OCEAN VIKING MIGRANT SHIP RELEASED BY ITALIAN PORT

Migrant search and rescue group SOS Mediterranee said on Thursday (Friday in Manila) it planned to return to Mediterranean waters after Italian authorities released its Ocean Viking ship following inspections. The ship was detained on January 11 at the Sicilian port of Trapani after Italy’s coastguard cited various technical “irregularities” potentially compromising the safety of those on board. “We are preparing to resume our search and rescue operation in the central Mediterranean as soon as possible,” SOS Mediterranee said in a statement. It said all the issues cited by port authorities had been corrected.