United States News

The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone offloaded approximately 45,600 pounds of illicit narcotics worth more than $517.5 million at Port Everglades, Thursday.The seized contraband was the result of 14 interdictions in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and 35 suspected smugglers were transferred ashore to face federal prosecution in U.S. courts.The following assets and crews were involved in the interdiction operations:U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone (WMSL 758)U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk (WMEC 913)U.S.

In a stark address to the U.S. Senate, Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered a firm warning to American policymakers and defense stakeholders: Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot be trusted to negotiate a legitimate or lasting peace in Ukraine.Speaking amid ongoing peace talks in Riyadh and growing speculation about sanctions relief, Wicker sought to dispel any optimism about the Kremlin’s intentions. “President Putin values peace as little as any piece of shredded paper he would deceitfully sign,” Wicker said.

The European Union's ban on re-exporting Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) via EU ports, which aims to reduce Moscow's revenues after its invasion of Ukraine, came into effect this week.The ban, which prohibits the reloading of Russian cargoes at EU ports for export to third countries, was imposed in June 2024, with a moratorium until March 26, 2025 for contracts signed before June 25 last year.Gas market experts say the measure would have little impact as trans-shipments via EU ports to Asia represent less than 10% of total Russian LNG exports…

A tour operator in Nuuk said on Friday (March 28) he welcomed the increased business after U.S. President Donald Trump put the island in the global spotlight but is worried about the U.S. rhetoric towards Greenland.Speaking ahead of U.S. Vice President Vance's visit to the Arctic island later in the day, “Raw Arctic” CEO, Casper Frank Moeller, said that in the beginning, when Trump started to talk about Greenland it was “nice attention.”“I think we didn't really take it that seriously in the beginning…

China deployed two long-range H-6 bombers around the Scarborough Shoal this week, in Beijing's latest move to assert sovereignty over the hotly disputed atoll in the South China Sea, satellite images obtained by Reuters showed.The deployment, which was not publicised by China, came ahead of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's visit to the Philippines, which also claims the shoal that lies within its exclusive economic zone of 200 nautical miles.China's defence ministry did not…

Russia's leading tanker group Sovcomflot's saw transportation volumes drop around 16% to 63 million metric tons last year compared to 2023, Russian news agency Interfax reported on Friday, citing the group's CEO Igor Tonkovidov as saying.The United States and the European Union imposed sanctions on state-controlled Sovcomflot and its fleet in 2024 in an effort to reduce Russia's revenue from oil sales that it can use to finance its war in Ukraine. The company's net profit dropped by 55% to $424 million last year.Sovcomflot hopes that the transportation volume of oil…

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed the United States' unwavering commitment to its decades-old defense treaty with the Philippines during a visit to Manila on Friday, pledging to bolster the alliance with advanced military capabilities in the face of increasing tensions with China. Meeting with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Hegseth underscored Washington’s support for its Indo-Pacific ally, particularly as Manila continues to accuse Beijing of aggressive behavior in the South China Sea.

India is considering a proposal to scrap import tax on U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) to boost purchases and help cut the trade surplus with Washington, a key irritant for President Donald Trump, four government and industry sources said.The United States is India's second biggest supplier but the two sides are looking to ramp up volumes for India's energy-hungry economy, one of the fastest growing in the world.During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's U.S. visit last month, India pledged to increase U.S.

Companies planning a flagship offshore gas project between Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago "have not slowed down" work, Trinidad Prime Minister Stuart Young said on Thursday, despite the United States increasing pressure on sanctioned Venezuela and uncertainty over the extension of a license for the project.Following talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is visiting South American and Caribbean countries this week, Young said the "landscape is changing," referring…

Geopolitical rivalries are intensifying in the Arctic but Russia is willing to cooperate with foreign partners, including from the West, in economic ventures there that will benefit all sides, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.In a major speech, Putin said U.S. President Donald Trump's stated intention to acquire Greenland was "serious", and it was clear that the U.S. would continue to promote its interests in the Arctic. The Greenland question had nothing to do with Russia…

Car-carrying ships have sent more cargo from Europe and China, Japan and Korea to the United States in the first months of the year than last year, shipping data showed, in a sign of companies front-loading shipments ahead of looming tariffs.A total of 33 so-called roll on, roll off ships - designed for wheeled cargo and mostly carrying new cars - left Europe for the U.S. in February this year, up from 28 in February 2024, according to data analytics firm Esgian, which monitors shipping routes and ports worldwide.Those ships will have been able to carry around 30…

Some drugmakers are taking the unusual step of sending more medicines by air to the U.S., two executives and two logistics firms said amid fears President Donald Trump's April 2 tariffs announcement could include products made in Europe.Two European-headquartered drugmakers told Reuters this week they are sending as much of their medicines across the Atlantic as possible over the past several weeks and heard other pharmaceuticals companies were doing the same.One of the executives…

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index, which tracks rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, fell for a third consecutive session on Thursday, hurt by weaker rates in the capesize segment.* The main index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, fell 13 points, or 0.8%, to 1,621 points.* The capesize index shed 54 points, or 2.1%, to reach 2,527 points, lowest level since March 11.* "On the West Australia front, we see relatively limited cargoes and some enquiries for slightly forward end April dates…

BLG Group, a logistics provider managing one of the world's busiest autos terminals at Germany's Bremerhaven port, said on Wednesday it is calculating scenarios for 15% less traffic as a result of the 25% tariffs expected on U.S. auto imports from April 3.Around 30% of its export and import of cars is to and from the United States, BLG Group Chairman Matthias Magnor said."Protectionist trade barriers have a direct impact on demand and thus influence exports, imports, and ultimately the prosperity of both economies," he added.(Reuters)

The United States will evaluate demands made by Russia after Moscow had agreed "in principle" to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Ukraine in the Black Sea to allow safe navigation, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday.The U.S. announced separate Black Sea agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday - following talks in Saudi Arabia - to ensure safe navigation, stop attacks, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes.Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. U.S.

An agreement on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to ensure the protection of civilian vessels and port infrastructure "will be a crucial contribution to global food security and supply chains," U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday.The United States announced separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday to pause their strikes in the Black Sea and against each other's energy targets, but the rhetoric from Moscow and Kyiv suggested they remained far apart.The United Nations has been working consistently on the issue, Dujarric said, especially since U.N.

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index, which monitors rates for vessels moving dry bulk commodities, marked its lowest level in two weeks on Wednesday, pulled down by weaker capesize rates.* The main index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, fell 8 points, or 0.5%, to 1,634 points. The index hit its lowest level since March 12.* The capesize index shed 49 points, or 1.9%, to reach 2,581 points, a two-week low.* Average daily earnings for capesize vessels…

Chicago wheat futures were hesitant on Wednesday after Russia said that a number of conditions must be met before a Black Sea security deal with Ukraine can be activated, further questioning the agreement's impact on exports from the region.However, prospects that the deal would pause attacks at sea and on energy targets, along with favourable weather in the Black Sea region continued to pressure prices.The most-active wheat contract Wv1 on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) was down 0.2% at $5.42-1/4 a bushel as of 1257 GMT.

According to the Congreassional Record, Brent Sadler, of Virginia, was nominated to be Administrator of the Maritime Administration.The following is his biography as presented on The Heritage Foundation site:Sadler is a Senior Research Fellow, Naval Warfare and Advanced Technology, Allison Center for National Security. Sadler joined Heritage Foundation after a 26 year Navy career with numerous operational tours on nuclear powered submarines, personal staffs of senior Defense Department leaders, and as a military diplomat in Asia.

Delfin LNG and German company Securing Energy For Europe (SEFE) have signed a 15-year agreement for 1.5 million tons of U.S. LNG per annum, the companies said on Tuesday.Under the agreement, liquefied natural gas would be exported from floating LNG (FLNG) vessels that Delfin wants to deploy off Cameron Parish, Louisiana, Delfin said in a press release.The free-on-board deliveries will commence immediately following the construction and commissioning of the FLNGs, Delfin said.It did not provide a timeline.

The United States reached deals on Tuesday with Ukraine and Russia on a truce in the Black Sea and a pause in attacks on energy facilities, with Washington also pledging to push for the lifting of some financial sanctions against Moscow.The separate agreements are the first formal commitments by the warring sides since the inauguration of Donald Trump, who is pushing for an end to the war and a rapid rapprochement with Moscow that has alarmed Kyiv and European countries.The U.S.

We are at the one-year since the Francis Scott Key (FSK) Bridge collapsed over the Patapsco River’s Fort McHenry Channel in Baltimore, Maryland. Nearly 100 percent of the wreckage and debris removal was conducted by the Jones Act private sector U.S. maritime industry. The FSK collapsed at about 1:28 a.m. local time on March 26, 2025 after the container ship MV DALI lost power and collided with one of bridge’s support piers. Six construction workers died in the collapse, while two other workers survived the fall into the freezing water.

Ukraine and Russia accused one another on Wednesday of flouting a truce on energy strikes brokered by the United States, and conditions set by Russia cast doubt over a planned ceasefire in the Black Sea.The United States announced separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia on Tuesday to pause their strikes in the Black Sea and against each other's energy targets, but the rhetoric from Moscow and Kyiv suggested they remained far apart.President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the U.S. side told Kyiv the deals were effective as soon as they were announced.