Many more kidnappings have led shipowners to call for armed guards on ships transiting the Gulf of Guinea. But most of its states forbid non-local guards and sea conditions are not considered suitable for floating armouries

Authorities are working to secure the release of the Togo-flagged bunkering vessel Stelios K after its owners lost contact with the ship on November 16. The vessel has since been reported hijacked. Dryad Global say the crew are safe but the attackers are still on board

The body of the fifth Turkish fisherman killed in a collision with the Greek tanker Ephesos yesterday has been found and the search for survivors called off, the Turkish coast guard reported

Four crew of a Turkish fishing boat have been killed and one is missing after the boat collided with the Greek product tanker Ephesos off Karatas, Turkey on Wednesday morning

Containerships are averaging one fire every two weeks so far in 2020, so while we have not seen a Yantian Express, Maersk Honam or an MSC Flaminia hit the headlines, the likelihood of a large casualty is largely down to luck rather than any improvement in the risk management of this too often overlooked situation. Joining the podcast this week to discuss why the boxes are burning: Allianz head of marine risk, Rahul Khanna, Gard senior claim executive Are Solum, and TT Club risk management director Peregrine Storrs-Fox

Move comes amid rising attacks in West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, where pirates are said by experts to have become more professional while the number of kidnapping cases has surged this year

Madeira-flagged, Essberger-owned containership Maersk Launceston collided with the Greek minesweeper Kallisto, which had to be towed to port in two pieces. The boxship is at anchor off Piraeus pending further investigations

Ratings agency predicts rate hikes at most clubs, as mutuals feel double whammy squeeze from string of big casualties and coronavirus pandemic

The 1993-built sanctioned tanker Icaro appears to be heading to the stricken floating storage unit Nabarima, which is laden with crude from the Corocoro field, Lloyd’s List Intelligence data shows. Two tugs are also near by