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☆ Denmark closes major shipping strait over faulty missile launcher
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Caitlin Danaher | Antonia Mortensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Denmark has closed one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes over an activated but malfunctioning missile launcher on a Danish navy ship, the country’s military said Thursday. The Niels Juel ship is stationed in Denmark’s Great Belt strait, the main maritime gateway to the Baltic Sea. “Until the booster is disabled, there is a risk that the missile could launch and fly several kilometers away,” it said. The missile is not in the direction of the Great Belt Bridge. The air space in the area is also currently closed, the military said.

Persons: Niels Juel Organizations: CNN —, Naval Locations: CNN — Denmark, Danish, Baltic

☆ Faulty missile launcher closes busy Danish sea lane
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An activated but faulty missile launcher on a Danish navy vessel triggered a closure of airspace and shipping traffic in the Great Belt strait on Thursday, the Danish armed forces said. Denmark's National Maritime Authority had earlier warned ships not to sail through the Great Belt strait, one of the world's busiest sea lanes and the main maritime access to the Baltic Sea, due to the risk of "falling missile fragments". "The problem occurred during a mandatory test where the missile launcher is activated and cannot be deactivated," the military said in a statement. "Until the missile launcher is deactivated, there is a risk that the missile can fire and fly a few kilometres away," the military added. The warning covered an area some four kilometres (2.5 miles)south of the Great Belt bridge, which crosses the strait.

Persons: Iver Huitfeldt Organizations: Royal Danish Navy, Naval Base, Maritime Authority Locations: Korsoer, Denmark, Danish, Baltic

☆ Captain of Holland America ship wept said cruise passengers when he announced 2 crew members died on board in an 'accidental steam release'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Holland America said that two crew members died on board due to an accidental steam release. The ship's captain "broke down crying" and held a moment of silence for the deceased crew members. AdvertisementCruise company Holland America has said that two unnamed crew members died on board due to "an accidental steam release in an engineering space." She said that the captain "broke down crying" and held a moment of silence for the deceased crew members. Holland America said: "All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this event.

Persons: Holland, —, Laine Doss, We've Organizations: Service, Cruise, Holland America, Business, Nieuw Amsterdam, America, Bahamas Maritime Authority, Dutch Safety, US Coast Guard, Holland, NBC News Locations: Nieuw Amsterdam, The Bahamas, Bahamas, Holland

☆ 2 Holland America crew members die after 'incident' on cruise ship in the Bahamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two crew members on a Holland America cruise ship died during an "incident" in the engineering space. In a statement, the cruise line said it was "deeply saddened" by the incident. AdvertisementTwo crew members aboard a Holland America cruise ship died during an 'incident' in the ship's engineering space. AdvertisementAuthorities were notified and the cause of the deaths is being investigated, the cruise line said. Statistics also show that 97 passengers and crew members died due to cardiac issues, 72 died due to accidentally falling overboard, and 60 died due to jumping overboard.

Persons: —, Holland America Organizations: Bahamas Maritime Authority, Service, Holland America, Nieuw, Holland, Statistics, Princess Cruises, Carnival Corporation Locations: Holland America, Nieuw Amsterdam, Bahamas, Holland, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Sydney

☆ A stranded luxury cruise ship was stuck in Greenland for 3 days. It's finally been pulled free.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The 206 passengers on a luxury cruise ship will be heading home soon. The MV Ocean Explorer ran aground in a isolated part of Greenland on Monday. The name of the Greenland ship was Tarajoq and it belongs to the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, a government agency. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Bahamas-flagged cruise ship has passengers from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States. The others on the MV Ocean Explorer were "safe and healthy," it added.

Persons: Steven Fraser, Fraser Organizations: Ocean Explorer, Greenland, Service, Arctic Command, Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, Aurora Expeditions, Expeditions, Sydney Morning Herald, DR, Danish Maritime Authority, Ships, Command Locations: Greenland, Monday, Wall, Silicon, Copenhagen, Alpefjord, France, Spain, Ittoqqortoormiit, Nuuk, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, United Kingdom, United States, Greenland's, Kirkenes, Arctic Norway, Bergen, Norway

☆ Cruise ship Ocean Explorer runs aground in Greenland
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Zahid Mahmood | James Frater | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A cruise ship carrying 206 passengers and crew has run aground on a remote stretch of Greenland and could potentially be stuck for days waiting for the nearest ship to arrive to help. The Ocean Explorer got into trouble on Monday in Alpefjord, a dramatic and rugged stretch of Northeast Greenland National Park, and has not been able to free itself, according to a statement from Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command (JAC). “As soon as we realized that the Ocean Explorer could not get free on its own, we sent a ship towards the wreck,” Arctic Commander Brian Jensen said. Jensen said the Ocean Explorer could still re-float on a high tide, but failing that, the Knud Rasmussen would assist. According to the statement, the Government of Greenland, the Danish Maritime Authority and the Danish Accident Investigation Board have been informed of the incident.

Persons: ”, Knud Rasmussen, Brian Jensen, “, Jensen, Tamara Hardingham, Gill Organizations: CNN, Arctic Command, Aurora Expeditions, Command, Danish Maritime Authority, Danish Locations: Greenland, Alpefjord, Northeast Greenland, Government

☆ Fire on car carrier ablaze off Dutch coast now less intense
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, July 28 (Reuters) - The fire which has been burning on a car carrier off the Dutch coast has lessened in intensity and salvagers have been able to board the ship to secure stronger tow lines, authorities said on Friday. Smoke rises as a fire broke out on the cargo ship Fremantle Highway, at sea on July 26, 2023. The Dutch coastguard said on its website on Thursday that the cause of the fire was unknown, but an emergency responder is heard in a recording released by Dutch broadcaster RTL saying, "The fire started in the battery of an electric car". An investigation has been launched by the Panama Maritime Authority and the Netherlands is assisting the inquiry, the Dutch Safety Board has said. The 199-metre (653-ft) Fremantle is drifting about 17 km from the northernmost Dutch coast, the coastguard said.

Persons: Miranda Murry, Daniel Leussink, Geert De Clercq, Marine Strauss, Anthony Deutsch, Tassilo Hummel, Philippa Fletcher, Leslie Adler Organizations: Panamanian, Fremantle Highway, Fremantle, Ship, Coastguard, REUTERS, K Line, Kawasaki, Dutch coastguard, RTL, Panama Maritime Authority, Dutch Safety, coastguard, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Coastguard Netherlands, Dutch, Netherlands, Fremantle, Germany, Egypt, Wadden, Denmark

☆ Carrier ablaze off Dutch coast carrying almost 500 electric cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, July 28 (Reuters) - The car carrier burning off the Dutch coast since Tuesday night is carrying nearly 500 electric vehicles, ship charter company "K" Line said on Friday, significantly more than the 25 initially reported by the coastguard. There were 3,783 vehicles on board, including 498 battery electric vehicles, a Tokyo-based spokesperson for K Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha), which had chartered the vessel, said. He declined to say anything about the car brands, including whether or not it included any cars from Japanese manufacturers. An investigation has been launched by the Panama Maritime Authority and the Netherlands is assisting the inquiry, the Dutch Safety Board has said. The 199-metre (653 ft) Fremantle, which is still burning, is drifting about 17 km from the northernmost Dutch coast, the coastguard said.

Persons: Miranda Murry, Daniel Leussink, Marine Strauss, Anthony Deutsch, Tassilo Hummel, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: coastguard, Panamanian, Fremantle Highway, K Line, Kawasaki, RTL, Panama Maritime Authority, Dutch Safety, Fremantle, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, Tokyo, Dutch, Netherlands, Germany, Egypt, Wadden, Denmark

☆ Panama pledges to purge more substandard ships from world's largest registry
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PANAMA CITY, June 27 (Reuters) - The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) said on Tuesday it would continue to clean up its fleet to prevent substandard Panama-flagged ships from being detained in foreign ports, a week after the country was added to an international watch list. Panama's ships registry was last week added to the "grey list" of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), an agreement among 27 countries establishing an international inspection regime for foreign ships in other nations' ports, aiming to control ships' safety and environmental standards. The grey list includes fleets with acceptable compliance levels but low detention rates. Panama has removed 216 vessels from its ships registry, the world's largest, since 2021, for not meeting international standards. Reporting by Elida Moreno; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Stephen CoatesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Elida Moreno, Sarah Morland, Stephen Coates Organizations: PANAMA CITY, Panama Maritime Authority, AMP, Thomson Locations: PANAMA, Panama, Paris

☆ Exclusive: Venezuela's oil tankers at risk of sinking, fires, spills, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Mircely Guanipa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The report by PDVSA's maritime branch, entitled "Critical deficiencies and risks of PDV Marina's tanker fleet," said years of deferred maintenance had left the entire fleet with "low levels of reliability," at risk of spills, sinking, fires, collisions or flooding. The report, dated March 2023, was among eight documents shared with Reuters describing the state of PDVSA's tanker fleet from the oil company's corporate office, trading division and maritime branch, as well as Venezuela's maritime authority. Five of PDVSA's tankers are at least 30 years old, past their recommended lifespan, according to the PDV Marina report. "The tanker fleet is showing a decline in the quality of its operations due to advanced physical deterioration, which implies higher maintenance and repair costs. Planning for sending the tankers to dry docks has been very affected by lack of payment to shipyards and providers," the PDV Marina report said.

☆ Panama gives Canada's First Quantum go-ahead to operate port terminal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PANAMA CITY, March 11 (Reuters) - Panama's Maritime Authority has lifted a suspension on First Quantum Minerals' operations at the port of Punta Rincon, which the Canadian company uses to export copper concentrate from its key Cobre Panama mine, company sources said late on Friday. Two spokespersons for Minera Panama, First Quantum's (FM.TO) Panama unit, told Reuters the suspension dated Jan. 26 had been ended, which was confirmed by a source at the Maritime Authority. The company, which spent weeks at loggerheads with Panama over Cobre Panama, had said that once the suspension ended, it would be able to resume activity at the port quickly. The Panamanian government and First Quantum said on Wednesday they had agreed on the final text for a new contract on the operations of Cobre Panama, which accounts for about 3.5% of the country's gross domestic product. About 60% of the copper concentrate exported through Punta Rincon is destined for factories in China.

☆ Exclusive: First Quantum warns employees that Panama mine may close if dispute is not settled
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Valentine Hilaire | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A long-running contract dispute between the Canadian miner and Panama officials centers on disagreements over tax rates and royalties at the Cobre Panama mine. In the latest twist, Panama's maritime authority last month ordered First Quantum to suspend copper concentrate loading operations at a major port, essentially blocking the company from shipping and selling its copper. The Vancouver-based company said the maritime authority had told it that the suspension was due to the scale it was using not being properly calibrated. "If concentrate is not shipped by next week, these technical frustrations may force Cobre Panama to enter care and maintenance or suspend operations," he said. Panama's maritime authority did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

☆ Shipping containers ablaze at Turkey's Iskenderun Port, operations halted
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Antony Paone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ISKENDERUN, Turkey, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Hundreds of shipping containers were ablaze at Turkey's Iskenderun Port on Tuesday, shutting down operations and forcing freight liners to divert vessels to other ports. Leading global container shipping group AP Moller Maersk said there had been significant damage to logistics and transport infrastructure around the earthquake epicentre, including at the Port of Iskenderun. We are currently planning to divert containers to nearby hubs within operational feasibility or hold at transhipment ports - including Port of Mersin (in Turkey) and Port Said (in Egypt)," it said. [1/3] Smoke rises from burning containers at the port in the earthquake-stricken town of Iskenderun, Turkey, February 7, 2023. German container shipping line Hapag Lloyd said it was taking shipments from Mersin given the closure of Iskenderun.

☆ First Quantum suspends copper concentrate loading at Panamanian port
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 6 (Reuters) - First Quantum Minerals Ltd (FM.TO) said on Monday it has suspended loading operations at a major port in Panama, blocking the Canadian company's path to export from the Cobre Panama copper mine and sending its shares down nearly 8%. The Panama Maritime Authority last month ordered the company's subsidiary Minera Panama to suspend copper concentrate loading at the port until it showed evidence that its scales were calibrated by an accredited company. First Quantum said that its subsidiary initiated the certification process by submitting the required proof to an accredited company on Feb. 3, but has not heard back from the Panama Maritime Authority. The process deviates from Minera Panama's previous approach of providing internationally accepted certifications to the Panama Maritime Authority, the company added. Cobre Panama represented more than half of First Quantum's earnings before interest, tax depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) in 2021.

☆ Iranian currency falls to record low amid isolation and sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DUBAI, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Iran's troubled currency fell to a record low against the U.S. dollar on Saturday amid the country's increasing isolation and possible Europe Union sanctions against Tehran's Revolutionary Guards or some of its members. Ties between the EU and Tehran have deteriorated in recent months as efforts to revive nuclear talks have stalled. The EU is discussing a fourth round of sanctions against Iran and diplomatic sources have said members of the Revolutionary Guards will be added to the bloc's sanctions list next week. But some EU member states want to go further and classify the Guards as a whole as a terrorist organisation. The European Parliament called on Wednesday for the EU to list Iran's Guards as a terrorist group, blaming the powerful force for the repression of protesters and the supply of drones to Russia.

☆ 'Mad Dog' Marcio Freire dies in surfing accident in Nazaré, Portugal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

LISBON — Veteran Brazilian surfer Marcio Freire died on Thursday while practicing tow-in surfing on the giant waves in Nazaré on the central coast of Portugal, the local maritime authority said. Freire was one of the three Brazilian surfers who became known as the “Mad Dogs” after conquering the giant wave “Jaws” in Hawaii. Legend,” posted fellow big wave surfer Nic von Rupp. American Garrett McNamara put Nazaré on the map in 2011 when he set a world record for the biggest wave ever surfed at 78 feet. Brazilian Rodrigo Koxa bettered McNamara’s mark in 2017, also at Nazaré, and German Sebastian Steudtner broke the record again there in 2020, surfing an 86-foot wave.

☆ Four oil tankers to pass Istanbul strait on Monday, maritime authority says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ISTANBUL, Dec 11 (Reuters) - Turkey's maritime authority said on Sunday that four tankers, carrying some 475,000 tonnes of oil, had provided the necessary insurance letters according to regulations and would cross the Istanbul Strait on Dec. 12. A Turkish measure in force since the start of the month has caused shipping delays. It requires vessels to provide proof of insurance covering the duration of their transit through the Bosphorus Strait or when calling at Turkish ports. In a statement, the authority also said it removed five oil tankers from the country's territorial waters via the Dardenelles Strait as they could not provide confirmation letters for their insurance. Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/6] Commercial vessels, including oil tankers, wait at an anchorage in the Black Sea off Kilyos near Istanbul, Turkey, December 9, 2022. A total of 28 oil tankers are in a queue seeking to leave the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits, the Tribeca shipping agency said on Friday. Turkey's maritime authority said it would continue to keep out of its waters oil tankers that lacked appropriate insurance letters. A shipping source said four of the tankers waiting to cross the Dardanelles were scheduled to go on Saturday with tug escorts. Millions of barrels of oil per day move south from Russian ports through Turkey's Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits into the Mediterranean.

☆ Twenty oil tankers wait to cross Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait -shipping agency
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ISTANBUL, Dec 9 (Reuters) - One more tanker took to 20 on Friday the number of vessels waiting in the Black Sea to pass through Istanbul's Bosphorus Strait on the way to the Mediterranean, the Tribeca shipping agency said, amid talks to disperse the build-up. On Thursday, dismissing pressure from abroad over the lengthening queue, Turkey's maritime authority said it would continue to keep out of its waters oil tankers that lacked the appropriate insurance letters, and it needed time for checks. Eight tankers were also waiting for passage through the Dardanelles strait into the Mediterranean, down from nine a day earlier, Tribeca said, making a total of 28 tankers waiting for southbound passage. It requires vessels to provide proof of insurance covering the duration of their transit through the Bosphorus strait, or when calling at Turkish ports. Reporting by Daren Butler and Can Sezer; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ G7 oil price cap not to blame for Turkey tanker queues, EU says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The queues have coincided with the introduction of a plan this week by G7 countries and the European Union to stop insurers from helping to export Russian oil by ship unless it is sold at a capped price, in an attempt to reduce Moscow's oil revenues. "This situation is not due to the G7 oil price cap, since there is, in any case a 45-day wind-down period for seaborne Russian crude oil purchased before 5 December," a European Commission spokesperson told Reuters in emailed comments. The Commission spokesperson said that after this transition period, Turkish authorities can continue to verify the insurance policies of tankers in "exactly the same way as before". "We are therefore in contact with the Turkish authorities to seek clarifications and are working to unblock the situation," the spokesperson said. On Thursday, dismissing pressure from abroad over the lengthening queue, Turkey's maritime authority said it would continue to keep out of its waters oil tankers that lacked the appropriate insurance letters, and it needed time for checks.

☆ Turkey says to continue blocking oil tankers without proper insurance
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

ANKARA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Turkey's maritime authority said on Thursday it would continue to block the passage of oil tankers without appropriate insurance letters, adding that the insurance checks on ships in its waters was a "routine procedure." A Turkish measure in force since the start of the month has caused shipping delays. It requires vessels to provide proof of insurance covering the duration of their transit through the Bosphorus strait or when calling at Turkish ports. Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Can Sezer; Editing by Jonathan SpicerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oil tankers are getting stuck in the Black Sea. That could become a problem
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

A further nine tankers were waiting to cross southbound from the Sea of Marmara through the Dardanelles strait into the Mediterranean. The snag is linked to a Western price cap on Russian oil that came into effect on Monday. Countries including Russia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan use the Turkish straits to get their oil to world oil markets. The traffic jam in the Turkish straits arose following the imposition this week of the price cap on Russian oil. Turkish officials say this position is “unacceptable” and on Thursday reiterated demands for letters from insurers.

☆ Factbox: Why are oil tankers stuck in Turkish waters?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jonathan Saul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

LONDON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Turkey's maritime authority said on Thursday it would continue to block the passage of oil tankers that don't carry appropriate insurance letters, adding that insurance checks on ships in its waters were a "routine procedure". The logjam is creating growing unease in oil and tanker markets and comes as the G7 and European Union introduce a price cap on Russian oil. Millions of barrels of oil per day move south from Russian ports through Turkey's Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits into the Mediterranean. Ships typically have protection & indemnity (P&I) insurance, which covers third party liability claims including environmental damage and injury. Turkish authorities introduced new requirements, which came into effect at the beginning of December, in which every ship must have P&I insurance cover in place for all circumstances when sailing through Turkish waters or when calling at ports.

REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File PhotoHOUSTON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A grounded oil supertanker under U.S. Treasury Department sanctions being refloated in Indonesia is filled with Venezuelan fuel, according to vessel monitoring services. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control last week imposed sanctions on the stranded tanker, Young Yong, for its part in an international oil smuggling network that Washington said supports Hezbollah and Iran's Quds Force. Both tankers had departed between late July and early August carrying fuel oil supplied by Venezuela's state-run oil firm PDVSA, according to internal company documents seen by Reuters and TankerTrackers.com, which confirmed the vessels' identities. The Panama-flagged Eagle Brenda, identified on PDVSA shipping schedules as "Eagle I," also carried some 1 million barrels of Venezuelan fuel oil, the documents showed. The tanker was in Venezuelan waters at least twice since last year, where it loaded Venezuelan crude and fuel for exports, according to PDVSA's schedules and TankerTrackers.com.

☆ The US is supporting efforts to investigate the 'apparent sabotage' of the Nord Stream pipelines, says security advisor Jake Sullivan
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Nidhi Pandurangi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US security advisor is speaking to his Danish counterpart about the "apparent sabotage" of the Nord Stream pipelines. The US is supporting investigation efforts and will continue safeguarding Europe's energy security, he said. "I spoke to my counterpart Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe of Denmark about the apparent sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines," Sullivan tweeted Tuesday night. "The U.S. is supporting efforts to investigate and we will continue our work to safeguard Europe's energy security," he added. The Nord Stream 2 natural-gas pipeline, which runs parallel to Nord Stream 1, has never been operational because Germany shelved the project in February, days before Russia invaded Ukraine.

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