The US State Department on Tuesday redesignated Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organisation, reversing a Biden-era policy.
Shortly after assuming office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the redesignation. “The Houthis' activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners and the stability of global maritime trade,” the executive order said.
During Mr Trump's first term, his administration designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organisation, despite strong objections from human rights and humanitarian aid groups that said it would hinder the delivery of aid to those in need in Yemen. The Biden administration reversed this designation in 2021 but then listed it as a specially designated global terrorist group in early 2024.
The Houthis have launched hundreds of attacks on international ships, threatening international trade routes, in what they said was an expression of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
“The United States will not tolerate any country engaging with terrorist organisations like the Houthis in the name of practising legitimate international business,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
Calling the Houthis a foreign terrorist organisation allows for harsher penalties and opens the door for prosecutions of those financing the group's activities.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014, removing the internationally recognised government. Although fighting between the Houthis and the government was paused after the establishment of a truce in 2022, the conflict has led to hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect deaths, and caused one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, according to the UN.
The group claimed on Tuesday to have shot down another MQ-9 "Reaper" drone in Hodeideh governorate the day before. The US has been using the $30 million unmanned drones to patrol in the Red Sea, and despite the machines' advanced technology, the Houthis have managed to take down several Reapers.
A US defence official told The National on background that the US Air Force had lost contact with a Reaper operating over the Red Sea in support of Operation Poseidon Archer on March 3.
"We are actively assessing the incident to determine the cause and follow-on action," the official said.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Brief scoreline
Switzerland 0
England 0
Result: England win 6-5 on penalties
Man of the Match: Trent Alexander-Arnold (England)
