MARTIN SPIRIT

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said on Sunday that it targeted a Liberia-flagged container vessel in the Gulf of Aden, claiming its first attack on shipping lanes since Israel carried out a retaliatory airstrike in Hodeidah port on July 20.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a televised statement that the MV Groton was attacked by ballistic missiles.British maritime agency UKMTO and British security firm Ambrey said on Saturday that the vessel was targeted by a missile 125 nautical miles east of Yemen's port of Aden. Both said that no water entry or oil leaks were observed.Built in 2002, the ship was heading to Djibouti, according to Refinitiv data.

Italian state-controlled shipbuilding giant Fincantieri announced public finance expert Biagio Mazzotta has been appointed as chairman of its board of directors. The move follows the untimely death of General Claudio Graziano, who had been appointed in May 2022.Mazzotta's appointment comes at the recommendation of shareholder CDP Equity S.p.A., which submitted Mazzotta's candidacy for independent evaluation in a letter dated August 1, 2024.Mazzotta has previously served as the State Accountant General of Italy since 2019. He has a long career in public finance, holding various positions within the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

Höegh Autoliners' Höegh Aurora, the world's largest pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessel, will soon embark on its maiden voyage and commence commercial operations following delivery at a naming ceremony next week.The newbuild is the first of of 12 Aurora Class vessels being built by China Merchants Heavy Industry, in China. Featuring 14 decks—including five liftable decks—the ship can carry up to 9,100 CEU. With enhanced decks and ramps, the vessel is designed to carry electric vehicles on all decks, and will be very flexible for most cargo.Designed by Deltamarin, the Aurora class vessels are described as the world’s most environmentally friendly PCTCs.

A collision between two tankers off Singapore in July raises questions over insurance claims, as one of the vessels previously shipped Iranian oil, potentially complicating payments due to Western sanctions, ship-trackers and industry sources say.What happened?The Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile and the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged Ceres I collided and caught fire about 55 km (35 miles) northeast of the Singaporean island of Pedra Branca on July 19.No oil spill has been detected, only a sheen believed to be from damage to the Hafnia Nile's bunker tank, Malaysia's Marine Department said.

Australian authorities have made a major drug bust in Port Botany, uncovering a large shipment of methamphetamine in an inbound shipping container arriving from the United States.The discovery was made on July 22 when Australian Border Force (ABF) examining the container discovered about 896kg of the illicit powdered substance hidden inside packages tucked away in two separate computer numerical control (CNC) machines.The drugs were removed, and the consignment was delivered to its intended address in Warwick Farm on July 31. Police will allege two men examined and opened the container and, with the assistance of a forklift, began to handle the contents inside.