Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President Sheikh Khalifa, vowed the UAE would stand firm against acts of terrorist aggression after a foiled attack on Abu Dhabi by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
UAE fighter jets destroyed a missile battery used to fire rockets towards the capital in the early hours of Monday.
Authorities stated the attempted strike “did not result in any casualties, as the remnants of the intercepted and destroyed ballistic missiles fell in separate areas around the emirate”.
Dr Gargash said the UAE “remains resistant to aggressors” and pledged to continue to oppose terrorism.
He said the UAE would “remain a fortress in the face of the forces of darkness and terror” and that the Houthis promise only “doom and ruin”.
“They failed and their efforts failed,” he said.
The Ministry of Defence released footage of a strike by F-16 jets in Al Jawf, near Houthi-controlled Sanaa in Yemen.
The attack took place at 4.10am, shortly after the launcher fired two ballistic rockets towards the Emirati capital. Both were shot down by air defences protecting the city.
Al Jawf is about 1,400 kilometres south-west of Abu Dhabi.
Last week, after a Houthi strike on an Adnoc oil storage plant killed three workers and injured six, the government said it “reserves right to retaliate”.
A projectile fired at Abu Dhabi International Airport caused a minor fire in an under-construction extension area, away from the terminal, with no injuries.
Dr Gargash described that incident as a “heinous attack on civilian facilities”.
Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE's ambassador to US, said close co-operation between the UAE and the US helped intercept and destroy the ballistic missiles.
The next step is to cut all financial and arms support to the organisation, he said.
"The US should move now to put the Houthis back on the terrorist list,” Mr Al Otaiba said.
Flights unaffected
In Abu Dhabi on Monday, pupils returned to schools as planned after several weeks of remote learning, and the roads were busy.
At the airport, flights took off as normal.
No flights were planned between 3.45am and 5.10am, and 17 flights took off between then and 9am as scheduled, the airport’s live board showed.
“All flights are operating as scheduled,” said Etihad Airways, which is based at Abu Dhabi International Airport. “The safety of passengers and employees is the highest priority.”
Gulf nations call for international action
In Saudi Arabia, the Coalition said it had destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards the city of Dhahran Al Janub early on Monday.
In a statement issued by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the kingdom stressed the “urgent need for the international community to act, especially the UN Security Council”.
It said the Houthis aimed to destabilise the region’s security and stability.
Gulf neighbours have condemned the foiled attack on Abu Dhabi by the Yemeni rebel group and called for the international community to take action against their acts of “terrorist aggression”.
Bahrain “strongly condemned and denounced” the attacks in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
It described them as an act of “terrorist aggression targeting the lives of innocent people and civil objects and in contravention of international humanitarian law”.
Bahrain’s Foreign Affairs Ministry reaffirmed the country’s support for both of its Middle East allies and called on the international community to “take firm measures to stop the Houthi aggression in the region”.
Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry denounced the “cowardly terrorist attacks by Houthi militias with drones and ballistic missiles against civilians and civilian targets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE”.
Egypt and Jordan demonstrated their support of the UAE and Saudi Arabia in the wake of the Houthi assaults.
The Gulf Co-operation Council said the failed Houthi attacks demonstrated their disregard for international law.
“The continuous terrorist attacks of Al Houthi militias reflect their blatant defiance of the international community, their disdain for all international laws and norms, and their rejection of all efforts aimed at bringing peace to Yemen,” said Nayef Al Hajraf, Secretary General of the GCC.
Turkey also showed solidarity for both the Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
“We condemn the terror acts perpetrated on 24 January with ballistic missiles and drones against civilian targets in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia,” the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
“We demand that these attacks, which constitute a clear violation of international law, stop immediately.”
The Arab Parliament also strongly condemned the terrorist attacks.
In a statement, it said such attacks threaten regional security and expressed solidarity with the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Don’t be swayed by fake news
Dr Sultan Mohammed Al Nuami, director general of the Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research think tank, called on the public to use official sources for information, particularly following incidents such as this.
Last week, after the first attack on Abu Dhabi, hoax images were shared online, from foreign social media accounts in particular.
“Don’t be affected by the acts of terrorist organisations led by the Houthis, who are attempting to cause disruption,” he said.
“We all have a national responsibility towards this country.
“It is our duty to raise awareness and our national pride that is ingrained within us. It is important to get our news from official sources.
“It is our duty to not go after fake news.
“Everything we photograph and circulate through social media falls within our social responsibility and responsibility towards the country.”
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The five pillars of Islam
SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
SQUADS
UAE
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice-captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
Nepal
Paras Khadka (captain), Gyanendra Malla, Dipendra Singh Airee, Pradeep Airee, Binod Bhandari, Avinash Bohara, Sundeep Jora, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Rohit Paudel, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Basant Regmi, Pawan Sarraf, Bhim Sharki, Aarif Sheikh
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Teri%20Baaton%20Mein%20Aisa%20Uljha%20Jiya
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirectors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amit%20Joshi%20and%20Aradhana%20Sah%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECast%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shahid%20Kapoor%2C%20Kriti%20Sanon%2C%20Dharmendra%2C%20Dimple%20Kapadia%2C%20Rakesh%20Bedi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Other key dates
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Finals draw: December 2
-
Finals (including semi-finals and third-placed game): June 5–9, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-off draw: November 22, 2019
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Euro 2020 play-offs: March 26–31, 2020
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
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
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
