discovery on the social media site Reddit, where internet sleuths quickly got to work trying to track down its origin. 'We posted it in a few places online, but when we posted it in r/beachcombing, it blew up and clever Redditors were able to trace it back to a real missing ship crew,' Long said. According to the Reddit posting, the text reads: 'Please send help! We are lost since 12/20. There are 3 of us here. We don't know the name of this island. We are injured. HELP. HELLO. SOS.' The note ends with the Chinese character for 'Li' and the name 'Yong Yu Sing No 18.' An Garda Síochána, the Irish police service, said it does not comment on third-party content online but confirmed it had received a 'report of an item found' on Inisheer last Saturday. It declined to provide further information. The Yong Yu Sing No 18 was reported missing on January 1, 2021, after its owner lost contact with the ship's captain, a man surnamed Li, two days earlier, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency. The fishing vessel was later found approximately 600km (373 miles) from Midway Atoll, an unincorporated United States territory in the North Pacific Ocean, with its crew and lifeboat missing. The incident was later ruled an accident by Taiwanese prosecutors, but the fate of Li and his nine Indonesian crew members remains unknown to this day. The Taiwan Yilan District Prosecutors Office, which investigated the case in 2021, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Long's Reddit post has received nearly 10,000 upvotes, or 'likes', and 1,200 comments from users, many of them offering theories about the crew's fate and debating whether it is more likely that the note is genuine or a hoax. In Taiwan, the note has been taken seriously by advocates for the families of the missing crew, including the Su'Ao Fisherman's Association. 'This association relays the hope that the government will verify the situation through appropriate channels, and if confirmed to be true, is willing for the government to cooperate with international organisations to coordinate rescue efforts,' the association said in a statement to local media. The Su'Ao Fisherman's Association did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera's request for comment. Internet users on Taiwan's PTT message board have also debated the authenticity of the note. Some have compared it with an incident in 1992 in which a container of 28,000 plastic ducks and bath toys fell off a cargo ship during a storm. In the decades since the incident, the ducks have washed up around the world, including as far away as Scotland. Long said he is uncertain about whether the note is genuine, but believes it is possible. 'I don't know about the note's authenticity or if it was really sent by the crew of that ship,' he said. 'I was very sceptical at first and believed it to be a hoax when I first opened and read the message, but since then, it is starting to look more plausible to me.'
Irish Times
12-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Up to €5m goes missing after NTMA falls victim to phishing scam
An investigation has been launched after a multi-million euro scam was perpetrated against the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA). The scam, which is understood to have involved as much as €5m, was uncovered earlier this week after staff expressed concern about a payment made to a company connected to the Ireland Stategic Investment Fund (ISIF). The fund is managed and controlled by the NTMA and is described as 'a sovereign development fund with a unique mandate to invest on a commercial basis to support economic activity and employment in Ireland'. Given the nature of the fund, large amounts of money are often transferred through it. READ MORE It emerged this week that one payment which caused staff concern was bogus, with the request originating from an as yet unidentified and likely criminal source. It is understood the nature and timing of the request for the fund transfer was designed to increase the chances the scam would be successful. The NTMA has been quoted as saying there was no evidence that there had been a breach of its systems, with the criminals exploiting human vulnerabilities and deploying a type of invoice fraud on the agency. 'Following receipt of a complaint of alleged fraud, An Garda Síochána has commenced an investigation into this matter. No further comment is available at this time,' a Garda spokesman told The Irish Times. The NTMA is understood to be carrying out an urgent review to establish what happened and to ascertain if and how the money lost can be recovered. While it is not clear if this is what happened on this occasion, invoice fraud typically sees criminals making contact with businesses pretending to be a legitimate enterprise. They then work to earn the trust of individuals within that company with a view to diverting payments to accounts they have control over. The money then disappears through the international banking network.
Irish Times
11-07-2025
- Irish Times
Girl (12) dies after getting into swimming difficulties in Co Tipperary
A 12-year-old girl has died after she got into swimming difficulties in Co Tipperary on Friday afternoon. The incident occurred at a local swimming spot in the village of Newcastle, located close to Ballymacarbry near the Co Waterford border, shortly after 4pm. The swimming area is along the Suir Blueway, and the girl had been swimming with a number of others when the incident occurred. Emergency services and gardaí attended the scene and the girl was transferred to Cork University Hospital (CUH) by the Irish Coast Guard Air and Sea Rescue 117 helicopter, after being recovered from the water at around 4.45pm. READ MORE It is understood that the young girl's family is from Newcastle. In a statement, An Garda Síochána said they and the emergency services attended an incident where 'a female child got into difficulty in the water at River Suir, Newcastle, Co Tipperary at approximately 4.20pm today'. The statement continued: 'She was airlifted by Rescue 117 to Cork University Hospital in a serious condition. She has since passed away.' A file will be prepared for the Coroner's Court. Garda investigations are ongoing.
Sunday World
03-07-2025
- Sunday World
Man arrested in murder of Josephine Ray previously denied involvement in pensioner's death
Hasan Ali Gori has been in a relationship with Ms Ray's daughter, Mary Ray. A man who has protested his innocence in relation to the murder of pensioner Josephine 'Josie' Ray was re-arrested today in connection with her killing. Hasan Ali Gori, who is in his 50s, was arrested by Gardaí in Limerick City. Mr Ali Gori was taken to a garda station for questioning about the murder of the 89-year old. Mr Ali Gori has been in a relationship with Ms Ray's daughter, Mary Ray. They were both previously arrested in connection with the death of Josephine Ray. Both have said they had no involvement in the murder. It's understood that the pensioner was assaulted and strangled. Her body was found in bed at her home at St Joseph's Park, Nenagh, on August 4, 2024. News in 90 Seconds - Thursday, July 3 It recently emerged that Mr Ali Gori and Mary Ray have been living rough at rat-infested wetlands at Limerick City. In an interview conducted at their makeshift homeless campsite last April, Mr Ali Gori and Ms Ray said they had no involvement in Josephine Ray's killing. 'I have nothing to do with this death, how is somebody accusing me of murder. I didn't do anything to anybody,' Mr Ali Gori said. Mary Ray was also adamant she was not involved in her mother's murder: 'No I hadn't, no I hadn't, no, no, I had not, no, no.' With rats scurrying around her, Ms Ray said: 'My mother loved me, she was mad about me, we lived together. It's very hard for me, I miss her terrible, so much.' The couple were previously arrested on the day of her funeral, last September. Mary Ray said she found her mother's lifeless body in bed but she said she initially thought her mother was asleep. 'I got an awful fright. Her glasses were off in the bed…I said, 'Mother, get up for your tea'. 'But she wasn't moving. I said, there's something wrong with her, she must be dead.' Garda interactions with Josephine Ray at her home in the days before her death have been referred to Fiosru, the Garda Siochana Ombudsman, including a Garda response at her house following a report of a disturbance less than 24-hours prior to her death. Josephine Ray was reportedly alive when Gardaí called to her home on August 3, during which a number of people were present at her home. It is understood Gardaí had also been called to her home on several occasions during the months prior to her death in response to a number of different alleged complaints. A statement released by Gardaí today said: 'A male in his 50s was arrested today in relation to this investigation. He is currently being detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. 'Gardaí in Nenagh continue to investigate all the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman, whose body was discovered at a residence at St Joseph's Park, Nenagh, County Tipperary, on the afternoon of Sunday, August 4, 2024. 'Investigations are ongoing.'
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Woman in her 20s dies day after crash that killed girl, six, and injured two others
A woman in her 20s has died from injuries sustained in a crash in Co Donegal which also killed a six-year-old girl and injured two others. The collision, involving a van and a car, took place on the R240 at Carrowmore in Glentogher, Carndonagh before 6.30pm on Wednesday. Irish police said on Wednesday that a six-year-old child had died and several other people had been injured. On Thursday, they said that the driver of the car, a woman aged in her 20s, died after being transported for treatment at Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. Another girl, who was a rear passenger, is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Royal Victoria Hospital. A man in his 30s, who was the front seat passenger, is also being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Altnagelvin Hospital, Londonderry. No other injuries were reported. An Garda Siochana is appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this collision to contact them. A spokesperson said: 'Any road users who may have camera footage (including dash-cam) and were travelling in the area between 6pm and 6.30pm on Wednesday July 2 2025, are asked to make this footage available to investigating gardai. 'Anyone with information is asked to contact Buncrana Garda Station at 074 932 0540, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.' The road was closed overnight pending a technical examination by Forensic Collision Investigators and local diversions were in place. The road has since reopened.
