Niigata Assembly Vote Clears Path for Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Restart
On 22 December 2025, Niigata’s legislature backed Governor Hideyo Hanazumi, removing the last local veto on re-activating TEPCO’s 8.2 GW Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant idled since Fukushima.
Business & Economics
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US Coast Guard Seizes Second Venezuela-Linked Tanker After Trump’s ‘Total Blockade’ Order
On 20 Dec 2025, U.S. Coast Guard commandos—backed by Navy helicopters—boarded and took control of a second vessel in international waters off Venezuela, the first enforcement action since President Trump’s 16 Dec decree imposing a “total and complete blockade” on all sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela.
Silver Breaks $70/oz Barrier in Historic Precious-Metal Spike
On 23 December 2025, spot silver pierced the $70 per-ounce mark for the first time ever, propelled by supply squeezes, geopolitical shocks, and bets on further U.S. rate cuts.
Trump Orders Total Oil Blockade on Venezuela as Rubio Brands Maduro Regime a Narco-Terror Ally
Between 19–20 Dec 2025 Washington moved an aircraft-carrier strike group and thousands of troops into the Caribbean and announced a "total blockade" on sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, while President Trump said he "doesn’t rule out" war and Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to forcibly change Caracas’s status quo.
Niigata Assembly Green-Lights Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Restart, TEPCO’s First Post-Fukushima Reactivation
On 22 Dec 2025 a confidence vote in Governor Hideyo Hanazumi removed the last local-consent barrier, allowing TEPCO to fire up Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Unit 6—idle since 2011—from 20 Jan 2026.
U.S. Interior Halts Five East Coast Offshore Wind Leases for 'National Security' Review
On 22 Dec 2025 the Interior Department ordered an immediate construction pause on five nearly-finished Atlantic offshore wind farms—together ~6 GW—invoking classified radar-interference threats.
Niigata Assembly Green-Lights Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Restart
On 22 Dec 2025, Niigata’s 53-seat prefectural assembly endorsed Governor Hideyo Hanazumi’s pro-restart stance, giving Tokyo Electric Power Co. final local consent to bring the first reactor at the 7-unit Kashiwazaki-Kariwa complex back online after 14 years offline.
U.S. Begins De-Facto Maritime Blockade, Chases Third Venezuelan Sanctions-Busting Tanker in 11 Days
On 21 Dec 2025 the U.S. Coast Guard moved to seize a third ‘dark-fleet’ tanker near Venezuela just 24 hours after boarding the Centuries and 11 days after capturing the Skipper, signalling the start of President Trump’s announced oil-tanker “blockade.”
India & New Zealand Clinch Nine-Month FTA Deal Slashing Tariffs on 95% of Kiwi Exports
On 22 Dec 2025, Prime Ministers Modi and Luxon declared FTA negotiations finished after just nine months, clearing the way for signing in early 2026 and granting Indian goods zero-duty entry to New Zealand while phasing out duties on nearly all New Zealand exports.
US Coast Guard Seizes Panama-Flagged Tanker 'Centuries' in Second Venezuela Blockade Action
At dawn on 20 Dec 2025, American helicopters boarded and took control of the tanker Centuries in international waters near Venezuela—the second seizure since President Trump announced a total blockade of sanctioned Venezuelan oil on 10 December.
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