Philippine News

July 17 ------ The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) has released its Half Yearly Report 2026 for the period of January to June, reporting a decrease in incidents compared to the same period last year. From January to June 2026, a total of 35 Armed Robbery Against Ships (ARAS) incidents were reported across Asia, representing a 64% decrease from the 96 incidents recorded during the same period in 2025. Overall, the ARAS situation improved across several previously affec

July 17 ------ The Maritime Association for Clean Seas (MACS) has released a series of practical guides aimed at helping the commercial shipping sector adopt more sustainable approaches to plastic procurement and reduce marine plastic pollution. Despite continued commitments from governments and companies to tackle plastic pollution, global plastic waste levels continue to rise, driven by increasing production and ongoing challenges in reducing plastic output. During its 13th

July 17 ------ Last December, in a sudden reversal of fortune, Emirati-backed forces of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) were forced to cede much of the autonomy they had secured over areas of southern Yemen. An attempted STC coup de main operation to seize control of eastern areas of Yemen failed when STC forces encountered unexpected resistance from local forces and a robust military response from both Saudi Arabia and Oman. There were two immediate consequences of t

July 17 ------ French technological containment specialist Gaztransport & Technigaz (GTT) has secured the green light from the UK-based classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) for new NO96 elongation criteria, opening the door to more optimized liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier (LNGC) structures, widening LNG ship design flexibility. Lloyd’s Register has issued an approval in principle (AiP) to GTT for new elongation criteria applicable to LNG carrier hulls fitted with

July 16 ------ Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to close "all other export corridors that benefit the U.S. and its allies", Iranian media reported, after Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports. "Regional energy exports are either shared by all, or denied to all," the IRGC said in a statement carried by Iran's IRNA state news agency on Wednesday. Analysts have said Iran has been signaling it may use its Ho

July 16 ------ In this week’s “Shipping Number of the Week” from BIMCO, Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager looked at the rise in global grain shipments. According to says Filipe Gouveia, global grain shipments have increased 13% y/y so far this year, supported by strong wheat, maize and soya bean exports from the Americas and Europe. Improved harvests across most major exporters have boosted their export surpluses, driving higher shipments to Asia, the Middle East and

July 16 ------ The Port of Antwerp-Bruges shut down several terminals in response to a highly toxic acid spill from a shipping container, including the DP World Antwerp Gateway terminal. Initial reports indicated that a container aboard the boxship Mia Summer II began leaking hydrofluoric acid. The ship was alongside the pier at the Deurganck Dock area of Antwerp, a busy district, and more than 150 people were potentially exposed to HF fumes. 28 people developed more serious

July 16 ------ In cruise shipping, reliability is not simply an engineering target. It is the foundation of the entire voyage experience. A cruise ship may be designed with redundancy, automation, planned maintenance systems, and class-approved equipment, but it still operates in a demanding commercial environment where time is limited, and expectations are high. Unlike many vessels that can absorb delay as part of cargo operations, a cruise ship carries passengers whose itin

July 15 ------ One Indian crew member was killed and eight others were wounded when two Emirati oil tankers were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defense said, in the latest escalation in the strategic waterway. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's shipping arm ADNOC L&S later confirmed the very large crude carriers (VLCCs) Mombasa B and Al Bahiyah were struck while transiting Hormuz and had sustained "significant dam

July 15 ------ The first six months of 2026 saw an overall strong decline in the number of reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery against shipping in Asia, reports the ReCAAP Information Sharing Center. Across Asia, the number of incidents recorded between January and June was the lowest for this period since the first half of 2019, and while ReCAAP remains concerned specifically about the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), it also reports a strong decline year-

July 15 ------ Lloyd’s Register (LR) has warned that routine fuel quality checks may no longer be enough to identify emerging risks, as some bunker fuels pass standard ISO 8217 testing while concealing stability, compatibility and performance issues. In its latest Fuel Oil Bunker Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) Fuel Quality Report, covering the first half of 2026 (H1 2026), LR highlights that off-specification fuels remain a persistent concern for the maritime industry.

July 15 ------ Officials in Cameroon’s Port of Douala-Bonabéri reported that they have been able to resume operations after a bulker and a cargo ship collided last July 12. A crisis team responded as the cargo ship Black Rhino, loaded with containers, began sinking, potentially blocking access to the country’s main port. The Port of Douala-Bonabéri handles the majority of Cameroon’s trade. It is also a critical transshipment port, maintaining a transit corridor inland to Chad

July 14 ------ Ukraine’s ongoing strategic air and sea campaign to tighten the screws on Russia economically has taken a further leap forward in recent days, background to an announcement on July 10 by Ukrainian President Zelensky that a new Long Range Command had been established within the Ukrainian Armed Forces structure, solely to prosecute long-range warfare on Russian strategic targets. The new command will attack Russian targets globally, and its first operation may ha

July 14 ------ The master of a tanker sailing in the Gulf of Aden south of Yemen is reporting the latest approach. The reports indicate that the onboard security team aboard the unnamed tanker returned fire with a pirate skiff and was able to prevent a possible boarding. The incident, which took place at 1019 UTC on July 13, involved six small boats, although only one approached the tanker. Security consultant Ambrey is reporting the tanker is registered in the Marshall Islan

July 14 ------ A Philippine seafarer who had been working as an able-bodied seaman on an oil tanker pleaded guilty in a Los Angeles district court on July 13 to concealing nearly 200 kilograms of cocaine for a drug cartel. It was an elaborate plot to transport the cocaine from Ecuador and have cartel members receive it in Mexican waters. The U.S. Attorney’s office reports the plot went astray in May when the ship’s crew found the drugs concealed in garbage bags in the ship’s

July 14 ------ The number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell to multi-week lows, shipping data showed, as renewed strikes between the U.S. and Iran and attacks on ships in the Middle East heightened safety concerns. Six vessels transited the strait on Sunday, ship-tracking data from Kpler showed, the lowest number in five weeks. Tankers that exited the strait included the Very Large Crude Carrier Humanity, laden with 2 million barrels of Iranian oil and another t

July 13 ------ Transits through the Strait of Hormuz have not stopped this week after the renewed attacks, but have slowed dramatically, and especially along the so-called Southern Corridor hugging the Omani coast. Despite Iran’s assertions of control, U.S. Central Command continues to say the Strait is open and vessels are moving through. The exact number of transits is difficult to establish, in part because more vessels are going dark. Maritime software and data intelligen

July 13 ------ The IMO is advancing its Red Sea Project to improve security and the coordination of maritime situational awareness in the Horn of Africa and the waters off Yemen. Under the project, the IMO supported a four-day workshop for the internationally-recognized Republic of Yemen government from June 22 to 25, 2026, alongside the European Union-funded Crisis Response Project for the Red Sea and the Western Indian Ocean. The workshop brought together representatives of

July 13 ------ The Maritime Technologies Forum (MTF) announced the publication of new guidelines to support companies in developing new Safety Management Systems (SMS) and strengthening existing SMS for ships using methanol as fuel. As the maritime industry accelerates its decarbonization efforts, low-carbon methanol has emerged as one of the most scalable alternative fuel options. Its liquid state under ambient conditions, compatibility with existing fuel infrastructure, and

July 13 ------ Three decades after helping redefine the modern cruise industry together, Fincantieri and Carnival Corporation have launched the next chapter in their long-running partnership. At Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard, executives from both companies gathered to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their relationship while officially marking the first steel cut for Carnival Destiny, the first of three next-generation Ace-class cruise ships being built for Carnival Crui