Australia, Indonesia to Hold Joint South China Sea Patrols

On Tuesday, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said that Australia is contemplating on joint naval patrols with Indonesia in the disputed South China Sea.

Indonesia’s invitation for joint patrols at a bilateral meeting in Bali last week was in line with Australia’s policies of exerting its right of freedom of navigation, Bishop said.

Bishop told Australian Broadcasting Corp radio that patrolling the contested waters is in accordance with international law. It also shows the country’s support for peace and stability in the region.

Australia is a steadfast ally of the United States. It has earlier elicited criticism from China for conducting surveillance flights over disputed islands in the South China Sea. The country also supports U.S. freedom of navigation exercises there.

The South China Sea, where close to $5 trillion of sea-borne trade transits annually, is almost wholly claimed by China. Last month, China advised Australia to act and speak cautiously on the South China Sea.

The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan also have claims on parts of the sea. The area is considered to have heavy deposits of oil and gas.

Indonesia and Australia already carry out joint sea patrols in the Timor Sea as part of the countries’ collaboration on battling illegal fishing and people smuggling.

Bishop said that Australia and Indonesia would advise other nations in the region of any scheduled exercise.

A part of Australia’s commitment

She said that the sea patrols are a regular part of what the Australian navy does. This is part of their commitment in the region. Such operations are in line with Australia’s right of freedom of navigation including in the South China Sea.

In July, following a case brought by the Philippines, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague said China’s assertions to the waterway were invalid. Beijing, which has erected several artificial islands with landing strips in the sea, has rejected the ruling.

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US Liver Donor Marries Organ Recipient

This unconventional love story started when Former Marine Officer Christopher Dempsey decided to be a liver donor to a stranger who he never thought would become his wife.

Heather Krueger was diagnosed with a stage 4 liver cancer and she had been sick for about 2 years. Doctors told her that she only had 50% chance of living more than two months.

Her family was under pressure to find the right donor. This was a difficult task in a country with more than 119,000 people on its waiting list for a transplant.

That is where code enforcement officer Mr. Dempsey entered, he was in the break room in Frankfort, a village south of Chicago, Illinois one day when he overheard a guy talking about this woman who needed a liver donor.

In his statement, he said, “I heard a co-worker talking about his cousin who needed a liver transplant.”

“I just thought to myself, I would want someone to help me or my family in that situation.” He added.

Mr. Dempsey {38 years old} went in for the test and discovered he was a match.
On February 2015, they talked for the first time. Dempsey called Krueger to inform her about the good news, that she finally had a donor.

In the same way, Krueger also wanted to tell him how she and her mother had cried to tears after receiving the good news.

He later then treated Ms. Krueger to lunch, and that was their first meeting.
Love grows

As time went by and surgery came closer, they started to spend more time together as Mr. Dempsey and his motorcycle club was going to hold a fundraiser to help her with her medical bills.

“We were going out looking for donations for a benefit, and I just started thinking, she’s a really nice girl, she is somebody I would like to get to know.” Mr. Dempsey said.

By the time of the surgery at the University Of Illinois Hospital on March 16, they had already been on a couple of dates. Nevertheless, they only made it official afterwards.

“I was really confident everything was going to be okay,” said Mr. Dempsey. “I was still nervous – there is always the chance [something might go wrong] – but at no point did I rethink the decision.

“It was just really good knowing she was going to be okay.”

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