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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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Stocks Rebound After Inflation Report


The stock market made a comeback today after a hot inflation print. The S&P 500, which had been down as much as 0.8% during the session, closed just under the flatline. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq Composite hovered slightly above breakeven. 

Interest rate sensitive sectors lagged the most, with real estate and utility stocks ending the session lower. The US consumer inflation reading for December showed a slightly bigger jump than expected, as prices ticked up 0.3% month over month and 3.4% year over year. On a “core” basis, which excludes the volatile food and energy categories, inflation rose 3.9% over the past year. The print was seen as critical for traders who have been increasingly pricing in the odds of a “soft landing” — where inflation retreats to 2% without an economic downturn — since the last CPI report.


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