World

02 APR 2023  The World Bank projects that trade growth is on track to slow over the decade to come as global economic growth slackens. The lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rising interest rates have put the brakes on economic activity, and trade …

01 APR 2023 The oil tanker Turba normally should have been melted down by now. The 26-year-old vessel hasn’t had a full inspection since 2017, according to a database dedicated to promoting safe shipping. It also lacks industry standard insurance and sails under the flag of country with a poor …

31 MAR 2023 The United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) has concluded its latest round of talks ahead this summer’s critical Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting (MEPC 80) which will decide the shipping industry’s strategy to mitigate the sector’s impact on climate change. During the meeting this week of the …

30 MAR 2023 In a major victory for thousands of seafarers who regularly traverse UK waters, the UK government has passed the Seafarers’ Wages Act, significantly enhancing pay protections and working conditions for those employed in the maritime sector. The new law comes in the aftermath of P&O Ferries’ controversial dismissal of …

29 MAR 2023  A product tanker caught fire off the coast of Ampenan, Lombok on Sunday, prompting the evacuation of the crew. The 5,000 dwt tanker Kristin reported a fire at about 1500 hours on Sunday afternoon. The vessel is under charter to Pertamina to deliver a cargo of about …

28 MAR 2023  Would it be permissible under international law to deny access of foreign nuclear-powered submarines through archipelagic sea lanes? Indonesia, a nation that controls vital maritime chokepoints, finds itself at the epicentre of an unfolding geopolitical drama. As rivalry builds between the United States and China, the prospect …

27 MAR 2023  The last 16 members of the crew abandon six months ago aboard a Chinese-owned livestock carrier finally left the ship today heading home after their long ordeal. The Federal Court of Australia had placed a priority on the crewmembers and their welfare along with the assistance of …

26 MAR 2023  On Wednesday, an explosion and fire at the Ineos chemical plant in Pasadena, Texas briefly forced the closure of the Houston Ship Channel to traffic. According to local officials, one person was injured and hospitalized after a fire ignited a “boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion” (BLEVE) at …

23 MAR 2023  A containership arriving in Taiwan hit the berth after traveling in excess of the harbor speed according to reports from the port authority and Taiwan’s Maritime and Port Bureau. They are confirming media reports that the pilot assigned to the vessel was legally intoxicated at the time …

25 MAR 2023 Astronomers on Monday warned that the light pollution created by the soaring number of satellites orbiting Earth poses an “unprecedented global threat to nature”. ​The number of satellites in low Earth orbit have more than doubled since 2019, when US company SpaceX launched the first “mega-constellation,” which comprise thousands …