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sanctions
Oil tops $91 as Hormuz transits drop to zero
Brent crude rose above $91 a barrel for a third consecutive session on Tuesday as the expiration of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, attacks on commercial vessels, and a near-total collapse in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz combined to drive fears…
US sanctions ICC president in latest bid to dismantle court
The Trump administration on Tuesday imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane of Japan and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, escalating Washington's campaign to dismantle the Hague-based tribunal. The ICC responded by saying the measures "undermine…
Russian firm asks Putin to seize Nestlé’s assets
A little-known Russian firm has formally petitioned President Vladimir Putin to place five of Nestlé's Russian subsidiaries under temporary state administration, a move that could strip the Swiss food giant of operations valued at up to $2.1 billion, according to…
Rystad cuts Russia crude forecast as drone strikes and sanctions deepen output decline
Russia's crude oil output has entered a new phase of decline as Ukrainian drone strikes on export infrastructure and tightening Western sanctions compound long-term production challenges, according to a revised forecast from Rystad Energy published this week.
Nvidia says AI chip found in Russian missile is a consumer product not sold to Russia
Ukrainian military intelligence has identified an Nvidia Jetson Orin computer module inside Russia's new S-71M "Monochrome" air-launched cruise missile, raising fresh questions about the flow of Western technology into Russian weapons systems.
Putin threatens to seize European ships over shadow fleet crackdown
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that Moscow will "respond in kind" if European countries seize Russian merchant vessels, in a sharp escalation of rhetoric as the EU intensifies its campaign against Russia's sanctions-evading maritime network.
Russia’s ruble stablecoin hits $140B in turnover, PSB says
The ruble-denominated stablecoin A7A5 has processed nearly $140 billion in turnover since its February 2025 launch, PSB Bank Chairman and CEO Pyotr Fradkov said in an interview with Russia's RBC news agency published on Monday.
Iran demands U.S. withdrawal, reparations to reopen Hormuz
Iran's Supreme National Security Council on Saturday issued a sweeping set of demands that the United States must meet before Tehran will allow the Strait of Hormuz to reopen, injecting fresh uncertainty into the Trump administration's efforts to bring the…
Russia’s ruble stablecoin collapses after Western sanctions
The A7A5 stablecoin, a ruble-pegged cryptocurrency designed to help Russian businesses circumvent Western financial restrictions, has seen its transaction volumes plummet 96% and now trades at effectively zero, according to a new analysis published by blockchain analytics firm Elliptic. The…
Iran vows to block Hormuz transit over Trump’s frozen assets plan
Iran's military command warned on Monday that any country or company accepting compensation from frozen Iranian assets would have its vessels barred from the Strait of Hormuz, escalating a standoff with the United States over maritime security in the Gulf.
Moonshot AI releases Kimi K3 open weights amid U.S. IP theft accusations
Moonshot AI made the full weights of its Kimi K3 model available for public download on Sunday, delivering on a pledge to open-source the 2.8-trillion-parameter system — the largest AI model ever released for free use — just as Washington…
Mediators report progress as US-Iran strike pause reaches third day
Neither the United States nor Iran carried out attacks for a third consecutive day on Monday, as mediators Pakistan and Qatar intensified shuttle diplomacy following both sides' responses to a joint de-escalation proposal, according to Pakistani government sources and regional…
EU weighs abandoning large Russia sanctions packages
The European Union is considering a fundamental shift in how it imposes sanctions on Russia, moving away from sweeping packages in favor of smaller, thematic measures after Greece held up the bloc's 21st sanctions round for weeks to protect a…
China vows countermeasures over US AI distillation sanctions threat
China's Ministry of Commerce on Monday accused the United States of "AI hegemonism" and warned it would take "all necessary measures" to safeguard its interests if Washington follows through on threats to sanction Chinese artificial intelligence companies over allegations of…
EU adopts largest sanctions package in four years, targeting Russian crypto and banks
The European Union on Thursday adopted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia, targeting cryptocurrency exchange HTX among 14 third-country crypto platforms accused of helping Moscow evade Western financial restrictions. The package, the bloc's largest in four years with 218…
Lloyd’s voids hull cover for ships paying Iran’s Hormuz toll
The global shipping industry is facing an insurance crisis across two of its most vital chokepoints simultaneously, as war-risk premiums for tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz have surged to levels that threaten to choke off remaining oil trade from…
TotalEnergies confirms exit from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2
TotalEnergies announced Thursday that it will divest its 10% stake in Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project, formally ending its involvement in a venture that has been hobbled by Western sanctions since late 2023.
Meliá to close all 34 Cuba hotels Friday, ending 36-year run
Meliá Hotels International Melia Hotels International, S.A. announced on Tuesday that it will cease all operations across its 34 Cuban hotels on Friday, July 24, 2026, completing a full withdrawal from the island after 36 years of continuous presence. The…
US lifts some Hong Kong sanctions as ’emergency’ expires
The Trump administration allowed a national emergency declaration over Hong Kong to expire on July 14, partially unwinding sanctions imposed during the president's first term in 2020, though the move falls short of restoring the territory's special autonomous status in…
Google removes Russia’s Max and VK apps from Play Store
Google Alphabet Inc. has removed the Russian messaging app Max and other applications operated by VK from its Play Store, the company announced on July 16, marking the end of the app's availability on both major Western app marketplaces.
Greece vetoes EU sanctions on Russia to shield billionaire’s shipping company
Greece has blocked the European Union's 21st sanctions package against Russia, stalling efforts to tighten economic pressure on Moscow over a single shipping company owned by Greek billionaire George Prokopiou.
UN warns Cuba blackouts deepening humanitarian crisis
Cuba's national power grid collapsed for the third time in nine days on Tuesday, July 14, leaving approximately 10 million people without electricity as the U.S. fuel blockade continues to devastate the island's energy infrastructure.
Oil pulls back after rally as Iran sanctions deadline looms
Crude oil prices climbed for a fourth straight session this week as renewed military clashes between the United States and Iran raised fresh concerns about supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, erasing a brief period of calm that had…
Treasury sanctions on ransomware VPN accidentally broke Telegram links worldwide
The U.S. Treasury Department on July 13 designated a virtual private network provider, its Ukrainian administrator, and a Belarusian malware tool seller for enabling ransomware attacks against American hospitals, schools, businesses, and local governments — marking the first time OFAC…
Cuba’s power grid collapses for third time in nine days
Cuba's national power grid collapsed on Tuesday, the country's energy ministry confirmed, marking the third total blackout in just nine days and plunging nearly 10 million residents into darkness once again. The failure follows grid collapses on July 6 and…
Deutsche Bank and UniCredit sue Linde over Russia sanctions losses
Deutsche Bank, UniCredit, and Commerzbank have filed lawsuits in Germany against industrial gases group Linde in what is being described as a test case over who should bear hundreds of millions of euros in losses stemming from western sanctions on…
Trump administration launches campaign to isolate the ICC
The Trump administration is escalating its confrontation with the International Criminal Court, launching a new effort to isolate the Hague-based tribunal that it frames as a threat to American sovereignty, Reuters reported on Monday.
Russia runs spy unit from Tokyo to source war tech, NYT finds
A New York Times investigation published Saturday has revealed that a Russian military intelligence unit operates from a Tokyo high-rise, sourcing high-tech equipment that Russia needs to sustain its war in Ukraine. The report, by investigative journalist Jane Bradley, details…
Iran holds crisis talks in Oman as US demands Hormuz pledge
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Oman on Saturday for crisis talks over the Strait of Hormuz, as the Trump administration demanded that Tehran publicly commit to keeping the vital waterway open to commercial shipping following attacks on tankers…
Cuba’s grid collapses for second time in a week
Cuba's national electrical grid failed for the second time in five days on Friday, plunging the island of nearly 10 million people into darkness and intensifying what observers describe as one of the country's worst humanitarian crises in decades.