A Bulgarian sailor who was released by Houthi rebels after more than a year in captivity said holding on to hope got him through the days of uncertainty, tension and fear.
“You have to hold on to hope … that you will get back to your family and loved ones. You must not let go of hope,” Danail Veselinov, assistant captain of the ship, told The National in his first media interview since being freed.
He was among the 25 crew members of the Bahamas-flagged cargo ship Galaxy Leader who were handed over to Oman on Wednesday “in support of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza” between Hamas and Israel, according to a statement broadcast by the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV.
The vessel was seized in November 2023 and marked the start of attacks by the militant group on shipping in the Red Sea corridor a month after the Israel Gaza war began.
Mr Veselinov and fellow Bulgarian, captain Lyubomir Chanev had an emotional reunion with their families as they touched down in Sofia early Friday. “We waited for this moment for so long … It was a traumatising experience but now it’s finally over,” he said.
They were flown home in a plane sent by the Bulgarian government to Muscat, and were allowed to go home to their families after clearing medical checks.
When we talked to the crew we convinced them and ourselves that everything would be good.
Danail Veselinov,
assistant captain of merchant vessel Galaxy Leader
Staying positive and patient
Mr Veselinov recalled that the first two weeks in captivity were harrowing until they were allowed to call their families. “Once we spoke to our families, we were a bit calmer,” said the 40-year-old sailor, who spoke to his mother and young child in his hometown of Gorna Oryahovitsa.
They were allowed calls every fortnight and video calls from May last year, giving them and their loved ones some respite.
During every call, the crew tried to reassure their relatives that they would be released soon. “We told our family we were in captivity but safe, we had food and provisions. We told them we needed to wait a little more … then a little more. Once your family knows you are safe, there is some relief and you have the drive to continue to wait.”
Initially, Mr Veselinov and captain Chanev were separated from the crew and kept in a hotel for four months, before being moved back on to the ship. They lived on the ship until last October when the vessel's fuel ran out. They were then moved to a house in Sanaa where they were supplied with provisions to manage their daily food.
“We held together as a crew,” Mr Veselinov said about how they lifted each other's spirits. “When we talked to the crew we convinced them and convinced ourselves that everything would be good. We tried to stay positive.
“We told the men that [the Houthis] were not threatening us, not torturing us so that was a sign, they had good intentions. We just had to be patient and positive. We gave them courage all the time.”
Setting foot on home soil
Elena Yoncheva, a Bulgarian member of the European Parliament who has been closely monitoring the ordeal and appealing for an end to attacks on sailors, was among government officials on the plane with the freed sailors.
She said the men are deeply affected. “Yes, they are fine physically but the uncertainty and being in captivity for 14 months is a lot … It is difficult … when you don’t know what will happen the next day. They have small children and families who depend on them.”
International organisations have condemned the targeting of seafarers and criticised the attacks on global shipping. The Houthis said they would limit their attacks in the Red Sea corridor to ships affiliated with Israel after the ceasefire began but warned that assaults would resume if needed.
“The seafarers have nothing to do with the conflict and they should not carry the burden of this situation,” said Ms Yoncheva. “They are innocent people and the international community must do to everything to support them.”
In the Philippines too, there were emotional scenes as families gathered at Pasay City to welcome 17 sailors who arrived on an Oman Air flight late on Thursday. Banners that read, “Welcome home kabayan seafarers of MV Galaxy Leader,” welcomed the sailors and the government said it joined the nation in celebrating their release.
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Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
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- Flexible payment plans from developers
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Director: Rupert Wyatt
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Abu Dhabi
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Yas Gateway Park
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The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
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Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Andre Bikey (Jamshedpur) The Cameroonian defender is onto the 17th club of a career has taken him to Spain, Portugal, Russia, the UK, Greece, and now India. He is still only 32, so there is plenty of time to add to that tally, too. Scored goals against Liverpool and Chelsea during his time with Reading in England.
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
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- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
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Grand Slam Los Angeles results
Men:
56kg – Jorge Nakamura
62kg – Joao Gabriel de Sousa
69kg – Gianni Grippo
77kg – Caio Soares
85kg – Manuel Ribamar
94kg – Gustavo Batista
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49kg – Mayssa Bastos
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The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
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- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
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- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
