Houthi militants sink cargo ship in Red Sea, killing four and kidnapping others
Six crew members were rescued after spending over 24 hours in the water, but the fate of 15 others remains unknown, with the Iran-aligned Houthis claiming to hold some seafarers.
The United States Mission in Yemen condemned the Houthis for kidnapping surviving crew members from the Eternity C, demanding their immediate and unconditional release.
This attack follows a similar Houthi assault on another vessel, the Magic Seas, which sank on Sunday, though all its crew were rescued.
Leading shipping industry associations have denounced the deadly operation, calling for robust maritime security to protect vital sea lanes and civilian seafarers.
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The Independent
26 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why I've changed my mind about a state of Palestine
The tragic images of starvation emerging from Gaza have shocked and angered the world. Yet we've become dangerously desensitized to the daily toll of death and destruction, seemingly powerless to intervene. But when even President Trump is moved to acknowledge 'real starvation' in his press briefings, it signals a potential turning point. Israel's response to the barbaric attacks 21 long months ago is increasingly testing the international community. Every state has the right to defend itself – but also the responsibility to wield force judiciously. How retribution is carried out, how military power is applied, and how operations affect civilians in the invaded territories all matter deeply. It confirms our values and distinguishes us from those we must fight. The scale of continued suffering in Gaza cannot be justified solely by Israel's right to defeat Hamas. This is not to say Hamas should not be confronted – but rather Israel's absence of a discernible strategy to convert battlefield gains into lasting peace, or to separate Hamas from the broader Palestinian population. Two-thirds of Gaza lies in ruins. Two million people are displaced. And dozens die weekly, not in combat, but for inching forward in chaotic food lines, desperate for handouts. On the ground, Hamas forces have been severely weakened. Iran, its proxy backer, has also been constrained. And yet, famine now looms as the deadliest threat. Under international pressure, Israel has permitted food airdrops into Gaza. But, as UN aid chief Tom Fletcher has said, these are 'a drop in the ocean'. Airdrops are inefficient, especially while hundreds of aid trucks wait, fully loaded, at sealed border crossings. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has kept those crossings closed and removed food distribution from UN agencies, handing it to the Israeli Defence Forces, who lack the infrastructure or experience to manage it effectively. Let's be blunt. Beyond 'destroying Hamas', Netanyahu offers no credible endgame, no plan for post-conflict governance in Gaza, no roadmap toward the long-promised two-state solution. His actions suggest a strategy of perpetual conflict. Regional powers, including Egypt, Jordan and the UAE, along with much of the international community, are eager to help. Not only to address the humanitarian crisis but to support the establishment of a credible post-Hamas governance structure that's likely to require international supervision. But Netanyahu rejects such support, shielded by continued backing from the White House, which has so far extended understandable but seemingly unconditional support following the Hamas attacks. However, Netanyahu's tactical decisions, lacking any strategic vision, are beginning to test that support. Where is he taking this conflict – a conflict that, in a broader sense, has been ongoing since 1948. His devastating campaign in Gaza and continued illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank suggest an intent to make a two-state solution unviable. In 2014, when the UK Parliament last debated Palestinian recognition, I responded as a foreign minister, saying Britain would recognise Palestine only when it judged such a move would aid the peace process, not as a symbolic gesture. It's a card that can only be played once, so it must be used wisely. It's easy to argue that now is not the right time – that we must focus on the immediate crisis. But I would argue that now is exactly the right time, to deliver a jolt that might reverse a dangerous trajectory, one that risks closing the window on a two-state solution forever. This issue is on the agenda at the UN in New York. Recognition could help shift global focus, isolate Hamas politically, and undercut Iran's justification for arming proxies in the region. Waiting endlessly for the 'perfect moment' is not a strategy. The current status quo, or the pursuit of a one-state solution, will only entrench a perpetual insurgency, fuelled externally and leaving Israel in a state of permanent tensions with its neighbours. As Trump's support for Netanyahu grows more conditional - including calls for decisive action to prevent famine – let's leverage this to refocus attention on the broader strategic imperative: achieving a two-state solution. Without that, suffering, extremism, and endless war will continue.
Reuters
27 minutes ago
- Reuters
Turkey asks Iraq to ensure full use of oil pipeline in talks on new deal
ANKARA, July 29 (Reuters) - Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said a proposed new energy agreement between Turkey and Iraq must include a mechanism to ensure the full use of the oil pipeline between the two countries. Last week, Ankara said the decades-old accord covering the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline would end in July 2026 and an Iraqi official said Turkey had proposed expanding the deal to include cooperation in oil, gas, petrochemicals and electricity. Laying out Turkey's core demands, Bayraktar said the country was asking for a draft agreement to include "a mechanism to ensure full use of this pipeline". "The note we've sent is along these lines," he told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Monday. "This pipeline has a capacity of almost 1.5 million barrels per day. There's no flow at the moment. Even when it did flow, it was never at full capacity," he said further. The Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline has been offline since 2023, after an arbitration court ruled Ankara should pay $1.5 billion in damages for unauthorised Iraqi exports between 2014 and 2018. Turkey is appealing the ruling. Bayraktar said Turkey's proposal included options such as extending the pipeline to the south of Iraq. "It (the pipeline) doesn't have to be filled entirely with oil from Iraq. To reach those figures, the pipeline needs to reach the south anyway," he said, adding that the deadline to agree on a new deal was July 2026. The Turkish government has said the Development Road initiative - a high-speed road and rail link running from Iraq's port city of Basrah on the Gulf to the Turkish border and later to Europe - is an opportunity to extend the pipeline south. Baghdad allocated initial funding for the project in 2023.
Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Miliband pushing to recognise Palestinian state
Ed Miliband is among a growing number of Cabinet ministers pushing to recognise a Palestinian state. The Energy Secretary has joined the ranks with several MPs who are placing pressure on Sir Keir Starmer to take the step as soon as possible. The Prime Minister will today convene an urgent Cabinet meeting on Gaza and later this week unveil his plan for formally recognising Palestinian statehood. Sir Keir's move to officially recognise the country comes after Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said he would do so in September. Behind the scenes, Cabinet ministers including Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister; Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary; and Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, are putting pressure on Sir Keir to take the step. Mr Miliband is also supportive of the move, and voted in favour of Palestinian statehood when he was the leader of Labour in 2014. An emergency meeting A third of Sir Keir's Cabinets want the UK to take swift action to recognise Palestine as a state, according to The Times. Pressure from the Cabinet comes ahead of the Prime Minister unveiling his most detailed plan to date for formally recognising Palestine as a state later this week. But it is expected that the recognition of statehood will still be conditional on the delivery of a ceasefire and potentially the release of remaining Israeli hostages by Hamas. Ministers will meet for a rare emergency Cabinet meeting on Tuesday afternoon, in the middle of summer parliamentary recess, to discuss the situation in Gaza. Mr Miliband voted in favour of recognising Palestine as a state alongside Israel in a Commons vote in 2014, while he was Labour leader, as did Ms Nandy. Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland Secretary, also voted for the motion over a decade ago. On Friday, 135 Labour MPs signed a letter calling for the 'immediate recognition' of Palestinian statehood, while Labour mayors and the party's Scottish leadership are also piling on the pressure.
