Government & Military News

President Donald Trump dramatically escalated a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean on Friday by deploying the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier group to Latin America, a show of force that far exceeds any past counter-narcotics need and represents Washington’s most muscular move yet in the region.The deployment is part of Trump's military buildup in the Caribbean, which includes eight additional warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 aircraft. It is likely to raise concern in the…

Offshore wind developers and equipment suppliers are bracing for a slowdown in business in France where a political crisis has stalled changes to the country's energy framework and government tenders.The threat of a further hit to France's economy comes after data released on Friday shows business activity declined faster than expected in October.President Emmanuel Macron has churned through six prime ministers in two years as a fractured legislature struggles to agree on a belt-tightening budget.

On March 14, 1975, 22-year-old Californian woman Donna Tobias graduated from the US Navy Second Class Dive School to become the first woman deepsea diver in the Navy.Marking the 50th anniversary of women’s integration into the US Navy Diving community, the Association of Women Navy Divers highlights that over 300 women have now graduated from the Navy’s schools.The society recounts that this happened during a period of immense change brought about by the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment through Congress in 1972. Admiral Elmo R.

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)

The Pakistan navy said on Wednesday it seized narcotics worth about $972 million in the North Arabian Sea in an operation with a Saudi-led task force.The navy's YARMOOK ship, operating under the Saudi-led Combined Task Force of the Combined Maritime Forces, carried out the operation, the navy said in a statement.(Reuters - Reporting by Asif Shahzad)

The Pakistan navy said on Wednesday it seized narcotics worth about $972 million in the North Arabian Sea in an operation with a Saudi-led task force.The navy's YARMOOK ship, operating under the Saudi-led Combined Task Force of the Combined Maritime Forces, carried out the operation, the navy said in a statement.(Reuters - Reporting by Asif Shahzad)

The U.S. military killed five alleged drug smugglers in strikes against two vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday, in an expansion of the Trump administration's use of the armed forces in its counter-narcotics campaign.On Wednesday afternoon, Hegseth said the military attacked a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean and killed two men on Tuesday. It was the first known U.S. military operation in the Pacific since President Donald Trump kicked off a new offensive against the drug trade.Hours later…

The U.S. military killed two alleged drug smugglers in a strike against a vessel in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Wednesday, an attack that expands the Trump administration's use of the military in its counter-narcotics campaign.The strike is the first known U.S. military operation in the Pacific since President Donald Trump started a new military offensive against the drug trade that has led to at least seven strikes in the Caribbean and dramatically raised U.S.

ST Engineering has launched the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN)'s first Victory-class Multi-Role Combat Vessel (MRCV), Victory, at its Benoi Yard.MRCV Victory is the first of six MRCVs to be built by ST Engineering under a detailed design and construction contract awarded by the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in 2023.Measuring 150 metres in length, the MRCV is designed to serve as a “mothership” for unmanned systems, enabling seamless operability across air, surface, and subsurface domains.

The Irish Coast Guard at Valentia Marine Rescue Coordination Center are currently coordinating a rescue operation which is in its final phase 53 nautical miles south west of Dursey head, Co. Cork.Valentia Coast Guard received a MAYDAY just before 6am today from the fishing vessel, 'Radoche Tercero,' which was taking water. The Coast Guard broadcast a MAYDAY relay to all shipping and tasked the Shannon-based Coast Guard helicopter R115, the Coast Guard Fixed wing 120F, Castletownbere lifeboat and Baltimore lifeboat.

BIMCO has initiated the development of a clause specifically addressing the new fees introduced on October 14, 2025 for US-related ships calling at ports in China.The Chinese Ministry of Transport announced on October 10 this year that new “Special Port Fees” would be imposed on ships arriving at Chinese ports if they are US-built or flagged or owned or operated by US entities, subject to certain exceptions. “Our industry is navigating escalating geopolitical uncertainty and trade restrictions.

BY Captain Bobbie Scolley, U.S. Navy (ret.) and Rear Admiral Tim Gallaudet, U.S. Navy (ret.)For more than six decades, spanning from 1905 to the late 1970s, the U.S. Navy’s diving apparatus for deep ocean operations and salvage remained fundamentally unchanged. During this period, the demographic of navy divers also saw little alteration. However, beginning in the mid-1970s and continuing to the present day, a series of developments initiated a gradual transformation in both areas with significant implications for contemporary Navy diving.Donna Tobias…

The Coast Guard announced the deployment of additional forces to the Rio Grande River in eastern Texas, starting on October 9, 2025, to ensure operational control of the border where the President has declared a national emergency. This surge operation – known as Operation River Wall – will bolster ongoing Coast Guard efforts to control, secure and defend approximately 260 miles of the Rio Grande River that makes up the U.S. border there. As part of this mobilization, the Coast Guard is deploying additional response boats…

The Coast Guard announced the deployment of additional forces to the Rio Grande River in eastern Texas, starting on October 9, 2025, to ensure operational control of the border where the President has declared a national emergency. This surge operation – known as Operation River Wall – will bolster ongoing Coast Guard efforts to control, secure and defend approximately 260 miles of the Rio Grande River that makes up the U.S. border there. As part of this mobilization, the Coast Guard is deploying additional response boats, shallow watercraft, command and control assets, and tactical teams in support of national security objectives. The Coast Guard is leading operations, working with U.S. Border Patrol and the Department of War under U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a critical minerals agreement aimed at countering China on Monday at a meeting marked by Trump's jab at Australia's envoy to the United States over past criticism.China loomed large at the first White House summit between Trump and Albanese, with the U.S. president also backing a strategic nuclear-powered submarine deal with Australia to bolster security in the Indo-Pacific.While Trump and Albanese greeted each other warmly, the U.S. president expressed ire about past criticism of him by Australia's U.S.

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has signed a strategic agreement to accelerate the development of autonomous surface units developed by Italian start-up Defcomm, which specializes in unmanned solutions for the maritime sector.The agreement focuses on a co-investment partnership to accelerate the development and industrialization of surface drones designed by Defcomm, which have already passed long run and endurance tests.These drones are designed for surveillance, intelligence…

Bloomberg reports that, ahead of Friday’s vote at the IMO, Andrew Forrest, the billionaire founder and chair of Fortescue Metals Group, decried what he said were “intimidatory tactics” impacting delegates’ ability to vote their conscience.“As a global industrialist and philanthropist, I stand ready to support any country or individual being blackmailed or threatened,” Forrest said in a message to negotiators at the UN. “I am committed to working with others to ensure that justice prevails and bullying tactics do not win out.”Still…

A migrant boat carrying around 35 people sailing from Libya capsized in the central Mediterranean leaving one confirmed dead and two dozen missing, UNICEF country coordinator for Italy said on Sunday.The rescue operation was carried out on Friday off the coast of Italy's Lampedusa Island by the Italian Coast Guard, which saved 11 migrants, including four children travelling alone, and recovered the body of a pregnant woman, UNICEF's Nicola Dell'Arciprete said.The survivors and the body were brought to Lampedusa, while the remaining passengers remain unaccounted for.The boat capsized after two

A migrant boat carrying around 35 people sailing from Libya capsized in the central Mediterranean leaving one confirmed dead and two dozen missing, UNICEF country coordinator for Italy said on Sunday.The rescue operation was carried out on Friday off the coast of Italy's Lampedusa Island by the Italian Coast Guard, which saved 11 migrants, including four children travelling alone, and recovered the body of a pregnant woman, UNICEF's Nicola Dell'Arciprete said.The survivors and the body were brought to Lampedusa, while the remaining passengers remain unaccounted for.The boat capsized after two days at sea, Dell'Arciprete said.In a separate event, on Sunday two migrants were found dead and 14 others were in critical condition when Italian tax police intercepted a boat with 85 people on board

The LPG-laden tanker MV Falcon was on fire and adrift on Saturday off the coast of Yemen, after it reported an explosion that forced members of its crew to abandon the vessel, the European Union's naval force Aspides said in a statement.The cause of the explosion was unclear but most likely an accident, according to initial indications, Aspides said. It added that at least 15% of the Cameroon-flagged vessel was on fire.Due to the risk of further explosions, since the tanker was fully loaded with liquefied petroleum gas…

The European Union's diplomatic arm, the EEAS, is urging member states to back a maritime declaration that would allow EU nations working with flag states to arrange inspections on Russia's "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, an EEAS document shows.Beefing up inspection rights is the latest EU proposal aimed at curbing Russian oil and gas revenue being used by Moscow to finance the Ukraine war. EU foreign ministers are due to meet on Monday to discuss new measures against Russia, among other topics.In early October…

U.S. forces attacked a vessel associated with a Colombian leftist rebel group, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday, the same day President Donald Trump called Colombian President Gustavo Petro an "illegal drug leader" and said payments to the South American nation would cease.Trump's comments marked a new low in relations between Bogota and Washington, which have frayed since Trump returned to office in January and since his administration launched a series of strikes…

The U.S. military is holding two survivors aboard a Navy ship after rescuing them from a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean hit by a U.S. strike that killed two others, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.The disclosure, which has not been previously reported, raises the possibility that the survivors from Thursday's strike are the first prisoners of war in a conflict declared by President Donald Trump against a "narcoterrorist" threat he says is…

Morocco and Russia renewed a deal on Friday allowing Russian ships to fish in Morocco's Atlantic waters, the Moroccan foreign ministry said.The deal was signed by Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Ilya Shestakov, the head of Russia's federal fisheries agency, in Moscow, the ministry said in a statement.Under the four-year deal, Morocco shall determine an annual catch quota for Russian ships, it said.(Reuters)

A majority of countries at the U.N. shipping agency voted on Friday to postpone by a year a decision on a global carbon price on international shipping, after failing to reach consensus on the emissions reduction measure amid U.S. pressure.The delay is a blow to the European Union and other countries including Brazil which have been pushing for the shipping industry to go greener and set out a price mechanism for decarbonisation.Washington and Riyadh, the world's two largest oil producers…

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…

Western powers have ramped up pressure on Russia's oil sales amid its war with Ukraine as U.S. President Donald Trump said India would stop buying and Britain imposed sanctions on top Russian oil firms.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is schedule to meet Trump in Washington on Friday to push for military and energy support at a time when Kyiv and Moscow are escalating the war with attacks on energy infrastructure.Indian officials are also in Washington for trade talks, with the U.S.

Britain targeted Russia's two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, and 44 shadow fleet tankers on Wednesday in what it described as a new bid to tighten energy sanctions and choke off Kremlin revenues.Lukoil and Rosneft were designated under Britain's Russia sanctions laws for what London described as their role in supporting the Russian government. They are subject to an asset freeze, director disqualification, transport restrictions, and a ban on British trust services.The two companies were considered strategically significant to the Kremlin…

Rozema Boat Works, Inc., of Mount Vernon, Washington, was recently awarded a multi-year IDIQ contract by the U.S. Coast Guard for the construction of up to six second-generation Special Purpose Craft – Heavy Weather (SPC-HWX II) vessels. The all-aluminum boats are designed for extreme weather operations and will replace the legacy 52-foot SPC-HWX boats, which were originally commissioned in the 1950s and 1960s and officially retired in 2021.Rozema Boat Works is joined by a strong design and engineering team for this effort.

Britain targeted Russia's two largest oil companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, and 51 shadow fleet tankers on Wednesday in what it described as a new bid to tighten energy sanctions and choke off Kremlin revenues.Lukoil and Rosneft were designated under the Britain’s Russia sanctions laws for what London described as their role in supporting the Russian government. They are subject to an asset freeze, director disqualification, transport restrictions, and a ban on British trust services.The two companies were considered strategically significant to the Kremlin…

China's sanctions against five U.S.-linked affiliates of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean are seen as a warning gesture without immediate impact, and Beijing is unlikely to gain much by expanding them, analysts said on Wednesday.The move, announced on Tuesday when the U.S. and China began charging additional port fees targeting each other's vessels, comes ahead of an expected meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in late October to resolve…

A U.S. strike on a boat off the coast of Venezuela on Tuesday killed six suspected drug traffickers, President Donald Trump said, the latest such operation in recent weeks as the U.S. builds up military forces in the region.The strike is the most recent example of Trump's efforts to use U.S. military power in new, and often legally contentious, ways, from deploying active-duty U.S. troops in Los Angeles to carrying out counter-terrorism strikes against drug trafficking suspects.In a post on Truth Social…

Over the past month, Australian Border Force (ABF) has destroyed seven foreign vessels and detained the crews after they were allegedly caught fishing illegally in waters off northern Australia.Authorities seized a combined total of 1,930kg of sea cucumber, 2,844kg of other catch as well as assorted fishing equipment.All vessels have been destroyed in accordance with Australian law and the crews brought to Darwin for investigation by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority…

Global markets are getting too comfortable with risks like trade wars, geopolitical tensions and yawning government deficits, which, combined with already overpriced assets, increase the chance of a "disorderly" market correction, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.Underscoring the IMF's warning, President Donald Trump's revived threats on Friday to hike tariffs on China stoked investor fears of a major asset price correction. The comments sparked a sell-off in U.S.

China announced sanctions on Tuesday against five U.S.-linked subsidiaries of South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean amid trade tensions between the world's two largest economies, sending the company's shares sharply lower.The move, announced by the Chinese commerce ministry, comes on the day that China and the U.S. implement additional port fees targeting each others' vessels, although China has exempted ships it built.Organisations and individuals within China are prohibited from engaging in any transactions…

The U.S. and China on Tuesday began charging additional port fees on ocean shipping firms that move everything from holiday toys to crude oil, making the high seas a key front in the trade war between the world's two largest economies.A return to an all-out trade war appeared imminent last week, after China announced a major expansion of its rare earths export controls and President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods to triple digits.But after the weekend…

20 leading green fuel producers are calling on IMO delegates to seize a ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to set shipping on a sustainable pathway.At this week’s extraordinary session, leaders will come together in London to discuss the adoption of the IMO’s Net Zero Framework (NZF) that was agreed in April earlier this year. A final vote is expected on Thursday or Friday.The companies, including European Energy, Liquid Wind, ET Fuels, HIF Global and Zero Waste, call on the IMO…

NATO chief Mark Rutte mocked Russia on Monday over the "limping" condition of one of its submarines as Russian authorities denied it had been forced to surface because of technical problems.Russia's Black Sea Fleet said the diesel-powered submarine Novorossiysk had surfaced off France to comply with navigation rules in the English Channel, and rejected reports it had suffered a serious malfunction.But Dutch authorities said at the weekend that the submarine was under tow in the North Sea.

The United States Trade Representative's office said on Friday it would modify certain maritime-related fees for foreign-built vehicle carriers and liquefied natural gas vessels ahead of port fees on China-linked ships slated to go into effect next week.USTR said in a statement that fees on operators of foreign-built vehicle carriers would be $46 per net ton, effective on October 14. That is below a fee of $150 per net ton originally proposed in April, seen by the industry as prohibitive…

The International Maritime Organization will meet this week to formally decide whether to impose a carbon emissions price on global shipping, a move supported by an EU-led bloc including Britain, China and Japan but strongly opposed by the U.S.The IMO struck a preliminary deal to charge the global shipping industry for emissions in April after the U.S. pulled out of associated talks, prompting Washington to threaten "reciprocal measures" against any fees charged on U.S. ships.The…

The Australian Border Force (ABF), Australian Federal Police, Queensland Police Service, and Papua New Guinea (PNG) authorities have successfully completed the latest Joint Cross Border Patrol in the Torres Strait.Running from September 22 to 27, officers visited communities in Daru, Sigabadaru and Ture Ture in PNG, and Saibai and Boigu Islands in the Torres Strait.The joint activity forms part of Australia and PNG's shared mission to protect the border from threats such as drugs and firearms trafficking…

In collaboration with the Government of Greenland and the Government of the Faroe Islands, the Government of Denmark and the parties to the 2024-2033 Defence Agreement have agreed on the Second Agreement on the Arctic and North Atlantic.This second agreement involves a range of defence acquisitions to further strengthen the operational effectiveness of the Danish Armed Forces in the region including two additional Arctic vessels, a maritime patrol aircraft capacity, a new headquarters for Joint Arctic Command…

The Philippines and China accused each other on Sunday of responsibility for a maritime confrontation near disputed islands in the South China Sea, further escalating tensions in the resource-rich waterway.The Philippine Maritime Council, an inter-agency government body, blamed Chinese maritime forces for deploying water cannon and ramming a Filipino vessel near the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, locally known as Pag-asa, "strongly condemning" the incident and vowing to pursue "appropriate diplomatic action".According to Manila's coast guard…

Trade Representative Jamison Greer said on Sunday that the U.S. reached out to China for a phone call following an announcement that it was expanding its rare earths export controls but Beijing deferred, while China accused the U.S. of what it called "double standards.""I can tell you that we were not notified, and quickly, as soon as we found out from public sources, we reached out to the Chinese to have a phone call, and they deferred," Greer told Fox News' "Sunday Briefing," while calling China's move "a power grab."U.S.

The United States on Friday threatened to use visa restrictions and sanctions to retaliate against nations that vote in favor of a plan put forward by a United Nations agency to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from ocean shipping.U.N. member nations are scheduled to vote next week on the International Maritime Organization's Net-Zero Framework proposal to reduce global carbon dioxide gas emissions from the international shipping sector, which handles around 80% of world trade and accounts for close to 3% of global greenhouse gases.Large container carriers…

Vessels owned or operated by U.S. firms and individuals, or those built in the United States or that fly the U.S. flag, will be charged additional port fees per voyage starting on Tuesday, China's transport ministry said.The fees are a countermeasure against upcoming U.S. port fees on Chinese ships, the ministry said on Friday.Also starting on October 14, ships built in China - or operated or owned by Chinese entities - will need to pay a fee at their first port of call in the United States.

Vessels owned or operated by U.S. firms and individuals - or those built in the United States or that fly the U.S. flag - will be charged additional port fees per voyage starting on October 14, China's transport ministry said.The fees are a counter-measure against upcoming U.S. port fees on Chinese ships, the ministry said on Friday.Also starting on October 14, ships built in China - or operated or owned by Chinese entities - will need to pay a fee at their first port of call in the United States.

The U.S. imposed sanctions on about 100 individuals, entities and vessels, including a Chinese independent refinery and terminal, that helped Iran's oil and petrochemicals trade, the administration of President Donald Trump said on Thursday.The Treasury Department sanctioned the Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, which it said is an independent teapot refinery in Shandong Province that has purchased millions of barrels of Iranian oil since 2023.It also sanctioned China-based Rizhao Shihua Crude Oil Terminal, which operates a terminal at Lanshan Port.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb will meet on Thursday at the White House tosign a pact for the U.S. Coast Guard to buy up to four icebreaker ships from Finnish shipyards, the White House and Stubb said.Trump and Stubb have established friendly ties since Trump regained power in January, and the two met in March at the president's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida and played a round of golf."I will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on icebreaker cooperation together with (U.S.

Leading international maritime associations and organisations have reiterated their strong support for the adoption of the “Net-Zero Framework” at the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee next week (October 14-17) by the world’s governments at the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO). The global industry remains committed to working collaboratively with IMO Member States to successfully implement this regulatory package for achieving net zero GHG emissions by or close to 2050…

Nineteen Indonesian nationals pleaded guilty to illegally fishing in Australian waters in five separate cases at Darwin Local Court on September 30.The first four matters arose from incidents where Australian authorities identified, intercepted, and apprehended Indonesian vessels fishing illegally in Northern Territory between September 7 and 11, 2025.ABF seized 1,200 kg of sea cucumbers, more than 2,000 kg of salt used to process and preserve catch and a large quantity of fishing equipment.

Heads of seven shipping associations have called for the IMO to adopt its Net-Zero Framework (NZF) at the crucial vote in October. Anything else would be a major setback for the green transition and risk leaving the industry with a complicated patchwork of regional climate regulations.Next week the 176 members of the IMO will convene in London to formally adopt the historic agreement on binding climate regulation of the shipping industry agreed upon in April.Danish Shipping along with six other shipping associations calls for the adoption of the IMO Net-Zero Framework.

The U.S. is one week away from imposing port fees on certain vessels with links to China, a move expected to cost the top 10 carriers $3.2 billion next year as President Donald Trump seeks to address China's growing dominance on the high seas."While some observers believe the October 14 deadline may be extended - or even scrapped - as part of broader negotiations, the uncertainty has already unsettled carriers, adding another layer of geopolitical risk to fleet deployment strategies…

German defense technology company Helsing has started a process of acquiring Blue Ocean, an Australian-based ocean technology company that designs, develops, and operates autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).The acquisition will integrate Blue Ocean’s hardware and manufacturing capabilities with Helsing’s Artificial Intelligence (AI), integrating Blue Ocean’s team and operations into Helsing, with operations continuing in the UK and Australia.Together, Helsing and Blue Ocean…

A crew member of the Dutch cargo ship that was attacked by Houthis in the Gulf of Aden last week has died of his injuries, the vessel's Amsterdam-based operator Spliethoff said in a statement Monday evening.The company did not release further details about the deceased crew member, but a spokesperson told a Dutch broadcaster they were Filipino.The vessel, Minervagracht, was in international waters in the Gulf of Aden when it was struck by an explosive device that inflicted substantial damage and started a fire on the ship.

The U.S. is one week away from imposing port fees on certain vessels with links to China, a move expected to cost the top 10 carriers $3.2 billion next year as President Donald Trump seeks to address China's growing dominance on the high seas."While some observers believe the October 14 deadline may be extended — or even scrapped — as part of broader negotiations, the uncertainty has already unsettled carriers, adding another layer of geopolitical risk to fleet deployment strategies…

The World Bank said on Tuesday higher tariffs on Indian goods exported to the U.S. would be a drag on South Asia's economic growth rate in 2026, even as it remains shielded in the current year by government spending.The World Bank said growth in South Asia was expected to slow sharply to 5.8% in 2026 from its projection of 6.6% for 2025. Its forecast for the region comprises India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives."For 2026, the forecast has been downgraded…

Canada's merchandise trade deficit widened in August to C$6.32 billion ($4.53 billion), its second highest on record, as exports both to the U.S. and the rest of the world fell, data showed on Tuesday.The August data had been expected to show a more permanent impact of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on Canada, after exports increased earlier in the year to beat the tariffs and then dropped off sharply.Total exports dropped by 3% in August from July while imports increased 0.9%, Statistics Canada said.

U.S. forces hit another vessel allegedly carrying illegal drugs off the coast of Venezuela on Saturday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday, adding that the U.S. would also start looking at drug trafficking occurring on land.Trump made the comment during a speech at Naval Station Norfolk, next to the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. It was not immediately clear if he was referencing a strike announced Friday by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth."In recent weeks, the Navy has supported our mission to blow the cartel terrorists the hell out of the water ...

Sweden is proposing legislation to increase security in the Baltic Sea by expanding its coast guard's ability to conduct maritime surveillance, the Nordic country's defence ministry said on Friday.The Baltic Sea region is on heightened alert following a string of undersea cable and gas pipeline outages in the years following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as well as recent drone sightings and airspace violations."We have not chosen our external situation, but we must deal with the reality we face," Sweden's Minister for Civil Defence Carl-Oskar Bohlin said in a statement.NATO, of which Swe

Russian warships have repeatedly sailed on collision courses, aimed weapons at Danish naval vessels and disrupted navigation systems in Denmark's straits that connect the Baltic Sea to the North Sea, its defence intelligence service said on Friday.Such incidents risk unintended escalation, it said.The Baltic region remains on high alert after incidents involving undersea cables, gas pipeline outages, airspace violations and drone sightings since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine…

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is stepping up efforts to prepare seafarers for shipping’s energy transition, to help ensure personnel are properly trained to work safely on ships using zero or near-zero emission fuels, in line with the IMO's revised strategy to cut greenhouse gas emissions from ships.IMO has issued Generic interim guidelines on training for seafarers on ships using alternative fuels and new technologies (STCW 7/ Circ. 25). The guidelines set out…

Twelve new research projects will strengthen Norway’s ability to prevent and handle serious incidents that threaten life, health, and critical infrastructure.Topics include handling hybrid threats in Norwegian sea areas, early warning systems for critical underwater infrastructure, security management for renewable energy systems, natural hazards, societal vulnerability, and citizen involvement in crisis management.The projects are financed by funds from nine ministries: the Ministry of Justice and Public Security…

China's coast guard held a National Day flag-raising ceremony on a ship in the waters off the disputed Scarborough Shoal, vowing to "stand guard" over the atoll, a major flashpoint for diplomatic flare-ups and maritime clashes with the Philippines.Both countries claim the triangular feature in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, but it is effectively under Beijing's control.

The Netherlands called on the EU on Wednesday to sanction Yemen's Houthis as a terrorist group, after the organisation claimed responsibility for an attack on the Dutch-flagged general cargo ship Minervagracht in the Gulf of Aden.The Iran-aligned group has launched numerous assaults on vessels in the Red Sea since 2023, targeting ships they deem linked to Israel in what they describe as solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war on Gaza."The Houthis have long posed a serious threat to freedom of navigation," the Dutch Foreign Ministry said in a statement.Countries including the United Stat

French military personnel have boarded the oil tanker Boracay, which is suspected of belonging to the so-called shadow fleet involved in the Russian oil trade, French media reported on Wednesday.French authorities have been tight-lipped about the vessel, which is currently at anchor near the western city of Saint Nazaire. The Brest prosecutor said on Tuesday that a probe had been opened after the crew failed to provide proof of the vessel's nationality and failed to comply with orders…

Italy’s Fincantieri has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Aeronautical Service, a small and medium-sized enterprise specializing in aerospace solutions, to advance the use of carbon-based composite materials in naval shipbuilding.The agreement aims to introduce composite technologies across civil and military platforms, reducing reliance on steel and extending Fincantieri’s technological perimeter into high-performance and stealth applications.The companies plan to collaborate on developing a new high-speed Fast Patrol Boat (FPB) vessel…

Israeli forces boarded boats with foreign activists carrying aid to Gaza and took them to an Israeli port, disrupting a protest that had become one of most high-profile symbols of opposition to Israel's blockade of the enclave.A video from the Israeli foreign ministry verified by Reuters showed the most prominent of the flotilla's passengers, Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, sitting on a deck surrounded by soldiers."Several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port…

Australian and Indonesian authorities have jointly patrolled 24,000 square nautical miles of ocean to the north of Australia during a week-long operation to combat illegal maritime activity in the region.The annual joint patrol aims to improve coordination between Australian and Indonesian authorities to deter, detect and respond to illegal maritime activities, including illegal foreign fishing. Six vessels were boarded during the operation.Operation JAWLINE ARAFURA ran from September…

The French Navy said on Tuesday that authorities were investigating a possible infraction by the oil tanker Boracay, a vessel suspected of belonging to the so-called "shadow fleet" involved in the Russian oil trade.The vessel is listed under British and European Union sanctions against Russia. It was detained by Estonian authorities earlier this year for sailing without a valid country flag. Shadow fleet tankers typically have opaque ownership and insurance and are often more than 20 years old.The crude oil tanker left the Russian port of Primorsk on September 20…

The Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht was ablaze and adrift in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, a day after being hit by an explosive device, its operator and the EU maritime mission Aspides said.Yemen's Houthi militants claimed responsibility on Wednesday for the attack, saying it was carried out by a cruise missile.The strike injured two sailors and forced a helicopter evacuation of the ship's 19 crew members, according to the EU maritime mission Aspides and the vessel's operator.Amsterdam…

The owners and managers of the M/V Dali, the ship that destroyed Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, have brought a claim in the Pennsylvania Court against the vessel’s shipbuilder, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. The M/V Dali was completed and delivered by HHI in 2015, so is 10 years old.The owners/managers allege strict products liability for defective design and manufacturing, breach of implied warranties, negligent misrepresentation, negligence and an indemnity and/or a contribution.

On the opening day of the Seafuture trade fair in La Spezia, the National Armaments Directors of Italy and Greece signed a preliminary agreement for the sale to the Hellenic Navy, through Fincantieri, of two naval vessels currently in service with the Italian Navy. The signing took place in the presence, among others, of the Italian Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto, his Greek counterpart, Nikos Dendias, and the Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy, Admiral Enrico Credendino.The agreement represents a significant step in cooperation between Italy and Greece…

Terminal operators in a major oil port in east China's Shandong province are set to introduce measures to ban shadow fleet vessels and curb visits by other old tankers, according to an official notice seen by Reuters and a tanker tracker.The measures, to take effect from November 1, would ban vessels using fake IMO numbers and ships of 31 years or older, which traders said would target what is known as the shadow fleet that transports oil under Western sanctions.Four terminal operators at Huangdao Port last week issued the notice…

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has ordered to extend the country's ban on rice imports beyond 60 days, his office said on Friday, but it did not specify how long the extension would last.Marcos had earlier ordered a 60-day suspension of rice imports starting from September 1 in an effort to protect farmers during the local harvest and keep rice prices in check. The order covers the import of regular milled and well-milled rice and excludes varieties not commonly produced locally."Under the President's directive…

Russia is set to introduce a partial ban on diesel exports until the end of the year to tackle shortages following a spate of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries but traders said they expected the measure to have little impact on fuel flows.Russia's restrictions will only be applied to exporters who do not produce the fuel and whose share of exports is small.Around three-quarters of diesel exports are shipped by producers via the North and South pipelines which lead, respectively, to Baltic and Black Sea ports.

The United Nations is celebrating 80 years this year, and this week’s general assembly is meeting under the theme: Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development, and human rights.The UN Charter was signed on June 26, 1945, and came into force October 24 that year.From its founding, the United Nations has been at the heart of global cooperation. Highlights include:• Universal Declaration of Human Rights – 1948• UN peacekeeping created – 1948• Eradication of smallpox…

The ocean takes center stage on World Maritime Day 2025, as the IMO celebrates how the industry is stepping up action to protect the ocean.This year’s World Maritime Day, observed globally on 25 September, focuses on the sector’s impact on the marine environment, and what it can do to reduce pollution, curb greenhouse gas emissions and prevent biodiversity loss.Secretary-General of the IMO Arsenio Dominguez said: “IMO has, for many decades, worked to strike the right balance to ensure that the shipping industry is not the problem but the solution.

Italy and Spain have deployed naval ships to assist an international aid flotilla that has come under drone attack while trying to deliver aid to Gaza, potentially ratcheting up tensions with Israel, which strongly opposes the initiative.The Global Sumud Flotilla is using about 50 civilian boats to try to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. Many lawyers, parliamentarians and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, are on board.The Italian defence ministry said a frigate that was dispatched on Wednesday…