A massive blast in Ningo-Zhoushan port, building a regional carrier in the Middle East, and the X-Press Pearl master held in Sri Lanka for over three years. Maritime in Minutes runs through the editors' picks from the news in August 2024. Seatrade Maritime News’ Marcus Hand and Gary Howard reflect on the month of August, with their highlights from the news in maritime and shipping, from the biggest stories to those that simply piqued their interest. Hear more about: In connectivity reliability and service matter not brand: Inmarsat Newbuilding orders at Chinese shipyards up 43% in H1 Port of Hueneme to use exhaust-sucking barges to control emissions Massive blast on Yang Ming container ship in Ningbo Podcast: Building a new regional shipping player with Folk Maritime CEO Poul Hestbaek US East Coast port strike the next spanner in supply chains Bahri inks $1 billion deal to buy nine VLCCs X-Press Pearl Captain trapped in Sri Lanka for over three years Seafarer charities propose strengthened shore leave regulation Eidesvik Offshore to operate world’s first ammonia powered PSV