US officials said the "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT) designation for Houthis was aimed at cutting off funding and weapons the Houthis have used to attack or hijack ships in vital Red Sea shipping lanes. The Houthi attacks on Red Sea ships have disrupted global shipping and commerce.
The resolution highlighted the attacks on commercial ships by Houthis that are impeding global commerce "and undermine navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security". It was passed 11-0 with four abstentions from Russia, China, Algeria and Mozambique.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said that this was the first time that the Houthis had used an unmanned surface vessel (USV) since they launched their campaign against commercial ships in the Red Sea. At least 12 countries on Wednesday demanded Houthis to cease their attacks in the strategic waterway.
Under the new mission, the military ships will not necessarily escort a specific vessel, but will be positioned to provide umbrella protection to as many as possible at a given time, according to a US official. At least 12 ships have been attacked or seized in the Red Sea.
China considers Taiwan as part of its mainland and has vowed to take control of the self-governed island, by force if necessary. China's aggressive military maneouvres started in response to ex-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in 2022.
Taking all precautions to contain the spread of coronavirus, the government has not allowed to disembark about 57,000 crew and passengers onboard 1,769 ships, mostly from China, an official said on Thursday. All these crew and passengers underwent thermal scanning, as per the WHO guidelines, the official added.
It remained unclear if the previous warning from the U.S. Maritime Administration is the same perceived threat that prompted the White House on May 4 to order the USS Abraham Lincoln group and the B-52 bombers to the region.
Some three dozen sailors managed to escape the burning ships by jumping off the vessels.
Perth: Search ships today failed to detect any more underwater pulses after signals possibly from the missing Malaysian jet were recorded over the weekend, even as investigators were racing against time to locate the black
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