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Monday, December 8, 2025

Liberia News

03 Dec 2025

Houthis Release Eternity C Crew

Credit: X/ Armée française - Opérations militaires

The crew of the Greek-operated cargo ship Eternity C, which sank in the Red Sea in July after being attacked by Yemen's Houthis, have been released, an official with the ship's operator and a maritime security source told Reuters on Wednesday.The crew of the Liberia-flagged Eternity C abandoned the ship before it sank following repeated strikes by the Iran-aligned militants with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades.Rescuers pulled crew members alive from the Red Sea and Houthis later said they were holding a group of the seafarers…

30 Nov 2025

2026-2027 IMO Council Elected

Source: IMO

The IMO Assembly has elected the following Member States to serve on three categories of the IMO Council.The UK successfully campaigned to keep Russia off the Council by working closely with international partners and lobbying other Assembly Members. This underscores the international community’s unified and resolute stance against Russia’s continued violations of international law, including at sea, said the UK Department of Transport in a statement.Category (a): 10 States with the largest interest in providing international shipping services: China…

20 Nov 2025

Ivory Coast Cocoa Harvest Declines Sharply for Third Consecutive Year

© Adobe Stock/S. Leitenberger

Ivory Coast, the world's biggest cocoa producer, has sold 1.3 million tons of cocoa contracts for the 2025/26 October to March main crop, down from 1.4 million tons last year, amid concerns over declining harvests and production, two Coffee and Cocoa Council (CCC) sources told Reuters on Thursday.Despite what they said would be an expected 30% year-on-year drop in cocoa bean arrivals at the country's two main ports between January and March 2026, the CCC sources said no risk of…

23 Oct 2025

Sweden Boards Suspected Pollution Vessel in the Baltic Sea

Credit: Adobe Stock/Anna

The Swedish coast guard on Thursday boarded a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier suspected of dumping waste in the Baltic Sea, Sweden's civil defence minister said."This is a clear example of how the coast guard conducts active maritime surveillance to combat environmental crimes," Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said in a post on X, without naming the vessel.(Reuters)

14 Oct 2025

IMO Secretary-General Opens 2nd Session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee

© IMO

Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez delivered opening remarks at IMO headquarters in London, as the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meets to discuss the adoption of global regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping (October 14-17).Full text below of the speech delivered on Tuesday, October 14, 2025:"Good morning distinguished delegates, welcome to this second Extra-ordinary session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee. You are all well aware of the special importance of this week to the work of IMO.

08 Sep 2025

Lloyd’s Register Clears MOL’s Design for Wind Challenger-Equipped LNG Carriers

(Credit: MOL)

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has secured approval in principle (AiP) from a Lloyd's Register (LR) for two new different designs of a membrane-type LNG carrier equipped with four units of Wind Challenger, a hard sail wind assisted propulsion system.The AiP covers a new vessel design, for a 174,000 m3 LNG carrier, jointly developed by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI).Each design will be equipped with four Wind Challenger units.Detailed design work for actual construction is currently underway.

03 Sep 2025

U.S. Coast Guard Responds to Chinese Research Vessels in the Arctic

Source: US Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard responded to two Chinese research ships operating offshore Alaska between Sunday and Tuesday. In both instances, the Coast Guard Arctic District deployed USCGC Healy (WAGB-20) to monitor and query the vessels.An HC-130J Hercules fixed wing aircraft from Air Station Kodiak was also deployed Sunday to provide aerial support.On Tuesday, the Chinese-flagged research vessel JIDI was operating approximately 265 miles northwest of Utqiagvik, Alaska.On Sunday, August 31…

02 Sep 2025

US Sanctions Shipping Network for Transporting Disguised Iranian oil

© Adobe Stock/Photocreo Bednarek

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday sanctioned a network of shipping companies and vessels led by an Iraqi-Kittitian businessman for smuggling Iranian oil disguised as Iraqi oil.The administration of President Donald Trump is keeping pressure on Iran while nuclear talks have stalled. A sixth round of negotiations was suspended after the start of a 12-day war in June.A senior Iranian official said on Tuesday that the path to nuclear negotiations is not closed but U.S. demands for curbs on Iranian missiles are obstructing prospects for talks.The Treasury said the network…

01 Sep 2025

Houthis Claim Responsibility for Attack on Israeli-Linked Tanker

file photo: © Faraways / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Houthis said on Monday they launched a missile towards the Israeli-owned tanker Scarlet Ray near Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port city of Yanbu in a rare attack off the Saudi coast.The Liberia-flagged vessel's Singapore-based manager, Eastern Pacific Shipping, owned by Israeli magnate Idan Ofer, said the chemical tanker was undamaged and under the command of its captain."We are aware of security reports alleging that our managed vessel Scarlet Ray was the target of a suspected Houthi attack…

31 Aug 2025

Israeli-Owned Tanker Reports Nearby Explosion

© lesniewski / Adobe Stock

British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Sunday that a Liberia-flagged Israeli-owned tanker reported an explosion nearby, southwest of Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port city of Yanbu.A vessel reported "a splash in close proximity from an unknown projectile and heard a loud bang", the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, adding that the vessel's crew were all safe and it was continuing to its next voyage.In a later update, Ambrey said it assessed the vessel to be "aligned with" the targets of Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis' profile given that it was publicly Israeli-owned.Since 2

26 Aug 2025

Seattle: Container Ship Captain Arrested After Sobriety Test

© enanuchit / Adobe Stock

The US Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) has arrested the captain of the 8,814-TEU container ship MSC Jubilee IX for suspicion of operating the vessel while intoxicated following a boarding at Terminal 5 in Seattle, August 20.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound were notified by a Puget Sound Pilot aboard the MSC Jubilee IX, who reported the vessel’s captain was exhibiting signs of intoxication. The pilot and first mate operated the vessel during the transit from an anchorage near Everett…

18 Aug 2025

Baltimore: Bulk Carrier Afloat After Explosion

Source: Baltimore County Police

The US Coast Guard and local partners are responding to an explosion aboard the 751-foot Liberia-flagged bulk carrier W-Sapphire in Baltimore Harbor.Responders from Coast Guard Sector Maryland - National Capital Region were dispatched to the area to assist. No injuries have been reported, and the cause of the explosion is under investigation.The vessel remains afloat and is being assisted by tug boats.The Coast Guard has established a 2,000-yard safety zone around the incident location…

18 Aug 2025

Fire Aboard Maersk Vessel is Contained

© MagioreStockStudio - stock.adobe.com

Danish shipping company Maersk said on Monday that a fire that broke out onboard the vessel Marie Maersk off Liberia on Wednesday last week had stopped spreading, and that firefighting efforts would be intensified further."Over the weekend, the crew's ongoing firefighting has stopped the fire onboard from spreading further," Maersk said in an emailed statement."We expect firefighting efforts to intensify further once the external firefighters can board Marie Maersk and bring further relief to the Marie Maersk crew…

18 Aug 2025

Maersk Contains Fire Onboard Marie Maersk Vessel off Liberia

Danish shipping company Maersk MAERSKb.CO said on Monday that a fire that broke out onboard the vessel Marie Maersk off Liberia on Wednesday last week had stopped spreading, and that firefighting efforts had intensified.(Reuters)

14 Aug 2025

Fire breaks out onboard Maersk Containership

Copyright olrat/AdobeStock

A fire broke out onboard a Maersk container vessel off the coast of Liberia on Wednesday and the crew was still battling to put out the flames a day later, the Danish shipping group said on Thursday."The crew of the Marie Maersk detected smoke coming from containers onboard the vessel en route from Rotterdam, The Netherlands to Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia," Maersk said.The crew was safe while it attempted to keep the situation under control. Two tugboats with firefighting equipment reached the ship late on Wednesday, Maersk said.(Reuters)

28 Jul 2025

Houthis Hold 10 Crew From Attacked Eternity C Vessel

© Credit: Screenshot/Video by Yemeni Armed Forces

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday they had rescued 10 seafarers from the Greek-operated cargo ship Eternity C which they attacked and sank in the Red Sea earlier this month.The Liberia-flagged Eternity C was the second ship to sink off Yemen this month after repeated attacks by Houthi militants with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades. Another Greek-operated vessel, the Magic Seas, had gone down days earlier.The strikes on the two vessels marked a revival of attacks on shipping by the Houthis…

14 Jul 2025

Rescued Crew of Eternity C taken to Saudi Arabia

© Credit: Screenshot/Video by Yemeni Armed Forces

Ten mariners rescued after Houthi militants sank a Greek ship last week have arrived in Saudi Arabia, maritime security sources said on Monday, after rescuers ended their search for the remaining crew.The rescue mission began on Wednesday when the Iran-aligned group sank the Liberia-flagged Eternity C cargo ship, with 22 crew and three armed guards on board, after attacking the vessel with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades over two consecutive days.Eight crew members and two security guards were rescued.

13 Jul 2025

Search Called Off for Crew Missing from Eternity C

Source: social media

Maritime agencies Diaplous and Ambrey said on Sunday they had ended their search for the remaining crew of the Eternity C cargo ship that was attacked by Yemen's Houthi militants last week.The decision was made at the request of the vessel's owner, both agencies said.The Liberia-flagged, Greek-operated Eternity C sank on Wednesday morning following attacks over two consecutive days, according to sources at security companies involved in the rescue operation.Ten of the ship's complement of 22 crew and three guards were rescued.

10 Jul 2025

Six Crew Saved, 15 Remain Missing After Eternity C Cargo Ship Sinks in Red Sea

(Credit: Screenshot/Video by Yemeni Armed Forces)

Rescuers pulled six crew members alive from the Red Sea after Houthi militants attacked and sank a second ship this week, while the fate of another 15 was unknown after the Iran-aligned group said they held some of the seafarers.The Houthis claimed responsibility for the assault that maritime officials say killed four of the 25 people aboard the Eternity C before the rest abandoned the cargo ship. Eternity C went down Wednesday morning after attacks on two previous days, sources…

09 Jul 2025

Four Dead, 15 Missing After Houthi Attack on the Eternity C

Illustration © Alex Stemmer / Adobe Stock

Rescuers pulled six crew members alive from the Red Sea on Wednesday and 15 were still missing from the second of two ships sunk in recent days in attacks claimed by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militia after months of calm.Four of the 25 people aboard the Eternity C cargo ship were killed before the rest of the crew abandoned the vessel, which sank on Wednesday morning after being attacked on Monday and Tuesday, sources at security companies involved in a rescue operation said.The six seafarers who were rescued had spent more than 24 hours in the water…

08 Jul 2025

Red Sea: Four Dead, Two Wounded in Latest Houthi Attack on Greek Bulk Carrier

Illustration © Alex Stemmer / Adobe Stock

Four seafarers on the Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier Eternity C were killed in a drone and speedboat attack off Yemen, an official with knowledge of the issue said on Tuesday, the second incident in a day after months of calm.The Red Sea, which passes Yemen's coast, has long been a critical waterway for the world's oil and commodities but traffic has dropped since the Iran-aligned Houthi militia began targeting ships in November 2023 in what they said was solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.The deaths on the Eternity C…

08 Jul 2025

Two Crew Injured, Two Missing From Liberian-Flagged Vessel

© Adobe Stock/FER737NG

Two crew were injured and two others missing on a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier that was attacked with skiffs and drones 49 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Red Sea port of Hodeidah, British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Monday.Ambrey said the vessel’s engines had reportedly been disabled and it had started to drift.

03 Jul 2025

Ship Design, Maritime Accidents and There’s a Master on the Run

Source: SMAIC

There’s a master on the run right now.It was 4am, about 10 years ago. Two crewmembers died, 15 others were hospitalized. The master didn’t receive prior notification of the cargo fumigation that occurred, yet it is the master who is being held accountable.Captain Kuba Szymanski, Secretary General of InterManager, recounts the story as he explains why he is pleased about some of the outcomes of MSC 100 but feels more work still needs to be done.“Very often people onboard a ship do not have enough information.