ECB supervisory board vice-chair Frank Elderson said the central bank convened an unusual ad hoc meeting with lenders to discuss how rapidly evolving AI capabilities could expose vulnerabilities across the financial system.

Elderson warned that AI-powered tools could dramatically reduce the time needed to exploit software vulnerabilities, saying attackers may now be able to reverse-engineer security patches within minutes rather than weeks. He urged banks to significantly speed up the deployment of software updates and cyber defenses.

The ECB is also encouraging U.S. banks already using advanced AI systems to share lessons and security insights with European counterparts.

Calling the situation “game-changing,” Elderson warned that malicious actors could soon gain access to similar technologies and stressed that “the clock is ticking.”

— The LNG tanker Fuwairit, sailing under the Bahamas flag, is currently crossing the strait en route to Pakistan after loading cargo at Ras Laffan around March 28. The vessel is expected to arrive in Pakistan on Tuesday.

— The VLCC Eagle Verona, a Singapore-flagged supertanker chartered by Sinopec’s trading arm Unipec, exited the Gulf on Saturday after being stranded for nearly three months. The vessel, carrying nearly 2 million barrels of Iraqi Basrah crude loaded in February, is expected to arrive at Ningbo, China, on June 12.

The four additional tunnel entrances at the facility have likewise been reopened.

Iran used heavy machinery to remove debris and restore access to the underground complex, with no apparent long-term damage visible at the hardened entrances.

Source: GEOIMINT

Admiral Pierre Vandier told POLITICO that NATO moved quickly in 2025 to purchase Palantir’s Maven Smart System because the alliance needed an immediately available solution.

“So they said: ‘We’ll take something off the shelf that the United States used,’” Vandier said. “As far as I know, today there is no real competitor for Palantir.”

The system was procured in just six months — one of the fastest acquisitions in NATO history — and has already been deployed at NATO command centers in the Netherlands and Belgium.

"It’s a race. It’s the ability of Europeans to show that they are able to provide something which is relevant in a matter of months, years, and not a decade," he added.

Defining what he called “digital sovereignty,” Vandier argued that Europe’s most realistic short-term goal is ensuring control over its own data and intellectual property rather than seeking immediate full technological independence.

Rodríguez, once sanctioned by the U.S. and closely associated with Venezuela’s socialist leadership, has repositioned herself as a pragmatic partner for the Trump administration, hosting American officials and energy executives in Caracas while promoting long-term economic cooperation.

U.S. officials view Rodríguez as cooperative, business-friendly, and capable of maintaining stability during a period of regional and global energy uncertainty.

Rodríguez has told Washington she supports elections eventually but argues sanctions must first be lifted so Venezuela can restore infrastructure and economic activity before any vote takes place.

Elections aren’t even on Trump’s mind at this point, said a senior administration official.

Since January, after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. commandos, Washington has overseen millions of barrels of Venezuelan oil, with proceeds being held in a special U.S. State Department-controlled fund.

Despite the improved relationship with Washington, Rodríguez’s domestic approval rating has slipped to around 30% amid continuing hyperinflation, unemployment, and power shortages.

Critics and opposition figures argue the political changes under Rodríguez remain largely cosmetic, saying much of the existing power structure established under Maduro is still intact. They point to cabinet reshuffles and security-sector changes while noting her brother continues to hold a powerful position in the legislature.

When January 3rd happened and the world found out, how was this plan advancing? In three phases outlined by the Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Phase 1, Stabilization. Phase 2, Recovery. And Phase 3, The Transition with Elections.

We evaluated this with serenity, and today we understand that in order to favor it, to accompany and facilitate this plan, it is necessary for this process to culminate as a phase in a presidential electoral process.

We want to coordinate and facilitate the success of this strategy with our main ally, the United States government.

I will be a candidate, but there could be others, of course.

I would love to compete with everyone, with anyone who wants to be a candidate.

I believe President Trump has been crystal clear when he said he finds it extraordinarily wonderful that Mrs. Delcy Rodríguez follows his instructions.

The truth is, those who don't find it wonderful are the allies of Mrs. Delcy Rodríguez, who at this moment are truly showing what their genuine motivations are and the degree of loyalty that exists in these types of regime groups, where all values are sacrificed solely for money or power.

Cuba will be free, Venezuela will be free, and Nicaragua will be free.

We are talking about a process that will allow the Americas to be free of communism and dictatorship for the first time in history.