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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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27 Mar 2024

Britain’s Forgotten Prison Island: Remembering the Thousands of Convicts Who Died Working in Bermuda’s Dockyards

An 1862 photo of a prison hulk docked in Ireland Island, Bermuda. (Photo: UK Royal Navy)

We think of Bermuda as a tiny paradise in the North Atlantic. But long before cruise ships moored up, prison ships carried hundreds of convicts to the island, first docking in 1824 and remaining there for decades.Islands have long been places to deport, exile and banish criminals. Think of Alcatraz, the infamous penitentiary in San Francisco, or Robben Island in South Africa, which held Nelson Mandela. The French penal colony Devil’s Island was immortalised in the Steve McQueen film Papillon…

22 Mar 2024

Philippines to Build Islands Port Near Taiwan

Copyright Peter Hermes Furian/AdobeStock

The U.S. military will not be involved in development of a port in the Philippines' remote northernmost islands near Taiwan, the local governor said, removing a potential source of friction with China over the U.S. presence in the region.The governor of the Batanes islands, less than 200 km (125 miles) from Taiwan, said in August she had sought U.S. funding for a new port there. The U.S. embassy had at the time confirmed its diplomats and U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) experts had…

17 Mar 2024

Explosion Reported Near Ship Off Yemen Coast

Map courtesy JMIC

The captain of a merchant ship east of Yemen's Aden has reported an explosion near the ship, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said early on Sunday."No damage to the vessel has been reported and the crew are reported safe. The vessel is proceeding to its next port of call," UKMTO said in an advisory note.The ship was 85 nautical miles (157 km, 98 miles) east of Aden, in an area where Houthi militant groups often target ships they say are linked to Israel or the United States.Months of Red Sea attacks by Yemen's Houthi militants have disrupted global shipping…

15 Mar 2024

Merchant Vessel West of Yemen's Hodeidah Not Hit by Missile as Earlier Reported

© Sergey Fedoskin / Adobe Stock

A daylight inspection showed that a merchant vessel was not hit or damaged in the Red Sea off Yemen's Hodeidah after initial reports it was struck by a missile, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and British security firm Ambrey said on Friday.Iran-aligned Houthi militants in Yemen have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against international commercial shipping in the region since mid-November in professed solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's war in Gaza.Their Red Sea attacks have disrupted global shipping…

15 Mar 2024

Vessel Struck by Missile West of Yemen's Hodeidah

© mino21 / Adobe Stock

A merchant vessel reported it had been hit by a missile and sustained damage 76 nautical miles west of Yemen's Hodeidah, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the British security firm Ambrey said on Friday."The vessel has sustained some damage. The crew are reported safe and the vessel is proceeding to its next port of call," the UKMTO said in an advisory note.Ambrey also reported that the ship suffered damage and that there were no injuries.UKMTO said another ship…

12 Mar 2024

US Military Strikes Back After Pinocchio Vessel Attack

(Credit: CENTCOM)

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that Yemen's Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from their controlled areas into the Red Sea toward merchant vessel Pinocchio.The Singaporean-owned, Liberian-flagged ship was attacked on March 11, CENTOM said early on Tuesday, adding that the missiles did not impact the vessel and that there were no injuries or damage reported.Later on the same day, CENTCOM conducted six self-defense strikes destroying an unmanned underwater…

10 Mar 2024

Biden's Pier for Gaza Aid Might Not be Ready for 60 Days

File photo: A temporary floating pier built by U.S. armed forces in South Korea as part of an exercise in 2015 (Photo: Maricris McLane U.S. Army)

U.S. President Joe Biden's plan to build a floating U.S. military port to speed up aid to Gaza could take up to 60 days to become a reality and involve more than 1,000 American troops, the Pentagon said on Friday.The Pentagon offered the timeline a day after Biden announced the initiative in his State of the Union speech, as he seeks to cool anger in his Democratic Party over his staunch support for Israel's offensive in Gaza since Oct. 7.The United Nations has warned that widespread famine in the Gaza Strip is "almost inevitable" without urgent action.

07 Mar 2024

US to Build Temporary Port to Deliver Gaza Aid

© UnitedPixels / Adobe Stock

President Joe Biden will announce in his State of the Union speech on Thursday that the U.S. military will construct a temporary port on Gaza's Mediterranean coast to receive humanitarian aid by sea, senior administration officials said.Planning for the operation, initially based on the island of Cyprus, does not envisage the deployment of U.S. military personnel in Gaza, the officials told a news briefing.The officials also said that Hamas is delaying a new deal with Israel on…

05 Mar 2024

Yemen's Houthis Hit Container Vessel in Gulf of Aden with Missile

© Kalyakan / Adobe Stock

One of two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired by Yemen's Houthis at the container vessel M/V MSC SKY II in the Gulf of Aden hit the ship and caused "damage", the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday.Initial reports indicated no injuries and the Liberian-flagged, Swiss-owned container vessel did not request assistance and continued on its way, CENTCOM said in a statement.A military spokesperson for the Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday that they targeted the vessel with "a number of suitable naval missiles".

04 Mar 2024

War Insurers Shrug off Rubymar Sinking in Red Sea, Rates Stable

On March 2 at approximately 2:15 a.m. (Sanaa time), Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier, sank in the Red Sea after being struck by an Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18. The ship had been slowly taking on water since the attack. (Photo: U.S. Central Command)

The cost of war risk insurance through the Red Sea remained stable on Monday despite the sinking of the Rubymar cargo ship as underwriters had already factored in the casualty after it was first hit by a missile last month, industry sources said.The cost of insuring a seven-day voyage through the Red Sea has risen by hundreds of thousands of dollars since Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis began attacking shipping in the area in November in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in…

04 Mar 2024

Houthi Attacks Having Limited Impact on Israeli Trade, Prices - Ministry

Attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on cargo ships in the Red Seas are having limited effect on trade to Israel and have not led to any significant inflationary pressures, Israel's Finance Ministry said in a report on Monday.Houthi militants have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against international commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's military actions in Gaza.Their Red Sea attacks have disrupted global shipping…

04 Mar 2024

Houthis Say They Will Continue Sinking British Ships

On Feb. 18 between 9:30 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., Iran-backed Houthi terrorists attacked the M/V Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier. Source: US CENTCOM

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis vowed on Sunday to continue targeting British ships in the Gulf of Aden following the sinking of UK-owned vessel Rubymar.The U.S. military confirmed on Saturday that the UK-owned vessel Rubymar had sunk after being struck by an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by Yemeni Houthi militants on Feb. 18."Yemen will continue to sink more British ships, and any repercussions or other damages will be added to Britain's bill," Hussein al-Ezzi, deputy foreign minister in the Houthi-led government…

02 Mar 2024

Bulk Carrier Rubymar Sinks After Being Struck by Houthis it the Red Sea

On March 2 at approximately 2:15 a.m. (Sanaa time), Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier, sank in the Red Sea after being struck by an Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18. The ship had been slowly taking on water since the attack. (Photo: U.S. Central Command)

The UK-owned Rubymar, attacked by Houthi militants last month, has sunk in the Red Sea, Yemen's internationally recognized government said on Saturday, warning of an "environmental catastrophe" from the ship's cargo of fertilizer.The vessel is the first lost since the Houthis began targeting commercial shipping in November, forcing shipping firms to divert vessels on to the longer, more expensive route around southern Africa.The Iranian-backed Houthis, who control the north of Yemen and other large centers…

01 Mar 2024

US Says it Struck Missiles, Drone that Posed Threat to Red Sea Ships

(Photo: U.S. Central Command)

The U.S. military said it conducted strikes on Thursday against anti-ship missiles and an aerial drone that posed a threat to Red Sea shipping.U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the southern Red Sea and conducted two strikes against six mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch toward the Red Sea, labeling both actions as self-defense.Military officials determined that the missiles and drone "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S.

26 Feb 2024

Houthis Keep Up Pressure with Near Miss on US-flagged Tanker

FILE PHOTO: Torm Thor (Photo: Torm)

Yemen's Houthis fired a missile that likely targeted the Torm Thor in the Gulf of Aden on Feb. 24 but missed the U.S.-flagged oil tanker, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Monday, as the Iran-aligned militia steps up attacks on ships.Shipping risks have escalated due to repeated Houthi drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait since November in support of Palestinians in Gaza. U.S. and British forces have responded with several strikes on Houthi…

22 Feb 2024

Houthis Vow to Step Up Ship Attacks in the Red Sea

(Photo: Indian Navy)

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a UK-owned cargo ship and a drone assault on an American destroyer on Thursday, and they targeted Israel's port and resort city of Eilat with ballistic missiles and drones.The statement by a Houthi representative on social media site X came shortly after the group's leader said it was ramping up attacks on ships in the Red Sea and other waters - including with new "submarine weapons" -to mirror Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip.Houthi militants have launched repeated drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea…

20 Feb 2024

Greek Ship Attacked in Red Sea by Houthis Arrives in Aden

© Faraways / Adobe Stock

The Greek-flagged bulk cargo vessel Sea Champion arrived in the southern Yemeni port of Aden on Tuesday after being attacked in the Red Sea in what appeared to have been a mistaken missile strike by Houthi militia, shipping and military sources said.Shipping risks are escalating due to repeated drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait by the Iran-aligned Houthis since November. U.S. and British forces have responded with several strikes on Houthi facilities but have so far failed to halt the attacks.The Sea Champion…

16 Feb 2024

US Conducts Cyberattack on Suspected Iranian Spy Ship - Report

© WhataWin / Adobe Stock

The United States conducted a cyberattack recently against an Iranian military ship in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden that had been collecting intelligence on cargo vessels, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing three U.S. officials.The cyberattack took place a week ago as part of a government response to a drone attack by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan late last month and wounded dozens of others, the report said.NBC reported…

06 Feb 2024

Houthis Fire Missiles at Two Ships In The Red Sea

© Federico Rostagno / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis fired missiles at two vessels in the Red Sea, they said on Tuesday, causing minor damage to a cargo ship that was sailing off the coast of Yemen's Hodeidah.The Houthis have been targeting commercial vessels with drones and missiles in the Red Sea since mid-November, in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.The group's military spokesman said it fired naval missiles at the Morning Tide and Star Nasia…

09 Feb 2024

Kongsberg Discovery Wins US Navy DIU Contract

HUGIN Endurance, one of the newest members in the HUGIN AUV family, measures 39-ft. long and nearly 4-ft. in diameter, with a 15-day endurance. Image courtesy Kongsberg Discovery

Kongsberg Discovery announced a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) award to assist in the U.S. Navy’s Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) prototype.Kongsberg Discovery has been awarded a contract with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to rapidly deliver HUGIN Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) capabilities for the U.S. Military. The total contract  could result in the Navy acquiring HUGIN Endurance and HUGIN Superior deep-water AUV systems.HUGIN Endurance, one of the newest members in the HUGIN AUV family, measures 39-ft. long and nearly 4-ft.

06 Feb 2024

Houthis Fire Missiles at Two Ships in Red Sea

© woodpencil / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said on Tuesday they had fired missiles at two vessels in the Red Sea, causing damage to the ships.The Houthis have been targeting commercial vessels with drones and missiles in the Red Sea since mid-November, in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.The group's military spokesman said it had fired naval missiles at the Star Nasia and Morning Tide, identifying the Marshall Islands and Barbados-flagged ships…

13 Feb 2024

Dry Bulk Vessel Rates on the Rise

© cloudvisual / Adobe Stock

The Baltic Exchange's dry bulk sea freight index rose for a third straight session on Tuesday to hit a one-month peak, as rates climbed across larger vessel segments.The overall index, which factors in rates for capesize, panamax and supramax shipping vessels, was up 13 points, or 0.8%, at 1,585 points, its highest since Jan. 10.The capesize index also scaled a one-month high. It added 23 points, or 0.9%, at 2,476 points.Average daily earnings for capesize vessels, which typically transport 150…

14 Feb 2024

Star Bulk to Avoid Red Sea After Attacks on Its Ships

© debjit / Adobe Stock

Greece-headquartered Star Bulk will halt sailings through the Red Sea after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two of its ships in recent days, the group's CEO said.The Houthis have targeted commercial vessels with drones and missiles in the Red Sea since mid-November in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war."Going forward, we will not be passing the Suez Canal any more because we are obviously a target of the Houthis - being a public company registered in the U.S.," Star Bulk CEO Petros Pappas told a Feb.