UN calls out Houthi rebels over Hodeidah peace plan


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The United Nations on Sunday questioned the Houthis’ commitment to sticking to a peace initiative aimed at withdrawing the rebels from the port city of Hodeidah.

The rebels have failed to honour an agreement “to open a humanitarian corridor” between Hodeidah and the capital, Sanaa, which are both under Houthi control, to deliver much needed aid to civilians, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

“General Patrick Cammaert, who heads a team of monitors in Hodeidah, has expressed his disappointment at their missed opportunity to build confidence between the parties,” Mr Dujarric said, referring to a meeting with rebel representatives.

The planned evacuation is part of a confidence building measure agreed upon during the Sweden peace talks. Rebels and government officials agreed to a ceasefire and the withdrawal of forces from the province in a bid to end the country's nearly four-year war.

Yemen's Houthi rebels are not committing to a full withdrawal from the port city of Hodeidah, government and military officials have told The National.

Their alleged withdrawal "is a blatant act and ploy against the United Nations and the international community,” said the official, in reference to the rebel group's claim they had handed over control of the main port in the Red Sea city.

According to Yemeni government officials, Houthi rebels have disguised loyal administrators and fighters in government military and guard fatigues and deployed them to the city and its three ports.

Brigadier Yehya Abu Hatim, a senior commander in the Yemeni military, said the rebels were masquerading as guards of the city in a bid to keep fighters there.

“The force that the Houthis claim is the Coast Guards are their fighters in reality. They got dressed in the uniforms of the old Coast Guards to replace them,” he said, adding that all of the guards had fled Hodeidah at the onset of the civil war in 2014.

Another official, who asked to remain anonymous, made the same accusation.

“The rebels claim that they have left Hodeidah, but instead they have changed into civilian clothing to regain their control,” the official said.

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Read more:

UN: Houthi rebels withdraw from Hodeidah port under ceasefire deal

Yemen government to pay civil servants in rebel-held Hodeidah

Houthi mine threat stops displaced Yemenis returning home

UN committee holds first official meeting on Hodeidah ceasefire

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The agreement stipulates the full withdrawal of forces from both sides, he added. "The points are clear and that is to hand over the control of the ports and city to the official Yemeni government.”

“It reduces the chances of peace and reveals the real intentions of the militias and its relentless efforts to undermine the Stockholm agreement that was sponsored by the United Nations,” he said.

An official close to the government representatives in the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC), headed by Mr Cammaert, said the Houthi claims of a full withdrawal had been rejected and were an indicator of their desire to go around the ceasefire agreement signed in Stockholm.

For months the international community has been trying to halt a full-blown battle from taking place inside Hodeidah, an entry point for aid and commercial goods and a lifeline for millions of Yemenis who are on the verge of starvation.

Retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert arrives at the Yemeni port of Hodeidah on December 29, 2018. AFP
Retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert arrives at the Yemeni port of Hodeidah on December 29, 2018. AFP

“The Houthis are in denial if they think that the Yemeni army and the National Resistance will accept any fighters to remain in the port city of Hodeidah,” Abdul Aziz Jubari, adviser to President Abdrabu Mansour Hadi said.

“Houthis must realise that what was agreed in Sweden was signed to be implemented peacefully,” Mr Jubari said on Twitter.

Although clashes have erupted since the ceasefire on December 18, the United Nations assessed that both sides have largely adhered to the truce, according to a report by Secretary General Antonio Guterres seen by The National.

Under the deal, international monitors are to be deployed to Hodeidah and the RCC will oversee implementation. The committee started its meetings last week.

A prisoner exchange agreement was also established as part of the Stockholm deal.

Yet a government official told The National that the agreement has been had "some complications".

According to the officials, the rebels deny holding 2,946 of the 8,576 people on the list of prisoners whose release the government is seeking.

The war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands of people and driven millions to starvation. The UN has called the crisis the world’s worst humanitarian disaster.

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A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
if you go

The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo

Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000

Engine: 5.6-litre V8

Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm

Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km

SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20TV%204K%20(THIRD%20GENERATION)
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While you're here
About Karol Nawrocki

• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.

• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.

• Cultivates tough-guy image, posting videos of himself at shooting ranges and in boxing rings.

• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.

Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes. 
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com

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 

Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm

Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm

Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go

The flights

Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes. 

The hotels

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes. 

When to visit

March-May and September-November

Visas

Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.

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
Who has been sanctioned?

Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.

Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.

Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.

Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.

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UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

The biog

Job: Fitness entrepreneur, body-builder and trainer

Favourite superhero: Batman

Favourite quote: We must become the change we want to see, by Mahatma Gandhi.

Favourite car: Lamborghini

Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital

SPECS
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Company%20profile
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Director: Shady Ali
Cast: Boumi Fouad , Mohamed Tharout and Hisham Ismael
Rating: 3/5

Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion

The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.

Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".

The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.

He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.

"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.

As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.

From Conquest to Deportation

Jeronim Perovic, Hurst

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THE%20SWIMMERS
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