Mike Pompeo met with Martin Griffiths on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Yemen. Bloomberg
Mike Pompeo met with Martin Griffiths on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Yemen. Bloomberg
Mike Pompeo met with Martin Griffiths on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Yemen. Bloomberg
Mike Pompeo met with Martin Griffiths on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Yemen. Bloomberg

Mike Pompeo concerned about rising Houthi attacks in Saudi territory


Taylor Heyman
  • English
  • Arabic

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday expressed concern over increased attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels against Saudi Arabia.

Mr Pompeo made his comments in a meeting with the UN special envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, on Wednesday.

His spokeswoman, Morgan Ortagus, said the Houthi attacks “exacerbate the conflict and deepen mistrust” between the parties.

“ The Secretary thanked the special envoy for his continued efforts to move the political process forward,” Ms Ortagus said.

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She said the pair had discussed the UN-led peace process and agreed that parties must continue working towards a political settlement and an end to the conflict.

Mr Griffiths said his main aim was to keep the Yemen conflict from descending into a regional war.

“Yemen has its own problems, its own war," he told US radio station PRI.

"It's my first priority at the moment to at least keep it out from being sucked into any potential regional conflict and that was my main discussion with Secretary Pompeo.”

The conflict began with the 2014 takeover of the capital Sanaa by the Iran-backed rebels, who forced out the government.

Mr Griffiths said progress towards peace had been “grindingly slow” since peace talks in Stockholm in December 2018.

An agreement reached in Stockholm for an immediate ceasefire and mutual withdrawal of forces from Hodeidah has been partially successful.

Last week Mr Griffiths met UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, and Minister of State for International Co-operation, Reem Al Hashimy, to discuss the conflict at the start of a regional tour.

Shortly after, UAE officials confirmed the country had redeployed troops in Yemen as it sought to move from a military outlook to a focus on the peace process.

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
The biog

Name: Younis Al Balooshi

Nationality: Emirati

Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn

Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma

When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

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Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads

Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike

They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users

Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance

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Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari

Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta

Rating: 3.5/5

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5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2,200m
Winner: Arjan, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m​​​​​​​
Winner: Jap Nazaa, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi.

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6.30pm: Shadwell Gold Cup Prestige Dh125,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: AF Sanad, Bernardo Pinheiro, Khalifa Al Neyadi.

7pm: Shadwell Farm Stallions Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Patrick Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

7.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 1,600m​​​​​​​
Winner: Dubai Canal, Harry Bentley, Satish Seemar.

How to turn your property into a holiday home
  1. Ensure decoration and styling – and portal photography – quality is high to achieve maximum rates.
  2. Research equivalent Airbnb homes in your location to ensure competitiveness.
  3. Post on all relevant platforms to reach the widest audience; whether you let personally or via an agency know your potential guest profile – aiming for the wrong demographic may leave your property empty.
  4. Factor in costs when working out if holiday letting is beneficial. The annual DCTM fee runs from Dh370 for a one-bedroom flat to Dh1,200. Tourism tax is Dh10-15 per bedroom, per night.
  5. Check your management company has a physical office, a valid DTCM licence and is licencing your property and paying tourism taxes. For transparency, regularly view your booking calendar.

Astroworld
Travis Scott
Grand Hustle/Epic/Cactus Jack

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Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

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Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km

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If you go

The flights

There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.

The trip

Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.

The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.

 

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Some of Darwish's last words

"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008

His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.