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Hidden hand of the WEF revealed in policing shipboard CO2 emissions
The World Economic Forum (WEF) has once again revealed itself as the hidden hand behind the push for global governance, this time through the policing of shipboard CO2 emissions.
Despite suffering a near-fatal setback last October - when the United States blocked the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO) bid to impose a worldwide tax on shipping emissions - the WEF and its allies remain determined to keep the Net-Zero agenda alive.
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Can Cape diversions anchor Africa’s economic future?
When Houthi attacks in the Red Sea disrupted shipping through the Suez Canal, global trade routes were forced to adjust. The diversion of vessels around the Cape of Good Hope was initially seen as a costly detour, adding days to voyages and raising freight rates.
Yet for sub-Saharan Africa, this disruption created an unexpected opportunity. Ports that had long been bypassed suddenly found themselves on a main artery of global commerce, and the question now is whether this temporary shift could become a lasting economic advantage.
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Judicious deregulation - or is it time to cut the Gordian Knot?
The one big worry in the western world is growing civil unrest, which, without corrective elections, is more likely to break out into something close to civil war. Elections would undoubtedly head this off, but sadly, they are painfully distant in the western world. Australia’s next vote is due by September 2028, Canada’s by October 2029, the UK’s by August 2029, and France must wait till April 2027. Only the US midterms are less than a year away, and that election, whatever its outcome, would hardly address problem.
At issue is that the people in charge of the Western world, where the ruling Deep State has been put on the defensive, and would likely be dethroned if elections occur. In response, current rulers have shown themselves willing to employ whatever means comes to hand to avoid defeat at the polls. There are serious suggestions that local council elections in the UK will be cancelled in the spring as administratively "inconvenient" as it looks as looks Nigel Farage's Reform Party is likely to win.
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Shipping will do well if the rich stay rich and the poor grow richer
Shipowners today face a dilemma familiar to any industry caught between regulation and innovation. They are reluctant to see their hard-earned profits siphoned off into wasteful government spending, preferring instead to reinvest in new vessels.
This reinvestment is not merely about expansion but about adaptation: modern newbuilds promise lower crew costs through automation, offsetting the burden of eco-friendly fuels mandated by regulators. These countervailing forces -higher fuel costs but lower labour expenses - converge in the hope of sustaining profitability. The expectation is that more cargo will flow through the vast container networks if all goes well. Yet, as history reminds us, even the best-laid plans can be overturned by unforeseen events, rendering predictions fragile.
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