🇺🇸⚡- BREAKING: President Trump will make an important announcement this afternoon.

🇺🇸🇨🇳🇷🇺⚡- BREAKING: Chinese state oil majors suspend purchases of seaborne Russian oil after the US slapped sanctions on Russian giants Rosneft and Lukoil.

The Chinese majors set to cut seaborne Russian oil purchases are Sinopec, PetroChina, CNOOC and Zhenhua Oil. Indian refineries, earlier this week, also reduced the intake of seaborne Russian oil.

Note, Sinopec cut buying seaborne Russian oil last week in fact, after the UK imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil.

🇪🇺🇨🇳🇷🇺⚡- The Chinese energy giants cutting seaborne Russian oil purchases came after the EU and UK sanctioned Chinese energy facilities. The UK hit the Beihai LNG terminal, while the EU's 19th package of sanctions on Russia two days ago targeted Liaoyang Petrochemical.

🇬🇧🇷🇺⚡️- Three men have been arrested in London on suspicion of spying for Russia.

🇸🇦🇵🇸🇮🇱⚡- "My statement about Saudi Arabia was definitely not successful and I regret the insult it caused.

However, at the same time, I expect the Saudis not to harm us and not to deny the heritage, tradition and rights of the Jewish people to their historical homeland in Judea and Samaria and to establish true peace with us," - Bezalel Smotrich, Finance Minister of Israel.

🇺🇸⚡- BREAKING: Two B-1 Bombers active over the Caribbean waters.

🇺🇸🇨🇳🇷🇺⚡- BREAKING: Oil prices are surging following the US sanctions on Russia's Rosneft and Lukoil, and after Chinese energy giants paused purchases of Russian seaborne oil.

Bent Crude has jumped an incredible 4.9%. FTSE100 hits all time new high. West Texan Intermediate Crude, WTI, up by 5.5%. UAE's Murban rises 4.0%.

🇺🇸🇨🇳🇷🇺 - The oil market surge.

🇺🇸🇻🇪⚡- BREAKING: "White House confirms President Trump's announcement this afternoon (3pm ET) to be on cartels," - The White House Pool.

🇺🇸🇲🇽🇻🇪⚡- Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says she does not support US strikes on narco-terrorist vessels in international waters.

🇨🇺🇨🇳⚡- Cuban authorities have arrested Chinese national Zhi Dong Zhang, alias 'Brother Wang', one of the largest fentanyl traffickers. He worked with the Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartels, trafficking more than 2 tons of fentanyl and cocaine to the United States.

🇺🇸🇮🇱⚡- Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡- "The [cancelled] Budapest summit was proposed by the American side, not the Russian side," - Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.

🇪🇺🇷🇺⚡- "This will cost the EU dearly," - Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, responding jokingly to EU's sanctions on toilet supplies to Russia.

🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡- "New sanctions against Russia will not significantly affect the country's economic well-being," - Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.

🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡- "New US sanctions are an attempt to put pressure on Russia. No self-respecting country ever does anything under pressure," - Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.

🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡- "Dialogue is always better than confrontation, disputes, or continuing the war," - Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.

🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡- "The new US sanctions a hostile act that does not strengthen Russian-American relations," - Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.

🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡- "The possible supplying of Tomahawk missiles to Kiev is an attempt at escalation. Russia's response in the case of Tomahawk strikes on Russian territory will be serious, if not staggering," - Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.

🇺🇸🇷🇺⚡- "Russia's energy sector feels confident, although certain losses will occur over the new sanctions," - Vladimir Putin, President of Russia.

🇺🇸🇨🇦🇨🇳⚡- "US President Donald Trump has pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao," - The New York Times.