• Hyundai to join Far East-Euro rate group
  First time line has joined a conference on Far East-Europe trade
• New medical rules for sailors may cut insurance claims
• China to tighten Yangtze shipping measures after spill

• Electrical faults connected to fuel probes being studied
  Chances of terrorist bomb or a meteorite being the cause of crash discounted
• DHL sees UK sales revenues in 1997 rising 21%
• Rolls-Royce eyes US$4b business from Airbus
• India's shipping policy hit by fall of govt
• McDonnell, General Dynamics mismanaged A-12 project: govt
• US dept's probe into anti-competitive conduct of airlines put on hold
• Daimler-Benz says it's unlikely to increase stake in Ssangyong

• Boeing plans design changes
  World's largest aviation firm makes plans to prevent explosions like the one that caused the crash of the TWA flight

• English rules on arrested ship's release applicable in Australia

• State transport firms profits drop
• Indian railway beats target
• Abu Dhabi boosts trade through re-export
• Farrell vessel gets scrapped
• Union Pacific emergency order extended until March
• Sales shuffle for NYK
• Ancient Chinese port enters modern world
• Fedex's Caliber purchase passes antitrust hurdle
• JR Freight seizes on chemical freight upturn
• AAPA admits two new members
• Lauda Air's opens in Malaysia
• Airbus taps into China market

• European Court condemns France
• 7 per cent growth in German intermodal transport
• Uncertainty about conferences
• New Rotterdam harbor professor
• ABN Amro Bank wants new financial infrastructure
• Mail to bottom of the sea

• John Fratt leaves Port of Kalama
• Seattle VIPs unveil new world trade center
• Port Vancouver, BC clients plan to make port more competitive
• Federal Express and Caliber plan January merger
• TIACA pursues membership in Russia

• ITF targets Dubai in Australia dock row
  TOP container carriers calling at Dubai face the prospect of industrial action from dockers' unions worldwide, as fall-out from the crisis on Australia's waterfront spread wider yesterday.
• Harland and Wolff to drydock Stena ferries
  TWO of the three Stena Line HSS fast ferries are to be drydocked at Belfast's Harland and Wolff, the first time the ships have been put out for commercial tender. Both drydocked under guarantee terms at the building yard, Finland's Finnyards, during winter last year.
• El Nino factor casting a cloud over reefer sector
  SEVERAL of the 30-plus refrigerated ships awaiting work are preparing to sail to fruit-loading areas, as owners are confident of clinching the last remaining pre-Christmas orders on the market.
• Smit Tak bids to raise wreck of 'Sapphire'
  PREPARATIONS were under way yesterday to raise the wreck of the Peterhead fishing vessel Sapphire to recover the bodies of four fishermen who drowned when she sank on October 1, writes Sandra Speares.
• Guidelines to boost health of seafarers
  INTERNATIONAL standards for the conduct of medical examinations for seafarers have been put forward at an International Labour Organisation (ILO) and World Health Organ-isation meeting in Geneva.
• Canada arrests 23 ships
  CANADA detained 23 foreign flag ships under its port state control programme in the third quarter, after inspecting 276 vessels, writes David Osler.
• Manila handling rates to be increased by 20%
  CARGO handling rates at the Philippines' main international terminals at the Port of Manila's South Harbour and Manila International Container Terminal are to rise by 20% from next month.
• Philippines' cargo growth slows down
  PHILIPPINE cargo volume is expected to register slower growth this year as a result of economic difficulties brought about by the regional currency crisis, Alec Almazan reports from Manila.

• Suharto Jr wins massive lng contract
  HUMPUSS Intermodal Transport, owned by the youngest son of Indonesia's president Suharto, has won a contract to transport lng for state-owned Pertamina.
• Loki raises control of largest tanker
  NORWEGIAN shipping group Loki has doubled its stake in Mercur Tankers, owner of the world's largest ship, the 563,000 dwt Jahre Viking.
• Panama likely to bring in restrictions soon
  PANAMA Canal authorities are expected to bring in draught restrictions early next year, following the effects of El Nino on water levels.
• Greece to maintain status of shipping ministry
  GREEK prime minister Kostas Simitis has decided to maintain the independent status of the shipping ministry, rather than merging it with two other others to save on administration costs.
• Asian owners welcome new piracy counter measures
  ASIAN owners have welcomed the proposed implementation of mandatory 'ship reporting system' in the Malacca Straits in an attempt to counter piracy.
• FBM Aboitiz launches first ferry for CTS Parkview
  FBM Aboitiz Marine of the Philippines has launched the first in a series of high speed ferries to be delivered to CTS Parkview of Hong Kong.
• Irish Ferries charters for Channel routes
  IRISH Ferries has chartered the 24,872 gt Normandy, ex-Stena Normandy, to operate its cross-Channel services.
• China linked to Australian flying squad
  CHINA has been linked to a controversial plan to recruit military-trained stevedores to work at Australian ports.
• Catalina Cruises orders largest cat
  CATALINA Cruises of Long Beach has ordered a 450-passenger Incat-designed 43 m catamaran.
• Class "poacher and gamekeeper" says survey chief
  CLASS societies are acting as both "poacher and gamekeeper" in undertaking both consultancy and accreditation for the ISM Code, says Murray Fenton chief.
• Canadian Pacific to continue east US rail services
  CANADIAN Pacific is to keep its rail subsidary providing services out of Montreal into the US northeast and Mid-west.
• Greece to shake up maritime training
  MARITIME training in Greece is to receive major improvements, according to a bill drafted by the shipping ministry.
• Greece's first ever ferry newbuilding in sight
  HELLENIC Shipyards and Strintzis Lines are expected to sign a contract for what has been dubbed the "first ever newbuilding ferry to be produced in Greece".
• ABP review generates '5m savings
  UK-BASED Associated British Ports Holdings has announced initial savings of '5m ($8.25m) from the first stage of a strategic review of the company's ports business.
• Cherbourg selected for fast trans-Atlantic service
  THE French port of Cherbourg has been selected as a European port of call for US-based group Fastship.

• P&ONL: les 4 PC de 6.700 TEU feront partie d'un service séparé Europe-E-O
  "Dans une vingtaine de jours, P&ONL aura un an d'existence. Pour nous c'est un soulagement et cette évolution a été rendue possible grâce au soutien de la clientèle. Nous vivons dans une période où les fusions sont légions, elles se manifestent dans divers secteurs: les banques, l'industrie, les technologies et le shipping. Toutefois, c'est très difficile à gérer, car l'objectif poursuivi est de maximaliser l'efficacité et de maintenir les parts de marché et il s'avère que les avantages côté coûts et les parts de marché ne sont pas toujours compatibles". Barry. Williams, managing director de P&0NL pour la région Europe était de passage mercredi dernier à Anvers où, dans le cadre d'une manifestation organisée par l'agence anversoise du groupe, il eut l'occasion d'informer la clientèle des prochaines étapes.
• NFC envisage des acquisitions... ou une rétribution des actionnaires
  Le groupe britannique de transport et de logistique NFC a annoncé une légère hausse de ses bénéfices avant taxes pour l'année 1996/97 (clôturée en septembre), qui sont passés de 105,7 à 115,6 millions de GBP. Dans les livres, toutefois, ce bénéfice a régressé à 87,8 millions de GBP en raison d'une charge exceptionnelle de 27,8 mio. de GBP liée au programme de restructuration de l'entreprise, qui a été lancé en juin. Selon le groupe, les premiers résultats de ce plan seront sentis dès cette année. A terme, ce plan permettra d'économiser 20 mio. de GBP par an. Par ailleurs, NFC a révélé qu'il a tenté de réaliser une fusion avec Ocean Group, tentative qui a échoué
• Les prochaines lignes à grande vitesse belges seront inaugurées en 2002 et 2005
  Accueilli par la Garde républicaine en gare de Paris Nord, le Thalys royal a parcouru en 1h18' les 314 km, dont plus de 281 en ligne à grande vitesse entre Bruxelles et Paris. Soit quelques minutes de moins que le temps officiel de 1h25' qui sera en vigueur dès dimanche.

• After 70 years of routing carloads the old-fashioned way, the now-crammed megaport has agreed with UP and BNSF to have Pacific Harbor Line, a short-line operator, reorganize things
• Business girds for climate pact fight
• Guatemala readies for more sell-offs
• Commerce fines forwarder for violating anti-boycott provisos
• American Airlines gives information in Justice Department pricing probe
• Downs leaving Amtrak; acting chief appointed
• Crowley family welcomes next generation to world
• Brazil keeps tax break as part of fiscal package
• Maritime leaders honored at luncheon
• The European Commission has released a review of the continent's facilities -- analyzing infrastructure, charges, services and more
• Something positive about 1997: It's finally coming to an end
• Salt Sniffers of Hurricane Alley heave sigh of relief over less-than-tempestuous season

• ITF to the rescue
  The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) will once again strongly support the Maritime Union of Australia in any possible confrontation over "waterfront mercenaries" now being trained in Dubai. This follows a presentation to the ITF by one of its executive members, John Coombs, the national secretary of the union.
• AWAs on the outer with MUA
  The MUA in Western Australian has decided to mount a public campaign - including industrial action - against attempts by port authorities to impose Australian Workplace Agreements, allegedly in place of pre-existing Integrated Port Labour Force agreements.
• Bumper harvest produces handling delays
  A record West Australian wheat harvest has caused bottle-necks at grain storage terminals, with trucks waiting for up to a day to unload, according to Cooperative Bulk Handling. With a record-breaking 10.8 million tonne wheat harvest, the major grains handler was forced to keep trucks waiting for the first time this week at the port of Geraldton.
• OMA meeting objectives
  During the second year of its existence, the New South Wales Office of Marine Administration has come a long way towards fulfilling the objectives set for the agency in terms of the Ports Corporatisation and Waterways Management Act 1995 according to the executive director, Matthew Taylor.

• Exxon stuns the market
  Brokers following Exxon Corp's tender for an 80,000- to 120,000-dwt tanker for up to four years were stunned this week when the oil major chose the 1987-built 'Nissos Amorgos' (96,000 dwt), which is outside the tender's specified age limits.
• Halla fights to stay alive
  Halla chairman IY Chung has long been known as a hard-driving workaholic who last year had handlers escort him to the podium at a shipyard event, reportedly because he was so exhausted. Today, Chung is under more strain than ever as he fights to save his shipbuilding and heavy industries group from mounting bankruptcy pressure.
• Buttner's son leaves the family firm and places orders
  The son of Bremen-based shipowner Carl Buttner, Carl Heiko Buttner, has set up his own shipping company along with a partner, and is already ordering vessels for the new venture.
• BLASCO fights to free cruiseship
  Cash-strapped Black Sea Shipping Co (BLASCO) is making a last-ditch effort to halt the forced sale of the arrested cruiseship 'Kareliya,' one of the best-known vessels in its fleet.
• Ex-Lexmar bosses back in court
  Lexmar Corp's collapse in 1990 in a bad shipping market continues to haunt principals Magnus Lindholm and Adam Backstrom. They now find themselves fighting a USD 40m claim from Swedish financier Gamlestaden PLC.