Hello from The National and welcome to the View from London – your weekly guide to the big stories from our London bureau


Stalemate takes many forms in the divided Yemen after years of war. The internationally recognised government is based in Aden while the Houthi regime, an international pariah, holds the capital Sanaa.

Things are changing as Aden-based forces move to establish control along the coast. Mohamed Sahimi, the Southern Transitional Council representative in the UK, has been talking to The National about his party stepping into a security vacuum to shore up the region.

"Armed militias had been enabled by northern government troops in Hadhramaut, including those associated with the Muslim Brotherhood and other extremist groups, including [Al Qaeda in the Arabian Penninsula]," he said.

"Across the south, the STC is leading on security responsibilities to protect our civilians and counter the threat from the Houthis in the north. This is fully in the interests of Yemen, the region and the West."

One demonstration of the push changing the dynamic is the position of the Muslim Brotherhood-aligned Al Islah Party, which was put on display in Chatham House on Tuesday.

Abdul-Razak Al Hijri, the acting secretary general, made an appearance in London where he pleaded for a negotiated way out of the sudden switch of control around Aden and the southern coastal provinces.

The STC says it is taking control of the provinces to fight smuggling and terrorist networks in south-east Yemen, which were feeding the Houthis, Aqap and Al Shabab in Somalia.

It has accused a branch of the Yemeni army in Hadhramaut, known as the First Military Region, of tolerating these smuggling networks. The First Military Region is reportedly loyal to the Islah party.

Yemeni supporters of STC leader Aidarous Al Zubaidi at a rally. AFP
Yemeni supporters of STC leader Aidarous Al Zubaidi at a rally. AFP

Al Hijri said he met STC leaders recently and believes that a diplomatic solution is possible. “The STC has their project, which is the restoration of the southern state. We do not have a problem with this issue being discussed,” he said.

“We met with them recently. We told them, 'Let's first work to restore the state and let‘s all of us present our reservations and concerns, and each one of us can present the guarantees they believe will reassure the other actors'."

Al Islah also appears to essentially favour the status quo with the Houthi domination of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa. STC leader Aidarous Al Zubaidi has suggested a “serious campaign to free the north” of Yemen, which is under Houthi control, could be next.


Paramount's bid for Warner Brothers Discovery has sent the media and international investment community into a frenzy.

It’s not simply the size of the hostile takeover attempt at $108 billion for Warner, or WBD, that has caused excitement. It’s also the fact that three Gulf sovereign wealth funds have come together on the same mega-play. Abu Dhabi’s L’imad Holding Company, the Qatar Investment Authority and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund are jointly throwing their considerable weight behind the Paramount strike.

Chris Blackhurst writes on how a contribution of $24 billion to the offer led by David Ellison is potentially transformative. Mr Ellison controls Paramount and moved to hijack Netflix’s agreed rival approach for the Hollywood movie studio and owner of CNN, HBO and other media platforms.

The funds are determinedly pursuing policies of diversifying away from a historic concentration on oil and energy. They want to take their holdings and economies into new, digitally focused sectors. Media, sport, entertainment and tourism are key targets. Within that context, WBD is a glittering diamond.



Top-level Ukraine talks seem to have been non-stop for months. Europe has come under pressure from Washington to bring out concessions from Kyiv. The latest rounds this week have created optimism that a ceasefire may be imminent, although analysts suggest the main win is keeping the US on board.

This is because top US envoys went to Berlin on Monday to secure from Ukraine grudging acceptance that any deal would mean it could not join Nato. US President Donald Trump hailed potential progress from “very long and very good talks” with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the leaders of the UK, France, Germany and Nato.

US envoy Steve Witkoff looks up to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Reuters
US envoy Steve Witkoff looks up to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Reuters

Military and diplomatic analysts continue to pour cold water on the initiative driven by Mr Trump. Experts have warned that this optimism is likely to be misplaced, with the harsh reality that Russia has little incentive to accept the peace terms.

Keir Giles, a senior fellow at Chatham House, suggested to us that the flurry of statements about ceasefires and peace support forces are all “hypothetical”, with scant connection to political reality.

Something must be done and both Mr Trump and Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, think a truce could happen before the end of the year.


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Anxiety and work stress major factors

Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.

A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.

Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.

One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.

It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."

Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.

“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi. 

“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."

Daniel Bardsley

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:

Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE

Game is on BeIN Sports

The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House 

Stree

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Movies
Director: Amar Kaushik
Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee
Rating: 3.5

Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?

Some facts about bees:

The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer

The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days

A queen bee lives for 3-5 years

This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony

About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive

Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.

Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen 

Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids

Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments

Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive,  protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts

Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain

Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities

The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes

Is beekeeping dangerous?

As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.

“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”

 

 

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