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Yemen's Houthis rebels have brought the Gaza war to the Red Sea. Houthis have hijacked a ship, attacked around a dozen others- including a U.S. warship, and are vowing to continue the attacks until the Gaza war comes to an end. Shipping companies have been forced to re-route their vessel in order to avoid the dangerous waters. A U.S-led coalition is promising to defend Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks, but it looks like Operation Prosperity Guardian has hit a roadblock even before it could set sail. To know more watch this insight from Rear Admiral Dr Rakesh Chopra, Maritime Operations expert.

Houthi Rebels hijack Red Sea, Naval coalition suggested

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Maersk sees Red Sea shipping chaos lasting for months

Yemen's Houthis rebels have brought the Gaza war to the Red Sea. Houthis have hijacked a ship, attacked around a dozen others- including a U.S. warship, and are vowing to continue the attacks until the Gaza war comes to an end. Shipping companies have been forced to re-route their vessel in order to avoid the dangerous waters. A U.S-led coalition is promising to defend Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks, but it looks like Operation Prosperity Guardian has hit a roadblock even before it could set sail.

The Pirates of the Red Sea: Houthi Rebels hijack critical waterway

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Former Russian television journalist Yekaterina Duntsova, who had put her name forward as an independent candidate in Russia’s upcoming presidential election, has been barred from running against President Vladimir Putin.

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A massive forgotten colony – which was once off the coast of Australia and was home to hundreds of thousands of people – has now been found by the scientists. 
 
Various signs of human life and artefacts were discovered on Sahul's northwest shelf, which was located off the coast of Kimberley's northern region on a piece of land that was connected to New Guinea, as per a study published&nbsp;in Quaternary Science Reviews. 
 
The piece of land, which was drowned, was most probably a thriving ecosystem which existed in the Late Pleistocene period that dates back&nbsp;2.5 million years. 
 
The now-submerged landmass was spread in the area of 250,000 square miles which was 1.6 times the size of the United Kingdom. 
 
The continental shelf, which was once believed to be a desert, was filled with rivers and streams, habitable fresh and saltwater lakes, as well as a large inland sea, which is likely to have supported around 50,000 and 500,000 people.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/nw-submerged-sahul-region-of-australia-once-hosted-around-half-million-population-study-672143">Millions once lived on a land larger than New Zealand. Rising seas swallowed it</a>

As per the scientists, the shelf may have also served as a bridge for people to walk into Australia before the country turned into the massive island it is today.

<h2>Continental shelf drowned amid global sea level rise</h2>

Nearly half of the shelf had drowned around 12,000 to 9,000 years ago which marked the first of two phases of rapid global sea level rise. 
 
“This likely caused a retreat of human populations, registering as peaks in occupational intensity at archaeological sites,” wrote the scientists. 
 
The people who funnelled into an archipelago on the continental shelf became the “first maritime explorers from Wallacea, creating a familiar environment for their maritime economies to adapt to the vast terrestrial continent of Sahul.”

Watch:&nbsp;Bushfire in Pilliga State Forest ravage Australia&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/bushfire-in-pilliga-state-forest-ravage-australia-english-news-wion-671608/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The scientists have been working to uncover the lost colony's history and plan to carry on the reconstruction of the palaeoecology of the landscapes. 
 
“Now submerged continental margins clearly played an important role in early human expansions across the world,” stated the study. 
 
“The rise in undersea archaeology in Australia will contribute to a growing worldwide picture of early human migration and the impact of climate change on Late Pleistocene human populations,” it added.

(With inputs from agencies)

A massive forgotten colony – which was once off the coast of Australia and was home to hundreds of thousands of people – has now been found by the scientists. Various signs of human life and artefacts were discovered on Sahul's northwest shelf, which was located off the coast of Kimberley's northern region on a piece of land that was connected to New Guinea, as per a study published in Quaternary Science Reviews.

A massive forgotten colony – which was once off the coast of Australia and was home to hundreds of thousands of people – has now been found by the scientists. Various signs of human life and artefacts were discovered on Sahul's northwest shelf, which was located off the coast of Kimberley's northern region on a piece of land that was connected to New Guinea, as per a study published in Quaternary Science Reviews. The piece of land, which was drowned, was most probably a thriving ecosystem which existed in the Late Pleistocene period that dates back 2.5 million years. The now-submerged landmass was spread in the area of 250,000 square miles which was 1.6 times the size of the United Kingdom. The continental shelf, which was once believed to be a desert, was filled with rivers and streams, habitable fresh and saltwater lakes, as well as a large inland sea, which is likely to have supported around 50,000 and 500,000 people. Also read: Millions once lived on a land larger than New Zealand. Rising seas swallowed it As per the scientists, the shelf may have also served as a bridge for people to walk into Australia before the country turned into the massive island it is today. Continental shelf drowned amid global sea level rise Nearly half of the shelf had drowned around 12,000 to 9,000 years ago which marked the first of two phases of rapid global sea level rise. “This likely caused a retreat of human populations, registering as peaks in occupational intensity at archaeological sites,” wrote the scientists. The people who funnelled into an archipelago on the continental shelf became the “first maritime explorers from Wallacea, creating a familiar environment for their maritime economies to adapt to the vast terrestrial continent of Sahul.” Watch: Bushfire in Pilliga State Forest ravage Australia The scientists have been working to uncover the lost colony's history and plan to carry on the reconstruction of the palaeoecology of the landscapes. “Now submerged continental margins clearly played an important role in early human expansions across the world,” stated the study. “The rise in undersea archaeology in Australia will contribute to a growing worldwide picture of early human migration and the impact of climate change on Late Pleistocene human populations,” it added. (With inputs from agencies)

Australia's lost ancient colony, where thousands once lived, now found

Let's take a look at Christmas celebrations from around the world. From the religious Bethlehem to the cold Russia.

Israel-Hamas war: Pope Francis prays for people suffering from war

Rats, bats and bees are becoming man's new best friend. You will be surprised how these creatures are helping to solve serious problems from sniffing out landmines to solving the age-old human-elephant conflict. These creatures are redefining their roles and are on a mission to change perceptions of their species. Here's a report.

Rats, Bats and Bees are now man's new best friend, here's why

The Red Sea standoff continues to escalate every day Yemen's Houthi Rebels carried on with their barrage of targeted attacks on what the group refer towards Israel Affiliated ships. The latest US and Iran are involved in a war of words the former had previously accused Iran of backing the Houthis in their attacks on private vessels crossing the Red Sea. But on Saturday Iran's foreign minister rejected the accusations of their involvement.

Israel-Hamas war: Will US naval task force ease or escalate tensions in the Red Sea?

The Turkish air force conducted air strikes in northern Iraq and Syria and destroyed 29 targets of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) after 12 soldiers were killed in the past two days in northern Iraq.

Turkey conducts air strikes in northern Iraq, Syria after 12 soldiers killed

An unclaimed missile strike has resulted in a fire on board a merchant ship that reportedly was headed towards Israel in The Indian Ocean. The vessel is Affiliated with Israel and the Indian Coast Guard has been dispatched with a warship for immediate assistance to all people on board.

Merchant ship linked to Israel hit by drone strike off India's coast

As deaths soar in Gaza from Israeli strikes, Egypt offers aid, but no exit. Further war risks new front with Iran proxy groups.

Israel-Palestine War: Iran denies helping Houthis plan attack on Israel

The United States shot down four drones headed towards a U.S. destroyer in the southern Red Sea and launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Saturday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

US shoots down 4 drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas: Reports

OPEC nations Iraq, Nigeria and the Republic of Congo affirmed their commitment to the oil-producer group following the exit of Angola last week.

OPEC nations affirm commitment to group after Angola's exit

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on Sunday reportedly struck an Indian-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea. The attack, which was unsuccessful, prompted the vessel to head back towards India. The attack came a day after another oil tanker came under drone attack off the Indian coast. The US on Sunday said the attack was carried out by Iran.&nbsp;Pentagon in a statement to WION said that the attack occurred at approximately 10 am local time in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles from the coast of India. It said that the "motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker" was hit by "a one-way attack drone fired from Iran." Meanwhile in US, the authorities said they were responding to “an active shooting” at the Paddock mall in Ocala, located about 80 miles north-west of Orlando, on the day before Christmas Eve.

Click on the headlines to read more.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/houthis-strike-indian-flagged-oil-tanker-with-drone-in-red-sea-us-military-673011">Houthis strike Indian-flagged oil tanker with drone in Red Sea: US military</a>

<img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/12/24/401266-107349229-1702956760977-gettyimages-1534870544-afp33p76d6.jpeg?imwidth=3840" />Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked an Indian-flagged crude oil tanker with a drone in the Red Sea, the US military reported Sunday morning (Dec 24).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-pentagon-accuses-iran-for-drone-attack-on-israel-affiliated-chemical-tanker-off-indian-coast-672986">Pentagon accuses Iran for drone attack on 'Israel-affiliated' chemical tanker off Indian Coast</a>

<img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/12/24/401251-untitled-design-2023-12-24t072510618.png?imwidth=3840" />US Pentagon, regarding the Saturday (Dec 23) incident off the coast of India where a Japanese-owned "Israel-affiliated" chemical tanker MV Chem Pluto was reportedly targeted by a drone, told WION that it was "fired from Iran."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/303-indians-include-11-unaccompanied-minors-as-france-continues-human-trafficking-probe-672998">303 Indians include 11 unaccompanied minors as France continues human trafficking probe: Repor</a>t

<img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/12/24/401256-untitled-design-2023-12-24t081542697.png?imwidth=3840" />As 303 Indian passengers who were on a Nicaragua-bound plane continue to remain grounded by French authorities since Thursday (Dec 21), a Reuters report citing a source close to the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed that these individuals also included eleven unaccompanied minors.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/florida-shooting-1-dead-several-injured-after-gunman-opens-fire-at-shopping-mall-673000">Florida shooting: 1 dead, several injured after gunman opens fire at shopping mall</a>

<img alt="main img" src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2023/12/24/401261-9zggaryb.jpg?imwidth=3840" />One person was reported killed and another injured after a gunman opened fire at a shopping mall in Florida on Saturday (Dec 23).

Watch:&nbsp;US preparing to ease restrictions on weapons sale amid Saudi-Houthi peace talks

The United States is preparing to ease some of the restrictions on arms sales to Saudi Arabia. This comes after the Gulf Kingdom is looking to finalize a peace accord with Yemen's Houthi Rebels.

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Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on Sunday reportedly struck an Indian-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea. The attack, which was unsuccessful, prompted the vessel to head back towards India.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on Sunday reportedly struck an Indian-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea. The attack, which was unsuccessful, prompted the vessel to head back towards India. The attack came a day after another oil tanker came under drone attack off the Indian coast. The US on Sunday said the attack was carried out by Iran. Pentagon in a statement to WION said that the attack occurred at approximately 10 am local time in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles from the coast of India. It said that the "motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker" was hit by "a one-way attack drone fired from Iran." Meanwhile in US, the authorities said they were responding to “an active shooting” at the Paddock mall in Ocala, located about 80 miles north-west of Orlando, on the day before Christmas Eve. Click on the headlines to read more. Houthis strike Indian-flagged oil tanker with drone in Red Sea: US military Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked an Indian-flagged crude oil tanker with a drone in the Red Sea, the US military reported Sunday morning (Dec 24). Pentagon accuses Iran for drone attack on 'Israel-affiliated' chemical tanker off Indian Coast US Pentagon, regarding the Saturday (Dec 23) incident off the coast of India where a Japanese-owned "Israel-affiliated" chemical tanker MV Chem Pluto was reportedly targeted by a drone, told WION that it was "fired from Iran." 303 Indians include 11 unaccompanied minors as France continues human trafficking probe: Report As 303 Indian passengers who were on a Nicaragua-bound plane continue to remain grounded by French authorities since Thursday (Dec 21), a Reuters report citing a source close to the Paris prosecutor's office confirmed that these individuals also included eleven unaccompanied minors. Florida shooting: 1 dead, several injured after gunman opens fire at shopping mall One person was reported killed and another injured after a gunman opened fire at a shopping mall in Florida on Saturday (Dec 23). Watch: US preparing to ease restrictions on weapons sale amid Saudi-Houthi peace talks The United States is preparing to ease some of the restrictions on arms sales to Saudi Arabia. This comes after the Gulf Kingdom is looking to finalize a peace accord with Yemen's Houthi Rebels. ×

Morning brief: Houthis' unsuccessful drone strike on Indian-flagged tanker, 1 dead in Florida shooting, & more

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