Russians Rescue Iranian Cargo Ship After Distress Call in the Caspian Sea

DiBella Designated as FMC Chair After Seven-Month Vacancy

Published Jan 29, 2026 7:35 PM by The Maritime Executive

Recently appointed Commissioner Laura DiBella has been designated as the next Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission by Donald Trump. She joined the FMC officially on January 6 after confirmation by the U.S. Senate in December and fills the Chairman’s role, which had been empty since June when Louis Sola’s term expired. The former Secretary of Commerce for Florida, DiBella, brings extensive experience in economic development, having served as President of Business Development at FloridaCommerce, President/CEO at Enterprise Florida, and...

Royal Caribbean Adds New Ocean Class and River Cruise Ships to Orderbook

Published Jan 29, 2026 6:48 PM by The Maritime Executive

Reporting a strong financial performance for 2025 and projecting 2026 ahead of investors’ expectations, Royal Caribbean Group announced key next steps in its ongoing shipbuilding and expansion of the product offering. The company confirmed the long-anticipated class of new ocean cruise ships known as Discovery, as well as doubling its plans for its first river cruise operations. Reports from France had said the news of the cruise ship order was imminent, adding to the group’s already large orderbook. Management today...

Valaris 121 (Arjan Elmendorp / Vesselfinder)

Report: Rig Worker Went Through "Fragile" Floor of Crane Cab in Fatal Fall

Published Jan 29, 2026 4:35 PM by The Maritime Executive

The UK's offshore safety regulator has determined that a worker on a North Sea jackup rig died last year because a floor grating had been removed for cleaing, the agency said in a notice of violation to the rig operator. In November 2025, the jackup Valaris 121 was operating at a position off the coast of Aberdeen. On November 14, cleaning occurred in the cab of the port side aft crane on the rig, and unspecified personnel removed a floor...

Death Toll in Philippine Ferry Sinking Rises to 29

Published Jan 29, 2026 4:35 PM by The Maritime Executive

Technical divers with the Philippine Coast Guard are continuing the difficult and dangerous work of inspecting the wreck of the ferry Trisha Kerstin 3, which went down off Zamboanga on January 26. On Thursday, 11 additional bodies were recovered, bringing the total number of casualties to 29. The PCG said that local residents, family members and fishermen aided the effort. The deceased have been brought ashore in Basilan for identification. For now, the PCG says that the operation is still...

Shipping

Containership Demolition Hits 20-Year Low as Orderbook Continues to Grow

The disposal of container ships during 2025 remained at record low levels as the industry sought to maintain capacity in part due to the continued diversion from the Red Sea. In a new report, Alphaliner highlights that demolitions are now at 20-year lows. “The healthy container shipping market, with a high demand for tonnage and robust charter rates throughout the year have explained in great part shipowners' reluctance to dispose of their older tonnage, preferring instead to make the most...

Tugs & Salvage

Russians Rescue Iranian Cargo Ship After Distress Call in the Caspian Sea

Officials in the Caspian Sea port of Makhachkala are reporting that the crew of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship has been saved after the vessel issued a distress call. It was the second incident this month involving an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea. The Caspian Shiva (3,344 dwt) was built in 1986 and, since July 2024, has been sailing under the Iranian flag. It started its life in the Soviet era as a Russian-flagged ship and later sailed under flags...

Government

A China Coast Guard cutter interacts with PLA Navy and Philippine vessels near Scarborough Shoal, 2025 (courtesy PCG)

AMTI: China Coast Guard Focuses its Patrols on Scarborough Shoal

Scarborough Shoal has been a flash point for tensions between the Philippines and China since 2012, when Chinese forces occupied the atoll and began a years-long effort to control access. It has been the scene of multiple confrontations over the past year, including water-cannoning incidents that ended in injuries for Philippine citizens. New AIS data analysis from CSIS/AMTI reveals that the China Coast Guard is putting a new priority on presence operations at the reef: last year it more than...

Corporate News

UECC Enlists NMTS As Commercial Agent To Turn Market Wheels In China

[By: United European Car Carriers] United European Car Carriers (UECC) is positioning itself to boost eco-friendly shipments of Chinese-built vehicles across its extensive European short sea trade network after signing an agreement with NYK Multimodal Transportation (Shanghai) (NMTS) to serve as its commercial agent in China. The East Asian country is rapidly expanding as a major automotive manufacturing hub – particularly for electric vehicles – with an estimated 579,000 EVs exported from China to Europe in the first 11 months...

Cruise Ships

Royal Caribbean Adds New Ocean Class and River Cruise Ships to Orderbook

Ports

Renewed Clash Between China and Australia Over Port of Darwin

China’s Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, renewed the public debate over control of the Port of Darwin during his New Year Media Briefing and Gathering. The issue had emerged during the 2025 elections in Australia, with both parties vowing to regain control of the port from a Chinese company, which prompted the Ambassador to say it could jeopardize China’s strong investments in Australia. Ambassador Xiao alleged Australia’s interest in retaking control of the port only came after a Chinese company,...

Shipping

Containership Demolition Hits 20-Year Low as Orderbook Continues to Grow

Tugs & Salvage

Russians Rescue Iranian Cargo Ship After Distress Call in the Caspian Sea

Government

AMTI: China Coast Guard Focuses its Patrols on Scarborough Shoal

Corporate News

UECC Enlists NMTS As Commercial Agent To Turn Market Wheels In China

Cruise Ships

Royal Caribbean Adds New Ocean Class and River Cruise Ships to Orderbook

Ports

Renewed Clash Between China and Australia Over Port of Darwin

Offshore

Vineyard Wind Gets Fourth Preliminary Injunction Against Stop-Work Order

A U.S. District Court Judge in Massachusetts became the fourth to award a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration’s stop-work orders on the offshore wind energy industry. Vineyard Wind 1 had gone to court in mid-January following Dominion Energy, Ørsted, and Equinor, each of which also received preliminary injunctions in their cases, leaving only Sunrise Wind to still be heard by the courts. Vineyard Wind 1, which is located approximately 15 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts, is...

Shipbuilding

China Launches Largest Car Carrier for HMM-Hyundai Glovis Partnership

China’s Guangzhou Shipyard International last week floated out the largest car carrier in the world. The massive vessel surpasses the 10,000 unit mark, becoming the largest built in China after the yards turned out 9,500 unit vessels last year as part of the coming surge in the sector. The new vessel is also the first vehicle carrier built for South Korea’s HMM as part of its diversification strategy. HMM entered into long-term agreements with Hyundai Glovis, which will operate the...

Environment

Northern Lights has Deals With Shipping Lines to Double CO2 Transport Fleet

The Norwegian CO2 storage initiative, which became the first commercial operation for carbon capture and storage, announced a new deal that will double the company’s fleet by 2029. This comes just months after the company completed its first injection of liquid CO2 for permanent storage. Northern Lights, which is a joint venture between Equinor, TotalEnergies, and Shell, reports it has struck a new charter deal with major shipping companies, including existing partner Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K” Line), while adding MISC...

Business

MSC Assessed $22.67M in Civil Penalties by FMC for Shipping Act Violations

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company was fined a total of $22.67 million in civil penalties for a series of Shipping Act violations, the Federal Maritime Commission reported. It is part of the FMC’s increased efforts at enforcement and a wave of new complaints it has received after the surge in shipping volumes during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Shipping Act was updated by the U.S. Congress. The Commission’s Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations, and Compliance (BEIC), through its Offices of...

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Russians Rescue Iranian Cargo Ship After Distress Call in the Caspian Sea

DiBella Designated as FMC Chair After Seven-Month Vacancy

Royal Caribbean Adds New Ocean Class and River Cruise Ships to Orderbook

Report: Rig Worker Went Through "Fragile" Floor of Crane Cab in Fatal Fall

Death Toll in Philippine Ferry Sinking Rises to 29

Containership Demolition Hits 20-Year Low as Orderbook Continues to Grow

Russians Rescue Iranian Cargo Ship After Distress Call in the Caspian Sea

AMTI: China Coast Guard Focuses its Patrols on Scarborough Shoal

UECC Enlists NMTS As Commercial Agent To Turn Market Wheels In China

Royal Caribbean Adds New Ocean Class and River Cruise Ships to Orderbook

Renewed Clash Between China and Australia Over Port of Darwin

Beyond Sanctions Lists: Navigating Fragmented Enforcement in Maritime Trade

The Modular Pivot: Repurposing Containers as Strategic Infrastructure

Navigating Port Funding Uncertainty: Adaptation Unlocks Opportunities

Containership Demolition Hits 20-Year Low as Orderbook Continues to Grow

Russians Rescue Iranian Cargo Ship After Distress Call in the Caspian Sea

AMTI: China Coast Guard Focuses its Patrols on Scarborough Shoal

UECC Enlists NMTS As Commercial Agent To Turn Market Wheels In China

Royal Caribbean Adds New Ocean Class and River Cruise Ships to Orderbook

Renewed Clash Between China and Australia Over Port of Darwin

Vineyard Wind Gets Fourth Preliminary Injunction Against Stop-Work Order

China Launches Largest Car Carrier for HMM-Hyundai Glovis Partnership

Northern Lights has Deals With Shipping Lines to Double CO2 Transport Fleet

MSC Assessed $22.67M in Civil Penalties by FMC for Shipping Act Violations

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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