BAHRI ABHA

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is on a mission to weaken China's global network of ports and bring more strategic terminals under Western control, according to three sources familiar with the plan.The drive is part of the most ambitious effort to expand U.S. maritime influence since the 1970s and is designed to address growing fears in Washington that it would be at a disadvantage to China in the event of a conflict.Trump administration officials believe the U.S. commercial shipping fleet is ill-equipped to provide logistical support for the military in time of war and Washington's dependence on foreign ships and ports is excessive, the people said.

A landmark agreement to curb billions of dollars in subsidies contributing to overfishing came into force on Monday, the World Trade Organization said - a move activists hailed as a step towards helping global fish stocks recover.It was the first agreement to take effect at the WTO since 2017 after years of stalled debates and infighting on top of, more recently, a surge in U.S. tariffs that left some critics asking whether the Geneva-based body had a future.The formal ratification by Brazil, Kenya, Tonga and Vietnam on Monday meant the deal, first agreed in 2022, now had the required support of two thirds of members, a WTO spokesperson said.

The United States will be able to use planned defence facilities in Western Australia that are to help deliver nuclear-powered submarines under the trilateral AUKUS nuclear submarine deal, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Sunday.Australia will spend A$12 billion ($8 billion) to upgrade facilities at the Henderson shipyard near Perth, as part of a 20-year plan to transform it into the maintenance hub for its AUKUS submarine fleet, the government said on Saturday.The AUKUS pact, sealed by Australia, Britain and the U.S. in 2021, aims to provide Australia with attack submarines from the next decade to counter China's ambitions in the Indo-Pacific region.

Committed to minimizing such risks and creating a safe and seamless shipping experience for its customers, Emirates Shipping Line (ESL) has joined the World Shipping Council’s (WSC) recently launched Cargo Safety Program.The occurrence of ship fires continues on an upward trend, calling for collective action across the maritime shipping industry, to safeguard crews, cargo, vessels, and the marine ecosystem.Combining AI-powered screening technology and standardized inspection methodologies, the program will help carriers with the identification of misdeclared or undeclared high-risk goods before they are loaded

Baker Hughes has signed a multi-year contract with Petrobras to extend deployment of its Blue Marlin and Blue Orca stimulation vessels, supporting offshore oil and gas production in Brazil’s post and pre-salt fields.The award, which followed an open tender, also covers the supply of associated chemicals and services.The vessels will deliver advanced chemical treatments to maximize production in brownfield and greenfield wells, and support well construction through gravel pack and frac pack operations.