While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Jan 8, 2026
· The Straits TimesUS seizes Russia-flagged tanker after Atlantic pursuit
The US seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that was being shadowed by a Russian submarine on Jan 7, after a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic as part of a US “blockade” of Venezuelan oil exports, two US officials told Reuters.
This appeared to be the first time in recent memory that the US military has seized a Russian-flagged vessel.
The operation took place after the tanker, originally known as the Bella-1, slipped through a US maritime blockade of sanctioned tankers in the Caribbean and rebuffed US Coast Guard efforts to board it. The seizure effort was first reported by Reuters.
In a post on X, the US military’s European Command said the Trump administration had seized the vessel for violating US sanctions.
US plan for Venezuela is stability, recovery, then transition
The United States has a three-step plan for Venezuela that will begin with stabilising the country after US forces seized leader Nicolas Maduro on Jan 3, ensuring that US oil companies have access to the country during a recovery phase, and finally overseeing a transition, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Jan 7.
President Donald Trump has warned of further military operations against Venezuela if the members of Mr Maduro’s inner circle who have stepped in to lead the country do not cooperate with his demands, which largely focus on obtaining Venezuelan oil.
The Republican president said the US would refine and sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude, as US forces continued seizing oil tankers linked to Venezuela on Jan 7.
Alleged scam kingpin Chen Zhi arrested, deported to China
A Fujian-born businessman has been arrested in Cambodia and deported to China, The Straits Times has learnt.
Former Cambodian national Chen Zhi, a 38-year-old businessman with interests spanning real estate, consumer services and financial services through his Phnom Penh-based Prince Group, was caught on Jan 6.
A press release by the Cambodian government said the operation followed months of joint investigations between the authorities in Cambodia and China.
Trump ‘actively’ discussing purchase of Greenland
US President Donald Trump has “actively discussed” the purchase of Greenland with his team, the White House said on Jan 7, saying he preferred diplomacy but would not rule out military action.
“That’s something that’s currently being actively discussed by the president and his national security team,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, when asked about a possible US offer to buy the territory from Denmark.
“His team is currently talking about what a potential purchase would look like.”
Google, AI firm settle over teen suicide linked to chatbot
Alphabet’s Google and AI startup Character.AI have agreed to settle a lawsuit by a Florida mother who alleged the startup’s chatbot led to the suicide of her 14-year-old son, representing one of the first US cases targeting AI firms over alleged psychological harm.
A court filing on Jan 7 said the companies agreed to settle Ms Megan Garcia’s allegations that her son, Sewell Setzer, killed himself shortly after being encouraged by a Character.AI chatbot modelled on the Game Of Thrones character Daenerys Targaryen.
Terms of the settlement were not immediately available.