• Freight Links only mildly hit by financial turmoil
  Exposure to region quite small; reports sterling 80% jump in interim gains
• MPA signs accord with S'pore university
• US positive on progress of shipping talks with China
• Court rejects captains' request to go home
• Colombo dock workers stage protest

• Fiat heir's death raises question of succession
  Chairman Cesare Romiti expected to retire at shareholders' meeting in May
• Europe warned against open skies deals with US
• Taipei seeks to replace Seoul in A3XX project
• HK firm's Dragonair stake expected to draw investors
• Nissan to launch Asian recreational vehicles
• FedEx allows pilot union to include foreigners in contract
• Cathay to be first int'l carrier to start trial flights over N Korea

• Ol' man river is working hard
  The mighty Mississippi may not be as big as they come but it is a vital artery in the US water transport system

• Liners going through similar experiment as tanker industry

• Testers failing in drug test programs
• Twenty make cut for Seattle port slot
• Corps finds no trace of salmon in drained Bonneville condiut
• FedEx posts increase in quarterly earnings
• U.S. railroads set record for loadings

• Greek plea to stem fleet exodus
  GREECE'S shipowners have urged their government to rethink its policy towards the industry or watch tonnage continue to desert the national ship registry.
• Dubai ends dock training exercise
  A CONTROVERSIAL exercise in Dubai to train Australian troops as dock workers has been terminated, the United Arab Emirates embassy in Australia said yesterday.
• Key players in tanker sector ponder the dilemma of age
  WORLDSCALE freight rates may be at their highest for many years, but owners cannot agree on how best to respond to the changing market conditions.
• India forfeits second half of ADB loan
  INDIA has firmly declined to go along with the conditions laid down by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in advancing a $250m loan to the country for the hydrocarbons sector. It has thereby forfeited the second and final tranche of the loan.
• US vote opens way for Kvaerner
  LONG-reluctant Philadelphia City Council has finally voted unanimously to approve a financial commitment needed to finalise the $400m deal under which London-based engineering-to-shipbuilding firm Kvaerner will reopen and operate part of the closed Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
• Top-level talks in Ukraine on rescue package for Blasco
  TALKS are being held at Cabinet level in Ukraine in an attempt to cobble together a rescue plan for financially troubled state-owned Black Sea Shipping Company (Blasco).
• Pressing that button marked 'typhoon'
  THERE is meant to be something called maritime English.
• Norasia extends focus on regional shipping
  NORASIA Lines wants to expand into regional shipping and limit its exposure to the longhaul trades.

• 'Artificial' competition no rail solution
  TranRail chairman Edward Burkhardt has told the government's 'Role of Rail' inquiry that open access competition on the national track may well be counter-productive, rather than the stimulus to rail business expected.
• Sydney investment needed now: BOC
  Sydney Airport must commit to or allow investment in the upgrading of air freight infrastructure, or miss out on the vast potential of the burgeoning air freight industry. Patrick Roche, md of UK-based BOC Cargo Services told a conference in Sydney infrastructure expansion was not keeping pace.
• Patrick dispute averted, for now
  The threat of an industrial dispute breaking out on the Melbourne waterfront today has been averted by discussions between Patrick and the Maritime Union of Australia. It is understood the discussions have allowed the union to better understand the company's position and a meeting of the rank and file will be held on Wednesday to consider the changes which the stevedore wants to implement.
• Dubai row hits international stage
  Letters of protest followed by possible strike action are set to be the next stage of the row over "waterfront mercenaries" in Dubai. The International Transport Workers' Federation was at the weekend expected to issue a call to its 500 affiliates around the world to protest at the training of Australian servicemen to the Prime Minister, John Howard as well as the United Arab Emirates. If these letters have no impact, industrial action is expected.
• $2 million for Carrington upgrade
  Following its purchase of the Australian Submarine Corporation's shipbuilding site at Tomago in September, the Forgacs Group has been granted $2 million to upgrade the facilities out of the Federal Government's $10 million Hunter Assistance Package. The dollar-for dollar-funding package will be used mainly to dredge out the launching bays and improve the wharf structure of the former Carrington slipways.
• ANL gets gong from SPC
  ANL Ltd is the first company to take advantage of the 2.5 per cent incentive on cargo throughput offered by Sydney Ports Corporation for the electronic transfer of shipping manifests through the Internet.