The coal loader base in Australia's Newcastle Harbour has been trying to catch up with demand since climatic changes causing the bad weather and floods in the Hunter Valley washed away tracks near Singleton cutting the coal supply chain. Although the coal chain was stopped, the ships kept coming, with more than 80 waiting offshore to unload their cargo as of July end.

The fleet, with up to 2000 crew aboard, was reportedly creating pollution in the form of rubbish absent-mindedly dropped overboard. Authorities are also concerned since the ships might be pumping out untreated ballast resulting in severe pollution in the surrounding waters in order to get to port faster.

In addition, coal loading at the port was further disrupted after oil was spilled on bags of ammonium nitrate aboard a cargo ship, creating a potentially explosive cocktail. Ammonium nitrate is an agricultural fertilizer, and is used as an explosive in the mining industry. When mixed with fuel oil it can be explosive.

A regular day of fishing for webfoot octopus, which are a delicacy in Korea, led to the discovery of ancient treasure worth a fortune for a local fisherman from the town of Taean, southwest of Seoul.

As soon as he hauled up a family of octopus with the ancient pottery attached to their suckers, he reportedly contacted the National Maritime Museum in Seoul. Officials from which, have reported that the pottery dates back to the 12th Century, when the Koryo Dynasty ruled the Korean peninsula.

Thirty pieces of bowls including a virtually perfect plate were recovered from the suckers of the octopus caught and the chance discovery is considered one of the greatest undersea discoveries of modern times in the Far East.