#bulk carrier companies

[shipping-industry42]

Which kinds of vessels are managed by Nautilus bulk carrier shipping companies, and how are services tailored to each kind of vessel?

Nautilus, among the leading bulk carrier shipping companies in India, specializes in managing various vessel types, including bulkers, tankers, and container vessels. Our comprehensive ship management services encompass technical support, commercial operations, procurement, crewing, and safety management.For bulk carriers, we ensure their safe and efficient operation by providing complete ship management solutions.

Our dedicated team of professionals, both offshore and onboard, works tirelessly to keep vessels in optimal running condition, minimizing downtime.Each vessel type receives tailored services to meet its specific requirements. For bulk carriers, this includes meticulous attention to cargo handling procedures, ensuring timely loading and unloading operations to maintain efficient voyage schedules.

Additionally, our experienced team oversees technical maintenance to uphold vessel integrity and safety standards.Through our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement, Nautilus has become one of the fastest-growing ship managers in the region, currently managing 12 vessels of various types. Our expertise in bulk carrier management ensures smooth operations and enhances the overall efficiency of our clients' shipping endeavors.

[whetstonefires]

After seeing your weatherbugapp reblog i installed duckduckgo and tried it.

I don't know much about technology tbh but i downloaded this app less than 30 mins ago and in that time google tried to track me 112 times?? And they tried to collect finger prints? And my first and last name? And my gender? And my country, state and city? My gps coordinates? My postal code? My network carrier? My fricking battery level for whatever reason? Can you please tell me if this is normal at all, because i'm freaking out right now. I just turned 18 and started using mobile banking and stuff and this shit scares me

Why tf does it need to know my screen density???my system volume????my charging status????? What tf are they cooking

Now it's at 476 tracking attempts bro???? barely 5 mins passed.....

I condensed your three asks into one for readability!

And yeah, I'm very far from an expert about any of this, but as far as I know that's just. Normal. That's the normal amount of spying they're doing on your phone. I assume the numbers we see are to some extent because having been foiled, a lot of these scripts try repeatedly, since I can't imagine what use thousands of trackers per phone would be even to the great aggregators.

Tracking the phone stuff like screen resolution and battery level is because (apart from that definitely not being considered remotely 'private' so it's Free Real Estate) in aggregate that data can be used to track what phone use patterns are like on a demographic scale and therefore. Where the smart money is.

Almost all of this is getting sold in bulk for ad targeting and market analysis. This does presumably make it very hard to notice when like. Actually important stuff is being spied on, which is why I feel better about Having Apps with the duckduckgo app blocker thing.

My bank's app reportedly sells data to a couple aggregators including Google. Not like, my banking info, but it's still so offensive on principle that I avoid using the app unless I have to, and force stop it afterward.

The patterns that show up on the weekly duckduckgo blocker report are interesting. Hoopla attempts about two orders of magnitude more tracking than Libby, which makes sense because they're a commercial streaming service libraries pay by the unit for access, while Libby is a content management software run by a corporation that values its certification as a 'B' company--that is, one invested in the public good that can be trusted. The cleanness of their brand is a great deal of its value, so they have to care about their image and be a little more scrupulous.

Which doesn't mean not being a little bit spyware, because everything is spyware now. Something else I've noticed is that in terms of free game apps, the polished professional stuff is now much more invasive than the random kinda janky thing someone just threw together.

Back in the day you tended to expect the opposite, because spyware was a marginal shifty profit-margin with too narrow a revenue stream to be worth more to an established brand than their reputation, but now that everyone does it there's not a lot of reputation cost and refraining would be sacrificing a potential revenue stream, which is Irresponsible Conduct for a corporation.

While meanwhile 'developing a free game app to put on the game store' is something a person can do for free with the hardware they already have for home use, as a hobby or practice or to put on their coding resume. So while such apps absolutely can be malicious and more dangerous when they are than The Big Brand, they can also be neutral in a way commercial stuff no longer is. Wild world.

But yeah for the most part as far as I can make out, these are just The Commercial Panopticon, operating as intended. It's gross but it probably doesn't indicate anything dangerous on an individual level.

[robfinancialtip]

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[doubleca5t]

Ok, there's something about Home Insurance that I don't get: For many other kinds, the company can negotiate with Mechanics or Vets or whatever to get a discount which can then be used to offer policies lower than what the average person would pay. But Home Insurance doesn't have that, does it? I don't want to call Home Insurance a scam but on average wouldn't someone be better off without it?

You definitely would not be better off without home insurance b/c if your house burns down you would have to pay for the entire thing out of pocket and that would be very much Not Fun.

As for the difference in claims process between PersAuto and Home, I think it has to do with the business model of contractors vs auto shops. Mechanics make the bulk of their money off repairs, so having an insurance company recommend you to their customers in exchange for a discount can give you a huge boost in sales even if it cuts into your margins for individual repairs a bit. Contractors on the other hand make a huge % of their money off remodels, rebuilds, new construction, and other projects where an insurance company isn't involved. They have way less incentive to give a discount in exchange for extra business because their business model gives them a consistent source of revenue regardless of an insurance carrier's recommendation.

Same thing applies to vets with pet insurance - vets make way more money off a sick pet than a routine check-up, so they have a big incentive to get a recommendation from an insurance company.

[mariacallous]

Houthis Target Ship Carrying Humanitarian Aid En Route To Yemen

In the latest string of attacks, the Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen targeted a ship carrying humanitarian aid to the Port of Aden in Yemen. The incident occurred on February 19, between 12:30 p.m. and 1:50 p.m. local time, when two anti-ship ballistic missiles were launched at the M/V Sea Champion, a Greek-flagged bulk carrier owned by a U.S. company.

Fortunately, one of the missiles detonated near the ship, causing minor damage. Despite the attack, the crew courageously maintained their course, determined to deliver crucial grain supplies to the port of Aden in Yemen. The Houthis’ aggressive action has worsened the already disrupted situation in Yemen in addition to endangering the safety of marine navigation. According to reports from the U.S. Central Command, almost eighty per cent of Yemen’s population urgently needs aid, making it one of the most significant humanitarian crises globally.

Centcom condemned the strike in a statement, highlighting the negative impact of Houthi aggression on humanitarian efforts and the importance of uninterrupted aid deliveries to Yemen. The Sea Champion, despite being targeted, has a remarkable history of delivering humanitarian aid 11 times in the past five years.

The frequent assaults on commercial shipping in the region have significantly affected marine commerce via the Red Sea, forcing ships to seek alternative routes, including circumnavigating Africa’s southern point. While the Houthis claim their strikes are in response to perceived injustices, including Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Centcom has reaffirmed that the Sea Champion’s purpose is only humanitarian.

Another ship, the Rubymar, had a similar experience over the weekend, with its crew being forced to abandon ship due to an attack. Despite Houthi declarations that the Rubymar had sunk, U.S. and U.K. officials confirmed that the vessel remained afloat, highlighting the ongoing threat presented by Houthi terrorists in the area.

The United States and the United Kingdom have launched a series of airstrikes against Houthi locations in Yemen as part of their efforts to stop the attacks. Despite these steps, militants continue to pose a substantial threat to marine security and humanitarian operations in the region, emphasizing the critical need for a coordinated international response to prevent further escalation and ensure the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen.

[girlactionfigure]

🔅ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting the World to Israel in Realtime

🔻SUICIDE DRONE from HEZBOLLAH - LEBANON at Moshav Arbel - Lower Galilee, miss - hit open area (not exactly, meters from a family home), no sirens in impact area but there were at border area where it crossed.  Moshav Arbel, explosion heard, children in school and kindergartens rushed to shelter.

🔻ROCKET from HEZBOLLAH - LEBANON at IDF post in the Western Galilee.

▪️IDF SAYS… struck and killed terrorist who launched rockets from Gaza within minutes of the launch.

▪️HOUTHIS SAY… “We have no choice but further escalation.” (( Their honor is tied to the fact they committed to affecting Israel and Gaza but aren’t effectively doing so. Are they willing to sacrifice their fighters, civilians, cities to their honor? Yes. ))

▪️RAMADAN SWEETS FOR GAZA?  “Although Ramadan is not expected to affect the ongoing fighting in Gaza, the possibility of importing aid into the Strip that would allow Gazans to celebrate the holiday was discussed at the cabinet meeting, Haaretz reported.”  

▪️COUNTER-TERROR OPERATIONS.. overnight in Beit Omer, Hebron area, Shoafat camp, East Jerusalem, Qabatiya, near Jenin, and Jebel Al Mukhabar neighborhood of East Jerusalem, and Aqat Jaber camp near Jericho. Heavy clashes and firefights in Qabatiya.

▪️ATTACK ON PM? “A suspicious envelope was found in the Prime Minister’s office. Under investigation.”

▪️EARLIER REPORT OF GUNFIRE AT CARMIT.. Police: criminal conflict between 2 factions of the same (Arab) family.

▪️MORE ON ATTACKED SHIP.. the ship struck by the Houthis was flying the flag of Belize, registered to the UK, and operated by a Lebanese company. Oops.  Updated report says the bulk carrier is carrying AMMONIA.  If it leaks its cargo, and it was earlier said to be in danger of sinking and the crew abandoned ship - the environmental damage may be EXTREME.

[darkmaga-returns]

The Russian cargo ship Ursa Major sank in the Mediterranean Sea after three explosions on the starboard side in what is now clearly an attack, Oboronlogistika, a company that owns the ship, told media outlets.

Details about the incident: The ship sank 67 miles off the coast of Spain and 45 miles off the coast of Algeria. The ship left St. Petersburg for the port of Vladivostok 12 days ago.

The map below shows the location of the sinking, with the country of Spain to the north (top) and the country of Algeria to the south (bottom):

"During the emergency external inspection of the vessel, a hole of 50x50 cm (19.6 x 19.6 Inches) in diameter was discovered above the waterline. The edges of the hole were torn and turned inward. The deck of the ship was strewn with fragments." 

The Russian Foreign Ministry's crisis management center reported that 14 of the 16 crew members had been rescued, while two are missing. According to its owner, the vessel is one of the largest bulk carriers in Russia, with a maximum carrying capacity of 9,500 tons. At the same time, the cargo weight was 806 tons.

It now appears that the vessel was intentionally attacked and deliberately sunk, perhaps by Ukraine, but more likely by another "state perpetrator."

The fact that the hole in the side was "above the water line" indicates the explosion took place via an unmanned sea vessel (drone) which Ukraine has used very frequently in its conflict with Russia.

The fact that this sinking took place so very far away from Ukraine makes clear the Unmanned vessel was launched from a country far away from Ukraine.  That could mean a European (NATO) country, or one of the countries along the northern coast of Africa.

While officially, Russia is classifying this as a "terrorist" attack, it is also "an act of war."

[soon-palestine]

with a soaring risk of ships being crippled and their crews killed, the global shipping industry is switching into emergency mode. On December 15th Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd paused their services. On December 16th CMA CGM followed, as did MSC, the owner of the Palatium III, which said that its ships would not use the Suez Canal in either direction “until the Red Sea passage is safe”, and that some vessels would be rerouted via the Cape of Good Hope. Together these four companies account for 53% of the global container trade. Smaller container operators, as well as dry-bulk carriers and oil tanker firms, may now follow their lead.

The main alternative is to strike the Houthis and their arsenal directly. America and Israel have both developed plans to attack Houthi depots and launchers. America will be loth to broaden its involvement in the Middle East: the Biden administration had been focused on expanding the Red Sea task force and putting diplomatic and economic pressure on Iran. Israel does not want a new conflict: it is already facing pressure from America to wind down this phase of the Gaza war, and is concerned about Hizbullah, the Lebanese militant group, which has been firing missiles at Israel almost daily. Yet if Iran and its Houthi proxies continue attacks that keep one of the world’s major trade routes closed, escalation may be inevitable.

link

[runwayrunway]

No. 9 - IndiGo

A very different type of bonus review - I'm here to stop talking about history and start talking about current events. Nobody has requested IndiGo, but IndiGo has requested that Airbus sell them a record-breaking 500 A320-family aircraft as an absolutely wild opening to this year's Paris Air Show. That is, to put it in context, the largest bulk order of jets by an airline ever, in history. While aircraft orders by companies are generally negotiated behind closed doors and thus I can't say how much money is actually changing hands, the approximate value of this deal is hypothetically 55 billion US dollars.

This will more than double IndiGo's existing 308-strong fleet, consisting of A320-family jets and ATR-72 turboprops. They are already the largest operator of the A320neo in the world, and have a truly stunning 999 aircraft on order.

Well. Assuming nothing changes, we will have a thousand more of these in the world by 2035. How do I feel about that?

Those living in the West might not be familiar with IndiGo (full name InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., not to be confused with defunct United States carrier Indigo Airlines; callsign "IFLY", not to be confused with Russian charter airline I-Fly) but even without this truly prodigious order they're pretty massive. In fact, they're the largest carrier in the world's most populous country. Currently headed by the former CEO of KLM, they are also the largest low-cost carrier in all of Asia.

It's interesting, but somehow this livery doesn't feel like it has much gravitas to it. That's fine for a low-cost carrier, it just feels a bit surreal that this is the current record-holder for largest bulk order of aircraft. Not the Delta-American-United triad, who already have 1,000+ aircraft fleets. Not Emirates and its massive A380 and 777 fleets. Not even a huge flag carrier looking to expand. They're not even a full-blown ULCC, and I could have imagined Ryanair making an order of this magnitude to try and rapidly expand way before I would have bought it from IndiGo. My guess would be that they're feeling a bit threatened by the two massive threats of the Lions Air and Airs Asia, but that's just speculation and also not what I'm here to talk about. I just cannot stop being astounded by this. I don't feel like any airline needs 500 aircraft total, but what would I know?

One neat little touch I'd like to point out is that this plane feels like it had a lot of thought put into how it's seen from the bottom. In particular, the little stick figure/airplane dot thing(?) IndiGo logo is on the bottom, and the little blue swooping line is made an active part of the design under the nose, rather than just trim, the same way as it is on the tail. The logo in particular is super recognizable. I will say, though, the way that it's just dots could probably make people mistake it for some sort of safety lighting rather than iconography, because it does resemble the sort of markers you'd see on the ground at a runway.

Seriously, what is that logo? Is that an airplane? I think it's supposed to be an airplane but it is so simplified it's no longer instantly recognizable.

The font used for the wordmark is ITC Bauhaus, which, sure, that's nice and big and striking, and its branding has not changed since 2006. The color...sure is indigo, though the actual livery on the airplanes pretty heavily skews towards general blue. (We're done with jetBlue, but blue jets will haunt me forever, it seems.) I wish it was a bit bolder on the actual fuselage, because it's a bit hard to read at times with how thin the letters are.

That said, I have to point it out: Indian carrier operating primarily domestic flights in India, which will mostly be flown on by Indian people, the majority of whom will speak Hindi (the fourth most spoken language on the planet), and yet has the airline's name and website in English but not Devanagari. (EDIT: I have been told by somebody who actually lives in India that English is probably the more broadly accessible choice for a lot of the country, so this is actually not an issue.)

I kind of wonder if ATR operators are drawn to dark swooping curves on the bottom of their planes, because Azul had the same sort of basic shape around the belly fairing. I think it looks good on the type, don't get me wrong, I'm just curious now if that does factor into the thought process.

I think this livery is exactly as busy as it needs to be. It pinches in neatly under the nose, and I like how it travels up to cover the lower half of the tail. It feels uncommon to see that sort of tail-fuselage integration. It's nice how the light blue line alternately joins and diverges from the darker main body, creating a dynamic feeling, and I like how it's used as almost a rule for the placement of the logo on the tail. (I do wonder why the little plane logo couldn't go there instead, though. Or on the nacelles. Its absence everywhere except the belly seems weird. There actually is a small one on the nose under the windows, but if you can't see it from a distance I don't think it counts.)

The airline operates a total of two freighters, but I just want to point out the commitment to the Go bit, which I like. It's a lot less of a common branding thing than you'd expect, honestly. Surprised more airlines haven't jumped on that.

I really love seeing prop covers on planes. Those are her gloves.

I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that the blue fully retreats in that little center-back fuselage section. From a few angles you get just a sliver of it visible in a way that feels awkward, but in theory I do like it. A bit of white breaking up that line isn't a bad thing.

Grade: C+

As in, we will c +500 of these in the next twenty years.

Well, this has been just a fun little extra. It's a good thing I don't totally hate this, because 500 more of these are about to be flying to an airport near you! (More airports near more people, because I think 1,200 planes for just their current 101 destinations would be serious overkill). What an exciting start to the Paris Air Show, and I live in fear that I'll be forced to rush to my keyboard again when [throws dart] Binter Canarias announces that they [spins wheel] are going to start operating a fleet of secondhand A380s.

[newstfionline]

Sunday, October 6, 2024

When will the power return? Weary Carolinas residents long for relief (AP) The weary and worn residents of Julianne Johnson’s neighborhood in Asheville have been getting by without electricity since Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeast last week and upended their lives. They’ve been cooking on propane stoves and using dry erase boards to keep up with local happenings while wondering when the lights would come back on. Johnson, who has a 5-year-old son and works for a land conservation group, received a text from Duke Energy promising her power would be restored by Friday night. But as of midday, utility poles and wires were still draped at odd angles across the streets, pulled down by mangled trees. “I have no idea what’s next,” said Johnson, whose family does have some power thanks to a generator. “Just the breadth of this over the whole region, it’s kind of amazing.” Nearly 700,000 homes and businesses—mostly in the Carolinas and Georgia—were still without electricity Friday, according to poweroutage.us. That’s an improvement over the more than 2 million customers without power five days ago.

Tropical Storm Milton forms in the Gulf of Mexico, expected to make landfall in Florida this week (Yahoo News) Tropical Storm Milton formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday and is forecast to bring “life-threatening impacts” to Florida—a state just ravaged by Hurricane Helene—next week. In its latest advisory, National Hurricane Center (NHC) meteorologists warned the forecast shows the system nearing near “major hurricane strength” when it makes landfall along Florida’s west coast. “An intense hurricane with multiple life-threatening hazards is likely to affect the west coast of the Florida Peninsula next week,” the advisory stated.

A Pentagon Debate: Are U.S. Deployments Containing the Fighting, or Inflaming It? (NYT) As the Israeli offensive in Lebanon expands to include ground incursions and intensifying airstrikes, senior Pentagon officials are discussing whether the enhanced U.S. military presence in the region is containing a widening war, as they had hoped, or inflaming it. In the 12 months since Hamas attacked Israel, launching a conflict that includes Yemen, Iran and Lebanon, the Pentagon has sent a bristling array of weaponry to the region, including aircraft carriers, guided missile destroyers, amphibious assault ships and fighter squadrons. The Pentagon announced this week that it would add a “few thousand” more troops to the equation and essentially doubled its air power in the region. President Biden says the U.S. hardware and extra troops are there to help defend Israel and to protect other American troops on bases throughout the region. But several Pentagon officials expressed concern that Israel was waging an increasingly aggressive campaign against the Lebanese militia Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful proxy, knowing that an armada of American warships and dozens of attack planes stand ready to help blunt any Iranian response.

Supreme Court will weigh Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. gun makers (AP) The Supreme Court said Friday it will decide whether to block a $10 billion lawsuit Mexico filed against leading U.S. gun manufacturers over allegations their commercial practices have helped caused much bloodshed there. The gun makers asked the justices to undo an appeals court ruling that allowed the lawsuit to go forward despite broad legal protections for the firearm industry. A federal judge has since tossed out the bulk of the lawsuit on other legal grounds, but Mexico could appeal that dismissal. Mexico argues the companies knew weapons were being sold to traffickers who smuggled them into Mexico and decided to cash in on that market. The government estimates 70% of the weapons trafficked into Mexico come from the United States.

Brazil’s Largest Mafia Is Entering Politics (NYT) The city of São Paulo, Brazil, is about to elect its next mayor, but the talk of the town is about a party that’s not on the ballot on Sunday: The “party of crime,” or as it’s formally known, the First Capital Command (P.C.C.). Police officials recently claimed that the criminal group moved almost $1.5 billion through fintech companies, using some funds to finance candidates around São Paulo State. And one of the front-runners for São Paulo mayor, the far-right fitness coach and influencer Pablo Marçal, is running under a small political party whose president was caught on tape bragging about his P.C.C. ties earlier this year. (The party president has denied the audio is of him, but reporters from the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo say they confirmed its authenticity with six independent sources.) While organized crime has long played a substantial role in local politics in countries such as Colombia and Mexico, this was not as much the case in Brazil until recently. Now Brazil faces a reckoning: Curb the criminal organization’s power or watch its influence grow. Once organized crime money floods into politics and the private sector—as it did in 1980s Colombia and in Mexico in the decades since—it’s difficult to reverse. It can make politicians more beholden to mafias than voters, judges more responsive to crime bosses than their victims and firms allied with crime more profitable than their rule-abiding rivals.

Floods inundate Thailand’s northern tourist city of Chiang Mai (AP) Chiang Mai, Thailand’s northern city popular with tourists, was inundated by widespread flooding Saturday as its main river overflowed its banks following heavy seasonal rainfall. Authorities ordered some evacuations and said they were working to pump water out of residential areas and clear obstructions from waterways and drains to help water recede faster. Dozens of shelters were set up across the city to accommodate residents whose home were flooded. The Chiang Mai city government said the water level of the Ping River, which runs along the eastern edge of the city, was at critically high levels and was rising since Friday.

One year in, war casts a shadow over every aspect of life in Israel (AP) At a busy Tel Aviv entertainment district, diners spill into outdoor seating and clink glasses as music fills the air. There’s laughter, there’s life. But all around the patrons, staring down from lampposts and shop windows, are pictures of hostages held in Gaza, stark reminders that Israel is at war and forever scarred by the deadliest attack in its history. As Israel’s war with Hamas reaches its one-year mark, it can seem on the surface that much of life in the country has returned to normal. But with many still reeling from Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, hostages remaining in captivity and a new front of war with Hezbollah in the north, many Israelis feel depressed, despondent and angry as the war stretches into its second year. Uncertainty over the future has cast a pall over virtually every part of daily life, even as people try to maintain a sense of normalcy.

Israeli airstrikes rock southern suburbs of Beirut and cut off a key crossing into Syria (AP) Israel carried out another series of punishing airstrikes Friday, hitting suburban Beirut and cutting off the main border crossing between Lebanon and Syria for tens of thousands of people fleeing the Israeli bombardment of the Hezbollah militant group. The overnight blasts in Beirut’s southern suburbs sent huge plumes of smoke and flames into the night sky and shook buildings kilometers (miles) away in the Lebanese capital. Additional strikes sent people running for cover in streets littered with rubble in the Dahiyeh neighborhood, where at least one building was leveled and cars were burned out. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported more than 10 consecutive airstrikes in the area. Some 1,400 Lebanese, including Hezbollah fighters and civilians, have been killed and some 1.2 million driven from their homes since Israel escalated its strikes in late September aiming to cripple Hezbollah and push it away from the countries’ shared border.

Lebanon's Christian cities become havens (NZZ/Switzerland) Even several days after the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, an all-important figure in Lebanese politics, the country seems paralyzed by fear. Christians are worried that they will once again come under attack. Most of them did not want this war. Now they have to watch powerlessly as their country goes under. This is particularly noticeable in Zahle. The city on the eastern edge of the Lebanon Mountains is considered the last outpost of Lebanese Christianity. The flat landscape beyond is mostly home to alternating Shiite and Sunni villages. “Zahle has always been on its own,” says Assad Zogaib, the city's mayor, while he sits on the second floor of a palatial building and smokes a thick cigar. Because of their exposed location, the residents have developed a special sense of community: “We look after our own affairs. There is cleanliness and order in our city.” Zahle is indeed a sparkling clean city­—in stark contrast to the poor, rundown villages in the nearby Bekaa. There's a Dunkin' Donuts, freshly paved roads, neatly trimmed trees, and cafes where people can sit on the banks of a bubbling mountain stream. In addition, Zahle is the only city in economically devastated Lebanon that produces its own electricity and almost always has power. It is also the temporary home of around 15,000 desperate refugees from other parts of Lebanon. Neither East Beirut nor the mountains north of it—where the heartland of Lebanon's mostly Maronite Christians lies—or Zahle have been the targets of bombs so far. Instead, these areas are becoming a place of refuge for the now one million displaced people.

Relatives say a whole family was killed in Israel’s deadliest West Bank strike since Oct. 7 (AP) An Israeli airstrike on a West Bank cafe that the military said targeted Palestinian militants also killed a family of four, including two young children, relatives told The Associated Press on Friday. The strike slammed into a three-story building in the Tulkarem refugee camp late Thursday, setting it on fire, destroying a popular cafe and killing at least 18 Palestinians, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. It was the deadliest strike in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war nearly a year ago. On Friday, paramedics searched the rubble inside the blasted-out coffee shop, gathering human remains into small boxes. Among the dead was the Abu Zahra family: Muhammad, a bakery worker; his wife, Saja; and their two children, Sham, 8, and Karam, 6, according to the man’s brother, Mustafa Abu Zahra, who said the family lived above the coffee shop. He added that one of Muhammad’s brothers-in-law was also in the apartment at the time and was killed.

Solar power companies are growing fast in Africa, where 600 million still lack electricity (AP) Companies that bring solar power to some of the poorest homes in Central and West Africa are said to be among the fastest growing on a continent whose governments have long struggled to address some of the world’s worst infrastructure. The often African-owned companies operate in areas where the vast majority of people live disconnected from the electricity grid, and offer products ranging from solar-powered lamps that allow children to study at night to elaborate home systems that power kitchen appliances and plasma televisions. Central and West Africa have some of the world’s lowest electrification rates. In West Africa, where 220 million people live without power, this is as low as 8%, according to the World Bank. Many rely on expensive kerosene and other fuels that fill homes and businesses with fumes and risk causing fires.

[shipping-industry42]

How do oil tanker shipping companies in Mumbai navigate environmental challenges?

For oil tanker shipping companies in Mumbai, we provide comprehensive ship agency and logistics solutions. Our extensive partner network enables us to deliver port agency, marine, and logistics services seamlessly. From pre-arrival to post-departure, our operational team ensures precise and swift communication for efficient disbursement control. Leveraging our expertise, we prioritize quick vessel entry and exit from ports, managing all port services efficiently.

Recognizing the pivotal role of a qualified crew in ensuring safe and smooth vessel operations, we emphasize crew quality and efficiency. With crewing offices in Chennai, Goa, Mumbai, and Kochi, we maintain one of India's largest pools of skilled and dedicated seafarers.

Our crew supply services cater to various vessel types, employing modern search and selection techniques to recruit professionals with both the requisite qualifications and the right attitude for the job. From recruitment and training to management and deployment, we oversee all aspects of crew management, ensuring suitability for different vessels.

[villagemoversandstorage1]

Navigating Relocation: Tips for Selecting a Reliable Home Moving Company

Relocating to a new home is a significant event that requires careful planning and organization. One of the most critical decisions you’ll make during this process is selecting a reliable home moving company.

The right movers can make the transition smooth and stress-free, while the wrong choice can lead to delays, damages, and added costs. Here are some essential tips for selecting a reliable home moving company to ensure your relocation goes as smoothly as possible.

Start with Research and Recommendations

Begin your search by gathering recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues who have recently moved. Personal experiences can provide valuable insights into the reliability and professionalism of different moving companies.

Additionally, conduct online research to find companies in your area. Websites like Yelp, customer Reviews, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) offer customer reviews and ratings that can help you assess a company's reputation.

Verify Credentials and Licensing

Ensure that the moving company you are considering is properly licensed and insured. In the United States, interstate movers are required to register with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and obtain a unique DOT number.

You can verify a mover’s licensing status and check for any complaints on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) website. For local moves, check with your state’s regulatory body to confirm the company’s credentials.

Obtain Multiple Quotes

Contact at least three moving companies to request detailed, written estimates. Be cautious of estimates given over the phone or online without an in-person assessment of your belongings.

A reputable moving company will conduct an on-site evaluation or a video survey to provide a more accurate quote. Compare the estimates, looking for transparency in pricing and a clear breakdown of services and fees.

Understand the Services Offered

Different moving companies offer varying levels of service. Determine your needs and ensure the company can meet them. Services may include packing and unpacking, loading and unloading, bulk storage solutions, and specialized handling for fragile or valuable items. Clarify what is included in the estimate and ask about any additional costs for extra services.

Check for Insurance and Liability Coverage

Ask about the company’s insurance policies and liability coverage. While most moving companies offer basic coverage, it may not fully protect your belongings. Consider purchasing additional insurance for valuable or irreplaceable items. Ensure you understand the terms of coverage, including how to file a claim in case of loss or damage.

Look for Red Flags

Be aware of warning signs that may indicate a less reputable moving company. These can include:

Requests for large deposits or full payment upfront.

Lack of a physical address or company branding.

Incomplete or vague contract terms.

Poor communication or unprofessional behavior.

Overly low estimates that seem too good to be true.

Read the Contract Carefully

Before signing any agreement, thoroughly read the contract and ensure you understand all terms and conditions. The contract should include:

The company’s contact information.

A detailed list of services and their costs.

The pickup and delivery dates.

Insurance and liability coverage details.

The process for filing claims.

Plan Ahead and Book Early

Reliable moving companies are often booked well in advance, especially during peak moving seasons (spring and summer). Once you have chosen a mover, book their services as early as possible to secure your desired moving date. Early booking also allows for better planning and preparation.

Communicate Clearly

Maintain open and clear communication with your chosen moving company throughout the process. Provide detailed instructions and any special requirements, such as the handling of fragile items or access restrictions at your new home. Clear communication helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures a smoother move.

Conclusion

Selecting a reliable home moving company is crucial for a successful relocation. By conducting thorough research, verifying credentials, obtaining detailed quotes, and understanding the services offered, you can make an informed decision. Careful planning and clear communication with your chosen movers will help ensure a seamless and stress-free transition to your new home. With these tips in mind, you’ll be well-equipped to navigate your relocation with confidence.

[marionette-idk]

1 and 2

Holy shit. I get to talk abt kate AND vee? you spoil me <3

So, first, introductions: Katherynne Sheffeld, or Kate, is an eladrin elf coastal druid. Vee is a changeling trickster cleric, recently turned dhampir. NOW ONTO SOME COMPARING.

Ok so they both have a found family thing going on. Hannah is Kate's older sister, and also a random human sailor she met at the port when she was like 12. Rye is Vee's "sworn enemy" and closest person. Hannah and Rye are both redheads which is a funny coincidence. Also, both Kate and Vee are terrified of their respective person ever leaving them. This may have come up in both campaigns. More than once.

Even aside from their closest person, both of them are very attached to some people in their parties. Vee cares a lot for Dominica (our rogue) and has a deep respect for Ceridwen (our paladin) (Which is wild bc it's hard to get Vee to respect anyone at any given point.) On Kate's side, she loves Valoran and Liz a lot (our fighter and rogue!) (fun fact, Valoran and Ceridwen are played by the same person! i guess there's just something abt taliesin pc's?). They both care for everyone else in their parties too, these are just the people they are closer to.

They are both healers with great capability for offense. Both druids and clerics can be beasts if you know how to play them. But they both focus on healing when its needed, and they are the parties revivify diamond carrier lmao. They also both have a big fear of failing at their job, and someone dying because they weren't fast enough.

They also both have very long lifespans, and suffer because of it. Kate, as an elf druid, will live up to around 7000 years, and will get to see all of her friends die. Vee, recently turned into a vampire, is looking into an equally lonely future, now functionally immortal. She will get to see all her little siblings and Rye die, but at least she'll have the company of Ceri and Thymmy, the other dhampirs in the group (There is a lot of them lmao)

Now, onto the contrasts.

Kate is a way more cheerful person than Vee. She is very emotional, and wears those emotions on her sleeve. And on her face, too! As an eladrin elf, her form changes with her emotions, cycling trough the 4 seasons. On the other side, Vee is a more reserved person, and outright mean at times. He's doesn't care too much for interacting with other people, and really only gets comfortable after knowing someone for a while. He is perfectly content with his small circle of friends, thank you very much.

I think Kate also has adventuring in her soul. Even after her campaign ended, she wanted nothing but to keep sailing the seas. Vee doesn't enjoy stopping for too long, but mostly because it doesn't feel realistic to her. Living a quiet, peaceful life with the people he loves is the dream. However, if those people prefer moving around, she doesn't mind it too much. Just as long as she has somewhere to return to.

When it comes to aesthetics, these two are Very Different. Kate does change how she dresses relatively often, but she tends to stick to a similar sillhouette (her summer clothes being an exemption of this.) She likes "lolita" dresses, and lots of jewelry. Vee, on the other side, likes dressing formal, but sticks to a monotone palette. After recently ditching her old cleric robes, she's mostly been dressing in nice dress pants, short sleeved button ups, and pinstripe vests. He can appreciate a skirt once in a while, but it's usually a long, straight one, without a lot of bulk.

But i think this post is long enough, and those are the main things i can think about right now anyways!

[brexiiton]

Yemen strikes: Houthis hit US-owned ship after 'terror' designation

By Matt Murphy, BBC News, Washington

Yemen's Houthis have targeted a US-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden after Washington said it will re-designate the group as "global terrorists".

The group said they hit the "Genco Picardy" bulk carrier with missiles which resulted in a "direct hit".

The US military says the vessel was hit by a drone on Wednesday evening.

Washington's new designation of the Houthis will require US financial institutions to freeze Houthi funds and its members will be banned from the US.

The Houthi attacks in the Gulf of Aden and neighbouring Red Sea are a response to Israel's military operation in Gaza.

Earlier this month, the UK and US launched air strikes on dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen in an attempt to stop the group from targeting vessels in the waters.

On Wednesday evening, a Houthi spokesperson said the group had successfully targeted the Genco Picardy, and that the attack was a response to "the American-British aggression against our country".

The US military said the ship was hit by a drone launched from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen. It said there was some damage but no injuries, and the vessel remained seaworthy.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the re-designation of the Houthis as "global terrorists" is in response to the Iran-backed group's attacks on commercial shipping in the region.

The move to re-designate the Houthis reverses Secretary of State Antony Blinken's 2021 decision to remove the rebels from the US Specially Designated Global Terrorist Like (SDGT).

In a statement, Mr Sullivan said the recent Houthi attacks "fit the textbook definition of terrorism", as they have put US personnel in danger and jeopardized global trade operations.

"If the Houthis cease their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will immediately re-evaluate this designation," Mr Sullivan added.

In the waning days off the Trump administration officials imposed the SDGT and foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) labels on the Houthis.

The action was taken despite warnings from the UN and aid groups that it could push-war-torn Yemen into a large-scale famine.

But in 2021, shortly after President Joe Biden's inauguration, that decision was reversed by Mr Blinken, the newly installed Secretary of State. He cited the dire humanitarian situation faced by the people of Yemen.

"It was the correct step to revoke," one official said, arguing that it was a move taken in "recognition of a very dire humanitarian situation" in the country and to ensure that "US policies weren't impeding" civilians' access to urgent aid.

But they accepted that the Houthis' campaign of attacks on commercial shipping, which has now seen dozens of missiles fired at vessels in the Red Sea, has become "unacceptable".

The new SDGT designation will also bar people and companies in the US from offering any support to the Houthis.

However, officials were keen to emphasise that a range of exemptions will be worked into the new designation to ensure humanitarian aid continues to flow into Yemen, a country devastated by almost a decade of civil war.

"We are rolling out unprecedented carve outs and licenses to help prevent adverse impacts on the Yemeni people," said Mr Sullivan in his statement. "The people of Yemen should not pay the price for the actions of the Houthis."

The Houthis began attacking merchant vessels in November, saying they were responding to Israel's military operation in Gaza. Since then, the group has launched dozens of attacks on commercial tankers passing through the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

In response, the US and UK launched a wave of air strikes against dozens of Houthi targets on 11 January. The strikes - supported by Australia, Bahrain, the Netherlands and Canada - began after Houthi forces ignored an ultimatum to cease their attacks in the region.

Biden administration officials denied that the new terrorist designation was an acceptance that the air campaign may not deter further Houthi attacks.

"We see these sanctions as one piece of a broader effort to bring the Houthis back from the terror attacks they are currently committing," one official said. "Our sanctions are best not seen in isolation but as part of a broader effort."

In the wake of last week's strikes, the Houthis said the US and UK would "soon realise" the action was "the greatest folly in their history".

"America and Britain made a mistake in launching the war on Yemen because they did not benefit from their previous experiences," senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti wrote on social media.

Yemen has been devastated by a civil war that escalated in 2015, when the Houthis seized control of large parts of the west of the country from the internationally recognised government and a Saudi-led coalition intervened in an effort to restore its rule.

The fighting has reportedly left more than 160,000 people dead and triggered one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, with two thirds of the population - 21 million people - in need of some form of aid.

[mariacallous]

On March 2, she was gone. The Belize-flagged, British-owned bulk carrier Rubymar sank in the narrow water lane between the coasts of Yemen and Eritrea. The Rubymar was the first vessel that has been completely lost since the Houthis began their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea—and its demise, with 21,000 metric tons of ammonium phosphate sulfate fertilizer, spells ecological disaster. A similar substance—ammonium nitrate—caused the devastating explosion at the Port of Beirut in 2020. It had been stored there after being abandoned on a vessel and authorities intervened to prevent an environmental disaster.

Because the Houthis have no regard for the environment, there are likely to be more such disasters. Indeed, groups set on destruction could also decide to attack the carbon storage facilities now beginning to be built underneath the seabed.

For two weeks after being struck by a Houthi missile in the Red Sea, the Rubymar clung to life despite listing badly. The damage caused by the missile, though, was too severe. At 2:15 a.m. local time, the Rubymar disappeared into the depths of the Red Sea. The crew had already been rescued by another merchant vessel that had come to the Rubymar’s aid, but there was no way anyone could remove its toxic cargo.

The ship’s owner had tried to get it towed to the Port of Aden—where Yemen’s internationally recognized government is based—and to Djibouti and Saudi Arabia, but citing the environmental risk posed by the ammonium phosphate sulfate, all three nations refused to receive it.

Now enormous quantities of a hazardous substance are about to spread into the Red Sea. IGAD, a trade bloc comprising countries in the Nile Valley and the Horn of Africa, points out that the Rubymar’s fertilizer cargo and leaking fuel “could devastate marine life and destroy coral reefs, sea life and jeopardize hundreds of thousands of jobs in the fishing industry as well as cut littoral states off from supplies of food and fuel.”

Not even shipping’s option of last resort, salvage companies, seems available. “The salvage companies that normally recover vessels are reluctant to go in,” said Cormac Mc Garry, a maritime expert with intelligence firm Control Risks. That’s because salvage ships and crews, too, risk being targeted by Houthi missiles. “If a salvage company knows it’s likely to be targeted, it will hesitate to take on the task. It has a duty of care for its crew,” said Svein Ringbakken, the managing director of the Norway-based maritime insurance company DNK.

It was only a matter of time before a Houthi missile brought down one of the many tankers and bulk carriers that still traverse the Red Sea every day. (In the first two months of this year, traffic through the Red Sea was down by 50 percent compared to the same period last year.) “The Houthis have no regard for life and even less for the environment,” Ringbakken said. “They shoot missiles at ships even though they know that there are humans and hazardous cargo on them.”

For years, the Houthis allowed an oil supertanker ironically named Safer that was moored off the coast of Yemen to rust away even though she was holding more than 1 million barrels of crude oil. By the beginning of last year, the Safer was close to disintegration: an event that would have cost hundreds of thousands of Yemenis their livelihoods because it would have killed enormous quantities of fish. Indeed, had the Safer’s oil leaked, it would even have forced the Houthi-controlled ports of Hudaydah and Saleef to close, thus preventing ordinary Yemenis from receiving food and other necessities.

It would, of course, also have caused permanent damage to all manner of marine life, including coral reefs and mangroves, in the Red Sea. Then the United Nations pulled off an almost impossible feat: It got Yemen’s warring factions, international agencies, and companies to work together to transfer the oil off the Safer. Disaster was averted. “It was a massive undertaking,” Ringbakken noted. “But for years and years and years, the Houthis were adding impediments against this undertaking, even though the Safer was sitting just off the Yemeni coast.”

Indeed, maritime terrorism itself is not new. “Besides guerrillas and terrorists, attacks have been carried out by modern day pirates, ordinary criminals, fanatic environmentalists, mutinous crews, hostile workers, and foreign agents. The spectrum of actions is equally broad: ships hijacked, destroyed by mines and bombs, attacks with bazookas, sunk under mysterious circumstances; cargos removed; crews taken hostage; extortion plots against ocean liners and offshore platforms; raids on port facilities; attempts to board oil rigs; sabotage at shipyards and terminal facilities; even a plot to steal a nuclear submarine,” researchers at RAND summarized—in 1983.

Now, though, the Houthis have upped the nihilism, and unlike the guerrillas, terrorists, and pirates of the 1980s, they have the weaponry to cause an ocean-going vessel to sink. The joint U.S.-U.K. military operation against the Houthis has failed to deter the Iranian-backed militia’s attacks; indeed, not even air strikes by U.S. and U.K. forces have convinced the Houthis that it’s time to stop. On the contrary, they’re escalating their attacks. They do so because they’re completely unconcerned about loss of life within their ranks or harm to their own waters.

It’s giving them a global platform. That, in turn, is likely to encourage other militias to also attack ships carrying toxic substances—even if it ruins their own waters. The local population is hardly in a position to hold a militia accountable. Indeed, militias interested in maritime terrorism could decide that the world’s growing sea-based infrastructure is an attractive target. And there’s a new form of sea-based infrastructure they could decide to make a preferred target, not just because it’s set for explosive growth but because attacking it would guarantee a global platform: CO2 storage.

With the world having failed to reduce its carbon-dioxide emissions enough to halt climate change, CO2 storage has become an urgent priority. Through this technique, carbon dioxide can be captured and buried underground, typically underneath the ocean. Norway has, for example, begun auctioning out licenses for CO2 storage exploration on its continental shelf. So has Britain. The United States has 15 carbon-storage sites, and another 121 are being developed. Even Big Oil has discovered carbon storage. ExxonMobil is buying offshore blocks to use for carbon storage instead of oil drilling.

Carbon storage sites are, of course, designed to withstand both natural perils and man-made attacks, but that won’t prevent destructive groups—especially ones backed by a powerful state—from trying. And because groups like the Houthis are so unconcerned about all forms of life, it won’t matter to them that releasing concentrated CO2 would cause extreme harm to the planet—including themselves. Even a tiny carbon-storage leakage of 0.1 percent per year can lead to additional CO2 emissions of 25 giga-tonnes, researchers have established.

Until recently, sea-based infrastructure was only lightly guarded, because it was in everyone’s interest that it worked. The sabotage of Nord Stream and various other pipelines and undersea cables over the past two years have demonstrated that such peacefulness can no longer be taken for granted. The new CO2 sites will need not just AI-enhanced monitoring but regular patrolling to communicate to potential attackers that it’s not even worth attempting an attack.

And for now, attacking merchant vessels remains a promising and economical strategy for the Houthis and their ilk. It doesn’t seem to matter that ammonium phosphate sulfate will soon be poisoning Yemeni waters and thus depriving locals of their livelihoods. Indeed, other bulk carriers and tankers may soon join the Rubymar on the bottom of the sea, poisoning the future for even more Yemenis.

For the Houthis, what matters is not the outcome: It’s the attention. That’s what makes them such a vexing problem for the U.S. Navy and other navies, shipowners, maritime insurers, and especially for seafarers. But there is another group that should be just as worried about the rampant insecurity on the high seas: ocean conservationists.

There is, in fact, a woman with an unsurpassed green platform who could make the growing scourge of maritime terrorism her new cause. (Nearly) everyone would thank you, Greta.