Maritime security incidents on a global level declined by 24 percent in the first six months of 2016, compared with the same period in 2015, according to Control Risks, a global risk consultancy.
This decrease has been driven by a 61 percent decline in cases in South-East Asia, where incidents of piracy and armed robbery have reached their lowest point since 2009.
In addition, very low levels of criminal activity continue across the Horn of Africa and South Africa and Central America also saw a decline. This has contributed further to the decrease in overall maritime security incidents worldwide, Control Risks said.
96 percent of all maritime security incidents globally were related to piracy and armed robbery, showing that this threat in particular continues to be a key concern in all regions except Europe, where there were no recorded incidents.
In European ports and waters, cases of maritime activism were the number one operational risk, contributing to 57 percent of all incidents globally.
On the other hand, the Gulf of Guinea and Nigerian waters experienced the highest levels of maritime security incidents since before 2008, with high numbers of abductions and attacks continuing across these areas.
“This shift in some of the key regions illustrates how quickly patterns of maritime crime can change. In Asia we have seen an unprecedented decrease in attacks on commercial vessels, driven by enhanced security patrols and a crackdown on crime syndicates onshore,” Sebastian Villyn, a maritime consultant at Control Risks, said.
“However, we have also recorded an increase in maritime abductions in the Sulu and Celebes Seas, in the western Pacific Ocean south of the Philippines. This is a worrying trend, but does not detract from the overall decrease in security incidents in Asia.” 
Image Courtesy: Control Risks
Image for illustrative purposes only; Image Courtesy: Panama Canal Authority
MV Xin Fei Zhou, a 8,500 TEU Neopanamax containership owned by China Cosco Shipping (COSCO), made contact with the wall while transiting the Expanded Panama Canal’s new Agua Clara locks Thursday, July 21, local media reported.
The containership’s hull was reportedly damaged and breached, however, the canal’s traffic was not affected as the wall suffered only a minor damage, reports say.
According to the vessel’s AIS data, it is still anchored near the canal.
On June 26, the canal was inaugurated with the passage of another COSCO’s ship, COSCO Shipping Panama.
Earlier this year, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) raised in its joint study with Brazil’s Fundação Homem de Mar (FHM) considerable safety concerns related to the Expanded Panama Canal’s new locks.
Industry bodies warned that at 427 meters long and 55 meters wide, the new locks are too small for the Neopanamaxes. The largest vessels can measure up to 366 meters long and 49 meters wide, leaving a distance of just 6 meters across the width of the canal and 61 meters length-wise, much of which will be taken up by tugboats on either end of the vessel to guide it through the lock.
The study found that under windy conditions the maneuverability of vessels would be compromised, making accidents likely due to the lock’s narrow dimensions.
However, the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) dismissed the study, putting in question its scientific accuracy and credibility.
World Maritime News Staff
12 Displaced in 5-Alarm Boston Fire
By Jackie Bruno
Crews battled a 5-alarm fire in East Boston that left a dozen residents homeless. (Published Friday, July 22, 2016)
A dozen residents were left homeless when a 5-alarm fire claimed their building in East Boston Friday.
There are six units in the three-story building on Chelsea Street. Two were vacant, but Boston Fire says nine adults and three children lived in the other four units.
No civilians were injured. One firefighter was treated and taken to a hospital to be evaluated.
Neighbors say it was a frightening scene.
"I got into the front doorway and you could already feel the heat," said Chris Catoggio, who lives nearby. "You could see the smoke billowing out the front apartment, and you could see the flames all in the back."
The fire caused an estimated $600,000 to the building. It's estimated that two neighboring buildings each sustained about $50,000 in damage, as well.
Investigators are working to determine the cause.
Nicole Fleming for The Boston Globe
The aftermath of the fire at 138 Cross St.
By Nicole Fleming Globe Correspondent July 23, 2016
LOWELL —A four-alarm fire at an apartment house on Cross Street early Saturday morning displaced more than 30 people from their homes and injured three, including a firefighter, officials said.
The fire at 138 Cross St., in the city’s Acre neighborhood, was discovered by firefighters who were fighting a fire on Merrimack Street and spotted smoke coming from the roof of the house, said Deputy Fire Chief Tom Gilligan.
The fire began around 4:45 a.m. and took until about noon to fully extinguish, he said.
Gilligan said that 33 to 35 people were displaced by the blaze, which caused heavy damage to the building. “If it’s not a total loss, it’s pretty close,” he said.
The hot, humid air exacerbated the difficult conditions and a “bit more manpower” was required to fight the blaze, Gilligan said.
A firefighter was injured when part of a chimney collapsed into a room and hit the back of her head. She was treated and released, Gilligan said.
Two people inside the three-story building were also injured, he said. Information on the extent of the injuries was not immediately available. Firefighters were able to save two cats from an apartment, Gilligan said.
A preliminary investigation indicates that the fire began in the right rear of the building, he said.
Fire alarms sounded in some of the nine units in the building, Gilligan said.
No cause has been officially determined yet, said Jennifer Mieth, spokeswoman for the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
2 dead after floating restaurant collapse in southern Vietnam
By VnExpress July 23, 2016 | 03:42 pm GMT+7
People rush to rescue children onboard the collapsed floating restaurant. Photo by VnExpress/Chau Tran
Hundreds of tourists, including many children, fell to the 2.5 meter deep sea.
A floating restaurant in Vinh Hy Bay in the southeastern province of Ninh Thuan suddenly collapsed earlier today, knocking 300 tourists into the sea. Two people died, according Tran Van Nam, Chief Party Secretary of Ninh Hai District (Ninh Thuan).
“We'll hold a meeting to identify the victims and cause of the accident,” Nam said,
Around 10 a.m., witnesses said, hundreds of travelers, including many children, were dining inside the restaurant on a raft belonging to Vinh Tien tourist company. Piers supporting the raft then suddenly moved, tilting the restaurant onboard to collapse.
The collapsed restaurant. Photo by VnExpress/H.T.
Rescue team searching for victims. Photo by VnExpress/H.T.
Local fishermen and other tourists nearby rushed to the rescue. They were then joined by local police and rescue forces.
"People at the scene initially focused on rescuing women and children," said Nguyen Phuoc Thien, a tourist from Dak Lak Province
Linh, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, said chaos broke when the raft capsized 50 meters from the shore. “I saw people screaming in panic, many nearby vessels rushed to the rescue but it was very chaotic as victims frantically tried to get onboard.”
The 1,500m2 restaurant was standing on a wooden raft which floated on plastic containers attached to the sides, said another tourist from Ho Chi Minh City. "At the time of the accident, many people fled to the metal roof of the raft. A lot of life jackets were thrown out to the sea for the victims but it was not enough.”
Vinh Hy Bay in the southeastern province of Ninh Thuan is a shelter hub for ships during storms and a tourist attraction known for its diverse seafood.
