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US seizes Russia-flagged oil tanker chased to North Atlantic

The US has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic after pursuing it from off the coast of Venezuela, in an operation bound to ratchet up tensions with Moscow.

Washington says the tanker is part of a so-called shadow fleet that carries oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions, and seized it despite the ship being escorted by the Russian navy.

After the operation, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth posted that the US blockade on Venezuelan oil was in full effect “anywhere in the world.”

Also today

• The Ministry of Transport has warned of the latest scam to hit Luxembourg. From 1 January this year, certificates for car insurance are available in electronic format. However, this change has swiftly been appropriated by fraudsters sending emails offering recipients a link to order the certificate for a processing fee. Real certificates are free of charge and can only be issued by the insurer.
• AI language company DeepL has announced the general availability of Luxembourgish on their Translator app, in an update that included an expansion of more than 80 additional languages
• Following a lengthy regulatory review by the European Commission, the proposed merger between Luxembourg beverage companies Munhowen and Boissons Heintz has resulted instead in the takeover of Heintz by Belgian brewer Brasserie Maziers.
• France has officialised a halt on food imports containing traces of five pesticides currently banned in the EU, a move aimed at easing farmers’ opposition to the Mercosur trade deal with four South American nations.
• The funeral of the French cinema icon turned animal activist, Brigitte Bardot, takes place in Saint Tropez today in a “no frills event”, with well-wishers lining the streets of her hometown, following the news she had died of cancer.

On air

Christmas is almost here again for DJ Tom, who is getting crazily excited about the release on Friday of the new dry Cleaning album......

Figure of the day

16.1% of Luxembourg’s managed bee populations were lost in 2025, possibly due to the increase in numbers of the Asian Hornet

• The number lost is a significant increase when compared to 2024 (8.6%) and 2023 (9.4%) and beekeepers have complained about greater losses due to the invasive species.
• The Nature and Forest Agency (ANF) is actively engaged in combating the spread. In 2025 alone, agency personnel destroyed 215 Asian hornet nests. Since the species was first detected in Luxembourg in 2020, the total number of nests neutralised has reached 373.

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