MADRID (Reuters) - The volume of goods moving through Spanish ports rose by 6% in 2024 after they became the first point of call in Europe for many companies avoiding attacks by Houthi militia on shipping in the Red Sea and sending their goods around southern Africa.

An explosion has struck a Hong Kong-flagged container ship traveling north through the Red Sea. It sparked a major fire that forced its crew to abandon the vessel.

The Navy’s surface fleet has spent the past 15 months taking down hundreds of missiles and drones fired by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels at U.S. and allied Navies’ ships, as well as commercial vessels in and around the Red Sea.

SAN DIEGO— Sailors aboard the USS Stockdale were tapping threat data analysis from a local naval base hours before their destroyer came under attack by Houthis in the Red Sea—and it was a “game changer,” the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command said Thursday.

Supply chains have had to deal with higher shipping costs, product delivery delays, and increased carbon emissions as a result of this diversion. The Gaza ceasefire gave some hope that the disruption would finally end. But shipping lines will not hurry back to the region until long-term security is guaranteed.

Despite a ceasefire in Gaza and assurances from Yemen's Houthi rebels to scale back attacks on international vessels in the Red Sea, major shipping companies remain hesitant to resume using the Suez Canal due to ongoing security concerns.

Mandeb strait decreased by 50% after the Yemeni rebels launched maritime attacks, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

European forces joined the US Navy last year in an effort to defend key shipping lanes from Houthi rebel attacks.

Just two months ago, a red ribbon tied to a piece of luggage only meant one thing: your bag wouldn’t get lost in the sea of identical suitcases at baggage claim. That was a simpler time. Thanks to “Carry-On,

USS Stockdale destroyed the Houthi drone during a complex attack on American forces in November.

The enchanting dunescape stretches over 43 miles (70 km) along the coast and over 30 miles (50 km) inland. Lençois translates as "bedsheets" in Portuguese and refers to the rolling white dunes that dominate the landscape. The national park is best visited in June, July and August, when the lagoons are at their best, according to Lonely Planet.