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US Coast Guard pursuing another oil tanker off coast of Venezuela

Official indicates vessel is subject to sanctions after Trump’s ‘blockade’ on sanctioned tankers in and out of Venezuela

US Coast Guard officials said on Sunday that they are tracking an oil tanker in international waters close to Venezuela, according to Reuters, marking the second such action over the weekend – and the third within the past week.

One official indicated that the tanker is subject to sanctions. The officials, who requested anonymity, did not disclose the precise location of the pursuit.

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© Photograph: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Reuters

© Photograph: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Reuters

© Photograph: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Reuters

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Move Aside, Snowflake: ‘Theater Kid’ Is the New Go-To Political Insult

Zohran Mamdani, New York’s mayor-elect, is among the latest politicians to be tagged with the term, raising the question: What did theater kids do to deserve such scorn?

© Gaye Gerard/Getty Images

A stage production of “High School Musical” in Sydney in 2008. Theater kids became an indelible part of the culture when “High School Musical,” “Glee” and “Smash” hit the airwaves.
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How Much More Can the U.S. Travel Industry Take?

Politics and border hassles have chased away foreign visitors, costing businesses billions. Some fear next year’s World Cup won’t be enough to bring tourists back.

© Scott McIntyre for The New York Times

A big drop in tourists from Canada has affected businesses in warm-weather U.S. destinations like Key West, Fla.
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Trump does presidency via Truth Social – what are Americans missing out on?

Since just 3% of Americans use platform Trump owns, public may be unaware of his mental state and performance

When Donald Trump has something to say, he takes to Truth Social.

Trump has used the platform to announce policies on everything from the economy to travel bans, making declarations that are key for Americans seeking information about his government.

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© Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images

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Thanks to Donald Trump, 2025 was a good year … for white-collar criminals

Why would the Trump administration choose to set aside consequences from criminals whose actions threaten the stability of the broader American economy?

When Islamic State needed to move and disguise its money, it turned, US prosecutors said in 2023, to the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange: Binance. So too did al-Qaida, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas, which used the platform to help bankroll its operations in the years leading up to the 7 October attack in Israel. Binance was not accused of directly financing these groups, but prosecutors found that it knowingly allowed its exchange to function as a conduit – enabling extremist organisations to shift funds, evade scrutiny and frustrate investigations.

At the centre of it all was Binance’s founder and chief executive, Changpeng Zhao. By 2024, the self-styled “king” of crypto had fallen from grace, pleading guilty to money laundering charges and entering prison, while Binance agreed to pay a record $4.3bn penalty for its role in facilitating terrorist financing. The case was hailed as a rare victory for regulators willing to take on the industry’s biggest players – and for victims of the violence linked to those financial flows. Among them were the families of US citizens killed on 7 October, who are now suing Binance in a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of “pitching itself to terrorist organisations”.

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© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

© Illustration: Igor Bastidas/The Guardian

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Trump Takes America’s ‘Imperial Presidency’ to a New Level

In his first year back in the White House, President Trump has greatly expanded executive power while embracing the trappings of royalty in ways not seen in the modern era.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

In his first year back in office, Mr. Trump has unabashedly adopted the trappings of royalty just as he has asserted power to transform American government and society to his liking.
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US intercepts second merchant vessel off coast of Venezuela in international waters

Vessel does not appear to be on list of US-sanctioned vessels, which would represent escalation in blockade

US forces on Saturday apprehended a second merchant vessel carrying oil off the coast of Venezuela in international waters in the midst of an American blockade against the country’s oil, according to the US homeland security department.

The stoppage follows the seizure by US forces of another oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast on 10 December. Both vessels were headed to Asia.

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© Photograph: Jesús Vargas/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jesús Vargas/Getty Images

© Photograph: Jesús Vargas/Getty Images

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