Yemen’s internationally recognised government on Monday said it hoped for a breakthrough on a prisoner swap deal by the start of Ramadan.
Negotiations between the government and Houthi rebels are taking place in Switzerland. They are being chaired by UN envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"We are still in the early stages of the talks, we have revised some names and now we are exchanging lists," Majed Fadail, Yemen's deputy minister for human rights and member of the government prisoner swap committee, told The National.
There are 2,223 names of prisoners to be exchanged between the two sides, Mr Fadail said.
"We are demanding the release of 800 government and transitional forces, in exchange for 800 Houthi prisoners," he said.
For the talks to progress, the Houthi rebels must release 19 soldiers of the Saudi-led coalition, said the Yemeni official.
Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition at the request of the government to fight the Houthi rebels since 2015.
"Of those 19 soldiers, 16 are Saudi nationals and three are Sudanese, in addition to the former minister of defence, Maj Gen Mahmoud Al Subaihi, Gen Nasser Mansour Hadi, Gen Muhammad Adbullah Saleh, Tariq's brother, a member of the Presidential Council," he said.
The government committee is pushing for these names but there are some complications from the Houthi side, Mr Fadail said.
If these people are released, the government will immediately set free the requested Houthi prisoners, he said.
"We have accepted the terms of the Houthis but the militias are difficult to deal with and they prolong things," he said. "But we hope with the upcoming of the holy month of Ramadan we hope to see some progress."
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels are "refusing to release detained journalists and to talk or even discuss this matter in the ongoing negotiations", he said.
The talks started on Saturday and are set to last for 11 days.
Last week, Mr Grundberg urged both sides to “engage in serious and forthcoming discussions to agree on releasing as many detainees as possible".
“I urge the parties to fulfil the commitments they made, not just to each other but also to the thousands of Yemeni families who have been waiting to be reunited with their loved ones for far too long,” he added.
The prisoner exchange deal is part of a UN-brokered agreement that was announced in 2018 as part of the Stockholm deal. It ended months of violence over the vital Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.
The last major prisoner exchange was in October 2020 in which more than 1,000 detainees from both sides were released.
MATCH INFO
First Test at Barbados
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Second Test at Antigua
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February 9-13
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
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Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
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Cape Town Sevens on Saturday and Sunday: Pools A – South Africa, Kenya, France, Russia; B – New Zealand, Australia, Spain, United States; C – England, Scotland, Argentina, Uganda; D – Fiji, Samoa, Canada, Wales
HSBC World Sevens Series standing after first leg in Dubai 1 South Africa; 2 New Zealand; 3 England; 4 Fiji; 5 Australia; 6 Samoa; 7 Kenya; 8 Scotland; 9 France; 10 Spain; 11 Argentina; 12 Canada; 13 Wales; 14 Uganda; 15 United States; 16 Russia
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Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
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Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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Norway
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Canada
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Australia
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%3Cp%3ESixteen%20boys%20and%2015%20girls%20have%20gone%20on%20from%20Go-Pro%20Academy%20in%20Dubai%20to%20either%20professional%20contracts%20abroad%20or%20scholarships%20in%20the%20United%20States.%20Here%20are%20two%20of%20the%20most%20prominent.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeorgia%20Gibson%20(Newcastle%20United)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EThe%20reason%20the%20academy%20in%20Dubai%20first%20set%20up%20a%20girls%E2%80%99%20programme%20was%20to%20help%20Gibson%20reach%20her%20potential.%20Now%20she%20plays%20professionally%20for%20Newcastle%20United%20in%20the%20UK.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMackenzie%20Hunt%20(Everton)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EAttended%20DESS%20in%20Dubai%2C%20before%20heading%20to%20the%20UK%20to%20join%20Everton%20full%20time%20as%20a%20teenager.%20He%20was%20on%20the%20bench%20for%20the%20first%20team%20as%20recently%20as%20their%20fixture%20against%20Brighton%20on%20February%2024.%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More on Quran memorisation:
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
