Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
Two Bulgarian sailors of the cargo ship Galaxy Leader did not feel abandoned despite being held in captivity for 430 days by Yemen's Houthi rebels.
Elena Yoncheva, member of the European Parliament, told The National on Thursday that captain Lyubomir Chanev and assistant captain Danail Veselinov knew that efforts were being made to free them.
They were among the 25 crew of the Bahamas-flagged ship that was among the first vessels to be hijacked by the Houthis in November 2023 soon after the war in Gaza began. The crew also included nationals from the Philippines, Romania and Mexico.
According to reports, they were repeatedly moved between the ship and land, and some members were hospitalised with malaria.
The crew was finally handed over to Oman on Wednesday “in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza” between Hamas and Israel, according to a statement broadcast by the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV.
Ms Yoncheva told The National on Thursday that she was able to keep their hopes up when she met them in September. She handed them Bulgarian books, aiming to reassure them that they were not forgotten.
“Lyubomir and Danail were happy and surprised to see someone from their country,” Ms Yoncheva recalled. “When I met them in September, I just wanted to give them hope so they knew they were not forgotten.”
Ms Yoncheva travelled to Sanaa and Hodeidah port to meet local authorities and appeal for their release.
“I had a good open dialogue with the authorities in Sanaa. It’s a relief they have finally been released.”
Bulgarian ministers and senior officials have flown to Muscat to organise their return home by Thursday night or early Friday. “They are OK and waiting to meet … and hug their family,” said Ms Yoncheva. “They will soon be home after more than a year in captivity.”
Japanese company NYK line operates the Galaxy Leader, but it is owned by Ray Car Carriers, registered in the Isle of Man and affiliated with the Israeli billionaire Abraham Ungar. The National reported in November 2023 that an Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spy ship may have played a role in the capture of the ship, which had its location transponder turned off.
The Houthi seizure of the cargo ship on November 19, 2023, was the start of the campaign by the group to target ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They launched more than 100 attacks on ships, in solidarity with Hamas over Israel's war on Gaza. This has had a profound effect on international shipping in the area, forcing companies to reroute to longer and more expensive voyages around southern Africa. Each rerouted journey adds more than 20,300km to the journeys, costing $1 million more in fuel, the US Defence Intelligence Agency estimated.
In the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr expressed “utmost joy” over the release of the seafarers and thanked the Sultan of Oman and the government for their mediation in helping secure their release.
Mr Marcos said the Filipino sailors would soon “be reunited with their loved ones in the Philippines”.
In a statement sent to The National, Dr Peter Rouch, secretary general of The Mission to Seafarers, said the release of the crew of the Galaxy Leader “is a moment of profound relief. Not only for the hostages and their families, but for everyone who has supported them throughout this ordeal”.
The Mission to Seafarers said their dedicated teams in Jordan and Cyprus have provided support to the families of the crew who were “severely impacted” by the ordeal, leaving them with “unimaginable fear and uncertainty”.
They also played a role in “facilitating the engagement of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) … to secure the crew’s release”.
Dr Rouch said they will also “remain available to assist as the crew transition home to be reunited with their families. This incident is a stark reminder of the threats faced by seafarers, which are often outside of their control. Seafarers must never be used as geopolitical pawns. Their rights to perform their lawful duties must be upheld without compromise”.
“Today, as we express our deepest gratitude for those whose efforts made the release possible, we also celebrate the extraordinary resilience demonstrated by the crew and their families. Their courage in the face of such trauma serves as an inspiration to us all,” Dr Rouch said.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
On sale: now
Price: from Dh195,000
ITU Abu Dhabi World Triathlon
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
Test squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan(wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah
Twenty20 squad: Babar Azam (captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Williams at Wimbledon
Venus Williams - 5 titles (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2008)
Serena Williams - 7 titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016)
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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