Peering through binoculars, a Yemeni commander scans a forbidding desert moonscape for Houthi rebels, who are ramping up an offensive to seize the strategic oil-rich region of Marib.
The outcome of the scorched-earth battles raging around Marib city, the Arab coalition-backed Yemeni government's last northern stronghold, could significantly alter the course of a conflict now in its seventh year.
The loss of Marib, gripped by a worsening humanitarian crisis, would be a heavy blow to the government, giving the Iran-backed rebels more leverage in any future negotiations or even spur them to push farther south, observers say.
Hundreds of combatants have been killed since the large-scale offensive began in February, according to local sources.
Loyalist commanders say the rebels are sending wave after wave of fighters towards front lines around Marib city, the regional capital, from seemingly inexhaustible reserves.
"The Houthi strategy is … aimed at exhausting [us]," a Yemeni commander told AFP at the sand-swept Al Kanais battlefront in the north of the city, where loyalist soldiers crouched in sandbag-ringed foxholes and heavy machine guns were mounted on the rear of pickup trucks.
In a pattern emerging across numerous front lines, the commander said the Houthis are pushing young recruits, many of them children, with the goal of wearing out loyalist forces and depleting their ammunition.
Gun battles that last for hours are typically followed by a brief lull to collect dead bodies.
Then a more lethal wave of experienced Houthi fighters moves in under the cover of constant shelling, the commander said of a rebel strategy that is heaping pressure on loyalist forces.
"The Houthis don't care how many of their men die," he said, a point echoed by other Yemeni officials, including Marib's governor, Sultan Al Aradah.
"They are sacrificing the people of Yemen … but they will not be able to reach Marib no matter the price we have to pay," said the commander, who requested that his name be withheld.
'Sacrifice young men'
Marib is already paying a huge price since the Houthis, who set their sights on taking the area last year, relaunched the offensive in February on the back of large reinforcements.
The city of Marib and some outlying areas make up the last pockets of government-held territory in the north, the rest of which is under rebel control, including the capital Sanaa.
Non-aligned observers of the conflict are alarmed at the high casualties around Marib, with one international official saying "the Houthis seem to have a lot of fighters to throw into the battle".
"At the end of the day, the Houthis will say, 'We still have fighters … and we can sacrifice people and young men'," the official said.
An AFP journalist travelled to Marib from Saudi Arabia in an Apache helicopter at the invitation of the Riyadh-led military coalition battling the rebels.
The low-flying aircraft hovered above sprawling oilfields, a natural gas bottling plant and a modern dam that supplies fresh water to the parched region, assets that make Marib a prized target.
The city itself is splashed with posters of fallen commanders and brimming with checkpoints that guard against Houthi infiltrators and sleeper cells.
Marib is home to hundreds of thousands of civilians uprooted by the conflict – and they face the prospect of being displaced again in a country with fewer and fewer safe havens.
"My husband has lost his mind" because of war and constant displacement, said Hala Al Aswad, 40, a mother of four sheltering in Al Suweida, one of the nearly 140 camps that have sprang up in Marib.
"He keeps beating the children."
The escalation in hostilities displaced 13,600 people in Marib this year, according to the UN refugee agency, putting a heavy strain on the city in the midst of a second coronavirus wave.
Lacking clean water and electricity, the makeshift settlements are overflowing and camp residents say they have repeatedly come under Houthi shelling.
One woman in Al Suweida, on the edge of the city, said she suffered a miscarriage because of the strains of war.
Another woman parted her toddler's hair to reveal a shrapnel wound on her scalp. As she spoke, one child held up a piece of twisted metal from what she said was the wreckage of a shell that hit her camp.
'Sons of the desert'
"A ceasefire is necessary," said Arafat Asubari, 31, a camp resident and father of six.
If the fighting does not stop, he said, "we will all die here".
In March, the Houthis rejected the Saudis' call for a nationwide ceasefire. They have instead escalated missile and drone strikes deep in Saudi Arabia, which provides air support to Marib's loyalist forces.
Officials in Saudi Arabia criticise US President Joe Biden's decision to rescind a terrorist designation imposed on the Houthis by his predecessor Donald Trump, saying the concession has emboldened the rebels.
Western officials defend Mr Biden's decision, saying the designation, which came late in the Trump presidency, would have worsened Yemen's humanitarian crisis by further impeding access, while doing nothing to blunt the Houthis' military ambitions.
But one western official said the Marib offensive was a "big mistake" during direct talks with Houthi negotiators, drawing parallels with battleground stalemates during the First World War that added to widespread suffering.
The plea, the official said, fell on deaf ears.
Meanwhile, Marib's tribes responded to local calls to send their men to reinforce front lines alongside the loyalists, with many saying that the terrain offered them an edge over the Houthis, known to be more adept at mountain warfare.
Describing themselves as "sons of the desert", many Marib tribesmen see a military advantage in a largely flat desert landscape dotted with scrubby bushes.
"Let them [Houthis] come," said the frontline commander, quoting a tribal elder from Marib. "We will kill them all."
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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MATCH INFO
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, which can lead to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E.
Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This can occur through blood transfusions, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injecting drugs. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common.
People infected with hepatitis C experience few or no symptoms, meaning they can live with the virus for years without being diagnosed. This delay in treatment can increase the risk of significant liver damage.
There are an estimated 170 million carriers of Hepatitis C around the world.
The virus causes approximately 399,000 fatalities each year worldwide, according to WHO.
Pathaan
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EResults%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EHong%20Kong%2052-5%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESouth%20Korea%2055-5%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EMalaysia%206-70%20Hong%20Kong%3Cbr%3EUAE%2036-32%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2021%2C%207.30pm%20kick-off%3A%20UAE%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EAt%20The%20Sevens%2C%20Dubai%20(admission%20is%20free).%3Cbr%3ESaturday%3A%20Hong%20Kong%20v%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Gold'
Director:Anthony Hayes
Stars:Zaf Efron, Anthony Hayes
Rating:3/5
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SPEC%20SHEET
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