UN special envoy to Yemen tells the Yemen International Forum to 'give peace a serious chance'. Photo: Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies
UN special envoy to Yemen tells the Yemen International Forum to 'give peace a serious chance'. Photo: Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies
UN special envoy to Yemen tells the Yemen International Forum to 'give peace a serious chance'. Photo: Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies
UN special envoy to Yemen tells the Yemen International Forum to 'give peace a serious chance'. Photo: Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies

‘Give peace a serious chance’, says UN envoy to Yemen at Stockholm conference


Nada AlTaher
  • English
  • Arabic

The UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg urged some of Yemen's most prominent figures to “give peace a serious chance“ by normalising dialogue, in-person meetings and having difficult conversations.

Addressing the Yemen International Forum in Stockholm, Sweden, on Friday, Mr Grundberg praised the renewal of a two-month truce in June that brought crucial respite from the seven-year war.

”The United Nations-brokered truce is holding and this is to the surprise of many analysts who are out here … and I have to say that I’m also surprised at the commitment that the parties have shown despite all the challenges. We know that it is fragile, yes, it’s far from perfect but it is holding,” Mr Grundberg said.

Ambassadors, politicians, civil society and members of the international community are attending a three-day conference on Yemen’s future, organised by the Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies.

Yemen’s former minister of human rights and former ambassador Amat Al Alim Al Soswah also attended the meeting, and said the country’s economic and humanitarian situation has reached “lows beyond imagination”. She praised the resilience of the Yemeni population against all odds.

”The Yemenis unexpected steadfastness is something to commend. Yemenis from all walks of life have managed to miraculously live on despite the severest forms of an economic crisis,“ Ms Soswah said.

”More than 10 per cent of the country’s population is internally displaced. So we need to find out how we can prepare for peace in light of this costly war.“

Ms Sosawah also said “the cost of peace will be high“, because of the many challenges posed in the effort to rebuild the nation.

The forum's agenda includes discussions on women's roles on the negotiating table, issues of governance in the country’s south and the state of the country’s banking sector.

First commercial flights in six years leave Yemen - in pictures

  • A Yemenia Airways plane is greeted with a water cannon salute at Sanaa International Airport in Yemen after the first commercial flight in six years prepares to leave the capital Sanaa. Reuters
    A Yemenia Airways plane is greeted with a water cannon salute at Sanaa International Airport in Yemen after the first commercial flight in six years prepares to leave the capital Sanaa. Reuters
  • The Yemenia Airways plane is prepared for departure for its historic flight at Sanaa International Airport in Yemen. Reuters
    The Yemenia Airways plane is prepared for departure for its historic flight at Sanaa International Airport in Yemen. Reuters
  • Staff pass the control tower of Sanaa International Airport after it was reopened for commercial flights. EPA
    Staff pass the control tower of Sanaa International Airport after it was reopened for commercial flights. EPA
  • Passengers arrive to board the Yemenia Airways plane on Monday. Flights out of the Houthis-held Sanaa International Airport were resumed for the first time since 2016 as part of a UN-brokered truce. EPA
    Passengers arrive to board the Yemenia Airways plane on Monday. Flights out of the Houthis-held Sanaa International Airport were resumed for the first time since 2016 as part of a UN-brokered truce. EPA
  • Yemeni soldiers patrol at Sanaa International Airport after it was reopened for commercial flights. EPA
    Yemeni soldiers patrol at Sanaa International Airport after it was reopened for commercial flights. EPA
  • A boy stands with relatives in a line at the departures lounge to board the flight at Sanaa International Airport. Reuters
    A boy stands with relatives in a line at the departures lounge to board the flight at Sanaa International Airport. Reuters
  • A passenger holds his passport as he arrives to board the Yemenia Airways plane. EPA
    A passenger holds his passport as he arrives to board the Yemenia Airways plane. EPA
  • Passengers wait at passport control at Sanaa International Airport. EPA
    Passengers wait at passport control at Sanaa International Airport. EPA
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THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

The five pillars of Islam
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.

United States

2.

China

3.

UAE

4.

Japan

5

Norway

6.

Canada

7.

Singapore

8.

Australia

9.

Saudi Arabia

10.

South Korea

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

MATCH INFO

Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)

TV: BeIN Sports

Long Shot

Director: Jonathan Levine

Starring: Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan

Four stars

How to donate

Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
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Wayne Rooney's career

Everton (2002-2004)

  • Appearances: 48
  • Goals: 17
     

Manchester United (2004-2017)

  • Appearances: 496
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England (2003-)

  • Appearances: 119
  • Goals: 53
GCC-UK%20Growth
%3Cp%3EAn%20FTA%20with%20the%20GCC%20would%20be%20very%20significant%20for%20the%20UK.%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20My%20Department%20has%20forecast%20that%20it%20could%20generate%20an%20additional%20%C2%A31.6%20billion%20a%20year%20for%20our%20economy.%3Cbr%3EWith%20consumer%20demand%20across%20the%20GCC%20predicted%20to%20increase%20to%20%C2%A3800%20billion%20by%202035%20this%20deal%20could%20act%20as%20a%20launchpad%20from%20which%20our%20firms%20can%20boost%20their%20market%20share.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Company Profile

Company name: NutriCal

Started: 2019

Founder: Soniya Ashar

Based: Dubai

Industry: Food Technology

Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount

Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia

Total Clients: Over 50

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The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

MATCH INFO

Everton 2 Southampton 1
Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')

Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)

FIXTURES

Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)

Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)

Scoreline

Germany 2

Werner 9', Sane 19'

Netherlands 2

Promes 85', Van Dijk 90'

The story in numbers

18

This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens

450,000

More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps

1.5 million

There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m

73

The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association

18,000

The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme

77,400

The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study

4,926

This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee

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Scoreline

Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'

Everton 1 Sigurdsson 77'

Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
Tilted Axis Press 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

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How to invest in gold

Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.

A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.

Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”

Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”

Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”

By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.

You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.

You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.

RESULTS

Time; race; prize; distance

4pm: Maiden; (D) Dh150,000; 1,200m
Winner: General Line, Xavier Ziani (jockey), Omar Daraj (trainer)

4.35pm: Maiden (T); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Travis County, Adrie de Vries, Ismail Mohammed

5.10pm: Handicap (D); Dh175,000; 1,200m
Winner: Scrutineer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

5.45pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

6.20pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Ejaaby, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson

6.55pm: Handicap (D); Dh160,000; 1,600m
Winner: Storyboard, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

7.30pm: Handicap (D); Dh150,000; 2,200m
Winner: Grand Dauphin, Gerald Mosse, Ahmed Al Shemaili

8.05pm: Handicap (T); Dh190,000; 1,800m
Winner: Good Trip, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe

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One-off T20 International: UAE v Australia

When: Monday, October 22, 2pm start

Where: Abu Dhabi Cricket, Oval 1

Tickets: Admission is free

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (captain), Mitch Marsh, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, Darcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa, Peter Siddle

Updated: June 17, 2022, 1:42 PM