The ninth named storm of the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season has formed in the far eastern Atlantic. As of 11:00 AM ET, Tropical Storm Igor was located about 95 miles southeast of the southernmost Cape Verde Islands with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

A Chinese fishing boat and two Japanese coast guard vessels collided on Tuesday near a group of disputed islets in the East China Sea. Japanese authorities have arrested the captain of the Chinese vessel sparking a new international row between the two nations.

The incident took place near what Japan calls the Senkaku Islands and China calls the Diaoyu Islands. Both countries as well as Taiwan claim sovereignty over the islets.

North Korea freed the South Korean fishing boat Daeseung and its seven-man crew on Tuesday after seizing them in early August for allegedly crossing into North Korean waters in the East Sea (Sea of Japan).

In exchange for the release, Pyongyang has requested Seoul send a shipment of rice, cement and heavy equipment to help the North recover from recent flooding.

In two separate incidents this past weekend two cargo vessels carrying goods and people capsized in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) killing at least 24 people and leaving about 60 others missing.

According to the latest advisory (#3) about Tropical Strom Hermine from the U.S. National Hurricane Center, "Mexico has issued a hurricane watch from Rio San Fernando northward to the mouth of the Rio Grande...And a hurricane watch has been issued from the mouth of the Rio Grande northward to Baffin Bay Texas."

A powerful earthquake struck New Zealand's southern island early Saturday morning local time. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake's magnitude at 7.0 and placed the epicenter about 35 miles WNW of Christchurch. There are reports of extensive damage.

Last week Turkey, one of the world's five major ship recycling nations, signed, subject to ratification by the Turkish parliament, the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009.