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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUS and Japan boost defence ties with eye on ChinaPublished56 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Taiwan and China were a focus of the meeting between Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida.By Bernd Debusmann JrBBC News, WashingtonUS President Joe Biden and Japan’s prime minister have vowed to strengthen defence cooperation in the face of a potential threat from China. The plans announced by Mr Biden and Fumio Kishida during his Washington visit include an expanded air defence network incorporating Australia. Additionally, Mr Biden said a Japanese astronaut would join Nasa’s Artemis programme to put people on the moon. The astronaut will become the first non-American on the moon’s surface. Speaking from the Rose Garden of the White House during Mr Kishida’s state visit to Washington, Mr Biden said that the deals constituted “the most significant upgrade of our alliance since it was first established”. Over the course of about two hours of talks, the two leaders largely focused on defence matters in the Indo-Pacific, as well as the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. North Korea, Taiwan and China were a particular focus of the discussions, Mr Kishida said, calling on an “international order based on the rule of law” to be maintained.”Unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion is absolutely unacceptable, wherever it may be,” Mr Kishida said.Bonsai and bowing: Japan’s royal family join InstagramJapan to sell fighter jets in break from pacifism”Regarding Russia’s aggression of Ukraine…Ukraine today may be East Asia tomorrow,” he added. As part of the agreements, Mr Biden said that the US military would establish a joint command structure with its Japanese counterparts. The two allies will also develop a joint air and missile defence network in the region along with Australia, as well as participate in three-way military exercises, along with UK forces. While Mr Kishida acknowledged that, while the US and Japan would continue to respond to “challenges” from China, they “confirmed the importance of continuing our dialogue with China and cooperating with China on common challenges”.In the space sector, Japan will provide and operate a “pressurised lunar rover”, while the US will allow two Japanese astronauts to take part in Nasa’s Artemis missions and – eventually – allow a Japanese astronaut to become the first non-American to land on the moon.At a welcome ceremony earlier in the day, Mr Biden said the US and Japan had become “the closest of friends”.The two leaders also briefly addressed recent move by Japan’s Nippon Steel to purchase US Steel for about $15bn (£11.9bn), with Mr Kishida saying that Japan hopes the deal “will unfold in directions that would be positive for both sides”. Mr Biden, for his part, vowed to “stand by” American workers as well as the US-Japan alliance. In an unusual move last month, the US president said the “iconic” US firm should remain in American hands. Japan is the largest foreign investor into the US, with more than one million Americans employed by Japanese countries. “Investment from Japan to the US can only increase upwards in the months and years to come,” Mr Kishida said. “And we wish to cement this win-win relationship.” The visit continues on Tuesday night with a lavish state dinner. The event – which the White House said is themed on “the bounty of spring” – will include a musical performance by US musician Paul Simon. On Thursday, Mr Kishida will head to Capitol Hill to address Congress and will participate in a three-way meeting with Mr Biden and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr that is expected to focus on China. Related TopicsJapanUnited StatesMore on this storyJapan-S Korea summit is coup for Biden, but will relations hold?Published18 August 2023Biden and Xi discuss US-China cooperation and conflictPublished2 AprilJapan to sell fighter jets in break from pacifismPublished26 MarchTop StoriesHamas leader says three sons killed in air strikePublished2 hours ago’We are not fine’: War casts shadow over Eid in GazaPublished4 hours agoEU approves major overhaul of migration rulesPublished4 hours agoFeaturesSeven things we spotted in the trailer for Joker 2Wait for gender support frustrating, trans woman saysFact-checking PM’s claims on prisons, crime and the NHSWatch: Is that a house floating through San Francisco Bay? 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[ad_1] Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida also announced that Japan will put an astronaut on the moon with Nasa.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaHow the US military plans to construct a pier and get food into GazaPublished16 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: US military footage illustrates Gaza pier plansBy Bernd Debusmann JrBBC News, WashingtonA US plan to deliver aid to Gaza from a floating pier at sea will be fraught with potential logistical and security challenges.More than 1,000 US troops are expected to participate in the operation although the Pentagon says there will be no “boots on the ground”.To help achieve that, the US has partnered with a little-known private firm, Fogbow, which is run by former military and intelligence officials. The goal is to deliver aid equivalent to two million meals a day to Gaza, where the United Nations has warned that famine is “almost inevitable” without urgent action. Here’s what we know about this huge logistical exercise.How will the US set up the pier? US Army vessels set sail on Saturday and Monday to take equipment to the Mediterranean. According to the Pentagon, the plan includes two main components which need to be assembled – a big floating dock made up of steel segments and a two-lane, 1,800ft (548m) causeway and pier.The causeway will be composed of interconnected, 40ft (12m) steel pieces linked together and attached to the shore. Cargo ships deliver supplies to the dock and the aid is then offloaded onto a range of barges and smaller vessels – known as logistics support vessels, or LSVs – and taken to the pier. From there, vehicles will drive the supplies onto land and into Gaza.Father’s plea for Gaza’s starving childrenBiden and Netanyahu’s deepening rift on public displayThe causeway will be assembled at sea and “driven” into the beach, allowing US forces to avoid setting foot on Gaza. The US is supporting its ally Israel and has designated Hamas a terrorist organisation.This amphibious building project – officially known as Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS – is one that the US military has used before in Kuwait, Somalia, Haiti and Central America for disaster relief missions. Earlier versions were used as far back as World War II following the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. As recently as July last year, the defence department used similar JLOTS equipment during a large-scale exercise in Australia. “The military’s preference, of course, is to have an operating port. That makes everything much easier,” Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel with experience planning amphibious operations, told the BBC. “But that’s not always possible, either due to a conflict situation or in a peacetime, humanitarian mission,” he added. “That’s where JLOTS comes in.” What is Fogbow and what role will it play? Fogbow is led by Sam Mundy, a former Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who previously commanded forces in the Middle East, and Mick Mulroy, a former CIA paramilitary officer and assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East. The full details of what they will be doing has not been made public before. But a person familiar with the plan told the BBC that the Fogbow operation – known internally as Blue Beach Plan – is primarily to organise the movement of aid after it arrives on the Gaza shore.The containers will be emptied and the contents put on trucks to be taken to distribution points further into Gaza, as part of a plan approved by the US and Israeli governments. Image source, US ArmyImage caption, The floating dock could look like this one built in a training exercise in AustraliaThe BBC has been told that Fogbow is still looking for funding and has briefed a range of European and Middle East governments on the plans. In the longer term, Fogbow plans to set up a donor-run foundation to help funnel aid into Gaza. How will security be handled? Military experts say the plan’s success is dependent on security, both from the possibility of hostile fire in a still-active combat zone and from large crowds of civilians gathering on the shore.Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, a 32-year veteran of the US Navy with experience delivering humanitarian aid, said that the operation requires a “security cocoon” to be established both on the beach and in the shallow water nearby. “You cannot have civilians getting on the pier,” said Mr Montgomery. “They could be a parent desperately looking for food for their children – or they could be trying to kill somebody. That would shut down operations.” Two people familiar with the plan told the BBC that the Israel Defense Force (IDF) will run “outer” security to prevent crowds of civilians reaching the beach and to make the area safe. The distribution will be the responsibility of local, unarmed Palestinians.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Palestinians line up for food from aid organisationsFogbow is expected to have only limited logistics roles and will not be involved in distribution. While the Pentagon has said no US troops will set foot in Gaza, experts say the reality could be more complicated.”People are going to have to be giving guidance on the exact angles you want things to go in, or perhaps the right consistency of sand that is needed, those sorts of things,” Mr Montgomery said. “They will need to be there checking things out and making sure we’re anchoring in the exact right spot.” If that person on the beach is not a US service member, it will be an experienced contractor, probably retired US military, Mr Montgomery added.What difference will the shipments make?According to the US defence department, this temporary pier will mean two million meals a day could enter Gaza. That would be enough to feed most/almost all of the territory’s 2.3 million population. It would also constitute far more aid than is currently coming in over land through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and Kerem Shalom crossing with Israel, or through airdrops. Earlier this week, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said the maritime option was being explored because other options are insufficient. But he said there is no substitute for assistance coming in trucks over land, so they would continue to push for that.The quickest and most effective way to get aid into Gaza is by road. But aid agencies say Israeli restrictions mean a fraction of what is needed is crossing. Humanitarian organisations and US officials have said that increased shipments over land remain the only viable option to meet demand while the pier is set up. “Even in a best-case scenario, [the pier] won’t be there for close to two months as an effective delivery mechanism,” Mr Montgomery said. “We have to account for that as we handle humanitarian challenges over the next 45 days.” The operation could be partly functioning before the pier is built. The BBC understands that Fogbow is looking into dredging a beach to allow barges to get close enough to shore that aid can be unloaded on to trucks.Others are also exploring the maritime route for aid while so little is getting in over land. A Spanish ship towing a barge loaded with 200 tonnes of food supplies has finally set sail from Cyprus on Monday. It hopes to dock at a small jetty being built by a US charity on the Gaza coast.First Gaza aid ship sets off from CyprusRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warGazaUnited StatesMore on this storyUS military ship heading to Gaza to build portPublished2 days agoWhy food airdrops into Gaza are controversialPublished6 days agoFive killed in Gaza aid drop parachute failure – reportsPublished4 days agoTop StoriesBiden and Trump set for election rematch after securing party nominationsPublished3 hours agoNo 10 says Tory donor’s alleged Abbott comments were racistPublished21 minutes agoUK economic growth picks up in JanuaryPublished13 minutes agoFeaturesCan royals move on from Kate photo media storm?The hidden village just metres from North KoreaPM says donor was racist and ‘funeral home horror’Bridgerton star goes from screen to stageInside the US plan to get food into Gaza by seaWhy firms are bringing their manufacturing back homeThe cruel Yale benefactor who traded in Indian slavesOccupied Ukraine forced to vote in Putin’s electionThe gangsters and rebels jostling over power in HaitiElsewhere on the BBCEmbracing the alternative spirit…Experience 6 Music Festival 2024 with performances from The Smile, Gossip and Young FathersAttributionSoundsGlobal superstardom, drugs, violence and redemptionMel B on what she’s learned from life so farAttributionSoundsThe Traitors Movie, Alan Partridge and W1A returnsJoin us this Friday for the funniest fundraising night of the year!AttributioniPlayerWhich childhood pastime can improve muscle power?Michael Mosley reveals more surprising, simple ways to boost our health and wellbeingAttributionSoundsMost Read1Why Mel B moved into her mum’s bungalow in Leeds2PM says donor was racist and ‘funeral home horror’3World’s largest trees are ‘thriving in UK’4Navalny ally Leonid Volkov attacked in Lithuania5UK to pay failed asylum seekers to move to Rwanda6Biden and Trump set for election rematch after securing party nominations7Half-sister’s defamation case against Meghan dismissed8No 10 says Tory donor’s alleged comments were racist9Can royals move on from Kate photo media storm?10EU says starvation being used as a weapon in Gaza](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/E915/production/_132896695_dock_976.jpg)
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCrew abandon ship off Yemen as Houthis claim new missile attackPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPAImage caption, The Houthis said they had targeted the the Belize-flagged, British-registered cargo ship Rubymar (file photo)By David Gritten & Joshua CheethamBBC NewsThe crew of a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden abandoned ship after an attack claimed by Yemen’s rebel Houthi movement, authorities say.A Houthi military spokesman said the Belize-flagged, British-registered cargo ship Rubymar was at risk of sinking after being hit by missiles.The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency said an unnamed ship was abandoned off Yemen after being damaged by a blast. Lloyd’s List Intelligence reported that the Rubymar was hit by two missiles.The Iran-backed Houthis have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since mid-November, in what they say is a show of support for the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.The attacks have prompted many shipping companies to stop using the critical waterway, which accounts for about 12% of global seaborne trade.US and British forces began carrying out air strikes on targets across Houthi-controlled western Yemen in response last month. Who are the Houthis attacking Red Sea ships?US and UK strikes fail to slow Houthi attacksTroubled Waters: War in the Red Sea?Frank Gardner and expert guests look at the crisis in the Red Sea after attacks on ships by the Yemeni Houthi group. Available now on BBC iPlayerOn Sunday night, UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had received a report of an incident from a ship about 35 nautical miles (65km) south of the Yemeni Red Sea port of Mocha. The master had reported “an explosion in close proximity to the vessel resulting in damage” at about 23:00 local time (20:00 GMT), it added.Early on Monday, the agency cited military authorities as reporting that the crew abandoned the vessel following an attack. “Vessel at anchor and all crew are safe,” it said. “Military authorities remain on scene to provide assistance.”British maritime security firm Ambrey separately reported that a Belize-flagged, British-registered and Lebanese-operated cargo ship had come under attack in the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Sunday as it sailed northwards.”The partially laden vessel briefly slowed from 10 to six knots and deviated course, and contacted the Djiboutian Navy, before returning to her previous course and speed,” it said.Ambrey also reported that the ship’s crew had been evacuated by another merchant vessel, and that this was consistent with the movements of a Singaporean-flagged container ship. Data provider Lloyd’s List Intelligence said the Rubymar was hit by two missiles and severely damaged.According to data from MarineTraffic, which last received a tracking signal on Sunday, the Rubymar had been travelling from Saudi Arabia to Bulgaria.Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea announced in a statement on Monday morning that its naval forces had fired a number of missiles at “a British ship” in the Gulf of Aden, which he identified as the Rubymar.”The ship suffered catastrophic damage and came to a complete halt,” he said, without providing any evidence.”As a result of the extensive damage the ship suffered, it is now at risk of potential sinking in the Gulf of Aden. During the operation, we made sure that the ship’s crew exited safely.”The Rubymar flies under the flag of Belize and its registered owner is Golden Adventure Shipping, with an address in the English port of Southampton.Ambrey also said it was aware that a Greece-flagged, US-owned cargo ship had called for military assistance following a “missile attack” about 100 nautical miles east of the southern Yemeni port of Aden.UKMTO reported an attack in the same area. It cited the master as saying there had been an explosion in close proximity to an unnamed ship and that the vessel and crew were safe and well.Mr Sarea also said Houthi air defences in the Red Sea province of Hudaydah had shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) “while it was carrying out hostile missions against our country on behalf of [Israel]”.There was no immediate comment from the US military. US Central Command said its forces had carried out five strikes against three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, one unmanned underwater vessel (UUV) and one unmanned surface vessel (USV) in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Saturday after determining that they presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region.It was the first time that US forces had identified a UUV, or submarine drone, being employed by the Houthis since the attacks began.Related TopicsYemenGlobal tradeHouthis Shipping industryMore on this storyHouthis claim new attacks on Red Sea shippingPublished6 FebruaryCould the Houthis sabotage undersea cables?Published7 FebruaryConfronting the Houthis: How powerful are Yemen’s rebel rulers?Published3 FebruaryTop StoriesSpecial forces blocked elite Afghan troops from relocating to UKPublished7 hours agoBaby was among three children found dead Published7 minutes agoCrew abandon ship off Yemen as Houthis claim attackPublished1 hour agoFeaturesYulia Navalnaya: Alexei’s ‘principled and fearless’ widowWatch Baftas 2024 best bits… in two minutes. 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VideoMatt Smith on a Doctor Who return… and Prince HarryAfrica’s ‘flying presidents’ under fire for foreign tripsElsewhere on the BBCThe sound effect that became the ultimate movie in-jokeIt’s used in everything from Toy Story to Reservoir Dogs, but what is the Wilhelm Scream?AttributioniPlayerWill this elite boarding school fit around them?Five black inner-city teens must leave their old worlds…AttributioniPlayerThe powerful emotional impact of Pink Floyd’s musicShine On You Crazy Diamond has helped people through their hardest timesAttributionSoundsFrom chewing sticks to rice-based toilet paper…What did people do before everyday items were invented?AttributionBitesizeMost Read1Boat pilot guilty over Channel migrant deaths2Philip Schofield gave ‘six-figure sum’ to ex-lover3Baby among three children found dead in house4Ofcom investigates GB News show featuring Sunak5Crew abandon ship off Yemen as Houthis claim attack6Ofcom rejects Brewdog complaint over BBC documentary7Special forces stopped Afghan troops settling in UK8Michael J Fox brings audience to tears at Baftas9Baftas 2024: A dog, tears and Murder on the Dancefloor10Search for boy, 2, who fell into river continues](https://newsinsightplus.com/wp-content/uploads/https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/FEEA/production/_132685256_0dab03d5fdba2f2ccbda1de9be29c48be565852a.jpg)
