• Goal of making maritime transportation greener may be difficult to achieve

    The goal of making maritime transportation greener would be difficult to achieve; not all refineries have the capacity to provide the right fuel in the right quantity and concentration, therefore not enough of the more environmentally friendly fuel is available at all ports of the world

  • MI5 seeks powers to trawl records in new terror hunt

    As part of the Brown government’s new counterterrorism strategy, which places emphasis on thwarting a cyber-attack on the United Kingdom, MI5 seeks total access to commuters’ travel records to help them meet the threat

  • Bill would double cap on H-1B visas

    The United States allows millions of little-educated, low-skill immigrants to come to the country, while allocating a tiny number of visas to high-skill scientists and engineers; this is going to change, but critics complain that bill still leaves major problems — chief among them: setting wage floor for H-1B employees — unaddressed

  • U.S. defies EU on bilateral visa waver agreements

    Most EU countries have visa waiver agreements with the United States — but not 11 of the 12 states which joined the EU since 2004; the EU wants to negotiate a package deal for these countries, but the United States prefers bilateral deals so it can pick and choose among the new EU members; the EU says this violates the EU rules

  • EPA to help ports become greener

    Ports are vital to the U.S. economy; port-related activities also pose major environmental challenges, and the EPA wants to help ports and their transportation network in reducing air emissions, improving water quality, and protecting the health of communities near port facilities

  • Fear of dirty bomb threat as U.K. ships plutonium to France

    Sellafield had an ambitious, £473 million plan: Make new nuclear fuel out of mixture of plutonium and uranium oxides recovered from used fuel; the plan flopped, and the company had to turn to its chief competitor, French firm Cogema, to fulfill its orders for the fuel material; trouble is, shipping the material to France on an unarmed ferry is dangerous, as the material could easily be used to make a dirty bomb

  • TSA tests ferry radiation sniffer at Galveston

    Tests began last Thursday; equipment was able to find small amounts placed in TSA vehicles; each sniffer costs $150,000, and are sensitive enough to detect the radiation in someone who has been injected with radioactive dye for a medical procedure two weeks after the injection

  • Growing interest in multi-view X-ray technology

    Multi-view X-ray machines offer several different views of objects within each piece of luggage, and they also automatically detect the presence of improvised explosive devices; TranSec World Expo in June will showcase the technology

  • GE Security, Schiphol to collaborate on security technology

    Leading security developer and major European airport will work to develop advanced technology aviation security; collaboration will lead to a real-world evaluation of existing and emerging security products and technologies “from the European perspective”

  • TSA warns of terror threat to trains

    TSA’s Office of Intelligence releases a report warning that U.S. mass transit may become a target for terrorists; the report warns that rail-industry insiders might become terrorist accomplices

  • TSA to examine airport passenger screenings

    TSA to undertake a sweeping review of airport security practices; private jets’ owners and passengers will have to provide personal information to be screened by border patrol

  • Resistance to a U.K. hedge fund's effort to control CSX

    Ever since the 2006 Dubai Ports World’s takeover of management operations in major U.S. seaports, Congress has shown increasing irritation with attempts by foreign companies to own U.S. critical infrastructure assets; there is a growing resistance in Congress to U.K.-based TCI to take control of rail operator CSX

  • San Antonio International Airport designated "first landing" airport

    The new status will allow private aircraft coming into the United States from foreign countries to fly directly to the airport and clear customs; boon to local businesses

  • Israel tests suicide bomber-resistant buses

    Since the mid-1990s, Palestinian terrorist organizations have killed and injured hundreds of Israelis by sending suicide bombers to explode themselves on crowded buses; in the last few years, Israeli security measures have prevented this particular form of terrorism, but just to be on the safe side, on of the country’s military contractors is testing fortified buses

  • Heathrow's Terminal 5 will open in two weeks

    The new, beautiful terminal — it also has an impressive view of the airport and its surroundings — will open on 14 March, and begin operations on 27 March; the mixing — and fingerprinting — of both international and domestic travelers; transfers to other airlines; and tight security checks pose problems