Supporters of Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh carry his poster during a rally to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of his General People's Congress party in Sanaa on August 24, 2017. The poster reads: 'With blood and souls we sacrifice for you oh Yemen'. Khaled Abdullah / Reuters
Supporters of Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh carry his poster during a rally to mark the 35th anniversary of the establishment of his General People's Congress party in Sanaa on August 24Show more

Thousands attend Yemen rally to mark 35th anniversary of Saleh party



Thousands attended a rally in Sanaa to celebrate the 35-year anniversary of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh's political party on Thursday, flouting a ban on such activity issued by the country's Houthi rebels days before.

Local media reported that clashes had broken out between Houthi fighters and supporters of the General People's Congress (GPC) party at the rally in central Al Sabeen Square, but this was disputed by a Sanaa resident who attended the rally and other sources who spoke to The National.

"There were not forces of the Houthis near Al Sabeen and we did not hear any clashes near there," said Nouradeen Al Otomi, who attended the rally.

"We do not want to witness clashes between Saleh and the Houthis because civilians will be the main victims," he added.

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The rally came after the Houthis on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in the rebel-held capital, issuing a ban on partisan activities from taking place. They warned Mr Saleh, until now their main ally in the country's war, that he would "bear the consequences" after calling the Iran-backed rebels "militias" in a speech on Sunday.

Despite the warning, Mr Saleh gave a speech at the rally — albeit a rushed one lasting around five minutes — in which he said the GPC was ready to resist unspecified "enemies".

"We are ready provide the vanguard with thousands of fighters, ready to go at a moment," he told the crowds in Al Sabeen Square, many of whom had travelled to Sanaa from other provinces to attend the rally.

A broadcast of the speech by the GPC’s news agency showed no signs of violence.

Sky News Arabia reported that tens of thousands of people fled the rally once the speech was over, however, after Houthi fighters used "force" on them. It broadcast video of hundreds of GPC supporters running through the crowds gathered at the square.

Earlier in the day, local media reported that Houthi fighters were confiscating cameras in Al Sabeen Square and had arrested a number of pro-Saleh journalists as they tried to enter. Paths leading to the square were blocked off by the Houthis ahead of Mr Saleh's speech, reports said, preventing many supporters from reaching the rally.

According to Sky News Arabia, rebel fighters also detained hundreds of GPC supporters in Rima province, west of Sanaa.

Though Houthi supporters protested outside of the rally in Sanaa, Mr Al Otomi said there were no rebel fighters at Al Sabeen Square. Instead, he said, Yemeni soldiers were posted at the entrances to the square, checking everyone who entered.

The Houthi movement entered an alliance with Mr Saleh and renegade soldiers loyal to him to fight the government of Yemeni president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi and the Saudi-led military coalition supporting it.

But relations between the rebels and Mr Saleh deteriorated earlier this week, after speeches from both sides accused the other of jeopardising their partnership.

"Differences between the two sides are nothing new," said professor April Longley Alley, a senior analyst focusing on the Arabian peninsula at the International Crisis Group.

"The Houthis and Saleh temporarily are bound together by common opposition to the Saudi-led coalition. But they are historical enemies and their co-operation in the government and on military fronts is fraught with difficulties."

The Houthis fought six brutal wars in five years with the Yemeni government while Mr Saleh was president, with the latter's forces killing Hussein Al Houthi, the founder of the rebel movement. But their interests aligned after Mr Saleh ceded power in 2012 following months of violent Arab Spring protests, with both opposing the government of his successor, president Hadi.

Over the course of the ongoing war, the Houthis' political popularity in the north of the country has suffered while Mr Saleh's has increased.

"Now it seems that Saleh is capitalising on this advantage to send a message, both to the Houthis and to the international community that his party, the GPC, is powerful force on the ground and the key to political negotiations," said professor Alley.

Sanaa-based journalist Mohammed Sirag said the latest tensions between the Houthi and Saleh camps had erupted over disagreement about reaching a deal with the Saudi-led coalition.

"Saleh wants to go towards the political solution with the [Saudi-led] coalition but the Houthis do not prefer this solution and consider it to be a kind of surrender," he said.

Despite the reports of clashes on Thursday and rising tensions, Sirag said he believed fighting would not break out between the two sides because this would prove deeply unpopular with the already wear-weary civilian population in Sanaa and other rebel-held areas.

"The disputes will continue after the protests of Thursday and we will see more war of words but we will not see war in the battlefields."

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
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Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Dhadak

Director: Shashank Khaitan

Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana

Stars: 3

The specs

Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Power: 300hp

Torque: 420Nm

Price: Dh189,900

On sale: now

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

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
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Country-size land deals

US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:

Louisiana Purchase

If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.

Florida Purchase Treaty

The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty. 

Alaska purchase

America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of  Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".

The Philippines

At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million. 

US Virgin Islands

It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.

Gwadar

The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees. 

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)

Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)

Saturday

Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)

Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)

Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)

Sunday

Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)

Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)

Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)

 

 

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Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

A little about CVRL

Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.

One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases. 

The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery. 

Mobile phone packages comparison
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.

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding