Author: NCIJ NETWNCIJ NETWORK

Thailand is tightening oversight of crypto transfers, including transactions involving self-custodial wallets, as it moves to align with global Anti-Money Laundering (AML) standards.Thailand’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued new Travel Rule regulations requiring digital asset operators to collect information about parties involved in crypto transfers, the regulator announced Wednesday.The rules will take effect on Feb. 27, 2027, giving crypto businesses nearly six months to develop systems for transmitting, receiving and monitoring transaction information.Thailand joins a growing global push to track who sends and receives crypto, as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) estimated that 83% of surveyed jurisdictions had…

Company Namibian Marine Phosphate has received an environmental clearance for dredging within a concession that spans 2,234 square kilometers (863 square miles) of the Atlantic seabed off Namibia’s coast.The company wants to mine phosphate rock, a major ingredient in fertilizers, which has previously only been commercially mined on land.The nonprofit Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN) has strongly criticized the decision to issue the ECC, warning “that the large-scale development could have significant impacts on the Benguela marine ecosystem, Namibia’s fishing industry, and marine conservation.”NMP, registered in Namibia, is 85% owned by Oman-based Mawarid Mining LLC and 15% owned by a…

Offshore construction has started for the UK’s first offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) project as Saipem’s 325-meter-long vessel Castorone arrives in the Southern North Sea to start pipelaying.Source: Northern Endurance Partnership Developed some 75 kilometers east of Flamborough Head, the Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) project will comprise an onshore CO2 gathering network, compression facilities and a 145-kilometer offshore pipeline connected to subsea injection facilities in the Endurance saline aquifer located around 1,000 meters below the North Sea seabed. During the offshore campaign, Castorone will use almost 3,000 tons of marine biofuel, reducing emissions associated with construction activities. At the same time, Sonardyne’s environmental monitoring…

When the low-key grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa announced a major expansion at a 2023 summit in Johannesburg, the wealthy West finally sat up and took notice. By the time the dust had settled two years later, and 16 years on from its founding, BRICS counted 10 core members (up from five), with Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as new entrants. A lower tier of 10 “partner countries” was also announced. When the low-key grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa announced a major expansion at a 2023 summit in…

Claim: A chef claimed U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., twice met with a male escort. Rating: What’s True It’s true that a chef named Joe Gera posted the claim on X in late July and early August 2026. However … What’s Undetermined There was no evidence to suggest the senator met with a male escort. Gera has yet to provide evidence to support his story. In a legal notice sent to Gera and shared with Snopes, an attorney representing the senator called Gera’s accusations “false and defamatory,” adding Hawley “has never exchanged money for sex, nor has he ever paid…

‘Russia has grown increasingly reckless,’ Nato’s Rutte saysRutte continues by warning that “Russia has grown increasingly reckless.” “We have seen more drones and missiles crossing into our airspace along our eastern flank, creating increased risk. We have also seen an increase in malign activities targeting our territory directly, whether there’s fires set in factories producing defence equipment for Ukraine, or indeed the Russian hybrid attack in Leipzig.” He offers Nato’s solidarity with Germany.He says “the danger Russia poses is clear,” with Nato “working round the clock to keep our people safe.” “If Russia thinks we will be divided by the…

During a visit to the exclave last week, however, Attorney General Teresa Peramato confirmed that authorities had detected an increase in criminal assaults and crimes against private property over the past month. And on Monday, Ceuta’s Public Prosecutor’s Office said it was investigating 22 alleged sexual assaults targeting migrant women and girls, as well as an additional case involving a man belonging to the LGBTQ+ community. “Many women have been raped,” said Helena Maleno, spokesperson for migrant rights NGO Caminando Fronteras. She added that the true number could be higher than the figure confirmed by Spanish officials, as migrant women may…

On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that President Trump could continue construction of a massive new ballroom on the site of the White House’s old East Wing, finding that the group that brought a lawsuit against it did not have the legal grounds to do so.That seemed to remove the last legal obstacle blocking Mr. Trump’s plans for a 90,000-square-foot building that would dwarf the White House itself.But Mr. Trump’s plans to remake Washington extend far beyond the ballroom. He also plans to repaint, rebuild and replace landmarks around the capital, from icons like the John F. Kennedy Center for…

Chevron plans to significantly expand its operations in Venezuela, the U.S. oil giant said on Wednesday, taking yet another step to broaden the U.S. sphere of influence in the South American country.The Houston-based company, already Venezuela’s largest private oil producer, said it would more than double its production in the country over the next five years to 600,000 barrels a day. That represents over half of Venezuela’s current output.Chevron, which is gaining access to new areas in the oil-rich Orinoco Belt region, plans to invest more than $7 billion in Venezuela in that period.The company announced its plans days after…

The idea of humanoid robots running our homes has been the stuff of science fiction for years. But unlike hoverboards and self-tying sneakers, a robot housekeeper has never felt close to rolling into our homes. Until now.This has been the year of the humanoid robot. At CES, there were dozens of human-shaped bots on the show floor, a handful designed for homes. US-based robotics company 1X has already put its $20,000 Neo robot into homes to do housework (with a lot of remote assistance); and this week at the IFA tech show in Berlin, around half a dozen humanoids, mostly…