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An oil tanker is on fire in the Red Sea after a missile attack by Houthi fighters.

In a statement, the ship’s owner Trafigura, which has offices in Britain, said firefighting equipment on board was being deployed to control the flames and the safety of the crew is its “foremost priority”.

A spokesperson for the commodities giant, said: “Earlier on 26 January, the Marlin Luanda, a petroleum products tanker vessel operated on behalf of Trafigura, was struck by a missile as it transited the Red Sea.

“Firefighting equipment on board is being deployed to suppress and control the fire caused in one cargo tank on the starboard side.

“The safety of the crew is our foremost priority.

“We remain in contact with the vessel and are monitoring the situation carefully. Military ships in the region are underway to provide assistance.”

UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an incident 60 nautical miles south-east of Aden on Friday.

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A statement from Brigadier General Yahya Saree of the Yemeni Armed Forces, said: “In vindication of the oppressed Palestinian people and in support and solidarity with our brothers in the Gaza Strip, and within the response to the American-British aggression against our country Yemeni naval forces carried out a targeting operation on the British oil ship (MARLIN LUANDA) In the Gulf of Aden.

“Using a number of appropriate naval missiles, the strike was direct, and resulted the burning of the vessel.

“Yemeni Armed Forces persist with their military operations: enforcing a blockade on Israeli navigation in the Red and Arabian seas until a ceasefire is achieved in Gaza, and food and medicine are allowed in to the besieged Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”

Shipping data suggests the vessel sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands.

UKMTO said authorities have been informed and are responding to the latest strike, warning other vessels to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.

The Houthis have repeatedly launched attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November over Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, endangering shipping on a key route for global trade.

Alongside numerous air strikes on key Houthi targets, the UK and US are also targeting key figures in the Iran-backed militant group with sanctions.

A second series of UK and US air strikes, carried out at the start of the week, appears to have done little to deter Houthi action.

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Ukraine war: ‘We’ve never been closer to a peace deal’ – Trump and Putin to hold talks on ending conflict

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Ukraine war: 'We've never been closer to a peace deal' - Trump and Putin to hold talks on ending conflict

Donald Trump will speak to Vladimir Putin by phone later today – with the White House saying “we’ve never been closer to a peace deal” in Ukraine.

In a post on Truth Social, the US president said he would be speaking to his Russian counterpart on Tuesday morning – adding: “Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains.

“Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier deaths, from both sides, and it must end NOW.”

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What will Trump and Putin discuss?

While aboard Air Force One, Mr Trump had told reporters that land and power plants were part of the conversation on bringing the war to a close.

After crunch talks in Saudi Arabia between US and Ukrainian diplomats, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week that Kyiv would accept a 30-day pause in fighting if Russia committed to it as well.

Since then, Mr Putin has said he agrees fighting in Ukraine should end – but warned “lots of questions” remain over the proposed ceasefire.

He has also met US envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss the details of the proposal.

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‘We have to keep pressure on Putin’

It comes as Ukraine’s air defence units said they shot down 90 of 174 drones launched by Russia in an overnight attack on Monday.

Russia has been attacking the Odesa region with drones and missiles on a daily basis for three weeks, the air force said – adding that 70 other drones were disrupted in the attack.

Odesa Governor Oleh Kiper added a civilian was injured during the strikes, which damaged a kindergarten, a house, a shop and a car.

Biden children’s security detail revoked

In other developments, Mr Trump said on Truth Social that he is “immediately” revoking Secret Service protection that was being given to Joe Biden’s children.

He claimed 18 agents were assigned to Hunter Biden’s protective detail while in South Africa this week – and added Ashley Biden had 13 agents assigned to her detail who “will be taken off the list”.

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Israel carries out ‘extensive strikes’ in Gaza – and warns it will act with ‘increasing military force’

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Israel carries out 'extensive strikes' in Gaza - and warns it will act with 'increasing military force'

Israel says it is currently carrying out “extensive strikes on terror targets” across the Gaza Strip.

A statement added that “from now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military force”.

According to the Reuters news agency, a senior Hamas official said Israel is unilaterally ending the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Early on Tuesday, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said at least 44 people were killed in the airstrikes.

An ambulance outside al Aqsa Hospital. Pic: AP
Image:
An ambulance outside al Aqsa Hospital. Pic: AP

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s Office said Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Israel Katz ordered the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) to “act forcefully” against Hamas.

It came after the militant group “repeatedly refused to release our hostages and rejected all offers it received from the US presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, and from the mediators”.

“The operational plan was presented late last week by the IDF and approved by the political echelon,” the statement added.

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The IDF and Shin Bet described the strikes as “extensive” – and said they were against “terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip”.

Last week, the Gaza health ministry said nine Palestinians, including three journalists, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the northern town of Beit Lahia.

‘I wish to leave’

A Palestinian source who lives in central Gaza told Sky News’ US correspondent Mark Stone the strikes were “not a surprise” and that “I guess the strongest ones can do whatever they want”.

The source then said, according to Mr Stone, that “we were sure that this war wouldn’t end” and added: “I wish they (Israel) would open the Rafah border crossing (into Egypt).

“I wish to leave. I cannot take it anymore.”

It comes almost two months after a three-phase ceasefire was reached by Hamas and Israel to pause the war.

Over the first phase of the ceasefire, which lasted six weeks, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages held in Gaza and five Thai nationals, in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

But since the first phase officially concluded, both Israel and Hamas have failed to agree on how to progress with the second phase – which would see the release of the remaining Israeli hostages and end the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip.

US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff proposed extending the first phase through to the end of Ramadan and Passover, or until 20 April, which Hamas rejected.

At the start of March, Israel said it stopped all goods and supplies to Gaza after claiming Hamas was refusing to “accept the Witkoff outline for continuing the talks, which Israel agreed to”. Hamas called it “a war crime and a blatant attack”.

Five days later, Israel said it had cut off the electricity supply to Gaza.

The war in Gaza began after Hamas militants carried out a cross-border raid into southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing around 250 hostages, according to Israeli officials.

Israel responded by launching an air and ground offensive in Gaza which has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, say Gaza health officials.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Fox News interview that US President Donald Trump’s administration was consulted by Israel on the strikes earlier on Monday.

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‘He doesn’t speak for Ireland’: Irish leaders critical of McGregor-Trump meeting

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'He doesn't speak for Ireland': Irish leaders critical of McGregor-Trump meeting

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor has met Donald Trump in the Oval Office after complaining about Ireland’s “illegal immigration racket”.

The 36-year-old told Mr Trump that his work ethic was “inspiring”, with the two men sharing jovial comments about the fighter’s suit and a map featuring the Gulf of Mexico labelled as the Gulf of America.

In comments made in the White House briefing room before the meeting during the St. Patrick’s Day visit, he said he was visiting the White House to “raise the issues the people of Ireland face”.

“What is going on in Ireland is a travesty,” he said. “Our government is the government of zero action with zero accountability.”

Trump and McGregor meeting in the Oval Office. Pic: X/@MargoMartin47
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Trump and McGregor meeting in the Oval Office. Pic: X/@MargoMartin47

McGregor warned “Ireland is at the cusp of potentially losing its Irishness” due to the “illegal immigration racket”.

“Ireland and America, we are siblings. We consider America our big sibling. So it’s important for Ireland to be a peaceful, prosperous country for 40 million Irish Americans to have a place to visit, [to] come back to their home.

“So we wish for our relationship with the United States to continue, and we wish to be taken care of by the big bro. The United States should look after its little bro. And that’s how we feel,” McGregor said.

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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who appeared alongside McGregor in the briefing room, said: “We couldn’t think of a better guest to have with us on St. Patrick’s Day.”

At a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin last week, Mr Trump said McGregor was his favourite Irish person partly because “he’s got the best tattoos I’ve ever seen”.

UFC fighter Conor McGregor speaks at the briefing room lectern, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at his side, during a visit to the White House in Washington.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
UFC fighter Conor McGregor speaks with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at his side during a visit to the White House in Washington. Pic: Reuters

But Mr Martin and deputy prime minister Simon Harris have been critical of today’s Trump-McGregor meeting.

In a post on X, Mr Martin said: “McGregor’s remarks are wrong, and do not reflect the spirit of St Patrick’s Day, or the views of the people of Ireland.”

Meanwhile, Mr Harris said that McGregor was not in the US to represent Ireland and did not speak for the people of Ireland, and “has no mandate to”.

In exclusive comments made to Sky News’ David Blevins about Mr Martin’s comments, McGregor said: “Shame on him for saying that, speaking down on an Irish man.”

He added: “Every metric available to us has shown that the government of Ireland has failed the people of Ireland.”

Mr Trump is well known for his support of Ultimate Fighting Championship, which McGregor is best known for competing in, and attended bouts during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Read more: The deepening ties that led to the controversial Tates flying to freedom in US

McGregor is a controversial figure in Ireland after a woman who accused him of raping her won her civil case and was awarded more than £200,000 in damages.

Tesco was among the retailers that stopped selling alcohol brands linked to McGregor after Nikita Hand was awarded €248,603 (£206,000) after a jury found McGregor assaulted her in a hotel in 2018.

McGregor is appealing against the outcome of the civil case.

McGregor also pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in a Dublin pub in 2019 and has been subject to several other allegations of assault and sexual assault.

His social media posts were also linked to the 2023 Dublin riots. Irish police were reportedly investigating McGregor’s posts for alleged incitement to hatred in relation to the riots.

McGregor, nicknamed the Notorious, rose to worldwide prominence for winning several UFC championships.

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