1. IMO Gender Equality Award awarded to Karin Orsel. Maritime entrepreneur recognised for her work to advance gender equality and empower women in the industry
Netherlands shipowner and entrepreneur Ms. Karin Orsel was presented with the International Maritime Organization’s Gender Equality Award by Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez on Friday, 16 May.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/05/27/imo-gender-equality-award-awarded-to-karin-orsel/
2. Sanctions send Russian tanker group Sovcomflot to $393 million net loss. Russia’s leading tanker group Sovcomflot FLOT plunged to a net loss of $393 million in the first quarter, blaming the slump on new Western sanctions that have led to operational problems, lower revenues and some vessels sitting idle.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/05/27/sanctions-send-russian-tanker-group-sovcomflot-to-393-million-net-loss/
3. Panama-flagged vessels must notify authority of ship-to-ship transfers. Panama’s Maritime Authority said it will reinforce controls for ship-to-ship operations by Panama-flagged vessels, following an increase in the use of “dark-fleet” tankers to skirt sanctions or evade environmental requirements.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/05/27/panama-flagged-vessels-must-notify-authority-of-ship-to-ship-transfers/
4. Nor-Shipping 2025 thought leader interview – Øivind Amundsen, CEO, Euronext Oslo Børs. Oslo is the perfect option for smart shipping companies to list and raise cash
With Nor-Shipping 2025 just around the corner, Euronext Oslo Børs CEO Øivind Amundsen shares why Oslo remains the exchange of choice for global shipping companies – thanks to its fast, flexible listings, maritime-savvy investors and a regulatory environment built for efficient capital-raising.
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2025/05/27/nor-shipping-2025-thought-leader-interview-oivind-amundsen-ceo-euronext-oslo-bors/
5. Cido reverses course on VLACs with suezmax newbuild switch. Cido Shipping has had a change of heart on its entry into the very large ammonia carriers (VLACs) segment, choosing instead to pivot back to a more conventional market.
The Hong Kong-based tonnage provider has reportedly converted its previous order at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries for a pair of 88,000 cu m VLACs into two 157,000 dwt suezmax tankers.
https://splash247.com/cido-reverses-course-on-vlacs-with-suezmax-newbuild-switch/
6. CMA CGM signs $600m Vietnam box terminal deal. France’s CMA CGM has penned an agreement with Saigon Newport Corporation (SNP) to develop a new $600m deepwater terminal in Haiphong, northern Vietnam.The deal covers the design, construction, and operation of the Lach Huyen terminals 7 and 8, located in Lach Huyen area in Haiphong. The terminal will have a capacity of 1.9m teu and be put into operation in 2028.
https://splash247.com/cma-cgm-signs-600m-vietnam-box-terminal-deal/
7. Nearly 60 LNG carriers stand idle. The depressed liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier sector sees nearly 60 vessels, according to data from Clarksons Research.In a striking sign of shifting market fundamentals, shipowners—particularly in South Korea—have begun sending older, less efficient LNG carriers to the scrapyards in increasing numbers.
https://splash247.com/nearly-60-lng-carriers-stand-idle/
8. Spotlight on Liftboats: What They Do & The Dangers They Pose. Picture a vessel that can sail to a jobsite, “plant” three or four giant steel legs on the seabed, and then lift its entire hull clear of the waves—creating a steady offshore work platform. That, in a nutshell, is a liftboat. Born in the Gulf of Mexico in the 1950s to serve the offshore oil industry, these agile craft now support everything from well-plugging campaigns off Louisiana to turbine maintenance at the first U.S. offshore wind farms.
https://gcaptain.com/spotlight-on-liftboats-what-they-do-the-dangers-they-pose/
9. China Criticises Plan To Return Darwin Port To Australian Ownership. China’s ambassador to Canberra has criticised the Australian government’s intention to return Darwin Port to local ownership, saying the Chinese company running the strategically located northern port should not be punished.
https://gcaptain.com/china-criticises-plan-to-return-darwin-port-to-australian-ownership/
10. Three Injured in Boiler Explosion on Bulker in New Zealand. Maritime investigators in New Zealand are probing an incident in which three crewmembers were seriously injured after an explosion occurred aboard a bulk carrier at the country’s South Port.
https://maritime-executive.com/article/three-injured-in-boiler-explosion-on-bulker-in-new-zealand