Waters

Gulf crisis deepens as UN warns of mass displacement in Iran and tankers burn off Iraq The United Nations’ refugee agency warned that as many as 3.2 million people in Iran have been displaced since the war began almost two weeks ago, as fresh maritime attacks sent oil prices surging back above $100 a barrel and widened fears of a prolonged global energy shock. “This figure is likely to continue rising as hostilities persist, marking a worrying escalation in humanitarian needs,” the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said,…

U.S.-Iran war widens with tanker strikes, Hormuz blockade and oil-price shock as allies weigh record reserve release The United States and Iran signaled no quick end to their war as suspected Iranian attacks on fuel tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and fresh strikes across the Middle East kept the world’s busiest oil chokepoint effectively shut and sent crude higher. Nearly two weeks into a joint U.S.-Israeli air campaign, about 2,000 people have been killed — mostly Iranians and Lebanese — and global shipping and energy…

Chinese fishing vessel and crew freed after seizure off Puntland State following China–Somalia coordination MOGADISHU — A Chinese fishing vessel seized by armed men off the coast of Puntland State was released along with all crew members after coordinated efforts by China, Somalia’s federal government and Puntland State authorities, officials said Tuesday. The vessel was freed on March 2 in what the Chinese Embassy in Mogadishu described as a peaceful resolution reached through close consultations between Somalia’s federal…

U.S. forces have seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic for alleged sanctions violations tied to Venezuelan crude, capping a multiweek pursuit that unfolded under the eye of nearby Russian naval assets but ended without confrontation, U.S. officials said. U.S. European Command, which oversees American forces in the region, said the operation was conducted jointly with the Department of Homeland Security. The tanker evaded an earlier boarding attempt near Venezuela and was intercepted as it moved north in…

Flotilla departs Greek waters, heads for Gaza in tense standoff with Israel An international flotilla of roughly 50 civilian vessels set out from Greek waters this week, aiming to challenge Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver aid — even as governments and navies warned that the mission risks a confrontation on the high seas. Organisers said the Global Sumud Flotilla planned to transit international waters in the eastern Mediterranean and hoped to reach the besieged coastal strip early next week. Among those aboard…

The European Commission has made the call to let the current fishing agreement between Brussels and Dakar lapse, citing significant issues related to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing practices. Jean-Marc Pisani, the EU’s ambassador to West Africa, highlighted that the decision stems from Senegal's lack of adequate measures against these harmful fishing activities. As a result, he noted, European fishing vessels will cease operations in Senegal’s exclusive economic zone starting from midnight on November 17th.…

 Mogadishu (AX) — The Turkish research ship, Oruc Reis, has anchored off the coast of Somalia, kicking off a seven-month exploration to hunt for oil and gas possibilities within licensed Somali seas. "The ship's arrival signifies Türkiye's deepening energy alliances with East Africa," remarked Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar on Friday.Enveloped in cutting-edge technology for complex three-dimensional seismic research, the vessel will sweep across three selected offshore zones, each stretching around 5,000 square…

Mogadishu (AX) — Egypt and Sudan are fiercely opposed to the newly approved Nile River Basin Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), signaling a fresh chapter in a longstanding dispute over precious water resources. Ratified by six countries upstream, the CFA came into effect on October 13, further widening the gulf among Nile Basin nations. Cairo and Khartoum, long heavyweights in debates over Nile waters, released a stern joint statement after convening the Egyptian-Sudanese Permanent Joint Technical Commission for the…

Egypt's Al-Sisi Stands Firm on Nile Water Dispute With Ethiopia CAIRO, Egypt - Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has pledged to safeguard the waters of the Nile River amidst escalating tensions with Ethiopia over the Grand Renaissance Dam constructed on the Blue Nile. Egypt has long contended that Ethiopia’s damming efforts have curtailed the water flow downstream, severely affecting countless lives across the nation. In response, Egypt proposed a measured approach to filling the dam, an idea swiftly nixed by the…

A trio of fascinating new marine species has recently been unearthed within the extraordinary waters of South Africa, influenced by the intricate dance of the Benguela and Agulhas currents. These discoveries include the charming "walking sponge" (Suberites ambulodomos), a minuscule clam (Brachiomya ducentiunus), and an elusive parasitic isopod (Pseudionella pumulaensis). Jannes Landschoff provided these insights in an article for The Conversation Africa. Though these organisms may be diminutive, their impact on marine…