The World

Hotter planet allows shortcut through Arctic

Mariners have long dreamed of a shipping shortcut through the Arctic that would allow them to speed trade between Asia and the West. Two German ships recently became the first-ever Western commercial vessels to sail that route, thanks to global warming.

For hundreds of years, mariners have dreamed of a shipping shortcut through the Arctic that would allow them to speed trade between Asia and the West. Two German ships became the first-ever Western commercial vessels to sail that route, thanks to the recent thawing and withdrawal of the Arctic sea ice due to global warming. BBC Moscow correspondent Richard Galpin tells us what he saw as one of the first journalists onboard this historic journey.