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Yemen's Houthis vowed to prevent Israel-linked ships from passing through the Indian Ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope, the group's leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi has said.
"Our main battle is to prevent ships linked to the Israeli enemy from passing through not only the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but also the Indian Ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope," Mr Al Houthi said in a televised speech.
"This is a major step and we have begun to implement our operations related to it."
Since November, the Iran-aligned group has been attacking ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in what it says is a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's war in Gaza.
Mr Al Houthi said about 34 Houthi members have been killed since the group began the attacks, which have been aimed at 73 ships.
Months of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, forcing companies to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa.
They have stoked fears that the Israel-Gaza war could spread to destabilise the wider Middle East.
Houthi rebels disrupt ships in the Red Sea - in pictures
The turmoil from Israel's war with Hamas has spilled over to some extent into other parts of the Middle East.
Apart from the Houthi attacks on vital shipping lanes, Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah group is trading fire with Israel along the Israel-Lebanon border, and pro-Iran Iraqi militias have attacked bases that host US forces.
The US and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. The US has redesignated the militia as a terrorist group.
A US State Department representative said it was aware of the reports.
"Houthi threats only put further distance between Yemen and the peace process, which the Yemeni people keenly deserve," the representative said.
They referred to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, in which he said: “Creating stability in the Middle East also means containing the threat posed by Iran.
"That’s why I built a coalition of more than a dozen countries to defend international shipping and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
"I ordered strikes to degrade the Houthi capability and defend US forces in the region.”
A representative for US Central Command said on Wednesday that the Houthis have "targeted all internal shipping, not only those linked to Israel".
"The Houthis remain an ongoing concern for all nations that engaged in maritime commerce in the region," the Centcom representative said.
The group has access to and is provided with weapons and support by Iran, and Washington has not seen that support "lag in any way".
The representative said the US will continue to support regional stabilisation efforts through Operation Prosperity Guardian.
MATCH INFO
South Africa 66 (Tries: De Allende, Nkosi, Reinach (3), Gelant, Steyn, Brits, Willemse; Cons: Jantjies 8)
Canada 7 (Tries: Heaton; Cons: Nelson)
The%20specs
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Also on December 7 to 9, the third edition of the Gulf Car Festival (www.gulfcarfestival.com) will take over Dubai Festival City Mall, a new venue for the event. Last year's festival brought together about 900 cars worth more than Dh300 million from across the Emirates and wider Gulf region – and that first figure is set to swell by several hundred this time around, with between 1,000 and 1,200 cars expected. The first day is themed around American muscle; the second centres on supercars, exotics, European cars and classics; and the final day will major in JDM (Japanese domestic market) cars, tuned vehicles and trucks. Individuals and car clubs can register their vehicles, although the festival isn’t all static displays, with stunt drifting, a rev battle, car pulls and a burnout competition.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.
• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000