AL-MUKALLA: A missile believed to have been launched by Yemen’s Houthi militia struck a vessel off Yemen’s southern city of Aden on Thursday, as the US military said that it had shot down a fresh barrage of Houthi missiles and drones in the Gulf of Aden.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations, which documents ship attacks, said that it received a report from a vessel master about an explosion at “a distance astern of” the vessel while sailing 50 nautical miles southeast of Yemen’s city of Aden. The master reported no damage, and the crew was unharmed.
“The vessel is proceeding to its next port of call. Authorities are investigating,” UKMTO said.
The latest ship attack comes as the US Central Command said that the Houthis launched one anti-ship ballistic missile from areas under their control between 2 a.m. and 4:50 p.m. (Sanaa time) on Wednesday against international commercial and naval ships in the Gulf of Aden, but no ship was struck.
On Thursday, the US military shot down four drones and one surface-to-air missile launched by the Houthis from regions under their control in Yemen, according to a CENTCOM statement on social media site X.
The Houthis did not immediately take credit for assaulting the ship in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday or launching drones or missiles that were intercepted by US forces.
However, the Houthis routinely claim credit for Red Sea ship strikes hours after they occur.
Houthi media said on Thursday that the US and UK launched four strikes on the Al-Jah district of the Red Sea province of Hodeidah, a day after another round of strikes hit Hodeidah airport.
Since November, the Houthis have fired hundreds of drones, missiles, and remotely controlled boats at commercial and navy ships in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden, claiming that their actions are intended to force Israel to allow humanitarian assistance, including water and food, into the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
At the same time, the diplomatic missions of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the UK, and the US all condemned the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, including the Houthi missile attack on the Liberian-owned MV True Confidence, which killed two Filipino and one Vietnamese civilian sailors.
“It is critical that the Houthis cease these attacks immediately. These illegal attacks have taken the lives of innocent sailors and only serve to destabilize the region and harm the people of Yemen,” the diplomats said in a joint statement.
The top Houthi negotiator, Mohammed Abdul Sallam, responded to the global condemnation of the militia’s attacks on ships by saying that they would continue to uphold their “religious, humanitarian and moral responsibilities” toward Palestinians by blocking the Red Sea before all ships headed to Israel and striking ships until Israel ends its siege on Gaza.
“We emphasize that Yemen’s stance is solid and will remain on Gaza’s side until the Israeli assault ceases, the blockade is removed, and aid reaches the whole Strip,” Abdul Sallam said on X.
Houthis attack ship in Gulf of Aden
https://arab.news/gcnc3
Houthis attack ship in Gulf of Aden
- Militia fired missile in Gulf of Aden, no damage reported, US Central Command says
- US military shoots down 4 drones, 1 surface-to-air missile launched by Houthis from area under their control
Pakistan reports second death of 2025 from deadly brain-eating amoeba
- Naegleria fowleri, with a 98 percent fatality rate, spreads when contaminated water enters through the nose
- Victim, a Karachi resident, used water at home and nearby mosque for ablution, says Sindh government
KARACHI: A 23-year-old man died in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi this week after contracting Naegleria fowleri, the Sindh Health Department said on Wednesday, marking the second death of the year from the deadly brain-eating amoeba.
Naegleria fowleri, commonly known as the brain-eating amoeba, has a fatality rate of over 98 percent. It is transmitted when contaminated water enters the body through the nose and cannot be spread from person to person.
Pakistan has witnessed a rise in Naegleria fowleri cases in recent years, with more than 100 reported deaths since the first confirmed infection in 2008. Five fatalities were recorded in 2024 alone.
In the latest case the deceased, a resident of Karachi’s Orangi Town area, was hospitalized on May 30 after suffering from symptoms on May 28. He died on June 3 after the presence of Naegleria fowleri was confirmed in the patient on June 1.
“Upon investigation, it was noted that the patient had not participated in any water-related activities,” the Sindh Health Department said. “His only exposure was regular use of water at home and use of water at a nearby local mosque to perform ablution.”
Symptoms of Naegleria fowleri infection include severe headache, altered sense of taste, high fever, sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting. Death typically occurs within five to seven days of infection.
The health department confirmed this was the second death in Pakistan from Naegleria fowleri in 2025. The first death was reported in March when a 36-year-old woman died from the same disease. She was also a resident of Karachi.
A 2021 study by the Sindh Health Department found that 95 percent of water samples in Karachi, Sindh’s provincial capital, were unfit for human consumption.
Experts say the contamination leads to the spreading of the brain-eating amoeba among the city’s residents.
Pakistan clinches 14 medals at Asian Indoor Rowing Championship in Thailand
- Pakistan rowing team wins 10 gold medals, three silver and one bronze
- Championship features athletes competing on indoor rowing machines
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan bagged 14 medals, including 10 gold ones, at the recently concluded Asian Indoor Rowing Championship in Thailand, state media reported this week.
The Asian Indoor Rowing Championship was organized by the Asian Rowing Federation from May 26 to 31 in Pattaya, Thailand, to showcase the talents of indoor rowers from across Asia.
Unlike traditional rowing competitions held on water, this championship features athletes competing on indoor rowing machines, such as the Concept2 ergometer, simulating the rowing experience in a controlled environment.
“Competing against 25 countries, the Pakistani squad stunned traditional powerhouses such as India, Iran, Thailand, South Korea and Japan,” Radio Pakistan said in a report on Monday.
“Despite being a small contingent, the Pakistani rowers delivered an outstanding performance that defied expectations.”
According to a local news outlet, Pakistan won 10 gold, three silver and one bronze medal.
Key contributors included Pakistani rowers Abdul Jabbar and Muhammad Shahzad, who won one gold and one silver each.
Tayyab Iftikhar earned one silver medal and one bronze, the report added.
Radio Pakistan said the athletes received a grand welcome from the Pakistan Rowing Federation (PRF) upon their return to the country.
It highlighted that the athletes’ performance marked “a new era for rowing” in Pakistan. PRF President Hamdan Nazir and Chairman Rizwan-ul-Haq also praised the players for their outstanding achievements.
Sweden tries militant over Jordanian pilot burned to death by Daesh
- “Osama Krayem has, together and in agreement with other perpetrators belonging to Daesh, killed Maaz Al-Kassasbeh,” prosecutor Reena Devgun told the court
- In the 22-minute video of the killing, the victim is seen walking past several masked Daesh fighters, including Krayem, according to prosecutors
STOCKHOLM: A convicted Swedish militant went on trial in Stockholm on Wednesday accused of war crimes for his role in the 2014 killing of a Jordanian pilot who was burned alive in Syria.
The case is considered unique as the other militants involved in the brutal killing, which sparked international outrage at the time, are presumed dead, Swedish prosecutor Henrik Olin told AFP.
Osama Krayem, a 32-year-old Swede, is already serving long prison sentences for his role in the Paris and Brussels attacks in 2015 and 2016.
He now faces charges of “serious war crimes and terrorist crimes” for his alleged participation in the killing of the Jordanian pilot.
On December 24, 2014, an aircraft belonging to the Royal Jordanian Air Force crashed in Syria.
The pilot was captured the same day by fighters from the Daesh group near the central city of Raqqa and he was burned alive in a cage sometime before February 3, 2015, when a video of the gruesome killing was published, according to the prosecution.
The slickly-produced propaganda video was one of the first such videos released by Daesh.
The killing shocked Jordan, which was participating in the US-led coalition’s strikes against Daesh positions in Syria.
“Osama Krayem has, together and in agreement with other perpetrators belonging to Daesh, killed Maaz Al-Kassasbeh,” prosecutor Reena Devgun told the court on Wednesday.
“Osama Krayem, in uniform and armed, guarded and led the victim Maaz Al-Kassasbeh to a metal cage, where the latter was then locked up. One of the co-perpetrators then set fire to Maaz Al-Kassasbeh, who had no possibility to defend himself or call for help,” Devgun said.
Krayem, wearing a dark blue shirt and with a thick beard and long, loose dark hair, had his back to the handful of journalists and spectators who followed Wednesday’s proceedings behind a glass wall in the high security courtroom in Stockholm’s district court.
He appeared calm as the prosecution laid out the charges, which could result in a life sentence if Krayem is convicted.
In the 22-minute video of the killing, the victim is seen walking past several masked Daesh fighters, including Krayem, according to prosecutors.
The pilot is then seen being locked in the cage and praying as he is set on fire.
Prosecutors have been unable to determine the exact date of the murder but the investigation has identified the location.
The pilot’s father, Safi Al-Kassasbeh, told AFP on Wednesday the family hoped Krayem would “receive the harshest penalty according to the magnitude of the crime.”
“This is what we expect from a respected and fair law,” he said.
It was thanks to a scar on the suspect’s eyebrow, visible in the video and spotted by Belgian police, that Krayem was identified and the investigation was opened, Devgun said when the charges were announced last week.
Other evidence in the case includes conversations on social media, including one where Krayem asks a person if he has seen a new video “where a man gets fried,” according to the investigation, a copy of which has been viewed by AFP.
“I’m in the video,” Krayem said, pointing out the moment when the camera zooms in on his face.
The other person replies: “Hahaha, yes, I saw the eyebrow.”
The defendant’s lawyer, Petra Eklund, told AFP before the start of the trial that her client admitted to being present at the scene but disputed the prosecution’s version.
“He denies the acts for which he is prosecuted,” she said.
“He acknowledges having been present at that place during the event, but claims not to have acted in the manner described by the prosecutors in the account of the facts,” she added.
Krayem, who is from Malmo in southern Sweden, joined the Daesh group in Syria in 2014 before returning to Europe in September 2015.
He was arrested in Belgium in April 2016.
In June 2022, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison in France for helping plan the November 2015 Paris attacks in which 130 people were killed.
The following year, he was given a life sentence in Belgium for participating in the March 2016 bombings at Brussels’ main airport and on the metro system, in which 32 people were killed.
Krayem has been temporarily handed over to Sweden for the Stockholm trial, which is scheduled to last until June 26.
Chaabani believes debutants Berkane can win CAF Champions League
- Chaabani, a 43-year-old Tunisian, acknowledges that competing in the Champions League will be more challenging than the Confederation Cup
- “The Champions League is a tougher competition, with high-level opponents,” he said
JOHANNESBURG: Renaissance Berkane coach Mouin Chaabani believes the Moroccan club could go one better than CAF Champions League title-holders Pyramids and win the competition at the first attempt.
Cairo outfit Pyramids won the premier African club competition last Sunday in only their second appearance by beating South African rivals Mamelodi Sundowns 3-2 on aggregate.
Berkane last month became Moroccan champions for the first time, finishing 13 points ahead of runners-up FAR Rabat.
Called the Orange Boys as they are based in the citrus-growing northeast of Morocco, Renaissance will debut in the Champions League this year.
It is a milestone for a club formed in 1938 and overshadowed for decades by Casablanca giants Raja and Wydad, both three-time African champions.
Berkane finally conquered Morocco by winning 21 of 30 matches, drawing seven, losing just two, scoring 49 goals and conceding only 14 in a championship ranked the second toughest in Africa.
While Berkane are Champions League debutants, they are no strangers to Africa having
competed in the past eight editions of the second-tier CAF Confederation Cup, winning three
finals.
They were also runners-up twice to Egyptian opponents Zamalek, losing one title decider after a penalty shootout and another on away goals.
Chaabani, a 43-year-old Tunisian, acknowledges that competing in the Champions League will be more challenging than the Confederation Cup.
“The Champions League is a tougher competition, with high-level opponents,” the coach who won back-to-back titles in the most prized African club competition with Tunis outfit Esperance told reporters.
“Thanks to repeated appearances in the Confederation Cup, I think Berkane have acquired continental experience. We have an ambitious squad capable of competing at the highest level.
“We will approach the Champions League campaign with great respect for opponents, but also with a desire to go far. Why not aim for the title?
“Our supporters can play a key role. Their unwavering backing, at home and away, has carried us through difficult times as well as joyful moments.”
The Municipal Stadium in Berkane accommodates just 15,000 spectators, and their closeness to the pitch creates what many visiting coaches have called “an intimidating atmosphere.”
Berkane won 43 of 49 home Confederation Cup matches since debuting in 2015, drew the other six, scored 113 goals and conceded only 18.
En route to the latest Confederation Cup triumph, they excelled at home, firing five goals past
Dadje of Benin and Stellenbosch of South Africa and four past CS Constantine of Algeria in the semifinals.
The Champions League is becoming increasingly competitive and unpredictable with the success of Pyramids not foreseen when the competition kicked off last August.
The Cairo club boast a prolific scorer in Congolese Fiston Mayele, whose nine goals won him the Champions League Golden Boot.
Pyramids, fellow Egyptian challengers and record 12-time African champions Al Ahly, Sundowns and Esperance of Tunisia will hope to claim the $4 million (EUR3.5 million) first prize.
Mouloudia Alger of Algeria, who are poised to qualify, and FAR were quarter-finalists last season and capable of going further this time.
Apart from the regular campaigners, there will be newcomers like Wiliete of Angola, Colombe of Cameroon and possibly Police, who need one point from two matches to become Kenyan champions.
Originally due to kick off in August, the Champions League will be delayed as the African Nations Championship (CHAN) has been rescheduled for that month.
Pakistani man accused of killing young TikTok influencer appears in court
- Umar Hayat is accused of killing TikTok influencer Sana Yousaf for rejecting friendship offers
- Pakistani judge orders Hayat to be presented again on June 18 for pretrial proceedings
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani man accused of killing a 17-year-old TikTok influencer after she rejected his offer of friendship made his first court appearance Wednesday, officials and police said.
Suspect Umar Hayat, 22, who also creates content on TikTok, was arrested Tuesday by Islamabad police in Faisalabad, an industrial city in eastern Punjab province.
He is accused of shooting Sana Yousuf, who had more than one million followers on social media. The killing earlier this week in Islamabad drew widespread condemnation.
TV footage showed Hayat with his face covered as he was brought to court, where police requested additional time to complete their investigation and file formal murder charges.
The judge ordered that Hayat be presented again on June 18 for pretrial proceedings.
Yousuf, originally from the scenic northern region of Chitral, was known for promoting traditional Chitrali music and dress through her videos. She also advocated for girls’ education. TikTok has more than 60 million users in Pakistan, many of them young women and teenagers.
Hours before her murder, she had posted a photo celebrating her birthday with friends.
