Ships and Shipping

• At World’s Busiest Port, China’s Unbalanced Economy Comes Into View - The shipping traffic and factories never stop in China’s port city of Ningbo, but the local housing market has crashed and nearby restaurants sit empty.
• Despite Trump’s Words, China and Russia Are Not Threatening Greenland - U.S. and European officials say they are unaware of any intelligence that shows China and Russia are endangering the island, which is protected by the NATO security umbrella.
• Venezuela’s New Leader Enlists U.S. Troops to Bring a Rogue Ship Back - Delcy Rodríguez got American help with the return of an oil tanker linked to one of her political rivals that had left the country without authorization.
• Venezuela Braces for Economic Collapse From U.S. Blockade - Venezuela could lose the bulk of its export revenues this year if the U.S. blockade stays in place, according to internal government estimates, a scenario that would set off a humanitarian crisis.
• Sanctioned Oil Tankers Flee Venezuela in Defiance of U.S. Blockade - The ships are using deceptive tactics as part of a seemingly coordinated attempt to bypass American naval forces in the region.
• Oil Tanker Fleeing U.S. Coast Guard Broadcasts Location in North Atlantic - Russia requested this week that the United States end its pursuit of the vessel, which was intercepted in the Caribbean on its way to pick up oil in Venezuela.
• U.S. Kills 2 in Strike in Pacific, as Trump Pressures Venezuela - The attack was the 30th announced by the U.S. military since early September. It came days after President Trump said the U.S. had struck a coastal site related to drugs and Venezuela.
• How a Research Trip to Antarctica Deals With Time Zones - The clocks aboard our icebreaker will be changed several times en route to Antarctica. It’s one of many things that make the expedition feel otherworldly.
• Grim Evidence of Trump’s Boat Strikes Washes Ashore on a Colombian Peninsula - First came the scorched boat. Then the mangled bodies. Then the packets with traces of marijuana. Now, fishermen fear the ocean that feeds them.
• Trump’s Tanker Crackdown Paralyzes Venezuelan Oil Exports - Oil exports, the country’s financial lifeblood, have plummeted after the United States took action against three ships that have been used to carry its crude.