Yemen has exported its first shipment of newly produced crude oil since civil war broke out in 2015, a milestone for the Arab world's poorest country as it seeks to overcome economic losses from the conflict.
The 500,000 barrels of crude were from resumed production in the S2 block in the Aqla area of Shabwa and were shipped from the Rezum oil terminal in the southern province, the oil and minerals ministry said.
The shipment was awarded to a Chinese petroleum company based on Brent crude rates after a global tender in which 35 companies took part, according to a ministry statement reported in the state-owned Saba news agency on Wednesday.
The ministry said Shabwa and other oil-producing provinces would receive 20 per cent of the revenues from crude they produce, maintaining a policy introduced by President Abdrabu Masur Hadi after he was elected in 2012.
The ministry is working to restart production in the remaining oil blocks in Shabwa, Hadramawt and Marib provinces, the secretary to the oil minister, AbdulAziz Al Oulaqi, told The National.
The government has re-established control in these provinces with the help of the Saudi-led Arab Coalition which intervened in the war at Mr Hadi's request in March 2015. Large areas of northern Yemen including the capital, Sanaa, remain under the control of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Fresh talks to end the war will be held in the Swiss city of Geneva next month, diplomatic sources told the Asharq Al Awsat newspaper.
The UN special envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, is expected to announce the details to the Security Council at the UN headquarters in New York on Thursday.
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Read more:
Yemen’s Hadi announces reconstruction projects, on first trip since Aden return
Houthis claim they will halt Red Sea attacks for two weeks
Iranian hands still behind Houthi missiles, UN report finds
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Mr Griffiths briefed ambassadors of the Arab Coalition, which includes the UAE, on Thursday morning before reporting to the council.
According to the sources, the talks would last from three to four days and would take a different approach from those held under the previous UN envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.
The first round of peace talks was held in Geneva in 2015. The last attempt to negotiate an end to the conflict was hosted by Kuwait in 2016.
Mr Griffiths, who took up his post in March, launched a frantic round of shuttle diplomacy after the Arab Coalition and Yemeni government launched an offensive to retake the port city of Hodeidah in June. The coalition halted the campaign in early July to allow the UN envoy to negotiate a rebel withdrawal from the city and port, which is the main entry point for aid and food shipments to Yemen.
The coalition has insisted on a full rebel withdrawal from the city, while Mr Griffiths has said the Houthis have offered only to hand over the port to UN control.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni government is reportedly preparing paperwork to seek prosecution of Houthi leaders for war crimes.
A justice ministry spokesman told Asharq Al Awsat that the list would include Houthi leader Abdel Malik Al Houthi and the rebels' military commander, Abd Al Khaliq Al Houthi.
“All-encompassing legal paperwork and documentation needed to pursue them at an international level are being prepared,” ministry spokesman Faisal Al Majidi to the newspaper.
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
Mobile phone packages comparison
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
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Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
THREE
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Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
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'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Biography
Her family: She has four sons, aged 29, 27, 25 and 24 and is a grandmother-of-nine
Favourite book: Flashes of Thought by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Favourite drink: Water
Her hobbies: Reading and volunteer work
Favourite music: Classical music
Her motto: I don't wait, I initiate
RESULT
Aston Villa 1
Samatta (41')
Manchester City 2
Aguero (20')
Rodri (30')
Honeymoonish
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
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Results
2.30pm: Expo 2020 Dubai – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: Barakka, Ray Dawson (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
3.05pm: Now Or Never – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: One Idea, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.40pm: This Is Our Time – Handicap (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Perfect Balance, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Visit Expo 2020 – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Kaheall, Richard Mullen, Salem bin Ghadayer
4.50pm: The World In One Place – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1.900m; Winner: Castlebar, Adrie de Vries, Helal Al Alawi
5.25pm: Vision – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Shanty Star, Richard Mullen, Rashed Bouresly
6pm: Al Wasl Plaza – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Jadwal, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson
