28 FEB 2022 Being removed from SWIFT means Russian banks can’t use it to make or receive payments with foreign financial institutions for trade transactions. Exclusion from SWIFT, a very discreet but important cog in the machinery of international finance, is one of the most disruptive sanctions the West has …
Read More »MERCHANT SHIPS ATTACKED AND ON FIRE OFF UKRAINE
27 FEB 2022 Merchant ships continue to be targeted in the escalating Russian war on Ukraine while security analysts are warning vessels to leave the area due to the increased danger. The crew of a small chemical tanker was forced to abandon ship with at least two members of …
Read More »TURKISH-CONTROLLED BULKER REPORTEDLY HIT BY SHELL IN THE BLACK SEA
26 FEB 2022 Turkey’s president and maritime affairs department were quick to condemn a reported attack on a Turkish-controlled bulker that they said was hit by a shell or possibly a missile while sailing in the Black Sea. It was the latest report of merchant ships finding themselves caught in the …
Read More »CONCEPT FOR ZERO-EMISSION MULTIPURPOSE CARGO SHIP FUELED BY HYDROGEN
27 FEB 2022 Energy Observer, a French partnership that launched a total self-sufficient vessel powered by renewable energies and hydrogen as a demonstration laboratory, is now set to present its concept for a multipurpose ro-ro cargo ship fueled by liquid hydrogen that they believe can rapidly advance zero emissions in …
Read More »ASTRONOMERS JOIN FORCES TO PUSH BACK AGAINST SATELLITE ‘POLLUTION’ RUINING THE SKIES
26 FEB 2022 The number of active satellites in the night sky has more than doubled since 2019 – from around 2,200 to 5,000. That is mostly due to Starlink, a SpaceX project aimed at providing internet anywhere in the world through ‘mega-constellations’ of satellites. Since it began, Starlink has …
Read More »ALANG SHIP RECYCLERS MAKE RENEWED PUSH FOR GREEN STANDARDS
25 FEB 2022 Alang is seeing a renewed push to develop ship recycling standards above the requirements of regulators and classification societies.This development stems from ship owners’ own requirements for recycling of their vessels. These ship owners require ClassNK HKC certification as the basic standard and are looking to audit or pre-evaluate …
Read More »WIFE OF NUCLEAR ENGINEER PLEADS GUILTY IN PLOT TO SELL US NAVY SECRETS
21 FEB 2022 Four days after her husband pleaded guilty to one count of espionage for attempting to sell details from the Navy’s latest generation of attack submarines, the Virginia-class, to an unspecified “foreign nation,” his wife has now also pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy to communicate Restricted …
Read More »FIRE-RAVAGED FELICITY ACE ADRIFT OFF THE AZORES
20 FEB 2022 The Portuguese Navy released new photos showing the utter devastation to the car carrier Felicity Ace as the vessel continues to drift in the waters approximately 90 nautical miles south of Horta in the Azores. The fire appears to have spread the length of the 656-foot vessel and while …
Read More »GRIMALDI FERRY ENGULFED WITH FIRE 11 PASSENGERS MISSING
19 FEB 2021 Fire engulfed an Italian-register Ro/Pax ferry sailing in the Ionian Sea in the early hours of Friday, February 18. Reports indicated that more than 270 passengers and crew have been evacuated to the neighboring island of Corfu. A successful rescue effort was undertaken to rescue two truck drivers …
Read More »SOUTH ASIAN SHIPBREAKERS CONTINUE TO DOMINATE SCRAP TRADE
24 FEB 2022 According to NGO Shipbreaking Platform, injuries and fatalities, exploitation of migrants and environmental pollution continue to characterize the ship dismantling industry in South Asia, which accounted for over two thirds of the tonnage recycled last year. NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s 2021 ship dismantling data shows that a total of …
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