Widespread relief as rescuers tow burning oil tanker to safety in Red Sea

Special Widespread relief as rescuers tow burning oil tanker to safety in Red Sea
Tugboats, escorted by military vessels, tow the damaged Greek-flagged oil tanker MV Sounion, which has been on fire since Aug. 23, after an attack by Houthis, on the Red Sea, Sept. 16, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 17 September 2024
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Widespread relief as rescuers tow burning oil tanker to safety in Red Sea

Widespread relief as rescuers tow burning oil tanker to safety in Red Sea
  • EUNAVFOR Aspides: MV Sounion has been successfully towed to a safe area without any oil spill
  • Greek-flagged oil tanker has been abandoned and burning in the Red Sea since late August

AL-MUKALLA: A burning tanker in the Red Sea carrying almost a million barrels of oil has been successfully moved to a safe location without leaking, the EU naval mission said, raising hopes of defusing an environmental disaster in the shipping artery.

In a post on X, the EU mission, known as EUNAVFOR Aspides, said on Monday that rescuers had completed the first phase of salvaging the burning Sounion oil tanker in the Red Sea after towing it to a safe area under the protection of its naval ships, bringing worldwide relief, primarily from marine experts who had warned of a disaster to the Red Sea ecology and shipping if the ship leaked oil or exploded.

“Under protection of EUNAVFOR Aspides, MV Sounion has been successfully towed to a safe area without any oil spill. While private stakeholders complete the salvage operation, ASPIDES will continue to monitor the situation,” the EU mission said.

It added: “The completion of this phase of the salvage operation is the result of a comprehensive approach and close cooperation between all stakeholders committed to prevent an environmental disaster affecting the whole region.”

The Greek-flagged oil tanker has been abandoned and burning in the Red Sea since late August when the Houthis attacked it several times over claims that ships owned by the Sounion parent company visited Israel ports. 

Wim Zwijnenburg of the Humanitarian Disarmament Project at the Dutch peace organization PAX said on Tuesday that satellite images showed the burning ship and warships escorting it sailing near the coast of Eritrea.

“The MV #Sounion has been towed to safer waters for a salvage operation. Satellite radar imagery of today, Sept 17, shows the ship with its escort close to the coast of Eritrea, where they are likely to work on putting out the fires and making the ship ready for further towing,” Zwijnenburg said on X.

Since November, the Houthis have seized a commercial ship, sunk two, and burned several others while launching hundreds of ballistic missiles, drones and drone boats at ships in shipping lanes off Yemen in a campaign that the Yemeni militia claims is intended to put pressure on Israel to end its war in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

Despite widespread condemnation for their attacks on ships and threats to the environment and navigation freedom, the Houthis threatened to continue to attack ships as well as fire drones and missiles at Israel.

Meanwhile, the Houthis held a military funeral procession in Sanaa on Tuesday for three of their officers who were killed in fighting with the Yemeni government.

Despite the significant drop in hostilities in Yemen since April 2022, when a UN-brokered truce went into effect, the Houthis have organized dozens of similar funerals for hundreds of their fighters killed on the battlefields in Sanaa, Hodeidah, Saada, Amran, and other Yemeni provinces under their control.

Dozens of Yemeni government soldiers have also been killed in clashes with the Houthis over the past two years.

A Yemeni government field commander was killed on Sunday when the Houthis attacked government troops in the southern province of Dhale, the latest in a series of deadly Houthi attacks on government forces.


Gaza civil defense agency says 30 killed in Israeli strikes in Jabalia on Friday

Updated 2 sec ago
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Gaza civil defense agency says 30 killed in Israeli strikes in Jabalia on Friday

Gaza civil defense agency says 30 killed in Israeli strikes in Jabalia on Friday
A strike that occurred before 9:40 p.m. local time had left “12 dead, including women and children“

GAZA: Gaza’s civil defense agency Friday said at least 30 people have been killed by Israeli strikes throughout the day in northern Gaza’s Jabalia town and refugee camp amid intense combat operations by the Israeli army in the area.
The agency’s spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said that a strike that occurred before 9:40 p.m. local time (1840 GMT) had left “12 dead, including women and children” in the town.
Before that incident, Ahmad Kahlout — director of the agency in northern Gaza — said 18 people had been killed by several strikes, including hits on “eight schools” in the camp that were serving as shelters for displaced people.

Baghdad reinvents itself as heritage tourism destination

Baghdad reinvents itself as heritage tourism destination
Updated 10 min 44 sec ago
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Baghdad reinvents itself as heritage tourism destination

Baghdad reinvents itself as heritage tourism destination
  • A professor and an architecture student organize walking tours of Iraqi capital’s historic sites

RIYADH: After decades of war, airstrikes, suicide attacks and car bombs, Baghdad is staking its claim as a heritage tourism attraction.

A fragile stability has emerged since the defeat of Daesh in 2017 allowed a greater focus on the Iraqi capital’s history and culture.

Muaffaq Al-Tai, 83, a professor, and Abdullah Imad, 23, an architecture student, organize walking tours of the city’s historic center, including an 800-year-old Abbasid palace with arabesque reliefs and the battlements of the 12th-century Bab Al-Wastani, the Central Gate.

“We want to show the public what Baghdad has to offer in terms of Islamic architecture, its value and identity,” Imad said
The renewed interest in Iraq’s heritage was “a source of hope for a positive change in our identity, and our heritage and its preservation,” said Fatima Al-Moqdad, 28, an architect.
“When young people surf the internet, they see how other nations look after their heritage. They want and deserve the same.”


Israel army says sirens sound north of Tel Aviv due to ‘aircraft infiltration’

Israel army says sirens sound north of Tel Aviv due to ‘aircraft infiltration’
Updated 11 October 2024
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Israel army says sirens sound north of Tel Aviv due to ‘aircraft infiltration’

Israel army says sirens sound north of Tel Aviv due to ‘aircraft infiltration’
  • Roughly 20 minutes after the alert, Israel’s military said the incident had ended.
  • The air raid sirens came as Israelis observe the Yom Kippur holiday

JERUSALEM: The Israeli military on Friday said air raid sirens sounded in central Israel, including areas north of the commercial hub of Tel Aviv, after an aircraft infiltrated.
“Sirens have been activated in several areas in central Israel following an intrusion of hostile aircraft. Interception attempts have been made, and details are under investigation. Additional explosions may be heard, originating from interceptions or debris,” the military said in a statement.
Roughly 20 minutes after the alert, Israel’s military said the incident had ended.
The air raid sirens came as Israelis observe the Yom Kippur holiday.
Earlier Friday evening, air raid sirens blared in dozens of areas across northwestern after dozens of projectiles were fired from Lebanon, the military said.
From sundown on Friday until nightfall on Saturday, markets are closed, flights stopped and public transport halted as most Jews fast and pray on the Day of Atonement.
Due to its status as Judaism’s holiest day, Yom Kippur is traditionally observed with a complete media silence during the period.
Media outlets, however, have pledged to cover major developments or updates, as Israel fights Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas Palestinians militants in Gaza.


Western leaders urge Israel to stop harming peacekeepers

Western leaders urge Israel to stop harming peacekeepers
Updated 11 October 2024
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Western leaders urge Israel to stop harming peacekeepers

Western leaders urge Israel to stop harming peacekeepers
  • France’s President Emmanuel Macron said it was “absolutely unacceptable“
  • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez demanded an “end to all violence” against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

PARIS: Western leaders urged Israel Friday to stop harming UN peacekeepers in Lebanon after explosions wounded two of them near the country’s border.
The Israeli military (IDF) said its forces on Friday fired at a threat near a UN peacekeeping mission position.
A spokeswoman for the UNIFIL mission said two Sri Lankan peacekeepers were hurt in the second such incident in two days.
US President Joe Biden told reporters he was “absolutely, positively” asking Israel to stop firing at UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron said it was “absolutely unacceptable” that peacekeepers were “deliberately targeted.” The foreign ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador, saying the incident constituted “serious violations of international law and must cease immediately.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the firing, which she said violated a UN resolution, as “unacceptable.” Italy has more than 1,000 troops in Lebanon.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez demanded an “end to all violence” against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon. He called Friday’s incident “absolutely unacceptable.”
Ireland’s foreign minister Micheal Martin called it a “shocking” and “unacceptable” development and “a very serious intensification of IDF hostility toward UN forces.” Ireland has about 350 soldiers in UNIFIL.


Jordan’s King Abdullah meets European leaders at MED9 Summit in Cyprus

Jordan’s King Abdullah meets European leaders at MED9 Summit in Cyprus
Updated 11 October 2024
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Jordan’s King Abdullah meets European leaders at MED9 Summit in Cyprus

Jordan’s King Abdullah meets European leaders at MED9 Summit in Cyprus
  • Meetings also touched on strengthening relations and expanding cooperation between Jordan and the EU

LONDON: Jordan’s King Abdullah II held a series of high-level meetings on Friday with leaders from across Europe during the Southern EU Countries (MED9) Summit in Paphos in Cyprus.

The king met with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, and Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela.

The discussions focused on the escalating violence in Gaza and Lebanon, with King Abdullah urging increased efforts to achieve comprehensive calm and an end to the conflict, according to Jordan News Agency.

He emphasized the urgent need to facilitate the swift and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

King Abdullah also raised concerns about rising extremist settler violence in the West Bank and violations of religious sites in Jerusalem, warning that the region would remain trapped in violence unless a viable political solution, based on the two-state framework, was pursued.

In addition to addressing the regional situation, the meetings touched on strengthening relations and expanding cooperation between Jordan and the EU.

Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah, deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ayman Safadi, and other key officials were also present at the discussions.