Nordic American Tankers Limited’s vessel the Nordic Passat performed a rescue operation involving 150 people in the Mediterranean last Saturday afternoon, September 27, 2014. The refugees were in a wooden boat with engine trouble, the company said in a release. Nordic Passat was in an area South East of Sicily when it got involved in […]

The Port of Felixstowe has become the first UK port to receive full Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status.The AEO initiative was introduced by the European Commission through the Union Customs Code to help simplify customs procedures and secure international supply chains. Commenting on the accreditation, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Ports (UK) Limited, owners […]

A combined Australian and New Zealand operation conducted 260 km off the coast of Africa has seized more than 5.6 tonnes of cannabis resin, worth an estimated AUD 280 million (USD 245.5m). The five day operation involved the Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Toowoomba and a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion, which was called […]

Around 345 migrants, believed to be Syrian refugees, agreed to disembark from a cruise liner that came to their rescue off the coast of Cyprus after hours of negotiations. Cyprus authorities launched a search and rescue operation off its coast for the 300 people stranded at sea yesterday. According to the rescue party, the operation went smoothly […]

The United States of America has become the 20th nation to join the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP), the U.S. Coast Guard reports in a release. Established in 2006, ReCAAP’s mission is to enhance regional cooperation through information sharing, capacity building and cooperative arrangements in combating piracy and […]

From April 2015, many who are employed or were previously employed within the public sector will find all requests to transfer their pensions denied following the Government’s recent changes in legislation surrounding ‘unfunded schemes’. This means that from April all former members from the NHS, Teachers, Police/Fire Service and Armed Forces, will not get the opportunity […]

New technologies, growing Asian markets, and Western sanctions have the potential to shift the regional balance of Russian oil and natural gas production in the long term, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). “Russia was the world’s largest producer of crude oil in 2013″ EIA data shows that Russia was the world’s largest […]

A total of 11 piracy attacks, comprising eight actual incidents and three attempted incidents were reported in Asia in August 2014, Information Sharing Centre of piracy watchdog ReCAAP said in the latest report. According to the report, the situation of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia continues to improve in August 2014, with […]

The demand for dry bulk shipping and container shipping in China is bound to change according to the slowdown in Chinese industrial production growth. The downturn adds to the existing concerns that China is going through challenging times, as Beijing aims for a soft landing and a transition of the economy, the Baltic and International […]

GMB Scotland commented on the formal acquisition by Jim McColl of the Ferguson Shipbuilders in Port Glasgow, and the announcement that the company will be renamed Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd and will service the oil and gas, marine and renewables sectors.   Last month the Ferguson Shipbuilders called in receivers putting 80 jobs at risk. […]