shipping channels

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Half a World Away, More Bad News for Global Shipping

Traffic slashed at drought-stricken Panama Canal as attacks continue in Red Sea

(Newser) - A severe drought that began last year has forced authorities to slash ship crossings by 36% in the Panama Canal, one of the world's most important trade routes, per the AP . The new cuts announced Wednesday by authorities in Panama are set to deal an even greater economic blow...

Biden: Strikes Aren't Stopping Houthis, Will Continue

'We never said the Houthis would immediately stop,' Pentagon says

(Newser) - US forces on Thursday conducted a fifth strike against Iranian-backed Houthi rebel military sites in Yemen as President Biden acknowledged that the American and British bombardment had yet to stop attacks that have disrupted global shipping. The latest strikes destroyed two Houthi anti-ship missiles that "were aimed into the...

Houthi Rebels Fire at Yet Another Tanker in Red Sea

And this one isn't linked to Israel

(Newser) - A missile fired by Yemen's Houthi rebels slammed into a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen near a key maritime chokepoint, the rebels and authorities said Tuesday. The assault on the oil and chemical tanker Strinda expands a campaign by the Iranian-backed rebels targeting...

Houthi Rebels Seized Israeli Ship in Crucial Shipping Lane

Yemen group's action ignites fears that the war could spread to new maritime front

(Newser) - A helicopter Houthi attack on an Israel-linked ship in the Red Sea highlights the danger now lurking in one of the world's key shipping routes as the Israel-Hamas war rages, as well as the rebels' tactics mirroring those of its chief sponsor, Iran. While Tehran has denied aiding the...

DHS Denies Puerto Rico Waiver to Expedite Shipping

Trump administration says damaged island ports are issue, won't OK Jones Act waiver

(Newser) - As Puerto Ricans struggle after Hurricane Maria, a request to ease shipping restrictions for urgently needed supplies was turned down Tuesday by the Trump administration. Reuters notes the Jones Act , aka the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 , mandates only US-built and -flagged ships may ship between US coasts. In the...

Panama Canal Christens Its $5B Gamble

Vast overhaul doubles capacity

(Newser) - With a band playing and flags waving, a Chinese ship carrying more than 9,000 containers on Sunday entered the newly expanded locks that will double the Panama Canal's capacity in a multibillion-dollar bet on a bright economic future despite tough times for international shipping. Several tug boats pulled...

Since 1992, World Ship Traffic Has Exploded 300%

Satellite data reveals huge increase

(Newser) - In the 20 years between 1992 and 2012, there was a huge explosion in traffic in every shipping lane in the world apart from the pirate-infested waters off Somalia, according to a new study. Researchers used satellite data to estimate shipping traffic worldwide and found that there had been a...

Miami Divers in Rush to Save Rare Corals

The deadline is Saturday, when excavation begins on the city's shipping channel

(Newser) - A group of scientists has until Saturday to save as many corals as time and weather permit along the bottom of a Miami shipping channel, before it is scheduled to be dredged and deepened by eight feet. With the Panama Canal in the process of being widened, the excavation project...

Giant Freighter Is First to Cross Northwest Passage

Danish bulk carrier makes milestone journey

(Newser) - Sure, scientists are nearly positive that humans are heating up the planet, but there's an upside: more efficient shipping. For the first time, a major freighter has crossed the Northwest Passage in the Arctic, reports the Toronto Globe and Mail . The 735-foot Nordic Orion achieved the feat this week...

Tanker in Danger of Breaking Up on Great Barrier Reef

Chinese coal-hauler was 9 miles outside shipping lane

(Newser) - A coal-laden ship that ran aground at full speed some 9 miles outside a shipping lane in protected waters was leaking oil on Australia's Great Barrier Reef and in danger of breaking apart, officials said today. Authorities fear an oil spill will damage the world's largest coral reef, which is...

Icebergs Drift Toward New Zealand

Over 100 floating chunks headed north from Antarctica

(Newser) - A rare flotilla of icebergs is slowly drifting toward New Zealand from Antarctica. Shippers have been warned that more than 100 giant chunks of ice are in the area. Experts believe most of the icebergs will break up before they hit the coast. Enterprising Kiwis are arranging helicopter tours to...

11 Stories