Skip to main content

Featured

Six Days Adrift: Tragedy Strikes Migrant Boat off Greek Coast

  Twenty-two migrants lost their lives off the coast of Greece after spending six harrowing days at sea in a rubber boat that had departed from Tobruk, Libya. According to survivor accounts and Greek coastguard reports, the passengers became disoriented during the journey and were left without food or water, leading to fatal exhaustion.  Rescue teams recovered 26 survivors, including a woman and a minor, near the island of Crete. Several survivors reported that the bodies of those who died were thrown overboard on the orders of smugglers accompanying the group. Greek authorities have since arrested two South Sudanese men, aged 19 and 22, suspected of human trafficking and negligent homicide.  The tragedy highlights the ongoing dangers faced by migrants attempting to reach Europe via the Mediterranean, a route that continues to claim lives despite increased border controls and international attention. Poor weather, overcrowded vessels, and lack of supplies remain persis...

article

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Shoot Down US Reaper Drone: Aerial Clash Escalates Tensions

 

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for shooting down another of the U.S. military’s MQ-9 Reaper drones. The rebels released footage showing wreckage that corresponds to known pieces of the unmanned aircraft. According to the Houthis, they used a surface-to-air missile to down the Predator drone over their stronghold in the country’s Saada province. The video includes close-ups of parts with the logo of General Atomics, the manufacturer of the drone, and serial numbers matching known components made by the company.

This incident is part of a renewed series of assaults by the Houthis following a relative lull in their pressure campaign over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. While U.S. officials have not immediately commented on the Houthi footage, CBS News previously reported an anonymous U.S. military official acknowledging a drone crash in Yemen.

The MQ-9 Reaper drone, which costs around $30 million each, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and has an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. Since the Houthis seized Yemen’s north and its capital of Sanaa in 2014, the U.S. military has lost at least five drones to the rebels, including this recent shootdown. The ongoing conflict in Yemen continues to escalate tensions in the region, with the Houthis also launching attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, demanding an end to the war in Gaza.

As the situation unfolds, both sides remain on high alert, and the international community closely monitors developments in this volatile region. The downing of the U.S. Reaper drone adds another layer of complexity to an already fraught conflict landscape.

Comments