BRIEFS

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Shippers warn of too many liner alliances
Regulators must make sure these mergers do not turn into monopolistic transport providers
Weak locks on bow doors led to ferry sinking
Legislation for sale of ANL introduced in Parliament
Philippine court blocks re-bidding for Subic project
Cosco Pacific to buy into 3 China ports
Lufthansa to buy 5 B747s and 10 Airbus A340s
Order keeps European aircraft maker ahead of its US rival
America West Airlines cuts some fares for '98 by half
Cathay reviews in-flight security after cockpit incident
ANA appoints general sales agent in United Arab Emirates
Volvo set to sign big contract with Russia: report
MAS plans more flights to Surabaya
Oil-spill penalties are starting to bite hard
Recent court decisions are a wake-up call to ship-owners, vessel masters
Seller can use buyer's breach to defend its refusal to load cargo

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Red tape dissolved at port Klang customs
OOCL's departure `logical'
China and US discuss mutual shipping concerns
Bayaquan Port first for growth
TNT and Qantas join forces in global service agreement
Thai Airways sees profits drop 18 per cent
Kumho considers to expand business in China

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DECEMBER 4, 1997

Rise in European road haulage expected
Belgium-Italy freeway ready
Nedshipping wins Mister Award for e-commerce
FedEx also on Sundays
Improved operations with electronic credit card

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R. Steinke named Port Long Beach director
Cargill gains half of VBC grain center
French shipping line adds Philadelphia to schedule
Maersk joins Customs in anti-drug program
Boeing hires Austin to build rocket factory in Alabama

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'Estonia' report attacked
GERMAN shipbuilder Meyer Werft yesterday stepped up its attack on the International Commission report into the sinking of the Estonia.
Greek owners set to reject ITF claims
GREEK shipping executives may send a letter of complaint to the International Transport Workers' Federation after the body's general secretary David Cockroft branded them as "exploiters" in Athens.
TI Group to buy 30% stake in Lips United
TI Group of the UK is expanding its marine engineering interests with the acquisition of a 30% stake in Lips United, the Dutch group best known for its propellers.
Royal Olympic reshuffles fleet
ROYAL Olympic Cruises is reshuffling its fleet in the wake of its first newbuilding order and ahead of an intended public flotation early next year in the United States.
Philippine towage firms raise rates
VESSELS calling at the port of Manila will have to pay higher rates for tug assistance.
Hvide christens revolutionary tractor tug
RAPIDLY-EXPANDING US marine support and transport services firm Hvide Marine yesterday was expected to christen the first of its 'revolutionary' $4.75m Ship Docking Modules tractor tugs - the New River, writes Joel Glass, Washington Correspondent.
MAN B&W diesel range boosted
IN A MOVE which restores Denmark's capacity to manufacture propulsion engines for ships up to panamax size, MAN B&W has completed an expansion project at its Alpha Diesel plant in Frederikshavn.
UK farmers step up beef import protest
IRATE farmers brought in reinforcements and widened the scope of their dispute yesterday by picketing a range of UK west coast ports.

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DECEMBER 4, 1997

Sepetiba terminals to be sold
TWO container terminals and a grain terminal in Brazil's Sepetiba Bay will be auctioned in March.
Chennai port berth reservation may be scrapped
THE berth reservation scheme at the West Quay II of Chennai Port is likely to be discontinued, according to present indications.
Calcutta Port Trust/CDLB merger opposed
FIVE leading trade unions in the Calcutta Dock Labour Board (CDLB) have opposed the board's merger scheme of the board with Calcutta Port Trust.
Norgas Victory sale falls through
I M SKAUGEN will not sell the 8,936 m' Norgas Victory to South American interests as it had planned to do.
Venezuela plans deepwater ports
VENEZUELA's Congressional Economic Commission is recommending the closure of all ports with greater than 4 m depth in Lake Maracaibo, replacing them with new deepwater ports.
Reduce detentions, Chinese owners told
CHINESE shipping companies have been told that they must lower the detention rate of Chinese ships in foreign ports.
Brazil and US to discuss changes
BRAZILIAN authorities are to meet with the US Maritime Administration (Marad) from December 16 to discuss the Brazilian Special Register (REB).
Seaway extends season
THE St Lawrence Seaway has decided to extend its shipping season by at least two days without making any extra charges.
India awards jetty contract to Kv'rner
A $50m contract to build a major chemical jetty in Gujarat has been awarded to Kv'rner Construction International.
Stevedores did not know of flying squad plan
AUSTRALIA'S two major stevedores, Patrick and P&O Ports, did not know of a flying squad of ex-military and police personnel being trained to work on the nation's waterfront.
Four injured in tank fire on Mosqueen off Dubai
FOUR people were injured, two of them seriously, when fire broke out in one of the tanks of Mosvold Shipping's vlcc tanker Mosqueen outside Dubai.
Belships unit and I M Skaugen in ship swap deal
TWO Norwegian lpg carrier owners have swapped ships in a move aimed to improve the concentration of both companies on their respective market segments.

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United expanding some cargo facilities
CSX, NS submit 500-page safety plan to regulators
KLM leads 3-way race for the hand of Alitalia
Canadian workers hint at mail sabotage
Hvide purchases support vessels
Economic woes to slow reforms in Asian aviation, expert says
Marad ruling a mixed bag for Sea-Land
Russian-built tug towing Carla is ship off the old bloc
Design, crew blamed for Estonia ferry disaster
Kintetsu gears up for Russia
UPS, pilots begin informal discussions
Truck corridor gaining ground in Brownsville
Railroads say things are better, dismiss any suggestions otherwise
Training seafarers leaves Asians at sea

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Reith: We know nothing
The Federal Government was quick to distance itself from the potential dynamite of a "troops on the waterfront" scenario yesterday, following revelations ‘mercenaries’ have been sent for stevedoring training in Dubai. But Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, National Party MP Julian McGauran and others from the conservative side of politics publicly backed the plan.
Industry jittery
Claims that former military personnel were being trained "as mercenaries for work on the waterfront" were dismissed as being "over the top" by the industry. A senior shipping executive with many years of experience on the Australian waterfront told DCN yesterday he regarded the claims with amusement. "It’s South Pacific stuff," he said.
No meat rates rise, yet
Principal meat carriers in the North American trade have no immediate plans to raise freight rates - but warn it could be a different matter next year. The denial follows five per cent rises in the equivalnt trade from New Zealand - which have not been well received by that country’s meat industry.
PHPA leaves Pilbara
The Port Hedland Port Authority will terminate its involvement in Pilbara Stevedores on Monday, leaving the company in the hands of P&O Ports. The move follows a directive from the WA government, which is anxious to encourage port functions into the private sector.
New Guam service launched
A new shipping service linking Australia with Guam and Saipan through Hong Kong has been started by City Network, the agents in Australia and New Zealand for Mariana Express Lines. Utilising FESCO vessels, the service offers sailings from Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney with transhipment in Hong Kong.

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Cambridge deals for 10 VLCCs in China
Cambridge Partners chairman Bjorn Q Aaserod is backing China's plans for a new shipyard at Waigaoqiao by negotiating a massive USD 800m order for up to 10 VLCCs with China State Shipbuilding Corp (CSSC).
'Nightmare' haunts bitter boss of ailing Leond Maritime
With USD 22m of personal guarantees hanging over his head, his entire fleet under arrest and facing the threat of imprisonment in Greece for outstanding debts, Stratis Leondaras - owner of collapsed Leond Maritime - says he is living a "nightmare."
Faulty loading may have sunk 'Leros Strength'
The bulk carrier 'Leros Strength' may have been improperly loaded before its final voyage, putting the hull under excessive stress, says an interim report into the sinking.
'Fictional' fixture leaves broking firm in hot water
It's a broker's nightmare: two large tankers left unemployed when the arranged fixture turns out to be fiction. The strange tale of how two Aframax tankers went to the Latvian port of Ventspils to load a cargo that didn't exist could prove costly for London shipbroker Simpson Spence & Young.
Norasia boss details 'his life'
In 1982, Swiss accountant Hans Steiger bought a stake in Switzerland-based liner company Norasia, which at the time had a book equity of USD 1.2m and was losing money. Today, after 15 years of hard work, Steiger owns the company 100 per cent and the book equity has risen to USD 100m.