Cuban officials have denounced the US seizure of the Skipper oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast on Wednesday, calling it an “act of piracy and maritime terrorism”, as well as a “serious violation of international law” that hurts the Caribbean island nation and its people.
The tanker, which was reported now to be heading for Galveston, Texas, was believed to loaded with nearly 2m barrels of Venezuela’s heavy crude, according to internal data from the Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, as reported by the New York Times.
The Skipper’s destination was listed as the Cuban port of Matanzas, the outlet said. But two days after its departure, it off-loaded an estimated 50,000 barrels to another ship, which then headed north toward Cuba while the Skipper headed east toward Asia.
Cuban foreign ministry calls seizure part of the US escalation agains Venezuela
“This action is part of the US escalation aimed at hampering Venezuela’s legitimate right to freely use and trade its natural resources with other nations, including the supplies of hydrocarbons to Cuba,” the Cuban foreign ministry statement said.
The statement added that the US’s action “negatively affects Cuba and intensifies the United States’ policy of maximum pressure and economic suffocation”.
Top Democrats call for investigation into share-buying spree by Trump allies
Two more senior Democrats have called for an investigation into a share-buying spree by two fossil fuel billionaires with close ties to the Trump administration, after a Guardian investigation raised questions about potential wrongdoing.
Robert Pender and Michael Sabel, the founders and co-chairs of Venture Global, a liquefied natural gas (LNG) company headquartered in Virginia, bought more than a million shares worth almost $12m each in March. The trades took place just days after a meeting with senior White House officials, who then issued a key regulatory permit that helped expand the company’s business in Europe. All parties involved have denied wrongdoing.
Ron Wyden, the ranking member of the Senate finance committee and a member of the energy and natural resources committee, said the transactions should be investigated, drawing parallels with previous Trump administration controversies.
Gavin Newsom pushes back on Trump AI executive order
Gavin Newsom has come out swinging against Donald Trump’s artificial intelligence executive order. Just hours after the order went public Thursday evening, the California governor issued a statement saying the presidential dictum, which seeks to block states from regulating AI of their own accord, advances “grift and corruption” instead of innovation.
“President Trump and David Sacks aren’t making policy – they’re running a con,” Newsom said, referencing Trump’s AI adviser and crypto “czar”. “Every day, they push the limits to see how far they can take it.”
Afghan immigrants and advocates push back against Trump crackdown
Afghan immigrants and advocates across the United States are pushing back firmly against the Trump administration’s most recent crackdown on legal immigration, saying the American government is punishing hundreds of thousands of people for the alleged actions of one man.
Sleepy parallells as Trump attacks old foe Biden
“Which is better: Sleepy Joe or Crooked Joe?” Donald Trump teased supporters in Pennsylvania this week, still toying with nicknames for his predecessor Joe Biden. But the US president and his supporters seemed blissfully ignorant of a rich irony: that 79-year-old Trump himself has recently been spotted apparently dozing off at various meetings.
The unlikely simpatico between the two men did not end there. Tuesday’s event marked the launch of a Trump roadshow designed to reassure voters that the US economy is in safe hands despite the evidence of their pockets. In that there was an uncomfortable echo of Biden’s travels to champion “Bidenomics”, which did not end well for him.
What else happened today:
Experts predict any Warner Bros merger will ‘raise red flags’ among regulators, as Paramount, with close ties to the Trump administration, enters the bidding.
Student loan borrowers say that their loans have negatively affected their ability to cover their basic needs, such as food, housing and transportation – a financial burden that becomes even more apparent around the holiday season.
Record-breaking flood waters in Washington state slowly retreating after days of devastation, as Washington’s governor confirmed that Donald Trump approved Washington’s request to the president for an emergency declaration.
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 12 December 2025.
