• Sale and purchase market sees disappointing volume
  Many owners unwilling to part with vessels: Clarksons report
• P&O Bulk Shipping to merge with China group
• Cosco Pacific cutting back on acquisition programme
• Malacca Strait to get new radar
• PSA on target for record year

• Lufthansa plays down cartel office's claims
  All legal obligations have been met, says German carrier, of alliance with SIA
• FAA issues carry-on bag proposals
• Lima exhibitors undeterred by S-E Asia's economic crisis
• Renault chairman to stand trial for car plant closure
• Dutch govt drops passenger limit for Schiphol airport
• Log Book

• 'It is cheaper via Chiwan'
  This port on the Pearl River Delta is set to double its volume over last year as more lines put it on their schedules

• Asia's currency problem appears to have positive impact

• Less Thai-Japan trade limits NYK services
• Union Pacific asked to surrender track
• BAF on the rise
• Colombo port celebrates
• New port strike in the Philippines
• Shipowners urged to comply with ISM Code
• Lufthansa anticipates harvesting profits
• KLM to cancel its Europe-Panama flights
• Polar Air signs for IT system
• Not enough room at the airports

• Fredriksen eyes up London
  SHIPOWNER John Fredriksen is threatening to move his Oslo company, Frontline Management, to London, in order to avoid a potential tax wrangle with the Norwegian authorities.
• Expansion for Grand Alliance
  SHARED inland transport operations and equipment exchange arrangements will form part of the highly integrated network of joint services to be unveiled by the expanded Grand Alliance this morning.
• New safety guidelines for older vessels
  THE implementation schedule for new amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (Solas) pertaining to the safety of bulk carriers, which were adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) last week, provides for the accelerated phasing-in of survivability and strength requirements for older vessels.
• Calm in Hong Kong is gradually disintegrating
  THE perception of calm in the peaceful Hong Kong container terminals is gradually disintegrating as rumours of competition among the operators sweep the market.
• Box damage claims costs highlighted
  SHIPPING cargoes by container is no guarantee that the merchandise will arrive in good condition. In fact, containerised freight is more prone to physical damage than general cargo, according to an analysis of insurance claims.
• Row over Long Beach funds
  DESPITE objections by its tenants, the Port of Long Beach has agreed to transfer $9.1m in port revenues to the city's Tideland Operating Fund. The money - which represents 10% of the port's net earnings - will be used for such things as maintaining the local beaches.
• 'Pie in sky' port getting off the ground
  WHEN Russia's St Petersburg-based multi-millionaire businessman Ilya Baskin dreamt up the idea of building a new port on a stretch of barren coastline in the Gulf of Finland, the plan was widely regarded as pie in the sky.
• Europe's flightless currency bird prepares for takeoff
  JUST one year to go, it seems, to the birth of the Ecu, the European common currency. The German horse gallops away out of control, the French and Benelux coachmen have lost the reins. The Italian, Greek, Portuguese and Spanish passengers inside are busy jettisoning their baggage to try to avert the crash.

• ASP grows after Pan Pacific sale
  Wit the sale of ASP Shipmanagement to the Anglo-Indian Pan Gulf Group finally concluded on Friday, the Melbourne-based company is set for immediate expansion, with eight more vessels joining the ASP-managed fleet over the next few weeks.
• 'Third force' stevedoring alliance?
  The Strang family is promoting a resurrection of the old Consolidated Stevedores Australia concept, which saw joint marketing of independent stevedores in five mainland ports in the latre sixties/early seventies. Stevedoring Services of Australia could draw together Strang, Union, Sea-Land, Western and Newcastle interests to compete with Patrick and P&O Ports.
• AQIS changes save $2 million
  A new approach to government charges will save Australia's shipping industry more than $2 million a year under arrangements announced by the executive director of the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), Paul Hickey.
• Sydney OOCL still awaits decision
  After four months of discussions there is still no firm indication of whether a third container terminal will be built at Botany Bay by Orient Overseas Container Line, SPC ceo Greg Martin confirmed at a brief forum on the future of Sydney ports last week.
• Toll revises TNT deal
  MELBOURNE: Toll Holdings has revised the terms of the acquisition of the Australian transport and logistics operations of TNT Australia from Dutch company Koninkliije PTT Nederland NV, expected to be completed today. Toll Holdings will pay a purchase price of $125.9 million in the deal, which establishes Toll as the leading integrated logistics group in Australia and returns the TNT assets to Australian hands.