Philippine News

August 4 ------ Shipping activity through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Strait of Hormuz has slowed following renewed Houthi threats and reported attacks on commercial vessels, with shipping data showing reduced traffic and some tankers altering routes to avoid high-risk areas. According to Reuters, two tankers carrying Saudi crude crossed the Bab el-Mandeb Strait over the first weekend of August despite a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia announced by Iran-aligned Houthis

August 4 ------ Cargo fires rank at the top of the list of hazards aboard a modern container ship, in part because the operator has limited control over the cargo. A container is a solid steel box, and a productive crane operator can move dozens of them on and off the ship every hour. In general, the ship sails with the cargo it's given - along with any risks hidden therein. In a lawsuit filed last week in New York, number-one ocean carrier MSC is sending a warning to cargo o

August 4 ------ The Ministry of Reconstruction, Infrastructure, and Transport of Ukraine asserts that Russia is now trying to intimidate international shipowners and undermine confidence in the safety of civilian shipping. It emphasized that the intensity of the enemy attacks on Ukraine’s port infrastructure continues to increase while highlighting that the Russians are now attacking ships multiple times even if they have already been damaged. The border guard reported on Mon

August 4 ------ Six Saudi-flagged supertankers have changed course in the Gulf of Aden in recent days and are heading to southern Africa following threats by Yemen’s Houthi movement to target Saudi shipping, tracking data showed. The tankers, which were empty of cargo after returning from destinations in Asia, were sailing in formation towards southern Africa, rather than opting to transit the southern Red Sea via the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint, according to AIS ship-tracking o

August 3 ------ After three months, Somali pirates continue to hold four smaller vessels with no reports of progress in the efforts to free the 67 crewmembers that are being held aboard the vessels. The EU’s Operation Atalanta provided an update and emphasized that it remains committed to supporting the successful liberation as soon as possible, but with the vessels close to the coast, it is dependent on the local authorities. Piracy surged this year, possibly in part due to

August 3 ------ A drone strike that damaged two gas tankers in Egyptian waters has renewed energy security concerns about the nearby Suez Canal and a related pipeline, a vital export route for Saudi Arabian oil since the beginning of the Iran war. Even as Iran and its Houthi allies have fired on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, Egypt's Suez Canal and Sumed pipeline continued to offer safe, northbound export routes for Saudi Red Sea energy cargoes. Wh

August 3 ------ The Russia – Ukraine war started on 24 February 2022, when Moscow invaded its neighbor. The invasion triggered widespread condemnation, and a coalition of over 40 countries has imposed coordinated economic sanctions on Russia as a result. This international response consists primarily of the "G7+ coalition," which includes all major Western economies and several key Asian and Pacific nations. Just last week, on July 23, the EU adopted its 21st (!) sanctions pa

August 3 ------ The two very large crude carriers (VLCC) carrying oil loaded from the Gulf exited the Strait of Hormuz with traffic through the waterway remaining thin, according to Kpler ship-tracking data. The Spain B vessel is carrying crude oil loaded from the Saudi Arabian port of Ras Tanura on July 12, and is currently anchored off Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates. Meanwhile Noble, which loaded Iraqi Basrah crude on July 25, is heading to China. Both VLCCs are carry

August 2 ------ Human skills are fundamental to safe vessel operations, effective leadership and crew retention, experts stressed during a panel discussion at the 2026 Crew Welfare Week. Speakers argued that communication, empathy, critical thinking and adaptability should not be treated as secondary to technical competence. As shipping becomes more digital, diverse and technologically complex, the industry must modernize how it recruits, trains and develops its people while

August 2 ------ Geopolitical disruption, decarbonization, crew shortages, cyber risk and rising operating costs are changing the skills required of ship managers, Irene Rosberg, Blue MBA Program Director at Copenhagen Business School, has said. Ship managers are increasingly making complex decisions at speed, often with incomplete information and consequences for vessel safety, crewing, charter commitments, insurance and compliance. Route disruption can affect bunker planning

August 1 ------ For months, industry analysts have noted that biofouling accumulation on vessels stuck in the Arabian Gulf would be a slow-down factor in restarting shipping operations through the Strait of Hormuz. Fouling pressure in the Gulf is intense, and hull cleaning services in the GCC nations' ports have reportedly been in high demand. But all of that biofouling also poses a risk to regional ecosystems in overseas ports, according to a new research paper: once the 1,5

August 1 ------ Yemen’s Houthi group is considering imposing fees on commercial vessels sailing through the southern Red Sea, regional sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, in a move that could further disrupt a key global maritime route. The Iran-aligned group is reportedly examining plans to charge ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, following its declaration of a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on Ju

July 31 ------ The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has completed the first audit cycle under the IMO Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS), with 168 Member States assessed on their implementation and enforcement of IMO regulations since the scheme became mandatory in 2016. The first cycle covered 94% of IMO Member States and represents one of the most extensive assessments of global maritime governance undertaken to date. The audits aim to help countries strengthen comp

July 31 ------ Saudi Arabia unveiled plans for a multinational maritime defense coalition aimed at protecting international shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea region after attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis disrupted one of the world's busiest trade corridors. The Saudi defense ministry said representatives from 43 countries and the European Union attended an international meeting that discussed the proposed coalition, including Saudi Arabia serving as its

July 31 ------ According to Kpler, daily Strait of Hormuz crossings falling from roughly 45 to just 13 following the return to conflict, and the vessels still crossing have moved almost entirely onto the unrecognized Iranian route rather than the Omani alternative. Between 7 June and 7 July (the window covering the temporary truce arrangement), Kpler recorded an average of around 45 crossings per day through the Strait of Hormuz. After the return to conflict, that average fel

July 31 ------ Turkish authorities briefly suspended traffic in the business Dardanelles overnight as they worked to clear a bulker bound for Russia that had broken down. According to the reports, the bulker Pilatus Marie (56,632 dwt) was approaching an area known as the Nara turn near the Canakkale Strait portion of the waterway when it ran aground. Built in 2011 and now registered in San Marino, the vessel reported an engine failure, which caused it to ground in the busy wa

July 30 ------ NTERCARGO has called for urgent action to protect seafarers and civilian merchant shipping following a renewed increase in attacks targeting commercial vessels across several strategic maritime regions. In a statement issued on 29 July 2026, INTERCARGO said it had observed a “noticeable shift towards the direct targeting of commercial shipping”, warning that seafarers, who are civilians carrying out essential work, should not be treated as military targets. The

July 30 ------ The Philippines marked a key milestone in its long efforts to revitalize the former shipbuilding operations at Subic Bay as HD Hyundai officially launched its first new construction. The South Korean shipbuilder last year took over the former Hanjin shipyard and restarted operations with a promise of significant investments. The 115,000 dwt petrochemical tanker Orion Jade was launched on July 29 as the first newbuild at the yard, which had ceased operations in

July 30 ------ Tehran has ruled out Oman's proposal for regional joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian official told Reuters, scuppering hopes for a resolution to the impasse that has choked off Gulf trade for months. Oman proposed a new regional deal aimed at resolving the conflict over the critical strait, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February. However, Tehran rule

July 30 ------ The Port of Tyne, along with a section of the River Tyne, will be closed for nine hours on Thursday, July 30, as the recovery operation continues from the allision in the port on July 19. Specialized teams have been working with the port to secure damaged containers and the vessel BG Orange, along with removing the gantry crane that collapsed as the container vessel was struck. Several containers were badly damaged when the WTIV Wind Orca struck the container v