Ukraine Attacks Sanctioned Tanker Near Tuapse in Black Sea

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

Published Apr 29, 2026 12:10 PM by Lori Ann LaRocco

The inaugural launch of the CDL 2026 trade and supply chain symposium will bring together some of the industry's greatest minds to have honest discussions about the challenges facing the global maritime and logistics community, and to solve problems by emphasizing execution and fostering a new mindset for your supply chain. The symposium is conducted under Chatham House Rules, with no social media postings during the event to allow for frank discussions among the experts and peers in the room....

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

Cruise Ship Passenger Dies in Fall Near Catalina Island

Published Apr 28, 2026 11:34 PM by The Maritime Executive

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...

The container terminal at Balboa (CK Hutchison file image)

Six States Criticize China for Detaining Panama-Flagged Ships

Published Apr 28, 2026 10:51 PM by The Maritime Executive

The U.S. government and five small Latin American states have issued a statement pushing back on perceived Chinese retaliation against Panama in connection with the CK Hutchison port lease dispute. Last year, following heavy pressure from Washington over perceived Chinese influence in the canal zone, Panama initiated a review of Hutchison's operating contracts at the ports of Balboa and Cristobal. The authorities claimed that they had found enough irregularities to move to revoke the leases, and they filed suit in...

A satellite view including Antelope Reef, Pattle Island, Drummond Island, Duncan Island, Palm Island, Robert Island, Observation Bank and Money Island, part of the disputed Paracel Islands located in the South China Sea, 2016 (USGS)

China is Remaking the South China Sea With a Return to Island-Building

Published Apr 28, 2026 9:13 PM by The Lowy Interpreter

[By Lowell Bautista] After nearly a decade of relative pause, China has resumed large-scale island-building in the South China Sea. Satellite images of Antelope Reef show a once-submerged feature rapidly transformed into what could become one of Beijing’s largest outposts in the region. It signals a renewed willingness to reshape maritime geography as a means of consolidating control. During the mid-2010s, China’s island-building campaign drew global attention for its scale and speed. Reefs were dredged and turned into artificial islands,...

Shipping

warship off the Somali coast monitoring pirates

Tanker Far At Sea Reports Approach as Surge in Somali Pirates Grows

In what is thought to be the fifth confirmed piracy incident in just over a week, a tanker far out to sea is reporting it was approached but able to evade boarding by a suspected pirate action group. The authorities and security groups have each warned that they believe the pirate groups have extended their range using motherships, which are often hijacked dhows. The latest incident took place approximately 500 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia, according to information supplied...

Tugs & Salvage

Third Ukrainian Strike Damages Russian Oil Terminal at Tuapse

For the third time this month, Ukraine's drone forces have launched a long-range attack on the Russian port of Tuapse, hitting oil export and refining infrastructure that contributes to the financing of the ongoing invasion. The Tuapse facility has the capacity to refine about 12 million tonnes of oil per year, equivalent to about 4-5 percent of Russian refining capacity. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces have been rotating through a target deck of Russian oil export ports, tank farms, pipelines and...

Government

At MEPC, Oman Proposes Ship Strike Study to Protect Whales in Arabian Sea

Tucked as Agenda Item 12 into the agenda of the 84th Session of the IMO’s Marine Environmental Protection Committee is a proposal tabled by Oman to create a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area off Oman’s Arabian Sea coast. The proposal is based entirely on the threat posed to endangered sea species by ships travelling through the designated area, particularly by ships traveling along the coastline at speeds of above 10 knots per hour. The primary species at risk is the Arabian...

Corporate News

Everllence Warns of 50GW Gap in Meeting IMO’s GHG Strategy Goals

[By: Everllence] Everllence has expressed concern over the current viability of the IMO’s 2023 GHG Strategy that aims for net?zero emissions from international shipping by or around 2050. Essentially, it believes that the NZF (Net-Zero Framework) is only achievable through combining ZNZ-fuelled newbuilds with large?scale engine conversions. Klaus Rasmussen – Project Sales Director, PrimeServ Denmark – Everllence, said: “The retrofit market is currently in the doldrums with shipowners backing off investment until clarity arrives regarding IMO rules. This leaves a...

Cruise Ships

Cruise Ship Passenger Dies in Fall Near Catalina Island

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

Tanker Far At Sea Reports Approach as Surge in Somali Pirates Grows

Tugs & Salvage

Third Ukrainian Strike Damages Russian Oil Terminal at Tuapse

Government

At MEPC, Oman Proposes Ship Strike Study to Protect Whales in Arabian Sea

Corporate News

Everllence Warns of 50GW Gap in Meeting IMO’s GHG Strategy Goals

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

South Korea Extends Antitrust Restrictions on Hanwha from DSME Acquisition

South Korea’s antitrust regulators have taken the unusual step of extending a series of restrictions imposed on several of Hanwha’s companies as a condition for the 2023 acquisition of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering. At the time, the Korea Fair Trade Commission expressed concerns that Hanwha’s combination of the shipbuilding operation and its military component systems could create an unfair advantage or monopolistic elements, especially in naval shipbuilding. The FTC said the combination in 2023 would give the companies potentially...

Environment

26 boxes of shark fins seized in Anchorage, October 2025 (USFWS)

U.S. Makes Massive Bust Targeting Shark Fin Smuggling Ring

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a massive bust of illegal shark fins, seized at ports around the United States. Concerningly, the characteristics of the dried and preserved fins matched primarily with two species of internationally-protected sharks. Last October, a shipment of shark fins was discovered by inspectors at the port of Anchorage, Alaska. It was disguised as a consignment of car parts. Delving into the details of the package, the Fish and Wildlife Service launched a broader...

Business

Bankrupt Retailer Bed Bath & Beyond Wins Record $45M FMC Claim Against OOCL

A Federal Maritime Commission administrative law judge awarded a record $45.6 million in reparations to the administrator of the bankrupt retailer Bed Bath & Beyond in its claim against Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) stemming from denied service and higher shipping rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case has the potential to be a precedent-setting decision for the shippers' complaints against the business practices of carriers during the pandemic. The bankruptcy administrator for the former retailer now known as DF-Butterfly...

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Ukraine Attacks Sanctioned Tanker Near Tuapse in Black Sea

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

Cruise Ship Passenger Dies in Fall Near Catalina Island

Six States Criticize China for Detaining Panama-Flagged Ships

China is Remaking the South China Sea With a Return to Island-Building

Tanker Far At Sea Reports Approach as Surge in Somali Pirates Grows

Third Ukrainian Strike Damages Russian Oil Terminal at Tuapse

At MEPC, Oman Proposes Ship Strike Study to Protect Whales in Arabian Sea

Everllence Warns of 50GW Gap in Meeting IMO’s GHG Strategy Goals

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

Tanker Far At Sea Reports Approach as Surge in Somali Pirates Grows

Third Ukrainian Strike Damages Russian Oil Terminal at Tuapse

At MEPC, Oman Proposes Ship Strike Study to Protect Whales in Arabian Sea

Everllence Warns of 50GW Gap in Meeting IMO’s GHG Strategy Goals

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

South Korea Extends Antitrust Restrictions on Hanwha from DSME Acquisition

U.S. Makes Massive Bust Targeting Shark Fin Smuggling Ring

Bankrupt Retailer Bed Bath & Beyond Wins Record $45M FMC Claim Against OOCL

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events