2025-12-13 02:43
WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. government carried out its seizure of the M/T Skipper off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday just as a judge-signed warrant was set to expire, according to the document which was unsealed on Friday. The warrant, which was signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui on November 26, gave the Trump administration until December 10, 2025 to seize the vessel. The seizure is the first of a Venezuelan oil cargo amid U.S. sanctions that have been in force since 2019. Sign up here. The Skipper left Venezuela's main oil port of Jose between December 4 and 5 after loading some 1.8 million barrels of Venezuela's Merey heavy crude. The Trump administration has said the M/T Skipper was used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. "The seizure of this vessel highlights our successful efforts to impose costs on the governments of Venezuela and Iran," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement on Friday. Sources have told Reuters that the U.S. is preparing to intercept more ships transporting Venezuelan oil. Despite the unsealing of the warrant, the accompanying affidavit remained redacted. Faruqui said other documents in the case will remain under seal temporarily. This week's seizure, which was condemned by the Venezuelan government, of the vessel was the latest escalation in growing tensions between Washington and Caracas. In recent months, the U.S. had carried out several strikes against suspected drug vessels in the region - a move which has been condemned by U.S. lawmakers and legal experts. President Donald Trump has repeatedly floated the possibility of a U.S. military intervention in Venezuela as the U.S. continues to build up its military forces in and around the Southern Caribbean. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-seized-tanker-near-venezuela-just-warrant-was-set-expire-court-document-shows-2025-12-13/
2025-12-13 02:00
Dec 12 (Reuters) - Bitcoin hoarding giant Strategy (MSTR.O) , opens new tab clung to its place in the Nasdaq 100 (.NDX) , opens new tab on Friday, continuing its year-long stint in the benchmark at a time where analysts have raised questions over its business model. Some market watchers have suggested Strategy's pioneering business model of buying-and-holding bitcoin, which has spawned dozens of copycats, more closely resembles that of an investment fund. Sign up here. Concerns have grown over the sustainability of crypto treasury companies, whose shares have proved extremely sensitive to bitcoin's gyrations. Nasdaq said Biogen (BIIB.O) , opens new tab, CDW Corporation (CDW.O) , opens new tab, Globalfoundries (GFS.O) , opens new tab, Lululemon Athletica (LULU.O) , opens new tab, On Semiconductor (ON.O) , opens new tab and Trade Desk (TTD.O) , opens new tab were removed from the tech-heavy exchange's benchmark index. New entrants included Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (ALNY.O) , opens new tab, Ferrovial (FERF.AS) , opens new tab, Insmed (INSM.O) , opens new tab, Monolithic Power Systems (MPWR.O) , opens new tab, Seagate Technology (STX.O) , opens new tab and Western Digital (WDC.O) , opens new tab. Strategy started out as software company, MicroStrategy, but pivoted to bitcoin investing in 2020. It was included in the Nasdaq 100 last December under the index's technology sub-category. Global index provider MSCI (MSCI.N) , opens new tab has also raised concerns about the presence of digital-asset treasury companies in its benchmarks. MSCI is due to decide in January whether to exclude Strategy and similar companies. The Nasdaq changes are expected to take effect on December 22. The Nasdaq 100 index tracks the largest non-financial companies by market capitalization listed on the exchange. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/bitcoin-hoarder-company-strategy-remains-nasdaq-100-2025-12-13/
2025-12-12 23:40
Trump wants new jets before term ends in January 2029 Air Force tasked with upgrading Qatar's gifted 747 for presidential use Air Force One program four years behind schedule with 2028 delivery Dec 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force said on Friday the delivery of the first of two new Air Force One jets from Boeing (BA.N) , opens new tab has been delayed by another year to mid-2028, the latest in a series of delays. The latest delay risks further upsetting President Donald Trump who said he wants to fly in the new planes before the end of his term in January 2029. Sign up here. The cost for Boeing's current effort to build the two new jets is over $5 billion. The current Air Force One airplanes entered service in 1990. The Air Force One program, which involves converting two 747-8 aircraft into specialized jets equipped with advanced communications and defense systems to serve as the next generation of U.S. presidential air transport, would be four years behind schedule with a 2028 delivery. Boeing said in a statement it is making progress on the program. "Our focus is on delivering two exceptional Air Force One airplanes for the country." Boeing in 2018 received a $3.9 billion contract to build the two planes for use as Air Force One, though costs have since risen. Boeing has posted $2.4 billion in charges against earnings from the project. In May, the United States accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar. The White House asked the Air Force to rapidly upgrade the gift for use as Air Force One. The government tapped defense contractor L3Harris Technologies (LHX.N) , opens new tab to overhaul the 747 from Qatar. Trump expressed his displeasure with Boeing over the delays earlier this year but ruled out European rival Airbus (AIR.PA) , opens new tab as an alternative. Around the same time, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said Elon Musk, who serves as an adviser to Trump, was "helping us a lot" in navigating delivery of the presidential jet. In June, Boeing hired a former Northrop Grumman (NOC.N) , opens new tab executive, Steve Sullivan, to lead the Air Force One program, according to two people briefed on the matter. Sullivan, who previously worked on key Northrop programs including the B-21 bomber, replaced Gregg Coffey, who moved to another role at the U.S. planemaker. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-delays-new-air-force-one-delivery-date-until-mid-2028-bloomberg-news-reports-2025-12-12/
2025-12-12 23:40
Kyiv says Russia used drones and missiles for strikes Three Turkish-owned vessels damaged, Ukraine's navy says Moscow vowed retaliation for Kyiv's attacks on tanker fleet Turkey calls for energy, sea ceasefire Verified video shows moment of drone attack KYIV, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Russia attacked two Ukrainian ports on Friday, damaging three Turkish-owned vessels including a ship carrying food supplies, Ukrainian officials and one ship owner said, days after Moscow threatened to cut "Ukraine off from the sea". Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed retaliation against Kyiv's maritime drone attacks on Moscow's "shadow fleet" tankers thought to be used to export oil, which Kyiv says is Russia's main source of funding for its almost four-year-old war. Sign up here. The attack on Friday came hours after Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Putin that a limited ceasefire for energy facilities and ports could be beneficial. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy posted photos which showed a large fire burning aboard a ship in the port of Chornomorsk in Odesa region, with firefighters tackling the blaze. "This proves once again that Russians not only fail to take the current opportunity for diplomacy seriously enough, but also continue the war precisely to destroy normal life in Ukraine," he said. That vessel's owner, Cenk Shipping, said the Cenk T vessel had been subject to attack around 1600 Ukraine time (1400 GMT). There were no casualties among the crew, and damage was limited, it added. Reuters verified the moment of the attack seen on a video published on X. The vessel in the clip matched Cenk T, and the cranes and buildings matched satellite imagery of the Chornomorsk port. Fabian Hinz, research fellow for defence and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the weapon seen was a Russian Geran-2 drone in its loitering configuration. Russia's defence ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment. "The strike is aimed at civilian logistics and commercial shipping," Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said. NAVIGATION SAFETY TARGETED Russia attacked Ukrainian ports with drones and ballistic missiles, Kuleba added. He said that one employee of a private company had been injured in a separate attack on Odesa port, and that a cargo loader had been damaged there. Ukraine's navy spokesperson told Reuters that three vessels were damaged in total, all Turkish-owned. But the spokesperson did not provide additional details. Turkey's foreign ministry confirmed damage in the Chornomorsk port, adding that there were no reports of injured Turkish citizens. Reuters was able to verify the vessel by the design and name of the bow that matched file imagery of the Cenk T vessel. "We reiterate the need for an arrangement whereby, in order to prevent escalation in the Black Sea, attacks targeting navigational safety as well as the parties' energy and port infrastructure are suspended," the ministry's statement said. The three large Black Sea ports in the Odesa region are a key economic artery for Ukraine, which is a major commodities exporter. In addition to the attacks on Moscow's "shadow fleet" tankers, Ukraine has ramped up pressure on Russia by hitting targets in the Caspian Sea this week, including vessels allegedly carrying military equipment and a major oil rig. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/vessel-fire-after-russian-attack-ukraines-odesa-region-sources-say-2025-12-12/
2025-12-12 23:30
Venezuela oil exports fall sharply after tanker seizure Nobel winner Machado defies travel ban, vows peaceful transition Trump has been campaigning for ouster of Maduro Dec 12 (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Friday promised political change after slipping out of the country in secret to collect the Nobel Peace Prize, as the shock waves intensified from the Trump administration's seizure of an oil tanker earlier this week. That escalation came on the heels of a large-scale U.S. military buildup in the southern Caribbean as President Donald Trump campaigns to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, pushing relations to their most volatile point in years. Sign up here. The effects could ripple through the region, with Venezuelan oil exports falling sharply and crisis-stricken Cuba, already straining to power its grid, at risk of losing supply. The U.S. seizure of the Skipper tanker off Venezuela's coast on Wednesday marked the first U.S. capture of Venezuelan oil cargo since sanctions were imposed in 2019. The vessel is now heading to Houston, where it will offload its cargo onto smaller ships, Reuters reported. The Trump administration does not recognize Maduro, in power since 2013, as Venezuela's legitimate leader. Washington has signalled more seizures are planned as part of efforts to choke off sanctioned oil flows, and subsequently imposed new sanctions on three nephews of Maduro's wife and six tankers linked to them. The U.S. military presence in the Caribbean has grown as Trump in recent weeks has discussed potential military intervention in Venezuela, based on accusations that the country ships narcotics to the United States. The Venezuelan government has denied the accusations. So far there have been over 20 U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific against suspected drug vessels this year, in which nearly 90 people have been killed, alarming human rights advocates and stirring debate among U.S. lawmakers. While many Republicans have backed the campaign, Democrats have questioned whether the campaign is illegal and urged more transparency, including the release of a full, unedited video , opens new tab of strikes on a suspected drug-trafficking boat. MACHADO DEFIES BAN, URGES TRANSITION Machado defied a decade-long travel ban and a period in hiding to travel to Oslo on Thursday, noting that she would soon bring the Nobel Peace Prize back home to Venezuela. She said Maduro would leave power "whether there is a negotiated changeover or not," vowed she is focused on a peaceful transition, and thanked Trump for his "decisive support." Machado is aligned with U.S. hardliners who accuse Maduro of ties to criminal networks - claims that U.S. intelligence has reportedly questioned. When asked at a press conference in Oslo if she believed U.S. intervention was needed in Venezuela, Machado replied, "We are asking the world to help us." Venezuela condemned the tanker seizure as "blatant theft" and "international piracy," saying it would file complaints with international bodies. At the same time, Venezuelan lawmakers took a step to withdraw the country from the International Criminal Court, which is currently investigating alleged human rights abuses in the South American country. Adding to the friction, the Venezuelan government announced the suspension of a U.S. migrant repatriation flight on Friday. A U.S. official countered that deportation flights would continue. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/venezuela-us-tensions-spike-wake-seized-tanker-nobel-winner-vows-change-2025-12-12/
2025-12-12 23:25
AFGE plans lawsuit against decision New labor framework starts January 11 House votes to restore federal workers' rights WASHINGTON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday terminated the collective bargaining agreement covering 47,000 Transportation Security Administration officers, the department said in a statement. The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents the airport screening officers, said it would file a lawsuit to challenge the decision. Sign up here. The Department of Homeland Security said it would implement the new labor framework on January 11 and would no longer be collecting union dues from TSA officers' paychecks. In June, a U.S. judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking Noem’s March 7 attempt to end the collective bargaining agreement. On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to restore collective bargaining rights to about 1 million unionized federal employees, including TSA, seeking to repeal an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in March. Lawmakers said Trump's action sought to repeal collective bargaining rights of 67% of federal workers. Federal workers face significant limitations in labor rights and are prohibited from bargaining over wages, benefits, or job classifications and are barred from striking. "Secretary Noem’s decision to rip up the union contract for 47,000 TSA officers is an illegal act of retaliatory union-busting that should cause concern for every person who steps foot in an airport," AFGE National President Everett Kelley said in a statement. TSA said on Friday the new labor framework "will return the agency back into a security-focused framework that prioritizes workforce readiness, resource allocation and mission focus with an effective stewardship of taxpayer dollars." Trump on January 20 forced out TSA administrator David Pekoske, whom he had named to the job in 2017 and was reappointed by former President Joe Biden. Trump has not yet named a candidate to replace Pekoske. The TSA reached a new seven-year labor deal in May 2024 with AFGE after nearly a year of negotiations. The Biden administration expanded the scope of bargaining permitted in 2022 with TSA workers. Workers got enhanced shift trade options, increased allowance for uniforms and the addition of parental bereavement leave and weather and safety leave as part of the labor deal. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-invalidates-union-contract-covering-47000-tsa-officers-2025-12-12/
