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Tribune News

07 Sep 2023

Four Former US Navy Officers Cleared in Fat Leonard Case Due to Prosecutor Misconduct

© de Art / Adobe Stock

Four former U.S. Navy officers charged in a massive bribery scandal linked to the man known as Fat Leonard were cleared of felony charges on Wednesday by a judge citing prosecutor misconduct.U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino said in a sentencing hearing that prosecutors' conduct "can only be described as outrageous," the San Diego Union-Tribune reported from the courthouse. After the felony charges were cleared, the four former officers each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor with only a $100 fine as punishment…

26 May 2023

CMA CGM Sees Profit Easing as Demand Wanes, New Ship Supply

© Tupungato / Adobe Stock

CMA CGM expects its profit to ease further for the rest of the year after a first-quarter decline, as an uncertain economy and influx of new vessels cool the container shipping market after a record 2022.The company, based in Marseille and privately controlled by the founding Saade family, on Friday reported a first-quarter net profit of $2.0 billion, compared with $7.2 billion in the year-earlier period, and said in a statement it expects the first quarter to be its most profitable of 2023.CMA CGM is among shipping firms to have posted record profits last year, after the COVID-19 pandemic tri

01 Mar 2023

Discovery: Historic Shipwreck Found in Lake Huron

Image of the schooner-barge Ironton as it sits on the lake floor today. This image is a point cloud extracted from water column returns from multibeam sonar. Image Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust/NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Researchers from NOAA, the state of Michigan, and Ocean Exploration Trust discovered an intact shipwreck resting hundreds of feet below the surface of Lake Huron. Located within NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the shipwreck has been identified as the sailing ship Ironton. Well preserved by the cold freshwater of the Great Lakes for over a century, the 191-ft. Ironton rests upright with its three masts still standing."Using this cutting-edge technology, we have not only located a pristine shipwreck lost for over a century…

20 Oct 2022

Venezuela Gives US Two Months to Request 'Fat Leonard' Extradition

(Image: US Marshals Service)

Venezuela's top court has ruled to give the U.S. government 60 days to request the extradition of fugitive Malaysian businessman Leonard Glenn Francis, also known by his alias "Fat Leonard," who is implicated in a U.S. Navy bribery case.The supreme court ruling was issued last week but only made public on Wednesday by a reporter with official media.Francis was arrested on Sept. 21 at Caracas' main airport as he prepared to leave for Russia. The U.S. government had previously issued…

22 Sep 2022

Venezuela Arrests 'Fat Leonard' Contractor in US Navy Bribery Case

(Image: US Marshals Service)

Venezuelan police have arrested a fugitive Malaysian businessman nicknamed 'Fat Leonard' who is at the center of a major U.S. Navy bribery scandal, as he prepared to leave the country for Russia, Venezuelan Interpol said.Leonard Glenn Francis was detained at the country's main international airport on Wednesday under a red notification requested by the United States for crimes of corruption and bribery, the Interpol chief in Venezuela said in a statement posted on Instagram.The…

05 Sep 2022

Fat Leonard is on the Lam

© zapper / Adobe Stock

A Malaysian businessman at the center of a major U.S. Navy bribery scandal has escaped house arrest ahead of his impending sentencing by cutting off his monitoring anklet, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on Monday.Leonard Glenn Francis, popularly known as "Fat Leonard," cut off his GPS anklet some time Sunday morning, and when police went to his home they found it empty, the newspaper reported, citing Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo.Prosecutors said that in exchange for contracts Francis plied Navy officers with cash…

08 Jun 2022

Bangladesh Police Investigating Deadly Container Depot Fire

© Lightboxx / Adobe Stock

Police in Bangladesh on Wednesday opened an investigation into eight officials from a shipping container depot after a blaze killed at least 44 people, including 10 firefighters, and injured around 200 others, officials said.Firefighters put out the blaze at the depot in Sitakunda, 40 km (25 miles) from the southeastern port city of Chittagong, on Wednesday, four days after it began late on Saturday, triggering a series of explosions.The investigation was opened into officials who were directly involved operating the depot on suspicion of negligence and mismanagement…

08 Jul 2018

Bangabandhu Satellite to Link 39,000 Ships at Sea

Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the shipping ministry so that Bangabandhu-1 satellite will provide the connectivity to around 39,000 ships in the country in a year. A report in Star Online quoted Md Saiful Islam, managing director of the government-owned company as saying that  this is the first business promise from the BCSCL, is also engaged negotiations with eight other ministries and divisions to provide them connectivity. It said BCSCL will earn huge amount yearly by providing this service to shipping ministry when after the country’s first communication satellite will starts its commercial activity in September.

28 Dec 2017

NITC Signs 200 Tanker Charter Deals

The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) has signed over 200 leasing contracts for its vessels since the lifting of the Western-imposed economic sanctions two years ago, Financial Tribune reported on Thursday. The report quoted Iran Tanker Company's Chief Executive Officer Sirous Kianersi saying that from the easing of the sanctions (in January 2016) until the end of last month, foreign companies signed 215 time-charter and single-voyage deals for NITC tankers. NITC signed agreements with France's Total, Royal Dutch Shell, Spain's Cepsa, Vitol, Hanwha Total of South Korea, India's Essar, Turkish refiner Tupras, China's CNPC, among others.

25 Dec 2017

Iran to Enhance Fleet Strength

Four giant new container vessels will join Iran's shipping fleet next year. With the arrival of these vessels, the rank of the national shipping fleet in the work will rise to 16 from 20 at present, chairman of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping (IRISL) Mohammad Saeedi was quoted as saying. The report by the Fars news agency did not specify the type of the vessels but they are most likely Triple E ships which Iran has already ordered as part of a plan to expand its shipping fleet. Xinhua reported that South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) will deliver 10 commercial ships to Iran in March 2018. Mohammad Saeedi said that the first delivery of the ordered ships will take place in March 2018, and the remaining nine vessels will be delivered to Iran every 45 days.

26 Nov 2017

Norway to Aid Iran's Fleet

Iran's tanker shipping company plans to expand cooperation with Norwegian suppliers of parts for oil tankers, Financial Tribune daily reported. National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) head Sirous Kianersi quoted as saying that NITC has been in touch with Norwegian ship parts and equipment manufacturers in the last 20 years and we hope to keep up this collaboration. According to the report, the NITC plans to modernize its fleet of around 70 tankers, one of the largest in the world, under a five-year program, and Norwegian companies are "on the NITC's list" to help the company upgrade its large fleet. The cooperation is in line with the measures to comply with global environmental standards, Kianersi said at the Iran-Norway Bilateral Maritime Opportunities conference.

03 Jul 2017

Oil Spilled After U.S. Train Derailment

File Image: A typical Crude Oil train in the United states makes its way south along inalnd waterways. CREDIT: Dagmar Etkin

Canadian National Railway Co said about 20,000 gallons of oil was released following a freight train derailment at Plainfield, the U.S. state of Illinois on Friday, according to a filing with state pollution regulators. The cause of the derailment was unknown, a filing with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency said on Saturday. Local media reports estimated the spill to be 45,000 gallons. The incident occurred when 20 cars of a Canadian National Railway Co freight train, carrying crude for Exxon Mobil Corp to Louisiana…

24 Jan 2017

Iran VLCCs in Europe on First Post-Sanctions Trip

An Iranian oil tanker has called at a European port for the first time since the lifting of sanctions last January, IRNA news agency reported quoting Sirous Kianersi,  managing director of the National Iranian Tankers Company (NITC). Sirous said that the first NITC tanker leased to a major Spanish oil company docked at the Port of Algeciras just recently. More NITC tankers are heading to other European ports, he said, adding two vessels are currently en route to the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the Financial Tribune Daily said that The Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) is launching a new service that will connect Iran to the French port of Le Havre.

10 Aug 2015

Moroccan to Acquire Submarine from Moscow

Moroccan  King Mohammed VI’s upcoming visit to Moscow by the end of 2015 is expected to conclude negotiations to obtain the country’s first submarine from Russia, says a report in World Tribune. Multiple Moroccan and Russian media reports said negotiations about the price tag of the Amur 1650, which kicked off in 2013, are expected to finish. “The forthcoming visit of His Majesty the King has a historical and strategic importance,” said Moroccan ambassador to Russia Abdelkader Lachheb, according to Sputnik. The date of the trip this year has not been announced. “It is designed to give a strong impetus to the development and quality of bilateral relations and to deepen the strategic partnership between Russia and Morocco,” added the Moroccan envoy.

22 Jul 2015

Working Toward a Low Carbon Future

Paul Floren (Photo: GE)

Recently, Pilita Clark, the Environment Correspondent at the Financial Times, wrote a very interesting article about a new report, ‘The New Climate Economy’, which I would highly recommend reading. The New Climate Economy was commissioned in 2013 by the governments of seven countries: Colombia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Norway, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Its reports are completely independent, and this latest one highlights some key recommendations which can help support economic growth while reducing carbon emissions…

11 May 2015

India to Monitor Shipping in South China Sea

As the disputed South China Sea heats up around the world, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) of India has Okayed a plan to virtually keep an eye on shipping in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, reports Tribune News Service. It is an act that is clearly aimed at monitoring the Chinese shipping of oil and gas, without saying so, adds the report. The CCS, which is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a plan to collate shipping information from 24 countries located as far and wide as those on African East Coast that is the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea, where five countries are locked in bitter territorial dispute with China. Beijing is not one of the countries on the 24-country grouping.

27 Apr 2015

Lagos Port Drags on Africa's Top Economy

Ruling party reforms improved Apapa port; shippers still face delays and corruption. The road leading to the Lagos port, which handles nearly everything that Africa's biggest economy imports, is one of the most congested in a megacity whose traffic jams are legendary. Wide enough to accommodate only two lanes on either side, along it move the goods that Africa's top crude producer uses its huge oil receipts to buy -- everything from designer wear to dried fish, champagne and shampoo. The Apapa port is also one of the biggest bottlenecks in an economy throttled by power cuts and institutional dysfunction. Reforms to this behemoth by President Goodluck Jonathan and previous administrations of his People's Democratic Party (PDP) brought huge improvements over the past decade…

10 Mar 2015

Bangladesh Mulls Investments in Shipbuilding

If the Bangladesh government shows more vision and ambition in helping remove constraints on local shipbuilders, investments will pour in, say industry observers. The EU Ambassador in Dhaka has said that the European Union is looking to invest in the Bangladeshi shipbuilding industry. German shipping companies have also expressed interest in buying more vessels from Bangladeshi shipyards. A report in Dhaka Tribune said that Bangladeshi entrepreneurs have invested in improving facilities and developing skills to enhance the nation’s capacity to build modern ships. The country needs such emerging manufacturing sectors to grow in order to help diversify and expand the economy. The government must make more use of the levers it has available to encourage the nation’s shipbuilding industry.

28 Feb 2015

Drowning at Castaway Cay

Police are investigating the apparent drowning of an American cruise ship passenger off at Disney’s private island in the Bahamas - Castaway Cay in the Abacos. The incident happened on Thursday afternoon, and a lot of details are not yet known about the situation. According to reports by the Tribune, on Thursday afternoon, a 38–year-old man from New York man who was a passenger onboard a cruise ship moored at Castaway Cay drowned while swimming. As of now, reports from police are that he is alleged to have drowned while swimming in the area. Disney is known for having trained lifeguards at its private islands, at least for areas where children swim. The Disney Cruise Line has already dealt with a number of situations in 2015, but none ended up being quite as serious as a drowning.

28 Feb 2015

Great Lakes Shipping Worries about Tough Spring

Ice conditions have been causing concern for Great Lakes shipping industry. The satellite images show that the Great Lakes once again almost entirely covered in ice. Duluth News Tribune reports that the ice is causing worry in the Great Lakes shipping industry about the prospects of another difficult spring. According to Glen Nekvasil, vice president of the Lake Carriers' Association, it has been another brutal winter and if it keeps going it will be a challenging resumption to navigation when the vessels get going again in March. A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist opined that ice on the lake at that time was…

08 Oct 2014

Shipping Tribune Conclave Saw Strong Industry Participation

“The Shipping Tribune Conclave 2014” held yesterday at Holiday Inn, Mumbai saw a significantly large participation of stalwarts and operators of the Shipping Industry. Issues which affecting the employment and employability of Indian Seafarers came into focus. Mr. S. Hajara, one of the wll-known names in the shipping industry while delivering the keynote address highlighted the contribution and achievements of Indian seafarers. Capt. Vinay Singh emphasized the need for more quality officers for seniors ranks while also highlighting that the time taken to pass the competency examinations by our officers and engineers at junior level is far more  as compared to officers appearing for examination overseas.

08 Sep 2014

Storms Cut Power to Over 600,000 in Michigan, Illinois

More than 600,000 electric customers in Michigan and Illinois lost power at the height of storms that brought heavy winds and lightning, ripping up trees, downing power lines and leaving at least two people dead, officials said on Saturday. An Illinois woman died Saturday of injuries she sustained when she was struck by a falling tree and a Michigan man was electrocuted after touching a power line, local media said. Molly Glynn, 46, died at NorthShore Evanston Hospital on Saturday, hospital spokeswoman Colette Urban said. She had been brought to the hospital in critical condition on Friday. Glynn was a long-time actress in Chicago, appearing at the Steppenwolf and other theaters mainly, the Chicago Tribune reported.

03 Jan 2014

Oldest Great Lakes Freighter to Operate as a Barge

Photo: Stacey Wescott, Chicago Tribune

November 2013 marked the final voyage of historic freighter St. Marys Challenger, a 1906-built cement carrier regarded as the oldest operational vessel on the Great Lakes. But the ship is now being prepped to enter a new life—as a barge. The 562-foot steamship, which operated for more than 100 years on the Lakes, has already been stripped of its fuel tanks, pilot house and a portion of its deck as part of the conversion process, according to the Chicago Tribune. Port City Steamship Holding, the vessel’s owner hopes the barge will enter work this spring.