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UN food chief David Beasley on Wednesday said that 16 million Yemenis were “marching towards starvation” at the start of a fund-raising conference for the country, as rebels made gains in an oil-rich region and celebrated their past victories.
Mr Beasley, director of the UN’s World Food Programme, described a worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where a Houthi rebel offensive is making gains in a strategic oil-rich region as the group celebrates the seventh anniversary of their seizure of the capital, Sanaa.
“We're literally looking at 16 million people marching towards starvation,” Mr Beasley told the virtual gathering of aid and development ministers aimed at raising much-needed funds for providing Yemenis with food, fuel and medicine.
“We need this war to end, number one. If donors are getting fatigued, well, end the war. The world leaders need to put pressure on all parties involved in this conflict because the people in Yemen have suffered enough.”
UN figures show that some five million Yemenis are on the edge of starvation as war and drought push the country towards its worst famine in 40 years. Some 21 million people — about three quarters of the country’s population — rely on aid.
Muhsin Siddiquey, the Yemen director for the Oxfam charity, said 99 per cent of Yemenis had not been vaccinated against Covid-19 as the country battled a deadly third wave of infections.
“Vaccination is a simple solution that would save lives, but the international community is failing the people of Yemen who need doses now,” Mr Siddiquey said before the meeting.
“We need the vaccines that have been promised but it is also shameful that having bought up all the vaccines for themselves, rich countries like the UK and Germany are blocking the solutions.”
The meeting came during the annual UN General Assembly, where US President Joe Biden and dozens of other leaders made speeches and met for talks on fighting the pandemic, climate change and hotspots such as Yemen and Afghanistan.
In Yemen on Tuesday, thousands of Houthi supporters rallied in the capital Sanaa to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the removal of the government, as the group's fighters pushed through front lines in oil-producing regions of the country.
A vast crowd of supporters thronged Sanaa's central public squares waving the red, white and black national colours, and chanting slogans against Saudi Arabia, Israel and the US. Some carried signs that read “Death to America".
Houthi leader Khaled Al Madani told the cheering crowd that it was the anniversary of “freedom and independence”. Other pro-Houthi rallies were held in northern strongholds, including Saada, Hodeidah and Emran.
Meanwhile, Houthi forces gained ground in the Marib region, the official government’s last stronghold in north Yemen, and the southern area of Shabwa, military officials told Reuters. Both areas are crucial to the country’s oil and gas industry.
The Iran-aligned movement swept into Sanaa and much of north Yemen in 2014 when they toppled the internationally recognised government of President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi, who is now living in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia and other nations intervened in the war in 2015 to try to restore Mr Hadi's government but the conflict has dragged on, killing tens of thousands and causing the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The escalation came as the UN and US envoys for Yemen, Hans Grundberg and Tim Lenderking, visited Saudi Arabia and Oman to try to revive stalled peace talks, which are focused on lifting blockades and enacting a ceasefire.
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
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Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
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Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Carzaty%2C%20now%20Kavak%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20launched%20in%202018%2C%20Kavak%20in%20the%20GCC%20launched%20in%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20140%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Automotive%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20raised%20%246m%20in%20equity%20and%20%244m%20in%20debt%3B%20Kavak%20plans%20%24130m%20investment%20in%20the%20GCC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
