ADEN // An Emirati plane landed in Aden at dawn on Friday, bringing humanitarian aid to the southern Yemeni city only hours after its airport came under rocket fire from rebels.
In total, four aircraft have arrived at the port city since the symbolic reopening of Aden’s international airport on Wednesday, which followed nearly four months of fierce fighting.
The UAE plane delivered medical supplies from the UAE Red Crescent before departing, an airport official said. A Saudi plane also landed at midday, carrying 12 tonnes of humanitarian assistance and a team from the King Salman Centre for Relief and Humanitarian Works. It was the third Saudi aircraft to arrive at the airport since its reopening.
Rafat Al Sabbagh, a spokesman for the King Salman Centre, said that the flight carried medical supplies for cancer patients and hospitals and was coordinated with the Yemeni government’s relief commission.
A vital supply artery for war-torn South Yemen, the facility came under fire from the Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Thursday as another Saudi plane was unloading humanitarian aid on the tarmac.
The airport was recaptured on July 14 by Gulf Arab-backed Yemeni forces as they drove the Houthis out of the southern port city and much of the surrounding areas.
Houthi fighters allied with army units loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh captured Aden in March and April at the outset of the country’s four-month-old war, dealing a blow to president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi, who is recognised internationally as the country’s legitimate leader.
Mr Hadi and his aides fled to Riyadh as Houthi forces, who had seized the capital in September, closed in on Aden.
A Saudi-led coalition of Arab states, including the UAE, has been bombarding Houthi forces since late March in a bid to reinstate Mr Hadi. It has also run training programmes for Yemeni soldiers loyal to Mr Hadi and dropped arms to local forces fighting the Houthis.
The advance in Aden may have also benefited from efforts to weaken a key pillar of Houthi power, namely their alliance with former president Mr Saleh, who has the loyalty of army units that are probably the country’s toughest military force.
The alliance is rooted in tactics rather than ideological sympathy – Mr Saleh and the Houthis were once sworn enemies but made common cause last year against new shared enemies.
The move, typical of Yemen’s constantly shifting political landscape, gave the Houthis a decisive edge on the battlefield.
Diplomats and Yemeni politicians say that representatives of Mr Saleh, whose army loyalists laid siege to Aden alongside the Houthis back in March and April, are negotiating with diplomats from the UAE.
Adel Shuja, a leader of the party led by Mr Saleh, said that negotiations between the ex-president’s representatives and the United States, Britain and the UAE “to find a peaceful solution to the crisis ... have made significant progress so far”.
A politician from Yemen’s government said that the talks focused on the departure from Yemen of Mr Saleh, an arch survivor who balanced nimbly between rival armed and tribal groups during his three decades in office.
Despite being forced to step down in 2012 under a Gulf-brokered transition plan following mass protests against his decades of rule, Mr Saleh has remained a powerful political player operating behind the scenes, enjoying immunity under the deal.
Mr Saleh’s fortunes are now again in question. A diplomat said that Mr Saleh was “gambling, as ever, but now less for power than for survival”.
“They’re speaking to him to extract him from the country, because they realise that while he cannot again rule the country, he can still destroy it,” a Yemeni politician said.
The first plane to land at Aden airport since pro-Hadi government forces took over was Saudi, carrying weapons and military assistance.
After Aden’s recapture, Mr Hadi’s ministers are slowly returning there.
If the airport resumes regular operations then the city is expected to be able to expedite the import of badly needed emergency humanitarian aid.
Civilian suffering in Yemen has reached “unprecedented levels,” the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Friday, warning that intensifying violence in the country’s south was hamstringing emergency medical aid.
The ICRC voiced particular concern over worsening clashes in the southern governorates of Taez and Aden.
In Aden and Taez, “it is becoming increasingly difficult for us to reach affected areas, to evacuate the dead and the wounded and to provide life-saving assistance,” the ICRC’s mission chief in Yemen, Antoine Grand, said.
The aid group urged both pro-Hadi forces and the Houthis to let humanitarian groups work.
Heavy fighting forced a four-month closure of Aden’s international airport, what had been a vital landing point for aid headed to embattled South Yemen.
The ICRC warned that as the fighting escalated, so too did “shortages of water, food and fuel across the country”.
A boat chartered by the Red Cross and loaded with humanitarian supplies successfully docked in Aden’s port on Thursday.
The group insisted that aid should not be held hostage by the shifting situation on the ground.
“All sides must facilitate our access and respect our mandate,” it said.
Overnight, rocket attacks on Aden killed three people and wounded 57, according to Al Khader Laswar, a health official in the city.
The rockets were fired from north Aden, where the Houthi rebels still have a presence after being driven out of most of the city by fighters loyal to Mr Hadi.
Elsewhere, coalition warplanes struck rebel positions in Omran, north of the rebel-held capital Sanaa, and Dhamar in central Yemen, according to residents.
* Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, Reuters
Company%20profile
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
The Word for Woman is Wilderness
Abi Andrews, Serpent’s Tail
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Barack Beach, Richard Mullen (jockey), Satish Seemar (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Way Of Wisdom, Connor Beasley, Satish Seemar.
7.40pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Woodditton, Connor Beasley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Secret Trade, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.50pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Mark Of Approval, Antonio Fresu, Mahmood Hussain.
9.25pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tradesman, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
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
Fight card
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)
Catch 74kg
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)
Lightweight
Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20and%20electric%20motor%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20power%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20700hp%20at%207%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMax%20torque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20720Nm%20at%202%2C250rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100km%2Fh%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E330kph%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1.14%20million%20(%24311%2C000)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPECS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Most%20polluted%20cities%20in%20the%20Middle%20East
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MOST%20POLLUTED%20COUNTRIES%20IN%20THE%20WORLD
%3Cp%3E1.%20Chad%3Cbr%3E2.%20Iraq%3Cbr%3E3.%20Pakistan%3Cbr%3E4.%20Bahrain%3Cbr%3E5.%20Bangladesh%3Cbr%3E6.%20Burkina%20Faso%3Cbr%3E7.%20Kuwait%3Cbr%3E8.%20India%3Cbr%3E9.%20Egypt%3Cbr%3E10.%20Tajikistan%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cem%3ESource%3A%202022%20World%20Air%20Quality%20Report%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WHAT FANS WILL LOVE ABOUT RUSSIA
FANS WILL LOVE
Uber is ridiculously cheap and, as Diego Saez discovered, mush safer. A 45-minute taxi from Pulova airport to Saint Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospect can cost as little as 500 roubles (Dh30).
FANS WILL LOATHE
Uber policy in Russia is that they can start the fare as soon as they arrive at the pick-up point — and oftentimes they start it even before arriving, or worse never arrive yet charge you anyway.
FANS WILL LOVE
It’s amazing how active Russians are on social media and your accounts will surge should you post while in the country. Throw in a few Cyrillic hashtags and watch your account numbers rocket.
FANS WILL LOATHE
With cold soups, bland dumplings and dried fish, Russian cuisine is not to everybody’s tastebuds. Fortunately, there are plenty Georgian restaurants to choose from, which are both excellent and economical.
FANS WILL LOVE
The World Cup will take place during St Petersburg's White Nights Festival, which means perpetual daylight in a city that genuinely never sleeps. (Think toddlers walking the streets with their grandmothers at 4am.)
FANS WILL LOATHE
The walk from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station to Saint Petersburg Arena on a rainy day makes you wonder why some of the $1.7 billion was not spent on a weather-protected walkway.
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now