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On April 10, 2025, the 'Multratug 17' was detained in Valletta with nine deficiencies, eight of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Certificate & Doc - Endorsement by flagstate Missing 2) Certificate & Doc - Tonnage certificate Not properly filled 3) Certificate & Doc - International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate Entries missing 4) Certificate & Doc - Ballast Water Management Certificate Missing 5) Certificate & Doc - Cargo Ship Safety Radio (incl exem)' Invalid 6) Safety of navigation - Nautical publications Missing 7) Pollution Prevention - AFS Supporting documentation Missing 8)) Emergency systems - Fire pumps and its pipes Insufficient pressure The tug was released again on April 21 and left the port en route to Tripoli via Marsaxlokk with an ETA as of April 24. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

The "Bremerhaven" will not be repaired. A fire in the engine room of the bucket-chain dredger, which had resulted from a technical damage, severely damaged the vessel on Nov 21, 2024. The fire department was deployed with a large contingent to Neustadt Port on that morning. The cause was a cable fire on a dredger. According to the fire department, 28 vehicles, including several boats, were on site. According to an expert's estimate, the repairs would cost at least €2.5 million. This expenditure is also justified given the age of the vessel, which will be broken up. Photos: https://www.brv-zeitung.de/Nachrichten/Eimerkettenbagger-tt510398.html

Russian missiles struck the port of Odessa on July 23, 2022, violating a deal signed a day earlier to curb grain exports from Black Sea ports and ease global food shortages caused by the war. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strike as blatant "barbarism" and that Moscow could not be trusted to implement the agreement. The Ukrainian military said that the missiles had not caused any significant damage and that preparations were underway to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports. The deal, signed by Moscow and Kyiv on July 22 and brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, has been hailed as a breakthrough after nearly five months of punitive fighting since Russia invaded its neighbor. By allowing grain exports from Black Sea ports, including Odessa, it is seen as crucial in curbing rising global food prices.

One of the fastest growing ports in Brazil, having surpassed the mark of 22 million tons handled in 2021, Pecem Port is the newest regular member of the International Association of Ports (IAPH), a global alliance of 170 ports and 140 organizations related to the port sector. Entity of great international prestige, IAPH was founded in 1955 and currently handles more than 60% of the world's maritime trade and around 80% of the world's container traffic, through its members.

The 'Sea Panther', sailing more than 100 nautical miles south of the Nigerian coast, was boarded on April 21 by four perpetrators. They approached the vessel at high speed in a black-hulled craft and remained aboard for nearly four hours, taking personal property and equipment from the tanker, before fleeing. The captain and crew were well-prepared and followed mitigation recommendations, quickly fleeing to the citadel, where they remained during the incident. The perpetrators may have tried to enter the citadel, or it was a possible attempt at kidnapping because the pirates remained aboard for nearly four hours. The crew was unharmed. The vessel had departed Lomé on April 20 and arrived on April 23 at Douala.

The salvage of the "Bayesian," which was due to start on April 20, has been postponed. The highly complex operation to raise the yach off Porticello is now scheduled to begin on April 27, one week later than planned, due to unfavourable weather conditions. However, the question also arises as to whether the Perini Navi shipyard bears any responsibility for the sinking of the yacht. The salvage operation is scheduled to be completed by mid-May. After being raised, the ship will be brought to the port of Termini Imerese near Palermo, where the public prosecutor's office is also located. The cost of the salvage operation is estimated at around US$30 million and will be covered by an international insurance consortium. On April 19 the Dutch crane vessel 'Hebo Lift 10' (IMO: 8010506) left the Port of Rotterdam. If weather conditions are favourable, it will arrive in Palermo on May 4, after which it will move to Porticello on May 5. Preparatory work on the wreck, including the dismantling of the rigging, is scheduled to begin as early as April 28. The yacht is considered structurally sound, and the 75-meter-high aluminum mast with six rows of spreaders is still firmly in place. The yacht is lying approximately 49 metres below the surface, which is a challenging depth for divers, likely requiring specialist equipmen, such as a saturation diving system. After dismantling the rigging, the hull will first be righted and secured against possible fuel leaks. Once the mast is removed, the divers will drain the fuel on board - approximately 18 tons - and rig the sailing yacht to the 'Hebo Lift 10', which will then perform a controlled lift to remove the 'Bayesian' from the water. Authorities plan for the wreckage to be completely recovered by the end of May. The Bayesian will then be transferred to the port of Termini Imerese, where it will be made available to the judiciary for technical and legal investigations. The salvage operation is considered crucial to determining the causes of the sinking. The Termini Imerese Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating British Captain James Cutfield and two crew members for negligent average and negligent homicide: Chief Engineer Tim Parker Eaton and Deckhand Matthew Griffith, who was on watch on the bridge at the time of the accident. At the same time, the British Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has also launched its own technical investigation, which is currently suspended until the Italian judiciary completes its investigation. Technical experts from both countries will be granted access to the wreck to examine possible structural damage, human error, or technical defects.

A fire at a container depot in the town of Sitakunda about 40 km from Chittagong led to a chemical explosion in containers that killed at least 49 and injured more than 300 people on June 4, 2022. Among those killed in the blast that could be heard several miles away were several firefighters. Dozens of dead were scattered among the burnt-out containers and many of the wounded were in critical condition after the huge explosion in the depot containing about 4,000 containers. Hundreds of firefighters, police and volunteers quickly arrived at the depot as the fire broke out around 6 p.m. LT. The extinguishing work had started when the violent explosion threw parts from containers and people into the air. At least five firefighters were killed and even more injured. Many were still missing on June 5. The container depot serves as a staging post for the goods - primarily clothing - to be exported via Chittagong, and contained millions of dollars worth of clothing that was to be passed on to businesses in Western countries. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLiyBU7RKIc&feature=emb_title

After the previous year’s downturn caused by the corona pandemic, in 2021 the seaborne cargo throughput trend in the Port of Hamburg was more positive than expected. This totalled 128.7 million tons, or nearly two percent more than in the first year of the corona pandemic. At 8.7 million TEU - 20-ft standard containers, container handling was up by 2.2 percent. Rail freight transport reached a record level in 2021. Last year, the Port of Hamburg Railway handled a transport volume of 48.5 million tons, up by four percent. At 2.79 million TEU, an eight percent advance was achieved for containers. “Hamburg is impressively extending it position as the world’s largest rail port. Despite persistent challenges caused by the pandemic and disrupted transport chains, a new record figure was achieved for environment-friendly freight transport by rail,” said Ingo Egloff, Joint CEO of HHM – Port of Hamburg Marketing. Rail growth was powered by additional container train services and growing shipments in the medium-distance segment of up to 300 kilometres. Rail’s modal-split share of container transport in Hamburg has meanwhile reached around 51.5 percent. Transfer of freight shipments to rail there has been exemplary. This frees up roads and conserves the environment. At 46.1 percent, trucking’s share is declining. For container transport to and from the Port of Hamburg, inland waterway shipping attained a share of 2.4 percent. Rapid growth of container shipments along the New Silk Road Supplementing sea transport, a constantly growing number of containers are being transported between China and Hamburg by rail. Hamburg is Germany’s leading point of arrival and departure for seaborne container shipments and container train services on the New Silk Road. “Even if around 20 days are currently needed for rail transport over the 12,000 kilometres between China and Hamburg, the land route via the New Silk Road is faster than a ship by sea. For time-sensitive freight, the container train services therefore provide an attractive alternative for transport between Hamburg and China. Last year, around 160,000 TEU were shifted by rail between Hamburg and more than 25 destinations in China, an impressive 51 percent increase. Various suppliers market a total of more than 290 China train services to and from Hamburg,” explained Axel Mattern, HHM’s Joint CEO. Seaborne cargo throughput in the Port of Hamburg in 2021 In 2021, the worldwide repercussions of the corona pandemic again affected handling and transport trends in Germanys largest universal port. Over the whole year, 128.7 million tons of seaborne cargoes were loaded or discharged at Port of Hamburg terminals, a 1.9 percent increase on the previous year. Both general cargo throughput, up by 1.3 percent at 88.9 million tons, and bulk cargo handling, 3.3 percent higher at 39.8 million tons, contributed. In the container handling segment, 2021 throughput in Hamburg totalled 8.7 million TEU and was 2.2 percent higher. Within the bulk cargo segment, grab cargo throughput at 21.6 million tons was ahead by 11.2 percent. The main contributions there came from coal imports, up 15.9 percent at 5.5 million tons, and those of ore, 10.6 percent higher at 10.5 million tons. In the agribulk area, a total of 6.4 million tons was handled in 2021. The 14.7 percent downturn there is attributable lower throughput of grain. 2021 throughput of liquid cargoes was 1.7 percent up at 11.8 million tons. Higher exports of mineral oil products were primarily responsible for this slight advance, which formed part of the generally very steady development of this segment. “While considering the cargo volumes handled in the port, one also needs to remember that from German production alone, goods to the value of around 116 billion euros are annually exported all over the world through the Port of Hamburg. The Port of Hamburg secures around 607,000 jobs in Germany,” said Egloff. China, the USA and Singapore head the ranking of Hamburg’s Top Ten partner countries for container handling Of the Port of Hamburg’s ten leading partner countries for container handling, no change occurred among the top six. The downturn in seaborne container handling with China recorded in the previous year has been halted. In 2021, a 5.5 percent advance to 2.6 million TEU was achieved. China consolidated its position as Hamburg’s leading trade partner by a wide margin. “We are delighted that with its China Germany Express (CGX), from April Hapag-Lloyd will be linking the Port of Hamburg every week with the Southern Chinese Dachan Bay terminal that forms part of the Port of Shenzhen. This new container liner service will further expand the range of altogether 18 liner services linking Hamburg with Chinese ports and consolidate Hamburg’s position as the leading China port,” says Mattern. Below China in the ranking of Hamburg’s trading partners in container transport come the USA - up 4.5 percent, Singapore - up 0.9 percent, Russia - down three percent, Sweden - up 7.5 percent, and Great Britain - down 9.9 percent. Port of Hamburg’s Top Ten are completed by Poland - up 20.7 percent in seventh place, South Korea - down 0.4 percent in eighth, Denmark up 4.6 percent in ninth, and Brazil up 3.2 percent in tenth place. Completion of fairway adjustment on Lower and Outer Elbe brings advantages Compared to the situation prior to deepening of the fairway, shipping on arrival and departure now profits from an increase in draft - depending on ship’s size – of between one metre and 1.90 metres. Irrespective of the tide, Megamax vessels with a breadth of up to 62.50 metres or a length of 400 metres, can now sail into port with a draft of up to 13.10 metres. Before the adjustment, the limit was only 11.40 metres. Depending on the tide, on leaving the limit is now 14.10 metres. Incoming, a draft of 15.40 metres is now possible. The maximum previously possible was just 13.60 metres. "We would like to thank our customers and partners for their trust in us - the Port of Hamburg during the fairway adjustment project, which has been under way for many years. Since late January this year, we can offer maximum draughts of between 1.00 and 1.90 m - depending on ship size - in both tide-independent and tide-dependent traffic. This helps to strengthen the Port of Hamburg's competitiveness," says Jens Meier, CEO of the Hamburg Port Authority. An additional advantage is the opportunity now secured for readier passing by mega-ships. Along eight kilometres near Wedel, for instance, a ‘passing box’ has been constructed. This makes it possible for vessels with a combined breadth of up to 104 metres to pass each other. The fairway between Wedel and the Stör estuary has also been widened from 300 to 320 metres. Vessels with a combined breadth of less than 92 metres can now safely pass each other there. The Joint CEOs of Port of Hamburg Marketing, Axel Mattern and Ingo Egloff, welcome the now successfully completed fairway adjustment of the Elbe. “For shipping and our port business customers, these simplifications of access to Germany’s largest universal port also offer them the advantage of being able to route more cargo via Hamburg. Last year alone, 221 mega-containerships with slot capacities of between 18,000 and 24,000 TEU called the Port of Hamburg. That was a 16.9 percent increase, underlining the tremendous importance of the now completed fairway adjustment for rapid and secure traffic control on the Elbe. With high-performance transport routes, smart logistics solutions and growing use of low-emission energy sources and technology, we are on the right course for sustainable growth,” said Mattern. On the land side, environment-friendly rail plays the main part in freight transport, connecting inland market regions rapidly and reliably with the port. Prospects for 2022 "The war in Ukraine will have an impact on the throughput development of the Port of Hamburg. However, it is not yet possible to say to what extent the sanctions imposed on Russia will influence cargo handling. A realistic forecast for the current year cannot be made at this point in time because the pandemic could also continue to have an impact on global trade," says Mattern. For 2022, the Port of Hamburg's marketing organisation hopes for an overall stable trend in seaborne cargo handling.

The unloaded 'Invictus', en route from Beira to Fujairah, went adrift in the Indian Ocean after an engine room fire which broke out 508 nautical miles east of Mogadishu on the evening of April 22, 2025. The fire was extinguished on April 23 by noon. The state of the engines was unknown due to engine room flooding.An Indian Navy vessel sailing nearby has provided emergency medical assistance to a Filipino crew member of the 'Invictus', who suffered burns. The naval ship, however, did not medevac the man, and the vessel’s managers were looking for ways to get him off the 'Invictus'. The other crew members remained on board as well. European Union naval forces in the area were monitoring the situation. As of April 3, the tanker was NUC in po. 02° 06' N 053° 33' E.

The police bomb squad was called out to Nedstrand in Rogaland on April 16, 2025, at 6:32 p.m., after a suspicious object was found on the 'Ryfylke'. On the toilet wall was an object that looked like a bomb, a box with a timer and wires. It was connected to a wall socket. The passenger who found it contacted the ferry crew, which checked the object on the wall and then called the police. 20 minutes later the ferry docked. The police then showed up, and the police bomb squad came from Oslo in a helicopter. The police evacuated several residents near the ferry location, among other things. The bomb squad was not ready until late at night. The 12 evacuees were able to return to their homes on April 17 at 03.18 a.m. The object was taken to Haugesund police station and the case will be investigated further. A young man has reportedly been arrested by police on suspicion of setting off the “alarm clock bomb”. The police believed it was placed on the ferry to create fear. He was charged with making serious threats. The person was first questioned as a witness on April 17. The police investigation has led to the man now having the status of a suspect, Repprts with photos: https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/KM9EK7/bombegruppen-paa-vei-mistenkelig-gjenstand-paa-ferge https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/73A7lw/helge-38-hittade-vackarklockebomb-pa-farja?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ2MM5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHiqeUcEL3bRbhMjXhHYsNr03wUY_k3koLC1doY6VJI4hpljBM9nI8RNXeQ51_aem_NsGHNwtsaGwZkiNNXqFFWA

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British unions and politicians were on the other end after the country's largest ferry company - P&O Ferries - on March 17, 2022, fired 800 employees without notice, and put security guards to remove the fired from the ferries. In the morning of March 18, the ferries were still not sailing, and according to announcements from the shipping company on Twitter, they will not do so for the rest of the day. DFDS, which competes with P&O Ferries on the route between Dover and Calais, announced on March 17 that they were largely able to transfer the travelers who are currently unable to sail with P&O Ferries. The unions have called for large demonstrations in Dover, Liverpool and Hull on March 18, while the fired crew members are already taking action on the ferries. It was uncertain whether some of the fired were still on board the ferries. Not only the unions that are furious over the dismissals, but also politicians from both major parties condemned in sharp terms the methods used. P&O Ferries, owned by DP World in the United Arab Emirates, in the morning of March 17 ordered all the company's ferries into port, where the crews had to wait for an important announcement from the company. The announcement took the form of a Zoom meeting, where a representative of the management in a recorded feature announced that 800 employees had been fired with immediate effect and that as a result they would have to leave the ferries immediately. The vacancies will be taken over by foreign employees, subject to other agreements. According to the fired crew members, the new crew members were already present in the ports, where they were waiting in buses. Security guards were also waiting at the port. The guards were tasked with removing the fired employees from the ferries. In addition to the affected ferries on the Dover-Calais route, P&O operates ferry routes from Hull to Rotterdam, Liverpool to Dublin and Cairnryan to Larne in Northern Ireland.