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Singh News

12 Mar 2024

US Unions ask Biden Administration to Probe Chinese Shipbuilding

© Photocreo Bednarek / Adobe Stock

Five U.S. labor unions on Tuesday filed a petition with the office of U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai requesting a probe into China's alleged unfair policies and practices in the maritime logistics and shipbuilding sectors, the USTR office said.The petition was filed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, a statute aimed at combating trade partners' unfair practices.Trade practices are only one component of strains in U.S.-China relations in recent years. Other contentious issues include Taiwan…

10 Mar 2024

Biden's Pier for Gaza Aid Might Not be Ready for 60 Days

File photo: A temporary floating pier built by U.S. armed forces in South Korea as part of an exercise in 2015 (Photo: Maricris McLane U.S. Army)

U.S. President Joe Biden's plan to build a floating U.S. military port to speed up aid to Gaza could take up to 60 days to become a reality and involve more than 1,000 American troops, the Pentagon said on Friday.The Pentagon offered the timeline a day after Biden announced the initiative in his State of the Union speech, as he seeks to cool anger in his Democratic Party over his staunch support for Israel's offensive in Gaza since Oct. 7.The United Nations has warned that widespread famine in the Gaza Strip is "almost inevitable" without urgent action.

26 Jan 2024

Headway Hosts Low Carbon Solutions Themed Seminar in Singapore

Image courtesy Headway

Headway Technology Group, a leader in green shipping technology, hosted a seminar on January 23, 2024, at Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, Singapore. The event, themed "Innovation for better low carbon solution" drew more than100 delegates, including representatives from Singaporean ship owners, shipyards, designing institutes, and alternative fuel associations. The focus of the seminar was to engage in meaningful discussions on the challenges and opportunities within the realm of low-carbon shipping.In the keynote speech…

21 Jan 2024

US Strikes Another Houthi Anti-Ship Missile

Cmdr. Justin Smith, commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87), addresses the crew over the ship's 1 Main Circuit (1MC) from the bridge while the ship operates in support of Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG) in the Red Sea, Jan. 5, 2023. (Source: US Navy)

U.S. Central Command forces on Saturday struck a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Gulf of Aden and prepared to launch, the U.S. military said, with the latest round of strikes coming hours after the United States struck three other Houthi anti-ship missiles."U.S. forces determined the missile presented a threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region, and subsequently struck and destroyed the missile in self-defense," the U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X.The incident…

19 Jan 2024

US Strikes Three Houthi Anti-Ship Missiles

The guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) launches Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles in response to increased Iranian-backed Houthi malign behavior in the Red Sea Jan. 12, 2024. (Source: US Navy)

U.S. Central Command forces on Friday conducted strikes against three Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the Southern Red Sea and were prepared to launch, the U.S. military said on X, formerly called Twitter."U.S. forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region. U.S. forces subsequently struck and destroyed the missiles in self-defense," the U.S.

18 Jan 2024

US Says Houthis Launch Missiles at Tanker

© aerial-drone / Adobe Stock

Iran-allied Houthi militia launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a U.S.-owned tanker ship on Thursday night that hit the water near the vessel, causing no injuries or damage, U.S. Central Command said.The incident, the latest amid growing tensions in the Red Sea that has disrupted global trade and raised fears of supply bottlenecks, took place at around 9 p.m. Yemen local time (1800 GMT), according to the post on X, formerly Twitter.The Houthis, who control most of Yemen…

18 Jan 2024

USCG Approves ABS Wavesight eLogs for US-flagged Vessels

© IDOL'foto / Adobe Stock

ABS Wavesight on Thursday announced its eLogs software has received formal approval from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) for use by U.S.-flagged ships. The ABS-affiliated software-as-a-service company is now one of three maritime software providers to receive such approval on the basis of the USCG’s guidance under USCG NVIC 01-23."The maritime industry is entering an era of rapid digitalization,” said Gurinder Singh, Director of Solutions Engineering at ABS Wavesight. “We are proud to be at the forefront of that transformation, and the fact that our eLogs software meets all of the U.S.

05 Jan 2024

India Navy Rescues Bulk Carrier Crew After Arabian Sea Hijack Attempt

(Screenshot from a video shared by the Indian Navy on social media)

The Indian Navy on Friday rescued the crew of a merchant vessel after its attempted hijack in the Arabian Sea and said it had not found any pirates on board.An Indian Navy warship intercepted the Liberian-flagged MV Lila Norfolk bulk carrier less than a day after it had received a report that the vessel had been hijacked about 460 nautical miles off Somalia.About five to six armed people boarded the vessel on Thursday, according to a report received by the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency…

26 Dec 2023

Indian Navy to Deploy Guided Missile Destroyers After Strikes Off Its Coast

© Kamchai / Adobe Stock

The Indian Navy will deploy guided missile destroyer ships in the Arabian Sea as a deterrent after an Israel-affiliated merchant vessel was struck off the Indian coast over the weekend.The navy was investigating the nature of the attack on the vessel, MV Chem Pluto, which docked in Mumbai on Monday, and initial reports pointed to a drone attack, a navy statement said."Further forensic and technical analysis will be required to establish the vector of attack, including type and amount of explosive used…

07 Dec 2023

Hornbeck Offshore Discloses Revenue Growth in Its IPO Paperwork

(File photo: Hornbeck Offshore)

Marine transportation services provider Hornbeck Offshore on Thursday made public its paperwork for a stock market listing in New York, which showed its revenue rose in the three months ended September.The listing will test the appetite for another stock flotation at a time when green shoots in the U.S. IPO market have been overshadowed by the poor post-debut performances of some high-profile firms that listed recently.Hornbeck intends to list its shares on the New York Stock…

07 Dec 2023

Saudi Arabia Urges US Restraint as Houthis Attack Ships in Red Sea

File photo: U.S. Navy sailors assigned to amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) participate in a weapons training in the Red Sea, Aug. 11, 2023. (Photo: Riley Gasdia / U.S. Navy)

Saudi Arabia has asked the United States to show restraint in responding to attacks by Yemen's Houthis against ships in the Red Sea, two sources familiar with Saudi thinking said, as Riyadh seeks to contain spillover from the Hamas-Israel war.The Iran-aligned Houthis have waded into the conflict that has spread around the Middle East since war erupted on Oct. 7, attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles at Israel itself.The group which rules much…

08 Nov 2023

Varamar, COSCO Shipping Enter Strategic Commercial Partnership

Credit: Varamar

Varamar DMCC has entered into a strategic commercial partnership with ASL Shipping & Logistics Pvt Ltd, a COSCO Shipping Group company,  with the aim of helping both companies to strengthen their respective trades.Varamar, a liner and tramp carrier that specializes in breakbulk, dry-bulk, oversized, and containerized cargo, has historically focused on trade lanes connecting Europe with the Middle East, Asia, and the Far East, while also trading to Africa and the Americas. The recent expansion of Varamar to 10 international branches…

06 Oct 2023

U.S. Interior Secretary Deputy Beaudreau Bids Farewell

Tommy Beaudreau - Credit: DOI

U.S. Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau is stepping down from his role at the end of October, the Interior Department said in a statement on Wednesday, without giving a reason for his departure or saying how the vacancy would be filled.The Washington Post reported earlier Beaudreau was leaving after two years in the number two spot and a total of 10 years at the agency to spend more time with family.Earlier this year, Beaudreau signed the final approval for a scaled-back version of ConocoPhillips' (COP.N) $7 billion Willow project to drill for oil and gas in Alaska…

27 Sep 2023

Anglo-Eastern Completes 100th Starlink Maritime Installation

Source: Anglo-Eastern

Anglo-Eastern completed the 100th installation of Starlink within its managed fleet last week, mere months after announcing its commitment to the service. The global ship manager has seen an overwhelmingly positive response in respect of both operations and crew wellbeing.Torbjorn Dimblad, Chief Information Officer of Anglo-Eastern, expressed his satisfaction, saying “We now have Starlink-equipped vessels operating in every corner of the world and we are delighted with the service.

26 Sep 2023

Mideast-Asia Oil Shipping Rates Rebound, Capped by OPEC+ Supply Cuts

Credit: Carabay/AdobeStock

The cost of chartering a supertanker to load Middle Eastern crude oil for Asia has rebounded from a 19-month low in September, but industry sources expect output supply cuts, led by Saudi Arabia, to cap freight rates for the rest of the year.The world's benchmark very large crude carrier (VLCC) export route from the Middle East Gulf (MEG) to Japan, known as TD3, rose to W50.46 on Monday in the Worldscale measure of freight rates, LSEG data showed. It fell to W35.60 in September…

22 Aug 2023

Shippers Bet on Green Methanol to Cut Emissions, Supply Lags

CMA CGM is among the shiping companies investing in methanol powered ships (© Kara / Adobe Stock)

Container shippers are ordering vessels powered by methanol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it will take years for renewable methanol output to meet demand and for costs to fall, industry executives said.The first green methanol-fuelled container ship, owned by A.P. Moller-Maersk, sailed from South Korea in July. The number of such vessels is expected to exceed 200 by 2028, up from 30 this year, consultancy DNV forecasts.Container giants such as A.P. Moller-Maersk, CMA CGM and XpressFeeders dominate the order books.

04 Aug 2023

Two US Navy Sailors Arrested for Sharing Military Secrets with China

File photo: U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Essex (Photo: Mark Alvarez / U.S. Navy)

Two U.S. Navy sailors have been arrested on charges of handing over sensitive national security material to China, U.S. officials said Thursday.Petty Officer Wenheng Zhao, 26, was charged with conspiracy and bribetaking in connection with taking nearly $15,000 in exchange for photographs and videos of sensitive U.S. military information, the officials said. U.S. Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, whose age was not disclosed, was charged with conspiring to send national defense information…

19 Jul 2023

Canada's Pacific Dock Workers Ordered by Labor Watchdog to End Strike

© Volodymyr Kyrylyuk / Adobe Stock

The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), a federal watchdog, ruled on Wednesday that the Pacific coast dock workers' strike must end because their union did not provide the required 72-hour notice before the walkout."This strike is illegal," Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan said on Twitter after the ruling.

13 Jul 2023

UN Asks Putin to Extend Black Sea Grain Deal in Return for SWIFT Access

© Elena / Adobe Stock

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has proposed to Russian President Vladimir Putin that he extend a deal allowing the safe Black Sea export of grain from Ukraine in return for connecting a subsidiary of Russia's agricultural bank to the SWIFT international payment system, sources told Reuters.Russia has threatened to ditch the grain deal, which expires on Monday, because several demands to dispatch its own grain and fertilizer abroad have not been met. The last two ships…

11 Jul 2023

World's Top Fertilizer Maker Cuts Output as Canada Port Strike Drags On

© Anh / Adobe Stock

The world's biggest fertilizer producer Nutrien Ltd cut production on Tuesday, citing the impact of an 11-day-old strike in Canada's Pacific ports whose cost has now ballooned to an estimated C$5.5 billion ($4.2 billion).Some 7,500 dock workers represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) walked off on July 1 after failing to agree a new wage deal with the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA).The union says the BCMEA is refusing to give a fair pay increase despite making billions of dollars in profits in recent years.

21 Jun 2023

Search for Missing Titanic Sub Focuses on Area Where Sounds Detected

(File photo: OceanGate Expeditions)

Rescuers searching for a missing submersible near the wreck of the Titanic on Wednesday concentrated their efforts on a remote area of the North Atlantic where a series of undersea noises have been detected, though officials cautioned the sounds may not have originated from the vessel.With estimates suggesting the air supply on board the submersible could run out by Thursday morning, an international coalition of rescue teams has swept a vast expanse of the ocean for signs of the Titan…

27 Jun 2023

Canadian Safety Regulators Open Probe into Fatal Loss of Titan Submersible

File photo: OceanGate Expeditions

Canadian safety officials on Friday opened an investigation into the undersea implosion of a tourist submersible that killed all five people aboard while diving to the century-old wreck of the Titanic, raising questions about the unregulated nature of such expeditions.A debris field from the submersible Titan was found at the bottom of the North Atlantic on Thursday by a robotic diving vehicle deployed from a Canadian search vessel, ending an intense five-day international rescue effort.Fragments of Titan…

10 Jul 2023

Deep-sea Mining: A New Gold Rush or Environmental Disaster?

Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration

In the depths of the Pacific Ocean between Mexico and Hawaii, trillions of potato-shaped rocks are scattered across the seabed - containing minerals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese vital for new green technologies in the global energy transition.In this ocean region - the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) - an abundance of the rocks, known as polymetallic nodules, is increasingly fuelling debate about the mining of metals needed to produce technology such as batteries for electric…