UK

Ban on American XL bully dogs could lead to increased abandonment – charity

26 Nov 2023 

Two XL bully dogs during a protest against the UK Government’s decision to add XL bully dogs to the list of prohibited breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act.. Photo Jacob King/PA Wire

The UK Government ban on American XL bully dogs could lead to increased abandonment rates for the breed, a charity has warned.

New rules due to come into force on December 31 will make it illegal to breed, sell, advertise, exchange, rehome, abandon or allow XL bully dogs to stray in England and Wales.

It will be illegal to own an XL bully from February 1 2024 unless the animal is on an exempt list, called the Index of Exempted Dogs.

Those who wish to keep their dogs have until the end of January to register them with the exemption scheme or they can choose to have their dog euthanised and apply for compensation.

Strict rules

Owners will be forced to comply with strict rules including the requirement to muzzle them and keep them on a lead in public, but the dogs must also be microchipped and neutered.

The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH) fears the rules may lead to a “postcode lottery” on vets being able to help owners meet the terms, the BBC reported.

The charity said: “We fear that these factors will result in a postcode lottery on helping owners euthanise or neuter their bully XLs, and could increase abandonment rates for owners that have nowhere else to turn.”

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has been contacted for comment.

Statement

At the start of the month, following a Government update on the ban, Battersea Dogs and Cats Home released a statement on behalf of the Dog Control Coalition that expressed concerns over Defra’s definition of an American bully XL type.

The group said: “As a coalition of the country’s leading dog welfare and veterinary organisations we…will take time to thoroughly review this, whilst continuing to support owners in any way we can, including offering support and advice.

“We will also continue to support those working in the animal welfare sector who care for American bully XLs, and the vets who may find themselves asked to euthanise healthy dogs for no other reason than how they look.”

Dogs more than a year old on January 31 must be neutered by June 30 next year, while those less than 12 months old must be neutered by December 31 2024.

Owners without a certificate of exemption will face a criminal record and an unlimited fine if they are found to be in possession of an XL bully as of February 1, and their dog could be seized.

Then environment secretary Therese Coffey confirmed earlier in the year that she was adding the breed to the list of dogs prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act, adding that ministers have taken “quick and decisive action to protect the public from tragic dog attacks”.

The changes came following a spate of attacks involving the dogs.

Caerphilly

Two years ago, Jack Lis, 10, was killed by a American XL bully while at a friend’s house in Caerphilly.

The owners of the dog, Amy Salter and Brandon Haydon, were jailed as a result of the attack.

Emma Whitfield, Jacks mother, campaigned  for the updating of the Dangerous Dogs Act, which was first introduced 30 years ago, following the tragedy.

In October, a woman was injured after she was attacked by her own American XL bully in Norfolk.

In September, 52-year-old Ian Price, from Staffordshire, died in hospital after being attacked by two American XL bullies.

Owners of the breed have staged protests against the ban, including a march through central London in September, where demonstrators did not take their dogs.

An official definition of the breed has been published by the UK Government, with features including a “heavy, large and broad” head and a “blocky or slightly squared” muzzle.

It is also described as being “heavily muscled” with a “large, blocky body giving the impression of great power for size”, and a glossy, smooth and close coat.

The XL bully joins a list of other banned dogs, including the pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, fila Brasileiro and dogo Argentino.

UK
Funfair worker sues boss for £100,000 after fall from ride ‘deformed’ his foot


Will Nea

METRO UK

Sunday 26 Nov 2023

Michael James is awaiting confirmation of damages after winning a judgment against his former employer for a workplace accident that left his foot ‘obviously deformed’

 (Picture: Champion News)

A travelling fairground worker has successfully sued his employer for damages after an accident left him with serious injuries.

Micheal James, 41, of Plumstead, south London, was helping his boss dismantle a £350,000 spinning ride when he slipped from a wet rail.

Crashing to the ground, he suffered several fractures and dislocations.

These left his foot ‘obviously deformed’ and left him dependent on a walking stick, meaning he was unable to work.

A judge in London has since awarded him damages after he sued his former boss at Shaw’s Leisure travelling funfair in the High Court in London.

The exact payout is yet to be determined, though Mr James is understood to be claiming up to £100,000.

The incident took place when Mr James was helping his boss, Asa Shaw, take down a 21ft ride known as the ‘Freakout’ while the fairground was set up at a site in Essex.

Mr James was working on Shaw Leisure’s 21ft ‘Freakout’ ride when he slipped from a wet railing and fell 8ft to the ground 

(Picture: Champion News)

It is understood that Mr James was not wearing a harness when he lost his balance and fell 8ft.

Mr James claimed in court he had been forced to wait two hours for an ambulance while lying on the wet ground.

He additionally said he had not seen Mr Shaw after he drove away from the fairground following the incident until his former employer appeared in court.

It was three weeks before Mr James was discharged from hospital after the fall.

His injuries required surgery to insert a wire, several plates and screws into his foot, leaving him with what his lawyers described as an ‘obvious severe deformity.’

Mr James claimed he should not have been made to work at height and in wet conditions without a harness because it was ‘foreseeably dangerous.’

Mr Shaw, who had overseen Mr James’ day-to-day responsibilities, rejected any accusations of blame, telling the court he was ‘very safety conscious.’

He added: ‘I was very cross because what he had done, he caused himself.

‘It was stupidity. I had no sympathy with him because it was stupidity. Perhaps that’s a bit hash, but that’s the way I see it.’

UK Government attitude to Irish ‘returned to repellent’ during Brexit – Campbell


The former aide to Tony Blair was speaking on Ireland deputy premier Micheal Martin’s In Conservation With podcast

 (Liam McBurney/PA)

By Rebecca Black, PA

Today at 

The UK Government’s attitude to the Irish “returned a little to repellent” during Brexit, one of Tony Blair’s former top aides has said.

Alastair Campbell slammed an “almost arrogance” on the part of the current Conservative government towards Northern Ireland.

He was speaking on Ireland deputy premier Micheal Martin’s In Conservation With podcast.

There's an arrogance about the current government in its attitudes to Ireland that there used to be when I was a journalistAlastair Campbell

The Tanaiste said that from an Irish perspective, the relationship with the UK government “went up a level” when Tony Blair’s Labour swept into power in 1997, and “to a certain extent hasn’t been repeated”.

“It just went up a level in terms of trust, in terms of working together genuinely and learning and sharing experiences, it was a very, very warm relationship that did impact positively,” he said.

Mr Campbell said it “saddens” him “the extent to which” in the Brexit debate, Northern Ireland was “not even considered”.

“There’s an arrogance about the current government in its attitudes to Ireland that there used to be when I was a journalist,” he said.




Alastair Campbell worked with former prime minister Tony Blair (Ben Curtis/PA)

Mr Campbell, who worked in journalism in the 1980s and ’90s, said he felt there was an arrogance during former prime minister Margaret Thatcher’s term.

“There was an arrogance, there was an attitude towards the Irish that was really quite repellent, and that went and I think a little of it has come back again,” he said.

“The extent to which, particularly during the Brexit negotiations, stuff was happening that had a direct impact upon you guys, and I don’t think it even figured in the thinking a lot of the time.”

The Tanaiste responded: “Which gave rise to all the issues around the (Northern Ireland) Protocol and where we are today, and also the bit I’ve always been taken aback by was the absence of any due diligence over the impact on SMEs, small businesses, supply chains.

To be fair, I think (Prime Minister) Rishi Sunak has brought a degree of professionalism to BritainTanaiste Micheal Martin

“It’s a huge imposition on a lot of ordinary small to medium-size businesses that I don’t think was factored in.”

He added: “To be fair, I think (Prime Minister) Rishi Sunak has brought a degree of professionalism to Britain.”

The pair also discussed rioting seen in Dublin last Thursday night following a stabbing attack which saw a woman and three children taken to hospital.

Mr Martin described the incident as an “appalling, horrific attack on three young children and their carer”, followed by rioting and attacks on gardai, co-ordinated on social media.

He expressed concern about the “hate and bile” in social-media messaging, directed against foreigners and the government.


Alastair Campbell was speaking on Tanaiste Micheal Martin’s In Conservation With podcast (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr Campbell said he was genuinely shocked by the scenes in Dublin.

He commended Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for “absolutely calling them out” in reference to his assertion of the involvement of “far-right elements”.

Mr Campbell has published a new book called What Can I Do, about the growth of populism, polarisation and the nature of public discourse.

“We are now in this world where if you combine the disenchantment that a lot of people have with their own lives, the desire to find people to blame for that, be that politicians, be that immigrants, be that anybody that they can say is not one of us, allied to the speed at which rumour can fly, conspiracies can fly and it’s very, very hard to contain when it kicks off,” he said.

Referring to the rise of right-wing politicians in countries including the Netherlands and Argentina, Mr Campbell added: “What all of these things signal is we haven’t got on top of this populist, polarising virus, and we’ve got to find ways of addressing the issues, but at the same time we’ve got to find ways of restoring people’s sense or at least a modicum of trust in institutions of trust in politicians.”

NORTHERN IRELAND

School principal appeals to politicians ahead of strike action

‘Stop using us as a political football to get back to work’


Liam McGuckin, NAHT President and principal of Greenisland Primary School
Amy CochraneToday at 06:00

A school principal has called on politicians to stop using him and other public servants “as political footballs” to force Northern Ireland’s politicians back into government.

Liam McGuckin was speaking ahead of the planned strike action taking place in the coming days as part of a long-running dispute over pay.

Members of five of Northern Ireland’s teaching unions will strike for 12 hours from midnight on November 29.

The Northern Ireland Teachers' Council (NITC), comprising the five recognised trade unions, said members would also strike for four full days next spring on dates to be agreed.

Teachers, along with other public sector workers here, have been involved in industrial action in recent months amid ongoing disputes about wages and conditions.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Politics, Mr McGuckin, principal at Greenisland Primary School and president of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), said that a teacher working in his school came across his mothers’ pay cheque from 10 years ago - when she retired - and discovered that she was in the same salary band as he is today.

“The salaries are at a standstill here but inflation has rocketed,” he said.

“What we are left with is people earning substantially more money in Wales, Scotland and England, or young people can go to the Far East and earn tax-free sums which they’re doing.”

He added that teachers are also now just leaving the profession altogether.

“Years ago in Northern Ireland there just wasn’t the job opportunities, now we have, but people get their degree, have a huge debt and have to pay that off so they’re leaving the profession,” he said.

When asked what impact the strike action will have, Mr McGuckin said that “they have to do something” – even if it is a final resort.

“The last thing teachers and head teachers want to do is take strike action and close schools, and the fact we have only done this twice in 126 years makes the point on that,” he said.

“But we have to do something, we have not been given a pay rise, our colleagues in England and Wales have, and we have to take it straight to the Prime Minister, so that is what we are going to do.

“The Secretary of State is doing nothing on this, and we are stuck in a situation, so we will be handing a letter to the Prime Minister at Downing Street signed by 500 or 600 school principals demanding a change of pay.”

Mr McGuckin spoke of his anger at the situation.

He added: “We are being used as a political football and it’s not fair on public servants - whether it be nurses, doctors, nurses, bus drivers, train drivers - to be used as a political football to force politicians in Northern Ireland back into government.

“We have to think of the future of children in schools and as Tony Blair said, ‘education, education, education’.

“Education gives hope and aspiration, education brings jobs and education brings stability to Northern Ireland, so it’s incumbent on politicians in our country to get that stability, to get those jobs and get better schools and better school buildings.”

Canadian website reveals Britain's participation in aggression against Gaza & that it warned its media against leaking any news


[26/November/2023]


OTTAWA November 26. 2023 (Saba) - The Canadian Global Research website reported that Britain had secretly sent special air forces to support its partner, “Israel,” in the war of annihilation that it has been waging for approximately 50 days against the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. It warned the British media against leaking any reports or news in this regard.

The website said in an article prepared by British investigative journalist Kate Klarenberg today that the Media Advisory Committee for Defense and Security Affairs in Britain issued a warning to major British media outlets, including newspapers, against publishing any reports or information about sending special British air forces to support “Israel,” in a step that confirms, according to The website: London was keen to hide the truth about the “criminal acts” it was carrying out in Gaza.

How can Britain not participate in the crimes of “Israel” when it is one of the main supporters of the occupation entity and a prominent encourager of the genocidal massacres it commits against the Palestinians, as the British government, represented by its senior officials, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has not hidden its clear bias towards “Israel” and its persecution of those who oppose the crimes committed against the Palestinians. It suppressed voices calling for an end to the aggression against Gaza.

Britain was also one of the first Western countries to rush to publicly show its blind support for the occupying entity by deploying military equipment for maritime and air surveillance and two ships in the eastern Mediterranean in support of “Israel,” while the British government continued over the past days to arrest everyone who participates in demonstrations in support of the Palestinians within Britain.

E.M

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
UK

Michael Gove and Matt Hancock quizzed by National Crime Agency on Michelle Mone PPE scandal

Former lingerie tycoon Baroness Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman came under scrutiny after concerns were raised about her alleged failure to declare financial interests in PPE Medpro

There is no suggestion Michael Gove and Matt Hancock were involved in any alleged wrongdoing

 (Image: PA)NEWS


By Sophie Huskisson

Political Correspondent
Lizzy Buchan

Deputy Political Editor

 26 NOV 2023

Matt Hancock and Michael Gove have been interviewed by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of a probe into a PPE company linked to Tory peer Michelle Mone.

The ex-Health Secretary and Levelling Up Secretary are among witnesses spoken to by "Britain's FBI" in recent months as part of an inquiry into PPE Medpro, which won £200million of Government contracts to supply masks and gowns during the pandemic.

Others questioned include Lord Bethell, a former Health Minister, and Lord Agnew, who served in the Cabinet Office. It is understood they were interviewed by the NCA as witnesses and not under caution. There is no suggestion they were involved in any alleged wrongdoing.

Lib Dem Health Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: "Another day, yet another Covid scandal. The public deserve the truth about exactly what went on behind the scenes. The Conservative Government need to be held to account, enough is enough."

(
Image: PA)

Former lingerie tycoon Baroness Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman came under scrutiny after concerns were raised about her alleged failure to declare financial interests in PPE Medpro. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is suing PPE Medpro for more than £130m, including storage and costs, over gowns it bought for £122m but says it cannot use because they were not sterile. PPE Medpro rejects the claims.

Baroness Mone announced she was taking a leave of absence from the House of Lords last December to "clear her name of the allegations that have been unjustly levelled against her", her spokesperson said. The decision caused her to lose the Conservative whip.

The peer, who was nicknamed Baroness Bra due to her background as the founder of lingerie firm Ultimo, was accused to have tried to bully ministers into awarding public PPE contracts to PPE Medpro. She first flagged the company as a possible supplier of PPE five days before the firm was incorporated at Companies House. PPE Medpro was awarded two contracts, one worth £81m to supply masks and another worth £122m for medical gowns between May and June 2020.

Mr Hancock claimed in his 'Pandemic Diaries' she had sent him an "extraordinarily aggressive email" in 2021 to try to secure a contract for an unnamed second firm supplying lateral flow tests. He said he did not reply and the firm was not awarded the contract.

Leaked bank account documents reportedly showed Mr Barrowman received £65m in profits from the PPE deal in September 2020 and then transferred £29m to a trust set up to benefit Baroness Mone and her children the following month. The Mirror revealed earlier this year that Baroness Mone and Ms Barrowman bought a £7m ­property in the Algarve, Portugal, through an offshore firm last July - three months after their homes were raided by police over the £200m PPE deal.

Michael Gove 'questioned by agents probing Michelle Mone-linked PPE firm'

Lucy Garcia
Sun, 26 November 2023 

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has been questioned amid a probe into a PPE firm linked to Michelle Mone, reports say (Image: PA)

MICHAEL Gove and Matt Hancock are among the Tory politicians quizzed by the National Crime Agency (NCA) amid an ongoing probe into a firm linked to Michelle Mone.

The Conservative baroness is understood to have directly lobbied government ministers including Gove as she attempted to secure Covid supply contracts for the firm PPE Medpro.

Mone recommended PPE Medpro to the UK Government as a potential supplier on May 7, 2020. According to Companies House, the firm was not incorporated until five days later, on May 12.

In the preceding months, some £203 million in Covid contracts were awarded to PPE Medpro.

Mone and her husband, Doug Barrowman, denied they had any financial link with the company for years, despite reports on leaked documents which appeared to show that Barrowman was paid £65m from PPE Medpro profits, £29m of which was transferred to an offshore trust which Mone benefits from.

READ MORE: Woman arrested amid allegations of 'plot to blackmail Michelle Mone'

Earlier in November, in a statement issued to the Guardian, Mone and Barrowman admitted that they are linked to PPE Medpro for the first time.

An ongoing NCA investigation is looking into the possibility of offences such as bribery and fraud. In April 2022, agents raided Mone’s home in London as well as addresses on the Isle of Man as part of the probe.

The Times reported on Sunday that former health secretary Hancock and Levelling Up Secretary Gove were among the politicians who have been interviewed as witnesses.

James Bethell, a hereditary peer who formerly served as a health minister, and Theodore Agnew, another Conservative peer who formerly worked as a Cabinet Office minister, are also reported to have been questioned.

The National: Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove attended a press conference during the British-Irish Council summit at Dublin Castle (Brian Lawless/PA)

Gove (above) has allegedly described Mone as a “right pain in the arse” and asked Agnew to deal with her after she emailed him directly about the possibility of a contract for PPE Medpro.

The baroness emailed Gove on May 8 saying: “We have managed to source PPE masks through my team in Hong Kong. In order to commit to this 100,000 [masks] per day could you please get back to me ASAP as freight will also need to be secured.”

Gove, Hancock, Bethell, and Agnew have all criticised the way in which Mone sought to secure PPE contracts, according to the Times, with the peer accused of trying to “bully” people.

The UK Government is suing PPE Medpro for £122m, alleging that the sterile gowns provided under one contract were not fit for use in the NHS. The firm denies this.

 

Thousands take to European streets to call for Gaza ceasefire

TEHRAN, Nov. 26 (MNA) – Tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets Saturday in Europe to demand a permanent ceasefire in Gaza amid a temporary humanitarian pause in the fighting.

The large crowd, who marched from Hyde Park to Parliament Square in London, carried Palestinian flags and chanted: "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free" and "Free Palestine."

They asked the UK government and politicians to end its support of Israel and call for an immediate cease-fire and the extension of the four-day humanitarian pause in Gaza, Anadolu agency reported.

People also took to the streets in the German city of Aachen to support Palestine, despite the cold weather.

The crowd gathered near the central train station, carrying Palestine flags and banners, and chanting slogans such as "Free Palestine."

The protesters criticized the Western countries for their support for Israel.

Besides the city of Aachen, the German capital also has been the stage for protesters.

Thousands participated in a march organized by the United Palestinian National Committee in Berlin, starting from Anhalter Bahnhof Square in the city center and ending at the Berlin Cathedral.

Protesters against Israel's attacks on Gaza carried banners with the words: "Silence is violence", "Free Palestine", "Cease-fire now", "Exist, resist, return" and "Stop the occupying terror."

Demonstrators chanted: "Freedom for Palestine", "Freedom for Gaza", "Germany is financing, Israel is bombing" and "Stop the genocide.”

Meanwhile, demonstrators in Geneva marched toward the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights headquarters in Switzerland as they protested Israeli attacks on Palestine and chanted slogans for Gazan residents and criticized women and children’s deaths at the hands of Israeli troops.

Demonstrators called for the "prevention of the genocide in Gaza" and an "immediate cease-fire" by Israel.

In addition, Austria witnessed protesters taking to the streets to show their desire for Israel to stop its attacks on Gaza.

Protesters gathered in Mariahilfer, one of the important streets of the capital, Vienna, and carried banners that read: "Let the genocide end in Gaza", "No to the occupation", "Killer Netanyahu" as well as Palestinian flags.

To draw attention to the more than 6,000 Palestinian children who were murdered in Israeli attacks, some demonstrators wore shrouds, while others carried stuffed shrouds and children's coffins.

Demonstrators were on the streets in Milan, Italy's second biggest city, for a straight seventh week.

Pro-Palestinians, who organized marches on Milan's main arteries in previous weeks, this time gathered for a rally in front of the Sforzesco Castle in the city center.

At the protests, messages of support and solidarity were given to Palestine while protesting Israel's attacks on Gaza.

More than 1,000 people gathered at demonstrations, chanting slogans such as "Freedom for Palestine" and "Freedom for Gaza," as well as reacting to the Israeli attacks.

Despite the humanitarian pause that came into effect on Friday morning, the Israeli military continued raids and arrests in various cities and towns across the occupied West Bank.

Israel launched a massive military aggression against the Gaza Strip following a surprise operation dubbed Al-Aqsa Storm by the Hamas Resistance movement last month.

It has since killed at least 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and over 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave.

SD/TSN

US Navy seizes attackers who held Israel-linked tanker. Missiles from rebel-controlled Yemen follow

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Armed assailants seized and later let go of a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Yemen on Sunday before being apprehended by the United States Navy, officials said.

Jon Gambrell,
The Associated Pressabout 2 hours ago

This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Armed assailants seized and later let go of a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Yemen on Sunday before being apprehended by the United States Navy, officials said. Two ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen then landed near a U.S. warship aiding the tanker in the Gulf of Aden, raising the stakes amid a series of ship attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

Yemen's internationally recognized government blamed the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for the attack, though the rebels in control of the capital, Sanaa, did not acknowledge either the seizure or the missile attack.

Recommended reads for you:

Attackers take, let go of Israel-linked tanker off Yemen in third such assault in Israel-Hamas war

Attackers seize an Israel-linked tanker off the coast of Aden, Yemen

The attackers seized the Liberian-flagged Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, in the Gulf of Aden, the company, the U.S. and British militaries and private intelligence firm Ambrey said.

The U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement early Monday that its forces and allies, including the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mason, responded to the seizure and demanded the armed assailants release the tanker.

“Subsequently, five armed individuals debarked the ship and attempted to flee via their small boat,” Central Command said. “The Mason pursued the attackers resulting in their eventual surrender.”

The Central Command did not identify the attackers, but said a missile launch from Houthi-controlled Yemen followed early Monday morning.

“The missiles landed in the Gulf of Aden approximately 10 nautical miles (18.5 kilometers) from the ships,” the statement said. “The USS Mason … was concluding its response to the M/V Central Park distress call at the time of the missile launches. There was no damage or reported injuries from either vessel during this incident.”

Early Monday morning, Zodiac said the vessel carrying phosphoric acid and its crew of 22 sailors from Bulgaria, Georgia, India, the Philippines, Russia, Turkey and Vietnam were unharmed.

“We would like to thank the coalition forces who responded quickly, protecting assets in the area and upholding international maritime law,” the company said.

Zodiac described the vessel as being owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc., though other records directly linked Zodiac as the owner. London-based Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. British corporate records listed two men with the last name Ofer as a current and former director of Clumvez Shipping, including Daniel Guy Ofer, who is also a director at Zodiac Maritime.

Yemen's internationally recognized government, which is based out of nearby Aden, blamed the rebels for the seizure in a statement carried by their state-run news agency.

“The Yemeni government has renewed its denunciation of the acts of maritime piracy carried out by the terrorist Houthi militias with the support of the Iranian regime, the most recent of which was the hijacking of the Central Park,” the statement read.

The attack happened in a part of the Gulf of Aden that is in theory under the control of that government's forces and is fairly distant from Houthi-controlled territory in the country. Somali pirates are not known to operate in that area.

Zodiac Maritime has been targeted previously amid a wider yearslong shadow war between Iran and Israel. In 2021, a drone attack assessed by the U.S. and other Western nations to have been carried out by Iran killed two crew members aboard Zodiac's oil tanker Mercer Street off the coast of Oman.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, had earlier issued a warning to sailors that “two black-and-white craft carrying eight persons in military-style clothing” had been seen in the area.

The UKMTO put the Central Park's location over 60 kilometers (35 miles) south of Yemen's coast, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Djibouti and around 110 kilometers (70 miles) northeast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden, a key shipping route.

The Central Park seizure comes after a container ship, CMA CGM Symi, owned by another Israeli billionaire, came under attack Friday by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean. Iran has not acknowledged carrying out the attack, nor did it respond to questions from The Associated Press about that assault.

Both the Symi and the Central Park had been behaving as if they faced a threat in recent days.

The ships had switched off their Automatic Identification System trackers, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted. In the Central Park's case, the vessel had last transmitted four days ago after it left the Suez Canal heading south into the Red Sea.

Global shipping had increasingly been targeted as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to become a wider regional conflict — even as a truce has halted fighting and Hamas exchanges hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Earlier in November, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship also linked to Israel in the Red Sea off Yemen. The rebels still hold the vessel off the port city of Hodeida.

However, the Houthis had not directly targeted the Americans for some time, further raising the stakes in the growing maritime conflict. In 2016, the U.S. launched Tomahawk cruise missiles that destroyed three coastal radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory to retaliate for missiles being fired at U.S. Navy ships, including the USS Mason, at the time.

Meanwhile on Sunday, the American aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower traveled through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf, the U.S. military said. The Eisenhower was accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, the guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely and the USS Stethem and the French frigate Languedoc.

___

Associated Press writer Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.

Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press

Missiles target US warship after it nabs gunmen who attacked Israel-linked tanker

USS Mason demands armed assailants release Central Park, captures them when they try to flee; ballistic missile launches from Houthi-controlled Yemen then splash down close by

By AP and TOI STAFF

Today, 

US destroyer USS Mason sails in the Suez canal in Ismailia, Egypt, March 12, 2011. (AP Photo)


Armed assailants seized and later let go of a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Yemen on Sunday before being apprehended by the United States Navy, officials said. Two ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen then landed near a US warship in the Gulf of Aden, raising the stakes amid a series of ship attacks linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government blamed the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for the attack, though the rebels in control of the capital, Sanaa, did not acknowledge either the seizure or the missile attack.

The attackers seized the Liberian-flagged Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, in the Gulf of Aden, the company, the US and British militaries and private intelligence firm Ambrey said.
Together in HellKeep Watching

London-based Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. Zodiac described the vessel as being owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc., though other records directly linked Zodiac as the owner. British corporate records listed two men with the last name Ofer as a current and former director of Clumvez Shipping, including Daniel Guy Ofer, who is also a director at Zodiac Maritime.

Early Monday morning, Zodiac said the vessel carrying phosphoric acid and its crew of 22 sailors from Bulgaria, Georgia, India, the Philippines, Russia, Turkey, and Vietnam were “unharmed.”

“We would like to thank the coalition forces who responded quickly, protecting assets in the area and upholding international maritime law,” the company said.

In an undated photo released by Zodiac Maritime, the tanker Central Park is seen. Attackers seized the tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Aden, Yemen, on November 26, 2023, authorities said. (Zodiac Maritime via AP)

The US military’s Central Command said in a statement early Monday that its forces, including the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mason, responded to the seizure and demanded the armed assailants release the tanker.

“Subsequently, five armed individuals debarked the ship and attempted to flee via their small boat,” Central Command said. “The Mason pursued the attackers resulting in their eventual surrender.”

The Central Command did not identify the men but said a missile launch from Houthi-controlled Yemen followed early Monday morning.

“The missiles landed in the Gulf of Aden approximately ten nautical miles from the ships,” the statement said. “The USS Mason … was concluding its response to the M/V Central Park distress call at the time of the missile launches. There was no damage or reported injuries from either vessel during this incident.”

Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is based out of nearby Aden, blamed the rebels for the seizure in a statement carried by their state-run news agency.

“The Yemeni government has renewed its denunciation of the acts of maritime piracy carried out by the terrorist Houthi militias with the support of the Iranian regime, the most recent of which was the hijacking of the Central Park,” the statement read.

Illustrative: Tugboats are moored next to the Israeli-linked tanker MT Mercer Street, off the Fujairah port in the United Arab Emirates, on August 3, 2021. (Karim Sahib/AFP)

The attack happened in a part of the Gulf of Aden that is in theory under the control of that government’s forces and is fairly distant from Houthi-controlled territory in the country. Somali pirates are not known to operate in that area.

Zodiac Maritime has been targeted previously amid a wider yearslong shadow war between Iran and Israel. In 2021, a drone attack assessed by the US and other Western nations to have been carried out by Iran killed two crew members aboard Zodiac’s oil tanker Mercer Street off the coast of Oman.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, had earlier issued a warning to sailors that “two black-and-white craft carrying eight persons in military-style clothing” had been seen in the area.

The UKMTO put the Central Park’s location over 60 kilometers (35 miles) south of Yemen’s coast, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Djibouti, and around 110 kilometers (70 miles) northeast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden, a key shipping route.

The Central Park seizure comes after a container ship, CMA CGM Symi, owned by another Israeli billionaire, came under attack Friday by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean. Iran has not acknowledged carrying out the attack, nor did it respond to questions from the AP about that assault.

In this photo provided by Manuel Hernandez Lafuente, the CMA CGM Symi is seen at port in Valencia, Spain, Oct. 22, 2023. A container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire came under attack by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean, a US defense official said, November 25, 2023. (Manuel Hernandez Lafuente via AP)

Both the Symi and the Central Park had been behaving as if they faced a threat in recent days.

The ships had switched off their Automatic Identification System trackers, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted. In the Central Park’s case, the vessel had last transmitted four days ago after it left the Suez Canal heading south into the Red Sea.

Global shipping had increasingly been targeted as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to become a wider regional conflict — even as a truce has halted fighting and Hamas exchanges hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

War erupted when the Hamas terror group carried out a devastating cross-border attack on Israel that killed over 1,200 people, mostly civilians. At least 240 people of all ages, including infants, were abducted and taken as hostages in the Gaza Strip.

Israel responded with an air, sea, and military campaign, vowing to destroy Hamas and remove it from control in Gaza

Earlier this month, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship also linked to Israel in the Red Sea off Yemen. The Houthi government has also claimed to launch a number of drones and missiles at Israel, most of which have been shot down.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the American aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower traveled through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf, the US military said. The Eisenhower was accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, the guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely and the USS Stethem, and the French frigate Languedoc.

Attackers seize an Israel-linked tanker off Yemen in a third such assault during Israel-Hamas war

Attackers have seized a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Yemen


By JON GAMBRELL 

Associated Press
November 26, 2023,

In an undated photo released by Zodiac Maritime, the tanker Central Park is seen. Attackers seized the tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Aden, Yemen, on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, authorities said. While no group immed...Show more
The Associated Press


DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Attackers seized a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Yemen on Sunday, authorities said. While no group immediately claimed responsibility, it comes as at least two other maritime attacks in recent days have been linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

The attackers seized the Liberian-flagged Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, in the Gulf of Aden, the company and private intelligence firm Ambrey said. An American defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, also confirmed to The Associated Press that the attack took place.

Zodiac called the seizure “a suspected piracy incident.”

“Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew onboard,” Zodiac said in a statement. “The Turkish-captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of a crew of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The vessel is carrying a full cargo of phosphoric acid.”

Zodiac described the vessel as being owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc., though other records directly linked Zodiac as the owner. London-based Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. British corporate records listed two men with the last name Ofer as a current and former director of Clumvez Shipping, including Daniel Guy Ofer, who is also a director at Zodiac Maritime.

It wasn't immediately clear who was behind the attack. Nearby Aden is held by forces allied to Yemen's internationally recognized government and a Saudi-led coalition that has battled Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for years. That part of the Gulf of Aden in theory is under the control of those forces and is fairly distant from Houthi-controlled territory in the country. Somali pirates also are not known to operate in that area.

The U.S. defense official said that it appeared “an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals” seized the ship.

“U.S. and coalition forces are in the vicinity and we are closely monitoring the situation," the official said.

Ambrey said that it appeared that “U.S. naval forces are engaged in the situation and have asked vessels to stay clear of the area.”

Zodiac Maritime has been targeted previously amid a wider yearslong shadow war between Iran and Israel. In 2021, a drone attack assessed by the U.S. and other Western nations to have been carried out by Iran killed two crew members aboard Zodiac's oil tanker Mercer Street off the coast of Oman.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, had earlier issued a warning to sailors that “two black-and-white craft carrying eight persons in military-style clothing” had been seen in the area. It issued another warning saying that radio traffic suggested a possible attack had occurred before acknowledging the seizure.

The UKMTO put the ship's location over 60 kilometers (35 miles) south of Yemen's coast, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Djibouti and around 110 kilometers (70 miles) northeast of Somalia in the Gulf of Aden, a key shipping route.

The Central Park seizure comes after a container ship, CMA CGM Symi, owned by another Israeli billionaire came under attack Friday by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean. Iran has not acknowledged carrying out the attack, nor did it respond to questions from the AP about that assault.

Both the Symi and the Central Park had been behaving as if they faced a threat in recent days.

The ships had switched off their Automatic Identification System trackers, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted. In the Central Park's case, the vessel had last transmitted four days ago after it left the Suez Canal heading south into the Red Sea.

The attacks come as global shipping increasingly finds itself targeted in the weekslong war that threatens to become a wider regional conflict — even as a truce has halted fighting and Hamas exchanges hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

With the Israel-Hamas war — which began with the militant Palestinian group's Oct. 7 attack — raging on, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship in the Red Sea off Yemen. The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge the seizure of the Central Park.

Second tanker reportedly seized by gunmen in Red Sea after Houthi threats

Yemen's Houthi militant group has warned it could intervene in Israel-Gaza war

A region of the Red Sea off the coast of Hodeidah, Yemen. The Central Park had reportedly been told to divert to the port of Hodeidah. EPA


The National
Nov 26, 2023

Suspected Houthi militiamen have seized a second commercial vessel in the Red Sea, near the port of Aden, shipping security company Ambrey said on Sunday.

The incident involving the Central Park will, if confirmed, be the second attack by the group on commercial shipping in just over a week after the car carrier Galaxy Leader, linked to British-Israeli firm Ray Car Carriers, was seized by Houthis who boarded the boat from a helicopter.

Ray Car Carriers is owned by Israeli billionaire shipping mogul Abraham “Rami” Ungar. The latest alleged incident follows warnings from the Yemeni rebel group that it will target commercial shipping linked to Israel in the Red Sea, as well as US vessels.

The group has warned the US, which backs Israel, that it could intervene in the Gaza-Israel war.

READ MORE

Houthi raid on civilian ship in Red Sea threatens global trade route

Ambrey said "US naval forces are engaged in the situation" after the incident involving the Central Park vessel owned and managed by a UK-based, Israel-linked company.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels had previously threatened to attack the tanker if it did not divert to the port of Hodeidah, it said.

Communications from a US coalition warship had been intercepted warning the Central Park to disregard the messages, Ambrey added.

The boarding took place offshore from the Yemeni port city of Aden, with another vessel in the area reporting "an approach by eight persons on two skiffs wearing military uniforms", Ambrey said.

Israel has vowed to "crush" Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, after the Palestinian militants killed 1,200 people and took about 240 hostages on October 7, according to Israeli authorities.

Gaza's Hamas government says nearly 15,000 people have been killed in Israeli aerial bombardments and ground operations in the Palestinian territory since. 

Security firm: Israel-linked tanker boarded off Yemen

Amid Israel's war against Hamas, Iran-backed Houthis continue board British vessel linked to Israel

AFP

The AFP reported on Sunday that a tanker linked to an Israel-affiliated company has been boarded off the coast of Yemen according to the maritime security firm Ambrey following a series of incidents on the same shipping route. Ambrey stated that "US naval forces are engaged in the situation" after the incident involving the Central Park vessel owned and managed by a UK-based, Israel-linked company. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels had previously threatened to attack the tanker if it did not divert to the port of Hodeida, it said.

Communications from a U.S warship had been intercepted warning the Central Park to disregard the messages, Ambrey added. The Iranian-backed Houthi boarding took place offshore from Aden, a Yemeni port city. Reportedly, the boarding occurred by "an approach by eight persons on two skiffs wearing military uniforms," Ambrey said.

Israeli-linked British vessel boarded by Houthis

(Scheepvaartwest)

The AFP reported that the Houthis, having declared themselves part of the "axis of resistance" of Iran-affiliated groups like Hamas, have launched a series of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel since October, following an unprecedented attack by Hamas militants on Israel. Also, AFP reported that a US defense official said an Israeli-owned cargo ship was damaged in a suspected Iranian drone attack in the Indian Ocean on Friday, a week after the Houthis seized an Israel-linked cargo ship in the southern Red Sea.

Israel has vowed to dismantle Hamas, the de-facto government in Gaza, from its leadership and military capabilities. Israel declared war against Hamas following the Hamas-led massacre of about 1,400 people and the abduction of approximately 240 hostages on October 7. Hamas has said that nearly 15,000 people have been killed in war and ground operations in the Palestinian territory since then.

Israel-linked ship attacked off Yemeni coast, after 2 similar cases claimed by Houthis

22 crew members — none of them Israeli — were on board at time of attack, US defense officials say; no group has come forward to claim responsibility

By AGENCIES and TOI STAFF26 November 2023, 

In an undated photo released by Zodiac Maritime, the tanker Central Park is seen. Attackers seized the tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Aden, Yemen, on November 26, 2023, authorities said. (Zodiac Maritime via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Attackers seized a tanker linked to Israel off the coast of Aden, Yemen, on Sunday, authorities said. While no group immediately claimed responsibility, it comes as at least two other maritime attacks in recent days have been linked to the Israel-Hamas war, even as both sides observe a four-day ceasefire.

The attackers seized the Liberian-flagged Central Park, managed by Zodiac Maritime, in the Gulf of Aden, the company and private intelligence firm Ambrey said. An American defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, also confirmed the attack took place.

Zodiac called the attack “a suspected piracy incident.”

“Our priority is the safety of our 22 crew onboard,” Zodiac said in a statement. “The Turkish-captained vessel has a multinational crew consisting of a crew of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The vessel is carrying a full cargo of phosphoric acid.”

Zodiac described the vessel as being owned by Clumvez Shipping Inc., though other records directly linked Zodiac as the owner. London-based Zodiac Maritime is part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group.

British corporate records listed two men with the last name Ofer as a current and former director of Clumvez Shipping, including Daniel Guy Ofer, who is also a director at Zodiac Maritime.

It wasn’t immediately clear who was behind the attack. Aden is held by forces allied to Yemen’s internationally recognized government and a Saudi-led coalition that has battled Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for years. That part of the Gulf of Aden in theory is under the control of those forces and is fairly distant from Houthi-controlled territory in the country. Somali pirates also are not known to operate in that area.

The US defense official said that it appeared “an unknown number of unidentified armed individuals” seized the ship

“US and coalition forces are in the vicinity and we are closely monitoring the situation,” the official said.

Ambrey said that it appeared that “US naval forces are engaged in the situation and have asked vessels to stay clear of the area.”

Zodiac Maritime has been targeted previously amid a wider years-long shadow war between Iran and Israel. In 2021, a drone attack assessed by the US and other Western nations to have been carried out by Iran killed two crew members aboard Zodiac’s oil tanker Mercer Street off the coast of Oman.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which provides warnings to sailors in the Middle East, had earlier issued a warning to sailors that “two black-and-white craft carrying eight persons in military-style clothing” had been seen in the area. It issued another warning saying that radio traffic suggested a possible attack had occurred.

The Central Park seizure comes after a container ship, CMA CGM Symi, owned by an Israeli billionaire came under attack Friday by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean, an American defense official said Saturday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as he is not allowed to discuss intelligence matters.

According to the defense official, the Malta-flagged vessel was suspected to have been targeted by a triangle-shaped, bomb-carrying Shahed-136 drone while in international waters. The drone exploded, causing damage to the ship but not injuring any of its crew.

CMA CGM, a major shipper based in Marseille, France, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the vessel’s crew had been behaving as though they believed the ship faced a threat.

The ship had its Automatic Identification System tracker switched off since Tuesday when it left Dubai’s Jebel Ali port, according to data from MarineTraffic.com analyzed by the AP. Ships are supposed to keep their AIS active for safety reasons, but crews will turn them off if it appears they might be targeted. It had done the same earlier when traveling through the Red Sea past Yemen, home to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

This photo released by the Houthi Media Center shows Houthi forces boarding the cargo ship Galaxy Leader on Sunday, November 19, 2023. (Houthi Media Center via AP)

The attacks come as global shipping increasingly finds itself targeted in the war between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7 when the Palestinian terror group launched the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, killing at least 1,200 people and seizing some 240 hostages.

Last week, on November 19, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship in the Red Sea off Yemen and claimed that the ship was Israeli.

However, it was found to only be partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar, and at the time of the attack, the ship was sailing with an international civilian crew, with no Israelis on board.

Iranian-backed militias in Iraq also have launched attacks on American troops in both Iraq and Syria during the war, though Iran itself has yet to be linked directly to an attack.