web site Hamburg port forecasts throughput of 4m TEUs Far Eastern trade expected to account for half of all box trades in 2000 Oil slick moves away from Malaysian shores Aussie shipping in need of drastic reform Meeting will explore new frontiers Mishaps off Canada, Korea British Airways to start cheap, no-frills carrier Move expected to trigger fare bonanza for passengers on European routes Cathay to increase flights to S-E Asia Germany and EC close to deal on illegal aid to Volkswagen Lufthansa to open catering service in Yangon 90% of foreign charter flights have safety faults: Bonn European airlines to act against switch to new Milan airport Ducks battle planes for survival at Samoan airport Ageing begins early for double-hull crude carriers web site LOF sells off three old panamax ships LONDON Overseas Freigh-ters (LOF), which recently merged with John Fredriksen's Frontline group, has sold its three early 1980s-built panamax products tankers in a deal reportedly worth over $61m. US-Japanese port talks falter US-JAPANESE negotiations over Japan's alleged unfair and discriminatory port practices stalled over the weekend as Tokyo demanded that Washington surrender its ability to monitor Japanese adherence to any promised reforms. Ghana's model policies reap dividends LIBERALISATION of economies and country policies in West Africa has led to a far freer shipping industry with the attendant benefits, but also to a downside for some of the local and less internationally adept shippers. Greeks dominate spending spree UNUSUALLY, talk in the sale and purchase market for most of last week centred around the sale by South Korea's Hanjin Shipping Company of 13 container ships in deals worth in excess of $188m. Piracy top of Colombo maritime agenda THE recent rise in incidents of piracy at Colombo port has spurred the members of the Ceylon Association of Ships' Agents (CASA) to take the matter up on a priority basis with the country's Navy and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). Houston to lift rates and rents at terminals PORT of Houston Authority commissioners have approved a series of rate and rental increases for the Turning Basin Terminals and the liquid bulk Bayport Terminal. Gibraltar yard decision 'imminent' GIBRALTAR'S government is thought to be close to raching a decision on which of two possible operators will run the Rock's former naval dockyard. Charterers, are you ready for ISM? MUCH has been written in the shipping press over recent months about IMO's International Safety Management Code which comes into force on July 1, 1998. Many more column inches will doubtless be devoted to the subject in the coming months. But as the deadline nears for ship operators to become certified under the code, it is obvious that many operators will not have certification in place by that strategic date. So what happens then?.