Michael News

Russia's only aircraft carrier, the 40-year-old Admiral Kuznetsov, is likely to be sold or scrapped, the chairman of Russia's state shipbuilding corporation told the Kommersant newspaper in comments published on Friday.Andrei Kostin's remarks follow a report in the daily Izvestia newspaper earlier this month, which cited unnamed sources as saying long-running refit and maintenance work on the warship had been suspended.Launched in 1985 when the Soviet Union still existed, the Admiral Kuznetsov saw action in Russia's military campaign in Syria in support of then-President Bashar al-Assad…

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on what it said was a Houthi-linked petroleum smuggling and sanctions evasion network across Yemen and the United Arab Emirates in fresh action targeting the Iran-backed militant group.The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said the two individuals and five entities sanctioned on Tuesday were among the most significant importers of petroleum products and money launderers that benefit the Houthis."The Houthis collaborate with…

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday that a cargo ship they struck with gunfire, rockets and explosive-laden remote-controlled boats had sunk in the Red Sea, after their first known attack on the high seas this year.The ship's Greek operator Stem Shipping told Reuters it had no independent verification. Reuters could also not immediately verify whether the ship had sunk.The Houthis claimed responsibility for Sunday's assault and said they had allowed the 19 crew members to disembark from the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier…

A Greek-operated bulk carrier, Magic Seas, sustained severe damage in a multi-pronged attack off the coast of Yemen on Sunday, believed to have been carried out by Houthi militants. All 19 crew members aboard were safely rescued and are expected to arrive in Djibouti later Monday, according to the ship’s operator, Stem Shipping.However, Magic Seas, a Liberian-flagged vessel transporting iron and fertilizers from China to Turkey, is now at risk of sinking, Stem Shipping representative Michael Bodouroglou said.

James Fisher and Sons, a global provider of marine solutions, has marked the start of construction of its chemical tankers fleet with the laying of the keel for the first vessel, Orca Fisher, at the China Merchants Industry Yangzhou Dingheng Shipyard (YZDH).Orca Fisher is the first of four next-generation vessels - known as the Sealife class - introduced as part of James Fisher’s Fleet of the Future, a long-term program to modernize its tankships fleet with more efficient, lower-carbon vessels that support the use of alternative fuel propulsion.The new vessels - which includes Orca Fisher…

Germany is considering changing its foreign trade law to prevent the company running the Nord Stream 2 pipelines from being taken over, a document showed on Friday, as part of Berlin's efforts to prevent any resumption of Russian gas imports.For decades Germany relied on cheap Russian gas, but since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, it has sought alternatives.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he will ensure Nord Stream 2, which the country once backed, would not go into operation…

Britain has rejected a 25 billion pound ($34.39 billion) Moroccan renewable energy project that would have used solar and wind power from the Sahara to supply up to seven million UK homes.The British government, which is aiming to largely decarbonise its electricity sector by 2030, said on Thursday it believed domestic projects could offer better economic benefits."The government has concluded that it is not in the UK national interest at this time to continue further consideration of support for the Morocco-UK Power Project," energy department minister Michael Shanks said in a written stateme

A key U.S. warship arrived in Australia on Saturday ahead of joint war games and the first summit between Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Donald Trump, which is expected to be dominated by military issues.The America, the U.S. Navy's lead amphibious assault ship in the Indo-Pacific, entered Sydney Harbour as the first of three ships in a strike group carrying 2,500 sailors and marines, submarine-hunting helicopters and F-35B fighter jets.More than 30,000 personnel from 19 militaries have begun to arrive in Australia for Talisman Sabre, the largest Australian-U.S.

Scandlines is taking another step in its long-term strategy to protect the Baltic region and the Fehmarn Belt, which the ferries cross daily.With a total investment of more than EUR 31 million ($35 million), the company is converting two of the ferries operating the Puttgarden-Rødby route to plug-in hybrid ferries.The aim is to reduce CO₂e emissions by up to 80% and promote ferry operations based on power from renewable energy sources.On average, the batteries in the ferries will…

Britain's Prince William on Sunday called on world leaders and businesses to take urgent action to protect the planet's oceans, saying it was a challenge "like none we have faced before."Speaking ahead of the U.N. Ocean Conference, which begins in France on Monday, William said rising sea temperatures, plastic pollution and overfishing were putting pressure on fragile ecosystems and the people who depend on them."What once seemed an abundant resource is diminishing before our eyes…

“Between expanding attack surfaces and increasingly sophisticated threats, the stakes have never been higher,” said Michael DeVolld, Director of Maritime Cybersecurity at ABS Consulting, speaking at the 2025 Maritime Cybersecurity Summit hosted by the Maritime Transportation System (MTS) Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC).“It is essential for the maritime industry to not only understand its cyber risk but also translate that knowledge to decisive action that protects lives…

The investigation into why a Mexican Navy training ship struck the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, shearing the top of its masts, will look into a possible engine failure and the role of a tug boat that assisted it in backing out of its pier, officials said on Monday.The ship's engine was the key focus for the National Transportation Safety Board, said Brian Young, who is leading the agency's investigation."We will look at the status of the engine, we will look for any failures, we will look for engine inspections and we'll talk to the crew on what may have possibly happened with the engine…

Two Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport engineers have won American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) awards for 2024. Michael Connelly, technical project manager for the Undersea Warfare Platforms and Payload Integration Department, is the winner of the Frank C. Jones Award, and Dr. Thomas Ramotowski, a senior chemist for the Sensors and Sonar Systems Department, is the winner of the Solberg Award.The Frank C. Jones Award recognizes naval engineering professionals…

The same error-prone sensitivity that has slowed down the development of quantum computers is being turned into an advantage for GPS-denied navigation.A new quantum sensing technology from Australia-based Q-CTRL has most recently caught the interest of Lockheed Martin and the US Defense Innovation Unit, but the company is already working with the Australian Department of Defence, the UK Royal Navy, the US Department of Defense and Airbus.These agencies are interested in a quantum-sensing-based navigation system…

A ceasefire deal between Yemen's Houthis and the U.S. does not include sparing Israel, the group said on Wednesday, suggesting its shipping attacks that have disrupted global trade and challenged world powers will not come to a complete halt.President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the U.S. would stop bombing the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, saying that the group had agreed to stop attacking U.S. ships.After Trump made the announcement, Oman said it had mediated the ceasefire deal to halt attacks on U.S.

U.S. offshore producer Beacon Offshore Energy expects first oil from its Shenandoah floating production system in June, a company executive said on Tuesday.The floating production unit, which is expected to produce 120,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), was in the final stage of being hooked up and commissioned, Michael Clarke, Beacon's vice president of deepwater developments, said at a conference in Houston.The Houston-based privately held company is also looking to sanction the Shenandoah South discovery…

The Israeli military said it carried out airstrikes against Yemen's Hodeidah Port on Monday, a day after the Iran-aligned Houthis fired a missile that struck near Israel's main airport.The military said in a statement that it attacked what it called Houthi terrorist targets in Hodeidah and its vicinity.The strikes killed at least one person and injured at least 35 people, the Houthi-run Saba news agency said citing the health ministry.The Houthis shut down the area around the port and cement factory following the strikes…

The U.S. imposed sanctions on Monday on three vessels and their owners for delivering oil and gas products to Yemen's Houthis, as Washington piled pressure on the Iran-backed rebels over their attacks on Red Sea shipping.The sanctions targeted Marshall Islands-registered Zaas Shipping & Trading Co and Great Success Shipping Co, and Mauritius-registered Bagsak Shipping Co and the cargo vessels they used to deliver oil and gas products to the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa, the U.S.

The United States is deploying around 9,000 troops to the Philippines for this year's joint military exercises, as the allies strengthen ties amid tensions with China over its activities in the South China Sea and in Taiwan.The annual drills, which the Philippine military on Tuesday described as a rehearsal for national defense, will include 5,000 Filipino troops, 200 from the Australia Defence Force, and observers from the Japan Self-Defence Force.For the first time, observers…

Low water levels after recent dry weather are preventing cargo vessels from sailing fully loaded on the Rhine River in Germany with surcharges added to the usual freight rates, commodity traders said on Tuesday.Low water is hampering shipping on all of the river south of Duisburg and Cologne, including the chokepoint of Kaub, traders said.At Kaub, cargo vessels can only sail about 50% full.Shallow water means vessel operators impose surcharges on freight rates to compensate for vessels not sailing fully loaded, increasing costs for cargo owners.

China's military on Tuesday said it had begun joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence", calling Taiwan's President Lai Ching-Te a "parasite".More than 10 Chinese military ships have approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4 kilometre) contiguous zone, and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwan officials told Reuters.Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far…

U.S. and Russian officials held talks in Saudi Arabia on Monday aimed at sealing a Black Sea maritime ceasefire deal before a wider ceasefire agreement in Ukraine as Moscow and Kyiv used drones to pound each other.The talks, which followed U.S. negotiations with Ukraine in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, came after Russia launched its third consecutive overnight air attack on Kyiv, wounding one person and damaging houses in the region around the Ukrainian capital.Russia, for its part…

A U.S. delegation will seek progress toward a Black Sea ceasefire and a broader cessation of violence in the war in Ukraine when it meets for talks with Russian officials on Monday, after discussions with diplomats from Ukraine on Sunday.The so-called technical talks come as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies his drive for a halt to Russia's three-year-old assault against Ukraine. Last week, he spoke with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.A source briefed on the planning for the talks said the U.S.