The United States this month placed sanctions on seven senior members of Yemen's Houthi militia, along with a Yemeni businessman linked to the Iran-backed group, for allegedly procuring weapons from Russia and supplying Moscow with fighters for its war in Ukraine.
The sanctions announced on March 5 came a day after the Trump administration redesignated the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, raising fears about the impact on aid deliveries to Yemen and efforts to broker peace after 10 years of civil war.
Several of the sanctioned Houthi members made trips to Russia to secure weapons and other support, according to the US Department of Treasury. The US action blocks the sanctioned individuals' access to assets and interests in the US or under the control of US entities, and imposes penalties for dealing with them.
Mohammed Abdulsalam
As the main spokesman for the Houthis, Mohammed Abdulsalam is one of the group's most prominent figures and chairs the board of the rebel-affiliated Al Masirah Media Network. Mr Abdulsalam “played a key role in managing the Houthis' internal and external financing network”, according to the US Treasury, and visited Moscow to secure Russian weaponry and support. He also met Russian Foreign Ministry and military officials to arrange further visits by Houthi delegations, it said.
Eshaq Almarwani
The US Treasury described Eshaq Almarwani as a “high-ranking Houthi operative and aide to Mr Abdulsalam” who has visited Russia as a member of Houthi delegations seeking to advance the group's interests internationally.
Mahdi Al Mashat
Mahdi Al Mashat is chairman of the Supreme Political Council (SPC) in the rebel-held capital Sanaa, which serves as the executive branch in the Houthi-led administration. He has been in charge of issuing official statements regarding the Houthis' military positions and diplomatic ties. He has also worked on building a relationship between the Houthis and Russia's government, specifically with President Vladimir Putin, according to the US Treasury.
Mohammed Ali Al Houthi
Mohammed Ali Al Houthi is a member of the SPC and served as chairman of its precursor, the Supreme Revolutionary Committee. As a spokesman of the Houthis, Mr Al Houthi has stressed the rebels' commitment to ensuring safe passage for Russian vessels amid the group's campaign of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel's war in Gaza.
The US Treasury said Mr Al Houthi planned to visit Russia with other Houthi members to discuss details of Russian aid to the group.
The Houthis, led by Abdul Malik Al Houthi, have repeatedly targeted merchant vessels in the Red Sea since November 2023, a month after the Gaza war began. The attacks disrupted global trade and prompted the US and the EU to send warships to the area. The group also launched drones and missiles at Israel, most of which were intercepted. Those attacks resumed on Thursday after Israel launched military operations in Gaza, ending a two-month ceasefire.
The US launched three rounds of strikes on the Houthis since March 15 after the rebels threatened last week to resume attacks on shipping because of its blockade on aid entering Gaza.
Ali Al Hadi
Ali Al Hadi was appointed head of the Sanaa Chamber of Commerce (SCC) after the Houthis took control of the organisation in June 2023. He became a key figure in allocating financial resources to procure weapons, using his position on the SCC to facilitate purchases of military-grade equipment, the US Treasury said. He has also travelled to Russia to secure equipment for rebel fighters and Russian investment in Houthi industries, it said.
Abdulmalik Al Agri
As a senior Houthi operative, Abdulmalik Al Agri represented the group in meetings with high-ranking Russian officials in Moscow. He has also issued statements explaining the rebel group's efforts to counter international pressure against Houthi-affiliated banking institutions, the US Treasury said.
Khaled Saleh Jaber
Khaled Saleh Jaber is a Houthi operative who was involved in meetings with Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials as part of delegations sent to Russia. The US Treasury said he is closely connected to Houthi financial official Said Al Jamal and co-ordinates with him in “illicit procurement and finance activities”.
Abdul Wali Al Jabri
Formerly a major general in the Houthi militia, Abdul Wali Al Jabri is head of Al Jabri General Trading and Investment and was involved in the transfer of Yemeni civilians to Russian military units in Ukraine through his company, the Treasury said. This recruitment, “often under false and misleading pretences”, generated more revenue on behalf of the Houthi leadership, it said.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on animal trafficking
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
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%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Constant Variable (CVT)
Power: 141bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: Dh64,500
On sale: Now
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
