Yemen's Iran-backed rebels have suffered a major collapse on the country's west coast, a top commander in the Saudi-led coalition said.
"The Houthi militias have suffered a major collapse in their defences," said Brigadier General Abdul Salam Al Shehhi, commander of coalition forces in the area.
"Hundreds of their dead, injured and captured members have been treated according to international laws,” Brig Gen Al Shehhi said in comments reported by the UAE news agency, Wam, and released in a video.
Yemeni forces and the Saudi led coalition have made rapid advances in recent days in Hodeidah province, on Yemen's Red Sea coast, beginning with the capture of Al Khokha on Thursday and followed by two more districts on Saturday. A key objective in the province is the rebel-held port of Hodeidah further north, through which the Houthis are able to control the flow of humanitarian aid and smuggle in weapons.
"The UAE, Sudanese and Yemeni armed forces are conducting, with courage and determination, an epic battle to liberate Yemen from the control of the Iran-backed Houthi militias," Brig Gen Al Shehhi said.
“The Yemeni citizens from liberated areas have welcomed the Arab coalition forces, reflecting their desire to liberate their country from the Iran-backed Houthi militia.”
He said humanitarian aid was being distributed in these areas, with relief convoys and thousands of food parcels sent to the city of Al Khokha and neighbouring villages.
A Yemeni army commander in Hodeidah, Abu Zara'a Al Muharramy, told The National that the rebel leaders had sent their elite Iran-trained units to the area after their fighters started to flee the battlefield. On Saturday, "they pushed in new troops of the Al Hussein commandos and Al Quds army", he said.
The commander said many of the fighters captured in combat were children. Those who were injured were sent for treatment to Lahj province, south of Hodeidah.
Meanwhile, an Iranian missile expert was killed in Saudi-led coalition air strike in Sanaa province on Sunday, according to a journalist with the military-run 26th September news website.
Coalition jets struck a vehicle carrying the expert and four Houthi rebels on mountain highway in the Nakeel Bin Gaylan area of Nehm district, killing all of them, said Ramzi Al Hakimi, a journalist with the website who is based in the area.
The highway connects Sanaa city, the rebel-held capital, with the northern provinces where the Houthis have their stronghold.
Al Hakimi, who is covering the battle between government forces and the rebels in Nehm, east of Sanaa, said the missile expert was believed to be travelling to a launch base when he was killed.
The rebels have fired dozens of missiles and rockets across the northern border into Saudi Arabia since the Yemen conflict began in 2015. Saudi Arabia and the United States say debris from missiles fired this year, including one intercepted near Riyadh in November, show they were supplied by Iran. A confidential UN report last month, seen by Reuters, found signs of Iranian design and manufacture in the remnants four ballistic missiles fired by the rebels.
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Read more:
Yemen aid lost to corruption as US steps up humanitarian pressure
Yemen rebels lose more territory in Hodeidah
WATCH: UAE Armed Forces help military advance in Yemen
UN says missiles fired at Saudi Arabia have 'common origin'
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The Houthis have suffered several setbacks this month after the collapse of their alliance with forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who they killed on December 4.
Since then the rebels have killed at least 20 people linked to Saleh's party, the General People's Congress, and detained dozens across the country's north, the Yemen government's news agency reported on Monday.
The Houthis also blew up 20 houses in Hajjah and replaced the provincial governor, a former Saleh associate, Saba news agency said. Forty-nine people were arrested in Mahwet, another northern province.
Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Abdullah bin Zayed hosted a meeting of the Quartet Committee on Yemen in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to assess the situation in the country.
The meeting was attended by Saudi foreign minister Adel Al jubeir, British foreign secretary Boris Johnson and Timothy Linder King, US acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs. Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, was also present.
The quartet commended the efforts by Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN special envoy for Yemen, to find a political solution to the conflict and discussed Iran's support for the Houthis, which they said was prolonging the war and undermining political efforts.
The four countries agreed to meet again in the first quarter of 2018.
Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
·
Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth
·
What is a portfolio stress test?
·
What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested?
·
How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies
·
Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPowertrain%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle%20electric%20motor%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E201hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E310Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E53kWh%20lithium-ion%20battery%20pack%20(GS%20base%20model)%3B%2070kWh%20battery%20pack%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E350km%20(GS)%3B%20480km%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh129%2C900%20(GS)%3B%20Dh149%2C000%20(GF)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
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
UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zawar Farid, Ghulam Shabber, Ahmed Raza, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Chirag Suri , Zahoor Khan
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
The%20specs
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Final scores
18 under: Tyrrell Hatton (ENG)
- 14: Jason Scrivener (AUS)
-13: Rory McIlroy (NIR)
-12: Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)
-11: David Lipsky (USA), Marc Warren (SCO)
-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)
Dubai Creek Open in numbers
- The Dubai Creek Open is the 10th tournament on this year's Mena Tour
- It is the first of five events before the season-concluding Mena Tour Championship
- This week's field comprises 120 players, 21 of which are amateurs
- 15 previous Mena Tour winners are competing at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
