Rescue Operation Searching Red Sea for Missing Crew After Houthis Sink Ship

A Philippine Coast Guard vessel encounters a China Coast Guard cutter in close quarters (PCG)

China Attempts to Suppress Documentary on South China Sea

Published Jul 9, 2025 5:53 PM by The Maritime Executive

China's embassy in New Zealand attempted to suppress a public screening of a documentary about Philippine fishermen, according to producers of a film festival in Auckland. China's government believes that it has sovereignty over the vast majority of the South China Sea under its "nine dash line" policy, named for the shape of a map created in the 1940s by the predecessor Nationalist Chinese government (Kuomintang). This rough outline covers all of the areas beyond national jurisdiction in...

Irish Coast Guard Takes “Human Approach” as Russian Vessel Skirts Sanctions

Published Jul 9, 2025 5:33 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Irish Coast Guard and defense forces report they were aware of a replica Russian sailing vessel that was sailing through coastal waters and made an unannounced middle-of-the-night stop in a remote Irish seaport. They are investigating what might officially have been a violation of the sanction against Russia, while the master of the vessel told the Irish media that the Coast Guard took a “human approach” to his making the port call. The vessel named Shtandart had...

Ukraine Indicts Russian Navy Officers for Ill-Treatment of Civilian Crew

Published Jul 9, 2025 4:56 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Odesa Prosecutors’ Office reports it is pursuing charges against two Russian naval officers in the Black Sea Fleet, alleging they were responsible for the poor treatment of a civilian crew seized days after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It is largely a show event as the two officers are in Russia, but Ukraine is using it to draw attention to the ongoing conflict. Two days after the invasion began on February 24, 2022, the rescue vessel Sapphire...

Port Victoria, Seychelles (Clipper/CC BY SA 3.0)

Seychelles and RISE Advance Sustainable Ports for Small Island States

Published Jul 9, 2025 4:56 PM by Mikael Lind et al.

[By Mikael Lind, Rajelle Barbe, Sandra Haraldson, Wolfgang Lehmacher, Daniel Adam, David Bianchi, Chrystold Chetty, Sony Payet, Phillippa Samson, and Lennart Swenson] On 6 May 2025, the Seychelles Port Authority (SPA) and Sweden’s RISE have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on collaboration on developing green port capabilities, aiming to position Port Victoria, Seychelles, as a role model for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in sustainable and resilient port operations. The MoU results from months of thorough, deep communication and...

Shipping

Piracy Incidents Surge to Five-Year High Driven by Singapore Strait

The mid-year report on piracy and armed robberies against ships shows the number of incidents surged up 50 percent in the first six months of 2025, reports the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB). The Piracy Reporting Center is urging caution and expressing strong concern, noting that the rise of incidents in the Singapore Strait corresponds to a critical shipping route handling nearly a third of global trade flows. There was a total of 90 reported incidents in the...

Tugs & Salvage

Storm damage in Split (courtesy Marjan Forest Park)

Ferry Sinks Passenger Vessel After Going Adrift in Severe Storm in Croatia

On Tuesday morning, a sudden storm swept over the coast of Croatia, tearing down trees and disrupting traffic - and sending a runaway ferry careening into a line of moored passenger vessels. At the port of Split, Croatia, the ferry Petar Hektorovi? was tied up at the pier when the storm hit. In unexpectedly high winds, its lines parted, and it drifted into two vessels. First it made contact with a catamaran, then struck a tourist excursion vessel, which was...

Government

Greece has deployed two frigates off Libya (USN file image)

Greece Moves to End Asylum Claims for All Maritime Migrants From Libya

Greece's government is seeking to close its doors to asylum-seekers from North Africa amidst a surge of maritime migration and a breakdown in talks with the militia that governs eastern Libya. "The Greek government sends a message . . . to all smugglers and all their potential clients that the money they spend is completely wasted," said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in a statement. Human smugglers in Libya have developed a new, long-distance human smuggling route departing Tobruk...

Corporate News

OrbitMI Joins Smart Maritime Council to Advance Standards & Collaborations

[By: OrbitMI] OrbitMI, a leading provider of maritime SaaS software, has joined the Smart Maritime Council, reinforcing its commitment to advancing digital transformation and standardization across the global shipping industry. OrbitMI recognizes that the full potential of maritime digitalization requires more than individual innovation. True transformation depends on collaboration among owners, operators, software vendors, OEMs, and industry bodies to establish shared technology standards, improve interoperability, and promote effective data exchange. Through its participation in the Smart Maritime Council, OrbitMI will...

Cruise Ships

“Get Out of Here,” Yells French Mayor as Royal Caribbean Ignores Port Ban

The outspoken Mayor of Nice and President of the region took to the water to personally confront the master and an officer of Royal Caribbean International’s Voyager of the Seas for breaking the region’s new ban on large cruise ships. Aboard a police boat with a television news crew, Mayor Christian Estrosi was denied boarding and ignored by the officers, prompting him to yell “Get lost,” “Get out of here,” and “You are nobody,” at the ship. Royal Caribbean...

Ports

Hamburg to Invest €1.1B to Expand Port and Modernize Operations for Growth

The Port of Hamburg announced a series of new projects that will be undertaken to enhance operations and modernize and expand terminal operations, especially for the largest containerships. It comes as the port continues to experience strong competition and needs to support the growth in the size of containerships. "Today, we are laying the groundwork to ensure that Hamburg is well-prepared to meet the challenges of tomorrow,” said Hamburg’s Minister for Economic Affairs, Senator Dr Melanie Leonhard. “This infrastructure...

Shipping

Piracy Incidents Surge to Five-Year High Driven by Singapore Strait

Tugs & Salvage

Ferry Sinks Passenger Vessel After Going Adrift in Severe Storm in Croatia

Government

Greece Moves to End Asylum Claims for All Maritime Migrants From Libya

Corporate News

OrbitMI Joins Smart Maritime Council to Advance Standards & Collaborations

Cruise Ships

“Get Out of Here,” Yells French Mayor as Royal Caribbean Ignores Port Ban

Ports

Hamburg to Invest €1.1B to Expand Port and Modernize Operations for Growth

Offshore

Valaris DS-9, chartered by ExxonMobil for the Pegasus campaign (Valaris file image)

ExxonMobil Finds New Gas Deposit Off Cyprus

ExxonMobil and Qatar Energy have hit another natural gas find in the Block 10 lease south of Cyprus, adding to a previous discovery in the same area. The positive E&P results add to Cyprus' strong portfolio of offshore gas prospects for possible export development. Exxon's Pegasus-1 well found about 350 meters of gas-bearing reservoir in a deepwater well in about 6,000 feet of water. Exxon said only that further assessment will be needed to evaluate the results fully. Two...

Shipbuilding

Big Gets Bigger as Largest Container Carriers Continue Growth

The largest container carriers are continuing their capacity growth, although at a slower pace so far in 2025, according to a new report from Alphaliner. It points out that while MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company continues to pull away from the pack, other carriers are also accelerating growth, and for the first time, CMA CGM topped the 4 million TEU capacity mark. In the first half of 2025, Alphaliner reports saw an additional 1.18 million TEU of capacity added to...

Environment

HGK Launches First Inland Cargo Vessel Capable of Sailing With Solar Power

A newly built inland dry goods vessel, Blue Marlin, was named last week in Hamburg, Germany, and became the world’s first hybrid solar-power inland shipping vessel, as well as receiving a designation for remote-controlled operations. The solar system aboard the ship advances on prior low-voltage systems that are supplying power for onboard systems and provides the first capability to contribute solar power to propulsion. The vessel has several unique capabilities, starting with its 192 solar panels, which are...

Business

Former STX Shipyard For Sale as Investors Seek to Cash Out After Turnaround

Once one of the leading shipbuilders in South Korea, the former STX Yard, which was relaunched as K Shipbuilding, is celebrating a remarkable turnaround. According to a report in The Korean Economic Daily, after having posted its first profit in 14 years, the investment group with revived the shipbuilder is now looking to cash out. KHI Investment and United Asset Management Company (UAMCO), South Korea's biggest bad debt investor, took control of the troubled shipbuilder in 2021, paying more...

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Rescue Operation Searching Red Sea for Missing Crew After Houthis Sink Ship

China Attempts to Suppress Documentary on South China Sea

Irish Coast Guard Takes “Human Approach” as Russian Vessel Skirts Sanctions

Ukraine Indicts Russian Navy Officers for Ill-Treatment of Civilian Crew

Seychelles and RISE Advance Sustainable Ports for Small Island States

Piracy Incidents Surge to Five-Year High Driven by Singapore Strait

Ferry Sinks Passenger Vessel After Going Adrift in Severe Storm in Croatia

Greece Moves to End Asylum Claims for All Maritime Migrants From Libya

OrbitMI Joins Smart Maritime Council to Advance Standards & Collaborations

“Get Out of Here,” Yells French Mayor as Royal Caribbean Ignores Port Ban

Hamburg to Invest €1.1B to Expand Port and Modernize Operations for Growth

Transforming Post-Fixture Operations for Shipbrokers

Harnessing Data to Shape a Fleetwide Decarbonization Path

Maersk Selects Wärtsilä Intellisafe® Bearing and Monitoring System

Piracy Incidents Surge to Five-Year High Driven by Singapore Strait

Ferry Sinks Passenger Vessel After Going Adrift in Severe Storm in Croatia

Greece Moves to End Asylum Claims for All Maritime Migrants From Libya

OrbitMI Joins Smart Maritime Council to Advance Standards & Collaborations

“Get Out of Here,” Yells French Mayor as Royal Caribbean Ignores Port Ban

Hamburg to Invest €1.1B to Expand Port and Modernize Operations for Growth

ExxonMobil Finds New Gas Deposit Off Cyprus

Big Gets Bigger as Largest Container Carriers Continue Growth

HGK Launches First Inland Cargo Vessel Capable of Sailing With Solar Power

Former STX Shipyard For Sale as Investors Seek to Cash Out After Turnaround

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events