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Monday, April 6, 2026

Province News

02 Apr 2026

China Inland Waterways Set for Zero-Carbon Push Under New Partnership

(Credit: Wah Kwong NatPower)

Wah Kwong NatPower and Huzhou Wuxing Ruituo Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop zero-carbon inland shipping corridors, focusing on electrification infrastructure across key waterways in China.The partnership will establish a network of electric vessel charging and battery-swapping facilities, integrating energy supply, digital systems and operational services into a unified platform.The initial phase will focus on the Hangzhou–Jiaxing–Huzhou region in Zhejiang province…

31 Mar 2026

Drone Strike on Kuwaiti Oil Tanker off Dubai Signals Further Escalation in Gulf

© Nightman1965 / Adobe Stock

Tehran attacked and set ablaze a fully loaded crude oil tanker off Dubai on Tuesday, despite a threat by President Donald Trump that the U.S. will obliterate Iran's energy plants if it does not agree to a peace deal and open the Strait of Hormuz.Authorities in Dubai said the fire on the Kuwait-flagged Al-Salmi had been brought under control following a drone attack, with no oil leak and no injuries to the crew. Kuwait Petroleum Corp, the ship's owner, said the vessel's hull was damaged.The attack was the latest on merchant vessels in the strait…

24 Mar 2026

China Mapping Ocean Floor Ready for Submarine Warfare

© Grispb / Adobe Stock

China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.In one example, the Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025 sailing back and forth in the seas near Taiwan and the U.S. stronghold of Guam, and around strategic stretches of the Indian Ocean, ship-tracking data reviewed by Reuters shows.

24 Mar 2026

China Maps Ocean Floor as It Builds Submarine Warfare Capability

© Sono Creative / Adobe Stock

China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.In one example, the Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025 sailing back and forth in the seas near Taiwan and the U.S. stronghold of Guam, and around strategic stretches of the Indian Ocean, ship-tracking data reviewed by Reuters shows.

19 Mar 2026

Eastern Pacific Shipping, bound4blue Completes Second eSAIL Retrofit

© bound4blue

bound4blue and Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) have completed the second installation of eSAILs in EPS’ fleet, fitting three 22-meter-high units on MR tanker Pacific Sunstone at New Times Shipbuilding in Jiangsu Province, China. The project marks EPS’ first newbuild installation following a successful retrofit project on Pacific Sentinel.With smaller footprints than other solutions, eSAILs generate lift up to seven times greater than conventional rigid sails of the same size. The units are also non-ATEX…

17 Mar 2026

Cuba Reconnects Electrical Grid, Millions Remain Powerless

© Adobe Stock/bogdanserban

Cuba has reconnected its electrical grid across much of the island, the Energy and Mines Ministry said early on Tuesday, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against the communist-run island, saying he could do anything he wanted with Cuba.Cuba's national electric grid collapsed on Monday, leaving about 10 million people without power amid a U.S.-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the island's already obsolete generation system.Energy officials said they had reconnected the grid from westernmost Pinar del Rio province to Holguin…

10 Mar 2026

Report: COSCO Shipping Suspends Operations at Panama's Balboa Port

© LGAndrade / Adobe Stock

China's COSCO Shipping has suspended operations at Balboa port which is located at the entrance to the Panama Canal, according to local newspaper La Prensa, which published a notice to clients from the shipping and logistics conglomerate.Balboa is one of the two ports at the center of a year-long saga involving Washington, Beijing and the Panamanian government. The move follows a ruling by Panama's Supreme Court in late January that annulled the contract to operate the port held by a unit of Hong Kong's CK Hutchison.APM Terminals…

02 Mar 2026

China Oil Refiners Feel Safe From Iran Conflict Disruption with Crude Stockpile

© Adobe Stock/Alexey Novikov

Refiners in China, the world's top oil importer, have enough supply on hand to weather near-term disruption from the Iran conflict, bolstered by recent record purchases of Iranian and Russian crude and robust government stockpiling, traders said.A prolonged supply disruption could, however, force the country's refiners to curb output and run down commercial stockpiles, some of the traders said.China has around 900 million barrels in strategic inventories, or 78 days' worth of imports…

02 Mar 2026

One Presumed Dead and Five Missing after Tug Sinks off South Africa

© lesniewski / Adobe Stock

One person was presumed dead and five crew members reported missing on Sunday after a tug boat sank off South Africa's southern coast, a multi-agency maritime body said.The tug vessel LEO transmitted a distress message at 1702 GMT on Saturday, reporting uncontrolled water ingress and requesting immediate assistance, South African Search and Rescue (SASAR) said in a statement.The ship sank in the early hours of Sunday, approximately 80 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay in South Africa's Western Cape province."To date, 13 crew members have been accounted for, consisting of 12 survivors, and one

19 Feb 2026

Hanwha Ocean Partners with Ontario Shipyards

Source: Hanwha Ocean

Hanwha Ocean and Ontario Shipyards have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to accelerate the return of large-scale shipbuilding in Ontario and to strengthen Canada's ability to deliver future naval programs.In parallel, Hanwha Ocean, Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College have entered into a Letter of Intent (LoI) to establish an embedded shipbuilding training hub at Ontario Shipyards' Hamilton facility, aligned with the sector's long-term workforce requirements.Together…

19 Feb 2026

Ferries: A Boost to Japan’s Long-Haul Ferry Fleet

MOL's dual-fuel ro/pax Sunflower Pirka has a carbon footprint 35% lower than that of her predecessor.
Image courtesy MOL

Long-distance ferry routes form a key part of Japan’s national transport infrastructure, connecting the archipelago’s four major islands and littoral centers of population, commerce and industry.RoRo passenger (RoPax) ferry fleet renewal and development has been a constant process over the past two decades in particular, driven largely by freight demand in combination with the pursuit of cost efficiencies and in response to new legislative edicts and rising customer expectations.

12 Jan 2026

ABB to Equip BC Ferries’ New Major Vessels

Basic Design Render of New Major Vessels (Credit: BC Ferries)

ABB has secured a contract to supply integrated power, propulsion and control solution for BC Ferries’ four new hybrid-electric major vessels.The New Major Vessels have been designed to minimize emissions and underwater radiated noise (URN), with the goal of contributing to quieter and cleaner operations in the Strait of GeorgiaABB will supply a complete package of power, propulsion and control technology for four new double-ended passenger and car ferries operated by British Columbia Ferry Services (BC Ferries).One of the largest ferry operators in the world…

29 Dec 2025

China Launches Largest-Ever Military Drills Around Taiwan

© Grispb / Adobe Stock

China launched its most extensive war games around Taiwan on Monday to showcase Beijing's ability to cut off the island from outside support in a conflict, testing Taipei's resolve to defend itself and its arsenal of U.S.-made weapons.The Eastern Theatre Command said it had deployed troops, warships, fighter jets and artillery for its "Justice Mission 2025" exercises to encircle the democratically-governed island, conduct live fire and simulated strikes on land and sea targets…

14 Dec 2025

Thailand Considers Blocking Fuel Exports to Cambodia

© PX Media / Adobe Stock

Thailand's military said it was considering blocking fuel exports to Cambodia, as fighting between the two countries spread to coastal areas of a disputed border region two days after U.S. President Donald Trump said the sides had agreed to a new ceasefire.The Southeast Asian neighbours have resorted to arms several times this year since a Cambodian soldier was killed in a May skirmish, reigniting a conflict that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the border.Thai military commanders have been discussing blocking fuel exports to Cambodia…

12 Dec 2025

China Expels Philippine Aircraft, Vessels in South China Sea

© Adobe Stock/Peter Hermes Furian

China said on Friday it had driven away a Philippine aircraft and multiple vessels near disputed atolls in South China Sea, in the latest in a series of confrontations in the strategic waterway in recent years.The Chinese military said it issued strong warnings and "expelled" a Philippine aircraft that "invaded" airspace above the Scarborough Shoal, without giving a date for the incident.China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.

01 Dec 2025

Carney Changes Climate Requirements in Energy Deal with Alberta

© JT Fisherman / Adobe Stock

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney signed an agreement with Alberta's premier on Thursday that rolls back certain climate rules to spur investment in energy production, while encouraging construction of a new oil pipeline to the West Coast.Under the agreement, the federal government will scrap a planned emissions cap on the oil and gas sector and drop rules on clean electricity in exchange for a commitment by Canada's top oil-producing province to strengthen industrial carbon…

21 Nov 2025

Chinese Cruise Ships Avoid Japan Amidst Diplomatic Dispute

© Adobe Stock/Sanga

Chinese cruise operators are scrambling to avoid Japanese ports as Beijing and Tokyo engage in a diplomatic dispute, which is expected to spur demand for tourism in South Korea, according to sources and cruise schedules reviewed by Reuters.Tour and port agents said tensions, sparked by recent remarks from Japan's new prime minister, could cause Chinese tourists to be redirected to South Korea from Japan. Earlier this month, Sanae Takaichi told Japanese lawmakers that a Chinese attack on Taiwan threatening Japan's survival could trigger a military response.Adora Magic City…

20 Nov 2025

Afghanistan Urges India to Scale Trade in Its Territory

© Adobe Stock/DifferR

Afghanistan's Taliban government urged India on Thursday to scale up trade and open cargo hubs in its territory, as it strengthens ties with New Delhi and seeks alternatives to Pakistan after repeated border clashes and closures.During talks, Al-Haj Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban's commerce minister, also asked India to help set up scheduled shipping services to move Afghan goods through the Indian-operated Chabahar Port in Iran, his ministry said.Landlocked Afghanistan has redirected more goods to Iran and Central Asia in recent months after armed clashes shut key crossings with Pakistan.Azizi

09 Nov 2025

Hundreds Missing after Migrant Boat Sinks off Malaysia

© TingDesign / Adobe Stock

A boat carrying members of the Rohingya community from Myanmar has sunk near the Thai-Malaysian border, with hundreds missing, seven dead and 13 rescued, the Malaysian maritime agency said on Sunday.Rescuers were combing an area of 170 square nautical miles near Langkawi Island on Saturday after a boat with 300 people on board left Myanmar's Rakhine state three days earlier, said the maritime agency head for the area Romli Mustafa.Images from the agency showed one survivor covered with a sheet and another on a stretcher.Myanmar's impoverished Rakhine state has suffered years of conflict…

07 Nov 2025

China Commissions First Domestically Built Aircraft Carrier

(Credit: Screenshot/Video by China’s Armed Force)

The commissioning of China's latest aircraft carrier this week marks a new chapter in its military modernisation effort but security analysts and regional diplomats say tough challenges lie ahead before it can be made fully operational.President Xi Jinping attended the commissioning and flag-presenting ceremony of the Fujian in Hainan province on Wednesday, and boarded the vessel for an inspection tour, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.The Fujian is China's third aircraft carrier…

03 Nov 2025

Pakistan Eyes 2026 Launch for First Chinese Submarine

© noraismail / Adobe Stock

The Pakistan Navy expects its first Chinese-designed submarine to enter active service next year, the country's top admiral told Chinese state media, bolstering Beijing's bid to counter regional rival India and project power toward the Middle East.A deal under which Islamabad will take delivery of eight Hangor-class submarines by 2028 is "progressing smoothly," Admiral Naveed Ashraf told the Global Times in an interview published on Sunday, adding the submarines would boost Pakistan's…

02 Nov 2025

The Narrow Waterway at the Heart of U.S. Plans to Choke China’s Navy

© Peter Hermes Furian / Adobe Stock

Marilyn Hubalde still remembers the first time she heard the thunderous chop of military helicopters swooping over this northernmost outpost of the Philippines, less than 90 miles from Taiwan. It was April 2023, when Filipino and American troops descended on the cluster of 10 emerald green islands of Batanes province for amphibious warfare drills.“We were terrified,” the 65-year-old Hubalde recalled. “We thought China might attack when they learned there were military exercises in Batanes.” Hubalde’s helper…

17 Oct 2025

Chinese Sanctions on Hanwha Put $150B South Korea-US Shipbuilding Plan at Risk

© ID_Anuphon / Adobe Stock

China's sanctions on U.S.-linked units of shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean threaten to impact ambitious plans for shipbuilding cooperation between Seoul and Washington by disrupting supplies of Chinese equipment and materials, officials in Seoul said on Friday.Beijing announced the sanctions on Tuesday as the U.S. and China began charging additional port fees on each other's vessels, in the latest exchange in a protracted trade war ahead of a planned meeting of the two countries' leaders.South…