Siobhan Keane

World Correspondent, The Continental Times

Siobhan covers world for The Continental Times and has reported from more than a dozen countries.

South Korea’s Shipyards Have More Orders Than Ever, and Not Enough Welders to Build Them

A record backlog of liquefied natural gas carriers has the yards of Ulsan and Geoje running three shifts, but an aging workforce and a visa system built for a different era are stretching delivery dates.

Oct. 11, 2026 6 MIN READ

Gantry cranes over a shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, where orders for gas carriers have reached a record backlog.

Wellington Loses 40 Percent of Its Drinking Water to Leaks. Fixing It Will Cost More Than the City Has

New Zealand’s capital has pipes older than the country’s welfare state and a repair bill approaching 5 billion dollars. The question that divides it is who pays.

Oct. 10, 2026 5 MIN READ

Houses on the hillsides above Wellington Harbour, New Zealand, where a century-old water network loses nearly half its supply to leaks.

Australia Resumes Buying Back River Water, and Farm Towns Along the Murray Brace for the Bill

Canberra has set aside $3.5 billion to purchase irrigation entitlements for the environment. Mildura’s growers say each gigaliter leaves with jobs attached.

Oct. 8, 2026 6 MIN READ

River red gums line the Murray River near Mildura, Victoria, in Australia’s most important irrigation region.