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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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Wall Street and Global Markets Take a Dip After Holiday Weekend

 

Wall Street and global markets started the week on a bearish note, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures down 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively, before the bell. The Hong Kong benchmark index fell more than 2%, and investors were left without cues from overnight trading due to the holiday weekend.

Investors have been betting on the Federal Reserve cutting its main interest rate six or more times through 2024, a much more aggressive track than the Fed itself has hinted at. However, after a roaring start to the year, investors are growing a bit more cautious about how soon the Fed will begin cutting interest rates, how quickly, and by how much.

The first quarter of this year may be marked by the realization that it’s too early for the central banks to cut the interest rates unless something really bad hits the fan.

Microsoft rose about 0.7%, to $391.25 per share, before the bell Tuesday, vaulting past Apple to become the world’s most valuable publicly-traded company with a market capitalization of $2.89 trillion.


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