President Joe Biden used his first major foreign policy address in office to fulfil his campaign pledge to end US support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Mr Biden's announcement on Thursday that the US would end all support for the coalition's operation is a stark turnaround in Washington's stance on the six-year civil war.
He was vice president when the Obama administration agreed to back the Saudi-led coalition’s campaign and bolster Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthi rebels.
That support included logistical, intelligence, targeting and mid-air refuelling support for the Saudi-led campaign.
At the time, there was little opposition from Washington’s foreign policy establishment against US involvement in the war, and a vote to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia during the conflict failed by 71-27 in the Senate.
But under former president Donald Trump, opposition to US involvement in the war intensified, with anti-war advocacy groups lobbying Congress to force him to end US support for the conflict.
Several former Obama administration officials who first supported the coalition joined the anti-war advocacy efforts through a non-profit organisation called National Security Action.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan sat on National Security Action's advisory board before joining the Biden White House.
The lobbying was fruitful. Under the Trump administration, Congress passed bipartisan bills to end US involvement in the Yemen war and blocked an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Mr Trump ultimately vetoed all four bills, but his administration did end mid-air refuelling to the Saudi coalition in 2018 amid a growing congressional backlash.
However, the logistical, targeting and intelligence support remained in place throughout the rest of his presidency.
And while the Biden administration initiated a review of US relations with Saudi Arabia, including a temporary freeze on the Trump administration's last-minute arms sales to Riyadh, the president said that the US was committed to defending the kingdom against threats from Iran and its regional proxies.
“Saudi Arabia faces missile attacks, UAV strikes and other threats from Iranian-supplied forces in multiple countries,” Mr Biden said.
“We’re going to continue to help Saudi Arabia defend its sovereignty and its territorial integrity and its people.”
Saudi Arabia welcomed Mr Biden's "commitment to co-operate with the kingdom to defend its sovereignty and counter threats against it", in a statement released on the official Saudi Press Agency.
It also reiterated its commitment to finding a political solution to end the Yemen conflict.
Aside from Yemen, Mr Biden made no mention of other regional conflicts, such as that in Libya.
He also failed to touch on Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, where US troops are stationed.
Mr Biden made no mention of the Arab-Israeli conflict, countering terrorism or the Iran nuclear deal.
This is in stark contrast to his predecessors. George W Bush made the war on Al Qaeda an early priority, as did Barack Obama on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and Iran nuclear negotiations, and Mr Trump made early moves to counter Iran.
For the Biden administration, ending US offensive support in Yemen is a goal that has bipartisan backing in Congress and fulfils a campaign promise.
It is low-hanging fruit in comparison with the Syrian conflict, Iran nuclear negotiations or talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The National reported on Thursday that the administration is re-evaluating its Syria policy, although naming an envoy to the country, unlike Tim Lenderking's recent appointment as envoy to Yemen, will have to wait.
Mr Biden, without mentioning the Trump administration specifically, also tried to emphasise the sharp contrast with the previous approach to the Middle East.
He has not yet called any Middle East leader, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
While he pledged to continue work on the Abraham Accord, Mr Biden is not giving priority to Arab-Israeli negotiations.
Instead, the speech confirmed the US focus and swing to global priorities such as the rising influence of China, confronting Russia and mending ties with Nato allies.
At the same time, the speech did not signal US abandonment of traditional commitments in the Middle East.
Mr Biden did not announce partial withdrawals of troops from the region, sought by Mr Trump, and is instead suspending those to Germany and Afghanistan pending a review.
The speech offered a preliminary view of US priorities in the Middle East but ones that fit an American audience and remain in synch with Mr Biden’s domestic policies.
CHINESE GRAND PRIX STARTING GRID
1st row
Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2nd row
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-GP)
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-GP)
3rd row
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
4th row
Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
5th row
Carlos Sainz Jr (Renault)
Romain Grosjean (Haas)
6th row
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
7th row
Fernando Alonso (McLaren)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren)
8th row
Brendon Hartley (Toro Rosso)
Sergey Sirotkin (Williams)
9th row
Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
10th row
Charles Leclerc (Sauber)
arcus Ericsson (Sauber)
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERooh%20Afza%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20contains%20414%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETang%20orange%20drink%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%20300%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECarob%20beverage%20mix%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%20about%20300%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EQamar%20Al%20Din%20apricot%20drink%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20saving%20contains%2061%20calories%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EVimto%20fruit%20squash%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E100ml%20serving%20contains%2030%20calories%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
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
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
Facebook | Our website | Instagram
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
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
Sanju
Produced: Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani
Director: Rajkumar Hirani
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Anushka Sharma, Manish’s Koirala, Dia Mirza, Sonam Kapoor, Jim Sarbh, Boman Irani
Rating: 3.5 stars
RESULT
Leeds United 1 Manchester City 1
Leeds: Rodrigo (59')
Man City: Sterling (17')
Man of the Match: Rodrigo Moreno (Leeds)
Mobile phone packages comparison
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
Fitness problems in men's tennis
Andy Murray - hip
Novak Djokovic - elbow
Roger Federer - back
Stan Wawrinka - knee
Kei Nishikori - wrist
Marin Cilic - adductor
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Tips%20for%20travelling%20while%20needing%20dialysis
%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3EInform%20your%20doctor%20about%20your%20plans.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAsk%20about%20your%20treatment%20so%20you%20know%20how%20it%20works.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPay%20attention%20to%20your%20health%20if%20you%20travel%20to%20a%20hot%20destination.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EPlan%20your%20trip%20well.%C2%A0%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
