GENEVA // Yemen’s exiled government is willing to discuss a limited ceasefire with the Houthis if the Iran-backed rebels meet certain conditions, foreign minister Reyad Yassin Abdulla said on Monday.
Mr Abdulla, part of President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi’s government in exile in Riyadh, said: “If they start complying with the UN resolution, release prisoners they are holding – more than 6,000, including the defence ministers and others, if they withdraw from Aden and Taez and other cities and stop killing innocent people, then you can discuss.”
A delegation of Yemen’s Houthi rebels was due to arrive in Geneva on Tuesday morning after their UN-chartered plane was delayed Djibouti. The rebels blamed Egypt, a member of the Saudi-led coalition that has been targeting them with airstrikes since March, for the delay.
Houthi leader Zeifullah Al Shami said Egypt refused to allow their plane to land at Cairo airport. However, the plane was able to take off for Geneva after Oman intervened diplomatically, he said.
Cairo denied the charge. The head of Egypt’s civil aviation authority, Mahmoud Zanaty, said Egypt had not received a request for the plane to land at any of its airports or pass through its airspace.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the plane left Djibouti at 1610 GMT and was due to arrive in Geneva early on Tuesday morning.
The delegation, which also includes loyalists of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, a Houthi ally, and representatives of other political groups, had left Sanaa on Sunday.
The delay meant the Houthis missed a meeting with the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, who was to return to New York in Monday.
Before he left, the UN chief called for a halt to the fighting in Yemen at the beginning of Ramadan, which starts later this week.
Mr Ban, who met some of the delegations taking part in the talks, said he had “emphasised the importance of having another humanitarian pause, at least two weeks”.
“I’m urging them that, particularly during this Ramadan – which is a period for peace for people, and praying for peace – they must stop,” he said.
Such a pause will not be enough in itself to get aid to all needy Yemenis “given the obstacles to access and the scale of destruction”, Mr Ban said. He called for the warring factions to go further, agree on local ceasefires and withdraw fighters from cities.
A previous five-day pause was violated repeatedly, and aid groups said it was hardly sufficient to reach millions in the Arab world’s poorest country.
Yemen’s conflict pits the Houthis – who seized the capital, Sanaa, last year – and military units loyal to Mr Saleh against an array of forces, including southern separatists, local and tribal militias, extremist militants and loyalists of Mr Hadi.
The Saudi-led coalition began launching airstrikes against the Houthis and their allies on March 26, shortly after Mr Hadi fled a rebel advance on the south. Riyadh views the Houthis as a proxy of Shiite Iran, which supports the rebels but has denied arming them.
The talks in Geneva are expected to last two or three days. The UN has said they will start off as proximity talks – in which mediators meet separately with the various factions – with the hope of eventually getting everyone to sit around the same table.
“The parties have a responsibility to end the fighting and begin a real process of peace and reconciliation,” Mr Ban said, arguing that “the region simply cannot sustain another open wound like Syria and Libya”.
Inside the country, however, there were few signs of the violence abating, with airstrikes continuing in the capital and several other cities, including the southern port of Aden, central Taez, and the Houthi stronghold Saada.
The Houthis said they consolidated control of Al Jawf province bordering Saudi Arabia and planned to move forces to the frontier.
Mr Al Shami said the move followed heavy fighting with tribes and forces loyal to Mr Hadi, especially in the provincial capital, Hazm, leaving dozens of civilians dead.
Houthi-run television showed dozens of bodies lying in the streets of Hazm, while doctors and witnesses backed up reports of the deaths.
Security officials said the Saudi-led air campaign has been targeting the city since the Houthis took it over a day earlier, with airstrikes again picking up on Monday morning.
They said ground fighting with heavy weapons raged on in several other areas of Yemen, including Marib province, killing at least a dozen civilians.
Meanwhile in the eastern city of Mukalla, the officials said Al Qaeda’s local affiliate and its allies stormed the historic Rawdah mosque, detaining young people who had been singing and chanting against the extremist group, which seized the city earlier this year.
* Reuters and Associated Press
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Race card:
6.30pm: Maiden; Dh165,000; 2,000m
7.05pm: Handicap; Dh165,000; 2,200m
7.40pm: Conditions; Dh240,000; 1,600m
8.15pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 2,000m
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed; Dh265,000; 1,200m
9.25pm: Handicap; Dh170,000; 1,600m
10pm: Handicap; Dh190,000; 1,400m
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Specs
Engine 3.8-litre, twin-turbo V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 582bhp (542bhp in GTS model)
Torque: 730Nm
Price: Dh649,000 (Dh549,000 for GTS)
Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
The biog
Favourite food: Tabbouleh, greek salad and sushi
Favourite TV show: That 70s Show
Favourite animal: Ferrets, they are smart, sensitive, playful and loving
Favourite holiday destination: Seychelles, my resolution for 2020 is to visit as many spiritual retreats and animal shelters across the world as I can
Name of first pet: Eddy, a Persian cat that showed up at our home
Favourite dog breed: I love them all - if I had to pick Yorkshire terrier for small dogs and St Bernard's for big
The Facility’s Versatility
Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3.5-litre%20twin-turbo%20V6%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E456hp%20at%205%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E691Nm%20at%203%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E14.6L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20Dh349%2C545%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
McIlroy's recent struggles
Last six stroke-play events (First round score in brackets)
Arnold Palmer Invitational Tied for 4th (74)
The US Masters Tied for 7th (72)
The Players Championship Tied for 35th (73)
US Open Missed the cut (78)
Travellers Championship Tied for 17th (67)
Irish Open Missed the cut (72)
The%20pillars%20of%20the%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Strategy
%3Cp%3EEncourage%20innovation%20in%20the%20metaverse%20field%20and%20boost%20economic%20contribution%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20outstanding%20talents%20through%20education%20and%20training%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20applications%20and%20the%20way%20they%20are%20used%20in%20Dubai's%20government%20institutions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAdopt%2C%20expand%20and%20promote%20secure%20platforms%20globally%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20the%20infrastructure%20and%20regulations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
