Yemen's vice president has backed US President Donald Trump's tough line against the Houthi rebels, with the Iran-backed group having spent the past 15 months terrorising international shipping in the Red Sea.
Gen Aidarus Al Zoubaidi, who serves on Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, welcomed the US decision to redesignate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organisation and called for a policy of maximum pressure.
"Houthi actions in Yemen and against international maritime shipping are a clear act of terrorism and a violation of international law. President Trump has shown decisive leadership where others have not," Gen Al Zoubaidi told The National at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
"The Houthis and its backers in Tehran understand deterrence only through clear actions that are backed with credibility. This is why I have been calling for a comprehensive strategy to the Red Sea crisis and to end the Yemen conflict. This requires a joined-up approach that has been lacking until now.
President Trump has shown decisive leadership where others have not
Gen Aidarus Al Zoubaidi
"They are escalating in the Red Sea, escalating in this region. We are expecting more assertive and direct policies."
Gen Al Zoubaidi said he had not had contact with the new US administration but hopes to speak to Mr Trump's team soon.
The Houthis have launched attacks on nearly 200 international vessels since the start of the Gaza war in 2023, hitting and damaging about 40 ships, which the group claimed had links to Israeli companies. On Tuesday, the Houthis released the 25 crew members of the Galaxy Leader from captivity after 430 days in grim captivity.
Gen Al Zoubaidi said sufficient military pressure would eventually force the Houthis to back down or come to the negotiating table, although he expects Yemen to remain split into two states for the foreseeable future. A road map to peace collapsed after the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, which was followed by the devastating war on Gaza.
American and Israeli warplanes have hammered Houthi positions in Yemeni cities, including the capital Sanaa, in recent months, but the deterrent has not halted attacks on shipping and Israel. When the Houthis seized parts of Yemen a decade ago, they captured weapons stockpiles from the government and have been propped by financially and militarily by Tehran.
"On the ground, we have the internationally recognised government forces, who are ready for anything," said Gen Zoubaidi, who is head of the ruling Southern Transitional Council in Aden and oversees the armed forces.
"The Arab allies are also present there. And at the same time, the US and the UK are in a direct conflict with the Houthis. What we need now is more co-ordination between all of these layers, in order to push the Houthis, to reach a more effective peace process."
Houthis' billion-dollar ransoms
The Houthis have shaken down international shipping companies in exchange for halting attacks on certain vessels. Reports say this has earned the group about $2 billion a year.
"Houthi militias have taken ransom money from shipping companies to offer a safe passage," Gen Al Zoubaidi said. "Regarding their funding, of course, Iran backs them directly with money, weapons and fuel, in addition to military equipment.
"When Houthi militias started attacking ships in the Red and Arab seas, they acquired modern technology and high-tech naval missiles that are very accurate. Iran remains their biggest supporter and they might double their military and economic support, because they are the only militant arm [in the so-called Axis of Resistance] that is still remaining until now."
In the divided country, it is Yemeni civilians who are suffering the most, he said. Yemen is the Arab world's poorest state.
"Quality of life in Yemen is declining, especially with the collapse of the local currency," Gen Al Zoubaidi said. "In both areas controlled by the Presidential Leadership Council and under Houthi rule, people struggle very hard in their daily lives. High prices of food and medicine compared to the local currency made it hard to satisfy their needs."
Captain tells of battle to save tanker after Houthi attack
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
MATCH INFO
Burnley 0
Man City 3
Raheem Sterling 35', 49'
Ferran Torres 65'
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
HOW TO WATCH
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THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
- Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
- Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
The specs
Engine: 2-litre 4-cylinder and 3.6-litre 6-cylinder
Power: 220 and 280 horsepower
Torque: 350 and 360Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh136,521 VAT and Dh166,464 VAT
On sale: now
