Monday, January 05, 2026
MORE TOP STORIES
Traffic at Port Abidjan, Ivory Coast, 2021 (Eric Browin / CC BY SA 4.0)

Ghana Takes Lead in Modernizing Short Sea Shipping in West Africa

Published Jan 4, 2026 6:27 PM by The Maritime Executive

To boost coastal shipping in West Africa, Ghana has confirmed plans to establish a ferry service along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor. Last month, Ghana’s Transport Minister Joseph Nkipe confirmed to the local media that the planning for the ferry service is in advanced stages. A marine consultancy company has already been appointed to fast-track the development of the service. The ferry service is reportedly nicknamed the "Afropax", and would provide first-of-its kind maritime connectivity in West Africa. The service involves linking...

Continue Reading...
Maduro aboard USS Iwo Jima (White House courtesy photo)

Amphib USS Iwo Jima Plays Key Role in Extraction of Nicolas Maduro

Published Jan 4, 2026 6:21 PM by The Maritime Executive

A U.S. Navy amphib played a key role in the capture and removal of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were extracted from Caracas by a massive American task force overnight Friday. About 150 American drones, fighters, bombers and helicopters participated in the rapidfire strike. The aerial elements neutralized Venezuelan air defenses, paving the way for helicopter-borne commandos of the Army's Delta Force to fly directly to a Venezuelan military base. Maduro and his wife were...

Continue Reading...
Alexandre Normandeau / Natural Resources Canada

Melting Ice Opens Up New Areas of the Canadian Arctic

Published Jan 4, 2026 5:30 PM by The Maritime Executive

As climate change continue to affect the Arctic, long-frozen waters of the Canadian high north have become navigable for the first time. The region includes waters around Queen Elizabeth Islands and western Tuvaijuittuq, which historically have been inaccessible due to thick ice all year round, but in a recent expedition, the Canadian icebreaker CCGS Amundsen was able to enter and explore. The expedition happened back in September, led by researchers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the University of...

Continue Reading...
USS Sampson transits the Strait of Malacca (USN file image)

Indonesia's Sea Lanes Give it Strategic Leverage Over China

Published Jan 4, 2026 2:02 PM by The Strategist

[By Alfin Febrian Basundoro and Trystanto Sanjaya] The power dynamic between Indonesia and China is more complex than the one-way economic dependence that some experts assume, since China depends on Indonesian waters for ships carrying its exports and imports between the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. If the United States blockaded China in response to an invasion of Taiwan, for example, continued access through the Malacca Strait and Indonesia’s archipelagic waters would be vital to the Chinese economy. To...

Continue Reading...
MORE STORIES BY CATEGORY

Offshore

offshore wind farm installation

Ørsted and Equinor Sue Challenging Stop-Work Orders for Offshore Wind Farms

Two more offshore wind farms filed suits against the Trump administration after they were ordered in late December to stop work due to “national security” concerns. Danish offshore wind energy developer Ørsted amended its existing complaint in U.S. District Court to challenge the Trump administration’s stop-work order on the nearly completed Revolution Wind project, while Norwegian company Equinor filed a civil suit on January 2 for the Empire Wind project. Both companies said they would file motions for a preliminary...

Continue Reading...

Shipbuilding

South Korean Daesun Shipbuilding

Mid-Sized South Korean Shipbuilder Daesun Completes Sale of Shipyard

After two years of financial restructuring, the smallest of South Korea’s surviving midsized shipbuilders, Daesun Shipbuilding, completed the sale of its primary yard at the end of December 2025, bringing to a close a long heritage in the industry. Started in 1945, Daesun was considered the oldest of the South Korean shipyards but had in recent years struggled with mounting debt. The sale of the Yeongdo facility in the Busan area was completed on December 26, going to Hanla IMS,...

Continue Reading...

Environment

Alexandre Normandeau / Natural Resources Canada

Melting Ice Opens Up New Areas of the Canadian Arctic

As climate change continue to affect the Arctic, long-frozen waters of the Canadian high north have become navigable for the first time. The region includes waters around Queen Elizabeth Islands and western Tuvaijuittuq, which historically have been inaccessible due to thick ice all year round, but in a recent expedition, the Canadian icebreaker CCGS Amundsen was able to enter and explore. The expedition happened back in September, led by researchers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the University of...

Continue Reading...

Business

Hikawa Maru Japan

NYK Plans Long-Term Preservation of Japan’s Last Surviving Ocean Liner

Planning is underway for the long-term preservation of the 95-year-old former ocean liner Hikawa Maru, which is now on permanent display in Yokohama. Considered a nationally important cultural property, the vessel was the largest Japanese passenger ship to survive World War II and today is celebrated as a key part of NYK and Japan’s maritime heritage. The company reports that an expert committee specialized in ship preservation and architecture will meet for the first time on January 8, 2026. The...

Continue Reading...