Shipping laws that could have averted two catastrophes

'My government did this' © Ghassan Safi

The dark side of the shipping industry – well, one of them – has come to the fore following the tragic explosion in Beirut and the ship which ran aground in Mauritius, leaking heavy oil and toxic fuel onto a coral reef. An article in Forbes says it’s time to review shipping regulations, in particular vessel registration.

The ship is Japanese-owned but Panama-flagged, and Japan has not offered to help with the clearing up, despite the vessel being 200 miles off ...