US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking on Wednesday called on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels to show more flexibility in the “maximalist and impossible” demands they have made in a UN-proposed expanded truce deal.
An initial ceasefire first agreed to in April had brought the longest stretch of relative calm in the seven-year conflict between the Houthis and the Yemeni government, which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition.
Mr Lenderking said the Houthis had made “maximalist and impossible” demands over a proposed mechanism to pay public sector wages, but that he was confident an agreement could be reached if the group showed flexibility.
A member of the Houthi negotiating committee had, in a Twitter post, criticised the proposed payment scheme for not including members of the police as well as security and military forces.
The demands created a “threshold that was simply too hard for the other side to contemplate and was entirely unreasonable”, Mr Lenderking told reporters.
UN envoy Hans Grundberg earlier told Reuters the two sides had failed to renew the truce because they were still arguing over proposals to pay civil service wages, increase fuel shipments, add flights and open roads.
Still, Mr Lenderking said an agreement could come if the Houthis were to pull away from these “very high demands” and return to the truce process and the UN proposal on the table.
“We encourage them very eagerly to do so,” Mr Lenderking said.
He added it appeared that the regime in Iran, under pressure from street protests over the killing of a young woman in police custody, is not backing a political solution to the conflict.
“We need to see Iranian action borne out on the ground that supports this kind of more positive approach. And frankly, we haven’t seen that,” he said.
“We must view Iran's involvement based on what we've seen so far, which has been over the course of the conflict quite negative.”
In a statement seen by The National, members of the UN Security Council, expressing their “deep disappointment” at the passing of the October 2 deadline, called on the Yemeni parties, in particular the Houthis, to “refrain from provocation, prioritise the Yemeni people and return to engaging constructively in negotiations”.
They reiterated the need to avoid the resumption of hostilities inside Yemen as well as attacks within the region and in the Red Sea.
Aid groups push to feed Yemen's hungry — in pictures
Reuters contributed to this report
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Racecard
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,200m
8.15pm: Balanchine Group Two (TB) $250,000 (T) 1,800m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 1,000m
9.25pm: Firebreak Stakes Group Three (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,600m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
The National selections: 6.30pm: RM Lam Tara, 7.05pm: Al Mukhtar Star, 7.40pm: Bochart, 8.15pm: Magic Lily, 8.50pm: Roulston Scar, 9.25pm: Quip, 10pm: Jalmoud
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Mubadala World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
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
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
The biog
Name: Mohammed Imtiaz
From: Gujranwala, Pakistan
Arrived in the UAE: 1976
Favourite clothes to make: Suit
Cost of a hand-made suit: From Dh550
What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
