BLUE GANNET

If 2025 proved anything for Germany’s shipbuilding and marine equipment sector, it is that the industry retains both resilience and relevance, even amid geopolitical turbulence. According to The Association for Shipbuilding and Marine Technology (VSM), the year closed with strong order activity, renewed investor confidence and a clear signal that German yards and suppliers remain essential to Europe’s maritime industrial base.One of the year’s most tangible confidence boosters came early. In January, the shipyards in Flensburg and Rendsburg found new owners from within the maritime industry just weeks after insolvency proceedings began.

China launched its most extensive war games around Taiwan on Monday to showcase Beijing's ability to cut off the island from outside support in a conflict, testing Taipei's resolve to defend itself and its arsenal of U.S.-made weapons.The Eastern Theatre Command said it had deployed troops, warships, fighter jets and artillery for its "Justice Mission 2025" exercises to encircle the democratically-governed island, conduct live fire and simulated strikes on land and sea targets, and drills to blockade Taiwan's main ports.

The White House has ordered U.S. military forces to focus almost exclusively on enforcing a "quarantine" of Venezuelan oil for at least the next two months, a U.S. official told Reuters, indicating Washington is currently more interested in using economic rather than military means to pressure Caracas."While military options still exist, the focus is to first use economic pressure by enforcing sanctions to reach the outcome the White House is looking (for)," the official said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday as investors took stock of dented hopes of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal and rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East around Yemen.Brent crude futures for February delivery, which expire on Tuesday, were up 27 cents, or 0.4%, at $62.21 a barrel at 1426 GMT.U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 36 cents, or 0.6%, to $58.44.The Brent and WTI benchmarks settled more than 2% higher in the previous session as Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against Yemen and after Moscow accused Kyiv of targeting a Russian presidential residence, denting hopes of a peace deal.

China fired rockets into waters off Taiwan on Tuesday, showcased new assault ships and dismissed prospects of U.S. and allied intervention to block any future attack by Beijing to take control of the island in its most extensive war games to date.As part of drills rehearsing a blockade, China's Eastern Theatre Command conducted 10 hours of live-fire exercises, launching rockets into waters to the north and south of the democratically governed island.Chinese naval and air force units also simulated strikes on maritime and aerial targets and carried out anti-submarine drills around the island