Defence Minister Bill Blair said the Canadian Forces will send two planners and an intelligence analyst for Operation Prosperity Guardian, a stepped-up effort to stop Yemeni Houthi fighters from firing on and even hijacking merchant ships. The operation is under the aegis of the Combined Maritime Forces, a 39-country coalition (under a U.S. admiral) fighting smuggling and piracy. (The Logic)

Talking point: The Red Sea leads to and from the Suez Canal in Egypt, connecting the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Houthi forces in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, began firing on freighters in response to Israel’s invasion of Gaza after Hamas raided southern Israel on Oct. 7. The canal normally carries about 12 per cent of global trade, including oil and container ships, but lately major cargo carriers have chosen delays and expense over the risk of attack. Along with a drought impeding traffic in the Panama Canal, that has driven up the costs of numerous goods.