Exclusive Bloomberg analysis of nearly five years of satellite images shows how a growing group of dark fleet vessels is moving billions of dollars of US sanctioned Iranian oil to China - even though the country, officially, hasn’t imported a drop in more than two years.

The aging tankers, often operating without insurance, linger on the edge of one of the world's busiest maritime thoroughfares, risking an environmental catastrophe. Read how Bloomberg tracked two ships from China and Iran to this clandestine meeting point: https://bloom.bg/4i8dJRM

“When I heard they were going to be cut down, I knew I had to protect them."

Trees are increasingly becoming a flashpoint in Tokyo, as record temperatures and large-scale redevelopment projects put the loss of greenery on residents' minds https://bloom.bg/3YPCObe

Acid attack: A prominent Tunisian politician who tried to run for president in last month’s election is being treated for serious burns sustained from an acid attack. Abdellatif Mekki suffered burns in his eyes, neck and face after he was attacked at his home by a neighbor, his Action and Achievement party said. https://bloom.bg/492NeZU

Inflation slows: South African inflation at the slowest pace since the height of the pandemic is spurring bets the central bank will deepen its interest-rate cutting cycle. https://bloom.bg/3V1LDxA

Next G-20 hosts: Don't show weakness, never grovel, ask the hard questions. South Africa will host the first G-20 summit next year after Donald Trump returns to the White House — and veteran diplomats have some advice for Cyril Ramphosa. A shared interest in golf may help too. https://bloom.bg/4fAUtdI

Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter on where sub-Saharan Africa stands now — and where it’s headed at https://bloom.bg/4hd94NP. Next Africa publishes every Tuesday and Friday

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and other executives were charged with paying more than $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials and concealing them from US investors. Get the latest here: https://bloom.bg/3Cyzzh0

📷: Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg

🎙 Every year, billions of dollars of sanctioned Iranian oil finds its way to China, even though on paper, the country hasn’t imported a single drop in more than two years. How?

Find out on the Big Take Asia Podcast https://link.podtrac.com/jxfy2rhy

Property prices in Asia’s major markets are expected to rise over the next year, with Hong Kong leading the projected gains, and Singapore, Australia and Japan also becoming more expensive, according to Bloomberg Intelligence: https://bloom.bg/4hZK8tx

📷: Billy H.C. Kwok/Bloomberg

🎙 How billions of dollars of sanctioned Iranian oil is making its way to China.

After analyzing years of satellite data, Bloomberg reporters sailed to waters east of peninsular Malaysia and Singapore to verify themselves.

Join Bloomberg reporters for a Live Q&A at 8 am ET/9 pm HKT to hear what they saw https://bloom.bg/3CH7IeE

Gautam Adani’s wealth gains this year were wiped out after he was charged by US prosecutors with helping drive a $250 million bribery scheme, sending his companies’ stocks and bonds tumbling.

The net worth of Asia’s second-richest person sank more than $15 billion earlier on Thursday, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. More here: https://bloom.bg/4i0qC0c

📷: Sumit Dayal/Bloomberg

🚨 HAPPENING NOW: How billions of dollars of sanctioned Iranian oil is making its way to China.

After analyzing years of satellite data, Bloomberg reporters sailed to waters east of peninsular Malaysia and Singapore to verify themselves.

Join our reporters in the Bloomberg Live Q&A https://bloom.bg/3CH7IeE

Fighting in Africa: About 10% of Africa is caught up in conflict, with fighting having spread and worsened over the past three years, according to Verisk Maplecroft. This map shows the hotspots: https://bloom.bg/4130Cv7

Cryptocurrency startup: An American startup is building a $3 billion crypto market in Africa, riding demand for digital substitutes for the US dollar. https://bloom.bg/4eFFNJ6

Rate cut: South Africa's central bank lowered its key interest rate by a modest 25 basis points, for a successive meeting. While more cuts are likely, Governor Lesetja Kganyago is worried about risks next year. https://bloom.bg/3OjJsBF

Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter on where sub-Saharan Africa stands now — and where it’s headed at https://bloom.bg/4hd94NP. Next Africa publishes every Tuesday and Friday

Gautam Adani, one of the world’s richest people, was in good spirits Wednesday evening. Before heading to bed in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, he relaxed by playing a card game with his wife, according to a person close to him.

But around 3 a.m., a colleague delivered some shocking news: The US had charged Adani and several associates with fraud in a sprawling criminal investigation. Within minutes, senior executives from the Group assembled on conference calls and in the conglomerate’s headquarters. Read The Big Take here: https://bloom.bg/4fXS250

📷: Sumit Dayal/Bloomberg

Gas prices: Long queues of cars are a common sight at fuel stations across Nigeria, but for some drivers switching to compressed natural gas, pumps are becoming a thing of the past. https://bloom.bg/3ZgweMn

ICC arrest warrants: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu severely criticized the ICC for issuing arrest warrants against him and a former minister, and said his government won’t be deterred from continuing its war against Hamas in Gaza. https://bloom.bg/3Zk1IRU

Food prices soar: Almost two out of three Nigerian households are going hungry, with families skipping meals as they cannot afford enough food, official statistics suggest. https://bloom.bg/3CEJFNb

Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter on where sub-Saharan Africa stands now — and where it’s headed at https://bloom.bg/4hd94NP. Next Africa publishes every Tuesday and Friday

Singapore's rival casino resorts are betting billions on expansions as their licenses come up for renewal. Find out which one is on a roll in this week's free Singapore Edition newsletter: https://bloom.bg/3Zi1smm

Bitcoin steadied after a rally toward $100,000 fizzled just shy of the historic level, as traders assess whether optimism stemming from President-elect Donald Trump’s support for crypto is becoming stretched. More here: https://bloom.bg/499mgQm

In a bland north Austin neighborhood dominated by anonymous corporate office towers, Amazon engineers are toiling away on one of the tech industry’s most ambitious moonshots: loosening Nvidia’s grip on the $100-billion-plus market for artificial intelligence chips.

Take a first look inside the tech giant’s massive chip-making effort: https://bloom.bg/4i59AOj

📷: Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg

Japan's hottest stock is a 139-year-old company that's up 430% this year. More here: https://bloom.bg/4fKzDsK

Sony is in the early stages of developing a portable console that would play its PlayStation 5 games on the move. The product is aimed at expanding Sony’s reach and competing with Nintendo in the portable gaming market, according to people familiar with its development. Read more: https://bloom.bg/3VaYe1p

📷: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

🚨 LIVE NOW: US prosecutors charged Gautam Adani with helping drive a $250 million bribery scheme. Nearly $30 billion was wiped off the Adani Group’s market value.

Join Bloomberg reporters Menaka Doshi, Sanjai P R, Patricia Hurtado, Chiranjivi Chakraborty for a Live Q&A on the far-reaching impact. Ask your questions here: https://bloom.bg/3Z7b2Y1

Economic growth: Nigeria’s economy grew faster than anticipated in the third quarter, buoyed by its services and oil sectors. https://bloom.bg/3V71uen

Deep pockets: South African property group Attacq has earmarked $1.1 billion to further develop its flagship Waterfall City hub on the outskirts of Johannesburg. https://bloom.bg/4g3LKRq

Corruption unit: South Africa should set up a single agency to fight graft, according to the OECD, which led a review of the nation’s procurement practices. https://bloom.bg/40ZmjMx

Sign up for our twice-weekly newsletter on where sub-Saharan Africa stands now — and where it’s headed at https://bloom.bg/4hd94NP. Next Africa publishes every Tuesday and Friday

BREAKING: Donald Trump says the US will impose an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods on top of all existing levies. More here: https://bloom.bg/3AWmlKu

📷: Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Walmart, the world's biggest retailer, is scrapping some diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives after being targeted by a conservative activist. More here: https://bloom.bg/4g6TbHx

📷: Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg