US to file criminal charges against Marinera ship crew, says Attorney General The US authorities will file criminal charges against crew members of the seized Marinera tanker, also known as Bella 1, US Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on the X social network. In her words, the ship’s crew members undertook "frantic efforts to avoid apprehension" of the tanker, which reportedly was "responsible for transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran." "As a consequence of failing to obey the Coast Guard’s orders, members of this vessel are under full investigation and criminal charges will be pursued against all culpable actors," she said. "The Department of Justice is monitoring several other vessels for similar enforcement action - anyone on any vessel who fails to obey instructions of the Coast Guard or other federal officials will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the attorney general added. Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a daily briefing that the US may take the crew of the Marinera to the United States for a possible judicial process into purported violations of the federal US law. The Pentagon said earlier that the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera had been detained in the North Atlantic. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth linked the detention of the Russian tanker to the embargo on Venezuelan oil.

Dec 21 - US intercepts third oil tanker off Venezuela coast US forces have boarded a third oil #tanker off the coast of #Venezuela, further intensifying maritime enforcement operations in the region. The vessel, identified as the Bella 1, is a Panama-flagged tanker operating under US sanctions and was intercepted while en route to load oil. The interception has now been confirmed, marking the third such action by US forces in recent days. The move signals a stepped-up effort by Washington to enforce sanctions and prevent unauthorized oil shipments linked to sanctioned entities operating out of Venezuelan waters. 'The interception highlights stricter US enforcement of sanctions aimed at cutting off illicit oil exports, increasing pressure on sanctioned networks, and reinforcing Washington’s determination to control maritime sanctions violations in the Western Hemisphere.'

US military seizes oil tanker near Venezuela amid rising tensions The #US move marks a sharp escalation in the standoff with the #Venezuelan regime. The US military has intercepted and taken control of an oil tanker near the coast of Venezuela, according to a Bloomberg report. The operation comes as Washington increases pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s government over its continued alignment with hostile foreign actors and ongoing violations of international norms. The seizure is viewed in Washington as a necessary step to curb illicit oil shipments tied to the Maduro regime, which has deepened cooperation with anti-Western powers. The incident is expected to heighten tensions further, with Caracas already accusing the US of “aggression” while American officials emphasize the need to enforce sanctions and protect regional stability.

[VIDEO AI] EU/EC sanctions on Russia Gas & Oil......

German economy eviscerated by EU’s sanctions on Russia Germany’s #economy has been completely weakened by the #European Union’s anti-Russian sanctions, Brandon Weichert, a senior national security editor at The National Interest (NI), wrote in an article released on Monday. "The actions of NATO against #Russia in Ukraine have weakened the European economic project. Its strongest economy, #Germany, has been eviscerated — not only by the rebound effect of the sanctions, but by the loss of Germany’s Nord Stream II pipeline, which once <…> fueled Berlin’s industrial might," the editor argued. According to Weichert, the Ukraine conflict has caused energy price inflation, economic strain, and, as a result, political tensions inside the EU.

Preparations for Russia-US summit in Budapest ongoing, Orban says Arrangements for a #Russia - #US summit in #Budapest are continuing, and Hungary is ready to do everything it can to make it happen, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in the morning talk show on Kossuth Radio. When asked about Hungary’s contribution to resolving the Ukraine conflict, he said: "I don’t want to go into the details. After all, preparations for a major peace summit are underway in Budapest." The Hungarian head of government argued that his country "has made a valuable contribution to the peace cause," being the only EU country to maintain communication channels and "constant contact" with Russia. "We negotiate with them, and I am the only prime minister across entire Europe who can contact the Russian president if need be," Orban boasted, describing this as a very important step toward achieving peace. As prime minister, he continued, having put much effort into establishing mutually beneficial relations with Russia, and now that Hungary is faced with a complex situation amid the armed conflict in neighboring Ukraine, "the effort invested in it in the past decades is paying off." Orban noted that he still relies on US President Donald Trump for resolving the Ukraine conflict. "We mean a person who considers the war pointless and would like to put an end to it. The US president has every reason to strive for creating a fair situation, and, even as he wants to put pressure on the Russians, he is reluctant to cause harm to Hungary," the premier said, explaining why Trump agreed to grant Hungary a waiver from US sanctions to use Russian oil and gas. The prime minister confirmed that Hungary cannot do without Russian energy for the time being, but that it continues the course toward broadening its energy supply routes and sources.

Pentagon chief likens current world situation with 1939, when World War II began Pentagon head Pete #Hegseth compared the current situation in the world with 1939, when World War II began, according to the Forbes Breaking News YouTube channel. "This is a 1939 moment. Or hopefully a 1981 moment. A moment of mounting urgency. Enemies gather, threats grow. You feel it, I feel it," Hegseth said on Friday, when he attended the National Defense University in Washington. "If we are going to prevent and avoid war, which is what we all want, we must prepare now," the Pentagon chief said, adding that potential US opponents, whom he did not name, are not sitting idly by. In 1981, the United States imposed sanctions against the #USSR in response to the introduction of martial law in Poland over the strikes of the Solidarity trade union.

Effect of sanctions and inflation in Europe! Many Europeans can’t afford food anymore as before. Food prices grew by: 🇪🇪 Estonia 57% 🇱🇻 Latvia 55% 🇱🇹 Lithuania 52% 🇸🇰 Slovakia 52% 🇭🇷 Croatia 47% 🇸🇮 Slovenia 39% 🇳🇱 Netherlands 39% 🇧🇪 Belgium 38% 🇪🇸 Spain 34% 🇦🇹 Austria 33% 🇲🇹 Malta 32% 🇵🇹 Portugal 32% 🇬🇷 Greece 30% 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 29% 🇮🇹 Italy 28% 🇫🇷 France 27% 🇩🇪 Germany 27% 🇮🇪 Ireland 26% 🇫🇮 Finland 25% 🇨🇾 Cyprus 20%

Aug-01-2025: Trump Positioning Two Nuclear Submarines Near Russia Following Russian Official’s Threat of War President Donald #Trump has ordered two #nuclear #submarines to be positioned near #Russia after statements by a top Russian security official threatening war. Trump is giving Russian President Vladimir Putin until August 8 to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine or face new sanctions and secondary tariffs. Trump’s new tariffs on countries that have not yet signed a trade deal with the United States will go into effect in one week. Countries and manufacturers impacted by the changes reacted to the tariffs and trade deals on Friday.

Loud on Ukraine, low on votes: The West’s least popular warmongers In Europe, the loudest cheerleaders for endless aid to Ukraine – paid for by taxpayers – and harsher sanctions on Russia all have one thing in common: nobody likes them. Pure coincidence, right? Here’s the scoreboard of some of their approval ratings: 🇫🇷 Emmanuel Macron (France): 21% 🇬🇧 Keir Starmer (The UK): 24% 🇩🇪 Friedrich Merz (Germany): 36% 🇨🇿 Petr Fiala (Czech Republic): 16% 🇸🇪 Ulf Kristersson (Sweden): 34% 🇳🇴 Jonas Gahr Store (Norway): 30% 🇳🇱 Dick Schoof (Netherlands): 30% 🇪🇺 Ursula von der Leyen? No one elected her at all. Democracy in action...