Ship fire in Red Sea not linked to Houthi attacks, maritime center says

This photo shows the Hong Kong-flagged container ship ASL Bauhinia off Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 13, 2022. (AP)
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Updated 29 January 2025
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Ship fire in Red Sea not linked to Houthi attacks, maritime center says

  • Since the Houthi attacks began, most vessels have diverted to the longer east-west route via the southern tip of Africa

CAIRO: A fire aboard the Hong Kong-flagged ASL Bauhinia on Tuesday was not linked to Houthi attacks, the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden Joint Maritime Information Center said on Wednesday.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, JMIC said.
A maritime security source told Reuters that the fire resulted from hazardous cargo on board.
There has been a spate of fires on board container ships in recent years due to flammable cargoes.
The crew of the container ship abandoned it in the Red Sea on Tuesday, according to two maritime sources.
Houthis have launched attacks on international shipping near Yemen since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Earlier this month, the Houthis said the group would limit its attacks on commercial vessels sailing through the Red Sea to Israel-linked ships, provided the Gaza ceasefire is fully implemented.
Since the Houthi attacks began, most vessels have diverted to the longer east-west route via the southern tip of Africa.


Israel holds 9,500 Palestinian prisoners as of March

Updated 11 March 2026
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Israel holds 9,500 Palestinian prisoners as of March

  • Administrative detainees represent 36 percent of all Palestinians in Israeli prisons

LONDON: Israeli prison authorities held 9,500 prisoners and detainees as of the first week of March, indicating a 2.15 percent increase from February, according to reports from Palestinian prisoners’ organizations.

Currently, there are 73 female prisoners and 350 individuals under the age of 18 detained in the notorious prisons of Megiddo and Ofer.

The number of administrative detainees is 3,442, the highest percentage among those sentenced, arrested, or classified as “unlawful combatants.” They represent 36 percent of all Palestinians in Israeli prisons, where individuals can be indefinitely detained without charge in military detention centers.

There are also 1,249 “unlawful combatants” detained from inside the Gaza Strip after Oct. 7, 2023, as well as those who were detained from Lebanon and Syria.