Japan's Nippon Yusen suspends Red Sea sailings

Japan's Nippon Yusen said Wednesday that it is joining other major shipping firms in suspending routes through the Red Sea in response to Huthi rebel attacks on vessels in the vital waterway.

"We have suspended navigation through the Red Sea by all ships we operate," a spokesman for Nippon Yusen told AFP, adding the decision was to "ensure the safety of crews."

US and British forces have been bombing since Friday scores of targets inside Huthi-controlled Yemen in response to the attacks by the rebels, who say they are targeting Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza.


The key route between Asia and European markets normally carries about 12 percent of global maritime trade.