South
US treasury official raises alarm on environmental risks from illicit transfers of Iranian oil off Malaysia
- A U.S. treasury official has warned of environmental risks from Iranian oil transfers off Malaysia.
- Brian Nelson, the U.S. Treasury undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, voiced Iran’s revenue generation through the sale of illicit oil in East Asia and the associated risks.
- Concerns were raised about Malaysia potentially becoming a financial hub for Hamas, prompting calls to prevent this.
A U.S. treasury official warned of environmental risks from illicit transfers of Iranian oil off Malaysia, news portal Malaysiakini reported on Thursday, as the United States narrows its focus on financing for militant groups routed through Southeast Asia.
The United States sees Iran’s capacity to move its oil as being reliant on service providers based in Malaysia, a senior U.S. treasury official said this week.
The official also said the United States was attempting to prevent Malaysia from becoming a jurisdiction where the Palestinian militant group Hamas could raise and transfer funds.
BIDEN ‘DOESN’T HAVE THE STOMACH’ TO GO AFTER IRAN’S OIL, SAYS GEN. KEANE: ‘IT’S ALL ABOUT CHINA’
Brian Nelson, the U.S. Treasury undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said one of the main ways Iran raised money was through the sale of illicit oil to buyers in East Asia, Malaysiakini reported.
The Port of Kharg Island Oil Terminal is seen in Iran on March 12, 2017. A U.S. treasury official has warned of environmental risks from illicit transfers of Iranian oil off Malaysia. (Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
“Many of these shipments traverse the waters around Malaysia and are loaded onto vessels of questionable legitimacy that may also pose major environmental and safety risks,” he was reported as saying.
Nelson expressed concern for any parties providing “ship-to-ship” transfers of illicit oil as such manoeuvres could lead to accidents or oil spills that threatened Malaysia’s coasts.
The U.S. Treasury has also seen an uptick in attempts by Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, to raise and move money in Southeast Asia, Nelson added.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
He urged those who wish to support humanitarian assistance to Gaza to donate to reputable charities to ensure the funds were not diverted elsewhere.
Nelson and Neil MacBride, Treasury General Counsel, are on a visit to Singapore and Malaysia this week to advance efforts in countering financing and revenue generation by Iran and its proxies.
The office of Malaysia’s prime minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
But Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he conveyed the country’s stance regarding sanctions to Nelson, during a meeting on Thursday. Saifuddin said Malaysia would comply with United Nations sanctions but would not recognize unilaterally applied sanctions.
He told reporters he also informed Nelson that Malaysia had investigated and taken action against an organization with suspected links to Palestine. He did not name the organization.
Tennessee
Titans free agency: Tennessee signing offensive weapons to help QB Cam Ward, bolstering coach Robert Saleh’s defense, reports say
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Let the spending spree begin. The NFL offseason is now in full swing as free agents are beginning to sign with new homes throughout the league ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
The Tennessee Titans are among the top franchises with the most cap space in the league.
Latest: Tennessee Titans reportedly trade young defensive tackle for Pro Bowl defensive end from New York Jets
Previous: Tennessee Titans release center Lloyd Cushenberry
Below is a look at the free agents and moves the Titans have reportedly made:
- Cornerback Alontae Taylor – three-year $60 million deal
- Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott – three-year $45 million deal
- Defensive tackle John Franklin-Meyers – three-year $63 million deal
- Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky – two-year deal
- Tight end Daniel Bellinger – three-year $24 million deal
- Wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson – four-year $70 million deal
- Long snapper Morgan Cox – re-signed one-year deal
Before the free-agency frenzy, the Titans released center Lloyd Cushenberry and also reportedly traded away defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat for Pro Bowl defensive end Jermaine Johnson.
Copyright 2025 WSMV. All rights reserved.
Texas
Texas Officials Unveil Amended Hemp Rules With Strict ‘Total THC’ Limits But Lower Licensing Fee Than Previously Floated – Marijuana Moment
Texas officials have adopted a series of new rules for the state’s hemp market—with certain revisions that advocates and stakeholders call a “direct victory,” including changes to make participation in the industry more affordable, and other regulations that threaten to severely restrict product availability.
The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) unveiled the amended hemp rules on Friday, about two months after publishing proposed regulations with licensing fees and other changes that led organizations such as the Texas Cannabis Policy Center (TCPC) to sound the alarm.
In response, the department received more than 1,400 comments urging revisions.
“Revised rules have slashed manufacturer fees from $25,000 to $10,000 and retailer fees from $20,000 to $5,000. This is a direct victory for advocacy,” Heather Fazio, director of TCPC, said in an email to supporters on Monday. “However, significant challenges remain.”
Specifically, the agency decided to maintain language requiring hemp products to be tested for “total THC” content, including THCA, which means most cannabis flower would be considered non-compliant with limitations imposed under state law.
“We estimate this will hand 50 percent of the legal market to illicit operators, making our state less safe,” Fazio said.
TCPC and other groups such as the Texas Hemp Business Council (THBC) have also pointed out that there would be additional requirements imposed on hemp businesses with respect to product testing, labeling and record-keeping.
Separately, under a proposed rule from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) there would also be a “less consequential, but important” update to the hemp program, Fazio said, with the agency seeking to prohibit the on-site consumption of hemp at businesses where alcohol isn’t allowed. There would be no “sampling” exceptions in place, either.
(Disclosure: Fazio supports Marijuana Moment’s work with a monthly Patreon pledge.)
TCPC did share a piece of positive news for advocates, noting “steady progress” in expanding the state’s medical cannabis program under a law enacted last year. While adult-use legalization has continued to stall in the conservative legislature, the medical marijuana program is significantly expanding, with nine new licenses already approved and three more expected before April 1.
Meanwhile, last week, Texas voters approved a marijuana legalization question that appeared on the state’s Democratic primary ballot.
As part of the primary election on Tuesday, each major party was able to place several non-binding propositions on the ballot that allow voters show how they feel on key issues. The Texas Democratic Party used one of its propositions to find out where the electorate stands on legalizing cannabis and whether past convictions should be expunged.
For what it’s worth, a statewide poll released last month found that Texas voters don’t like how state leaders and lawmakers have handled marijuana and THC policy issues. In the survey, a plurality of voters (40 percent) said they disapprove of how their elected officials have approached the issue, according to the survey. Just 29 percent said they approve of how cannabis issues have been handled, while 31 percent said they didn’t have an opinion one way or another.
A separate poll released last year found that a plurality of Texas voters want the state’s marijuana laws to be made “less strict.” And among the legislative items lawmakers considered during recent special sessions, voters say a proposal to address hemp regulations was among the least important.
—
Marijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters pledging at least $25/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don’t miss any developments.
Learn more about our marijuana bill tracker and become a supporter on Patreon to get access.
—
For its part, the state Department of Public Safety in October adopted additional rules to increase the number of licensed dispensaries, establishing security requirements for “satellite” locations and authorizing the revocation of licenses for certain violations.
DSHS also recently finalized rules allowing doctors to recommend new qualifying conditions for cannabis patients and creating standards for allowable low-THC inhalation devices.
Meanwhile, bipartisan Texas lawmakers say the stage is set to advance legislation next session establishing regulations for hemp THC products, with growing understanding among their colleagues that prohibition fails to effectively address concerns about the cannabis market.
Virginia
Opinion | Virginia Giuffre’s brothers join protest outside Epstein’s former New Mexico ranch
The brothers of the late Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre joined demonstrators outside Epstein’s former ranch in New Mexico on Sunday to demand more transparency.
The protest, pegged to International Women’s Day, was attended by what the Santa Fe New Mexican estimated to be hundreds of demonstrators, including activists and lawmakers, outside the estate formerly known as Zorro Ranch.
Sky Roberts said it was the first time he had visited the ranch, and demonstrators’ presence was important as a show of “force” that they’re not “going away,” as some people, including the president, try to direct attention away from the Epstein scandal. During his remarks, he rebuked the government for what he called a cover-up and demanded the Justice Department release documents that show who visited the ranch, among other things.
“All those names are in the files, and right now the government is covering those up,” he said, according to Reuters.
Epstein reportedly talked about using the ranch (now owned by Don Huffines, the GOP candidate for Texas state comptroller) for a eugenics-inspired plan to impregnate several women to “seed” the human race with his DNA (there’s no evidence he carried out such a plan). Giuffre’s posthumously released memoir includes allegations about meeting politicians and CEOs at Zorro Ranch, which was also recently linked to an unverified claim in the Epstein files alleging the deceased sex criminal had the bodies of two women buried near the property. After that allegation surfaced among the recently released Epstein files, New Mexico’s state legislature formed a truth commission to investigate Epstein’s activities at the ranch; the state DOJ has opened a probe of its own.
-
Wisconsin1 week agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts7 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Maryland1 week agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida1 week agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Pennsylvania4 days agoPa. man found guilty of raping teen girl who he took to Mexico
-
News1 week ago2 Survivors Describe the Terror and Tragedy of the Tahoe Avalanche
-
Sports5 days agoKeith Olbermann under fire for calling Lou Holtz a ‘scumbag’ after legendary coach’s death
-
Virginia5 days agoGiants will hold 2026 training camp in West Virginia