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Trump Confirms Haley and Pompeo Will Not Join Second Administration

President-elect Donald Trump has announced that former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will not be part of his administration in its second term. Trump expressed his appreciation for their past service but confirmed that they would not hold key positions in his upcoming administration. Haley, who served as South Carolina's governor before becoming the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, has been a significant figure in the Republican Party. Despite once criticizing Trump during their 2016 primaries clash, she later endorsed him for his second bid for the presidency. Pompeo, who served as the CIA Director and later Secretary of State during Trump's first term, was another figure many speculated might return in a senior role. Trump's decision marks a shift in the dynamics within the GOP, as he prepares to form his team for the next four years. The absence of Haley and Pompeo in his second-term cabinet signals a move towards

Ship Attacked by Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Sinks in Red Sea: First Vessel Lost in Conflict

 

On Saturday, March 2, 2024, the Belize-flagged ship Rubymar met a tragic fate in the Red Sea. After days of battling the relentless onslaught of water, it succumbed to its watery grave, becoming the first vessel fully destroyed in the ongoing conflict.

The Rubymar had been drifting northward, a mere shadow of its former self, after being struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on February 18. The attack occurred in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial waterway that links the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Yemen’s internationally recognized government, along with a regional military official, confirmed the ship’s tragic fate.

The sinking of the Rubymar reverberates far beyond its steel hull. As ships navigate the Red Sea, a vital artery for cargo and energy shipments between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, the Houthi attacks have already disrupted maritime traffic. Many vessels have rerouted to avoid the danger zone. Now, with the Rubymar’s demise, further detours and higher insurance rates may plague the waterway, potentially impacting global inflation and aid shipments to the region.

The Rubymar carried a cargo of fertilizer, and fuel leaked from its battered frame. The U.S. military’s Central Command had previously warned that this combination could cause ecological damage to the Red Sea. Yemen’s exiled government, backed by a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, lamented the ship’s sinking as an “unprecedented environmental disaster.” Prime Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak expressed his anguish, stating, “It’s a new disaster for our country and our people.”

Curiously, the Iran-backed Houthis, who had initially claimed the ship sank almost instantly after the attack, remained silent about the Rubymar’s final plunge. Their lack of acknowledgment adds to the mystery surrounding this maritime tragedy.

The Rubymar’s fate serves as a stark reminder of the human and environmental toll exacted by conflict. As the waves close over its wreckage, the Red Sea bears witness to yet another chapter in a long and troubled history.

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