Hamas accuses Israel of hitting Gaza ‘safe zone’ killing 14
Another merchant vessel attacked in Red Sea
Another merchant vessel has been attacked in the Red Sea.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) the unnamed vessel has been boarded by 5 or 6 “unauthorised armed persons”.
It happened 460 nautical miles east of Eyl in Somalia.
The crew are reported to be taking refuge in the ship’s secure space known as a citadel.
This would be the 25th attack on commercial shipping in the area since mid-November.
UKMTO is a body of the UK’s Ministry of Defence which coordinates between commercial shipping and the military.
The attack comes after the US, UK and 10 other states warned Houthi rebels in Yemen that they will face consequences if they continue to attack commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
- The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza told Reuters 14 people were killed in a blast at al-Mawasi near Khan Younis
- Al-Mawasi, an area of about 8.5 sq km (5.2 sq miles), has been designated a safe zone in Gaza by Israeli forces
Transatlantic slavery continued for years after 1867, historian finds
Exclusive: Evidence found by Hannah Durkin includes ships landing in Cuba in 1872, and people held in Benin in 1873
Historians have generally assumed that the transatlantic slave trade ended in 1867, but it actually continued into the following decade, according to new research.
Dr Hannah Durkin, an historian and former Newcastle University lecturer, has unearthed evidence that two slave ships landed in Cuba in 1872. One vessel, flying the Portuguese flag, had 200 captives aged from 10 to 40, and the second is believed to have been a US ship with 630 prisoners packed into its hold.
Bangladesh: Mongla town offers new life for climate migrants
Mahima Begum moved to the port town of Mongla in southwestern Bangladesh after a natural disaster struck her village and destroyed the home her father had built.
The 32-year-old is one of the millions of people in the South Asian country who have been forced to relocate due to climate-related disasters.
Historically, migrants have made their way to the country’s capital, Dhaka. But the city is already one of the most overcrowded places on Earth and it’s poorly equipped to accommodate the waves of people moving from climate-impacted areas of the country into urban centers, seeking residence and employment.
Islamic State (IS) group claims responsibility for deadly Iran bombings
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility on Thursday for two explosions that killed nearly 100 people and wounded scores at a ceremony in Iran to commemorate commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a US drone in 2020.
The group posted a statement on its affiliate Telegram channels.
The blasts came as Iran observed a day of mourning Thursday for at least 84 people killed when two bombs ripped through a crowd commemorating the slain Revolutionary Guards general.
The death toll was revised down from around 100 the day after what Iranian authorities labelled a “terrorist attack” that also wounded hundreds near Soleimani’s tomb in the southern city of Kerman.
The blasts ripped through crowds who had come to honour Soleimani, four years after a targeted US drone strike in Baghdad killed the veteran senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
JAL crew lauded for getting all passengers off of burning plane
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
January 4, 2024 at 18:13 JST
Crew members of Japan Airlines Flight 516 are being commended for their prompt actions and calm decisions that saved hundreds of lives on Jan. 2.
The JAL passenger jet collided with a Japan Coast Guard plane on a runway at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, and both aircraft went up in flames.
All 379 passengers and crew members of the JAL plane escaped, although 15 of them suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
Ambiguous Ethiopia port deal fuels uncertainty over Somaliland statehood
The agreement accentuates historical ties between Ethiopia and Somaliland – and historical hostility with Somalia.
On Monday, an agreement signed in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Muse Bihi Abdi of the breakaway republic of Somaliland preceded a shocking announcement that has already set the tone for interstate relations in the Horn of Africa this year.
The memorandum of understanding was for the leasing of 20km (12 miles) of Somaliland’s sea coast to landlocked Ethiopia. In exchange, Somaliland will receive shares in its neighbour’s flagship carrier, Ethiopian Airlines – and receive formal recognition as a sovereign state.
International recognition has been a long-sought goal for Somaliland, a region in northern Somalia that has enjoyed de facto independence since 1991. But the groundbreaking agreement has created shockwaves in the region and fury in Somalia, which views it as a hostile violation of Somalia’s sovereignty.
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