EU Launches Naval Mission to Protect Red Sea Shipping
The European Union launched on Monday a naval mission to the Red Sea "to restore and safeguard freedom of navigation" there.The "defensive maritime security operation", dubbed Eunavfor Aspides, comes after Iranian-aligned Houthi militants started attacking international shipping in the Red Sea in support of Palestinian militant group Hamas in its war with Israel."The European Union is responding swiftly to the necessity to restore maritime security and freedom of navigation in a highly strategic maritime corridor"…
NATO Boosts Black Sea Surveillance
NATO said on Wednesday it was stepping up surveillance of the Black Sea region as it condemned Russia's exit from a deal assuring the safe passage of ships carrying Ukrainian grain.The announcement came after a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a body established earlier this month to coordinate cooperation between the Western military alliance and Kyiv."Allies and Ukraine strongly condemned Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Black Sea grain deal and its deliberate attempts to stop Ukraine’s agricultural exports on which hundreds of millions of people worldwide depend…
Germany Raids Suspected Ship in Nord Stream Pipeline Blast Probe
Western allies on Wednesday warned against reaching premature conclusions on who was responsible for blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines, with Germany suggesting the attack could also have been a "false flag" operation to blame Ukraine.A New York Times report, citing intelligence reviewed by U.S. officials, said on Tuesday a pro-Ukrainian group may be behind the blasts that became a flashpoint between the West and Russia after last year's Russian invasion of Ukraine.The report…
Hill Dickinson Adds Partner to London Office
International law firm Hill Dickinson has appointed Ian MacLean as a partner to its London office, where he will focus on his international client base of ship owners, ship managers and their insurers. This appointment provides the firm with five former mariners at partner level, with Ian joining the existing team of Mike Mallin, Tony Goldsmith, Phil Haddon and Andrew Gray. This team is further strengthened by another five ex-mariner assistants, two of whom are qualified solicitors.
