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The 'Aita Mari' rescued 125 boat people in the waters of the Central Mediterranean on April 13, 2025. It was the second rescue carried out by the NGO Salvamento Marítimo Humanitario (SMH), which disembarked 108 people in Salerno on April 14. Among the rescued were 19 minors, 16 of them unaccompanied, and two under 12 years old. There were also two pregnant women. The migrants came from Eritrea, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Sudan, Egypt, Togo, Nigeria, Guinea-Bissau, Cameroon, Benin, Ghana, and Niger. After disembarking the 108 people rescued four days earlier in Salerno, the 'Aita Mari' resumed its mission in the Central Mediterranean. Alarm Phone then mobilized the humanitarian ship to respond to the critical situation of a rubber dinghy with a broken bottom and 84 people on board, in grave danger as it took on water. After two hours of unsuccessful notifications to the authorities, the 'Aita Mari' located the rubber dinghy, whose position had previously been overflown by a Frontex aircraft. During the rescue operation, a second wooden boat with 45 people on board appeared in the area. While the 41 people were being transferred from this second boat to the 'Aita Mari', the remaining four started their engines and left the scene. The Italian authorities have designated the port of Catania for the disembarkation, scheduled for the early afternoon of April 14. However, current weather conditions, with wind gusts of 30 knots and a forecast of waves of 1.5 to 2 meters, predicedt a difficult journey for those on board. On morning, while the 'Aita Mari' was searching for another rubber dinghy, a Libyan Coast Guard patrol boat, identified as 648, approached at high speed. Libyan crew members pointed an automatic weapon at the 'Aita Mari' while shouting 'Go home!'" A few minutes later, the Aita Mari crew witnessed the interception of a rubber dinghy. The people on board will most likely be held in Libyan detention centers without guarantees of protection for their rights and physical integrity, as consistently reported by those who have survived such centers. Report with photo: https://www.naiz.eus/eu/info/noticia/20250413/aita-mari-rescata-a-125-personas-en-el-mediterraneo-segundo-salvamento-en-siete-dias

On April 11, 2025, the 'Jos-Deschênes II', sailing between Tadoussac and Baie-Sainte-Catherine, suffered technical issues which required to be inspected. Only after this inspection will the STQ know if repairs are required and how extensive they will be. "An alarm had sounded in the engine room, The crew noticed an accumulation of water in a compartment of the vessel that is supposed to be watertight.The Société des Traversiers (STQ) announced that the crossings have been canceled until further notice The inspection had to be carried out in an enclosed space, which required the vessel to be stopped. After informing the regulatory authorities, Transport Canada ordered an inspection of the 'Jos-Deschênes II'.

The joint venture of Kition Ocean Holdings has submitted its proposal for the development of the existing Larnaca port and marina. After lengthy negotiations with the government, the Cypriot and Israeli joint venture of Kition Ocean Holdings submitted an updated proposal for the far-reaching utilisation and development of the Larnaca port and marina, it said. The company proposes the ultramodern upgrading and expansion of Larnaca port in order to become a pole of attraction for new companies operating in the fields of commercial cruises, transport and energy.

International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) recently took delivery of another new quay crane (QC) and eight new hybrid rubber-tired gantries (RTGs) for its flagship Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), establishing the terminal as having the largest fleet of modern container-handling equipment in the Philippines with 18 QCs and 58 RTGs. Manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. (ZPMC), the QC is part of the five from ICTSI’s 2018 USD80-million capacity improvement program package. With a reach of up to 16 rows across twin, the new QC can service the largest feeder vessels calling the Philippines. It will be deployed at Berth 3.

On the morning of April 12, 2025, the MRCC in Uruguay received a call from the 'Shipka', bound for the Uruguayan port of Nueva Palmira, stating that the 43-year-old chief engineer had suffered a heart attack that had been ongoing for two hours. The on-duty Search and Rescue (SAR) doctor advised to medevac the man quickly. Two naval aircraft were immediately deployed for the task, a Beechcraft B200 to monitor, and a Leonardo AB412 helicopter to hoist the patient. Both units departed from Naval Base No. 2 with a crew consisting of a pilot, a co-pilot, a doctor, and two rescue swimmers. After the patient was pulled aboard, the appropriate tests are performed, and the AB 412 set off for the Montevideo Police Hospital. The patient is disembarked at the hospital and then transported by ambulance to another health facility, where he arrived conscious and stabilized. Report with photo: https://www.defensa.com/uruguay/armada-uruguaya-evacua-tripulante-carguero-maltes-tras-evento

The captain of the 'COS Master' was banned from sailing for two weeks by the Disciplinary Board of Shipping. The sanction was imposed because the crew tender allided with a buoy off the coast of Belgium on Aug 6, 2024, and sprung a leak. The crew boat, which is used to transport technical personnel from Ostend to the Borssele offshore wind farm, sailed over a buoy with two crew members and 13 passengers on board. The 'COS Master' then returned to Ostend. According to the ILT inspector, the captain did not keep a proper lookout and sailed at a high speed of approximately 20 knots while he was doing other work. According to the inspector, this led to the collision. The captain then allegedly handed over the watch to a sailor who was not authorized to do so. The captain acknowledged that he did not keep a proper lookout and that the allision was the result of this. He was distracted by a changed assignment and weather report. The captain also acknowledged that he should not have left the sailor alone on the bridge. But he did dare to do so with this experienced sailor and so he was able to see for himself whether it was safe to sail back to Ostend. However, the Disciplinary Board fully agreed with the inspector. The captain should have stayed on the bridge himself and let the engineer inspect the damage. That is why the captain's sailing license has been suspended for four weeks, two of which were conditional.

Portsmouth International Port is set to welcome 150,000 cruise passengers each year following the completion of its multimillion-pound berth extension project, which has just been started in collaboration with construction firm Knights Brown. The renovation will include levelling out the cruise berth and building an additional dolphin. As a result, ships up to 255 metres in length will be able to safely and conveniently berth at the port.

The first cargo of liquified natural gas under the long-term contract between PGNiG and US LNG provider Cheniere Energy arrived at the President Lech Kaczyński LNG Terminal in Świnoujście. The long-term contract, which was signed in November of 2018, will total approximately 39 bcm of natural gas over the 24 year period of the agreement. The official reception ceremony of the first delivery at the LNG terminal in Świnoujście included representatives of the government of the Republic of Poland, local authorities, as well as executives from PGNiG and Cheniere Energy.

The "Joseph Roty II" of the Compagnie des Pêches de Saint-Malo, has been docked in the port of Saint-Malo since December 2023. Since May 2024, the factory ship has been put uip for sale. It has still not found a buyer. The ad is still online on the specialist maritime brokerage website Atlantic Shipping, without the price A few potential buyers have come forward. f.e., in South Africa, but the ship remains stationary as of April 14, 2025: https://saint-malo.maville.com/actu/actudet_-toujours-a-quai-dans-le-port-de-saint-malo-le-joseph-roty-ii-est-a-vendre-_loc-6763479_actu.Htm#google_vignette

The 'A Rosa Riva' suffered an engine failure on the Danube near Ybbs-Persenbeug (Melk district), with 170 people on board, on April 12, 2025. The ship was en route from Bratislava to Passau when, shortly after the Ybbs-Persenbeug lock, it suddenly became unmaneuverable and ran into an embankment on the riverbank on the early evening. The cruise ship was able to be inspected and repaired on site, and finally continued its journey towards Passau after a good two hours, Report with photos: https://www.heute.at/s/schock-an-der-donau-motorschaden-legt-schiff-lahm-120102368

Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku has cut the first piece of steel for Costa Cruises’ second LNG-powered ship, which will be named Costa Toscana and be delivered in October 2021. Using its new plasma cutter line, Meyer Turku marked the start of the ship production project during a traditional ceremony at its yard in Turku. Once complete, Costa Toscana will have dual-fuel hybrid engines and onboard LNG tanks to enable her to operate using LNG in port and at sea.

The French port of Marseille Fos plans to spend over US$22 million to reduce air emissions by extending its shoreside electrical connections to every ferry, cruise ship and repair quay in the eastern harbour. The port has also introduced speed restrictions to reduce industrial air pollution. Already available on the Corsica ferry quays, the shore power network will be expanded in two phases to cover North Africa ferry quays and the ship repair hub by 2022 and the cruise terminal between 2022 and 2025. The zero-emissions investment, which is supported by national and regional government, recognises the need to maintain the port’s economic value while improving the city’s waterside air quality.