Live updates: Follow the latest news on Israel-Gaza
Yemen's Houthis have claimed a “direct hit” on a Greek-owned commercial vessel heading to Israel through the Red Sea on Tuesday.
The Houthis “carried out a targeted operation against the ship … after its crew refused the calls from the naval forces, as well as repeated fiery warning messages”, militia spokesman Yahya Sarea said.
The Maltese-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier MT Zografia sustained material damage, but there were no injuries after it was hit near the Yemeni Red Sea port of Saleef, a security firm and two sources within the Greek shipping ministry said.
The US military confirmed the Houthis launched the attack.
"M/V Zografia, a Maltese-flagged bulk carrier reported they were struck but seaworthy and were continuing their Red Sea transit," the US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement, adding that no injuries were reported.
Earlier in the day, British maritime security company Ambrey said the vessel was hit with a missile in the Red Sea, 140km north-west of Yemen's port city of Saleef.
The vessel was sailing without cargo from Vietnam to Israel and no one was injured in the attack, one of the Greek shipping ministry sources said.
The attack came on the same day that US forces struck several Houthi targets.
US forces destroyed four Houthi missile launchers in Yemen early on Tuesday, a US defence official confirmed.
The launchers were deemed to be an imminent threat to “commercial and US forces’ vessels in the area”, the official told The National.
The strike was considered successful, the official added, confirming an earlier report by Reuters.
The Iran-backed Houthis have increased attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, affecting a vital shipping route.
The Houthis, who control most of Yemen's Red Sea coast, have claimed that their attacks on commercial ships are in support of Palestinians amid the Israel-Gaza war, and that the vessels they have attacked have all been linked to Israel.
They have pledged to expand the scope of their targets in the Red Sea region to include US ships, and to keep up attacks after US and British forces carried out dozens of air strikes last week against the Houthis' radar and missile capabilities.
In response, some shipping companies have instructed vessels to instead sail round southern Africa, a slower and therefore more expensive route.
The Houthi attack on the MT Zografia is the second missile strike on a commercial vessel in two days, one of nearly 30 Houthi assaults on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since October.
It comes as Centcom, the US military headquarters in the Middle East, gave details of a Navy Seals special forces mission on January 11 that captured an array of Houthi weapons from a dhow heading to Yemen.
Centcom said two Navy Seals went missing during the operation.
It also described seizing a cache of missile guidance systems and motors for medium-range ballistic missiles, as well as anti-air defence equipment, which it said confirmed Iran's role in supporting the militia.
“We are conducting an exhaustive search for our missing teammates,” said Gen Michael Kurilla, US Centcom Commander.
“It is clear that Iran continues shipment of advanced lethal aid to the Houthis. This is yet another example of how Iran actively sows instability throughout the region in direct violation of U.N Security Resolution 2216 and International law,” he added.
Conflict in the Red Sea
The US and Britain launched air strikes on Houthi military positions across Yemen last week, pledging to protect free navigation in the Red Sea, while simultaneously risking further escalation in the region as the Israel-Gaza war rages on.
The targets included weapon depots, radar sites and command centres, including those in remote mountain areas, the US said.
The American military on Friday evening said it had conducted a “follow-on” strike on a Houthi radar site.
The US Navy warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for at least 72 hours after the initial air strikes.
The Iran-backed rebels, who control the capital Sanaa, in northern Yemen and parts of the Red Sea coast, said five of its members were killed in the “barbaric” strikes.
On Sunday, US fighter planes shot down a cruise missile fired by the Houthis at one of its warships in the Red Sea, in the first such attack since US and UK missiles struck the Iran-backed group.
On Tuesday, a Houthi spokesman said the announcement by a number of shipping companies to suspend operations, citing the high risk of traversing the Red Sea, was the result of US pressure.
In a statement, Mohammed Abdulsalam said their claims of high risk were inaccurate and “only matches with the US propaganda”.
“There are hundreds of ships crossing Bab Al Mandeb every day,” he said.
He reaffirmed his group's position that there is no ban on any ship except those linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports.
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Retail gloom
Online grocer Ocado revealed retail sales fell 5.7 per cen in its first quarter as customers switched back to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
It was a tough comparison from a year earlier, when the UK was in lockdown, but on a two-year basis its retail division, a joint venture with Marks&Spencer, rose 31.7 per cent over the quarter.
The group added that a 15 per cent drop in customer basket size offset an 11.6. per cent rise in the number of customer transactions.
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Infiniti QX80 specs
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
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Price: On request
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
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Europe's top EV producers
- Norway (63% of cars registered in 2021)
- Iceland (33%)
- Netherlands (20%)
- Sweden (19%)
- Austria (14%)
- Germany (14%)
- Denmark (13%)
- Switzerland (13%)
- United Kingdom (12%)
- Luxembourg (10%)
Source: VCOe
Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Belarus, Georgia, Armenia, Latvia, Faroe Islands, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Liechtenstein, Malta, Andorra, Kosovo, San Marino, Gibraltar
Results
Stage Two:
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 04:20:45
2. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates
4. Olav Kooij (NED) Jumbo-Visma
5. Arnaud Demare (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
General Classification:
1. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin-Fenix 09:03:03
2. Dmitry Strakhov (RUS) Gazprom-Rusvelo 00:00:04
3. Mark Cavendish (GBR) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:00:06
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Bora-Hansgrohe 00:00:10
5. Pascal Ackermann (GER) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:12
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ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg
Ajax v Real Madrid, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
The five pillars of Islam
Opening weekend Premier League fixtures
Weekend of August 10-13
Arsenal v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Cardiff City
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
