EU to donate $3m towards salvage of Yemen's ‘floating time-bomb’ oil tanker


Nada AlTaher
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The European Union has pledged $3 million towards an operation to salvage a crumbling oil tanker off the coast of Yemen after a disappointing fund-raiser brought in less than a quarter of the cash needed.

The UN says it needs about $144m to fund the operation from start to finish, including finding a temporary replacement for the Floating Storage and Offloading (FSO) vessel to take on its 1.1 million barrels of crude oil currently threatening fisheries and livelihoods in Yemen and beyond.

A pledging conference in the Netherlands on May 10 secured less than half of the $80m needed to finance the first part of the operation.

“Salvaging this tanker is also a very good example of international cooperation to prevent a full-blown disaster, which would affect the livelihoods of millions of Yemenis, as well as fishermen and tourist operators in the wider Red Sea area,” EU High Representative and Vice President Josep Borrell said on Wednesday, when announcing the donation.

A flurry of fund-raising activity was launched after the UN signed an agreement with the Houthi rebel group in March to finally end the risk posed by Safer which has been in need of maintenance and decommissioning for years.

Safer MOU
Safer MOU

Previous attempts to sort the matter out were blocked by the Iran-backed group, which controls the port of Ras Isa where the Safer is currently moored.

An oil spill or leak could cost billions in clean-up — and result in an incident four times as big as the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster.

As progress remains slow on the Safer dossier, a two-month truce which began on the first day of Ramadan may be extended amid international pressure on the warring sides to maintain the significant reduction in violence on Yemen’s front lines.

On Wednesday, the Houthis said they were “studying” a request by the UN to extend the truce which is set to expire on June 2.

After an initial failure to launch commercial flights to and from Sanaa last month, a plane successfully departed from the Houthi-controlled capital to Jordan for Yemenis to receive treatment abroad last week.

A second commercial flight took off from the Jordanian capital Amman to Sanaa, “as per the terms of the truce agreement”, in a positive sign that Yemen might be finally on its way to more peaceful times, after the Houthis took control of the capital in 2015 and the government launched a counter-offensive which led to all-out war.

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  • Sep 6, 2016 Lost to Australia 1-0 (home)
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Stage 5 results

1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 3:48:53

2 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team -

Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott - 

4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ  0:00:04

5 Ilnur Zakarin (RUS) CCC Team 0:00:07

General Classification:

1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 20:35:04

2 Tadej Pogacar (SlO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:01

3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:33

4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:48

5 Rafał Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:02:11

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Price, base: Dh1 million (estimate)

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 563hp @ 5,000rpm

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NBA FINALS SO FAR

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Game 1 Raptors 118 Warriors 109

Game 2 Raptors 104 Warriors 109

Game 3 Warriors 109 Raptors 123

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key figures in the life of the fort

Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.

Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.

Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.

Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.

Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae

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The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler

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Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine

Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

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Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

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5pm Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige Dh110,000 1,400m

5.30pm Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige Dh110,000 1,400m

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6.30pm Maiden Dh80,000 1,600m

7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap Dh80,000 1,400m

7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 2,400m

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

Updated: May 19, 2022, 11:27 AM`