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Houthis have stepped up their hostile actions in Yemen and have mobilised forces closer to the Red Sea in the face of threats of US-led strikes.
Forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognised government said they foiled a Houthi attack on their bases in Bayhan, a district of the Shabwa province, on Wednesday.
The Houthis had tried to take positions controlled by Southern Giants Brigade, a pro-government force, near villages bordering the Marib province.
But they were pushed back the same day, according to reports from the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which backs the Giants.
The STC, although part of Yemen’s UN-recognised government, diverges from it in pushing for independence for Southern Yemen.
The Houthis were seen mobilising in areas closer to the sea, and moving rockets, an STC representative told The National, citing reports from its forces.
In December, the Houthis attacked positions in the Kirsh district of the Lahij province with drones, killing two civilians, according to STC reports.
Yet smaller escalations had occurred almost daily in the past month, the STC representative said.
It comes as western countries, led by the US and UK, issued an ultimatum to the Houthis on Wednesday, calling on the rebels to stop their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
The attacks on commercial shipping began in November, with the Houthis claiming they were a response to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
Over 20 Houthi attacks with missiles, drones, fast boats and helicopters have taken place since, prompting clashes with the US Navy.
The US and UK are probably planning to target Houthi launch sites with air strikes, military analysts told The National.
Yet growing hostilities within Yemen further threaten the fragile truce. The Houthis have been fighting a civil war against Yemen’s government since 2014, and now control parts of Yemen’s north and two of its ports.
A Saudi-led peace plan is nearing completion, with economic concessions expected for the cash-strapped Houthis.
The US will seek to protect the peace process in any of its responses to the Houthi attacks on the Red Sea, The National understands, according to a US-based diplomatic source.
The White House earlier this week sought to distinguish Houthi threats in the Red Sea from Yemen’s civil war, of which peace prospects had been hopeful before the Israel-Gaza war.
A senior Biden administration official on Wednesday said that the civil war is “just a different issue” from Houthi escalations in the Red Sea. “This is about a threat to a major commercial shipping route, which is really distinct from the actual Yemen Civil War,” the US official said, adding that Washington is in “very close consultations” with its Gulf partners, including the Saudis.
“We do not want to see the Yemen Civil War reignite,” the official reiterated.
Other western officials hope that the talks on a framework peace plan opens up a "big role" for Saudi Arabia to exert influence on the Houthis in the current crisis. One western official said the assessment is that the Houthis are committed to the peace process and expressed hope that the group's key partners, including Iran, could start to calm things down rather than escalating the confrontations in the Red Sea.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
MATCH INFO
Real Madrid 2 (Benzema 13', Kroos 28')
Barcelona 1 (Mingueza 60')
Red card: Casemiro (Real Madrid)
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
