During his 33-year-long reign as president of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh fought at least half a dozen wars with the Houthis. Enmity between the two was an unchanging feature of Yemeni politics. But the old foes set aside their differences and entered into a marriage of convenience after Mr Saleh was compelled to quit the presidency in 2012 by the widespread protests.
Since then, this self-serving alliance has brought nothing but misery to the people of Yemen. Collectively, they have driven out the legitimate government of Yemen, besieged its capital, emptied out its treasury, wrecked its economy and presided over the transformation of the country into a theatre of deprivation and affliction. Diseases that are obsolete in much of the rest of the world are rife in Yemen: cholera alone has claimed 2,000 Yemeni lives and infected half a million more. More than 10,000 Yemenis have died in this conflict.
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Read more:
Thousands attend Yemen rally to mark 35th anniversary of Saleh party
Yemen war: Cracks emerge in Houthis-Saleh alliance
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This is why the rupture in the opportunistic partnership between Mr Saleh and the Houthis must be welcomed. It is this alliance forged against a national process for critical transition that necessitated intervention by Yemen's neighbours, including the UAE. Now the nightmare has to end, if only to ensure that further incidents of bloodshed are avoided.
It is important, however, to remember that while the Houthi-Saleh combine has suffocated Yemenis, even stopping many Yemenis from performing the Hajj, the coalition has sought to create a viable future for Yemen. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among the largest international aid donors to Yemen. Last month, the UAE donated $10m to fight the cholera outbreak in Yemen. And Saudi Arabia is improving infrastructure at multiple ports in Yemen to speed up aid delivery. But infusions of foreign money cannot end the suffering of Yemenis. That will only happen when Yemen is released from the chokehold of the Houthis and Mr Saleh. This moment must be seized.
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
