‘No state has right to use force’: Russia on US seizure of tanker in North Atlantic
Moscow: Russia on Wednesday criticised the United States over the seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, saying no country has the right to use force against vessels on the high seas, The New Indian Express reported.
Russia’s transport ministry reportedly said, "In accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in waters on the high seas, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered under the jurisdiction of other states," Russia's transport ministry said in a statement.
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The vessel, earlier named Bella-1 and later renamed Marinera, was granted temporary permission to sail under the Russian flag on December 24, the ministry said. It added that contact with the ship was lost after US naval forces boarded it in international waters, beyond the territorial limits of any state.
US officials said the tanker was part of a so-called shadow fleet used to transport oil for countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions.
The ship had earlier evaded a boarding attempt near Venezuela last month. US forces eventually seized it in the North Atlantic under a warrant issued by a US federal court," US European Command, which oversees American forces in the region, said in a statement on X.
Following the operation, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the US blockade on Venezuelan oil was in full effect "anywhere in the world."
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Rupee falls 7 paise to 89.97 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee fell 7 paise to 89.97 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday amid sustained FII outflows and a rise in global crude oil prices.
The apprehension of further tariffs by the US and weak sentiments at the domestic equity markets fuelled selling of equities by foreign investors, putting more pressure on the local unit, forex traders said.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 88.88 against the US dollar before slipping to 89.97, down 7 paise from its previous close.
The rupee settled 3 paise lower at 89.90 against the US dollar on Thursday, amid sustained outflow of foreign funds and a stronger greenback.
"There was huge volatility in the rupee market on Thursday as the RBI sold dollars at 89.99 and brought rupee up to 89.73 and then FPIs bought dollars. The RBI has been capping the dollar upside presently, creating huge oversold positions for itself which could keep the dollar well bid at lower levels as the RBI would try to square up positions," Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director, Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP, said.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which measures the strength of the greenback against a basket of six currencies, was trading flat at 98.93.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.53 per cent higher at USD 62.32 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex declined 78.84 points to 84,102.12, while the Nifty dipped 21.50 points to 25,850.85.
Foreign institutional investors offloaded equities worth Rs 3,367.12 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.
