Uzbekistan moves to hold banks responsible for cybercrime losses
Uzbekistan is considering new measures that would make banks and payment organisations legally responsible for financial losses caused by cybercrim...
NATO navies are ramping up its defence in the Baltic and North Seas as Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of deceptive vessels grows rapidly, raising fears of espionage and sabotage against critical infrastructure.
The number of shadow ships—tankers and cargo vessels that conceal their identity or switch flags—has soared from around 200 in 2022 to about 1,000 today, according to maritime intelligence firms. Originally used to smuggle sanctioned oil, many are now suspected of cutting undersea cables, spying with drones, and intimidating NATO allies.
Estonia, on the front line of the threat, tracks dozens of shadow vessels daily in the Gulf of Finland but says it has little power to stop them.
“There’s not much we can do,” admitted Commodore Ivo Värk, the Estonian navy chief, after Russia scrambled fighter jets to shield one tanker from detention.
The “grey-zone” tactics recall practices pioneered by North Korea and later Iran and Venezuela—such as going dark, ship-to-ship transfers, and fake flag registries. But Russia’s scale is unprecedented - nearly one-fifth of the world’s tanker fleet is now classified as shadow tonnage.
Western prosecutors struggle to prove sabotage cases, as ships often use shell companies and fictitious registries. Some even fly flags of non-existent states according to experts.
In response, NATO has launched Baltic Sentry, a mission to protect undersea cables and pipelines. Estonia has also authorised its navy to attack civilian vessels if they damage its infrastructure.
Analysts say shadow fleets will persist beyond the Ukraine war, having exposed gaps in global maritime governance.
“This is a giant floating platform for criminals and hostile regimes,” said Richard Meade of Lloyd’s List.
“The genie isn’t going back into the bottle.”
The U.S. should shut down its military bases in the Middle East, Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday (12 March). His words were read out by a broadcaster on state Iranian television.
The U.S. military confirmed on Friday (13 March) that all six service members aboard a plane that crashed in western Iraq on Thursday had died, as conflict in the Middle East continues.
“Get ready for oil to be $200 a barrel," a spokesman for the Iranian Army warned the world on Wednesday (11 March), as attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz escalated. Meanwhile, 32 countries agreed to the largest ever release of oil reserves in an attempt to reduce prices.
Norwegian police apprehended three brothers suspected of carrying out Sunday's (8 March) bombing at the U.S. embassy in Oslo, in an attack investigators have branded an act of terrorism.
Britain has deployed the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon to the eastern Mediterranean to strengthen protection for its military assets in the Middle East after a drone strike targeted a key UK air base in Cyprus earlier this month.
NATO air defence systems intercepted a third Iranian ballistic missile over Türkiye early on Friday morning. The incident occurred at approximately 03:30 local time over the southern province of Adana.
The European Commission will instruct governments to be flexible in enforcing EU rules on gas imports, diplomats told Reuters on Thursday (12 March), a move likely to benefit imports from Azerbaijan.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 13rd of March, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Ayman Ghazali, a 41-year-old U.S. citizen born in Lebanon, crashed his truck into the hallway of a Detroit-area synagogue on Thursday (12 March) while children attended preschool. Security personnel shot him dead during the confrontation, and authorities said no one else was seriously injured.
Balendra Shah is set to become Nepal's prime minister after winning a landslide in the country's 2026 elections. The election comes after a GenZ-led protest in which dozens died in September last year, helped to overthrow the government
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