Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition take position during an attack to liberate the port city of Hodeidah. Najeeb Almahboobi / EPA
Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition take position during an attack to liberate the port city of Hodeidah. Najeeb Almahboobi / EPA
Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition take position during an attack to liberate the port city of Hodeidah. Najeeb Almahboobi / EPA
Yemeni government forces backed by the Saudi-led coalition take position during an attack to liberate the port city of Hodeidah. Najeeb Almahboobi / EPA

Arab Coalition pauses Hodeidah offensive to aid UN peace talks


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The Arab Coalition has paused the military campaign against the Houthis in the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah in support of UN peace efforts for a political solution, despite violations by the Iran-backed rebels, the UAE said on Sunday.

In a series of tweets, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash publicly acknowledged a cessation of the operation – dubbed Golden Victory – that began on June 23, initially for one week.

“We welcome continuing efforts by UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, to achieve an unconditional Houthi withdrawal from Hodeidah city and port. We have paused our campaign to allow enough time for this option to be fully explored,” he wrote.

“It remains to be seen, however, whether the Houthis are engaging seriously with this process or using it as a tactic to buy time. They have declared that they intend to recapture the whole of Yemen, in defiance of the United Nations.”

Dr Gargash said the coalition would “continue our pressure on the parameter” of the city and “await results” from Mr Griffiths’ visit to Sanaa.

Continuing, he warned that if these "patient efforts" fail then the coalition would resume "military pressure" that would bring "the liberation of Hodeidah" and "force the Houthis to engage seriously in negotiations".

Sporadic clashes have taken place over the past week, but Arab Coalition-backed forces have refrained from launching a full-scale push for either the city or port since capturing the airport over a week ago, as the UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths scrambles to find a diplomatic solution.

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Read more:

Coalition to begin next phase of campain in Yemen to press Houthis to negotiating table

UAE reiterates long-term support for Yemeni people

Houthis starve Hodeidah prisoners after riot

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In the past week, Mr Griffiths has jetted between Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, the southern city of Aden and Muscat, the Omani capital, for meetings with Houthi representatives and Yemeni government officials including President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi himself.

Mr Griffiths said last week that the Houthis had offered to cede administration of the port to the United Nations, an offer which fell short of government demands for a full Houthi withdrawal. The envoy added that he hoped “to make Hudaydah [sic] the first step towards peace in Yemen instead of a step further towards war”. He said on Thursday that both sides had indicated a “willingness to talk”.

On Sunday, Yemen’s Deputy Minister of Transport Nasser Sharif said that the Houthis had been responsible for the death of at least five of the port’s staff. The most recent murder came on Saturday when an employee called Mansur Salam Al Hakimi was killed.

In a series of defiant tweets on Sunday evening, President Hadi insisted that the UN must remain the basis of any discussions.

He said that “any negotiation or political process requires a genuine application of Resolution 2216,” which calls for the restoration of his authority as the country’s leader and a withdrawal of the Houthis from Sanaa and other cities.

He added that negotiations that did not fall into the framework were “no longer acceptable, our people and our nation can no longer tolerate further quirks to prolong this senseless war”.

A spokesperson for the Arab Coalition highlighted Hodeidah port’s continued operations, saying that seven ships had docked at the port on Sunday and that another seven where waiting nearby to unload goods.

Elsewhere, pro-government forces shot down a drone in Al Duraihimi, a southern district of Hodeidah province, the second such incident in a week. Local media reports suggested that the drone was Iranian-made and being used to spy on the coalition forces.

On Saturday, pro-government forces recaptured the first villages in the Al Sawadiya district of Al Bayda province, after fierce clashes in which a number of Houthi fighters were killed, and two were captured.

The Arab Coalition — spearheaded by Saudi Arabia and the UAE — intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 at the request of the internationally-recognised government of President Hadi. Yemeni government forces — backed by the alliance — launched the offensive to retake on Hodeidah on June 13.

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WATCH: Yemen forces make major gains near Hodeidah

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The%20specs
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Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

HAJJAN
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Griselda
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ICC T20 Rankings

1. India - 270 ranking points

 

2. England - 265 points

 

3. Pakistan - 261 points

 

4. South Africa - 253 points

 

5. Australia - 251 points 

 

6. New Zealand - 250 points

 

7. West Indies - 240 points

 

8. Bangladesh - 233 points

 

9. Sri Lanka - 230 points

 

10. Afghanistan - 226 points

 
Brief scores:

Day 2

England: 277 & 19-0

West Indies: 154

Analysis

Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.

The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement. 

We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment. 

 

Hydrogen: Market potential

Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.

"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.

Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.

The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.

Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

Brief scoreline:

Al Wahda 2

Al Menhali 27', Tagliabue 79'

Al Nassr 3

Hamdallah 41', Giuliano 45 1', 62'

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
A meeting of young minds

The 3,494 entries for the 2019 Sharjah Children Biennial come from:

435 – UAE

2,000 – China

808 – United Kingdom

165 – Argentina

38 – Lebanon

16 – Saudi Arabia

16 – Bangladesh

6 – Ireland

3 – Egypt

3 – France

2 – Sudan

1 – Kuwait

1 – Australia
 

In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures

Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)

Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy

Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy

Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy

Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)

Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)

Friday

Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)

Valencia v Levante (midnight)

Saturday

Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)

Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)

Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)

Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)

Sunday

Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)

Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)

Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
LUKA CHUPPI

Director: Laxman Utekar

Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema

Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon​​​​​​​, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana

Rating: 3/5

RESULTS

5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Tathoor, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: Aiz Alawda, Fernando Jara, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
Winner: ES Nahawand, Fernando Jara, Mohammed Daggash
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Winked, Connor Beasley, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
Winner: Somoud, Connor Beasley, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Al Jazi, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

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Day 3, Dubai Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage, the Sri Lanka pace bowler, has had to play a lot of cricket to earn a shot at the top level. The 29-year-old debutant first played a first-class game 11 years ago. His first Test wicket was one to savour, bowling Pakistan opener Shan Masood through the gate. It set the rot in motion for Pakistan’s batting.

Stat of the day – 73 Haris Sohail took 73 balls to hit a boundary. Which is a peculiar quirk, given the aggressive intent he showed from the off. Pakistan’s batsmen were implored to attack Rangana Herath after their implosion against his left-arm spin in Abu Dhabi. Haris did his best to oblige, smacking the second ball he faced for a huge straight six.

The verdict One year ago, when Pakistan played their first day-night Test at this ground, they held a 222-run lead over West Indies on first innings. The away side still pushed their hosts relatively close on the final night. With the opposite almost exactly the case this time around, Pakistan still have to hope they can salvage a win from somewhere.

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol

Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

Price: From Dh79,600

On sale: Now

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now