The first commercial flight from Yemen's capital in six years had to be indefinitely postponed after claims that the Houthi rebels had tried to smuggle onboard members of Iran’s Islamic Republican Guard Corps and Lebanese Hezbollah.
Muammar Al Eryani, Yemen’s Information Minister, said the government had approved 104 passengers for the flight but the Houthis insisted on adding 60 more with “unreliable passports”.
The rebels had tried to smuggle members of Hezbollah and the IRGC on to the flight using “fake names and forged documents”, the official Saba news agency quoted him as saying.
The government and coalition accuse the groups of sending in military advisers and weapons experts to support the Houthi rebels.
The Saudi-led coalition in support of the internationally recognised government, which was removed by the Houthis in 2015, refused to give permission for the flight.
The coalition had agreed to allow Yemenia airline’s commercial operations from Sanaa airport to Amman in Jordan under a UN-sponsored truce, lifting a flight ban imposed to prevent the smuggling of weapons to the insurgents.
Hours before the flight, the airline said on its Facebook page that “it has not yet received operating permits”, and expressed “deep regret to the travellers for not being allowed to operate” the long-awaited flight.
It said it hoped “all problems will be overcome in the near future”, without specifying a date.
A manager at the company told AFP that "the needed permission from the coalition didn't arrive". There was no immediate comment from the coalition.
UN special envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg called on the warring parties to work with his office “to find a solution that allows the flights to resume as planned”.
The renewable two-month truce that went into effect in early April "is meant to benefit civilians including through reducing violence, making fuel available, and improving their freedom of movement to, from and within their country", he tweeted.
The airport in Sanaa has been closed to commercial traffic since August 2016. Aid flights continue to land in Sanaa, although service has periodically halted.
Daily flights out of government-controlled Aden in the south and the central city of Seiyun operate domestically and connect Yemen to other countries in the region.
With reporting from agencies
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Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
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Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
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Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
RACE CARD
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
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Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.
Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results
During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks
Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy
Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
