UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths said on Tuesday he was “very concerned” about fighting over the rebel-held port city of Al Hodeidah, as he wrapped up a three-day visit to the country.
Mr Griffiths was in Yemen to try to revive talks between the internationally recognised government and the Houthi rebels.
"Apart from the avoidable humanitarian consequences of such a battle, I am also very concerned about the impact on chances of a political settlement of this conflict," he said in the rebel-controlled capital of Sanaa.
Mr Griffiths, who met Houthi and General People’s Congress officials, said that his talks had been “positive” and that he would discuss them with the UN Security Council on June 18.
The UN envoy met Mahdi Al Mashat, head of the Houthis' political council, and representatives of the GPC, which was founded by former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was killed by the rebels in December.
From 2014, Saleh was allied with the Houthis in the fight against the government but he shifted allegiances and was later killed.
"My aim is to restart negotiations that have not taken place for a very long time, for too long, and I want that to restart in the very near future," he said.
Mr Griffiths called for a de-escalation of violence to pave the way for a real peace process.
"I am determined to advance the peace process because every day that goes by innocent Yemenis die. There are many urgent issues in Yemen that must be addressed, including the humanitarian situation and the continued closure of Sanaa airport to commercial flights. I urge the parties to work toward opening the airport to commercial traffic," he said.
"We are working hard to get moving on the political process and aim to restart negotiations in the near future. In this regard, I urge the Yemeni parties to create a conducive environment to restart the political process and de-escalate violence.”
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Houthis using children as human shields in Yemen's Al Hodeidah, Arab coalition says
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Several rounds of UN-brokered talks between the rebels and the government have failed to find a solution to the war in Yemen. The international body recognises Yemeni President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi’s cabinet as the legitimate ruling body.
Analysts remain sceptical of the Houthis’ intentions, and say the rebel group has no interest in the negotiating table.
"The Houthis usually take advantages of any ceasefire to consolidate their ranks on the battle fronts," Yaser Al Yafeaee, a journalist and political analyst, told The National.
According to Yemeni political sources, Mr Griffiths has been in talks with the rebels to hand control of Al Hodeidah port to the UN as international forces close in to try and recapture the city. There has been no indication that Mr Griffiths's bid has so far been successful.
"I expect the battle to restore the port city of Al Hodiedah to flare up at any time because the Houthis wouldn't hand the city over to the UN. They try to show that they support peace efforts but when words come to turn into action, they ignore everything they pledged."
The UN has warned that any operation to seize Al Hodeidah would disrupt the entry of aid shipments to the country, 70 per cent of which flow through the port. There are also reports that the facility is used to smuggle Iranian weapons to the rebels.
The Al Hodeidah offensive is being led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which are part of an Arab coalition that intervened in the Yemen war in March 2015 at the request of Mr Hadi’s government.
Col Turki Al Malki, the spokesman for the alliance, said on Tuesday that government forces were only nine kilometres from Al Hodeidah.
More than 10,000 people have been killed in the three years of fighting and pushed the country to the brink of famine.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
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Three ways to get a gratitude glow
By committing to at least one of these daily, you can bring more gratitude into your life, says Ong.
- During your morning skincare routine, name five things you are thankful for about yourself.
- As you finish your skincare routine, look yourself in the eye and speak an affirmation, such as: “I am grateful for every part of me, including my ability to take care of my skin.”
- In the evening, take some deep breaths, notice how your skin feels, and listen for what your skin is grateful for.
The Lowdown
Kesari
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Anubhav Singh
Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra
More on animal trafficking
The biog
Prefers vegetables and fish to meat and would choose salad over pizza
Walks daily as part of regular exercise routine
France is her favourite country to visit
Has written books and manuals on women’s education, first aid and health for the family
Family: Husband, three sons and a daughter
Fathiya Nadhari's instructions to her children was to give back to the country
The children worked as young volunteers in social, education and health campaigns
Her motto is to never stop working for the country
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh1,470,000 (est)
Engine 6.9-litre twin-turbo W12
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 626bhp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 900Nm @ 1,350rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.0L / 100km
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
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
The Energy Research Centre
Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
UAE cricketers abroad
Sid Jhurani is not the first cricketer from the UAE to go to the UK to try his luck.
Rameez Shahzad Played alongside Ben Stokes and Liam Plunkett in Durham while he was studying there. He also played club cricket as an overseas professional, but his time in the UK stunted his UAE career. The batsman went a decade without playing for the national team.
Yodhin Punja The seam bowler was named in the UAE’s extended World Cup squad in 2015 despite being just 15 at the time. He made his senior UAE debut aged 16, and subsequently took up a scholarship at Claremont High School in the south of England.
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EA%20Sports%20FC%2024
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UAE v Zimbabwe A
Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai
