Stay updated with the latest global maritime news, including shipping industry trends, international port developments, crew updates, and key events affecting the world of shipping and seafaring. Your source for timely and reliable maritime industry information.
Two fully loaded bulk carriers collided in the Singapore Strait on Tuesday, leaving both ships damaged, according to The Maritime Telegraph. The accident involved the Capesize vessels Cape XL and Huge Kumano in one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors.
The luxury expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has arrived at the port of Rotterdam after a hantavirus outbreak onboard left three people dead and triggered an international health response. The vessel carried around 150 passengers and crew members from 23 countries.
Several containers were lost overboard after a collision between container ship MV Spil Ratna and cargo vessel MV Meratus Kolawa on 13 May in Indonesia’s Mahakam River, The Maritime Telegraph reports.
The impact occurred in a narrow section of the river near Samarinda, damaging both vessels and knocking eight containers into the water. The drifting cargo created a navigation hazard on this busy inland shipping route.
Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has installed rigid wind sails on an LNG carrier under construction in South Korea, The Maritime Telegraph reports. The vessel will become the world’s first LNG carrier equipped with the Wind Challenger system, a wind-assisted propulsion technology aimed at reducing fuel consumption and emissions.
NextShip reports that Ocean Network Express has signed a $1.22 billion deal with HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for six LNG dual-fuel container vessels. The move supports ONE’s push toward lower-emission shipping as environmental rules tighten worldwide.
South Korea is stepping up its push into autonomous shipping with a new AI-focused maritime programme designed to collect real data from operating vessels, The Maritime Telegraph reports. Launched on May 7, the project brings together shipbuilders, shipping companies and tech firms under a KRW 35 billion ($25 million) initiative running through 2029.
A cargo vessel bound for Ukraine sank off the Greek island of Andros after running aground on rocks in the early hours of May 6, triggering a major rescue operation and criminal charges against two senior officers, The Maritime Telegraph reports.
The International Maritime Organization has greenlit the largest Emission Control Area (ECA) ever, covering the North-East Atlantic, reports The Maritime Telegraph. For shipping CEOs, the signal is simple: stricter emissions rules are scaling fast across core trade lanes.
India is pushing ahead with a $5.4 billion plan to add 62 vessels to its merchant fleet, sharpening control over shipping as the Strait of Hormuz crisis strains global trade. The Maritime Telegraph reports that the move targets a critical gap: heavy reliance on foreign carriers to move essential cargo.
A new milestone for global auto logistics: a 10,800 CEU car carrier has joined the fleet of HMM, with The Maritime Telegraph reporting the delivery as part of the industry’s rapid scale-up. The vessel was built by Guangzhou Shipyard International and signals a clear move toward bigger, more efficient carriers.
The Strait of Hormuz crisis has stretched into its third month, with about 20,000 seafarers stuck on over 1,600 vessels across the Persian Gulf. The International Maritime Organization says there is still no safe corridor for commercial transit. Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez warned the UN that threats such as attacks and possible mines leave crews exposed and routes uncertain.
A routine voyage turned grim when the cruise ship Sapphire Princess recovered five bodies in the western Mediterranean, underscoring the ongoing risks of migrant crossings. The Maritime Telegraph reports the incident occurred mid-journey, far from shore.
Iran’s IRGC has reportedly seized two MSC-linked container ships after armed incidents in the Strait of Hormuz on April 22, The Maritime Telegraph said. Three vessels were targeted while transiting the strait. The first was fired on near Oman by an IRGC gunboat without prior warning, suffering damage to its bridge but reporting no casualties.
Chinese Port State Control authorities sharply increased detentions of Panama-flagged vessels in March 2026, raising concern across the global shipping sector. Data from Tokyo MOU recorded 179 detentions in the Asia-Pacific region last month, including 123 in Chinese ports, with 91 ships under the Panama flag, an unusually large share. The trend was highlighted by NextShip.
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has become the first container carrier to operate a fleet of 1,000 vessels, reinforcing its leadership in global liner shipping. The milestone followed the delivery of the 11,480-TEU container ship MSC Migsan from Zhoushan Changhong shipyard, The Maritime Telegraph reported.
MV Hui Yuan was temporarily detained by authorities in Sweden after investigators recorded an illegal discharge of coal cargo residue into the Baltic Sea near Ystad, The Maritime Telegraph reports.
Brazil’s mining giant Vale has signed a long-term agreement with Shandong Shipping Corporation to build the world’s first ethanol-powered Guaibamax bulk carriers, according to NextShip. The project strengthens Vale’s multi-fuel shipping strategy and supports its long-term decarbonization goals.
Angola’s state energy company Sonangol is accelerating its expansion into LNG shipping with a fresh order for two large LNG carriers at HD Hyundai Samho, strengthening its long-term presence in the gas transport sector, Splash 247 reports.
A Chinese bulk carrier briefly disrupted traffic in the Suez Canal on April 2 after a technical failure forced the vessel aground during transit, stopping the southbound convoy for about four hours, Maritime Executive reports.
Tanker owner Hafnia has ordered eight fuel-efficient MR product tankers from Hyundai Heavy Industries as part of its fleet renewal strategy, The Maritime Telegraph reports. The contract, worth about $405 million, secures early shipyard slots and supports the company’s plan to strengthen efficiency and earnings quality across its MR segment.
The containership Safeen Prestige has reportedly sunk in the Strait of Hormuz after a missile strike triggered a severe onboard fire, according to The Maritime Telegraph. A safety warning issued by NAVAREA IX on April 1 confirmed the vessel’s loss, marking the first reported total ship loss linked to the current security escalation affecting commercial shipping in the region.
A Taiwanese court has ordered a Chinese captain to pay about $560,000 to Chunghwa Telecom after his vessel damaged the Tai-Peng No. 3 subsea cable in the Taiwan Strait, NextShip reports. The ruling follows a three-year prison sentence issued in June 2025, underlining Taiwan’s tougher enforcement measures to protect critical offshore communications infrastructure.
A French court has sentenced the Chinese captain of a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker to one year in prison and issued an international arrest warrant after he refused to stop his vessel for a naval inspection off western France, Splash247 reports. The ruling marks a major escalation in Europe’s enforcement campaign against ships suspected of moving Russian crude outside Western sanctions frameworks.
More than 200 passengers were evacuated after the river cruise ship A‑Rosa Sena struck the Amsterdamsebrug on the outskirts of Amsterdam late Wednesday, The Maritime Telegraph reported, citing local media. The helmsman suffered minor injuries, while passengers remained unharmed.
