As a peace drive to end years of war in Yemen gains pace, Houthi rebels resumed attacks around the country’s main port city, undermining attempts to secure a lasting ceasefire ahead of negotiations.
A proposed UN resolution circulated in the Security Council on Monday urged Yemen's warring parties to relaunch negotiations to end the three-year conflict and take urgent steps to tackle the world's worst humanitarian crisis, which has pushed the country to the brink of famine.
The Security Council resolution, according to the Associated Press, calls on Yemen's internationally recognised government and rival Houthi rebels to agree to a ceasefire around the key port of Hodeidah, including a halt to Houthi missile and drone attacks and for all roadblocks to the delivery of humanitarian aid to be removed within two weeks.
Kuwait's UN Ambassador Mansour Al Otaibi, the Arab representative on the Security Council, said he had "problems" with the draft resolution and hoped they would be addressed before a vote.
Negotiations on the draft are scheduled for Tuesday.
The British-drafted resolution, which expresses "unqualified support" for efforts by UN special envoy Martin Griffiths to bring warring parties to the negotiation table, came only days after the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash affirmed the Arab Coalition's support for Yemen peace talks, which are set to be held in Sweden.
It also came almost a week after the Saudi-led coalition ordered a temporary halt to its offensive against Houthi rebels occupying parts of Hodeidah, raising hopes that a more lasting ceasefire could be reached.
The prospects of a lasting truce gained a boost on Monday when Mohammed Ali Al Houthi, head of the Iran-backed rebel group's Higher Revolutionary Committee, called for the Houthis to stop missile and drone attacks, in a show of support for peace efforts.
But hopes were dashed when Houthi rebels resumed attacks in Hodeidah on Monday night and fired a ballistic missile towards Saudi Arabia, Yemeni information minister Moamer Al Eryani said on Twitter, adding that the missile missed its target and crashed on the Yemeni side of the border.
"I confirm to the UN envoy and the international community that the Houthi militias have no covenant, no charter, no principles, and no culture of peace,” he wrote.
Houthi rebels also shelled positions of pro-government forces in Al Khamseen street, Sanaa street and Al Saleh city, Colonel Mamoon Al Mahjami, spokesperson of the pro-government Al Amalikah forces told The National. Those forces responded, he said.
"It was clear from the beginning that the Houthi militia doesn't have a real intention to halt attacks. We are familiar with how they work. The truce for them means gaining more time to reorganise their ranks and mobilise more fighters to replace those who died or escaped the frontline,” he added.
Colonel Al Mahjami claimed Houthi rebels plan to draw hundreds of reinforcements from Sanaa and Amran province to help boost their forces in Hodeidah. He said the rebel group is planning to use celebrations for the Prophet Mohammed's birthday as a front to call in all of these fighters.
The commander called on residents of Houthi-controlled parts of Hodeidah to avoid rebel celebrations, which he says should not be held in light of violations committed by the group.
"How can Houthis celebrate the prophet’s birthday while they are killing thousands of Muslims and blowing up hundreds of mosques and burning the Holy Quran in many mosques all over our country?” he asked.
Meanwhile, residents of Hodeidahh said rebels continued to fortify their defences in anticipation of more fighting.
Speaking to The National on the condition of anonymity, one resident said rebels were digging trenches and building barricades in and around Hodeidah's port.
They also leveraged the temporary halt in operations by the Saudi-led coalition to transfer heavy weapons into houses in densely-populated parts of the city, in an attempt to shield their arsenal from coalition airstrikes, the resident said.
Simultaneously, rebels stormed houses and rounded up suspects they accuse of cooperating with the Arab coalition, residents said.
"On Sunday, the Houthis stormed the house of my neighbour who works in a university in Hodeidahh because he refused to fight with them," a resident who asked not to be named told The National.
“They took him to their many detentions in the city centre,” the resident said.
The conflict in Yemen began with the 2014 takeover of the capital of Sanaa by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who toppled the government of President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi. The Saudi-led coalition allied with the government has been fighting the Houthis since 2015.
Hodeidah and surrounding areas have been the centre of recent fighting between the rival forces. Yemenis are completely reliant on commercial and humanitarian supplies of food, water, fuel, medicine and other essential supplies, and more than 70 per cent of those are shipped through rebel-held Hodeidah.
The draft resolution circulated on Monday welcomes the coalition's recent de-escalation in Hodeidah and calls on the Houthis "to respond in kind in order to allow urgent deliveries of assistance and flows of life-saving commercial imports". It also welcomes "the renewed commitment from the Yemeni parties to work on a political solution" under Mr Griffiths' leadership.
The resolution also condemns "the unlawful military use of civilian infrastructure" and drone and missile attacks by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It also expresses concern at reports of civilians being used as human shields.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
Company%20profile
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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SPECS
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