Monday, January 29, 2024

Smearing Ceasefire Protesters, Pelosi Combines Devotion to Israel With Cold-War Mania

Sometimes there’s a thin line between vile demagoguery and pure idiocy. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi straddled both during a Sunday appearance on CNN, when she smeared protesters who’ve been demanding a ceasefire to end Israel’s slaughter of Palestinian people in Gaza.

“The former House speaker said, without offering evidence, that she believed some protesters are connected to Russian President Vladimir Putin,” NPR reported.

“For them to call for a ceasefire is Mr. Putin’s message,” Pelosi said. “Make no mistake, this is directly connected to what he would like to see. Same thing with Ukraine. It’s about Putin’s message. I think some of these protesters are spontaneous and organic and sincere. Some, I think, are connected to Russia. And I say that having looked at this for a long time now.”

Like Congress as a whole, Pelosi refuses to acknowledge that so many Americans are protesting because the Israeli armed forces have been engaged in mass murder in Gaza for more than three and a half months. And an inconvenient truth is that polling shows a large majority of people in the United States favor a ceasefire.

Pelosi is hardly unusual on Capitol Hill. Bipartisan loyalty to Israel has been the political reflex, with few exceptions. But Pelosi is notably servile to Israel.

Shortly before starting her second stint as House speaker in January 2019, Pelosi was recorded on video at a forum sponsored by the Israeli American Council as she declared: “I have said to people when they ask me – if this Capitol crumbled to the ground, the one thing that would remain is our commitment to our aid, I don’t even call it aid – our cooperation – with Israel. That’s fundamental to who we are.”

Such attitudes have fueled the massive flow of U.S. weaponry and other military aid to Israel, which has been greatly boosted since Israeli forces began methodically killing hundreds of civilians per day immediately after the Hamas attack on October 7.

“All of our missiles, the ammunition, the precision-guided bombs, all the airplanes and bombs, it’s all from the U.S.,” retired IDF Major General Yitzhak Brick said in late November. He added: “Everyone understands that we can’t fight this war without the United States. Period.”

When Pelosi smears people who are expressing their moral objections to the continuing carnage financed by U.S. taxpayers, she is tacitly echoing what then-Vice President Joe Biden said in 2015 at the Annual Israeli Independence Day Celebration in Washington: “As many of you heard me say before, were there no Israel, America would have to invent one. We’d have to invent one because Ron [Dermer, Israel’s ambassador] is right, you protect our interests like we protect yours.”

The interlocking interests of powerful pro-Israel forces like AIPAC and overall U.S. foreign policy have led, most recently, to the extreme rhetorical and military support for Israel’s ongoing mass murder in Gaza from the Democrat in the White House and both parties in Congress. In this context, Pelosi’s channeling of tactics honed by the likes of Joe McCarthy and Roy Cohn should not be too surprising. And Pelosi seemed to be channeling Richard Nixon when she told CNN that she wants the FBI to investigate the financing of ceasefire protesters.

But there’s also another key aspect of Pelosi’s nonsensical yet calculated smear effort. Biden’s poll numbers have kept dropping, most recently while so many Americans – especially those whose votes he’ll need this fall – find his support for the Gaza slaughter repugnant.

Grasping at straws, Pelosi evidently hopes for some political benefit by casting blame on Russia for how Biden’s deference to Israel has met with strong public opposition and erosion of support for re-election. Yes, her gambit is ridiculous – but at a time when the administration is revving up the cold war with Russia instead of genuinely seeking diplomatic solutions for the Ukraine war and the rampant nuclear arms race, Pelosi decided to throw down a handy demagogic gauntlet to tar ceasefire protesters.

Like President Biden and so many others in the political establishment, Nancy Pelosi cannot imagine breaking with the murderous Israeli government and pursuing a foreign policy of peace instead of nonstop U.S. efforts to dominate as much of the world as possible.

Norman Solomon is the national director of RootsAction.org and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He is the author of many books including War Made Easy. His latest book, War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine, was published in 2023 by The New Press.

Nancy Pelosi’s New Adventures in McCarthyism

Over the weekend, noting the ongoing opposition to the far-right Israeli regime’s war on the civilians of Gaza, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi charged that:

…For them to call for a cease-fire is Putin’s message, Mr. Putin’s message. Make no mistake, this is directly connected to what he would like to see. Same thing with Ukraine. It’s about Putin’s message. I think some of these protesters are spontaneous and organic and sincere. Some, I think, are connected to Russia. … I don’t think they’re plants. I think some financing should be investigated. And I want to ask the FBI to investigate that.”

Got that? If you don’t approve of a cause to which thousands upon thousands of Americans have rallied over the past 3 months (including, Pelosi might be surprised to discover, thousands of American Jews) then, call the FBI.

The first thing to note is that Pelosi has been on the scene for far too long. As the editor Julius Krein has perceptively noted,

…America in its present state of decline increasingly resembles the late Soviet Union, but one of the most unsettling parallels is its unmistakable slide into gerontocracy…perhaps the pharma lobby is so successful because it is not only the biggest donor but probably the largest vendor to the assisted living facility that is Congress.”

Yet Pelosi’s new adventures in McCarthyism are not really all that new – indeed this latest smear is part of a years-long effort by Democratic politicians, federal law enforcement and their handmaidens in the media to marginalize, stigmatize and ultimately criminalize dissent.

The transformation of the Democratic Party to what it is today began slowly, almost imperceptibly, during the second Obama term when, having abandoned its opposition to Bush and Cheney’s ill-starred adventure in Mesopotamia, liberals began to rediscover the charms of war.

It was only a short step from there to the age of Russiagate during which Donald Trump’s facile and at times ill-considered campaign rhetoric was weaponized against him via a wholly unfounded effort spearheaded by the DNC; the law firm Perkins Coie; the smear merchants at Fusion GPS; along with then-current and former members of the US Justice Department and FBI which embarked upon a grotesque charade that lasted almost the entirety of Trump’s term in office.

It was during those years that Democrats, with all the alacrity and efficiency of Bolshevik firing squads, turned their attention to dissidents within their ranks. No dissenter from the orthodoxy was to escape with their careers or reputations intact.

To recall just one of many examples: In October 2019, as she was running for the Democratic nomination for president, US congresswoman and combat veteran Tulsi Gabbard was accused by former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton of being a Russian asset. In an interview with former Obama hatchet-man David Plouffe, Clinton accused the Russians of “grooming” Gabbard. Said Clinton, “She’s the favorite of the Russians. They have a bunch of sites and bots and other ways of supporting her so far.”

Clinton’s spokesman later said that Clinton’s was “not some outlandish claim… this is reality.” What’s for sure is that it’s their reality.

In the end, Pelosi’s comments should be treated as an admission, as a statement of intent. They are just further proof (as if more was needed) that it is the Democrats who pose an authoritarian risk to this country that in many ways exceeds that which is often said to be posed by the Republican standard-bearer.

James W. Carden is a columnist and former adviser to the US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission at the U.S. Department of State. His articles and essays have appeared in a wide variety of publications including The Nation, The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, The Spectator, UnHerd, The National Interest, Quartz, The Los Angeles Times, and American Affairs.

DP World Gets 25-Year Lease Extension at Mozambique's Port of Maputo

Mozambique has approved an extra 25-year extension on the lease of the country’s main Port of Maputo to the operator consortium led by DP World and South Africa’s Grindrod Ltd. The group, which also includes Mozambique’s state-owned railway operator, is called Maputo Port Development Society (MPDC).

The port concession was initially scheduled to run until 2033 but will now expire in 2058 to allow further expansion of the port infrastructure, according to a statement by the Council of Ministers.

In line with this, the government also approved a $2 billion investment plan to cater for the port expansion. In the recent past, Maputo Port has seen an uptick in cargo handling, especially due to port and rail delays in neighboring South Africa.

During the last year, Maputo Port handled a record volume of 31 million tons of cargo, up more than 16 percent compared to 2022. Around 25 million tons constituted various ore exports, with a significant proportion coming from South Africa, where miners of chrome, coal and magnetite are choosing to use Maputo Port.

Under the new concession agreement, the capacity of the port is set to increase to 54 million tons per year by 2058, from the current 37 million tons. Priority will be in expanding Matola Coal Terminal next to Maputo, to 18 million tons per year, from 7.5 million tons. Extra storage area will also be created by reclaiming 15 hectares from the sea, according to the recent master plan of the port.

Meanwhile, the annual container handling capacity will increase fourfold to over a million units by 2058.

The government formally approved the expansion of the Maputo Port concession area back in 2022. This incorporated an additional area of 138 hectares, thereby expanding the port space from 140 to 278 hectares.

The extended port concession comes as another good news for the Dubai-based DP World, which has massively expanded its footprint within East African Ports. In October, DP World closed a deal with Tanzanian government, bagging a 30-year concession for the Port of Dar es Salaam.

Developer Breaks Ground on $3B Oil Port on Strait of Malacca

Construction of a mega port designed to compete with Singapore has commenced in neighboring Malaysia. Kuala Linggi International Port (KLIP) has broken ground for a $3.2 billion project that has the potential to reconfigure commercial shipping in the busy Malacca Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

KLIP, a private company, announced last week that the construction of the state-of-the-art port facility has started after eight years of planning. The massive project, which will be implemented in phases, is designed to transform Kuala Linggi into a global green industrial hub for energy, port and maritime services. The developers plan to focus on bunkering, oil storage and oil transfers, which are all high-demand activities for the area.

The new facility would compete with Singapore for a slice of traffic sailing on the busy Strait of Malacca, which sees about 120,000 ships pass through every year. KLIP contends that the strategic location places the port at the crossroads of major shipping routes.

“The groundbreaking ceremony is a historic milestone for KLIP, a significant step forward in our mission to become a world-class maritime hub. We are not just building a port; we are constructing a symbol of progress, collaboration and innovation in the maritime ecosystem that stimulates economic development and creates opportunities for future generations,” said Tan Sri Noor, KLIP Executive Chairman.

The massive project, which is largely funded by Chinese investors and is the brainchild of port operator T.A.G. Marine and developer Linggi Base, includes the construction of tank storage, a shipyard, heavy industry fabrication yard, hard standing cargo handling area, wharfs and warehousing facilities.

As part of the project implementation, KLIP revealed that China Harbour Engineering Co. will commence reclamation works after being awarded a contract worth $158 million. The amount is part of the $294 million the company intends to spend to develop a 620-acre artificial island off the coast. In the middle of last year, another Chinese company, China Communications Construction Company, was awarded a $174 million contract to carry out dredging works for the reclamation.

India and Seychelles Stop Latest Pirate Attacks in the Indian Ocean

Indian Navy reports it was able to free an Iranian fishing boat taken by pirates (Indian Navy)

Acts of piracy are on the rise in the Indian Ocean with reports over the past few days of multiple approaches by small boats on vessels operating in the region around Yemen and Somalia. The navies of India and Seychelles intervened to rescue two fishing boats while larger commercial vessels reported being able to defend against approaches from small boats. Investigations are still underway but at least several of the incidents are suspected to involve Somali pirates.

The Seychelles Navy informed officials in Sri Lanka that they rescued six fishermen aboard a deep sea trawler, Lorenzo Putha IV after Sri Lanka reported losing contact with the commercial ship. Sri Lanka’s fishing authority reported the vessel had departed on January 12, but on January 27 reported that all contact had been lost with the vessel.

The Sri Lanka Navy was coordinating with the regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centers and notified the Combined Maritime Force based in Bahrain. They requested assistance to rescue the crew saying it was suspected that the vessel was taken by pirates.

The trawler had traveled approximately 1,160 nautical miles and was operating in the Arabian Sea. The Seychelles Defense Force is reporting that they located the trawler approximately 230 nautical miles off Mahe Island within the region of the Seychelles.

According to accounts provided to the Associated Press, the fishing boat was operating in a group of 30 Sri Lankan fishing boats. On Saturday, January 27, a small boat came alongside and fired shots to chase off the other fishing boats.

The Seychelles Coast Guard ship Topaz was able to intercept the missing trawler and reports that today, January 29, it was able to free the ship and its six crew. In addition, three pirates were taken into custody. The trawler Lorenzo Putha IV is being escorted to Port Victoria in the Seychelles.

The Indian Navy is also reporting that one of its vessels went to the aid of the Iranian fishing vessel Iman after receiving a distress call that the vessel had been boarded by pirates. Reports are that there were 17 crewmembers aboard the commercial fishing vessel who were being held by the pirates.

“INS Sumitra intercepted the vessel, acting in accordance with the established standard operating procedures to coerce the pirates for the safe release of the crew along with the boat,” the Indian Navy reported on its social media channels. The Indian Navy did not provide details about the location of the incident but said that the vessel had been checked and released. The Iranian fishing boat was proceeding for “onward transit.”

The assaults on the fishing boats came as the UK Maritime Trade Organizations was also warning on Saturday that a commercial ship had been approached while it was approximately 780 miles east of Hafun, Somalia in the Indian Ocean. The unidentified vessel reported that a small boat with four people armed with automatic weapons and a rocket-propelled grenade came within 300 meters. Armed security aboard the merchant ship returned fire from the pirates and were able to scare the pirates away. UKMTO says the small boat retreated and the vessel continued to its next port.

Another merchant vessel reported that it was approached on Sunday, January 28, while approximately 70 nautical miles northwest of Bossaso, Somalia. In that incident, there were five people in a small boat with a single engine that got within 400 meters. They said the pirates had AK47 rifles. Armed security on the commercial ship fired two warning shots and the small boat broke off the approach.

The Indian Navy appeared to have scared off Somali pirates at the beginning of the month when the bulker Lila Norfolk was boarded. An Indian Navy destroyer intercepted the bulker but when its elite team stormed the vessel, they found the pirates had escaped. The crew was rescued unharmed. Similarly, the U.S. Navy reported in November 2023 that it had rescued the tanker Central Park and captured the suspected Somali pirates as they were attempting to escape.

However, the Navibulgar bulker Ruen became the first vessel seized by Somali pirates in years. The vessel is still being held with its crew off the coast of Somalia after it was taken in mid-December.

Egypt Patches Up and Sends Off Bulker After Houthi Missile Strike

bulker patched up after missile strike — Patched in the area of the number two crane, Zografia departed Egypt (Suez Canal Authority)

Egyptian authorities are reporting that they completed repairs to the Malta-registered bulker Zografia in record time. The vessel, which was hit by a Houthi missile on January 16, finished repairs and departed Egypt over the weekend.

The repairs to the bulker were completed at the Suez Shipyard Company and showed the extent of the damage from a single anti-ship missile strike. The hit on the Zografia appeared to come from above hitting the ship near the No. 2 cargo hold and leaving an exit wound below the waterline in the vessel’s boot topping. The bulker was empty at the time of the attack or it might well have left the ship open to the water.

The shipyard reports that it replaced hull plating and some internal steel structure in the cargo hold. In addition, they carried out repairs to piping, including the hydraulic control pipes, in what they called record time. The vessel arrived at the shipyard on January 22 with a large hole visible in the hull and departed on January 27 with the yard saying the work was completed in four days. In addition, ClassNK inspected the ship and the repairs, approving all the maintenance work carried out by the shipyard. The yard reports it worked around the clock to complete the repairs.

Inbound to the shipyard last week with the visible hole from the missile (SCA)

The master of the vessel, Captain Borys Basenko, is quoted in a statement by the Suez Canal Authority. He thanks the yard for its rapid response and understanding of the emergency situation.

Lieutenant General Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, affirmed in the same statement the authority’s constant readiness to cooperate with its customers, including shipping lines and agencies. He says they are ready to “reduce the impact of the current conditions in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, by providing all necessary navigational services and repair and maintenance services that transiting ships may need in the event of breakdowns or emergency situations.”

This comes as reports are that the Suez Canal has experienced a nearly 50 percent decline in transits since the onset of the Houthi attacks.

The vessel seen departing Egypt was riding high when the missile struck (SCA)

The bulker is shown to be owned and managed from Greece, where she is now heading. Online databases however reflect that she had been in Israel in May 2023, possibly accounting for why she was targeted by the Houthi. The 58,894 dwt bulker was built in China in 2010 and appears to have always been Greek-owned. She is 623 feet (190 meters) in length.

After arriving in Piraeus on Wednesday, January 31, some databases are showing that the vessel reports it will be traveling back through the Suez Canal. It is unclear if the information is accurate but it says she would be heading to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where she is due in March. After last week’s close call, it is unclear if they would attempt another Southern Red Sea passage.

Video: Giant Bulker Hits Bridge Near Buenos Aires

A large bulker has struck a support pillar for a key road bridge connecting Buenos Aires with Argentina's northern Entre Rios province, shutting down the Parana River waterway.

AIS data provided by Pole Star suggests that En May allided with the southwestern pylon (on the Zarate side of the river) at about 2100 hours on Sunday night. She was making about 10 knots as she lined up to pass under the bridge.

Chart courtesy Pole Star (Note: AIS position does not represent position of the bow)

Bystander videos show that the bulker suffered extensive damage on the port side, with a gaping hole extending above and below the waterline on the port bow.

The bridge pylons are protected by defensive buttresses on the upstream side. En May approached from the downstream side, where the bridge has no defenses.

The cause of the allision is still under investigation, but local maritime media outlet Paraguay Fluvial has reported it as a rudder failure. The ship is said to be stable and flooding is limited to a single hold forward.

Maritime traffic through the waterway has been shut down for safety. Vehicles are still allowed to pass over the bridge deck, but traffic is restricted for trucks over 50 tonnes in total weight. The speed over the bridge has been limited to about 40 miles per hour.

As of Monday afternoon, En May still held position next to the bridge pylons, according to AIS.

En May is an 85,000 dwt bulker built in 2017 and operated by a firm in New York.

Energy Consultancy Sees Profound Uncertainty Ahead for Offshore Wind

Westwood's high and low bookend scenarios for investment by 2030 are $800 billion apart

London-based energy consultancy Westwood believes that up to 40 percent of the pre-FID development pipeline for global offshore wind is at risk of being suspended. It is the latest sign of fallout from inflation and changing market conditions.

According to Westwood's analysts, non-specialist new entrants like TotalEnergies and BP have the highest risk of dropping out because they have large development pipelines but little existing operational capacity. Dedicated renewables companies, like Orsted and RWE, have longer track records in offshore wind and are less likely to jump ship on their portfolios, Westwood assessed. (Orsted recently took a $4 billion writedown and terminated its Ocean Wind megaproject off New Jersey.)

"Growing diversity of developers in the marketplace, combined with evolving development and commercialization approaches has created a complex landscape. This is compounded further by the diversification of the investor landscape, with oil and gas majors, public investment funds, and even fashion houses entering the sector," said Westwood senior analyst Bahzad Ayoub. "Our current projections reveal a pipeline that faces sizeable risks before reaching FID, with only 9% of capacity ‘Probable’ with the remaining 51% ‘Possible’ and 40% ‘Risked.'"

Though risk has been highly visible in the U.S. market, with multiple offtake contract suspension announcements, Westwood believes that the number of projects in the pipeline that are threatened is actually relatively small. The U.S. industry has been delayed by rising supply chain costs and interest rates, but multiple analysts expect that it will bounce back and that many offtake agreements will simply be rebid at higher prices.

Westwood sees little threat to projects in China, where a commitment to national offshore wind policy is motivating more investment. The consultancy also cites China's isolation from the supply chain cost pressures found elsewhere in the world, and the continued subsidy support from provincial governments on the coast.

The report sees elevated risk for Taiwan, which has a large number of unawarded leases and stringent rules for local content. The requirement to procure materials and make parts locally raises cost, disincentivizing investment. These rules have been revised in the latest lease round and may improve the outlook, but at present a large share of its pipeline can be classified as "risked" in Westwood's view.

Depending on market developments and the degree of real risk to project FID, Westwood has prepared three scenarios for offshore wind capacity by 2030. The top-end forecast is about 500 gigawatts worldwide, while the low-end is less than 200 gigawatts. The vast difference reflects a massive 10-fold spread in capex investment between the most active and least active scenarios.

Royal Navy Helps Study Tourism's Impact on Antarctica

The Royal Navy took scientists on an Antarctic research mission to analyze the increasing impact of tourism and climate change on the frozen continent.

HMS Protector was joined by two University of Portsmouth researchers who collected water and rock samples as the first phase of the ice breaker’s annual polar mission took her from the Falkland Islands south along the western edge of the Antarctic Peninsula.

The work of the university’s Professor of Environmental Pollution, Fay Couceiro, and Dr Clare Boston, will ultimately contribute to understanding the impact on Antarctica as record numbers of tourists continue to visit the delicate region.

Professor Couceiro collected water samples at the Falkland Islands, Anvers Island, Port Lockroy, Detaille Island and Pourquoi Pas Island and at the Rothera Research Station, Britain’s biggest facility in Antarctica.

Those samples will be tested for concentrations of microplastics, metals and nutrients, providing insight into the impact humans may be having on Antarctica.

Dr Boston, meanwhile, is examining the glacial advances during the last 5,000 years by taking rock samples from Pourquoi Pas Island and, with help from Protector’s hydrographers, collected data in Marguerite Bay to look at landforms created by the Antarctic Peninsula Ice Sheet around 20,000 years ago.

She said: “I’ve had an amazing experience joining HMS Protector, seeing the Antarctic wildlife and collecting data. The crew have worked hard to get me ashore and help me find some rocks.”

On her voyage south, Protector recorded more than 1,000 square miles – an area the size of Dorset – of seabed data in areas that were either uncharted or poorly charted.

This work will increase the safety of seafarers sailing through this region at a time when maritime traffic is significantly increasing – between 2011 and 2020 the number of voyages to Antarctica almost doubled from 234 to 408. The data collected will all be given to the UK Hydrographic Office for inclusion in charts and navigation publications.

The ship also delivered 1.5 tonnes of timber, steel and conservation supplies to Port Lockroy to help the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) members complete structural works on the roof of the historic building there, protecting it from the elements for years to come.

“I was really looking forward to going ashore for my first time in Antarctica and seeing some of the wildlife,” said Writer Emma Whittingham. “Whilst walking around Port Lockroy, I noticed some penguins with eggs and was delighted when one of them began to hatch right in front of me. What an experience.”

It wasn’t all work and no play in Port Lockroy as the ship’s company became the first from a Royal Navy vessel to paddleboard in Antarctica's waters.

Sailors explored the stunning natural icy waters of the harbour, the shoreline of which is home to a living museum, shop and the most southerly operational Post Office in the world. Curious penguins investigated the paddle boarders, swimming right up to the group to say hello.

Onward Protector went to Detaille Island, where the UKAHT members would stay for several weeks to carry out conversation work on Base W, a former research station of the British Antarctic Survey that was quickly vacated in 1959 after unstable ice around the island cut scientists off from their supply ships.

Three tonnes of stores and supplies were ferried ashore by Protector’s Zodiac boats over 48 hours in arduous conditions. Protector will return to Detaille Island in the second phase of her deployment, before returning the UKAHT team back to the Falkland Islands.

“It was a huge privilege to have the opportunity to collaborate with members of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust and support their mission in delivering essential building materials and supplies for the conservation of historic buildings around the Antarctic Peninsula. An experience I will never forget,” said Lieutenant Commander Lindsey Gascoigne, Protector’s Logistics Officer.

“The team in Protector have willingly worked extremely hard, often in extreme environmental conditions in terms of freezing temperatures, near gale force winds and of course ice,” said Commander Mark Vartan, Protector’s Executive Officer. “All have put in many long days whether that be feeding hungry mouths, avoiding ice bergs, launching and driving boats or keeping the machinery running without fail, to achieve the mission."

OOPS
Israel-Hamas war: US failed to stop drone after mistaking it for its own

WW3.0

Harriet Barber

THE TELEGRAPH
Mon, 29 January 2024

The US failed to prevent a deadly attack on American troops in Jordan because it was unable to identify an incoming enemy drone, officials said.

The UAV used in Sunday’s attack by Iran-backed militants approached the Tower 22 outpost at the same time a US drone was also returning to base, the US officials told the Wall Street Journal.

Three American troops were killed and dozens of others wounded in the assault.

The Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq umbrella group claimed responsibility for the attack.

A US defence official told the Wall Street Journal Washington was yet to find evidence that Iran directed the strike. Tehran has publicly denied doing so.

Houthi Rebels Claim to Have Attacked U.S. Navy Sea Base USS Pulle

The U.S. military has denied claims of a Houthi missile attack on the sea base USS Lewis B. Puller, a special-ops platform currently operating off Yemen.

"In vindication to the oppressed people of Palestine, and within the response to the American-British aggression against our country . . . [Houthi forces] have launched a suitable naval missile towards the US Naval 'Lwis B Puller' vessel [sic] in the gulf of Aden," said Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree in a social media statement Monday. "The burning of Israeli, American and British ships will continue until the blockade on Gaza ends."

A U.S. official denied that the Puller had been attacked by Houthi missiles and said that there had been no reported attempt.

Saree noted that the Puller has been involved in supporting U.S. military operations against Houthi interests. The vessel was the platform used to launch the ill-fated boarding of a dhow off Somalia on January 11. This action resulted in the seizure of Iranian-made missile components, according to defense officials, but it cost two U.S. Navy SEALs their lives.

Over the past three months, Yemen's Houthi rebels have repeatedly attacked merchant ships and naval vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Just last Friday, the group targeted and hit the LR2 tanker Marlin Luanda, which was under charter to Trafigura and carrying a cargo of Russian naphtha. One cargo tank was ruptured in the strike, and the resulting fire took a day to put out.

In November, the group seized a car carrier, the Galaxy Leader, as it transited the Red Sea. The vessel remains anchored under guard near Hodeidah. Negotiations over the release of the ship's crew are under way.

War Of The Worlds composer Jeff Wayne says show still ‘occupies so much time’

Charlotte McLaughlin, PA Senior Entertainment Reporter
Mon, 29 January 2024

The composer of the musical version of The War Of The Worlds has said the adaption of the story “occupies so much” of his time, he is unable to make more music for other works by HG Wells.

Jeff Wayne’s The War Of The Worlds will be touring across arenas in the UK and Ireland next year as the musical experience, which began life as an album musical in 1978, continues to draw large audiences.

The series of shows has been getting bigger over the years with six production trucks in 2006 and after 19 years of touring in 2025, will be up to 12 trucks.

The series of shows has been getting bigger over the years (Jeff Wayne/PA)

Wayne, 80, told the PA news agency: “After The War Of The Worlds came out and was really exploding up the charts and getting a lot of attention, I received from I think two different publishers who controlled all of HG Wells’s stories, first editions, and (them) saying ‘Fancy doing this one of HGs, another musical work?’

“And some are brilliant and probably adaptable in the same way I adapted The War Of the Worlds, but it’s taken over so much of my life, The War Of The Worlds, and it’s not that I haven’t done a lot of other things.

“But it was a span of about three years’ commitment, when I did The War Of The Worlds, and I don’t think I’d have three years at this point because The War Of The Worlds occupies so much of our time and my time certainly over the next few years, as it has been since the original double album came out, but you never know and because there are a couple of great stories that he wrote.”

New York-born Wayne had success writing commercial music for television shows and adverts before releasing the album, with narration by Welsh actor Richard Burton and also featuring Thin Lizzy star Phil Lynott.

Wells, one of the pioneers in 19th century science fiction, also released The Time Machine, The Invisible Man and The Island Of Dr Moreau.

A Martian fighting machine on stage (Simon Lowery/PA)

When asked about what he thought of other The War Of The Worlds adaptions that were not set in 19th century England, Wayne said most had been “big blockbusters, or TV series, and most have been set in contemporary America”.

He added: “There was a TV series a couple of years ago on the BBC that was set in Victorian times, but with no disrespect whatsoever, it was criticised a lot because it wasn’t very accurate to the story and I just know that I made a promise to Frank Wells to stay true to his dad and I believe we’ve done that, and I’ll leave it there.

“There’s a lot of effort that goes into anybody’s productions and if it’s good, it’s good.”

A 2019 BBC adaption saw Pete Versus Life star Rafe Spall and Poldark actress Eleanor Tomlinson in leading roles, while a 2005 film featured Tom Cruise.

Wayne said his musical version of The War Of The Worlds ‘occupies so much’ of his time, he is unable to make more music for the works of HG Wells (Simon Lowery/PA)

The musical conducted by Wayne, now features Northern Irish actor Liam Neeson in 3D holography as The Journalist, who recounts his story of survival from the Martian invasion of 1898.

Wayne said that the “very loyal fans from the beginning” had passed seeing the production onto their families so they always had new people coming and the next tour would see “a major step forward in excitement and emotion”.

He also said the reasons for the continued relevancy had been that the themes of the work were beyond the alien invasion.

“All of HG Wells, his rights have been in the public domain for about eight years now,” Wayne also said.

“My rights, everything I created in music and artwork, everything about it, that’s very much in copyright and will remain so until 70 years until after I snuff it.

“So anybody who wants to do a musical version can, they certainly can, they just need to be careful not to touch on our domain, sight and sound. Otherwise, I’ll be on them.”

For more see thewaroftheworlds.com

Barbara Pickering Takes the Helm at Chevron Shipping

Chevron Shipping has tapped a longtime insider to steer the division after the impending retirement of Mark Ross, who has served as president since 2015 and has been in the company for 33 years.

The global marine subsidiary of Chevron Corp. announced that Barbara Pickering will assume the role of President on May 1. She is currently the Vice President of Operations, having risen through the ranks since joining the company over three decades ago as a ship charterer in London.

“I take immense pride in what we have accomplished in transforming Chevron Shipping Company into a world-class marine organization. Words cannot properly express how I feel about our organization and the deep appreciation I have for the people who run it – onboard our ships, at our terminals, and ashore. I have known Barbara for 30 years and I am thrilled she will now lead our company,” said Ross.

Holder of a bachelor’s degree in Maritime Studies from Liverpool University in the United Kingdom, Barbara has held positions of increasing responsibility with Chevron in the UK, Australia and the U.S since joining the company in 1991. She also currently serves as a Vice Chairman of the Oil Companies International Marine Forum.

It is a baptism by fire for Pickering, who will be taking over the leadership of Chevron Shipping at a crucial time. The industry is grappling with pressure to decarbonize and is facing a bigger threat from Iran-allied Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea.

While Chevron has continued transporting crude through the volatile Red Sea region, working in close collaboration with U.S and other naval forces, the company has admitted the crisis poses serious risks to global oil flows and prices. These could have impacts on its operations of transporting crude oil, liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, refined petroleum products and chemicals.

Though Chevron does not have significant control over the worsening Red Sea crisis, the company - which operates a fleet of 30 ships and charters third-party ships - is under pressure to cut its emissions. Chevron is already investing in a ship modification project designed to reduce the carbon intensity of its LNG fleet operations. The project, which is expected to be completed by mid-2025, seeks to install new technologies aboard Chevron vessels to support their energy transition goals.

Women to be part of ‘jarl squad’ for first time at annual Shetland fire festival

Ryan McDougall, PA Scotland
Mon, 29 January 2024

An annual fire festival in Shetland is to have women involved in its “jarl squad” for the first time.

Lerwick Up Helly Aa is held on the last Tuesday of January, and this year’s event will see men and women leading the torchlight procession.

It was previously only men who were allowed to lead the procession, but Up Helly Aa officials changed the rule in 2022.

Jenna Moar will be one of the first female participants in this year’s jarl squad.

The 16-year-old is the daughter of Richard Moar, the chief jarl.

The organisation is run by a voluntary committee of 17 members, each selected by the guizers – or costumed participants – with one new member elected each year.

The members don Viking-style clothing as more than 1,000 torches are lit on the day

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