If Yemen's opposition was a united front, the political crisis that has engulfed the Arab world's poorest country may have ended at the weekend. Instead, it appears to have only deepened.
"The opposition talks as if they own the street," Farea al Muslimi, a Yemeni youth activist, told the Financial Times. "We might have to overthrow them, too."
Protesters have for months demanded changes at the top of Yemen's power structure. On Saturday they might have got it, with a plan crafted by the GCC and approved by the president, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Yet while the measure was endorsed by leading opposition parities, one key group was unmoved: Yemeni youth.
"The Gulf initiative addresses the problem as if it was a political crisis between two parties," one youth leader said Saturday. "We have taken to the streets in a revolution that is demanding a comprehensive change."
Splits within the opposition, and increased isolation of the country's powerful youth movement, could have a devastating impact on Yemen's stability. Men and women under 25 make up nearly three quarters of the population; youth unemployment hovers at 50 per cent.
Despite these figures - and with no clear plan to address them - western and regional allies appear desperate for a solution, even a less than perfect one. Within hours of the plan's unveiling the United States trumpeted the agreement, suggesting that the Yemeni people will now be able to "realise the security, unity, and prosperity that they have so courageously sought and so richly deserve".
No close observer of Yemen's troubled past expects calm overnight. The nation remains deeply divided along tribal and political lines. But unless the nation's unemployed and disenfranchised youngsters are brought into the country's transition, chaos and unrest will continue.
Senior members of Yemen's opposition predicted the current stalemate, some as early as February, warning that without a political strategy the youth movement could lead the country into civil war. Today this seems like an increasingly dangerous possibility.
Yet there are ways to avoid it. Most importantly, all sides - from opposition groups like the Joint Meeting Parties, to university students camped out at the renamed Change Square in the capital - must commit fully to a political solution. Imposed plans may speed the process, but only Yemenis themselves can produce a lasting solution.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances