China Teases New Aircraft Carrier in Video, Vows to Build Up Islands
FILE PHOTO: Visitors look at replicas of aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong, displayed at the PLA Naval Museum on the 75th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, in Qingdao, Shandong province, China April 23, 2024. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
China Teases New Aircraft Carrier in Video, Vows to Build Up Islands
Reuters
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April 23, 2026
By Ryan Woo and Xiuhao Chen
BEIJING, April 23 (Reuters) – China teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims.
The video issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian.
Titled “Into the Deep,” it showed a 19-year-old named “He Jian” joining
Golden Pass Ships First LNG Cargo, Launching Major New U.S. Export Supply
An LNG carrier departs the Golden Pass LNG terminal in Sabine Pass, Texas, escorted by tugboats in a ceremonial water salute as the project ships its inaugural export cargo. Photo courtesy Golden Pass LNG
Golden Pass Ships First LNG Cargo, Launching Major New U.S. Export Supply
Mike Schuler
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April 23, 2026
The departure of the first export cargo from the Golden Pass LNG terminal marks the formal entry of one of America’s largest new liquefied natural gas projects into global trade, adding substantial new supply capacity as buyers navigate geopolitical risk and shifting gas flows.
Golden Pass LNG, a joint venture between QatarEnergy and ExxonMobil, announced Wednesday the safe loading and departure of its inaugural cargo from Sabine Pass, Texas, a milestone marking the long-delayed project’s transition from commissioning into commercial trade.
“The safe and successful departure of our first LNG export cargo is a defining moment for Golden Pass, our workforce, the community
Satellite images reveal oil spills from Iran war, experts warn of environmental disaster
Satellite images reveal oil spills from Iran war, experts warn of environmental disaster
in
International Shipping News
23/04/2026
Satellite images show multiple oil spills in the region following US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s oil facilities and vessels, CNN reports, citing data of European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 mission.
The spills, some spanning kilometers near Iran’s Qeshm and Lavan Islands, threaten marine life, coral reefs and the livelihoods of coastal communities.
Experts warn of a potential ecological catastrophe.
Wim Zwijnenburg of Dutch peace organization PAX told CNN that spills are reaching protected areas like Shidvar Island in the Persian Gulf, home to turtles and seabirds, calling the hit on Lavan a “major environmental emergency.”
Zwijnenburg warned that these spills could affect thousands of people, especially those living along Iran’s coast, contaminating the fish they rely on.
Greenpeace Germany spokesperson Nina Noelle noted that cleaning the oil is extremely diff
ClassNK issues Approval in Principle (AiP) for a Liquified CO₂ Carrier installing Wind-Assisted Propulsion System
ClassNK issues Approval in Principle (AiP) for a Liquified CO₂ Carrier installing Wind-Assisted Propulsion System
in
International Shipping News
,
Shipping: Emission Possible
23/04/2026
ClassNK has issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for a Liquified CO₂ carrier installing the ‘Wind Challenger,’ a hard sail wind propulsion system. The ship is jointly developed by Mitsui O.S.K. (MOL) and Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd.
The 1 million TEU question: Do Gulf overland ports have the capacity?
The 1 million TEU question: Do Gulf overland ports have the capacity?
in
International Shipping News
23/04/2026
Our analysis of approximately 35,000 vessel calls reveals that alternative ports with overland connections can absorb, at best, 62% of displaced Persian Gulf cargo. At their current average throughput, they cover just 48%. This structural deficit creates an unavoidable supply chain crisis that demands predictive intelligence rather than reactive tracking.
Key takeaways at a glance
• 128 container ships are currently trapped inside the Persian Gulf, representing over 470,000 TEU of capacity
• 1.16 million TEU per week was the pre-crisis average capacity calling Gulf ports, total vessel capacity serves as a proxy for gauging the scale of displaced trade
• 489,000 TEU per week is the combined average throughput of all alternative overland-connected ports
• 38% minimum capacity gap exists even if alternative ports operate at their all-time historical peak
• Single-point-of-failur
ABS, Marinteknik, Seatech, and VINSSEN Launch Hydrogen Fuel Cell Harbor Craft Pilot Study in Singapore
ABS, Marinteknik, Seatech, and VINSSEN Launch Hydrogen Fuel Cell Harbor Craft Pilot Study in Singapore
gCaptain
Total Views: 0
April 23, 2026
In an important step to lowering emissions in one of the world’s busiest ports, ABS, Marinteknik Shipbuilders (S) Pte. Ltd., SeaTech Solutions International (S) Pte. Ltd., and VINSSEN Co., Ltd., signed a research collaboration agreement to advance the development of a hydrogen fuel cell-powered harbor craft in Singapore.
The agreement brings together complementary expertise across vessel ownership, ship design, fuel cell propulsion and marine technology to advance hydrogen as a viable marine fuel for harbor operations.
“ABS is uniquely positioned to support this promising pilot.
Hormuz Traffic Grinds to a Halt After Iran Seizes First Vessels
Tankers are seen off the coast of the Fujairah, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 3, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
Hormuz Traffic Grinds to a Halt After Iran Seizes First Vessels
Bloomberg
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April 23, 2026
By Weilun Soon
Apr 23, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz ground to a halt on Thursday after Iran fired on commercial ships and said it had
seized
at least two vessels — a first in nearly eight weeks of war.
Only one ship, bulk carrier
LB Energy
, was seen moving through the waterway early Thursday, with none seen entering. Products tanker Ocean Jewel is currently idling at the entrance to the corridor, having aborted a transit not long after Iranian forces began firing at three ships.
Two of those attacked vessels, the
MSC Francesca
and the
Epaminondas
, were subsequently boarded by Iranian forces, marking a new stage in Tehran’s efforts to exert control over traff
‘We Need to Get This Done’: Lawmakers, Labor and Industry Renew Push for SHIPS for America Act
John Garamendi speaks outside the U.S. Capitol during a press conference with lawmakers, labor leaders and maritime industry representatives urging passage of the SHIPS for America Act, legislation aimed at revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding and the maritime industrial base.
‘We Need to Get This Done’: Lawmakers, Labor and Industry Renew Push for SHIPS for America Act
Mike Schuler
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April 23, 2026
Backers of the SHIPS for America Act mounted a renewed push Wednesday to move sweeping maritime legislation through Congress, with lawmakers, labor leaders and shipbuilding executives portraying the bill as the centerpiece of a growing bipartisan effort to rebuild America’s commercial maritime capacity and industrial base.
At a Capitol Hill press conference following a joint House hearing on revitalizing shipbuilding and the maritime industrial base, Reps. John Garamendi and Trent Kelly urged Congress to capitalize on what they described as rare political momentum behind maritime pol
Ship operators face rising compliance
Ship operators face rising compliance
in
International Shipping News
23/04/2026
SmartSea has warned that maritime operators are coming under growing pressure as EU ETS, NIS2 and evolving IMO requirements force shipowners and managers to treat compliance as an operational discipline rather than a reporting exercise. What was once handled across separate technical, compliance and commercial functions is now directly affecting voyage economics, fuel strategy, emissions reporting, cyber resilience and day-to-day fleet performance.
As regulatory obligations multiply and scrutiny intensifies, operators relying on fragmented systems and disconnected operational data face higher costs, slower decision-making and greater risk of non-compliance.
Kris Vedat, CEO of SmartSea, said:
“Shipping can no longer afford to treat compliance as something that sits outside operations. When regulation, fuel costs, emissions exposure and vessel performance are all moving at once, operators need clear visibilit
U.S. Boards Sanctioned ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Indian Ocean as Enforcement Push Expands
forces board the sanctioned stateless tanker Majestic X in the Indian Ocean during a maritime interdiction operation on April 23, 2026. The vessel, formerly known as Phonix, has been linked to Iran’s shadow oil trade. Boards Sanctioned ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Indian Ocean as Enforcement Push Expands
Mike Schuler
Total Views: 1
April 23, 2026
The U.S.