The Belgian frigate Louise-Marie has joined the European operation Aspides in the Red Sea.
The Louise-Marie will participate in the Aspides mission for “just over five weeks” before moving onto a two-week stint in the Strait of Hormuz for the Agenor mission, which has long been scheduled.
Launched by the European Union on 19 February with a one-year mandate, Aspides aims to secure commercial navigation in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and up to the north-western area of the Indian Ocean.
The Aspides operation does not carry out any on-land attacks, with its mission being purely defensive. It escorts merchant vessels, protects them against potential offensives, and monitors the situation, with the aim of preserving as much freedom of navigation for trade as possible and preventing the spread of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict throughout the region.
The operation is commanded from an operational headquarters in Larissa, Greece.
In January, all 27 members agreed in principle on a defensive naval mission in the Red Sea and surrounding areas. The Belgian government had already announced it would participate in the fleet with the Louise-Marie, which has been at sea since 10 March with 175 crew members.
Read More Via The Brussels Times
Albanian organised crime groups have significantly expanded their presence across Europe in recent years and, according to anti-mafia researcher Professor Vincenzo Musacchio, have become...
Microsoft said it is creating a new company that will help customers select AI technologies that work for their businesses and generate returns on their investment.
Microsoft Frontie...
Updated 1020
Benna Raises Milk Prices Again as Production Costs Climb: Malta Dairy Products Ltd has increased the prices of several Benna dairy products for the second time in a year,...
Morning Briefing
Yorgen Fenech trial over Daphne Caruana Galizia murder begins
The long-awaited trial by jury of Yorgen Fenech over the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia ...
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax rules across the European Union, reducing compliance burdens for businesses and strength...
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
Microsoft said it is creating a new company that will help customers select AI technologies that work for their businesses and generate returns on their investment.
Microsoft Frontie...
Malta Public Transport will be organising special bus services for the BBC Concert taking place on 4th July 2026, at the Granaries in Floriana.
In order to provide a more convenient t...
The European Parliament has approved a major new initiative aimed at reducing workplace accidents and strengthening worker protection across the European Union, as concerns continue to g...
The European Union has approved new rules aimed at tightening the screening of foreign investments in strategic sectors, marking a major shift in Europe’s approach towards economic secur...
Malta Public Transport will be organising special bus services for the BBC Concert taking place on 4th July 2026, at the Granaries in Floriana.
In order to provide a more convenient t...
One month after Gozo’s public transport service has been fully electrified, Gozo’s bus service has recorded more than 332,000 passenger journeys across more than 16,220 trips, demonstrat...
The U.S. and Iran released the text of an interim agreement their presidents have signed to end their war on Wednesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to resume attacks and...
U.S. and Iranian officials said they had reached an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Te...
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck central Venezuela seconds apart, causing widespread destruct...
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
Kyiv will observe a day of mourning on Friday after a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack killed at least 13 people and injured about 90 others, according to city officials.
...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cut short his visit to Dublin on Wednesday, warning that the Kremlin would soon launch a new large-scale attack on Ukraine.
Zelenskyy was atten...
