Photos: Hijacked Car Carrier Galaxy Leader Has Partially Sunk

Congress Approves DHS Bill, Ending Coast Guard's Desperate Cashflow Crunch

Published Apr 30, 2026 8:56 PM by The Maritime Executive

Following pressure from the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a Senate compromise bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Border Patrol. The agreement ends a 76-day shutdown that had strained the finances of all DHS agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard. According to Adm. Kevin Lunday, the service's commandant, the situation for coastguardsmen had been growing desperate without an appropriation to cover operating costs. Payroll...

India Moves to Accelerate Expanding Shipping Capacity by Adding 62 Vessels

Published Apr 30, 2026 8:11 PM by The Maritime Executive

India’s Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, mapped out an ambitious plan to rapidly expand the country’s domestic maritime capabilities. The government has already set a high priority on building its commercial maritime operations, and now the minister told an inter-ministerial meeting it is even more important, highlighted by the recent global situation. The Minister said that the hostilities in the Middle East and the closing of the Strait of Hormuz had further highlighted the vulnerabilities and the...

Maryland Plans to Replace its Contractor for Key Bridge Reconstruction

Published Apr 30, 2026 6:50 PM by The Maritime Executive

The state of Maryland has decided to change contractors for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which was destroyed by a ship strike in March 2024. The demolition of the wreckage was a highly complex salvage operation, and took months to complete. In the meantime, the state's engineers and consultants began designing a bigger, better replacement: a cable-stayed design built to modern standards for survivability, with 300 feet of additional width in the center span and an extra...

people on boat with lifejackets and hands up

Israeli Forces Intercept Boats from Activist Flotilla Seeking to Reach Gaza

Published Apr 30, 2026 6:31 PM by The Maritime Executive

For the second time, Israeli forces have acted to stop a flotilla of small boats loaded with activists that were attempting to reach Gaza and creating an international spectacle. Last October, Israeli forces intercepted the boats close to the Israeli shore, but this time Israeli forces sought to stop the flotilla while it was in international waters near Greece. The group, calling itself the Global Sumud Flotilla, had initially set out from Barcelona on April 12. Last week, they had...

Shipping

Israeli Forces Intercept Boats from Activist Flotilla Seeking to Reach Gaza

Tugs & Salvage

Turks Use Breeches Buoy to Rescue Crew from Grounded Cargo Ship

Turkish authorities staged a dramatic rescue, winching eight crewmembers from a decrepit cargo ship that washed ashore in the Black Sea during a strong storm. The crew was brought to shore without incident and was receiving medical checks after the rescue. The incident began early on the morning of May 1 after the cargo ship Ninova (2,500 dwt) began dragging anchor and then ran aground on the northern coast of Turkey near Sakarya. The Directorate General of Coastal Safety (KEGM),...

Government

U.S. Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Crew of Capsized Cargo Ship

The Coast Guard reports that after a diligent search failed to find any additional information, it has suspended its search for?the missing crew members?of?the?cargo vessel Mariana. It expressed its condolences to the families and the community but said the efforts had been exhausted. Search efforts began after Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu watchstanders lost communications with the Mariana on April 15. The ship had reported engine troubles and asked for assistance, but remained in contact with the USCG...

Corporate News

Voith Appoints Denise Kurtulus to Board of Management & CEO of Voith Turbo

[By: Voith Group] The Voith Group appoints Denise Kurtulus as CEO of Voith Turbo and Member of the Corporate Board of Management of the Voith Group effective September 1, 2026. She succeeds Cornelius Weitzmann, who left the company at his own request at the end of 2025. Until her appointment, Dirk Hoke, CEO of the Voith Group, will continue to manage the Group Division Turbo on an interim basis. Denise Kurtulus joins Voith from Rolls-Royce Power Systems, where she was...

Cruise Ships

Carnival Firenze, seen here as the Costa Firenze (Carnival press handout)

Cruise Ship Passenger Dies in Fall Near Catalina Island

On Monday, a passenger fell to her death from her balcony aboard the cruise ship Carnival Firenze. The circumstances of the fall are under investigation, and the FBI has joined the inquiry. The Carnival Firenze got under way Sunday from Los Angeles for a coastal cruise to Mexico. On Monday, while the vessel was transiting off Catalina Island, the victim fell from her balcony onto a deck below. In a statement, Carnival said that it would be supporting the victim's...

Ports

First Commercial Bunkering of Ammonia Completed on Exmar Ship in Ulsan

The emerging market for ammonia-fueled commercial shipping achieved its next milestone with the first-ever port-to-ship bunkering on an ocean-going vessel. Previously, the only bunkering had been done as demonstrations, while extensive work has been underway by port authorities, classification societies, and others to develop the processes for safely handling highly toxic ammonia as a marine fuel. The Ulsan Port Authority (UPA) in South Korea announced that the first ammonia bunkering operation had been carried out on April 23. The gas...

Shipping

Israeli Forces Intercept Boats from Activist Flotilla Seeking to Reach Gaza

Tugs & Salvage

Turks Use Breeches Buoy to Rescue Crew from Grounded Cargo Ship

Government

U.S. Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Crew of Capsized Cargo Ship

Corporate News

Voith Appoints Denise Kurtulus to Board of Management & CEO of Voith Turbo

Cruise Ships

Cruise Ship Passenger Dies in Fall Near Catalina Island

Ports

First Commercial Bunkering of Ammonia Completed on Exmar Ship in Ulsan

Offshore

UAE Exits OPEC, Casting Shadow Over the Oil Cartel's Future

The United Arab Emirates has announced a decision to leave the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), a major blow to the supply cartel that has exerted influence over global oil prices since 1960. "The UAE’s decision to exit from OPEC reflects a policy-driven evolution aligned with long-term market fundamentals," said UAE energy minister Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei in a statement. "We thank OPEC and its member countries for decades of constructive cooperation. We remain committed to energy security, providing...

Shipbuilding

India Moves to Accelerate Expanding Shipping Capacity by Adding 62 Vessels

Environment

Study: MPAs are Unusually Vulnerable to Wastewater Runoff

Researchers have long understood that land-based pollution sources are a leading cause of environmental harm in the ocean, from plastic wastes to nutrient runoff. Land-based sewage is an issue as well, and it turns out that marine protected areas (MPAs) might be more affected by this form of pollution than the average acre of unprotected ocean, a new study in Ocean & Coastal Management has determined. Working together, researchers from the University of Queensland and the New York-based Wildlife Conservation...

Business

The Falcon Heavy carrying Viasat-3 F3 (Courtesy SpaceX)

Inmarsat Gains High-Speed Pacific Coverage With Final Viasat-3 Launch

Inmarsat's high-end broadband service is fast, but its recent tie-up with U.S. satcom giant Viasat promises to make it even faster. Inmarsat's multi-orbit hybrid network is designed to integrate bandwidth from ViaSat's next-generation satellite constellation, ViaSat-3. First launched in May 2023 for service over the Americas, the VS3 satellite series should bring high speed broadband over Europe and Asia as well - and it is now one big step closer to full deployment. On April 29, the third and final...

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Photos: Hijacked Car Carrier Galaxy Leader Has Partially Sunk

Congress Approves DHS Bill, Ending Coast Guard's Desperate Cashflow Crunch

India Moves to Accelerate Expanding Shipping Capacity by Adding 62 Vessels

Maryland Plans to Replace its Contractor for Key Bridge Reconstruction

Israeli Forces Intercept Boats from Activist Flotilla Seeking to Reach Gaza

Israeli Forces Intercept Boats from Activist Flotilla Seeking to Reach Gaza

Turks Use Breeches Buoy to Rescue Crew from Grounded Cargo Ship

U.S. Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Crew of Capsized Cargo Ship

Voith Appoints Denise Kurtulus to Board of Management & CEO of Voith Turbo

Cruise Ship Passenger Dies in Fall Near Catalina Island

First Commercial Bunkering of Ammonia Completed on Exmar Ship in Ulsan

Containers Don’t Lie Symposium: Actionable Forum in Chaotic Times

From Fossil Fuels to Shore Power With the Port of San Diego

From Local to Global: Genoa Maritime Forum to Bring the Industry Together

Israeli Forces Intercept Boats from Activist Flotilla Seeking to Reach Gaza

Turks Use Breeches Buoy to Rescue Crew from Grounded Cargo Ship

U.S. Coast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Crew of Capsized Cargo Ship

Voith Appoints Denise Kurtulus to Board of Management & CEO of Voith Turbo

Cruise Ship Passenger Dies in Fall Near Catalina Island

First Commercial Bunkering of Ammonia Completed on Exmar Ship in Ulsan

UAE Exits OPEC, Casting Shadow Over the Oil Cartel's Future

India Moves to Accelerate Expanding Shipping Capacity by Adding 62 Vessels

Study: MPAs are Unusually Vulnerable to Wastewater Runoff

Inmarsat Gains High-Speed Pacific Coverage With Final Viasat-3 Launch

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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