FORM 6-K


                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D. C. 20549



                        Report of Foreign Private Issuer
                      Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
                       the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                         For the month of February 2006


                               DIANA SHIPPING INC.
                 (Translation of registrant's name into English)

                               Diana Shipping Inc.
                                   Pendelis 16
                              175 64 Palaio Faliro
                                 Athens, Greece

                    (Address of principal executive offices)

     Indicate  by check mark  whether the  registrant  files or will file annual
reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

                         Form 20-F  X    Form 40-F
                                  -----           -----

     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information
contained  in this  Form is  also  thereby  furnishing  the  information  to the
commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

                               Yes       No  X
                                  -----    -----




INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS FORM 6-K REPORT

     Attached  to this  Report  on Form 6-K as  Exhibit 1 is a copy of the press
release  issued by Diana  Shipping  Inc.  (the  "Company") on February 15, 2006,
announcing  fourth  quarter and year 2005  results,  the  declaration  of a cash
dividend  for the fourth  quarter of 2005 and a  conference  call and webcast to
discuss financial results.



EXHIBIT 1
---------
                                        Corporate Contact:
                                        Ioannis Zafirakis
                                        Director and Vice-President
                                        Telephone: + 30-210-9470100
                                        Email: izafirakis@dianashippinginc.com
For Immediate Release
---------------------
                                        Investor and Media Relations:
                                        Edward Nebb
                                        Euro RSCG Magnet
                                        Telephone: + 1-212-367-6848
                                        Email: ed.nebb@eurorscg.com


                  DIANA SHIPPING INC. REPORTS FINANCIAL RESULTS
           FOR THE YEAR AND THE FOURTH QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005

        DECLARES CASH DIVIDEND OF $0.40 PER SHARE FOR THE FOURTH QUARTER

            CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST TO BE HELD FEBRUARY 17, 2006


ATHENS,  GREECE,  February 15, 2006 - Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE:  DSX), a global
shipping transportation company specializing in dry bulk cargoes, today reported
net income of $65.0 million for the year ended  December 31, 2005,  representing
an increase of $4.9 million compared to $60.1 million for 2004.  Voyage and time
charter  revenues  were $103.1  million for the year ended  December  31,  2005,
compared to $63.8 million for 2004.

For the fourth  quarter of 2005,  net income was $13.9  million  compared to net
income of $31.6  million  reported  in the same  period of 2004.  For the fourth
quarter of 2005,  voyage and time charter revenues  increased by $5.5 million to
$24.0 million compared to $18.5 million reported in the same period of 2004.

During the fourth  quarter of 2004,  the Company  recorded a gain on the sale of
one of its vessels of approximately $20.0 million,  which is included in the net
income of both the fourth quarter of 2004 and the year ended December 31, 2004.

Dividend declaration.

The Company has declared a cash dividend on its common stock of $0.40 per share,
based on the Company's results from operations during the quarter ended December
31,  2005.  The cash  dividend  will be payable on or about March 9, 2006 to all
shareholders  of record as of  February  28,  2006.  The  Company has 45 million
shares of common stock outstanding.

During the year  ended  December  31,  2005,  there were 9.6  vessels on average
operating in the Company's fleet, as compared with 6.3 vessels during 2004.




Fleet Employment Profile
Currently Diana's fleet is employed as follows:


                      Sister
  Name                ships(3)      Year Built       Age (6)          DWT              Employment (1)           Expiration(2)
------------------    ---------    --------------    --------    ---------------    ----------------------    -----------------
                                                                                              
Nirefs                   A             2001            4.9           75,311              $ 18,250(4)            Mar 04, 2006
Alcyon                   A             2001            4.9           75,247               $ 22,582              Oct 15, 2007
Triton                   A             2001            4.8           75,336               $ 11,250              Feb 21, 2006
Oceanis                  A             2001            4.6           75,211               $ 18,000              Mar 04, 2006
Dione                    A             2001            5.0           75,172               $ 18,250              Mar 10, 2006
Danae                    A             2001            5.0           75,106               $ 30,000              Jan 13, 2007
Protefs                  B             2004            1.3           73,630            4TCs Average(5)          Jan 04, 2007
Calipso                  B             2005            0.9           73,691            4TCs Average(5)          Dec 21, 2007
Clio                     B             2005            0.6           73,691         4TCs Average +$850(5)       Jan 02, 2007
Thetis                   B             2004            1.4           73,583               $ 25,000              Jul 19, 2007
Erato                    C             2004            1.4           74,444               $ 21,000              Oct 22, 2006
Coronis                  C             2006            0.0           74,381               $ 21,000              Dec 27, 2006
Pantelis SP              -             1999            6.9          169,883               $ 47,500              Jan 25, 2008
                                                                 ---------------
                                                      Total:      1,064,686


(1)  Gross Time Charter Rate per day.
(2)  Estimated dates assuming earliest redelivery by charterers.
(3)  Each  vessel  is a sister  ship of the  other  vessels  that  have the same
     letter.
(4)  Plus an  additional  one-time  payment of $365,000 over the duration of the
     charter.
(5)  Adjustable  every 15 days based on the average of four main  pre-determined
     time charter routes, as published by the Baltic Exchange.
(6)  As of December 31, 2005.

Summary of Selected Financials & Other Data


                                                                Three Months Ended                          Year Ended
                                                                   December 31,                            December 31,
                                                         ---------------------------------      ---------------------------------
                                                             2005               2004                2005               2004
                                                         --------------     --------------      --------------     --------------
                                                         (unaudited)         (unaudited)         (unaudited)         (unaudited)
                                                                                                           
INCOME STATEMENT DATA (in thousands of US Dollars):
     Voyage and time charter revenues..............           $ 24,005           $ 18,452           $ 103,104          $  63,839
     Voyage expenses...............................              1,291              1,243               6,480              4,330
     Vessel operating expenses.....................              4,287              2,747              14,955              9,514
     Net income ...................................             13,875             31,570              64,990             60,083
FLEET DATA
     Average number of vessels.....................               10.8                7.0                 9.6                6.3
     Number of vessels.............................               12.0                7.0                12.0                7.0
     Weighted average age of fleet (in years)......                3.8                3.4                 3.8                3.4
     Ownership days................................                995                644               3,510              2,319
     Available days................................                984                644               3,471              2,319
     Operating days................................                980                644               3,460              2,315
     Fleet utilization.............................              99.6%             100.0%               99.7%              99.8%
AVERAGE DAILY RESULTS
     Time charter equivalent (TCE) rate (1)........           $ 23,083           $ 26,722           $  27,838          $  25,661
     Daily vessel operating expenses (2)...........           $  4,309           $  4,266           $   4,261          $   4,103


(1)  Time charter  equivalent rates, or TCE rates, are defined as our voyage and
     time charter  revenues less voyage  expenses during a period divided by the
     number of our available  days during the period,  which is consistent  with
     industry  standards.  Voyage expenses  include port charges,  bunker (fuel)
     expenses,  canal charges and commissions.  TCE rate is a standard  shipping
     industry  performance  measure  used  primarily to compare  daily  earnings
     generated  by vessels on time  charters  with daily  earnings  generated by
     vessels on voyage  charters,  because  charter  hire  rates for  vessels on
     voyage  charters  are  generally  not  expressed  in per day amounts  while
     charter hire rates for vessels on time charters are generally  expressed in
     such amounts.

(2)  Daily  vessel  operating  expenses,  which  include  crew wages and related
     costs, the cost of insurance, expenses relating to repairs and maintenance,
     the  costs of  spares  and  consumable  stores,  tonnage  taxes  and  other
     miscellaneous   expenses,  are  calculated  by  dividing  vessel  operating
     expenses by ownership days for the relevant period.

Conference Call and Webcast Information
---------------------------------------
Diana  Shipping Inc. will conduct a conference  call and  simultaneous  Internet
webcast at 9:00 A.M.  (Eastern  Time) on Friday,  February 17, 2006,  to discuss
these  financial  results.  Investors  may access the  webcast by  visiting  the
Company's website at www.dianashippinginc.com, and clicking on the webcast link.
The  webcast  also is  accessible  at  www.viavid.net,  by clicking on the Diana
Shipping  link under  "Events".  The  conference  call also may be  accessed  by
telephone by dialing  1-877-692-2086  (for U.S.-based callers) or 1-973-935-8599
(for international callers).

A replay of the webcast will be available  soon after the completion of the call
and will be accessible on both  www.dianashippinginc.com  and www.viavid.net.  A
telephone  replay will be available by dialing  1-877-519-4471  (for  U.S.-based
callers) or 1-973-341-3080 (for international callers); callers must use the PIN
number 7005586.

About the Company
-----------------
Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX) is a global provider of shipping  transportation
services.  The Company  specializes in transporting dry bulk cargoes,  including
such  commodities as iron ore, coal,  grain and other  materials along worldwide
shipping routes.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
---------------------------------------------------------
Matters   discussed  in  this  press  release  may  constitute   forward-looking
statements.  The Private Securities  Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe
harbor  protections  for  forward-looking   statements  in  order  to  encourage
companies   to   provide   prospective   information   about   their   business.
Forward-looking  statements  include  statements  concerning plans,  objectives,
goals, strategies,  future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and
other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts.

The  Company  desires to take  advantage  of the safe harbor  provisions  of the
Private  Securities  Litigation  Reform  Act  of  1995  and  is  including  this
cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation.  The words
"believe," "except," "anticipate," "intends," "estimate," "forecast," "project,"
"plan,"  "potential,"  "will,"  "may,"  "should,"  "expect"  pending and similar
expressions identify forward-looking statements.

The  forward-looking  statements  in this press  release are based upon  various
assumptions,  many of which  are  based,  in  turn,  upon  further  assumptions,
including  without  limitation,   our  management's  examination  of  historical
operating  trends,  data  contained in our records and other data available from
third parties.   Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when
made,   because  these   assumptions  are  inherently   subject  to  significant
uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and
are beyond our control,  we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish
these expectations, beliefs or projections.

In addition to these  important  factors  other  important  factors that, in our
view,  could cause actual results to differ  materially  from those discussed in
the  forward-looking  statements  include the  strength of world  economies  and
currencies,  general market conditions,  including fluctuations in charter rates
and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity,  changes in
our operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs,
the market for our vessels,  availability of financing and refinancing,  changes
in   governmental   rules  and   regulations  or  actions  taken  by  regulatory
authorities,  potential  liability  from pending or future  litigation,  general
domestic  and  international  political  conditions,   potential  disruption  of
shipping  routes due to accidents or political  events,  vessels  breakdowns and
instances  of  off-hires  and other  factors.   Please see our filings  with the
Securities and Exchange  Commission for a more complete  discussion of these and
other risks and uncertainties.

                         (See financial tables attached)




                               DIANA SHIPPING INC.
                        CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
  Expressed in thousands of U.S. Dollars, except share, per day and fleet data



                                                              Three Months Ended                           Year Ended
                                                                 December 31,                             December 31,
                                                           2005                2004                 2005                2004
                                                      ---------------     ---------------      ---------------     ---------------
                                                       (unaudited)         (unaudited)          (unaudited)
                                                                                                         
REVENUES:
 Voyage and time charter revenues ..............        $     24,005        $     18,452         $    103,104        $     63,839
 EXPENSES:
     Voyage expenses ...........................               1,291               1,243                6,480               4,330
     Vessel operating expenses .................               4,287               2,747               14,955               9,514
     Depreciation and amortization of
          deferred charges .....................               2,976               1,421                9,943               5,087
     Management fees ...........................                 486                 287                1,731                 947
     Executive management services and rent ....                  38                 382                  455               1,528
     General and administrative expenses .......                 841                  89                2,871                 300
     Foreign currency losses (gains) ...........                 (1)                   1                 (30)                   3
                                                      ---------------     ---------------      ---------------     ---------------
     Operating income ..........................              14,087              12,282               66,699              42,130
                                                      ---------------     ---------------      ---------------     ---------------

 OTHER INCOME (EXPENSES):
     Interest and finance costs ................               (569)               (757)              (2,731)             (2,165)
     Interest Income ...........................                 357                  63                1,022                 136
     Gain on sale of vessel ....................                   -              19,982                    -              19,982
                                                      ---------------     ---------------      ---------------     ---------------

     Total other income (expenses), net ........               (212)              19,288              (1,709)              17,953
                                                      ---------------     ---------------      ---------------     ---------------

 Net Income.....................................        $     13,875        $     31,570         $     64,990        $     60,083
                                                      ===============     ===============      ===============     ===============

Earnings per common share, basic and diluted ...        $       0.34        $       1.14         $       1.72        $       2.17
                                                      ===============     ===============      ===============     ===============

Weighted average number of common shares,
basic and diluted...............................          41,358,696          27,625,000           37,765,753          27,625,000
                                                      ===============     ===============      ===============     ===============



BALANCE SHEET DATA


                                                                     Year Ended
                                                                    December 31,
                                                              2005                2004
                                                         ---------------     ---------------
                                                         (unaudited)
                                                                              
ASSETS
------
 Cash and cash equivalents .........................             21,230               1,758
 Other current assets...............................              5,367               1,791
 Advances for vessels under construction and
      acquisitions and other vessel costs...........              4,221              19,234
 Vessels' net book value ...........................            307,305             132,853
 Other non-current assets...........................              3,826                   -
                                                         ---------------     ---------------
     Total assets ..................................       $    341,949             155,636
                                                         ===============     ===============

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
------------------------------------
Current liabilities, including current
     portion of long term debt......................              4,667              11,344
Long-term debt, net of current portion .............             12,859              85,168
Other non-current liabilities.......................                265                  72
Total stockholders' equity..........................            324,158              59,052
                                                         ---------------     ---------------
     Total liabilities and stockholders' equity ....       $    341,949             155,636
                                                         ===============     ===============




OTHER FINANCIAL DATA


                                                           Three Months Ended                         Year Ended
                                                              December 31,                           December 31,
                                                    --------------------------------      -------------------------------
                                                        2005               2004               2005               2004
                                                    -------------     --------------      -------------     -------------
                                                                                                  
                                                     (unaudited)        (unaudited)        (unaudited)
Net cash from operating activities...............       $ 11,592           $ 14,319          $  69,256        $  47,379
Net cash from / (used in) investing activities...        (77,754)            13,961           (169,241)         (11,778)
Net cash from / (used in) financing activities...         57,408            (35,183)           119,457          (41,284)




                                      # # #




                                   SIGNATURES


     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant  has duly  caused  this  report  to be  signed  on its  behalf by the
undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

                                                DIANA SHIPPING INC.
                                                    (registrant)


Dated:  February 15, 2006                       By:  /s/ Anastassis Margaronis
                                                     --------------------------
                                                     Anastassis Margaronis
                                                     President



SK 23159.0002 644593