Philippine News

May 5 ------ The U.S. military said it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones as Tehran sought to thwart a new U.S. naval effort to open shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. President Donald Trump launched the operation, called Project Freedom, on Monday as he sought to wrest control of the critical waterway from Iran, which effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. and Israel started the conflict on February 2

May 5 ------ Between 1 and 3 May 2026, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issued a series of warnings reporting multiple security incidents across key regional waterways. On 1 May, UKMTO reported an incident within the IRTC, 92NM southwest of Al Mukalla, Yemen, where the Master of a bulk carrier observed a black-hulled skiff carrying seven armed persons approaching the vessel. Furthermore, on 2 May, UKMTO reported a suspicious approach 84NM southwest of Al M

May 5 ------ Medics were working to evacuate two people with symptoms of the deadly hantavirus after a suspected outbreak on a luxury cruise ship held off West Africa carrying mostly British, American and Spanish passengers, officials said. Around 150 people were still stuck on the vessel after three people - a Dutch couple and a German national - died, and others fell ill, including a Briton who left the vessel and was being treated in South Africa, authorities added. Hantav

May 5 ------ Yemen’s Coast Guard stated that the oil tanker M/T EUREKA had been hijacked off the coast of Shabwa province by unidentified armed men who boarded the vessel, took control of it and redirected it toward the Gulf of Aden in the direction of Somali waters. Prior to this, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported a suspicious approach involving a green-hulled skiff and a white fishing vessel in the same area. As reported, the coast guard later co

May 4 ------ President Donald Trump said that the United States would begin an effort to free up ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday morning. Trump, in a post on his Truth Social site, gave few details about the operation, including whether the U.S. Navy would be involved. He described the effort as a "humanitarian gesture" meant only to aid neutral countries that were not involved in the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. "For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the

May 4 ------ The Marine Environment Protection Committee of the IMO concluded its 84th session with a commitment to rebuild consensus on global shipping emissions. Nearly 100 delegations took the floor this week to voice their views on the adoption of “mid-term measures” to address GHG emissions from ships - known as the IMO Net-Zero Framework - with multiple proposals tabled on how to take forward negotiations. The Committee agreed to establish an intersessional Working Gr

May 4 ------ When Houthi rebels captured the car carrier Galaxy Leader in 2023, the vessel and crew were taken to a sheltered bay in Yemen, where they were detained and forced to await the end of hostilities in the Red Sea. The crew were finally released in January 2025, but the ship was not - and by its appearance in newly-released photos, it might never leave. Galaxy Leader was hijacked by armed militants aboard a Houthi-operated helicopter on November 19, 2023. The orche

May 4 ------ Orient Express Corinthian, the world’s largest sailing ship, was christened on April 29, in Saint-Nazaire, France, and delivered to her owners, Orient Express Sailing Yachts, as part of the expansion of the fabled brand. With a displacement of approximately 15,000 metric tons, the ship is unique and has already set a speed record for wind propulsion for ships of its size. Built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique, the companies highlight that it is the product of a de

May 3 ------ Authorities have raised the threat level off Somalia’s coast to “substantial” following a surge in piracy incidents between 21 and 26 April 2026. Taken together, these incidents point to a coordinated resurgence of piracy activity across both the Somali coast and adjacent waters, affecting multiple vessel types including fishing boats, tankers, and merchant shipping. The pattern of hijackings, armed approaches, and attempted boardings over a short period suggests

May 3 ------ Not every risk at sea can be measured, but in shipping a route still has to be chosen. Behind every route recommendation is a human judgement call. While weather and performance can be calculated with precision, other risks exist beyond the reach of data, forcing decisions to be made in an unavoidable grey area. In recent weeks, routing decisions in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea have carried a different kind of weight. A route that appears optimal on paper

May 2 ------ BIMCO has published its latest Dry Bulk Shipping Market Overview & Outlook, highlighting key supply and demand trends alongside the impact of the Strait of Hormuz disruption on the market. According to Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO, the Iran war and the resulting disruptions to ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz have increased uncertainty for both the global economy and the dry bulk market. Around 4% of dry bulk cargoes and ton mile d

May 2 ------ European Union countries agreed on Friday to keep pushing for a global price on shipping's CO2 emissions in U.N. talks next week, setting up another potential clash with the United States over the proposal. Governments at the International Maritime Organization decided last year to postpone the climate plan by a year, after the Trump administration strongly opposed the measure and threatened to impose sanctions and visa restrictions on delegates who supported it.

May 1 ------ In a recent interview to UN News, Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the IMO, pointed out that blockading of ships in the Strait of Hormuz demonstrates how ships and seafarers have become “leverage in geopolitical disputes.” Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the IMO spoke to UN News. Since conflict began with the US-Israeli bombing of Iran in late February, up to 20,000 seafarers have been stranded on some 2,000 vessels in the Persian Gulf, which is bo

May 1 ------ Two years after launching its ECDIS Training Assessment (ETA) platform, NorthStandard draws on cumulative assessment data in a new report which includes key insights on the way shipping can improve ECDIS proficiency on the bridge. Assessments found two-thirds of bridge teams could not identify electronic navigational chart (ENC) updates, and nearly half did not prioritize correct ENC scale in planning. Many also struggled to distinguish alarms from alerts, spot d

April 30 ------ According to the Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), approximately 1,200 Filipino seafarers have now safely exited the Strait of Hormuz. The DMW said that two vessels, Omicron Nikos and Nord, successfully cleared the strait on 25 April 2026 after becoming temporarily affected by disruptions in the Persian Gulf linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict. The ships, sailing under Russian and Liberian flags, carried 36 Filipino crew members, bringing

April 30 ------ At least six ships - a fraction of the usual traffic - have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, shipping data showed, while the U.S. and Iran remain deadlocked over coming to terms that would re-open the crucial waterway. The vessel traffic was mainly through Iranian waters and included the Vast Plus chemical tanker, which is subject to US sanctions, according to Kpler ship-tracking data and satellite analysis from SynMax. Most of the ships were

April 30 ------ A merchant vessel transiting southbound through the Somali Basin was approached by a single skiff, approximately 470 nautical miles off Somalia, east-northeast of Mogadishu, according to Diaplous Group. As explained, the skiff, carrying an estimated 6–7 persons dressed in black clothing, approached from the vessel’s bow. Those onboard were observed carrying equipment assessed as suitable for boarding or climbing. In response, the vessel’s armed security team i

April 30 ------ The first car and vehicle carrier in the world to exceed 10,000 units was officially delivered, marking a new milestone as the sector continues to build out capacity to meet the demand for exports from Asia. In addition to its capacity, the vessel is notable as it is owned by South Korea’s HMM and part of a strategy by Hyundai Glovis to expand and diversify its operations. Named Glovis Leader, the pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) was built by China’s Guangzho

April 29 ------ The UN Security Council convened on “The Safety and Protection of Waterways in the Maritime Domain,” under the agenda item “Maintenance of international peace and security.” The UN Security Council heard urgent appeals to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz after disruptions since early March were highlighted to be harming global energy security, food supplies, and trade. Speakers condemned the use of one of the world’s most critical mar

April 29 ------ Following the BlueRights International Conference on the Protection of Health at Sea in March, organizer Prof. Dr Senka Šekularac-Ivošević is calling for holistic solutions to the current gaps in ensuring seafarers’ human rights are met. Frequent cases of crew abandonment, non-payment of wages, poor living conditions, and serious consequences for seafarers’ mental health demonstrate that the gap between regulations and reality remains significant. “Physical he