A mixed bag this week, but our main area of concern is Yemen. Hodeidah, specifically. As Saudi coalition and Yemeni forces launched their attack on Houthis in the city this week, the UN has been keeping a very close eye on things. There are grave concerns that a drawn out battle will have a knock on effect for humanitarian aid projects in the country, given Hodeidah's status as a major aid port. 
Staying in the Indian Ocean region, India has asked for better intelligence sharing to ensure domain awareness and improve maritime security at the East Asia Summit.They also received bad news this week, when the Seychelles formally announced that there would be no new Indian Navy base on Assumption Island. Instead, the Seychelles Coast Guard will create one there in 2019.
In Nigeria, the Navy has once again pledged to crack down on illegal refineries and oil thieves, in what has become a monthly press ritual. 
Shipping is beginning to wake up to the threats posed by cybercrime, with the industry taking note of recent proof of concept breaches on board vessels and the potential for systems to be compromised. To illustrate the possible risks, the US Navy has been subject to a major data breach, after one of its contractors was hacked, allegedly by Chinese hackers. 

Regards,
David Rider                  
Editor