29 APR 2019 It came out of nowhere. Just a few short weeks ago – in an alternate reality otherwise identical to our own – it popped up on our screens: a giant asteroid hurtling through space, and headed straight for us. At least, maybe it is. Nobody really knows. …
Read More »LIBYA DETAINS SANCTIONED IRANIAN CONTAINER SHIP
27 april 2019 The Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) has inspected and may have detained a sanctioned Iranian merchant vessel off Misrata. The container ship Shahr E Kord, which the U.S. Treasury has sanctioned for connections to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL), was detained by GNA …
Read More »PRICE OF BUNKER FUEL SURGES AHEAD OF IMO 2020
23 APRIL 2019 Demand for the shipping industry’s main fuel is widely expected to collapse like never before in 2020, so it might come as a surprise that its value is soaring. High-sulfur fuel oil at the Dutch port of Rotterdam in January is now trading at about $16 a …
Read More »NATURE CONSERVANCY LAUNCHES “BLUE BONDS” FOR OCEAN PRESERVATION
23 APR 2019 The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has unveiled what it says is a pioneering US$1.6 billion scheme to scale up global ocean conservation efforts through “blue bonds”. The bonds will refinance and restructure debt for coastal and island countries in exchange for a commitment to protect at least 30% …
Read More »IRAN READY FOR U.S. WAIVERS TO END AS GUARDS THREATEN TO SHUT STRAIT OF HORMUZ
22 APRIL 2019 Tehran is prepared for a U.S. decision to end waivers granted to buyers of Iranian crude, an Iranian oil ministry source said on Monday, as the Revolutionary Guards repeated their threat to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Iranian media reported. The United States will fail to …
Read More »PIRATES ATTACK TWO FISHING BOATS OFF SOMALIA
21 apr 2019 On Sunday, two fishing vessels were attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The attempted boardings were both thwarted, but security officials said that they represent a reminder that antipiracy measures are still required when transiting the high-risk area off Somalia. According to EUNAVFOR, the fishing …
Read More »ABS TEAMS WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS TO IMPROVE CONTAINERSHIP SAFETY
19 APR 2019 Classification society ABS announced Thursday it is teaming up with members of the Cargo Incident Notification System (CINS) to develop actionable recommendations to help mitigate risks posed from the stowage of dangerous goods on containerships. Established in 2011, CINS is a shipping line initiative meant to increase safety in …
Read More »U.S. GULF OF MEXICO HAS LARGEST NUMBER OF LAID-UP OSVS
18 APR 2019 Out of all the major offshore oil and gas regions, the U.S. Gulf of Mexico has the largest number of laid-up OSVs, according to a new analysis by VesselsValue. “By observing the figures, we can see the market with the highest layup is the US Gulf. Even …
Read More »AUSTRALIA FUNDS WORLD-FIRST OFFSHORE BLUE ECONOMY PLATFORM
17 APR 2019 The Australian government is providing A$329 million ($236 million) for research into Australia’s blue economy. The University of Tasmania will lead the largest-ever Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), the Launceston-based Blue Economy CRC, bringing together expertise in seafood, renewable energy and offshore engineering. The 10-year collaboration will involve …
Read More »TURMERIC’S AMAZING HEALTH BENEFITS SOUND TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. BUT THE RESEARCH LOOKS GOOD!
16 APR 2019 Doctors are increasingly embracing the idea that the food we eat may be as good as any disease-fighting, immunity-boosting drug. This isn’t a new strategy. The cancer researcher Siddhartha Mukherjee recently told Business Insider that “for centuries, diet was the only kind of medicine.” Lately, Mukherjee and other doctors …
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