Yemeni fighters, loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, hold position during an offensive against Houthi rebels positions in the Nihem region, east of Sana'a. Soliman Al Nowab / EPA
Yemeni fighters, loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, hold position during an offensive against Houthi rebels positions in the Nihem region, east of Sana'a. Soliman Al Nowab / EPA

Yemen's president orders military chief to push for Sanaa



The Yemeni army chief of staff Major General Tahir Al Aqaili said the army is ready to advance towards the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, after recent victories in a renewed military offensive.

The officer announced the pledge on Yemeni official news agency, SEBA, after receiving a call from the internationally-recognised government of President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi, urging him on to rid Yemen of the Iranian-backed rebels.

"The chief of staff said that army troops as well as the public resistance are ready to advance towards Sanaa to liberate it of the sectarian militia," said Yemeni army Brigadier Abdo Megeli.

Meanwhile, 20 Houthi militants were killed in a Saudi-led air strike on the western battlefront as part of a push to recapture the port city of Hodeidah.

Lieutenant Mohammed Mohsen, a commander in the Yemeni army, said the attack targeted reinforcements on their way to support the Houthis who are now struggling to fend off an offensive launched by the Arab coalition.

The city on the Red Sea coast is the only major port under rebel control and widely regarded as second only to the capital, Sanaa — also still in Houthi hands — in its strategic importance.

The bombing struck a Houthi convoy carrying militants, equipment and motorcycles — the vehicle of choice for rebel snipers.

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Read more: 

More than 80 Houthi officers killed in renewed offensive

Top Houthi officers killed in port city

Houthi rebel documents show 'cracks in the ranks'

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In retaliation, the Iranian-backed group launched an attack on villages in the Haja province 120km north-west of Sanaa, killing dozens of civilians in a violent offensive.

"Many civilians were killed in a heavy shelling as the rebels aggressively pounded the residences of citizens, most of them are women and children," Brig Megeli said.

The attack violates a ceasefire the Houthis signed with Bani Sara’a tribesmen in meetings with the sheikhs of the several tribes in Haja province, after fighting with them since November.

Over the weekend Houthis took advantage of that ceasefire on the battlefront to support their troops by shelling tribal villages in the province with whom the rebels have been at war.

“The rebels broke the ceasefire and carried out an offensive against the tribes in a severe violation of tribal laws which criminalise such shameful actions," the army spokesman said.

President Hadi's army have ramped up offensives on three fronts — on the south-eastern Al Bayda province, in the north and along the Red Sea coast — since two Houthi missiles were launched on Saudi Arabia on November 4 and December 19.

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Dates for the diary

To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:

  • September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
  • October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
  • October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
  • November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
  • December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
  • February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
Iran's dirty tricks to dodge sanctions

There’s increased scrutiny on the tricks being used to keep commodities flowing to and from blacklisted countries. Here’s a description of how some work.

1 Going Dark

A common method to transport Iranian oil with stealth is to turn off the Automatic Identification System, an electronic device that pinpoints a ship’s location. Known as going dark, a vessel flicks the switch before berthing and typically reappears days later, masking the location of its load or discharge port.

2. Ship-to-Ship Transfers

A first vessel will take its clandestine cargo away from the country in question before transferring it to a waiting ship, all of this happening out of sight. The vessels will then sail in different directions. For about a third of Iranian exports, more than one tanker typically handles a load before it’s delivered to its final destination, analysts say.

3. Fake Destinations

Signaling the wrong destination to load or unload is another technique. Ships that intend to take cargo from Iran may indicate their loading ports in sanction-free places like Iraq. Ships can keep changing their destinations and end up not berthing at any of them.

4. Rebranded Barrels

Iranian barrels can also be rebranded as oil from a nation free from sanctions such as Iraq. The countries share fields along their border and the crude has similar characteristics. Oil from these deposits can be trucked out to another port and documents forged to hide Iran as the origin.

* Bloomberg

Racecard:
2.30pm: Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoun Emirates Breeders Society Challenge; Conditions (PA); Dh40,000; 1,600m
3pm: Handicap; Dh80,000; 1,800m
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Mile Prep Rated Conditions; Dh110,000; 1,600m
4pm: Handicap; Dh95,000; 1,950m
4.30pm: Maiden; Dh65,000; 1,400m
5pm: Handicap; Dh85,000; 1,200m