World politics
fromFortune
5 hours agoTrump risks confidence in U.S. role as guardian of global shipping | Fortune
Withdrawing US security from the Persian Gulf could disrupt global commerce and energy markets significantly.
When the war broke out, we put a Warlike Operations Area Committee in place to address the protection of seafarers in the region. The organization has identified certain maritime routes in the region, including the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and some parts of the Gulf of Oman as high-risk areas, encouraging ship owners to allow seafarers to terminate contracts if they choose not to operate in those zones.
The £1 billion air-defence warship, HMS Dragon, sailed from HMNB Portsmouth on Tuesday but did not exit British waters until yesterday, despite being ordered to rush to the eastern Mediterranean following an attack on the British base at RAF Akrotiri. The Type 45 destroyer, one of the Royal Navy's most advanced air-defence ships, had already experienced a week-long delay for repairs before its departure.
The Arctic Metagaz was part of a Russian shadow fleet used to circumvent sanctions imposed on the country's oil and gas after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It was struck in a suspected drone attack close to Maltese waters earlier this month, causing a huge hole.
The National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades, established in 1992, is Greece's largest working marine protected area. The protective measures appear to be working, judged by the size, abundance and diversity of marine life—glassy waters teeming with colourful fish and precious shells make swimming here an absolute dream.
From gorgeous beaches to quaint villages with rich history and amazing food, there's nothing quite like exploring the Greek islands. And as someone who lives in Greece and has been to over 30 of the country's islands, I know which are worth visiting.
Athens is a city of beautiful contradictions. Michelin-starred dining rooms share sidewalk space with decades-old taverns. Modern rooftop bars overlook 2,000-year-old monuments. Everywhere you look, the past and present converge to create an unparalleled multilayered metropolis.
I spoke with him around midnight and everything was fine. Then he called me again around 2:30 a.m. and quickly said: 'We're all okay, everyone survived.' Later in the morning, she said, her husband told her that a drone had struck their tanker, triggering a fire that heavily damaged the vessel.
Maritime traffic through the strait, the narrow channel linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, has effectively been closed since strikes on Iran began. Some vessels have been diverted or delayed and ports and shipping companies are dealing with heightened security concerns and uncertainty.
About 20% of the world's oil and liquid natural gas pass through the strait, and the sudden traffic halt has sent prices soaring. But that spike also promises a massive payday for any ships willing to make their deliveries. Freight rates have soared to record highs, and a very large crude carrier heading from the strait to China can earn about $500,000 in revenue per day.
The bodies in Libya were found on Saturday by residents of the coastal town of Qasr al-Akhyar, according to a police officer. list of 4 itemsend of list Hassan Al-Ghawil, head of investigations at the Qasr Al-Akhyar police station, told the Reuters news agency that the bodies were all of dark-skinned people. Two of them were women. He said people in the area had reported seeing a child's body wash ashore before the waves returned it to sea.
Special forces assisted by French helicopters boarded the ship in a clandestine operation in the North Sea on Saturday night, Belgium's defence minister, Theo Francken, said on Sunday. Prosecutors said the tanker, identified as the Ethera, was falsely flying the flag of Guinea and was believed to be on its way back to Russia when it was seized in Belgium's exclusive economic zone.
Counting Ships is a photography series by Pierfrancesco Celada that examines proximity, movement, and scale within a maritime landscape. The project captures a busy ferry route connecting an island to one of the most densely populated regions nearby. The crossing takes approximately 25 minutes and passes through one of the world's most active maritime trade corridors, where more than two hundred cargo ships transit daily.
The UK has long looked to Greece through a familiar lens: sunshine, island airports and a packed summer flight schedule. Yet Greece's tourism story has started to look more like a business story-one built on regeneration, upgraded hospitality, and service sectors designed to perform beyond the peak months. That shift is increasingly visible in the full "destination package" surrounding travel and entertainment. In Greece, the mix now spans conference capacity, waterfront redevelopment
Onboard/Offboard is a series that explores the can't-miss highlights of our favorite cruises-from the shore excursions to book to the spa treatments too relaxing to pass up. A new ship sometimes needs time to work out the kinks, but at this point-more than 100 vessels later- Viking has the routine down pat. In early November, I boarded the Viking Vesta, the line's 12th ocean vessel, in Istanbul, a few months into service.
Two meetings, held almost simultaneously towards the end of December, offered a stark illustration of the competing strategic visions now shaping the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. In Damascus, Turkiye's foreign, defence and intelligence chiefs met Syrian officials on December 22 as Ankara continued to prioritise the consolidation of state authority and stabilisation after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria.
Let's explore some of Greece's most popular residency routes... The Financially Independent Person (FIP) Permit Greece doesn't offer a retiree-specific visa so for those looking to enjoy their golden years in Greece, the Financially Independent Person (FIP) Permit is the preferred choice. To qualify for the FIP permit you will need to be able to show that you receive a monthly income of at least €3,500 (about $4,000) for a single applicant.
"Shadow fleets are essentially extremely old oil tankers that Russia are using to transport and sell oil, to essentially fund this devastating war that is still ongoing," she told RTÉ's Morning Ireland from the Munich Security Conference. "And what we have seen happen in other countries is they've acted as a deterrent. "So I'm not suggesting that we're going to board the ships to try and steer them into Irish ports or anywhere like that."