Latest news with #port
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Two great table wines from a family with port pedigree
The Symington family is one of the most successful English/Portuguese producers of port, with a portfolio that includes Graham's, Warre's, Dow's, Cockburn's and Quinta do Vesuvio. They also produce table wines made from the same vineyards in the Douro valley, but much lower in alcohol. As well as these two, O'Briens has the excellent Altano Rewilding Red 2.5-litre Bag in Box for €36.95 and the equally good Altano Organic Red for €18.95 a bottle. [ Is wine from the United States good? ] Altano Branco 2022, Symington, Douro Altano Branco 2022, Symington, Douro 13.5% €15.95 down to €12.50 from O'Briens Medium-bodied with attractive peach fruits and good fresh acidity. Enjoy with grilled sardines, mackerel and other oily fish. Altano Tinto 2022, Symington, Douro Altano Tinto 2022, Symington, Douro 13.5% €15.95 down to €12.50 from O'Briens Smooth, rich dark fruits with a spicy note. Plenty of flavour and a pleasure to drink. Try it with a barbecued burger or roast red meats.
The National
26-05-2025
- Business
- The National
Tartous port finds new lease of life as Syria reopens for business
Lorries shuttle back and forth as cargo ships unload their wares at the port of Tartous on Syria's Mediterranean coast: the scene was unthinkable only months ago as Syria remained a pariah in international business. Now, the quayside is a hive of activity as foreign firms seek opportunities after the fall of Bashar Al Assad. The city of Tartous is home to Syria's second-largest seaport, a strategic hub on international transit routes through the Mediterranean Sea. But the port fell into disuse under the Assad regime due to western sanctions on Syria and high customs fees. During a recent visit, workers told The National the port had previously been so neglected that they could not even find basic supplies such as stationery. Now, they say they are working non-stop to repair machinery, as business booms. Ayman Hamouyah, president of the Syrian government's Investment Authority, told The National: 'The port almost came to a halt due to the sanctions: international shipping companies didn't dare deal with Syrian ports, except for a few companies that weren't very significant – those tied to or complicit with the former regime.' Activity began to gather pace again after former president Mr Al Assad was toppled by rebels in December. Under the long-time dictator, Syria was left largely isolated from the international economy as the regime fought a 13-year civil war. The game-changer for the economy since the change of power were announcements by the US and EU that they would lift the sanctions imposed during Mr Al Assad's presidency. The move has reignited the appetite of overseas businesses, with the Investment Authority reporting it has received hundreds of letters in recent weeks expressing interest. 'There's now a real need to develop the ports – not just Tartous but also Latakia, along with the dry ports – because transit traffic, commercial activity and overall movement are expected to dramatically increase,' Mr Hamouyah said. Early this month, Syria renewed a deal with French shipping giant CMA-CMG to develop and operate Tartous for another 30 years. DP World, the Dubai-based port operator, signed an agreement for a multipurpose terminal at the port worth $800 million. The Emirati company was selected from several international firms that sent proposals. 'This is one of the most important deals signed since the announcement of the lifting of western sanctions,' Mr Hamouyah said. While the deal is so far non-binding, he said there was no doubt it will be implemented. Under the Assad regime, the port was run by a Russian company, STG Stroytransgaz, which was granted a 49-year lease in 2019. In January this year, the new authorities cancelled the contract in a sign of Russia's waning influence in Syria. Moscow was a primary backer of Mr Al Assad. All revenue from the port now goes to the Syrian state, said Riad Joudi, head of customs for the wider Tartous governorate. The Tartous seaport also houses Russia's only overseas naval base, which serves as a repair and replenishment point for the Russian navy in the Mediterranean. The cancellation of Russia's port management deal is not related to the military facility. However, it has cast doubt on the base's future amid signs that Moscow's sway is fading. Port employees told The National the naval base has been largely emptied out since Mr Al Assad was deposed. Satellite images show most military equipment has been withdrawn. In addition to the Tartus base, Russia also maintains an airbase at Hmeimim in Latakia governorate. After the fall of the Assad regime, The National reported that communication was taking place between Russia and the new Syrian authorities, with Moscow hoping to maintain its military presence.
South China Morning Post
17-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Rotterdam's Fenix Museum of art dedicated to migration opens amid migrant crackdowns
A gleaming spiral staircase protruding from the roof of a former Dutch warehouse overlooks a port where millions of Europeans, among them Albert Einstein, once boarded ships bound for a new life in the United States. The staircase, called The Tornado and intended to represent migrants' unexpected journeys, sweeps up from the ground floor of the Fenix Museum of Migration, with the city of Rotterdam, water and people reflected in its whirlwind of shiny metal surfaces. The newest attraction on Rotterdam's waterfront, the museum tells the story of migration in 16,000 square metres of exhibits including artworks, photos and personal items. Among the exhibits is a labyrinth of thousands of travellers' suitcases, portraits of refugees and a colourfully painted city bus from New York. Chinese architect Ma Yansong's gleaming spiral staircase is the centrepiece of the Fenix Museum of Migration in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Photo: AP
Sky News
10-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Trump's tariffs hit the West's busiest port - with traffic down by nearly a third
Driving south from Los Angeles along the coast, you can't miss the San Pedro port complex. Dozens of red cranes pop up from behind the freeway. The sound of industry whirs as containers are unloaded from hulking ocean liners on to waiting lorries and freight trains that seem to never end. The port of Long Beach combines with the port of Los Angeles to make the busiest port in the western hemisphere. The colourful metal containers contain anything and everything, from clothes and car parts to fridges and furniture. Around $300bn of cargo passes through here every year and 60% of it is from China. But at the moment, it's far less busy than usual. Traffic is down by a third, compared with this time last year. In the closest part of the mainland United States to China, this is Donald Trump 's new tariffs policy in action, the direct result of frozen trade between the two countries. "For the month of May, we expect that we'll be down about 30% from where we were in May of 2024," Noel Hacegaba, the port of Long Beach chief operating officer, tells Sky News. "What that translates into is fewer ships and fewer containers. It means fewer trucks will be needed to transport those containers from the port terminal to the warehouses. It means fewer jobs." 'We're barely surviving' Helen Andrade knows all about that. She and her husband, Javier, are both lorry drivers. Helen only got her license in the last few years, so when work dries up, she is likely to be impacted first. "I'm lying awake at night worrying about this," she says. "We're barely surviving and we're already seeing work slowing down. In my case, there are two incomes that are not going to come in. How are we going to survive?" Helen adds: "I'm scared for the next two weeks, because over the next two weeks, I'm going to see where this is going, whether I have saved up enough money, which I know that I have not." In Long Beach, one in five jobs is connected to the port. But what happens in the port doesn't stay here. The shipments reach every part of the country and already, a shortage of certain items imported from China and price hikes are taking hold. A short drive away is downtown LA's toy district, a multicultural area consisting of a dozen streets of pastel-coloured buildings, home to importers and wholesalers of toys, much of which is imported from China. 19:04 One woman in a toy warehouse is reading a Chinese newspaper. She points to a headline about the 145% tariffs. "I can't afford this, I can't afford this, I'm going to have to put prices up," she says, exasperated. Empty shelves Around the corner is a party shop, selling gift bags and wrapping paper. There are empty shelves which would otherwise have been full. "These empty spaces are where we stopped importing from China because the tariffs are too high," says the owner, Jacob Mok. He tells Sky News: "I'll keep watching China and America negotiations. I hope as soon as possible they reach a deal because this is very hard for us." Jacob is not alone. The impact is being felt throughout the supply chain. US trade secretary Scott Bessent will meet his Chinese counterpart in Switzerland this weekend.
