Houthis attack two Saudi ships, enforce blockade of Red Sea strait: A second war front opens
NO EXIT FOR OIL: One of the Saudi oil tankers coming under Houthi missile attack
After Iran blocked Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandab Strait on Red Sea—a
vital global maritime shortcut—was being used by the Saudis for the movement
of oil and gas. Global shipping in the region is coming to a halt.
Observers warn that instability at both the straits will trigger severe
shocks in global oil markets. Brent crude is back above $100 a barrel.
AN EXPLODING GULF: Hotspots on the map
CAIRO / SANAA, Jul 23 (INS): West Asia war escalated sharply on Thursday after
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red
Sea even as the US launched its 12th consecutive night of strikes in its resumed
war on Iran.
Saudi Arabia has confirmed the attacks and ruled out casualties. The incident
establishes the Houthis' blockade of Bab al-Mandab Strait they had declared
earlier. The Strait has been a key alternative shipping waterway for Saudis
after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in the war with the US.
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The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a vital maritime gateway connecting the Red Sea
to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. Fifteen per cent of total global seaborne
trade or millions of barrels of oil daily will be affected with Houthis closing
the Strait. (At Strait of Hormuz the loss is 20%).
The Houthi strikes open a dangerous new front in the West Asian conflict, further
imperiling global trade and international energy supply chains.
According to military statements released by the Houthis, they launched a coordinated
barrage of drones and anti-ship ballistic missiles targeting two Saudi-flagged
crude oil vessels: the Encelia and the Layla. Houthi military spokesman Yahya
Saree claimed both vessels were struck for violating the militia's newly declared
maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia
The attack took place at 130 km southwest of Al Shuqaiq, Saudi Arabia. Official
Saudi media confirmed that a strike on the Encelia caused a fire at the ship’s
bow. No crew casualties were reported, and onboard firefighting efforts were
immediately initiated.
The strikes come just days after the Houthis issued a formal notice to international
shipping firms prohibiting any vessels from loading or discharging cargo at
Saudi ports. It said the move is a direct response to years of Saudi military
pressure.
Regional Fallout
Maritime analytics report that several oil and gas tankers have already begun
reversing course or diverting away from the southern Red Sea to avoid the high-risk
zone. War-risk insurance premiums for transiting the area have surged dramatically
in response to the fresh hostilities
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The escalation in the Red Sea coincides with intensifying friction across the
Persian Gulf.
As energy shipments via the Gulf face severe restrictions at Strait of Hormuz,
Saudi Arabia had increasingly relied on land pipelines to move crude to its
Red Sea port of Yanbu for export—a safety valve now directly threatened by Houthi
strikes.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it carried out a 12th
consecutive night of military strikes on Iran targeting drone storage facilities,
coastal surveillance networks and launch assets to protect international shipping
lanes
. Energy analysts warn that prolonged instability at both the Bab el-Mandeb
Strait and the Strait of Hormuz could trigger severe shocks in global oil markets.
The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.
ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!
The CCTV footage and the video circulating on social media do not indicate any serious abnormalities in takeoff or descent, it has been confirmed. The disaster is becoming curiouser and curiouser. The flight path was not curvy. And the aircraft maintained a steady, gliding descent with its nose straight and the wings perfectly level. The pilot's distress call does not specify what prevented lift and climb-out. Here are some expert opinions. The sole purpose is to raise travellers' awareness about air travel.
Many of the victims were charred beyond recognition, making identification difficult. Three hundred nineteen body parts have been sent for DNA matching with relatives to determine the identities.
A comment on social media on Kanimozhi's answer on the question of national language read: "Daughter of Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi. Delivered the Birthday Present to her Father!!" (Karunanidhi was born on June 3, 1924)
(Today's headlines )
Trump said, "Elon is not really leaving" and will be "back and forth" to the White House because DOGE is his "baby." "I think he’s going to be doing a lot of things.”
Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.
PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.
Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people.
(Today's headlines )
"Coming from a system like in England, empowering," she says she never had an idea of this sort of experience... being asked to “socialise with middle-aged men” who financed the event...humiliating...
Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.
Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.
"It's a big victory not just for Tamil Nadu but for all Indian States. DMK will continue to struggle for and win State autonomy and Federal polity," Chief Minister MK Stalin said.
Of 2.08 km in length, it features 99 spans and a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres, facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train services to the holy town of Rameswaram on Pamban island.
ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!
What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America!
(Today's headlines )
PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).
In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.
THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.
The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.
Suddenly these colonial clerks feel this effortless, little rule will tremendously enhance security and convenience for the railway passengers manifold. More stations will be covered in the next 77 years! (Also See:
New Delhi station stampede... What went wrong?)
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