Iranian president Hassan Rouhani (R) greets British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson at the presidential office in Tehran, Iran, 10 December 2017, where the two discussed the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other dual citizens jailed in Iran. EPA/Presidential Office Handout
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani (R) greets British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson at the presidential office in Tehran, Iran, 10 December 2017, where the two discussed the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other dual citizens jailed in Iran. EPA/Presidential Office Handout
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani (R) greets British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson at the presidential office in Tehran, Iran, 10 December 2017, where the two discussed the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other dual citizens jailed in Iran. EPA/Presidential Office Handout
Iranian president Hassan Rouhani (R) greets British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson at the presidential office in Tehran, Iran, 10 December 2017, where the two discussed the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ra

Britain urges scrutiny of Hodeidah to stop smuggling of arms under cover of aid shipments


  • English
  • Arabic

Britain’s foreign secretary Boris Johnson stressed the need on Monday for full humanitarian and commercial access to Hodeidah to be opened up, but cautioned that this had to be balanced by valid security concerns that shipments of arms for the Houthi rebels were also being smuggled through the Yemeni port, which handles more than 80% of the country’s food imports.

Reporting back to the House of Commons on his three-day trip to the Middle East and Gulf, Mr Johnson said “to prevent further starvation and suffering, it is essential to get supplies flowing through Hodeidah, but to do that we must help to reassure the Saudis and others that that port is not being used to smuggle weaponry and to support those who are attacking civilians.”

He also confirmed that he had made strong representations to the Iran government about their support for the Yemeni rebels, saying that there had been “some pretty feisty exchanges” in his discussions with the country’s vice-president Ali Akbar Salehi especially in regards to attacks against Saudi Arabia.

“If we are to resolve the conflict in Yemen, Houthi rebels must stop firing missiles at Saudi Arabia,” Mr Johnson told MPs. “The House will recall that King Khalid International airport in Riyadh – Saudi Arabia’s equivalent of Heathrow – was the target ​of a ballistic missile launched from Yemen on 4 November. I pressed my Iranian counterparts to use their influence to ensure that these indiscriminate and dangerous attacks come to an end.”

_______________

Read more:

_______________

Despite his “frank” words with the Iranians – Mr Johnson also met president Hassan Rouhani and the foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif – he stressed Britain’s continuing support for the nuclear deal signed in 2015, saying that “the UK attaches the utmost importance to preserving this agreement” and that the West “must keep their side of the bargain by helping the Iranian people to enjoy the economic benefits of re-engagement with the world.”

The foreign secretary also revealed that during his meeting in Abu Dhabi on Sunday with UAE’s leaders of the UAE, the Saudi foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, and colleagues from the United States, there had been agreement “on the need to revive the political process [in Yemen], bearing in mind that the killing of the former President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, by the Houthis may cause the conflict to become even more fragmented.”

Mr Johnson said that the meeting had also “discussed how best to address the missile threat from Yemen, welcoming the United Nations investigation into the origin of the weapons launched.”

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Match info

Manchester United 0-0 Crystal Palace

Man of the match: Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace)

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

City's slump

L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
L - Brighton, 2-1
L - Sporting, 4-1
L - Bournemouth, 2-1
L - Tottenham, 2-1

Brief scores:

Manchester United 4

Young 13', Mata 28', Lukaku 42', Rashford 82'

Fulham 1

Kamara 67' (pen),

Red card: Anguissa (68')

Man of the match: Juan Mata (Man Utd)

The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

  • be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
  • not be younger than 25 years old
  • not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
  • be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
  • have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
  • undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
  • A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially