British airstrikes on Yemen

Britain has launched air strikes against Yemen for the first time since Donald Trump re-entered the White House. Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fighter jets, working with the US military, hit a "cluster of buildings".  The US and Britain have been attacking Yemen in response to strikes carried out on shipping in the Red Sea since November 2023. Yemen warned, Britain should "anticipate the consequences of its aggression".

These are the first RAF air strikes on Yemeni targets approved by British government and the first direct participation in US-led strikes since President Donald Trump came to power.

Defence Secretary John Healy said the strikes were successful and carried out to protect British and international shipping.

"A 55% drop in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, fuelling regional instability and risking economic security for families in the UK," Healy said in a statement.

The MoD said the strikes were conducted after it identified a drone production facility located around 15 miles south of Yemeni capital Saana.

It said the attacks were carried out using "precision-guided bombs" after "very careful planning" to hit targets "with minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure".

The strikes were carried out at night "when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further", the MoD added.

The US military has been carrying out hundreds of attacks on Yemen in recent weeks - claiming to have killed thousands of fighters, as well as leaders of the group and commanders overseeing drone and missile production.

On Monday, Yemen reported at least 68 African migrants were killed in a US air strike in north-western Yemen.

Since November 2023, Houthis have targeted dozens of merchant vessels with missiles, drones and small boat attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They have sunk two vessels, seized a third, and killed four crew members.

The Houthis are acting in support of the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and have claimed that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US and Britain.

The Houthis were not deterred by the deployment of Western warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to protect merchant vessels last year, or by multiple rounds of US strikes on military targets ordered by former President Joe Biden.

In response to the most recent strikes, the Houthi authorities said the UK-US attacks were in "support Israel's war and genocide in Gaza".

It added, "no matter the challenges" the group will resist the "trio of evil" — the US, Britain and Israel — and their allies.

In March, President Donald Trump ordered an intensification of the US bombing campaign last month in response to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping and Israel linked to the Gaza war.

The Trump administration says it is stepping up its attacks on the Houthis. The US now has two aircraft carriers in the region.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recently criticized European countries' response to Houthi attacks.

In a recent leaked Signal chat with other senior officials, and giving details of planned US strikes, Hegseth referred to Europe as "freeloaders" and called their response "pathetic".

Trump’s First 100 Days: Good, Bad, and Ugly

I posted my review of first 100 says of Donald Trump as President of United States. Many may have ignored it knowing that I am not a US citizen. Today, I am sharing excerpts from an article by *Christopher Calton. He has talked about Trump’s early actions on trade, education, immigration, and more, offering a clear-eyed analysis of what Americans can expect in the years ahead.

On the first day of his second term, Trump issued a record-breaking 26 executive orders, and in the weeks that followed, he added more than 100 additional orders alongside other memorandums and proclamations. Some have been entirely positive, while others have been downright eyeroll-inducing, such as renaming the Gulf of Mexico and declaring the day the order was signed a national holiday.

The trillion-dollar military budget seems consistent with Trump’s hawkish foreign policy. Both of Trump’s electoral victories reflected a mandate to finally stop subsidizing foreign conflicts and end America’s forever wars. Trump has, at least, withheld funding for Ukraine, though his approach seems more an effort to cater to Putin than to achieve peace.

Elsewhere, the president has doubled down on America’s support for Israel’s destruction of Gaza, has threatened war with Iran, and has commenced a horrible bombing campaign against Yemen. Just as in his first term, when he neglected to fulfill his promise to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, Trump is again proving to be a war-happy commander in chief.

President Trump’s second term threatens to be even more of a disaster than his first in many arenas, particularly trade and foreign policy. His immigration measures are consistent with his campaign promises, but his lack of concern for due process and rule of law should be concerning to even the most ardent supporters of border security.

Trump’s approach to spending seems an improvement over his first term, but is nonetheless disappointing after what appeared to be a promising start with DOGE.

The silver lining to Trump’s first 100 days is that he is providing a positive counterweight to the left’s growing radicalism in the culture wars, as demonstrated by his education policies. 

*Christopher J. Calton is the Research Fellow in Housing and Homelessness at the Independent Institute.

 

Humanitarian obligations to Palestinians

The UN's highest court, International Court of Justice (ICJ) has begun a week of hearings into Israel's obligation to "ensure and facilitate" humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories and particularly in Gaza, reports Euronews.

The hearings come in response to a resolution passed last year by the UN General Assembly asking the ICJ to weigh in on Israel's legal responsibilities after the country blocked UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, from operating on its territory.

The hearings opened as the humanitarian aid system in Gaza is nearing collapse. The UN legal team was the first to address the court on Monday, followed by Palestinian representatives.

The World Food Program said last week its food stocks in Gaza have run out, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

Israel, which denies deliberately targeting civilians and aid staff as part of its war with Hamas, has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other supplies since 02 March, and renewed its military campaign on March 18, saying it aims to push Hamas to release more hostages.

The Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands Ammar Hijazi told the ICJ in The Hague, “Israel is starving, killing and displacing Palestinians while also targeting and blocking humanitarian organizations trying to save their lives", accusing it of breaching international law.

No Israeli representatives attended the hearing, which Foreign Minister Gideon Saar decried as part of a “systematic persecution and delegitimization” of his country. "It is abusing the international legal system and politicizing it," he added.

Israel's ban on UNRWA, which came into effect in January, stems from claims that the group has been infiltrated by Hamas. Israel presented its case against UNRWA on Monday, accusing it of failing to act before the war against evidence that Hamas had used its facilities.

Amir Weissbrod, a Foreign Ministry official, said UNRWA employed 1,400 Palestinians with militant ties, adding that some of those employees also took part in Hamas’ 07 October 2023 attacks. UNRWA said it fired nine staffers after an internal UN investigation.

In total, 40 states and four international organizations are scheduled to participate in the ICJ case. The US, which voted against the UN resolution, is scheduled to speak on Wednesday.

The court will likely take months to rule. But experts say that while any decision will not be legally binding, the outcome could profoundly impact international jurisprudence, international aid to Israel and public opinion.

Whether any ruling will have an effect on Israel is another matter. The Israeli government has long accused the UN of being unfairly biased against it and has ignored a 2004 advisory ruling by the ICJ that found its West Bank separation barrier illegal.

It also ignored last year's advisory ruling calling Israel to stop settlement activity in Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it a "decision of lies".

 

First 100 days of Donald Trump as US President

In the first 100 days of his second term (January 20–April 29, 2025), Donald Trump as President of the United States has implemented sweeping changes across domestic and foreign policy, marking a significant shift in US governance. This period is marked by aggressive executive action, political polarization, and early challenges in advancing his legislative agenda. He focused on fulfilling campaign promises, particularly on immigration, deregulation, and trade, but faced setbacks in healthcare reform and legislative coordination. Here's a brief review:

Domestic Policy

Government Overhaul
Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, to streamline federal operations. This initiative led to substantial staff reductions and a freeze on new regulations and hiring, excluding the military.

Immigration Policies
The administration intensified immigration policies by invoking the Alien Enemies Act for mass deportations and signing the Laken Riley Act, which mandates detention of undocumented immigrants accused of certain crimes. Additionally, plans were set to expand the Guantanamo Bay Migrant Operations Center to detain up to 30,000 individuals.

Pardons and Clemency
Approximately 1,500 individuals convicted in connection with the January 06 Capitol attack received pardons, including leaders of groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. Ross Ulbricht, founder of the Silk Road darknet market, was also granted clemency.

Education and Social Policies
Federal funding was cut for institutions promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Trump also challenged birthright citizenship and reinstated bans on transgender individuals serving in the military and participating in women's sports.

Energy and Environmental
Trump declared a National Energy Emergency, rescinded numerous environmental regulations, and withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement for the second time. He also halted new federal leases for wind energy projects.

Foreign Policy

International Relations and Aid
Executive Order 14169 initiated a 90-day pause on foreign development aid, excluding emergency food assistance and military aid to Egypt and Israel. The administration also reinstated Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism and withdrew from the World Health Organization.

Conflict Resolution
Efforts to swiftly end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza faced setbacks. While initial diplomatic engagements showed promise, renewed hostilities impeded progress. A Kremlin-declared ceasefire in Ukraine offered some hope, but the Gaza ceasefire collapsed in March, exacerbating humanitarian concerns.

Trade and Alliances
Trump's aggressive tariff policies disrupted global markets and strained relationships with traditional allies. His administration's unilateral actions challenged longstanding international alliances and norms.

Domestic and Global Response

Domestically, public approval waned, with only 11% of Americans feeling better off since Trump's inauguration and 44% rating his performance as poor. Internationally, Amnesty International reported that Trump's policies contributed to a global decline in human rights, citing increased repression and erosion of international law.

Iran proposes meeting with Europeans

Iran has proposed meeting the European parties to a 2015 nuclear deal possibly in Rome this Friday if talks resume with the United States, reports Reuters.

Iran is looking to build on the momentum of nuclear negotiations with the United States that resumed in Oman on Saturday, after talks with Russia and China.

Omani officials have said a new round of US-Iran talks could be held on May 03 in Europe. No formal decision has been taken as yet.

Iran's reach out to Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, suggests Tehran is keeping its options open and also wants to assess where the Europeans stand on the possible re-imposition of UN sanctions before October, when a resolution ratifying the 2015 accord expires.

Iran had communicated after last Saturday's talks with the United States a proposal to meet possibly in Rome on Friday. Should that not be possible, the Iranians also suggested discussions in Tehran before that date.

The second round of negotiations between Washington and Tehran took place in Rome with Iran saying serious differences remained.

The European and Western diplomats said the E3 were assessing whether it was in their interest to meet Iran now or wait to see how talks with Washington developed, but ruled out a meeting in Tehran.

"It is important to remain on the same page with all parties to the 2015 deal. Therefore, meeting the E3 countries this week ahead of the next round of talks with Americans would be useful," said the Iranian official.

 

BYD takes delivery of world largest car carrier

Constructed by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, the LNG dual-fuel car carrier, BYD Shenzhen, which is 219 meters long and 37.7 meters wide, has a loading capacity of 9,200 ceu (car equivalent units). The ship's capacity takes the car carrier size crown from Höegh Autoliners' 9,100 ceu Aurora class.

Featuring green technologies including boil-off gas recondenser and drag-reducing anti-fouling hull coatings, hybrid battery system and shore power capability, the vessel has improved energy efficiency, ensuring that it meets the latest environmental standards set by IMO, the company said.

"The delivery of BYD Shenzhen represents a crucial step in BYD's globalization strategy. It is more than just a transport ship, but serves as a 'maritime bridge' connecting Chinese innovation with the global market," said Wang Junbao, general manager of BYD.

After a naming ceremony in Jiangsu province on April 22, the ship was set to complete loading operations before setting off to Brazil

BYD now operates three ro-ro ships, as the latest addition joins BYD Explorer No1, BYD Changzhou and BYD Hefei. Four vessels sharing BYD Shenzhen's design were ordered in 2022; sister ship BYD Xi'an is already on the water and soon to enter operation for the vehicle manufacturer.

In the first quarter of 2025, BYD said its ro-ro fleet has transported over 25,000 units of new energy automobiles to destinations all over the world.

In 2022, BYD announced an eight-ship, CNY5bn round of car carrier orders, two at Guangzhou Shipyard International Company and six at at CIMC Raffles, including ships ordered by Zodiac Maritime for charter to BYD and operation by Zodiac Maritime.

Courtesy: Seatrade Maritime  News

Iran: Operations resume at Shahid Rajaee Port

Iranian Customs Administration announced that customs clearance procedures for direct transport, foreign transit, exports, and imports have resumed at Shahid Rajaee Port.

According to the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), a special meeting of the technical and support team was held on Sunday at the import exit gate of Shahid Rajaee Customs.

Following an on-site review of infrastructure and confirmation of operational readiness, the head of Iranian Customs Administration ordered the resumption of direct customs clearance for essential goods and shipments for production units.

In a separate statement, the administration noted that customs clearance procedures for foreign transit, exports, and imports at Shahid Rajaee Customs in Bandar Abbas have officially resumed.

Iranian Customs Administration is expected to formally announce the full resumption of customs clearance procedures across all operations later today.

A huge explosion occurred on Saturday at Shahid Rajaee Port in southern Hormozgan Province, leaving at least 25 dead and 750 injured, according to the provincial judiciary department.

The incident caused temporary disruptions in customs and transit operations. This affected the seamless flow of goods through the port, which is a crucial gateway for both imports and exports.

Shahid Rajaee Port, located in the southern city of Bandar Abbas, plays a key role in the country's trade and is vital for regional transit, particularly for goods traveling through the International North-South Transit Corridor (INSTC).