seafarertimes.com ~ Maritime News for Filipino Seafarers

Is 2018 the year that China’s BRI ran out of steam?
Andre Wheeler December 20th, 2018 https://splash247.com/is-2018-the-year-that-chinas-bri-ran-out-of-steam/

Recent press headlines scream that China’s Belt Road Initiative (BRI) is in decline, or as Bloomberg claims in a recent headline, Asia is falling “out of love with China’s Belt Road Initiative”.

Breaking News: Chinese COSCO executive leaps to his death from Taipei hotel
Keoni Everington 2018/12/21 https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3601564

Chinese executive from COSCO Shipping leaps to his death from Sunworld dynasty hotel in Taipei

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A Chinese business executive from China's state-owned COSCO Shipping Lines Co., Ltd. fell to his death from the window of the 15th floor of a hotel in Taipei City in an apparent suicide.

Mutibillion-peso economic losses annually due to illicit trade in the shipping industry
Cecilio Arillo - December 20, 2018 https://businessmirror.com.ph/mutibillion-peso-economic-losses-annually-...

With Container Ships Getting Bigger, Maersk Focuses on Getting Faster
Costas Paris and Mike Sudal Dec. 20, 2018

The shipping giant is making a digital push in an industry that still relies on snail mail and faxes to arrange cargoes

HONG KONG—Container ships have gotten ever bigger in recent years, with some about as long as the Empire State Building is tall. Now, A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S is trying to make moving goods on these megaships faster.

Oct. remittance data bare GDP boost
Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan December 18, 2018 https://www.bworldonline.com/oct-remittance-data-bare-gdp-boost/

MONEY sent home by overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) grew by its fastest clip in six months in October, according to data the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released on Monday, prompting analysts to expect household spending that fuels overall economic growth but whose growth has slowed lately to have picked up this quarter.

26,000 UK seafarers at sea, new figures confirm
20/12/2018 https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/26000-uk-seafarers-at-sea-new-figur...

There are almost 26,000 active UK seafarers at sea, according to new Government statistics.

North P&I and Apostleship of the Sea spread Christmas cheer to seafarers
19/12/2018 https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/north-pi-and-apostleship-of-the-sea...

Madagascar says seizes Panamanian-flagged vessel with Chinese crew
December 20, 2018 https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN1OJ0QZ-OZATP

ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) - Madagascar on Wednesday said it had seized a Panamanian-flagged ship with Chinese crew in its waters and said the vessel, that authorities had tracked for some time, was being used to plunder its resources.

Niger Delta pirates release crew kidnapped from ship in October
Godspower Edoza December 19, 2018 http://shipsandports.com.ng/niger-delta-pirates-release-crew-kidnapped-s...

The 11 crew kidnapped by pirates from a container ship off the coast of Nigeria on October 27, 2018 including eight Polish nationals, have been released and will be reunited with their families, Poland’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

South Korea seizes 140 pounds of cocaine on a container ship
Wooyoung Lee Dec. 17, 2018 https://www.upi.com/South-Korea-seizes-140-pounds-of-cocaine-on-a-contai...

SEOUL, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- South Korean authorities have seized more than 140 pounds of cocaine smuggled aboard a container ship.