Ship that obliterated Baltimore bridge was involved in a previous collision; managed by DEI-captive company



Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge is apparently not the first structure that the Dali has left its mark on in recent years. The Singapore-flagged container ship that obliterated the bridge and effectively closed the second-busiest port in the mid-Atlantic Tuesday morning previously had an incident in a Belgian port.

The Dali, a 984-foot vessel owned by Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and managed by the DEI-captive Synergy Marine Group, collided with the stone pier in the Port of Antwerp during unmooring maneuvers on July 11, 2016.

The incident, which reportedly occurred on a clear day with good weather, resulted in significant damages to the stern and transom of the ship.

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VesselFinder noted at the time that the ship remained afloat but suffered breaches near the waterline as well as serious damage to its berth requiring repairs. The ship was detained and closed for cargo.

"As a general rule, these accidents are investigated, and ships are only allowed to leave after experts have determined it is safe for them to do so," a spokesman for the Port of Antwerp told Reuters.

The incident was reportedly the result of mistakes made by the master and pilot on board.

The same ship attempted to leave the Baltimore Harbor just after 1:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. However, while traveling at what Maryland Gov. Wes Moore indicated was a "very rapid speed," the ship allegedly lost power. The pilots alerted authorities but were evidently unable to arrest the ship's progress.

Blaze News previously reported that Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley claimed there is "absolutely no indication" that the Dali rammed into the bridge intentionally.

The FBI Baltimore field office indicated several hours after the incident that there "is no specific and credible information to suggest any ties to terrorism at this time."

An unclassified Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency report suggested the Dali "lost propulsion" while leaving port and that the pilots alerted officials to their loss of control.

At 1:28 a.m., the unlit container ship careened into a pier holding up the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The bridge, which spanned 1.6 miles over the Patapsco River, immediately collapsed.

Several vehicles atop the bridge at the time of the collision plunged into the frigid waters below. Two individuals were rescued, one of whom was in critical condition. Six were still missing at the time of publication.

The ship's all-Indian crew all survived.

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Synergy Marine Group, the company tasked with managing the ship, appears to have priorities besides avoiding collisions with critical infrastructure.

The company touts itself as a "leading shipmanager ... provid[ing] end-to-end maritime solutions with precisely and expertly tailored services."

Synergy Marine Group states on its website that "issues related to diversity are a high priority at Synergy. We realize that the benefits of diversity are best achieved by fostering greater inclusion and belonging."

The company indicated that its goal is a "workplace that is truly characterized by inclusion and belonging."

Days prior to paralyzing a major American port, the company underscored its commitment to "Diversity@Sea" and DEI.

Baltimore was apparently the company's latest stop on its "DEI journey in building an innovative and sustainable maritime sector which all can be proud of."

The company said in a statement that "whilst the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, the 'DALI' has now mobilised its Qualified Individual Incident response service. The US Coast Guard and local officials have been notified, and the owners and managers are fully cooperating with Federal and State government agencies under an approved plan."

President Joe Biden suggested Tuesday afternoon that he had directed his administration "to ensure every federal resource is available to assist search and rescue efforts and response to this terrible incident."

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Movies featuring Keanu Reeves were removed from Chinese streaming platforms after the movie star appeared at a charity benefit for Tibet



One of Hollywood’s most lovable movie stars may now be backlisted from the world’s largest film market as Chinese streaming platforms remove movies and other video content featuring Keanu Reeves after the actor appeared at a fundraiser hosted by a nonprofit affiliated with the Dalai Lama.

In early March, according to the Los Angeles Times, the “John Wick” and “Matrix” star participated in a benefit concert hosted by the New York-based nonprofit Tibet House. Reeves’s presence and role in the benefit concert appears to have angered Chinese censors as one Chinese streaming platform, Tencent Video, has scrubbed nearly 20 movies featuring Reeves from its catalog.

Tibet House is a nonprofit that — according to its website — was founded “at the request of His Holiness the Dali Lama” and is “dedicated to preserving Tibet’s unique culture at a time when it is confronted with extinction on its own soil.”

The Chinese Communist Party rejects the notion of Tibetan independence and views the Dali Lama — a Nobel Prize laureate — as a dangerous “separatist” as he continues to advocate for the geopolitical independence of Tibet and an end to Chinese rule over the region.

Reeves’s role in the Tibet House fundraiser came to light shortly after his latest film “The Matrix: Resurrections” debuted in Chinese cinemas. Chinese nationalists, however, were enraged by Reeves’s participation in this fundraiser and vowed to boycott the film after taking to government-sanctioned social media sites to lob insults at the actor.

In response to what the Chinese government perceived as Reeves snubbing China, last Monday China’s major streaming companies removed the “vast majority” of his filmography from their catalogs and “wiped search results related to his name in Chinese.”

When users ran searches for “Keanu Reeves,” which in translates to “Jinu Liweisi” on the streaming platform iQiyi, users are told: “Sorry, no results related to ‘Keanu Reeves’ were found. Due to relevant laws, regulations and policies, some results are not shown.”

Beloved movies like “The Matrix” trilogy and “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” as well as some of Keanu’s romantic movies like “Something’s Gotta Give” and “The Lake House” have been removed from Chinese streaming platforms.

Alex Yu, a researcher at the U.S.-based China Digital Times, said, “It’s a curious case that’s worth following. We tend to think of the censorship machine in China as this really coordinated monster, but the fact that we’re seeing these conflicting signals [between the online and theatrical markets] suggest that some of these measures come from different places.”

He added, “Why all of a sudden did they decide to take this measure at this exact moment?”

Reeves un-personing by Chinese censors adds him to the ever-growing list of celebrities who are unwelcome in China after expressing support for Tibet. This list includes Richard Gere, Selena Gomez, Lady Gaga, and, until recently, Brad Pitt.