The Royal Saudi Air force has shot down two Houthi drones they believe were targeting densely populated civilian areas along the Saudi-Yemeni border, according to the official spokesperson for the Arab Coalition.
Colonel Turki Al Maliki said debris caused by the interception of the two drones injured five civilians in Khamis Mushait, a Saudi city 100 kilometres from the Yemeni border.
A woman and her child were among the injured. The fallout also damaged several homes and four vehicles.
Col Al Maliki said Iran-backed Houthis are trying to take advantage of the Arab Coalition's adherence to the ceasefire by targeting civilians inside of Saudi Arabia through remote controlled drones.
"In committing such hostile, terrorist acts, seeks to provoke coalition forces into conducting military operations in [Hodeidah] Governorate," he said.
Col Al Malki said the coalition will continue to support the political efforts lead by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, and the chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee. The UN entities are looking to implement the Stockholm Agreement, whereby the warring sides agreed in December to a ceasefire and full withdrawal from the port city of Hodeidah.
However, reports have shown that the rebels have failed to enact the terms by violating the ceasefire and even launching attacks on UN staff deployed to maintain the peace.
Col Al Maliki sent a warning to the Houthis saying “that their use of such terrorist tactics in suicidal attacks will be categorically and decisively deterred. And that the Joint Forces Command will take all deterring measures in accordance with customary international humanitarian law.”
Meanwhile, an Arab Coalition official told The National that the Houthis are preventing access to vital food sources in the Red Sea Coast region.
The World Food Programme has requested access to the Red Sea Mill, which contains enough wheat to feed 3.7 million people for a month, in order to test the stockpile they fear has rotted.
They were given access in February to begin the tests but now sources are saying that UN and WFP access to the silo has been barred.
"Houthi militias continually delayed this access," the Arab Coalition source added, "After several delays on the Houthi side, it was finally agreed that 120 workers would be able to access the mills from today."
"Unfortunately," they added, "the Houthis have decided to once again renege on a previous commitment, denying the team access to the mills.
"Some 20 million people in Yemen — 70 per cent of the population — are struggling to meet their daily food needs, making this latest Houthi violations a blow to improving Yemeni lives."
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
The biog
Hobby: Playing piano and drawing patterns
Best book: Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins
Food of choice: Sushi
Favourite colour: Orange
Navdeep Suri, India's Ambassador to the UAE
There has been a longstanding need from the Indian community to have a religious premises where they can practise their beliefs. Currently there is a very, very small temple in Bur Dubai and the community has outgrown this. So this will be a major temple and open to all denominations and a place should reflect India’s diversity.
It fits so well into the UAE’s own commitment to tolerance and pluralism and coming in the year of tolerance gives it that extra dimension.
What we will see on April 20 is the foundation ceremony and we expect a pretty broad cross section of the Indian community to be present, both from the UAE and abroad. The Hindu group that is building the temple will have their holiest leader attending – and we expect very senior representation from the leadership of the UAE.
When the designs were taken to the leadership, there were two clear options. There was a New Jersey model with a rectangular structure with the temple recessed inside so it was not too visible from the outside and another was the Neasden temple in London with the spires in its classical shape. And they said: look we said we wanted a temple so it should look like a temple. So this should be a classical style temple in all its glory.
It is beautifully located - 30 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi and barely 45 minutes to Dubai so it serves the needs of both communities.
This is going to be the big temple where I expect people to come from across the country at major festivals and occasions.
It is hugely important – it will take a couple of years to complete given the scale. It is going to be remarkable and will contribute something not just to the landscape in terms of visual architecture but also to the ethos. Here will be a real representation of UAE’s pluralism.
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
