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U.S. Seizure of Russian-Flagged Tanker Heightens Global Tensions

The ship, currently between Iceland and the British Isles, has been accused of breaking US sanctions and shipping Iranian oil. It has historically transported Venezuelan crude oil. The United States has seized a Russian‑flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela after a prolonged pursuit across the Atlantic, marking one of the most assertive enforcement actions under Washington’s sanctions program. The vessel, previously known as Bella‑1 and later renamed Marinera , was intercepted after evading an earlier boarding attempt near Venezuelan waters. U.S. military aircraft and naval units tracked the ship for weeks as it traveled across the Atlantic, at times shadowed by Russian naval vessels. Officials say the tanker was part of a network used to transport sanctioned Venezuelan and Russian oil. Its capture underscores Washington’s efforts to disrupt what it describes as illicit energy shipments that help sustain both governments. The operation comes at a delicate geopolitical moment, wit...

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Bank of Canada Holds Interest Rate Steady Amidst Economic Slowdown

 


The Bank of Canada has announced that it will maintain its benchmark interest rate at 5% as the economy shows signs of slowing down. This marks the fourth consecutive hold by the bank, and the decision was widely expected by economists. The central bank’s inflation target sits in the middle of a range, and the Consumer Price Index rose to 3.4% in December 2023. The bank has been signalling recently that it thinks it may be nearing the end of its hiking cycle, after raising its trendsetting rate 10 times since early 2022 to slow down runaway inflation.


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