Singapore collision masters jailed TWO tanker masters involved in the collision which caused Singapore's worst oil spill have been jailed and given hefty fines for their roles in the incident.
Liverpool & London sues Lambert Fenchurch over $2.6m claims LIVERPOOL & London Steamship Protection and Indemnity Association is suing Lambert Fenchurch and Lambert Fenchurch Marine Group for $2.6m in outstanding claims.
Indian ministry seeks $700m shipping boost INDIA's Ministry of Surface Transport has proposed setting aside $700m a year under the external commercial borrowings scheme, for the shipping sector during the Ninth Five-Year Plan.
Crown Estate reports 10% advance BRITAIN'S Crown Estate, which derives a substantial slice of its revenues from marine-related activities, reported a 10% increase in profit last year.
Masters pay price of national interest IT always seemed a likely bet that masters Michael Chalkitis and Jan Sokolowski would not escape lightly from Singapore's judicial process. So it proved yesterday with both men receiving jail sentences and hefty fines.
Sacked Subic chief accused of sedition SEDITION charges have been filed against Subic Freeport chairman Richard Gordon and a number of his associates for inciting supporters to resist president Joseph Estrada's orders to replace him.
Frontline ULCC is booked into Dubai FRONTLINE has awarded Dubai Drydocks the inspection and survey docking of the 402,934 dwt Liberian ULCC Sea Sovereign.
Sloman Neptun ready to order carrier in fleet expansion move GERMAN shipping company Sloman Neptun is close to ordering a 5,600 cubic metres ethylene carrier.
OOCL enhances China-Japan links HONG KONG'S OOCL has redesigned its service links between China and Japan by setting up two new direct services from the Chinese port of Ningbo.
Ex-Hambros directors go it alone THREE former directors of Hambros Bank's Shipping Division have set up an independent shipping and offshore corporate finance venture.
Philippines eases port operating rules PHILIPPINES' Department of Justice says that port project developers can be foreigners, although port service contractors and facility operators are required to be nationals.
Thomas Miller to go private MUTUAL club manager Thomas Miller has decided to replace its existing partnership arrangements and become a private company from early next year.
CGM-Transroll boost ECSA service FRENCH shipping company CGM (CGM-CMA group) and Brazilian operator Transroll are upgrading their joint container and ro-ro service.
Canada purges substandard ships CANADIAN ship inspectors detained almost one ship every three days for safety defects during the first quarter of 1998.
Taiwan in Australian steel plant bid TAIWANESE investors have indicated they may build a multi-billion dollar steel plant in northern Australia.
Australian forestry exports soar HIGHER levels of woodchip, paper and paperboard exports helped to generate a 16 per cent improvement in Australia's forestry product exports.
Philippine port policy overhaul expected THE appointment of a new Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) general manager from the shipping sector is expected to lead to a policy overhaul affecting international lines.
German union agrees low pay deal GERMAN trade union OTV has agreed that new dockworkers employed by Hamburg stevedoring company Carl Tiedemann can receive lower rates of pay for three years.
Germany approves new crew rules THE German parliament has finally approved new rules reducing the minimum number of German crewmen that must be employed on German-flag ships.
India rejects dumping charge INDIA'S Ministry of Environment has defended a policy allowing the US to dump its discarded ships on Indian coasts.
'Illegal' stoppage closes US ports EIGHT terminals at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles were shut down last week and yesterday in a stoppage by the International Longshore Workers Union.
P&O to assess cruise propulsion P&O will assess in the near future whether to opt for gas turbines and podded propulsors for use in all or some of the five vessels it has on order.
Eidsiva to expand ferry operations NORWEGIAN shipping company Eidsiva plans to expand to another route and add further tonnage on the Rostock service.
OOCL: bénéfice 97 en baisse malgré une hausse des volumes "Le résultat de l'exercice 97, attendu à la baisse, a été décevant." Telle est la conclusion marquante du rapport annuel du groupe Orient Overseas (International) Ltd (OOCL). Le bénéfice après impôts est tombé de 107,2 à 24,2 millions d'USD (-77%), tandis que le bénéfice opérationnel après financement et postes exceptionnels est tombé de 56,9 à 3,7 mio. de dollars. En outre, le bénéfice après impôts comprend un montant de 23,2 mio. d'USD généré essentiellement par la vente de navires. Par contre, le chiffre d'affaires est passé de 1,88 à 1, 89 milliard d'USD. Cette légère augmentation résulte d'un accroissement du volume transporté, des revenus du côté des terminaux et de l'introduction de plus grands navires.
Anvers au cœur des priorités de la SNCB Quand on demande à Antoine Martens, administrateur-directeur général adjoint de la SNCB, que nous avons rencontré lors de la 8e WCTR, quels sont les projets prioritaires de la SNCB à propos d'Anvers, on a vraiment l'impression que tous le sont: l'achèvement de la modernisation de la gare de triage d'Anvers-Nord, le Main Hub pour le transport combiné, le deuxième accès ferroviaire au port d'Anvers, les développements à la Rive gauche, le Rhin d'Acier, le tunnel sous l'Escaut. Seul ce dernier investissement, qui représente au bas mot 14 milliards de BEF, n'est inscrit à aucun budget et ne figure dans aucun plan d'investissement. Et pourtant...
Frigoscandia acquiert Interfrisa en Espagne Le groupe suédois Frigoscandia, filiale du groupe américain ProLogis, a signé une lettre d'intention pour l'acquisition de la société espagnole de transport et d'entreposage frigorifique Internacional Frigorifica (Interfrisa), basée à Barcelone. Ceci permet à Frigoscandia, qui dit être le plus grand opérateur logistique d'Europe dans la chaîne du froid, de renforcer son réseau dans le Sud de l'Europe. La stratégie du groupe suédois est de se constituer un réseau pan-européen.
Parkes plan crash-lands Bold development plans for a dedicated international freight airport at Parkes in NSW's central west appear to be in tatters after the federal government this week virtually ruled out any funding for the proposal. Transport Minister Mark Vaile applauded the enthusiasm of the project's backers, the Inland Marketing Corporation, which has been lobbying for state and federal government funding since 1995, but said it would add to freight costs, not reduce them. Mr Vaile's comments after the release of an independent report which found that the proposed regional freight hub at Parkes was not viable without significant government funding to compete against existing airfreight services.
Intercontinental hopes rest on meeting with AIMPE The Intercontinental group was yesterday hoping that a meeting with representatives of the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers might resolve the dispute which is holding up three of the company's vessels. The row, over the manning of the coastal bulk carrier Sandra Marie, has led not only to her mothballing, but also to industrial action affecting the Portland off Bunbury and the Lindesay Clark in Geelong. The matter has already been before the Australian Industrial Relations Commission but is not expected to return there, at least not in the short term.
Eureka: We're back in the bulk business The 'faithful' crew from beleaguered Western Bulk Shipping have risen from the ashes as the wholly Australian owned Eureka Bulk Shipping, and have set up their operating base in Kew, Melbourne. The new company is headed up by Tomm Paulsen (previously managing diretcor for Western Bulk in Australia). Three former Western colleagues have gone with him, Andrew Kitchen (former WBS chartering manager), Don McNeil (former WBS operations manager) and Jim Jeffers (former WBS company secretary and accounting manager). Eureka has a management contract with Eastern Bulk Shipping, formed in Norway by Otto Tidemand Jr, and the Eureka office in Melbourne will be Eastern's only operating office. Otto Tidemand Jr has been setting up his own bulk operation since late last year, when he said that the new operation would be an operation of the same dimensions as WBS.
Union questions govt's safety commitment The federal government has been accused of undermining improvements in the maritime industry. In a submission to the Ships of Shame inquiry, Maritime Union of Australia national secretary John Coombs said if safety was an objective for Australia as a flag state, then the country "must lift its game". Mr Coombs said the Australian maritime industry could not be viewed in isolation. "Globalisation," he said, "is a key concept which is highly relevant to the industry. Despite the strengthening of public and private sector regulation many operators continue to evade regulation with sub-standard ships in a bid to save running costs. "Flag of convenience states (FOC) are on the rise with vessels from these states accounting for over half of all absolute vessel losses in 1996."
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