INTERNACIONAL
Satellite images show evidence of oil leak spreading from sanctioned vessel near Oman
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A sanctioned tanker loaded with crude is leaving a growing trail of oil in protected waters off the coast of Oman, according to newly reviewed satellite images, as experts warn the stranded vessel could break apart during the region’s rough monsoon season.
Satellite images reviewed by The Associated Press show an oil sheen covering roughly 20 square kilometers, or about 8 square miles, around Dhofar’s Qibliyah Island, part of Oman’s protected Hallaniyat Islands. Dark patches of crude have also reached the shoreline. Experts say the leak has worsened in recent days, fueling fears that rough weather could trigger a much larger spill.
«The last few days, the imagery indicates an increase in oil coming out, as the size of the sheen is growing,» Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental expert with the Dutch peace organization PAX, told the AP.
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This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows crude oil leaking and spreading from the sanctioned Suezmax tanker Caroline Bezengi grounded off the coast of Oman, on Friday, July 31, 2026. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
He said the biggest risk is that the vessel could break apart as strong winds and rough seas during the annual monsoon season continue to pound the ship’s hull.
The 899-foot, Cameroon-flagged Caroline Bezengi has been stranded off Oman’s southern coast since June after its crew reported an onboard explosion, according to maritime news outlets. Reuters, citing maritime security sources, reported the vessel first ran into trouble on June 8 near the Yemeni port of Mukalla, where initial assessments suggested a blast may have occurred. The cause has not been confirmed.
This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows crude oil leaking and spreading from the sanctioned Suezmax tanker Caroline Bezengi grounded at Qibliyah Island, off the coast of Oman, on Friday, July 31, 2026. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)
Ship-tracking data reviewed by Reuters showed the tanker had loaded Russian crude at the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk before its latest voyage. The vessel has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada and Switzerland for allegedly transporting Russian oil as part of Moscow’s so-called «shadow fleet» — a network of aging tankers used to bypass Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
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Zwijnenburg estimated the tanker is carrying more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil and said recent imagery suggests at least one section of the hull has been breached. Other maritime specialists who reviewed the images told Reuters the vessel also appears to be listing, adding to concerns that it could eventually break apart.
A satellite image shows an oil slick next to the Caroline Bezengi, a sanctioned vessel off the coast of the Dhofar Governorate, Oman, July 28, 2026. (Planet Labs PBC/Handout via REUTERS)
The spill threatens a protected marine reserve in the Arabian Sea that is home to endangered petrels and other rare wildlife. Greenpeace Germany warned that oil has already polluted stretches of coastline and damaged the area’s fragile ecosystem.
«With oil apparently continuing to leak and the tanker stranded in a difficult location, there is a serious risk of a much larger oil disaster, with even more devastating consequences for the region’s coastlines and marine ecosystems,» Greenpeace Germany’s Nina Noelle told the AP.
The U.N.’s International Maritime Organization said earlier this week it is monitoring the situation, adding that while the vessel has not broken apart, authorities are continuing to assess the safety and environmental risks.
Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology ordered the vessel’s owners to remove the ship and its cargo by July 23. It is unclear whether that deadline was met or whether the owners have responded.
middle east, environment world, oceans, world, environmental disasters
INTERNACIONAL
Mayor calls upscale restaurant bombing a ‘brutal terrorist act’ after 3 killed, 21 injured
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A bombing at an upscale restaurant in Moscow that killed three people and wounded at least 21 others on Saturday was a «brutal terrorist act,» according to the city’s mayor, who vowed to hunt down those responsible for the attack.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin made the declaration Sunday, a day after the explosion tore through the Balzi Rossi Italian restaurant in the Russian capital.
«Yesterday, a brutal terrorist act was committed in Moscow that claimed human lives. The victims are currently in the city’s hospitals, where they are receiving all necessary care,» Sobyanin wrote on social media Sunday.
EXPLOSION AT RESTAURANT IN CENTRAL MOSCOW LEAVES THREE DEAD, MORE THAN A DOZEN INJURED
Police block an area near a deadly explosion at a restaurant in Moscow, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency via AP)
He added investigators are working to identify those behind the attack and vowed they «will certainly be found and will face the punishment they deserve.»
Russian authorities have not identified any suspects, and no group had claimed responsibility as of Sunday.
Emergency vehicles are parked in an area near a deadly explosion at a restaurant in Moscow, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency via AP)
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said the blast was caused by a homemade explosive device. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, citing local officials, reported that a woman carrying the bomb tried to enter the restaurant but was stopped by a security guard before it exploded.
The blast killed the woman, the security guard and a restaurant patron, RIA Novosti reported. At least 21 other people were injured in the explosion, which happened around 8 p.m. local time at the restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square.
UKRAINE UNLEASHES MORE THAN 400 DRONES NEAR MOSCOW IN ONE OF WAR’S BIGGEST ATTACKS
The restaurant was closed to the public Saturday night for a private event, according to its website and Russian state media.
Police block an area near a deadly explosion at a restaurant in Moscow, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency via AP)
Video released by Russian state media showed heavily armed police officers, ambulances and other emergency vehicles outside the damaged restaurant as investigators examined the scene.
Earlier this year, Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, said it would tighten security for senior military and government officials following a series of assassination attempts in Russian cities since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian authorities have not linked the restaurant bombing to those earlier attacks or to the war in Ukraine.
Fox News Digital’s Brie Stimson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
russia, terrorism, bombings, crime world, world
INTERNACIONAL
Dos helicópteros chocaron en pleno vuelo mientras combatían los incendios forestales en Grecia
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Republicans in California are making a voter ID ballot initiative the centerpiece of their 2026 strategy as Americans’ frustration grows over affordability and education issues.
«Californians need to feel secure in our elections,» California GOP Chairwoman Corrin Rankin told Fox News Digital in an interview. «The way it is now, there’s so much room for uncertainty and confusion. What Proposition 39 is going to do is it’s going to sort of close the loopholes. It’s a commonsense solution that will strengthen our democracy.»
Beyond the ballot measure, Rankin argues the initiative reflects broader voter frustration that Republicans hope to capitalize on in the 2026 midterms. She claims California voters are primarily concerned about affordability, education and confidence in state government.
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California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited, spoke this week in California. (Reuters)
«Californians need to feel like we can trust our election systems, and trust is not given. Trust is earned and this will allow Californians to feel more like they can trust our election system,» she added.
The Golden State’s primary race on June 2 garnered national attention and widespread criticism after it took weeks to deliver results. California election officials continued to count ballots postmarked by Election Day even if they arrived within seven days — and they are permitted up to 30 days to certify results.
In the primaries, the Los Angeles mayoral race became the center of controversy, and President Donald Trump’s was among the chorus of voices challenging the runoff election results, alleging irregularities as the count continued past Election Day.
Spencer Pratt ultimately lost the race with far-left City Council Member Nithya Raman advancing to face incumbent Democrat Mayor Karen Bass in the general election in November. The race was called six days after the June 2 elections.
«There’s so many other states throughout our country and throughout the world actually that seem to be able to have a winner on election night,» said Rankin. «It’d be wonderful if California could do the same.»
CALIFORNIA’S SLUGGISH VOTE COUNTING RIPPED ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM: ‘EXTREMELY EMBARRASSING’
A driver refuels a vehicle with diesel fuel at a Shell gas station in Seattle March 9, 2026. (M. Scott Brauer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
While election reform is the party’s signature ballot effort, Rankin says kitchen table issues will determine whether Republicans make gains in November.
She said affordability is the No. 1 concern among voters with California recently landing in the top five most expensive states, according to The Missouri Economic Research and Information Center’s quarterly Cost of Living Index.
«A lot of parents want their adult children to stay in California, to be a part of and contribute to the same California dream that was so great for our grandparents and our parents,» said Rankin. «We want it to be great for us and for our children. Affordability is the top issue.»
NEWSOM UNDER FIRE AS CALIFORNIA GAS TAX HIKE SENDS PUMP PRICES EVEN HIGHER
California drivers are paying about $5.65 per gallon for regular gasoline, roughly $1.25 more, or about 28% higher, than they were at this time last year, according to AAA and federal energy data.
Rankin also said Californians are concerned about their school systems with zip codes determining the quality of education students receive, which has long been an argument in the Republican push for school choice.
«When [candidates] keep their race focused on their district, focused on the voters in their district and the issues that matter most to those voters, stay focused on issues like affordability, children’s education, the prices of gas and groceries, things like that,» said Rankin. «That’s what voters want to hear. That’s what they care about. They care about what happens locally.»
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference for a housing affordability reform bill signing July 13, 2026, in Oakland, Calif. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is serving his second and final term, fueling speculation about a 2028 presidential bid and creating what Rankin believes is an opportunity for Republicans to win back voters disillusioned with Democratic leadership.
Pointing to the state’s troubled high-speed rail project, Rankin argued California has become a cautionary tale of government waste under one-party rule.
«We’ve got a bullet train that he’s been funding with billions of dollars for years, yet we have no train. So, where’s the money going to?» Rankin asked.
Critics have long scrutinized the project, which was approved by voters in 2008 with an estimated $33 billion price tag but is now projected to cost more than $200 billion.
Rankin said the spending reflects what she views as a broader ideological shift within the Democratic Party, arguing California has embraced policies that are now spreading nationwide.
«I think that the Democrats have gone so far to the left that many Californians just don’t see themselves … many Democrats in California just don’t relate to the current flow of the Democrat party,»Rankin said.
«They’re moving way too far into the extremism of socialism. I think a lot of people have red flags and just don’t want to be part of it.»
Fox News Digital reached out to Gov. Gavin Newsom for comment.
california, midterm elections, elections state and local, campaigning, voting, politics
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