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Channel passage highlights limits of sanctions policing as Russian oil tankers keep moving
Two oil tankers sanctioned by the United States sailed through the English Channel on Thursday 8 January, as western governments stepped up scrutiny of vessels suspected of helping Russia move oil in defiance of restrictions. The first ship, identified as…
US boards and seizes Russian-flagged tanker linked to Venezuela and Iran sanctions
US authorities have seized an oil tanker previously flagged to Guyana and linked by Washington to sanctions evasion involving Venezuelan and Iranian crude, after the vessel switched into the Russian registry during a weeks-long pursuit across the Atlantic. The vessel,…
Atlantic Tensions and Presidential Audacity: Trump’s Greenland Gambit
In the pantheon of modern Western leaders, few have been as polarising — or as theatrically audacious — as President Donald J. Trump. His latest salvo, the suggestion that the United States might assert control over Greenland, has sent ripples…
US aircraft movements add to uncertainty as Iran protests intensify and regional diplomacy shifts
Open-source flight tracking and recent reporting have pointed to an increased tempo of US military air movements linked to the Middle East, coinciding with a sharp escalation in Iran’s internal unrest and a widening set of regional flashpoints. The Iranian…
Russian submarine escorts Marinera as US pursuit of ex-Bella 1 continues
Russia has deployed a submarine and other naval assets to accompany an oil tanker pursued across the Atlantic by the United States Coast Guard, escalating a sanctions-enforcement operation into a direct encounter with Russian military forces in international waters. The…
Ukraine’s drone commander claims December strike toll matched Russia’s monthly recruitment
Ukraine’s commander of Unmanned Systems Forces, Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, has said Ukrainian drone units killed or wounded more than 33,000 Russian troops in December 2025, describing it as the first time drone-only losses matched Russia’s reported monthly intake of contract…
After the raid: Washington has seized Maduro, but not Venezuela
The United States has removed Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro in a single night of air strikes and a Special Forces raid. The harder question is what, precisely, Washington thinks it has taken control of. Mr Maduro and his wife, Cilia…
Anglo-French Air Strike Delivers Major Blow to ISIS
British and French forces have successfully carried out a precision air strike against a significant Islamic State (ISIS) arms depot in northern Syria, officials say. The operation, undertaken on Saturday night, marks a noteworthy advance in the continuing campaign against…
Japan Steps Forward as a Pillar of Pacific Security
For much of the post-war era, Japan defined itself by restraint. Its pacifist constitution, born of defeat and devastation, shaped a national identity rooted in economic strength rather than military power. Yet as we move into 2026, Japan is quietly…
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian Declares Full-Fledged War Against U.S., Israel, Europe
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared that the Islamic Republic is in a “full-fledged” or “total” war with the United States, Israel and European powers, framing a complex pattern of military, economic and political pressures as an existential struggle for…