The UN went a step closer to averting environmental disaster from a 47-year-old oil tanker stranded off the coast of Yemen as a ship assigned to remove its load left Djibouti on Saturday.
The FSO Safer, which is carrying more than one million barrels of crude in its rusting and abandoned hull, will transfer its load to the Nautica, the UN said.
Amid the nine-year war between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels, the Safer has not been maintained off the coast of Ras Issa since 2015. A skeleton crew has kept the vessel afloat.
Achim Steiner, the administrator of the UN Development Programme, said the world body expected the removal of oil from the Safer to begin next week.
"Removing the threat the Safer poses will be a huge achievement for the many people who have worked tirelessly on this complex and difficult project over months and years to bring us to this point," he said.
"We will not rest until that threat is gone, and today we are close to beginning the operation.”
Once the Nautica, a 15-year-old very large crude carrier, arrives at its destination near the FSO Safer, a two-week ship-to-ship oil transfer will take place.
The next step is to install a buoy secured to the seabed to moor the new craft to, UN Resident and Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Yemen, David Gressly, said on board the Nautica.
He thanked the parties who contributed funds to the operation.
What will happen to the oil once extracted has yet to be agreed.
The UN initially budgeted $143 million, but funding drives have not been able to raise the full amount. About $34 million is still needed to complete the operation.
In the event of a spill, the UN had estimated clean-up costs would top $20 billion, with potentially catastrophic environmental, humanitarian and economic consequences.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
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Rating: 4.5/5
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
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Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
