Martin Griffiths, the UN Secretary General's envoy on Yemen, welcomed a Houthi announcement on Saturday saying the rebel group would cease its attacks on Saudi Arabia. AFP
Martin Griffiths, the UN Secretary General's envoy on Yemen, welcomed a Houthi announcement on Saturday saying the rebel group would cease its attacks on Saudi Arabia. AFP
Martin Griffiths, the UN Secretary General's envoy on Yemen, welcomed a Houthi announcement on Saturday saying the rebel group would cease its attacks on Saudi Arabia. AFP
Martin Griffiths, the UN Secretary General's envoy on Yemen, welcomed a Houthi announcement on Saturday saying the rebel group would cease its attacks on Saudi Arabia. AFP

UN Security Council steps up debate on Yemen’s future


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Meetings at the UN General Assembly sought to reinvigorate the talks on Yemen’s future and the path to ending a conflict that has raged since 2015.

In addition to contacts between the US, UK, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, a new broader-based contact format has been launched.

The Saudi-led Arab Coalition, including the UAE, has repeatedly called for a political solution to the war, and expressed frustration at the rebels’ breaches of the pact reached in Sweden.

A breakfast meeting hosted by Britain, Sweden and Kuwait convened all five permanent members of the UN, and Germany.

They assembled to give momentum to efforts by Martin Griffiths, the UN Secretary General’s envoy on Yemen, to revive the Stockholm Agreement that was signed last year.

On Thursday, Mr Griffiths also met Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the head of the Arab League, for a briefing on his “ongoing efforts to reduce violence, revive the political process and support opportunities for peace in Yemen”.

The Stockholm process has stalled since the first half of the year but recent developments among participants to the conflict has kindled hopes that negotiations can begin again.

“There is a window of opportunity to nudge the Yemeni and regional parties to the conflict towards a political process to end the war,” said Peter Salisbury, the Crisis Group’s senior analyst for Yemen.

“But many things could go wrong in the meantime so it’s an opportunity that needs to be seized sooner rather than later.”

Officials said contact group members expressed concern over what could happen if talks between the warring parties were not restarted.

“The situation hasn’t really improved since the Stockholm agreement,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said. “We need to further support the efforts of Griffiths to restart an inclusive political process.”

One of the sources of division in Yemen is that the Southern Transitional Council, which is based around Aden, has so far been excluded from the UN-led peace process in Yemen.

Officials at the General Assembly have called for the secessionist party to be given a place at the table.

Mr Griffiths welcomed Saturday’s announcement from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control parts of central and northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, that they would desist from drone and rocket attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Mehdi Al Mashat, head of the Houthis’ supreme political council, announced “the halt of all attacks against the territory of Saudi Arabia” in a speech marking the 2014 rebel seizure of Sanaa.

Mr Al Mashat asked for “the gesture to be answered by a stronger gesture” from Saudi Arabia.

But the announcement came after a wave of drone and missile strikes last weekend on Saudi oil installations that knocked out half of the kingdom’s production.

The government of Abdrabu Mansur Hadi continued to criticise Mr Griffiths’s approach and urged the envoy to take a stricter tone.

“We regret that it is a problem for 10 months and we know that it is because of the intransigence of the Houthis,” said the acting foreign affairs minister, Mohammed Al Hadrami.

“We want Martin Griffiths to be more specific in terms of pointing fingers at those who are obstructing progress, instead of just blaming everyone or thanking everyone.”

Result
Qualifier: Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings by eight wickets

Fixtures
Tuesday, Lahore: Eliminator 1 - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators
Wednesday, Lahore: Eliminator 2 – Karachi Kings v Winner of Eliminator 1
Sunday, Karachi: Final – Islamabad United v Winner of Eliminator 2

Race card

1.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh 50,000 (Dirt) 1,400m

2pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 84,000 (D) 1,400m

2.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,200m

3pm: Conditions (TB) Dh 100,000 (D) 1.950m

3.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 76,000 (D) 1,800m

4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh 60,000 (D) 1,600m

4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh 68,000 (D) 1,000m

Ticket prices

General admission Dh295 (under-three free)

Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free

Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets

THE SPECS

      

 

Engine: 1.5-litre

 

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Power: 110 horsepower 

 

Torque: 147Nm 

 

Price: From Dh59,700 

 

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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)

Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm) 
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm) 
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm) 
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn  (4.30pm) 
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm) 
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)

Sunday, May 17

Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)

Monday, May 18

Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

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  • 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
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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A State of Passion

Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi

Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah

Rating: 4/5

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SCHEDULE

Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.

Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.

Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.

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 
Ticket prices
  • Golden circle - Dh995
  • Floor Standing - Dh495
  • Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
  • Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
  • Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
  • Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
  • Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
  • Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
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