When the Saudi-led coalition agreed to cease the offensive in Hodeidah at the beginning of this month, it was in support of UN attempts to secure a peaceful outcome to the Yemeni conflict.
That month-long ceasefire is now nearly at an end, during which time the Houthi rebels have shown no sign of abating their campaign of aggression, nor made concessions.
Instead, as Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Al Yemany told The National, the militia were stalling for time to further entrench themselves in the Red Sea port city and deploy more fighters to in the hope of engaging the coalition in street warfare.
Yemen’s government and the coalition wanted talks to produce results; the Houthis simply want to prolong the pause so that they could rebuild their capacities behind the cloak of diplomacy.
The rebels, Mr Al Yemany said, were simply “buying time”. Succumbing to their temporising tactic, however, will have profoundly negative consequences for the ordinary people of Yemen.
Their interests can only be upheld if there is a concerted effort to ensure the three conditions outlined by UN envoy Martin Griffiths are met: for the Houthis to withdraw completely from Hodeidah, surrender commercial and government assets to the legitimate government and for mechanisms to be put in place to halt the smuggling of weapons from Iran.
Yet the Houthis are dragging their heels and trying to readjust the terms in a way that makes a mockery of the entire process.
Their proposal to withdraw from the port alone while retaining control of the city would effectively put them within a kilometre of the coast servicing a desperate population with aid and the majority of the country’s food supply, leaving a civilian populace they have terrorised for years at their mercy.
The Houthis know these terms are unrealistic and unacceptable; their objective is to frustrate the parties negotiating with them in good faith and lure them into an urban battle, dragging innocent civilians into combat.
This coldblooded calculation, bolstered by the weapons supplied by Iran and the Houthis’ recruitment and abuse of child soldiers and human shields, could seal their fate.
This is a rare and limited opportunity to negotiate a political solution, yet their insistence on putting up stumbling blocks means peace remains elusive.
It is incumbent upon the UN to insist they meet its terms and for Tehran to stop prolonging the suffering of Yemenis by continuing to arm and fund the rebels. The Yemeni people have been through enough.
A rare window of opportunity to end their suffering is about to close and should not be squandered.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
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Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
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Company%20profile
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Fight card
1. Featherweight 66kg: Ben Lucas (AUS) v Ibrahim Kendil (EGY)
2. Lightweight 70kg: Mohammed Kareem Aljnan (SYR) v Alphonse Besala (CMR)
3. Welterweight 77kg:Marcos Costa (BRA) v Abdelhakim Wahid (MAR)
4. Lightweight 70kg: Omar Ramadan (EGY) v Abdimitalipov Atabek (KGZ)
5. Featherweight 66kg: Ahmed Al Darmaki (UAE) v Kagimu Kigga (UGA)
6. Catchweight 85kg: Ibrahim El Sawi (EGY) v Iuri Fraga (BRA)
7. Featherweight 66kg: Yousef Al Husani (UAE) v Mohamed Allam (EGY)
8. Catchweight 73kg: Mostafa Radi (PAL) v Ahmed Abdelraouf of Egypt (EGY)
9. Featherweight 66kg: Jaures Dea (CMR) v Andre Pinheiro (BRA)
10. Catchweight 90kg: Tarek Suleiman (SYR) v Juscelino Ferreira (BRA)
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