The Liberian-flagged container ship Contship Jet was struck by drones in the Black Sea about 17 miles off Cape Kaliakra, near Varna, Bulgaria, on 28 October. The Bulgarian Navy rescued all 18 crew, 14 Filipinos and four Ukrainians. It is the ninth ship hit in the western Black Sea this month.
NYK, K Line, JERA and four Japanese shipyards will build four ammonia-fuelled car carriers and a dedicated bunkering vessel, creating a full ammonia fuel supply chain at the Hekinan terminal in Aichi, central Japan, by 2030. Ammonia is toxic, so crews will need new training in safe fuel handling.
A court has lifted a stay so a Kerala government committee can restart compensation talks with MSC over the May 2025 sinking of MSC Elsa 3 in the Arabian Sea off Kerala. Any settlement must go back to the court, with the next hearing on 24 November and claims still far apart.
The Vehicle Carrier Safety Forum has issued fire drill guidelines for car carriers, ro-ro and ro-pax ships. Six realistic scenarios at sea and in port, plus tabletop exercises, aim to move crews from reading guidance to practising it, with fixed firefighting systems released within 15 minutes of the first alarm.
A BIMCO-chaired industry working group has released version 1.0 of two voluntary frameworks, Operational Vessel Data and Vessel Emissions Reporting. They let ship data be captured once and reused for IMO DCS, EU MRV, EU ETS and charter reporting, which could cut the duplicate paperwork that often falls on ship officers.
A new study by London’s UCL Energy Institute finds nuclear-powered container ships can only compete with conventional and ammonia-fuelled vessels if the IMO Net-Zero Framework is in force and reactor costs fall sharply. Liability and insurance gaps mean nuclear shipping remains a long-term prospect needing new crew skills and rules.
ReCAAP ISC recorded one armed robbery in Asia for 20–26 October. Six unarmed thieves boarded a tug and barge in the Singapore Strait, off Pulau Nongsa on Indonesia’s Batam island, and stole scrap metal. No crew were hurt, but it is the 25th incident in the Malacca and Singapore Straits this year.
The Panama Maritime Authority has started cancelling the registration of seven cargo ships named in new US sanctions linked to Iranian trade, and has tightened due-diligence checks on owners, operators and charterers. Panama runs the world’s largest ship registry, and losing a flag can leave crews on board stranded.
The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the EU-Asean Scope Seafarers Project Team recently launched the Maritime Education, Training, and Certification (METC) Master Plan. This initiative aims to modernize training for Filipino seafarers, align with global standards, and promote green shipping practices, reinforcing the Philippines’ leadership in maritime governance.
Swedish shipping company Stena AB plans to acquire Color Line, Norway’s major ferry operator, merging two of Scandinavia’s largest ferry businesses. This strategic move will enhance Stena’s presence in Europe’s passenger and freight transport markets. The deal, pending regulatory approval, anticipates completion in late Q1 or Q2 of 2027.
Cydome, ClassNK, Bureau Veritas, MTS-ISAC, and Rakuten Maritime have launched the Blue Initiative, a public database for cyber vulnerabilities in maritime IT and OT devices. Accessible at blue-initiative.org, it aims to enhance vulnerability management, provide timely alerts, and improve cyber resilience for shipping companies by linking vulnerabilities to specific maritime systems.
An oil spill from a damaged tanker off the UAE coast is worsening, prompting beach closures and raising environmental alarms. Satellite data indicates the spill is nearing Umm Al Quwain’s shores, with visible oil patches. Experts warn of severe ecological impacts, given the rich marine biodiversity in the Gulf region.
Recent maritime security warnings highlight the threats to shipping in the Middle East. A tanker was disabled by an unidentified projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, while another vessel was reported on fire in the Persian Gulf. Both incidents underscore rising violence affecting commercial shipping and increasing risks for vessels.
The MV Lira, a high-risk general cargo ship, has been banned from European ports after failing to visit a mandated repair yard in Greece. Detained in Olbia, Italy, it was released but did not comply with the requirement to proceed to Piraeus, prompting the Paris MoU to classify it as very high-risk.
A cargo ship named Seahorse faced a crisis off Lebanon’s coast, prompting seven crew members to jump overboard for safety. The vessel, carrying timber from Turkey, began to list dangerously near Sidon on October 25. Authorities stabilized it after discovering significant water ingress, allowing it to be moved to Beirut.
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