Indian sailors say they are scared to continue with their jobs amid increasingly dangerous attacks on commercial ships in and around the Red Sea.
Three people were killed and at least four wounded in a Houthi missile attack on a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen on Wednesday.
The three sailors were the first civilian casualties in the rebel group's campaign against commercial shipping since it started attacking vessels in response to Israel’s deadly military campaign in Gaza.
The Indian Navy swiftly responded to the attack on Wednesday and rescued nearly two dozen crew members, including one Indian citizen, from life rafts using a helicopter and boats.
The incident has sparked fears among Indian sailors who have to sail through the Red Sea.
“We are worried about these attacks. We are scared," said Ramalingam Elaiyaraja, who works as a crew member on cargo ships.
"The war is between two countries. They should not attack people from a third country. They should not kill people from other countries,” he told The National.
The 47-year-old seafarer from Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu has been working for two decades in the industry but the recent incidents have left him concerned about his security.
“We are never told officially about where we are going next. We only know when we board the vessel. No one tells us that the vessel will go through the Red Sea. What can we do? We work even if we are scared.”
“We are trained to deal with pirates but not drones or missiles,” Mr Elaiyaraja said.
Ram Kumar, a chief marine engineer with a Chennai-based shipping company, has a similar view.
“These attacks are by using missiles and drones,” Mr Kumar told The National. "Everything happens in the flash of a second. Traditionally, ships are not equipped to handle such attacks."
Mr Kumar, a sailor for two decades, has experienced attacks by Somali pirates who wanted money in the past but the Houthi missile attacks are different and more dangerous, he said.
“With these attacks, the Houthis want destruction,” he added.
“Two decades ago, we had similar attacks in the Red Sea from Somali pirates. Ships used to carry trained armed guards. They wanted money from us. Now we are in a very difficult phase.
“Even the mightiest of armies and navies cannot handle these drones. We have a lot of flammable material in the ships – we don’t have trained medical professionals to deal with such a crisis."
In January, Mr Kumar returned from six months at sea, during which he travelled through the Red Sea to Europe. He said the attacks have made him contemplate quitting his job.
“My parents are scared, I am worried about my safety and security. I am thinking about quitting because of the threat and security issues,” he said.
Dr A Babu Mailan, chairman of the Indian Seafarers' Welfare Organisation, has urged his government to provide military assistance to ships with Indian crew and sailors in the region while the war in Gaza continues.
“Attacks in the Red Sea are worrying,” Dr Mailan said. "The welfare of sailors is affected. If the sailors don't work, global trade will stop. The sailors' welfare needs to be considered.
“They provide various assistance to many developing countries, help with economic capacity-building, strengthening supply chains and overcoming the credit crisis. Sailors have helped other countries through ships.”
“We urge the government to provide military assistance to the sailors in the area, especially when they cross the Red Sea region."
WE%20NO%20LONGER%20PREFER%20MOUNTAINS
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BANGLADESH SQUAD
Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (vice captain), Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahaman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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FORSPOKEN
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Final%20Fantasy%20XVI
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Street%20Fighter%206
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Diablo%20IV
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Baldur's%20Gate%203
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The%20Legend%20of%20Zelda%3A%20Tears%20of%20The%20Kingdom
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Marvel's%20Spider-Man%202
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Assassin's%20Creed%20Mirage
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Starfield
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WWE TLC results
Asuka won the SmackDown Women's title in a TLC triple threat with Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair
Dean Ambrose won the Intercontinental title against Seth Rollins
Daniel Bryan retained the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against AJ Styles
Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax
Rey Mysterio beat Randy Orton in a chairs match
Finn Balor defeated Drew McIntyre
Natalya beat Ruby Riott in a tables match
Braun Strowman beat Baron Corbin in a TLC match
Sheamus and Cesaro retained the SmackDown Tag Titles against The Usos and New Day
R-Truth and Carmella won the Mixed Match Challenge by beating Jinder Mahal and Alicia Fox
RoboCop%3A%20Rogue%20City
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MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
DC%20League%20of%20Super-Pets
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Jared%20Stern%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Dwayne%20Johnson%2C%20Kevin%20Hart%2C%20John%20Krasinski%2C%20Keanu%20Reeves%2C%20Olivia%20Wilde%2C%20Kate%20McKinnon%2C%20Jameela%20Jamil%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Famous left-handers
- Marie Curie
- Jimi Hendrix
- Leonardo Di Vinci
- David Bowie
- Paul McCartney
- Albert Einstein
- Jack the Ripper
- Barack Obama
- Helen Keller
- Joan of Arc
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
Sri Lanka-India Test series schedule
1st Test July 26-30 in Galle
2nd Test August 3-7 in Colombo
3rd Test August 12-16 in Pallekele
ELECTION%20RESULTS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
Six large-scale objects on show
- Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
TO%20CATCH%20A%20KILLER
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WITHIN%20SAND
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Match info
Bournemouth 1 (King 45 1')
Arsenal 2 (Lerma 30' og, Aubameyang 67')
Man of the Match: Sead Kolasinac (Arsenal)
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Specs%20
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
