DAMEN SHIPYARDS

Some 200 seafarers aboard more than 15 ships stuck for weeks off Yemen's port of Ras Isa are preparing to offload cargoes and leave thanks to a ceasefire deal between Houthi militia and the U.S., maritime and labour union sources said on Thursday.Still, threat levels for shipping remained high given the Houthis' confirmation that Israeli-related assets remained open to attack and the attendant risks to broader shipping, maritime officials said. Ships with no connection to Israel had been targeted in the past with no certainty of safe passage.President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday the U.S. would stop bombing the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen as they had agreed to stop targeting U.S.

The prospect of a large scale return of container ships to the Red Sea following the announcement of a ceasefire between the US and Houthi militia in Yemen would flood the market with shipping capacity and cause a global collapse in freight rates, but the situation remains far from certain.Data released by Xeneta, an ocean and air freight intelligence platform, shows global TEU-mile demand would decrease 6% if container ships begin sailing through the Red Sea and Suez Canal again instead of diverting around the Cape of Good Hope.TEU-mile demand factors the distance each 20ft equivalent container (TEU) is transported globally as well as the number transported.

On World Donkey Day (May 8), international animal welfare charity, The Donkey Sanctuary, acknowledges Swire Shipping as the first global shipping line to commit publicly to a ‘No Donkey Skins Carriage policy’.In February last year, African Heads of State and Governments endorsed a continent-wide moratorium on the slaughter of donkeys for their skins at the 37th African Union Summit. The agreement was made in recognition of animal welfare concerns and the vital role donkeys play in supporting communities and economies across Africa.

U.S. energy groups are asking President Donald Trump's administration to exempt liquefied natural gas tankers from a new rule that will require producers to move an increasing percentage of their exports on U.S.-built vessels as part of a broader push to revive domestic shipbuilding.The U.S. is the world's No. 1 LNG exporter at $34 billion annually and the Trump administration has been a supporter of the industry in his push for energy dominance.In a move that shocked the industry, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced April 17 that LNG producers would have to transport 1% of their exports on U.S.-built ships starting in April 2028.

British maritime security firm Ambrey reported on Tuesday that the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had launched a drone attack on facilities at Port Sudan, targeting the container terminal and escalating a two-year-long conflict.Ambrey said it had obtained video footage showing damage to the terminal and civilian infrastructure, reportedly leaving the city without power.No damage to merchant vessels was reported, but Ambrey noted significant GPS disruptions in the area.Explosions and fires rocked Sudan's main port city and wartime capital Port Sudan on Tuesday, a witness said, part of a days-long drone assault that has torched the biggest fuel depots