1.John-Kaare Aune has been appointed the new managing director, Ship Management for Hong Kong-based Wallem Group. He is expected to take up the post from 1 July 2019.

2.China’s Jinling Shipyard has started construction of the first hybrid roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) freighter for Italian shipping company Grimaldi Group.

3.ADNOC Logistics & Services-chartered cargo ship Lucky Ocho is en route to Yantai, China, with a maiden load of 10,500 tons of UAE-produced calcined coke.The first shipment was loaded by ADNOC Refining, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and is set to arrive in China by the end of April 2019.

4.Russian energy company Novatek has signed two agreements giving the Chinese government a 20 percent stake in the new Arctic LNG 2 terminal. At China's Second Belt and Road Forum on Thursday, Novatek announced that state-owned CNOOC has taken a 10 percent stake and state-owned CNPC has taken another 10 percent stake in the project.

5.The Tianjin Port blockchain pilot project, an initiative using blockchain technology in cross-border trade, was launched April 17 in Tianjin.

6.Cosco Shipping Bulk, the bulk shipping arm of China Cosco Shipping, has ordered three 210,000 dwt newcastlemaxes at CSIC-affiliated Beihai Shipbuilding Industry.

7.From refitting and import, to manufacturing and export, China's shipbuilding capacity has surged over the past few decades. The industry is rapidly closing the gap with other powers, providing the solid foundation for the navy's leapfrog development.

8.Providing an update regarding its operations in Malaysia, COSCO Shipping International (Singapore) informed it is taking steps to expand its business in Malaysia by obtaining a lease of a piece of land in Port Klang and constructing a warehouse of approximately 300,000 square feet on the land for the Group’s operations.