Russia to sell off its nuclear ice-breaker fleet

RT.com, 04October, 2011

Ice-breaker(RIA Novosti / Vadim Zhernov)

A state-runcompany that operates atomic ice-breakers in Russia may soon become private.

AtomFleethas been removed from the list of previously untouchable assets.

This,however, does not mean the state is going to sell it off completely. Thepresidential order is expected to allow the fleet to be put up for auction,while still keeping 100 per cent of it as state property under the supervisionof RosAtom.

Militaryspecialists say the main reason behind the move is economic. Ever since thecompany became part of state-owned RosAtom, the losses experienced haveamounted to millions of dollars annually. Private companies operating innorthern Russia immediately started looking for cheaper alternatives.

Thesituation was worsened by the growing popularity of diesel ice-breakers. As aresult, the demand for nuclear-powered icebreakers went down, while themaintenance cost of nuclear-powered icebreakers remained the same, making themhighly unprofitable to operate.

Russia hasbeen the only country to produce nuclear-powered icebreakers. Currently,Russia’s atomic fleet owns four two-reactor icebreakers (“Rossiya”, “SovietUnion”, “Yamal”, and “50 Years of Victory”), two one-reactor icebreakers(“Taimyr” and “Vaigach”), the “Sevmorput” container ship, and five floatingtechnical aid units.

Nuclearicebreakers are not the only pieces of Russian equipment rumored to be putaside.

Earlierthere were media reports that the Russian Navy was getting rid of its most powerful submarines, the Typhoon class.

Designed tocarry big nuclear warheads, the Typhoon-class submarines are the largest in theworld. However, their immense size was said to be the main reason why thecountry decided to decommission the underwater veterans.

Thevessels, it was said, did not meet the terms of the new START treaty signed byRussia and the US in the spring of 2010. The long-awaited treaty considerablylimited the strategic arsenals of each country to 1,550 nuclear warheads.

The rumors,however, proved to be a hoax.

Ship grounded on New Zealand reef watched for signs of oil spill

English.news.cn   2011-10-05

The236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12
 nautical milesoff the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m.
Wednesday and waslisting, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).
(Xinhua/ReutersPhoto)

WELLINGTON,Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's shipping authorities have cordoned off aLiberian-flagged container ship that has grounded on a reef off the east of theNorth Island as they attempt to assess whether it poses an environmental risk.

The236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12 nautical milesoff the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m. Wednesday and waslisting, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).

None of the25 crew aboard the 47,000-tonne vessel were reported injured, it said.

A lightsheen of oil was visible around the ship, but it was thought to be hydraulicoil from the engine and was not considered "a significant environmentalrisk at this point," it said.

MNZ hadactivated its Maritime Incident Response Team (MIRT) of experts to providetechnical advice and oversight.

MNZ's25-strong National Response Team of oil spill specialists was setting up acommand center in Tauranga, and would lead the response in the event of a significantspill from the ship.

MIRTincident controller Renny van der Velde said the plans being put in place bythe oil spill response team would form a safety net in the event of any spilledoil.

"Whilethe aim is to remove the vessel with no oil spilled, it is important to havecontingency plans in place in case something goes wrong."

The vesselowner -- reported to be the Israel-based Ofer Brothers Group, one of theworld's largest private shipping firms - - was responsible for coordinating asalvage plan.

MNZ wasalso working with wildlife experts from Massey University and the Department ofConservation, which advised there were no immediate concerns for marine life,to prepare for any possible spill.

An MNZmaritime safety inspector aboard the vessel had assessed the damage and advisedthat the ship had several breaches to the hull, affecting cargo holds on theport side.

The shipwas on a 10-degree list, but was stable on the reef, and fuel in tanks on theport side was being transferred to the starboard side as a precautionarymeasure, said the MNZ statement.

Pumps wereworking remove water from the cargo holds.

The ship'scaptain was in discussion with the ship's owner and salvage experts to assesshow best to move the ship off the reef, but a decision was expected to take"some time."

The localBay of Plenty Regional Council staff has ordered a 1- kilometer exclusion zonearound the vessel, which was fully laden.

Taurangaharbour master Carl Magazinovic he had received reports of "sightseeingvessels" near the grounded ship, potentially causing safety issues anddisrupting response efforts.

"Thissituation is expected to continue for some time so we will be monitoringmovement of vessels around the area, and anyone found breaching the exclusionzone could face a fine of up to 20, 000 NZ dollars (15,220 U.S. dollars),"said Magazinovic.

MichaelHodgins of the Mediterranean Shipping Company, which chartered the 21-year-oldRena, told Radio New Zealand it was carrying timber, milk powder, meat andfish.

He said thecrew would have been familiar with the route it was taking, which started inSingapore and included ports in Australia as well as New Zealand before headingback to Sydney, a journey usually taking about six weeks.

The236-meter cargo ship Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, about 12 nautical

 milesoff the coast near Tauranga Harbour, at around 2. 20 a.m. Wednesday

 and waslisting, said a statement from Maritime New Zealand (MNZ).

(Xinhua/ReutersPhoto)

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Following the sun

The Jakarta Post, Associated Press, Manila, The Philippines, Wed, 07/27/2011

Following the sun: A solar-powered boat, M/S Turanor Planet Solar, is docked
for a welcoming ceremony at the Philippine Navy headquarters in Manila on
Wednesday. The multi-hulled vessel is in the Philippine Islands on its continuing
 voyage that began on September 27, 2010 in Monaco, in an attempt to
circumnavigate the world using only solar power. (AP/Bullit Marquez)

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Maritime countries agree first ever shipping emissions regulation

Butcampaigners warn rules only apply to new ships replacing older ones – anddeveloping countries have six-year waiver

Guardian, John Vidal, environment editor, Monday 18 July 2011

Maritime countries have agreed to regulate shipping emissions – but
 campaigners warn the rules don't go far enough. Photograph: David
Levene for the Guardian

Countrieshave taken a first step towards reducing climate emissions from shipping with aglobal agreement to reduce energy use in new vessels from 2013 onwards.

The belatedaction on Friday by 55 of the world's biggest sea-faring nations meeting at UN's international maritime organisation in London will force all ships over400 tonnes built after 2013 to improve their efficiency by 10%, rising to 20%between 2020 and 2024 and 30% for ships delivered after 2024. The first everregulation of emissions in shipping is expected to lead to greenhouse gasemission reductions of 45-50m tonnes a year by 2020.

But China,Brazil, Saudi Arabia and South Africa have secured a six and a half year delayfor new ships registered in developing countries, which could mean the firstguaranteed effective date of the reform will be in 2019. Shipping accounts for3-4% percent of man-made CO2 emissions worldwide and this figure is expected torise to 6% by 2020, with emissions doubling by 2050 if no action is taken. Shipowners,who traditionally do not pay for the fuel that their ships use, have longresisted any regulation despite increasing pressure from environmental groupsand reformers within the industry.

EnvironmentalNGOs welcomed the tightening of the energy efficiency design index (EEDI)standard but cautioned that because it only applies to new ships replacingolder ones at the end of their long lives, the full effects of today's decisionwill take a long time to have any major impact. There is a significant danger,said some, that many shipowners will elect to have their new ships flagged indeveloping countries that provide a waiver.

"Today'sdecision should result in fuel savings of $5bn a year by 2020 and CO2reductions of 22m tons. This is an unprecedented economic and environmentalopportunity and the IMO has taken an important step forward", said PeterBoyd, COO of Carbon War Room.

If the samestandards were applied to the existing fleet of more than 30,000 ocean-goingships it could save $50bn a year in fuel and 220m tons of CO2, he said.

"Therewill be no change to existing ships which are currently pumping out a billiontones of CO2 each year, and for new ships it will take another dozen yearsuntil the EEDI is really delivering benefits. Operational changes could bedelivering major benefits today," said Jacqueline Savitz, the seniorcampaign director for the marine conservation NGO Oceana.

Theefficiency improvements are expected to be met through better engine design,more efficient hull shapes, improved waste heat recovery systems and the use ofhull coatings to make ships more "slippery".

The deal isnot likely to satisfy the European Commission that the maritime organisation issuccessfully regulating greenhouse gas emissions. The EC is therefore expectedto proceed with its threat to bring shipping into the Emissions Trading Scheme,as it is doing in aviation, where there have been recent legal challenges fromnon-European countries.

In aseparate development on Friday, the European Commission said it plans to tighten ship fuel sulphur regulations, which should lead to public healthsavings of billions of dollars, especially in countries like Britain andHolland that border busy sea lanes. The proposal would cut the maximumpermissible sulphur content of fuels to 0.1% from 1.5% from 2015 in sensitiveareas such as the Baltic Sea and the Channel, and to 0.5% from 4.5% in allother areas from 2020.

Shippingburns some of the most polluting fuels, and the proposal is expected to fineparticle emissions from ships by up to 80 percent, the commission said.

Theexpected cost to the shipping industry of the new standards is between €2.6bnand €11bn ($3.7-$15.6bn), which the EU executive argues would be far outweighedby public health savings, of up to €34bn

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oil prices to rise even further

World's largest solar-powered boat visits Brisbane

English.news.cn 2011-05-29

The world's largest solar-powered boat, the Turanor PlanetSolar, is sailing
into Brisbane, after crossing the Pacific from the Panama Canal, as part
of its quest to become the first fully solar-powered vessel to circumnavigate
around the world. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

The world's largest solar-powered boat, the Turanor PlanetSolar, is sailing
into Brisbane, after crossing the Pacific from the Panama Canal.(Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Editor: Bi Mingxin

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Somali Pirates Free Indonesian Cargo Ship

Jakarta Globe, Mohamed Ahmed, May 01, 2011

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• Foreign Minister to Meet Somalian Counterpart to Discuss Rescue Efforts

Mogadishu. Somali pirates have freed an Indonesian bulk carrier after the ship's owner paid a ransom, pirates and a maritime source said on Saturday.

MV Sinar Kudus cargo ship was carrying nickels from
Indonesia to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, when it was
captured by Somalian pirates last month.
(Photo Source Metro TV)

The Sinar Kindus was captured by pirates on March 16 approximately 320 miles north of east Socotra in the Somali basin, with its crew of 20.

Pirates said they released the ship after a ransom payment was airdropped to them.

"We received the cash of $4.5 million early this morning. We have abandoned the ship and it is preparing to sail away," a pirate who gave his name as Geney told Reuters from El-Dhanane coastal village.

Andrew Mwangura, a Kenya-based former maritime official and now the maritime editor of The Somalia Report confirmed the ship had been freed, adding it had not started to sail away yet.

Pirate gangs are making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms as international navies patrolling the Gulf Of Aden struggle to contain piracy in the Indian Ocean due to the vast distances involved.

Reuters

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Dutch MPs agree to troops on merchant ships

RNW, 23 March 2011

The Dutch parliament has agreed to deploy Dutch troops on board a number of Dutch merchant ships to protect them against piracy in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. The only party to vote against the measure was the Socialist Party, which said too many things about the mission were unclear.

The first Dutch sailors will embark in the Indian city of Mumbai on Wednesday. Thirty sailors will join two tow boats sailing under the Dutch flag and a crane ship sailing under the Panamanian flag. The convoy will sail to the United Arab Emirates. Later this month 20 other sailors will sail with a Dutch ship sailing from China to the Netherlands - the troops will join the ship for 22 days at Singapore and disembark in the Republic Djibouti on the Horn of Africa.

The operation will cost 1 million euros altogether and the costs will be shared between the Ministry of Defence and the shipping companies. Most of the costs will be for the ministry as it covers the costs of transporting troop and military hardware. The cabinet has promised to take another look at how the costs are divided as MPs are reluctant to approve such high spending.

Defence Minister Hans Hillen expects this kind of operation to be an exception rather than the rule. The minister declined to say what material will be on board to prevent attacks by pirates. This is the first time military personnel will be on board merchant ships to protect them for piracy.

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Navy Vessel runs into Tsunami on Ocean near Eathquake Center (Video)

Skip to 4:20 (1st wave) 6:20 (2nd wave) if you are impatient. This movie was caught by a Patrol Vessel Matsushima, belongs to Japan Coast Guard, off the coast of Fukushima and opened to the public.

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Nine boats drifted at Tanjung Priok Port due to extreme weather

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 01/19/2011

High seas and extreme winds over the last three days have caused nine boats to drift into Tanjung Priok port, state port operator PT Pelindo II said Tuesday.

The boats included four tug boats and five barges.

“In accordance with our safety regulations, the boats have now been moored to the west and east buoys to clear the shipping lane,” Pelindo II public relations chief Hambar Wiyadi said, adding that the boats would soon be removed from the port.

Hambar also suggested ship operators use more anchors for their boats and instruct crews to anticipate high seas and strong winds.

Japan clashes with Dutch-flagged anti-whaling vessels

RNW, 3 January 2011, by Iede de Vries

(Photo: Gary Stokes/SeaShephard.org)

The whaling season has seen its first skirmishes between Japanese whalers and Sea Shepherd anti-whaling activists. One of the campaign ships has a Dutch captain.

Japan has called on the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia and the United States to take measures against anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd. The four countries have called for restraint on both sides. In a joint statement they expressed regret that the Japanese fleet continues to kill whales.

Water cannon

The Japanese whalers and the conservationists clashed last weekend in the Pacific Ocean, close to Antarctica. The Japanese crew managed to hold off Sea Shepherd’s speedboats using water cannon as they tried to snare the Japanese vessel’s propellers with floating cables. No one was injured.

Dutch flag

The skirmishes were the first of this whaling season, which runs from December to February. The Japanese whalers say Australia and the Netherlands should take action against Sea Shepherd – two of the organisation’s vessels sail under a Dutch flag, while one is registered in Australia.

Research

The captain of one of the ships, Dutchman Alex Cornelissen, says that up to now no whales have been killed. Commercial whaling has been banned since 1986, and whales can only be killed for scientific purposes. Japan claims it only kills whales for research purposes, but Sea Shepherd says the whale meat ends up on sale for consumption.

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HK cargo ship stranded in Batu Atas coast

Antara News, Friday, December 31, 2010

Baubau, Southeast Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - A Hong Kong cargo ship, Janwan, ran aground in Batu Atas waters, Buton district, Southeast Sulawesi after hitting coral reef, Robertus Maturbongs, the Head of Baubau Seaport, said here Friday.

Robertus said the ship stranded because of high waves in the last couple weeks, and rescue efforts were hampered by huge waves.

"Singapore rescue team, Baubau seaport personnel, local Search and Rescue team (SAR), the police and naval personnel have evacuated 23 people from the ill-fated ship," he said here Friday.

He said, Friday, the ship was not leaking, however further check would be conducted to find out whether it could continue its trip or not.

The sterm of the 189 meters long and 3000 tons ship was raised some meters, he added.

"The ship ran aground at around 8 pm, while sailing from Tanjung Buli Halmahera to Balikpapan, East Kalimantan," he said.

Technical errors and faulty navigation as well as human error may have been the causes of the accident, and the rough weather made it difficult for the rescue team to move the ship to safety, Robertus said.

"The ship will be towed by several other vessels from Singapore," he said.

Navy arrests boat selling illegal diesel oil

Antara News, Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) - Tanjungpinang navy patrol in Riau Islands intercepted and arrested an illegal diesel oil boat and its crew of four when selling its cargo in Anak Lobam waters, Bintan regency.

"We also seized the boat and 40 tons of illegal diesel oil which was about to be sold at sea," commander of Tanjungpinang naval patrol Major Hariyo Poernomo said here on Monday.

Hariyo said the nameless vessel with four crewmen, namely Rusli, Nur Khatib, Lahode and M Nur, was arrested by the navy patrol boat in Anak Lobam waters on Tuesday (Dec 21) at 2 am when sailing from Buluh Island in Batam.

"They were about to sell the illegal diesel oil to tug boats passing the area," Hariyo said.

It appeared that the diesel came from boats selling the illegal oil and received by Alimin who told the four suspects to resell it.

Hariyo said a thorough investigation showed that the diesel oil as well as the boat did not have any papers.

"They have violated the law on navigation and the law on oil and gas," he added.

He added that the sale of illegal diesel oil at sea had frequently happened and the capacity of the boat is normally 100 tons.

The skipper of the boat carrying the illegal diesel oil, M Nur (58), said Alimin simply told them to bring the oil to the Tekulai waters from Buluh Batam island.

"We have no idea where the oil came from and we were told to only take the boat to Tekulai before to other boats came," he said. Nur said Alimin paid him for bringing the boat with 40 tons of diesel oil on board, but refused to say how much exactly was the payment.

The boat with the four frewmen is now held at the naval patrol basis in Tanjung Unggat, Tanjungpinang.

TNI asks Netherlands to support frigate building project

Antara News, Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The National Defense Forces (TNI) has asked the Dutch government to consistently support the development of a light frigate by Indonesian ship-building company PT PAL.

"Yes, we have asked the Dutch to be more consistent in supervising the development of the ship as there are things that PT PAL cannot yet do," TNI spokesman Commodore Iskandar Sitompul said here on Tuesday.

PT PAL is developing a light frigate-type missile destroyer under supervision of Dutch ship-building company Schelde.

Asked about the program after he had attended a closed-door meeting between TNI Commander Admiral Agus Suhartono and Dutch ambassador Tjeerd F De Zwaan, Sitompul said Dutch consistency in helping carry out the program was needed.

"This is done in the framework of revitalizing national defense industry especially PT PAL to meet the needs of TNI weaponry including a light frigate," he said.

The Indonesian navy is striving to improve its combat power in the framework of meeting its minimum strength requirements by modernizing its weaponry. Right now it has 154 warships of various types and the number is to be increased to 274.

With regard to that the defense ministry has launched a light fregat destroyer development program in cooperation with the Netherlands. The ministry expects to build 20 units.

The program is estimated to cost US$220 million and take four years to finish.

Besides discussing the frigate development program they had also discussed various matters relating to the two countries` bilateral relations including the relations between the two countries` armies, he said.

Indonesian Fishermen Among Missing in Trawler Accident off Antarctica

Jakarta Globe, December 13, 2010

Four fishermen were dead and 18 missing after a South Korean deep-sea trawler with 42 crew members on board sank Monday off Antarctica, Maritime New Zealand said.

The South Korean deep-sea fishing vessel "No 1 Insung"
in better times. The fishing boat sank on Monday in freezing
waters near Antarctica, New Zealand and South Korean
authorities said. Twenty members of the crew have been
rescued by a ship. (Reuters Photo)

"The vessel is believed to have gone down at 6:30 am (1730 Sunday GMT) about 1,000 nautical miles north of McMurdo (Antarctic base)," Maritime NZ spokesman Ross Henderson told AFP. "We have 20 alive, four deceased and 18 missing."

Henderson said all vessels in the remote area had been asked to steam to the site where the ship went down to assist the search for survivors.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force Orion plane was also being sent to the area, he said.

Henderson said New Zealand authorities received no distress call before the ship sank. He did not know how the survivors were rescued.

"Whether it's in lifeboats, whether they've been picked up by other vessels is unclear," he said.

"Details are very scant at this stage."

A coastguard spokesman in the southern South Korean port of Busan, where the ship is based, told AFP there were eight Koreans, eight Chinese, 11 Indonesians, 11 Vietnamese, three Filipinos and one Russian on board.

He identified the ship as the 614-ton Number One Insung.

Another South Korean fishing boat was involved in the rescue after reporting the accident to its home port, the spokesman said, and it also asked for help from New Zealand.

Agence-France Presse

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Stately Portuguese Visitor Sails Calmly Into Jakarta

Jakarta Globe, Ismira Lutfia  | September 27, 2010   

Jakarta. The Portuguese training ship Sagres sailed into Jakarta with great fanfare from the Indonesian Navy on Saturday to begin its its five-day stopover here.

The Portuguese Navy’s training ship Sagres in Jakarta’s
 Tanjung Priok port. The ship will be open to the public
 through Thursday on its first visit to Indonesia as part of
 its global goodwill cruise. (JG Photo/Ismira Lutfia)    

Arriving at the Tanjung Priok port after a week-long voyage from Dili, East Timor, Sagres will be open to the public until Thursday before it continues on its journey to Bangkok as part of its 11-month circumnavigation as “a floating embassy of Portugal,” said the ship’s captain, Comr. Luis Proenca Mendes.

“We will continue sailing to Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Egypt before reaching Lisbon by December,” said Second Lt. Flavio Eusobio, an officer on the ship.

This is the ship’s first journey to East Timor and Indonesia, Mendes said. The detour from its normal route from China to Singapore added six weeks to the ship’s itinerary.

“The ship’s main purpose is to train cadets from the Portuguese naval academy, who undergo three months’ training on board the ship at the end of their second year,” the captain said as he took journalists on a tour around the vessel, whose 23 white sails bear red crosses.

Sagres left its home port of Lisbon in January. 

The last batch of cadets who trained on the Sagres joined the ship in California, bound for Shanghai, where the ship docked to participate at the Shanghai World Expo.

The 12 cadets worked daily on the ship’s bridge to familiarize them with the working life on board a ship. They also learn navigation, maneuvering and leadership skills as well as how to deal with unpredictable weather.

And for the younger generation, used to being constantly connected with the rest of the world through their gadgets, Mendes said the cadets’ time on the bridge gives them the unique experience of being offline and away from the phone.

“From time to time we also invite foreign cadets to join our training on Sagres,” said Mendes, who was made captain of Sagres in 2007.

Eusobio said Sagres was built in Germany in 1937 along with two other ships of similar type. Its original name was Albert Leo Schalgeter, and it belonged to the German Navy from 1937 to 1945.

It was captured by the American forces in World Ward II and was handed over to Brazil in 1948.

It was named Guanabara under the Brazilian flag before the Portuguese bought it in 1962, when it was commissioned into the Portuguese Navy with the name Sagres.

The ship’s other missions in its 2010 circumnavigation are to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Peace, Friendship and Commerce Treaty between Portugal and Japan in Tokyo and the 500th anniversary of the Portuguese arrival in the Far East.

East Timor was a colony of Portugal in the 16th century until it declared independence in November 1975 but was invaded by Indonesian troops just days later. 

“This is a navy ship but it carries a message of friendship,” Mendes said.

2,000-Year Old Greek Shipwreck Reveals Medical Secrets of the Ancient World

The Daily Galaxy, September 12, 2010

Twenty years ago, Archaeologists discovered a ship created In 130 BC from wood of walnut trees and bulging with a cargo hold of medicial pills and Syrian glassware, that sank off the coast of Tuscany Italy.

For the first time archaeobotanists have been able to examine and analyse the pills that were prepared by the physicians of ancient Greece. DNA analyses show that each millennia old tablet is a mixture of more than ten different plant extracts; from hibiscus to celery. Most of the medicines are still completely dry according to Robert Fleischer of the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C.

“For the first time, we have physical evidence of what we have in writing from the ancient Greek physicians Dioscorides and Galen,” stated Alain Touwaide of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Fleischer analysed DNA fragments in two of the pills and compared the sequences to the GenBank genetic database maintained by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. He was able to identify: carrot, radish, celery, wild onion, oak, cabbage, alfalfa and yarrow. He also found hibiscus extract that was probably imported from east Asia or the lands of present day India or Ethiopia.

“Most of these plants are known to have been used by the ancients to treat sick people,” says Fleischer. Yarrow staunched the flow of blood from wounds, and Pedanius Dioscorides, a physician and pharmacologist in Rome in the first century AD, described the carrot as a panacea for a number of problems. “They say that reptiles do not harm people who have taken it in advance; it also aids conception,” he wrote around 60 AD.

The concoctions also provided the archaeobotanists a few surprises. Preliminary analyses suggest they contain sunflower, a plant that is not thought to have existed in the Old World before Europeans discovered the Americas in the 1400s. If the finding is confirmed, botanists may need to revise the traditional history of the plant and its diffusion, says Touwaide – but it’s impossible for now to be sure that the sunflower in the pills isn’t simply from recent contamination.

Drugs described by Dioscorides and another Greek physician known as Galen of Pergamon have often been dismissed as ineffectual quackery. “Scholars and scientists have often dismissed the literature on such medicines, and expressed doubt about their possible efficacy, which they attributed only to the presence of opium,” says Touwaide. He hopes to resolve this debate by exploring whether the plant extracts in the pills are now known to treat illnesses effectively.

He also hopes to discover therian, a medicine described by Galen in the second century AD that contains more than 80 different plant extracts and document the exact measurements ancient doctors used to manufacture the pills. “Who knows, these ancient medicines could open new paths for pharmacological research,” says Touwaide.

The team presented their findings at the Fourth International Symposium on Biomolecular Archaeology in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Pirates Attack Japan Ship in Indonesian Waters

Jakarta Globe, September 12, 2010

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 Tokyo. Pirates boarded a Japanese auto transport ship and robbed its crew off Indonesia late on Friday, but no one was injured and the undamaged ship resumed its voyage, Japanese media quoted the transport ministry as saying.

The incident comes at a time over heightened concerns over ship safety after a vessel owned by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines was damaged near the Strait of Hormuz in July by a suspected explosion.

Pirates boarded the ship named Cheerleader, operated by Japan’s Nippon Yusen KK, tied up members of the crew, stole money and fled while it was sailing off the Indonesian province of Kalimantan in the island of Borneo. The 19 crew were unharmed.

This is the 10th pirate attack on ships operated or owned by a Japanese company so far this year. The tanker was heading to Jakarta from Japan’s Kobe, Sankei newspaper said.

Reuters

Tanker runs aground in Northwest Passage off Canada

BBC News, 2 September 2010 Last updated at 20:33 GMT

A tanker carrying 9m litres (2.4m gallons) of diesel fuel has run aground off the coast of northern Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard has said.

The ship, owned by Woodward's Oil, hit a sandbar on Wednesday in the Northwest Passage, near the village of Gjoa Haven in the Nunavut federal territory.

No diesel is believed to have been spilt, Coast Guard officials said.

The authorities are working with Woodward's Oil to attempt to float the tanker off the sandbar, they added.

"The Coast Guard ship Henry Larsen has just entered the area. I believe it's at anchor just off of Gjoa Haven as we speak," Larry Trigatti, an environmental response official with the Coast Guard, told CBC News.

"It's monitoring the situation by helicopter. As you can imagine, there are some shoals [sandbars] in the area, so we want to be very careful in going into that zone," he added.

Officials said it was too early to tell when the tanker, which was supplying remote communities in the region, would be able to move again.

Gjoa Haven, 1,050km (650 miles) north-east of Yellowknife, is the only settlement on King William Island.

The Northwest Passage is one of the most fabled sea routes in the world - the most direct shipping route from Europe to Asia through the Canadian Arctic. Historically, it is ice-bound throughout the year.