Latest News
-
TankerTrackers.com reports that a loaded supertanker returned to Venezuelan waters after US interceptions.
The very large crude carrier Kelly (flagged by Panama) - which had departed Venezuela last week with oil - has returned to Venezuelan water 'following the U.S. Monitoring service TankerTrackers.com reported on Tuesday that more tankers were intercepted. The U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a Panama flagged tanker Centuries on Saturday, which was carrying 1.9 million barrels?Venezuelan Merey?heavy crude. It is also pursuing a separate?vessel on its way to OPEC -country. Sources say that Centuries and Kelly left almost simultaneously last week escorted on by Venezuelan navy vessels. Kelly is back fully loaded in Venezuelan waters, near the Amuay Port of state-run PDVSA. This was reported by TankerTrackers.com. After the U.S. seize the supertanker?Skipper?earlier in the month, and two additional vessels at the weekend, more than a dozen vessels with cargo are waiting for new instructions from their owners. Last week, U.S. president Donald Trump announced a "blockade", which would apply to all vessels that were under sanctions and entered or left Venezuela. This was done in an effort to increase pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Guyana's maritime authorities said in a statement this month that one of the vessels was flying a "false Guyanese" flag. Panama's Foreign Affairs Minister said that certain tankers targeted by the United States did not adhere to Panama's maritime laws. (Reporting and editing by Marianna Pararaga, Nathan Crooks, and Jamie Freed).
-
Turkey reports that a jet carrying the Libyan army chief lost a signal over Ankara.
The radio?contact with a jet carrying Libyan?army chief-of-staff,?Mohammed Ali Ahmed Al-Haddad was lost shortly after takeoff, according to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, on Tuesday. Yerlikaya stated on the social media platform 'X' that radio contact had been lost at 1752 h GMT. The jet took off at 1710 h GMT. He claimed that the plane had requested an emergency landing while flying over the Haymana district in Ankara. However, no contact was made after. He added that four other passengers were aboard the jet. Flight tracking data revealed that other flights had been diverted from Ankara’s Esenboga Airport. The Turkish defence ministry announced earlier that the Libyan chief-of-staff had visited Turkey, saying he met with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler and his Turkish counterpart Selcuk Berktaroglu along?with a number of Turkish military leaders. The Turkish broadcasters showed footage of a flashing light near the spot where the jet had lost radio contact. No immediate comment was made by Libyan officials. Reporting by Tuvan Gümrukcu in Ankara and Ece Tksabay; editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Matthew Lewis
-
Venezuela passes law against piracy, blockades amid US oil ship seizures
The National Assembly, controlled by the ruling party in Venezuela, unanimously passed a law Tuesday that allows for prison sentences of up to twenty years for those who finance or promote what they call piracy. The law, which includes "other crimes international", follows recent U.S. action against Venezuelan oil exports. U.S. officials said that the U.S. Coast Guard had seized an sanctioned supertanker transporting Venezuelan crude oil earlier this month, and they attempted to intercept another two vessels connected to Venezuela at the weekend. Washington's biggest blow against the state oil company PDVSA is that Washington intercepted their communications. This was after its Treasury Department sanctioned two Rosneft subsidiaries, which were PDVSA's former trading partners. They forced it to reduce production and exports. PDVSA has been under sanctions since 2019. Giuseppe Alessandrello, a pro-government legislator, introduced the draft of "Law to Guarantee 'Freedom of Navigation and Commerce Against Piracy and Blockades and Other 'International Illicit Acts". The National Assembly's President Jorge Rodriguez announced that the bill would be sent to the Executive for approval at the end the session and take effect after publication in the Official Gazette. Washington has increased its pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government in recent months. This includes a military buildup in the Caribbean, and the killing of dozens in strikes?on boats that it claims, without providing any evidence, are trafficking narcotics off its coasts. The U.S. authorities say that the operations are part efforts to combat drug trafficking and sanctions evasion. Maduro claims that the United States is trying to undermine Venezuela's economic system and remove him from power. Rodriguez also attacked Venezuela's opposition political party, which Leader She has been hiding in the shadows for several months, but she traveled to Oslo earlier this month to receive her Nobel Peace Prize. He said the opposition was promoting sanctions, and that they had "stolen, plunder, bowed to U.S. Imperialism," adding, "They are happy with aggressive actions taking place currently in the Caribbean Sea." (Reporting from Staff)
-
Vucic, Serbian Vucic: Gazprom talks with Hungary's MOL about NIS stake sale
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic revealed on Tuesday that Russian energy giant Gazprom has been in discussions with Hungary's MOL about a possible sale of its majority stakes in 'NIS' - Serbia's only oil refiner. In January, the United States announced sanctions against Russia's oil industry in response to Moscow's conflict in Ukraine. But, NIS's application was repeatedly delayed before finally coming into force on October 8th. "We have no problem with it. We have information that Gazprom representatives have been talking to MOL in Hungary, and we don't have anything against them." Vucic said to reporters on Tuesday that the Hungarians were our friends. "We must finish this as soon as possible - by January 15." Due to sanctions, banks have stopped processing NIS. The JANAF crude oil pipeline in Croatia has also stopped delivering crude to the refinery. Gazprom owns 11.3% of NIS, while its sanctioned oil subsidiary Gazprom Neft has 44.9%. The Serbian Government owns 29.9%, with the rest belonging to employees and small shareholders. Vucic said that Serbia's gas supply agreement with Russia would be extended by another three months. The Balkan nation remains one of Europe’s few remaining buyers of Russian gas. Western nations have pressed the government to align itself with EU sanctions against Russia, but it has not yet taken action. (Reporting and editing by Joe Bavier; Ivana Sekularac, reporting)
-
Germany deports criminals to Syria amid pressure on migration
Germany deported to Syria a criminal convicted of a crime for the first time since the beginning of the 14-year civil war in Syria. The government?in?Berlin is trying to show its voters that it's addressing their concerns about migration. Migration is now the top concern of German voters, and the support for Alternative -for- Germany (AfD), a far-right party, has risen. Friedrich Merz, the conservative Chancellor, has responded by taking a more aggressive stance on border security, migration and pledging a faster?deportation. Since the end of the civil war in Syria last year, Syria has been a major focus. Interior ministry says the criminal was handed over to Damascus authorities on Tuesday morning. Another criminal was deported to Afghanistan as the second time in a week. Alexander Dobrindt, Minister of Interior, said that deportations to Syria or Afghanistan should be possible. He said, "Our society has a legitimate interest to ensure that criminals leave our country." Deporting migrants to these two countries would put them in danger, according to critics. The man sent to Syria was a former prisoner in Germany's north-west for aggravated robbery and bodily harm. The Afghan criminal had served a prison sentence in southern Bavaria, for, amongst other things, intentionally bodily harm. (Reporting and editing by Ludwig Burger. Madeline Chambers)
-
Kaztransoil and Polish oil pipeline operator Kaztransoil will collaborate on oil shipments from Germany
The Polish company announced on Tuesday that Poland's oil pipe operator PERN had signed an agreement with Kaztransoil regarding technical cooperation in relation to shipments of Kazakh oil? to Germany. PERN stated in a press release that the agreement includes delivery scheduling, information exchange, inspections, and certification of meters used during the handling process. Since the suspension of Russian shipments?after Moscow invaded Ukraine, PERN has been supplying?oil from Kazakhstan to Germany's PCK Schwedt Refinery. The refinery also relies on seaborne supplies via Gdansk. The state-controlled Russian energy firm Rosneft holds a majority stake of PCK which supplies much of Berlin's energy. However, Germany took control of the company after Russia invaded Ukraine. In the first nine-month period of this year, 1.91 million tons of Kazakh oil was shipped to Germany. Kaztransoil will open its first representative office in the European Union on a Polish site, to help ensure stable supplies for Germany. (Reporting by Marek Strzelecki Editing by David Goodman)
-
Two CMA CGM ships navigate the Suez Canal as a sign of eased tension
The authority that manages the Suez Canal announced on Tuesday that two vessels of CMA CGM, world's third largest container shipping line, had travelled through it. This could be an indication the?disruptions? linked to the Gaza War are easing. The Suez Canal is the fastest way to connect Asia with Europe. However, shipping companies will have to travel much further routes since November 2023 because Houthi militants, who are Iran-aligned, attacked commercial vessels in Yemen, saying they were in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza War. CMA CGM has only made a few trips through the Suez Canal when the security conditions permitted. CMA CGM didn't immediately respond to an inquiry for comment. Companies are cautious. However, since the fragile ceasefire that took place in Gaza on October 10th, there have not been any Houthi attacks on ships. This has led shipping companies to reconsider their use of the Suez Canal. Egypt relies on this canal as a source of major foreign currency. The Canal's Authority said that on Tuesday, the CMA CGM Jacques Saade, a vessel traveling from Morocco to Malaysia via the canal, crossed from the north while the CMA CGM Adonis came from the south. The schedule on the CMA CGM website shows that the French company plans to use the passageway for its India-U.S. service INDAMEX from January. Maersk announced on Friday that one of their vessels navigated the Red 'Sea, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from Yemen?to the Horn of Africa between Maersk vessel for the first time since nearly two years. The Danish company stated that it had no plans to reopen the entire route but would "take a step-by-step approach" in order to gradually resume navigation. Reporting by Yusri Mohammed in Cairo. Additional reporting by Gus Trompiz. Writing by Ahmed Elimam, Nayera Abdallah and David Goodman. Editing by David Goodman, Barbara Lewis.
-
Maguire: Wind energy to be blown off track in 2025 and redirected for 2026.
Wind energy, like any other industry, has seen its ups and downs. But 2025 could be the worst year yet: a toxic mix of policy reversals and corporate upheaval, as well as sub-par production in key markets. The U-turn by President Donald Trump on renewable energy is likely to be the most damaging. This prompted a freeze in offshore project work on the Atlantic, and was a major blow for both power developers and wind companies. The disappointing auctions of new wind capacity in Europe, some with no bids at all (in Germany and Denmark), highlight that wind's problems extend far beyond the U.S. Add mass layoffs and project withdrawals by prominent developers to months of below-normal production in key markets and 2025 will be a year that the industry will never forget. There are some reasons to believe that wind energy will continue to grow in the coming years, as new auction incentives, changes to supply chains, and a growing demand for all forms of power, including wind, will spur its adoption around the globe. Here is a list of major factors that affected the wind sector between 2025 and 2026. Slowest Growth in Decades The performance of wind farms in the current state did not help to improve the reputation of the wind sector as a reliable source of power. In fact, the global electricity generated by wind farms is expected to grow at its slowest rate in over 20 years this year, largely due to "sustained periods of sub-par production in Europe and North America". Data from the think tank Ember revealed that global wind-powered electric production in the first ten months of 2025 was 2,158 terawatts hours (TWh). This is a record but only 7% more than the same period in 2024. The average annual growth rate from 2015 to 2024 was 14%. The decline in wind power generation in Europe, the second largest wind producing region in the world after Asia, was a major factor in stifling global wind output growth at the beginning of 2025. The mid-year drop in wind generation in North America, the world's third largest wind producing region, then added to the global wind output, as the region saw output decreases in April, may, June, august and September compared to the previous year. Even Asia, which accounts for about 45% of the global wind power production, registered rare drops in generation year-over-year in September and in October. This further stunted global output growth. POLICY AND COMPANY TUBULENCE As existing wind farms struggled to meet expectations, future planned projects were being impacted by sudden and major changes to policies. In the U.S., the Trump administration's scrapping of federal support for wind power accelerated the phase-out of tax credits, tightened start-of-construction rules and imposed tougher limits on foreign-made components. These changes are expected to have a long-term impact on the growth of both onshore projects and offshore ones. The string of disappointing wind auctions in Europe prompted key developers such as Denmark's Orsted, and Vestas to push for quicker permitting and better auction conditions to boost investment. Some of these proposed changes will likely take effect by 2026 and could spark a greater interest in building out new wind capacity in the region. Mitsubishi pulled out of three planned offshore projects in Japan due to rising costs estimates. The projects were scheduled to begin operations by 2030. The Japanese government has made some changes to its wind project policies to give developers more flexibility, to provide greater financial support, and to expand the area that is eligible for offshore wind energy projects. These changes, like those in Europe, are likely to revive interest in expanding Japan’s wind power footprint beyond 2025, despite its?tough start in 2025. CHINA-LED As wind developers suffered setbacks in other countries, China's wind power production - the world's largest deployer and manufacturer of wind power components - continues to grow at a rate greater than 10% for the 25th consecutive year. China's share in global wind energy output will rise from just below 40% in 2024 to an all-time high of 41% by 2025. China's massive wind farm expansion will continue to drive global wind production in the future, even if the U.S. economy slows down and Europe remains weak. According to Ember data, China's constant flow of exports of wind components - up by?more than 20 percent so far in 2020 to more than $4 billion - means that supplies of wind parts in nearly every region are also increasing. Wind power is expected to continue growing globally in 2026 despite the turbulent 2025. These are the opinions of a columnist at. You like this article? Check it out Open Interest The new global financial commentary source (ROI) is your go-to for all the latest news and information. ROI provides data-driven, thought-provoking analysis on everything from soybeans to swap rates. The markets are changing faster than ever. ROI can help you keep up. Follow ROI on You can find us on LinkedIn.
Onley, a Scottish cyclist, signs with INEOS Grenadiers
The British team announced on Tuesday that Scottish rider Oscar Onley would join INEOS Grenadiers at the start of the?2026 season, after he had agreed to a transfer from Dutch outfit Picnic 'PostNL.
The Kelso 23-year old has been one of the brightest cycling talents since turning pro at 19. He underlined his potential with a 4th-place finish in this year's tour de France, the youngest rider among the top 10.
Onley stated in a press release that he was "proud" to join the Grenadiers for a long time.
It will also be a British team that races when the Tour de France departs Scotland in 2027."
Onley thanked PicnicPostNL for its support and said he would "miss" his friends from the team. He was also proud of what they had achieved together.
Thomas, Director of Racing at INEOS Grenadiers, praised?Onley for his maturity and racing craft. Oscar's performance in 2025 was incredible. Thomas, who won Tour de France 2018 said that the way he rides and comprehends a race is beyond his years. He's a real racer. (Reporting and editing by Hugh Lawson; Martyn Herman)
(source: Reuters)