
Experts call for consumption rooms and wider testing of substances, as number of people dying hits new high Experts in drug addiction have warned the government must take a different approach towards illegal substance use, or risk an increasing number of deaths from drug poisonings. […]
The fire was so intense it threatened nearby buildings, forcing the evacuation of dozens of residents and a restaurant nearby. Crews managed to contain the fire to two storeys of the building. Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said 31 people from a nearby residential property and […]
A prisoner exchange, but not only that. Something is moving regarding the Ukraine dossier, as evidenced by the significant events in Moscow in the past few hours. Steve Witkoff, special envoy of Donald Trump, traveled to Russia for the release of U.S. citizen Marc Fogel […]
A prisoner exchange, but not only that. Something is moving regarding the Ukraine dossier, as evidenced by the significant events in Moscow in the past few hours. Steve Witkoff, special envoy of Donald Trump, traveled to Russia for the release of U.S. citizen Marc Fogel […]
NEWS“What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth of the equal dignity of every human being, starts badly and will end badly.” It sounds almost like a warning, with very serious tones, and even seems like an easy prophecy. Pope […]
NEWSHamas threatens to suspend the release of Israeli hostages scheduled for Saturday “until further notice” and accuses Israel of failing to fulfill its obligations under the agreement. The truce is once again in jeopardy. In the evening, Hamas stated that “the door remains open” to […]
WarThe fire was so intense it threatened nearby buildings, forcing the evacuation of dozens of residents and a restaurant nearby. Crews managed to contain the fire to two storeys of the building. Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said 31 people from a nearby residential property and […]
CRIMEA prisoner exchange, but not only that. Something is moving regarding the Ukraine dossier, as evidenced by the significant events in Moscow in the past few hours. Steve Witkoff, special envoy of Donald Trump, traveled to Russia for the release of U.S. citizen Marc Fogel […]
NEWSA prisoner exchange, but not only that. Something is moving regarding the Ukraine dossier, as evidenced by the significant events in Moscow in the past few hours. Steve Witkoff, special envoy of Donald Trump, traveled to Russia for the release of U.S. citizen Marc Fogel and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for three and a half hours. The news was reported by Fox News journalist Sean Hannity during an interview with the U.S. Secretary of State: “President Zelensky has said he is open to a deal. The Trump administration is releasing Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cybercriminal who pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to commit money laundering, in exchange for the release of American teacher Marc Fogel,” writes The New York Times, citing a U.S. official familiar with the matter. In the renewed relations between Russia and the United States following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, amid the war in Ukraine and sanctions, an important prisoner exchange has also taken place. While in the East, American teacher Marc Fogel regains his freedom, the Trump administration is reportedly releasing Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cybercriminal, as early as today, Wednesday, February 12. The White House has announced the release of an American citizen and three other people detained in Belarus. The name of the U.S. citizen remains undisclosed for now.
“What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth of the equal dignity of every human being, starts badly and will end badly.” It sounds almost like a warning, with very serious tones, and even seems like an easy prophecy. Pope […]
NEWS“What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth of the equal dignity of every human being, starts badly and will end badly.” It sounds almost like a warning, with very serious tones, and even seems like an easy prophecy. Pope Francis is addressing the American bishops, but his message is not really meant for them—it is indirectly directed at President Donald Trump due to the immigration policies he promised during his campaign and is now implementing, including the deportation of many undocumented migrants.
The White House responded immediately through Tom Homan, the U.S. Border Czar (appointed by Trump specifically for this role, overseeing deportations and border control). “The Pope should focus on the Catholic Church and let us take care of our borders. Does he want to attack us for protecting our borders? He has a wall around the Vatican, right? (…) And we can’t have a wall around the United States?”
In his letter to the bishops, Pope Francis stated that he has been “closely following the great crisis that is unfolding with the implementation of a mass deportation program. A properly formed conscience,” he emphasized, “cannot refrain from making a critical judgment and expressing its disagreement with any measure that tacitly or explicitly equates the status of undocumented migrants with criminality.”
Pope Francis published the letter in both English and Spanish, beginning with a reference to the Bible—shared roots for any Christian. In the past, speaking off the cuff, he once said that Trump could not really be called “a Christian” (“A person who thinks only of building walls and not bridges is not Christian”). Now, without naming him directly, he focuses on the situation.
A few weeks ago, during an interview with Fabio Fazio, he had already warned that if the deportations were carried out, it would be “a disaster.” Two days ago, he called on all Christian leaders worldwide to make an effort during the Jubilee to apply the Gospel and seek peaceful solutions to the many wars ravaging the planet. Pope Francis is concerned—he knows that the forced transfer of so many migrants could soon be imitated by other countries.
Hamas threatens to suspend the release of Israeli hostages scheduled for Saturday “until further notice” and accuses Israel of failing to fulfill its obligations under the agreement. The truce is once again in jeopardy. In the evening, Hamas stated that “the door remains open” to […]
WarHamas threatens to suspend the release of Israeli hostages scheduled for Saturday “until further notice” and accuses Israel of failing to fulfill its obligations under the agreement. The truce is once again in jeopardy. In the evening, Hamas stated that “the door remains open” to meet the scheduled date for the new prisoner exchange, but Israel must “fulfill its obligations.” For the Jewish state, this constitutes a “total violation” of the ceasefire. Defense Minister Katz has placed the IDF on high alert for any possible scenario in Gaza and at the border: “We will not return to the reality of October 7.” Donald Trump called Hamas’ threat to postpone the hostage release “terrible” and promised “real hell” if they are not freed.
The fire was so intense it threatened nearby buildings, forcing the evacuation of dozens of residents and a restaurant nearby. Crews managed to contain the fire to two storeys of the building. Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said 31 people from a nearby residential property and […]
CRIMEThe fire was so intense it threatened nearby buildings, forcing the evacuation of dozens of residents and a restaurant nearby.
Crews managed to contain the fire to two storeys of the building.
Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said 31 people from a nearby residential property and restaurant had to be evacuated.
To sustain its oil exports, Russia has been drawing on a network of old tankers it sources from private sellers around the world. A new analysis by Follow the Money and OCCRP shows that Western shipowners have earned at least $6.3 billion selling hundreds of […]
NEWSTo sustain its oil exports, Russia has been drawing on a network of old tankers it sources from private sellers around the world. A new analysis by Follow the Money and OCCRP shows that Western shipowners have earned at least $6.3 billion selling hundreds of aging tankers on to shell companies, from where they make their way into the shadow fleet. From the Singapore Strait, the Greek oil tanker Aris transmitted its last signal in 2023, seemingly marking the end of nearly two decades on the water. ”People selling vessels have to notify, and they have to prove, that they have checked the vessel does not undercut the sanctions or the price cap,” he said. Although “there’s always going to be a degree of circumvention,” O’Sullivan said the question is whether the sanctions are “slowly but surely making it harder, making it more expensive, making it more complicated, for the Russians to continue their economic activity.”
Despite the rules in place, more than half of the tankers identified in the Follow The Money and OCCRP investigation were sold by 54 Greek-operated companies for a total of at least $3.7 billion. Besides Tsakos, this includes Marla Tankers, which sold two 15-year-old oil tankers for a reported $84 million in 2024.
Other prominent firms owned and operated by Greek concerns — including Toro Corp (which is based in Cyprus), Prime Marine, and Thenamaris — have also taken advantage of demand for tankers as Russia scrambles to maintain its fleet. Toro Corp, for example, resold six aging tankers for $195.4 million in 2023 and early 2024, around two years after buying them, earning them $111.7 million. After the five tankers wound up in the shadow fleet, each of them was sanctioned by the U.K. when they were caught transporting Russian oil.
Marla Tankers, Toro Corp and Prime Marine did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Thenamaris wrote: “Please kindly note, as per our corporate policy, we do not comment on business matters.”
Although shipowners operating from Greece have sold the most ships that the KSE Institute identified as being part of the shadow fleet, vessels were also sourced from several other E.U. countries. In particular, Chemikalien Seetransporte GmbH, a shipping company based in Hamburg, Germany sold at least five tankers in the group of ships identified by KSE, while the Belgian marine transport company Euronav earned $135 million by selling five vessels in 2022 and 2023 that also wound up in this group.
A spokesperson for Chemikalien Seetransporte GmbH said that while the tankers had previously been managed by their company, they were sold in 2023 and 2024 after “comprehensive due diligence reviews of the respective buyers were conducted by all parties involved, following strict compliance procedures.”
The spokesperson added that Chemikalien Seetransport “has always conducted, is conducting, and will continue to conduct its global operations in full compliance with international laws and regulations. The company adheres to all current sanctions imposed by the E.U., the U.S.A, and the United Nations and will continue to do so in the future.”
Euronav spokesperson Katrien Hennin said the company did not know that its former vessels would be added to Russia’s shadow fleet.
“We have no insight into what happens to the ships after the sale and that is not our responsibility,” Hennin said. “To whom the buyer resells a ship or how he operates the ship legally or illegally is beyond our control.”
The sales by Western companies are not in violation of EU, U.S., or U.K. sanctions because the vessels are sold to firms registered in jurisdictions that are not part of the sanctions effort, such as India, Vietnam, Hong Kong, or the Seychelles, before ending up operating as part of the shadow fleet. In several cases identified by OCCRP, the ships were also sold a second or third time through a different country before arriving in the shadow fleet.
For example, the two Marla Tankers ships — the Fos Picasso and the Fos Da Vinci — were sold late last year to Phuong Dong Petrol Transportation, a company based in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. Both ships were renamed, and the flag under which they operated was changed from Malta to Panama, one of several countries that do not enforce international maritime rules.But just two weeks later, the aging ship was back at sea — flying a Cook Islands flag and under a new name, Canis Power. It would also end up serving a new purpose. According to a June 2024 U.K. sanctions notice, Canis Power was transporting Russian oil. Its Greek owner, Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd, had sold it to a company registered in the Marshall Islands that paid 21 million euros for the vessel.
Western shipowners have earned a total of over $6.3 billion selling aging tankers that have become part of a so-called “shadow fleet,” a network of around 600 ships circumventing sanctions to sustain Russia’s oil exports, according to a Follow the Money investigation done in collaboration with OCCRP and journalists from more than a dozen news organizations around the world. These Europe- and U.S.-sold vessels amount to nearly 40 percent of the Russian shadow fleet, or around 230 ships, Follow the Money and OCCRP found.
The KSE Institute at the Kyiv School of Economics identified the ships in the network, deeming a tanker part of the shadow fleet if it is shipping Russian oil, has an opaque ownership structure, and has no reliable Western oil spill insurance.
Direct sales of oil tankers to Russian entities are prohibited under EU sanctions imposed in 2023. But indirect sales to companies from countries that are not participating in sanctions are not illegal, opening up a significant loophole in the effort that is supposed to be limiting Russia’s ability to bankroll its ongoing war against Ukraine.
Benjamin Hilgenstock, senior economist at the KSE Institute, said the sanctions effort has not been effective enough if these tankers can ultimately wind up in the shadow fleet.
“You can resell the tanker three times in three weeks,” he said. “The companies that sell tankers know what they have to do to avoid trouble.”
A lawyer for Tsakos Energy Navigation Ltd., Clio Hatzimichali, said that “in all its business dealings,” the company “always adheres to all applicable rules and procedures, as well as sanctions regulations of the competent authorities.” She did not respond to specific questions about the sale of the Aris. OCCRP has not seen evidence that Tsakos Energy Navigation was aware that the ship would end up in the shadow fleet when it was sold to its Marshall Islands-registered buyer.
However, sellers from EU nations are required to ensure that their ships are not circumventing sanctions, according to David O’Sullivan, the EU’s International Special Envoy for the Implementation of EU Sanctions. As part of a ban against direct sales to Russian companies, the EU mandated that European shipowners must report to national authorities when they sell a ship to a buyer outside the bloc. Sanctions officials can’t block those transactions, but the regulation is intended to make companies stop and reflect before making sales that could circumvent sanctions, O’Sullivan said. Less than a month later, Automatic Identification System (AIS) records show the tankers set course towards Russia. At the Baltic port Ust-Luga near the Estonian border, more than 150 million liters of Russian fuel oil and crude were pumped into the tankers, according to data provided by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), an independent research organization. The oil would be expected to fetch at least $60 million.
mi traduci questa notizia in spagnolo norvegese e tedesco
Phuong Dong Petrol Transportation did not respond to requests for comment.
In response to a question of whether additional ships will be sanctioned, European Commission spokesman Olof Gill said the E.U. “has made public that the shadow fleet will be actively countered, including via additional designations of vessels.”
The shadow fleet has succeeded in propping up Russia’s oil revenue, which funds a significant portion of its federal budget and its war effort. Despite a G7 cap introduced in late 2022 aimed at limiting the price of seaborne Russian-origin crude, Russia earned over 800 billion euros from fossil fuel exports since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The fleet has also been accused of spying on Russia’s enemies.
Besides undermining the effort to exert financial pressure on Russia’s coffers, the shadow fleet’s reliance on aging tankers increases the potential of maritime disasters. Many of the tankers have reached an age where they are typically retired because essential maintenance costs exceed what can be earned by selling the ship for scrap metal, and ships in the shadow fleet lack Western oil spill insurance. The combination increases the likelihood of accidents and major environmental damage.
The U.S., U.K., and EU have responded to the shadow fleet’s growth with a concerted effort to target individual vessels with sanctions.
Western governments have thus far sanctioned a total of roughly 300 tankers. In January 2025, the U.S. sanctioned 155 tankers — the most extensive effort yet to disrupt the fleet. Nearly 80 of the tankers FTM and OCCRP linked to Western companies are among those that have been sanctioned.
However, enforcement remains inconsistent, partly due to resistance from EU member states with a heavy reliance on the shipping industry.
Greece, Cyprus, and Malta — countries with significant maritime industries — have expressed concerns over stricter enforcement measures.
Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides told Politico in 2023 that his country would support further EU sanctions, but only if it was compensated for lost revenue. The country’s shipping industry earned an average of 14.1 billion euros annually between 2018 and 2021, which amounted to almost 8 percent of its economy, according to the Greek private research organization the Foundation for Economic & Industrial Research.
“Revenue loss due to stricter sanctions enforcement is no trivial matter” for nations with smaller economies and a reliance on shipping,” said Petras Katinas, an energy analyst for CREA. Still, he said, these nations “must consider the EU’s collective security goals.”
“Sanctions against Russia, after all, are a response to aggression against Ukraine,” Katinas added. “The EU faces a fundamental challenge: To impose swift and robust sanctions, it requires unanimous approval from all 27 member states, a hurdle that complicates effective action.”
In recent hours, asteroid 2024 YR4 has returned to the spotlight due to the possibility of impacting Earth in 2032. Initially, NASA estimated an impact probability of 1.2% (about one chance in 83), later increased to 1.5%. Recently, the American space agency further revised the […]
NEWSIn recent hours, asteroid 2024 YR4 has returned to the spotlight due to the possibility of impacting Earth in 2032. Initially, NASA estimated an impact probability of 1.2% (about one chance in 83), later increased to 1.5%. Recently, the American space agency further revised the estimate, raising it to 2.3%. In the event of an impact, the potentially affected areas would include the eastern Pacific Ocean, northern South America, the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Arabian Sea, and South Asia. The countries most at risk could be Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, and Ethiopia. The impact would have a power equivalent to 500 times that of the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima. 2024 YR4 was discovered on December 27, 2024, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope, funded by NASA, in Rio Hurtado, Chile. The asteroid had a close approach to Earth on December 25, making it bright enough to be detected in asteroid surveys.
A small commercial flight with 10 people on board has been reported missing in the northwestern state of Alaska, United States, according to law enforcement. The Alaska State Police stated that a Bering Air Caravan with nine passengers and a pilot on board was reported […]
NEWSA small commercial flight with 10 people on board has been reported missing in the northwestern state of Alaska, United States, according to law enforcement.
The Alaska State Police stated that a Bering Air Caravan with nine passengers and a pilot on board was reported overdue on a flight from Unalakleet to Nome at 4:00 PM Alaska Standard Time (01:00 GMT). Search and rescue teams “are working to reach the last known coordinates” of the flight.
TEHRAN, FEB 6 – The Iranian Foreign Ministry rejects what it calls a “shocking” plan devised by U.S. President Donald Trump to take control of Gaza and “forcibly displace” Palestinians from the coastal territory. “The plan to evacuate Gaza and forcibly relocate the Palestinian people […]
NEWSTEHRAN, FEB 6 – The Iranian Foreign Ministry rejects what it calls a “shocking” plan devised by U.S. President Donald Trump to take control of Gaza and “forcibly displace” Palestinians from the coastal territory.
“The plan to evacuate Gaza and forcibly relocate the Palestinian people to neighboring countries,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, “is considered a continuation of Israel’s deliberate plan to completely annihilate the Palestinian nation, and it is categorically rejected and condemned.”
“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) has stated that he would be open to ‘direct negotiations’ with Vladimir Putin. He made this announcement late last night, signaling a potential shift. ‘If this is the only option through which we can bring peace to Ukrainian citizens and […]
NEWS“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) has stated that he would be open to ‘direct negotiations’ with Vladimir Putin. He made this announcement late last night, signaling a potential shift. ‘If this is the only option through which we can bring peace to Ukrainian citizens and avoid losing lives, we will certainly opt for this choice,’ the president said in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, specifying that other participants would also be required.
Zelensky affirmed that Ukraine is ready to end the ‘hot phase’ of the war and that his willingness to negotiate with Russia represents a compromise. ‘We will talk with Putin… Even talking to Putin is a compromise,’ he said. ‘What does my personal opinion of him matter? I will not be kind to him—I consider him an enemy. And to be honest, I believe he sees me as an enemy too.’
Until now, Zelensky has consistently rejected negotiations, especially with Moscow, which seeks to impose its own conditions. In 2022, he even issued a decree banning any talks with Russia as long as Putin remained in power. However, Donald Trump’s return to the White House—and the advance of Russian forces in the Donbas—has accelerated the prospect of negotiations. The U.S. president recently mentioned that discussions with Moscow are already ‘underway.’
Furthermore, Zelensky stated that Kyiv is ready to receive ‘investments from American companies’ to extract rare earth minerals from Ukrainian territory, which is rich in such resources. This comes after Trump made it clear that securing these strategic minerals for modern industrial technology was a condition for continued U.S. arms supplies.
Reacting quickly to Trump’s words, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed the tycoon’s demand as ‘selfish.’ However, the Ukrainian leader has already discussed the matter with Trump and sees no obstacles to American firms taking the lead in extraction operations in Ukraine. ‘I would like American companies to develop this sector here,’ Zelensky emphasized in a press conference.”
“Santorini, one of Greece’s most famous islands, has experienced a series of seismic tremors, raising concerns about the area’s safety. Although the recent earthquakes have not caused significant damage, ongoing seismic activity has led authorities to continuously monitor the situation. This phenomenon brings renewed attention […]
NEWS“Santorini, one of Greece’s most famous islands, has experienced a series of seismic tremors, raising concerns about the area’s safety. Although the recent earthquakes have not caused significant damage, ongoing seismic activity has led authorities to continuously monitor the situation. This phenomenon brings renewed attention to the region’s vulnerability to earthquakes and the implications for both the population and tourism.
Seismic activity in the marine area between the islands of Santorini and Amorgos has increased significantly: since last Saturday, 200 tremors with a magnitude greater than 3.0 on the Richter scale have been recorded, and this morning, one reached a magnitude of 4.9. With underwater volcanoes, tsunami risks, and plate tectonics, the island now fears the ‘big earthquake’.”