A year after the election of Friedrich Meritz as the tenth chancellor of Germany, he suddenly turned from an expected ally Trump into his key opponent and one of the leaders of the European confrontation of the United States. German-American and U.S.-European relations have found themselves at the lowest point …

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and flaring tensions in other nearby maritime chokepoints are reconfiguring global shipping. Amid the disruption, shipping companies have diverted their vessels to other, safer trade routes—or to other destinations entirely. At the same time, countries have raced to find sources of oil outside …

The continued use of shadow fleet and transshipment networks allow sanctioned countries to bypass energy sanctions, underscoring the need for stronger and more unified enforcement.Intensifying competition among sanctioned oil exporters for a shrinking pool of buyers drove steep discounts in 2025, enabling China to save up to $28.8 million per …