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Yemen's fate
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
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
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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SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Wimbledon order of play on Tuesday, July 11
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
How Islam's view of posthumous transplant surgery changed
Transplants from the deceased have been carried out in hospitals across the globe for decades, but in some countries in the Middle East, including the UAE, the practise was banned until relatively recently.
Opinion has been divided as to whether organ donations from a deceased person is permissible in Islam.
The body is viewed as sacred, during and after death, thus prohibiting cremation and tattoos.
One school of thought viewed the removal of organs after death as equally impermissible.
That view has largely changed, and among scholars and indeed many in society, to be seen as permissible to save another life.
