Spanish police smashed a drug trafficking ring using pensioners on luxury cruise ships as mules. Police found 27 kilos of pure cocaine hidden in a cabin, thought to have come from the ship's visit to Brazil. Two women in their sixties posing as tourists were arrested as they prepared to disembark in Cadiz. The cargo of pure cocaine was hidden in their cabin.
Seven members of the ring in total were arrested the alleged leader of the operation attempted to flee to Brazil. Last month police in Barcelona seized a 42-piece crockery set, consisting of bowls, plates, cups and saucers, made entirely out of compressed cocaine.
A 60-tonne vessel has started dredging 1.4 miles of canal. It is expected to remove more than 7,000 tonnes of gravel and rubble. It will also get rid of tyres, shopping trolleys, timber and at least one car. Olympic Development Agency (ODA) environment manager Richard Jackson said: "The Olympic Park is characterised by a series of waterways which act as green corridors running through the heart of the site. Barges will be able to carry equipment in and waste and rubble out. A wharf is being built on the Waterworks River near the Aquatic Centre and should be finished by June.

A U.S. surveillance ship confronted by Chinese fishing vessels in the Yellow Sea violated international and Chinese laws according to the China's Foreign Ministry. It was confronted by two Chinese fishing boats about 68 miles off the China coast, forcing the U.S. ship's crew to sound the alarm and use fire hoses to prevent the Chinese boats from advancing. The Pentagon said the Victorious was on routine operations in international waters.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman disagreed, saying the ship "conducted activities in China's exclusive economic zone in the Yellow Sea without China's permission. He said, China handles foreign vessels' activities in its exclusive economic zones in accordance with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea and relevant domestic laws. He said, "We demand that the U.S. take effective measures to prevent similar acts from happening again. In Washington, officials were "exploring ways to handle this diplomatically." The boats withdrew after a Chinese military ship responded to a U.S. call for assistance.

The Directorate-General of Shipping, India, has asked ports to make separate navigation lanes for fishing vessels and barges. The currently unregulated traffic poses a safety and security hazard. All ports are to comply with the requirements within a period of six months. The DG Shipping has also instructed all Indian fishing vessels over 20 metres long to fit an automatic identification system (AIS) within three months.
Ports will be developing the traffic lanes in consultation with the Indian Coast Guard and local fisheries departments. The DG Shipping said that at several meetings post the Mumbai attack, various security agencies have pointed out an urgent need to streamline the movement of fishing vessels and other craft when entering ports. The DG Shipping has also instructed all Indian fishing vessels that are over 20 metres long and operating in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone to fit on board the automatic identification system (AIS) within three months. Authorities competent to inspect fishing vessels and security agencies such as the Coast Guard, Marine Police and CISF are to enforce this. Identification of vessels by the competent authorities for non-compliance may result in detention of the fishing vessel for investigation purpose.
There are around 1,900 traditional fish landing centres; 33 minor fishing harbours and six major fishing harbours. These serve as bases for over 200,000 traditional non-motorised craft; 55,000 small-scale beach-landing craft fitted with outboard motors; over 50,000 mechanised craft and 180 deep-sea fishing vessels out of which 80 are in operation, according to Government estimates.

The packet boat replica Sam Patch and historic wooden vessel Mary Jemison will begin offering cruises on the Erie Canal and Genesee Rivers. Passengers on board the Sam Patch enjoy a leisurely journey along the historic canal to Lock 32, where they experience one of the engineering marvels of the Erie Canal as the boat travels through the lock and back again. Mary Jemison offers unique views of Rochester: scenic views of the Genesee River, the crossing with the Erie Canal, graceful great blue herons, and the city skyline with the magnificent new Frederick Douglass Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge.
Reservations are available by calling 585- 262- 5661.

Waterways News is running a full cover feature
 in a forth coming issue.

Haiti rejects Mexican aid ship over swine flu

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haitian officials have rejected a Mexican aid ship carrying 77 tons of much-needed food aid because of "unfounded" swine flu fears. Haitian officials said they wont let The Mexican navy ship El Huasteco which was still in Mexican waters at the time berth at Port-au-Prince. It is carrying carrying rice, fertilizer and emergency food kits. The Mexican Ambassador Gonzalez y Reynero said that the cargo and 64 sailors aboard the ship had all been screened in Mexico. "We did not want to turn back the ship, but we also did not want our crew to be mistreated." She said it was possible the ship could try again to deliver the aid sometime in the future.

South Korea Navy thwarts pirates from North Korean Ship

Mercy Ships founders Don and Deyon Stephens have received the Variety Club International Humanitarian Award presented by Prince and Princess Michael of Kent at a glittering ceremony in London. Previous winners of the award include Sir Winston Churchill and Audrey Hepburn. In the last 30 years  Mercy Ships missions have sailed to 70 countries and provided medical care to more than two million poor people. Thousands of free onboard surgeries have transformed the lives of people suffering from conditions that are easily treatable in wealthy countries. . Judy Polkinhorn, Executive Director of Mercy Ships UK, said: “30 years ago, Don and Deyon had a dream to help the poorest people in the world – and they went out and did it. They have helped literally thousands of people and Mercy Ships UK is rightly proud to be part of their international vision.” Mercy Ships’ current ship, the Africa Mercy, spent seven years in Newcastle being converted from a rail ferry into the world’s largest charity hospital ship and is now serving the people of Benin.
The main treatments are for large benign tumours, cleft lips and palates, flesh-eating noma, cataracts and obstetric fistula. Mercy Ships crew members have also completed hundreds of development projects covering water and sanitation, education, infrastructure development and agriculture. Don Stephens said, “In challenging economic times which affect us all, the world’s poorest suffer even more. Twenty per cent of newborn babies will not live to the fifth birthday, largely due to preventable disease. The average lifespan of women where our ships serve is 46 years. Medical care, both primary and surgical, are scarce commodities and when they do exist are often far beyond the financial reach of the poor.” He added: “Mercy Ships offers hope and healing to the world’s poorest. On behalf of the world’s poor and our dedicated professional volunteers, it is an honour to be considered for this award.” Deyon Stephens added, “Living on board the first mercy ship with our four children for 10 years was an experience rich in significance, adventure, adversity and satisfaction. “Mercy Ships has now seen 30 years come and go. Millions of the world’s most needy have now felt the compassionate and healing hands of those serving onboard.”

Passenger Ship Escapes Pirate Attack
MSC Cruises confirms that the Melody cruise ship was attacked by pirates near the Seychelles Islands on Saturday evening, April 25, 2009. The ship initiated avoidance procedures and quickly escaped the attack with no injuries to any of the approximately 1,000 passengers and 500 crew members onboard. The pirates approached the ship in a small speedboat firing automatic weapons while the ship was sailing 180 nautical miles from Port Victoria in the Seychelles. MSC Cruises immediately informed the Italian government foreign office (La Farnesina), the Maritime Security Center in London and the Coordination Center for Security in Dubai.A military vessel from the international security forces in the region has been sent to escort the Melody as a precaution, and the ship is continuing to Aqaba, Jordan, on its scheduled itinerary.

Kashmir Houseboat Ban
In Kashmir the courts have ruled that the 1200 famed houseboats on the Lake Dall are to close until they agree a new waste disposal system to keep the lake clean. The law blames them for the massive pollution of the lake. The Houseboats Owners Association said it will challenge the ban which it says will devastate the tourism industry. One owner Mohammad Azaim Tuman, Chairman of the Houseboat Owners Association said, "Houseboats have a unique place in Kashmir's beauty. We agree the lake has been harmed by the houseboats and we'll ask officials to chalk out a new programme to deal with the issue. But tourists have made advanced bookings for the next six months. Where will they go?"Ironically, it has in some ways made the lake look even more beautiful. The combination of untreated sewerage and phosphorous and nitrogen in the water acts as a super-fertiliser which has promoted the growth of ferns, duckweed and green algae, which in turn is killing other aquatic life.

Iran Urges Finalization of littoral Caspian Sea
Iran's special envoy for the Caspian Sea affairs Mehdi Safari called for accelerated efforts to finalize the convention on the Caspian Sea legal regime. Speaking in the 25th meeting of the special working group for the compilation of the Caspian Sea legal regime convention which was hosted by Russia.
Safari said, "Considering the emphasis laid by the heads of state on the accelerated finalization of the Caspian Sea legal regime convention, I stress it is necessary that this document be finalized at the earliest time in a bid to pave the way for an increase in useful mutual cooperation among the littoral states of the Caspian Sea." The states are Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Russia.

Djibouti sends engineers to aid $6bn Shire–Zambezi project
The government of Djibouti has sent engineers to Malawi to offer technical assistance in the construction of the Nsanje Port and the proposed $6-billion Shire–Zambezi waterway project. The Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika had asked Djibouti to offer technical assistance with respect to the project. The president welcomed the Djibouti engineers indications that the ambitious project was feasible. He said, “I am glad that what other people thought was a pipedream is now coming out to be reality. Malawi approached Djibouti to assist on the project because the East African nation has one of the best-managed seaports in the world, with capacity to handle six-million to eight-million tons of cargo a year.
The Shire–Zambezi waterway will help landlocked Malawi save on huge transport costs. which mainly uses road transport to ferry imports and export to and from the seaports of Beira and Nacala, in Mozambique, Dar-es-Salaam, in Tanzania, and Durban in South Africa. German firm Hydroplan Ingenier conducted a European Union-financed prefeasibility study into the project, which, besides other things, recommended that a comprehensive feasibility study be conducted to ascertain the navigability of the two rivers because, while the Shire river is deep and narrow, the Zambezi river is wide and shallow. Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia – the key beneficiaries of the project – have already signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on the project.

Tsunami aid often bypassed conflict victims-report
A report focusing on the lessons of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami disaster was presented to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who was former U.N. special envoy for the tsunami. The 105-page report entitled "The Tsunami Legacy: Innovations, Breakthroughs and Change, says that distribution of billions of dollars in aid often ignored victims of conflicts  in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The tsunami, caused by an undersea earthquake, killed more than 228,000 people and provoked a huge international response, with some $13.5US billion pledged worldwide to fund recovery. The report, commissioned by Indonesia, Thailand, India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives said this was due in part to restrictions by aid donors on how their money could be spent. The report said that in Sri Lanka and Indonesia's Aceh region, both hard hit, there was a need to aid the victims of conflicts as well as those of the tsunami. Commissioned by the Tsunami Global Lessons Learned project, the report also faulted authorities throughout the tsunami-hit area for other forms of discrimination.  It says "Many tsunami-affected communities were still unable to adequately access assistance immediately after the disaster because of barriers associated with their gender, ethnicity, age, class, religion or occupation," The report, however, also found much to praise in the aid operation, including a willingness by governments to delegate the task to local organizations and a determination to combat corruption.  Since the tsunami, governments and international agencies have set about creating national and regional early-warning systems, with 24 early detection buoys placed in the Indian Ocean. In addition, 250,000 new permanent houses and more than 100 air and seaports have been built, 3,000 schools constructed and hundreds of hospitals rehabilitated. Ban and Clinton told the conference lessons from the tsunami were important because the number and intensity of weather-related disasters were increasing.

Spy plane shows worth as flood-fighting tool
A Predator drone of the sort used by the American military was sent up three times in recent weeks to give officials a bird's-eye view of the flood in the Red River Zone. Equipped with radar and infrared cameras, the aircraft provided remarkably detailed, real-time video images of ice flows, flood patterns and  trouble spots.
Makers of the Predator, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. said it has distinct advantages, chief among them its ability to stay in the air for up to 30 hours and the streaming of video from the sky which is instantly downloaded to command centers on the ground and the laptops of the field force.
The Predator used in North Dakota is about the size of a single-engine Cessna, cruises at 20,000 feet and flies at around 260 mph. A pilot  operates it from a virtual cockpit. The aircraft can spot flood victims at night, scout dikes when it is overcast, and zoom in so close with its cameras that it can spot footprints in the snow. Predators also were launched last summer to assess hurricane damage to Gulf Coast bridges and oil rigs.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Hendrick Smith details widespread pollution of America's waterways in the PBS Frontline documentary Poisoned Waters. Smith reports that untreated toxins and chemicals from urban sprawl and development are damaging or destroying natural habitats in the Chesapeake Bay and the Puget Sound. In the Potomac River, chemical compounds could be causing mutation in the genitalia of frogs, while high levels of PCBs in the Puget Sound have led to the endangerment of orca whales.

The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMA) has warned of flooding in low-lying areas of Accra as heavy rains associated with strong winds lightning and thunder are expected across the country  untill to September. The agency warned that the expected rain could cause extensive damage to life and property. The expected floods in Accra in particular would not be precipitated by the intensity of the rains but rather as a result of lack of drainage. In the past, even 400 millimeters of rainfall over three days would not cause floods in Accra, but now because of the blockage of waterways and choked drains between 60 and 80 millimeters of rainfall could result in floods. Accra experienced average rainfall last year, but it resulted in floods in some parts of the city with its consequent loss of lives and property. In 2007, for example, floods claimed seven lives in Accra and displaced hundreds of people in the Western Region and the three northern regions

Seven missing after storm hits Chinese port 

Seven crew members are missing after two construction ships collided during a gale off north China's Tianjin municipality. The accident happened when two ships off a refinery of the Dagang Oilfield with 37 on board were moved by high wind, bumped into a dam and then collided. Twenty-two of the crew members were saved from the sea by helicopters and eight others were picked up by other vessels. None of them were seriously injured. Rescuers are still searching for seven missing crew. Gales at speeds of 62 to 75 kilometers per hour raised the tide with almost 5 meters swells. >>