A senior Yemeni official has reflected on being kidnapped by Houthi rebels and spoken in depth about the country's civil war -- warning about the dangers of sectarianism in efforts to secure peace.
Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak was speaking at a lecture he gave at the Jordanian Society for International Affairs, in Amman, on Tuesday.
Iran-backed Houthis kidnapped him seven years ago when he was chief of staff to the then Yemeni president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi.
He said his 10-days in captivity gave him a crucial understanding of his adversary.
In detention, his Houthi captors gave him some of their religious pamphlets.
The Houthis belong to the Zaidi sect of Islam and believe in an imamate -- where the ruler must be a descendant of the Prophet Mohammed.
Mr bin Mubarak said the pamphlets portrayed the Houthis, who have their traditional stronghold in Yemen's mountainous north, as divinely chosen to lead Muslims, narrowing the concept of imamate even further.
“I was astonished,” Mr bin Mubarak said. “There have been always internal struggles in Yemen but they were not sectarian or religiously ideological.”
Most of Yemen’s population belong to the Shafii school of Islam. But a Zaidi imamate ruled modern Yemen for more than a millennium until it was overthrown in 1962.
Mr bin Mubarak was on an official visit to Amman.
Jordan is a member of the Arab Coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 on the side of the internationally recognised government, which has been led since April by a Presidential Council, formed with support from Saudi Arabia.
The kingdom has a small coastline on the Red Sea and Jordan's late King Hussein brokered a deal in 1994 that defused a potential civil war between northerners and southerners.
The deal was made before the ascendancy of the Houthi rebel group. The north-south schism persists and has played in favour of the Houthis, a main actor in the current civil war.
Mr bin Mubarak, who was educated in Iraq, said the sectarian slant that the Houthis introduced to Yemeni politics in the last decade, and their closeness to Iran, pose an “imminent danger to the Yemeni identity”.
If peace is achieved, this sectarian slant risks a Yemeni political system based on sectarian quotas . This model would be doomed for failure, as Lebanon's experience has shown, he said.
“We do not want a Hezbollah in Yemen,” said Mr bin Mubarak. The Iran-backed Shiite group wields great influence in Lebanese politics.
Disputing suggestions by some in the audience that the Arab intervention in Yemen drove the Houthis to embrace Iran, he said Tehran's support for Houthis started before the war.
Since the 1980s, he said, Iran paid for about 60,000 Yemenis to study at its Shiite seminaries.
In 2012 the government broke up two Houthi-and Hezbollah-linked cells in Yemen. One was smuggling in weapons and the other planning operations against government forces, he said.
Mr bin Mubarak said Iran had been carrying a “carpet weaving” strategy in Yemen and elsewhere for many years.
This means it is building up local allies to take over strategic assets in the region and attack countries opposed to Tehran.
He cited the Houthi advance on Aden, which was repelled in 2015 by Arab-backed Yemeni factions and which he said would have further undermined Saudi Arabia in its “soft belly,” as well as shipping in the Bab Al Mandeb Strait.
The Houthis already control the port city of Hodeidah, north of the strait.
Ahmad Al Battah, a professor at Jordan University, asked how a tiny Houthi minority could gain so much territorial control, Iran's support notwithstanding
Mr bin Mubarak pointed to the war economy, which he said nets the Houthis $1.35 billion a year in extortion and protection money, besides the black market.
He said the Houthis also captured Yemeni army arsenal when they occupied the capital Sanaa between 2014-2015 and initially co-opted the security forces in the city by maintaining their structures, as well as allying with the late former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Saleh was killed in Sanaa in 2017 when he turned against the Houthis.
Falah Al Jubour, a retired Jordanian officer who served as a member of the international peacekeeping forces in former Yugoslavia, doubted that a peace deal could conclude the war.
In addition to being a member of the Arab Coalition in Yemen, Jordan is also home to the Office of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen.
About 14,000 Yemenis are seeking asylum in Jordan.
“There is an Iranian project in Yemen and it will not be defeated unless the Saudi effort is supported,” Mr Al Jubour said.
“An ideological war is tough," he said. "It will not end except on the battlefield."
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Top%2010%20most%20competitive%20economies
%3Cp%3E1.%20Singapore%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Switzerland%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Denmark%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Ireland%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Hong%20Kong%0D%3Cbr%3E6.%20Sweden%0D%3Cbr%3E7.%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E8.%20Taiwan%0D%3Cbr%3E9.%20Netherlands%0D%3Cbr%3E10.%20Norway%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
ELECTION%20RESULTS
%3Cp%3EMacron%E2%80%99s%20Ensemble%20group%20won%20245%20seats.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20second-largest%20group%20in%20parliament%20is%20Nupes%2C%20a%20leftist%20coalition%20led%20by%20Jean-Luc%20Melenchon%2C%20which%20gets%20131%20lawmakers.%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20far-right%20National%20Rally%20fared%20much%20better%20than%20expected%20with%2089%20seats.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EThe%20centre-right%20Republicans%20and%20their%20allies%20took%2061.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
The five pillars of Islam
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.
STAGE 4 RESULTS
1 Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 4:51:51
2 David Dekker (NED) Team Jumbo-Visma
3 Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
4 Elia Viviani (ITA) Cofidis
5 Matteo Moschetti (ITA) Trek-Segafredo
General Classification
1 Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 12:50:21
2 Adam Yates (GBR) Teamn Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:43
3 Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:03
4 Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:43
5 Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
RESULTS
6.30pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 – Group 1 (PA) $49,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner RB Frynchh Dude, Pat Cosgrave (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.05pm Al Bastakiya Trial – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner El Patriota, Vagner Leal, Antonio Cintra
7.40pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,000m
Winner Ya Hayati, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm Cape Verdi – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Althiqa, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby
8.50pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Soft Whisper, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
9.25pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Bedouin’s Story, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
