Government Update News

Four States deposited their instruments of ratification of the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea, 2010 (2010 HNS Convention), bringing the treaty’s entry into force a step closer. The 2010 HNS Convention aims to ensure adequate, prompt, and effective compensation for those affected by incidents involving hazardous and noxious substances (HNS) carried on seagoing ships. This…

Iran could consider allowing ships to sail freely through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz without risk of attack as part of proposals it has offered in negotiations with the United States, providing a deal is clinched to prevent renewed conflict, a source briefed by Tehran said.The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has resulted in the largest-ever disruption of global oil and gas supplies due to Iran's interruption of traffic through the strait, which handles about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flows.Hundreds of tankers ‌and other ships and 20…

The European Resilience Alliance for Clean Hydrogen & Derivatives (ERA) was officially launched at the European Parliament in Brussels on April 14.ERA is a pan-European, CEO-led initiative uniting leading industrial companies across the clean hydrogen value chain to address Europe's energy challenges, enhance industrial competitiveness, and secure strategic autonomy in the face of rapidly changing geopolitical and industrial pressures.ERA’s founding members include ENAGÁS, FLUXYS…

More than 20 commercial ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing U.S. officials.Reuters could not immediately verify the report.Earlier on Tuesday, the U.S. military's Central Command said no ships have made it past a U.S. naval blockade of Iran's ports and coastal areas, and six merchant ships have followed orders to turn back.U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the U.S.

The U.S. military on Monday detailed the boundaries of its Strait of Hormuz blockade, saying it would extend east to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, while ship-tracking data showed two ships turned around in the strait as the blockade went into effect.In a note to seafarers about the blockade that seeks to take control of the strait away from Iran, the U.S. Central Command said: "Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception…

North Korea conducted another test-fire of strategic cruise missiles and anti-warship missiles on Sunday as part of operational efficiency trials of its destroyer Choe Hyon, state media KCNA said on Tuesday.Leader Kim Jong Un observed the test alongside senior defence officials and naval commanders, the report said.Two strategic cruise missiles and three anti-warship missiles were fired to check the warship's integrated weapons command system, train crews in missile-launch procedures and verify the accuracy and anti-jamming performance of upgraded navigation systems, KCNA said.The cruise missi

Germany's coalition government has agreed fuel price relief for consumers and businesses worth 1.6 billion euros ($1.9 billion), ending a dispute over how to respond to an oil price surge triggered by the Iran war.The energy tax on diesel and petrol will be cut by about 0.17 euros per litre for two months, the conservative CDU party and its centre-left SPD coalition partners said on Monday.The Iran war has caused the biggest disruption to global energy supplies on record, with plans for a U.S.

An intergovernmental agreement (IGA) on a planned $25 billion Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline will be signed this year, the head of Morocco's hydrocarbons and mining agency (ONHYM) said.Agreed a decade ago, the project - known as the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline - would run 6,900 km on a hybrid offshore-onshore route with a maximum capacity of 30 billion cubic metres (bcm), including 15 bcm to supply Morocco and support exports to Europe, ONHYM's Amina Benkhadra told Reuters by email.The pipeline, which has the backing of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has completed its

China urged calm and restraint by all sides on Monday, following U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to blockade the Strait of Hormuz after the failure of weekend talks in Islamabad aimed at ending the Iran war.Before the war, most Iranian oil exports were shipped to China, the top global importer of crude.Keeping the key Strait of Hormuz waterway safe, stable and unimpeded served the interest of the international community, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press conference…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that whatever the pressure, Britain would not be dragged into the Iran war nor be involved in a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz."We're not supporting the blockade," he told BBC Radio 5 Live, adding that it was vital to get the Strait reopened."It is, in my view, vital that we get the Strait open and fully open, and that's where we've put all of our efforts in the last few and we'll continue to do so," Starmer said.Britain had minesweepers in the region…

The European Commission has published the verified EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) emissions data for 2025 showing a -1.3% reduction in ETS emissions, compared to 2024 levels.This reduction continues the steady downward trend of emissions. Since the ETS was launched in 2005, the system has halved emissions in the sectors it covers. It remains on track to achieve the 2030 target of a 62% reduction.For maritime, the reported data so far shows that emissions from the sector fell by around 3%.Emissions from power generation through combustion of fossil fuels continued their downward trend…

A fire involving containers on board the London-registered container vessel Ever Lenient at Singapore’s PSA Pasir Panjang Terminal was extinguished on April 11.Firefighting efforts continued through the night, led by the Singapore Civil Defence Force, with Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore deploying patrol craft to conduct seaward cordon duties and drones to provide aerial surveillance in support of the firefighting operations.PSA Singapore is assisting with the safe discharge of the affected containers as part of follow-up operations. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

A second flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza was due to set sail on Sunday from the Spanish port of Barcelona, aiming to try to break the Israeli blockade.Thirty-nine boats were due to leave the Mediterranean port city, a spokesperson for the flotilla said, and more vessels also laden with medical aid and other supplies are expected to join along the route towards Palestine.Rough seas mean the flotilla will sail to another port then head out to international waters later in the week…

President Donald Trump said on Sunday the U.S. Navy would start blockading the Strait of Hormuz, raising the stakes after marathon talks with Iran failed to reach a deal to end the war, jeopardizing a fragile two-week ceasefire.The U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces would begin implementing the blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports at 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) on Monday.It would be "enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas…

President Donald Trump's administration is likely to extend as soon as Friday a waiver allowing countries to buy some sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.The U.S.

Britain deployed military vessels to prevent any attacks on cables and pipelines by Russian submarines that spent more than a month in and around British waters earlier this year, Defence Minister John Healey said on Thursday.Britain accused Russia of using the distraction of events in the Middle East to try to conduct the covert operation in the High North maritime region, home to key shipping routes and critical infrastructure such as undersea cables.Healey said British forces and allies including Norway tracked and deterred malign activity by the Russian vessels…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday about the need for a plan to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz "as quickly as possible," following a U.S. ceasefire with Iran, Downing Street said.Starmer discussed with Trump the UK's efforts to convene partners to agree to a "viable plan" on restoring freedom of navigation in the waterway."They agreed that now there is a ceasefire in place and agreement to open the Strait, we are at the next stage of finding a resolution…

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is warning maritime employers that failure to meet minimum standards for seafarers’ living and working conditions may result in serious consequences.Employers are required to provide the timely payment of wages, safe accommodation, adequate rest and access to support, in line with their obligations under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).Earlier this week, AMSA boarded the Liberia-flagged vessel BBG Wuzhou when it docked in Newcastle and conducted a comprehensive inspection.

Four people died after a small boat carrying migrants seeking to reach Britain sank in the Channel and a search and rescue operation was underway, French local authorities said on Thursday."A taxi-boat sinking occurred today. The situation is still being assessed and remains subject to change," local French authorities in Calais said in a press statement.In the past year, traffickers have taken to motoring dinghies along stretches of the northern French and Belgian coasts picking migrants up along the shore.

Commodities trader Glencore and Taiwan's state refiner CPC have chartered a tanker each to load Middle Eastern crude for Asia, while vessels in the Gulf are preparing to exit via the Strait of Hormuz, a day after the ceasefire in the U.S.-Iran war.The two-week truce hinges on letting ships pass through the strait, a chokepoint for about 20% of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments brought to a near standstill by the six-week conflict, sharply driving up global energy prices.Asian refiners rely on the Middle East for more than half their supply of crude and naphtha…

China and Russia on Tuesday vetoed a U.N. resolution encouraging states to coordinate efforts to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, calling the measure biased against Iran, while Washington's ambassador to the world body called on "responsible nations" to join the U.S. in securing the waterway.The 15-member Security Council voted 11 in favor of the resolution presented by Bahrain, with two against - China and Russia - and two abstentions.U.S. President Donald…

Rising temperatures and humidity are increasingly compromising cargo integrity during transit, making prevention essential for operational resilience.Climate change is no longer a distant concern for shipping. Across Southeast Asia, rising temperatures and humidity, and more volatile weather patterns are increasingly affecting cargo integrity during transit.The past decade has been the hottest on record, with global temperatures rising by around 1.1ºC since 1880. At sea, this warming is amplified.

A group of Democratic U.S. senators on Tuesday pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on whether enormous tankers that ship liquefied natural gas qualify for a lucrative tax credit meant for smaller boats that burn the fuel.Here are details about the issue.The Alternative Fuel Excise Tax credit, signed by former President George W. Bush in 2005, was meant to decrease oil dependence by subsidizing a transition among smaller motorboats to alternative fuels, such as natural gas…