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'Explosions' at Yemeni port after Israel issues evacuation warning

'Explosions' at Yemeni port after Israel issues evacuation warning

Sky News2 days ago
Residents say they have heard explosions at Hodeidah port in Yemen.
The blasts came after the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for people at three Yemeni ports - Hodeidah, Ras Issa, and Salif - as well as the Ras al Khatib power station.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it would carry out airstrikes on those areas due to "military activities being carried out there".
An IDF spokesperson said: "For your safety, we urge all those present in the specified areas, as well as ships anchored nearby, to evacuate immediately."
Earlier in the day, a ship was reportedly set on fire after being attacked in the Red Sea.
The assault, off the southwest coast of Yemen, resembled that of the Houthi militant group, said a private security company.
It was the first such incident reported in the vital shipping corridor since mid-April.
Maritime security sources said the vessel, identified as the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier Magic Seas, had taken on water after being hit by sea drones.
The crew abandoned the ship.
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British couple detained in Iran vanished for weeks amid fears they were in Israel-bombed prison
British couple detained in Iran vanished for weeks amid fears they were in Israel-bombed prison

The Independent

time25 minutes ago

  • The Independent

British couple detained in Iran vanished for weeks amid fears they were in Israel-bombed prison

The family of a British couple detained in Iran feared they were in one of the country's most notorious prisons when it was bombed by Israel – and are still yet to hear from them weeks later despite assurances from Tehran that they are alive. Lindsay and Craig Foreman, 53 and 52, were arrested and charged with espionage in Iran earlier this year after setting off on a 'dream' round-the-world motorcycle trip in August. The pair were forced to sleep on the floor of a 3x3 metre cell in Kerman, southeastern Iran, for at least five months on a diet of rice and fruit. Their family was told they were set to move to Tehran 's sprawling Evin prison complex, which held thousands of inmates, on 8 June, but it emerged four days later the transfer was delayed due to a paperwork issue. On 13 June, Israel launched a devastating 12-day airstrike campaign against Iran, including an attack on 23 June that destroyed the prison and killed 79 people. The couple were unreachable throughout this period as their family was put through a 'month of torment'. They say the UK Foreign Office did not know where they were. It was only on 8 July that Iranian officials said they were in Kerman. The British Foreign Office has still not reached them. Mrs Foreman's son Joe Bennett, 31, told The Independent: 'The place they had been potentially transferred was being bombed and we didn't know until today [8 July] they were okay. 'They are just a normal mum and dad being held as political prisoners and they need to come home.' On their way to Australia, Mrs Foreman, a life coach with a doctorate in psychology, was carrying out a research project asking people what constituted a 'good life'. On 30 December, Mrs Foreman posted a map of Iran, saying they were about to face 'one of the most challenging — and, let's be honest, slightly scary — sections of our journey: Iran and Pakistan '. The next day, she crossed into Iran from Armenia with her husband Craig, a carpenter, and planned to reach Pakistan by 4 January, despite 'the advice of friends, family and the Foreign Office'. They travelled through the cities of Tabriz, Tehran and Isfahan with a tour guide and visa but never checked into their hotel in Kerman. Mrs Foreman's last social media post on 3 January was a picture of her meeting a 'kind and thoughtful mullah' in Isfahan, central Iran. On 13 February, Iranian state media published a photo of them alongside British ambassador Hugo Shorter announcing they had been charged with espionage. Since then, the couple have been visited three times by British consular officials, most recently on 12 May. At around this time, Mrs Foreman was not walking properly and had a bad back, her son said. He added: 'I cannot imagine what they are going through. The anxiety and hopelessness, being left in the dark. It is hard to think about. 'It cannot go on for years. We need action. They are not spies. It was supposed to be the holiday of a lifetime but it has turned into a nightmare.' Iran has previously held British citizens for years on vague security charges. In 2022, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori were released after spending six and five years in Iranian prisons. They were both held in Evin prison, one of the country's most visible symbols of authoritarian rule for over 40 years. Dissidents, foreign journalists, academics and diplomats have all been held there. Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian was held there for nearly a year and a half and claimed guards repeatedly threatened him with execution. A FCDO spokesperson told The Independent: 'We are deeply concerned by reports that two British nationals have been charged with espionage in Iran. We continue to raise this case directly with the Iranian authorities. 'We are providing them with consular assistance and remain in close contact with their family members.'

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Family of UK couple held in Iran did not know pair's whereabouts for month

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Houthi rebels celebrate sinking ship laden with explosive materials in Red Sea
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Houthi rebels celebrate sinking ship laden with explosive materials in Red Sea

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Houthi militants hold their AK47s in the air and shout 'Allahu Akhbar, death to America' after storming a merchant ship laden with explosive materials in the Red Sea. In a Hollywood-style trailer released by the terror group's media centre, the militants fire rockets at the Liberian-flagged Magic Seas from small boats. After launching rocket propelled grenades at the vessel carrying 17,000 metric tons of 'highly hazardous' ammonium nitrate, the Houthi rebels hijack the huge red trawler. In intercepted radio transmissions, the captain of the Magic Seas tells the Houthis 'not to impede his safe passage'. But they demand him to 'stop the ship immediately for the safety of your crew'. The captain ignores them and makes a desperate mayday call saying he is being attacked by Houthis. Shortly after the crew abandon the Greek-owned bulk carrier and ditch into the sea where they are safely rescued by a passing UAE freighter. The fighters pull themselves aboard and sprint past the broken windows of the bridge. They calmly walk to the observation deck where they hold their rifles aloft and launch into a vile tirade against Israel and the United States in shocking drone footage. Moments later, drone footage shows them blow up the ship which sinks in the major global shipping route. Moammar Al-Eryani, serving as the Minister of Information for Yemen, said on X: 'The tanker was carrying approximately 17,000 metric tons of highly hazardous ammonium nitrate, resulting in its sinking and threatening the marine environment and international shipping lanes. 'A message to the international community: This is the militia we have repeatedly warned against, and this is the terrorism you have long ignored. 'Inaction towards these terrorist acts threatens to close Bab al-Mandab Strait, disrupting energy security and global trade, all at the behest of the Iranian regime. If this Houthi cancer is not eradicated now, the world will pay a heavy and costly price.' The video was released after another attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels on a Greek-owned Eternity C cargo ship killed three mariners and wounded two others on Tuesday. The two attacks are the first Houthi assaults on shipping since late 2024 on the waterway that had begun to see more ships pass through in recent weeks. Since November 2023, the Houthis have disrupted commerce by launching hundreds of drones and missiles at vessels in the Red Sea, saying they were targeting ships linked to Israel. While the Houthis reached a ceasefire with the United States in May, the militia has reiterated that they will keep attacking ships it says are connected with Israel. 'After several months of calm, the resumption of deplorable attacks in the Red Sea constitutes a renewed violation of international law and freedom of navigation,' IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said on Tuesday. 'Innocent seafarers and local populations are the main victims of these attacks and the pollution they cause.' MORE: Netanyahu surprises Trump with letter nominating him for Nobel Peace Prize MORE: Melania Trump joins Donald in welcoming Gaza hostage who was 'very important' to her MORE: Trump says Israel agreed to 60-day Gaza ceasefire and threatens Hamas to accept

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