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American planes bombed Yemen's Houthis for a second night as the US Defence Secretary pledged “unrelenting” attacks on the militant group.
The Houthis earlier claimed to have fired rockets and drones at an American aircraft carrier, though US officials said all of the projectiles were intercepted.
“The minute the Houthis say we'll stop shooting at your ships, we'll stop shooting at your drones, this campaign will end, but until then it will be unrelenting,” Pete Hegseth told Fox News late on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday launched large-scale military strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen over the group's attacks targeting Red Sea shipping, in the largest military operation in the Middle East since he took office in January. At least 53 people, including five children, were killed and 98 others were injured in the first round of strikes, Houthis' Health Ministry spokesman Anis Al Asbahi said.
Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported US strikes attacked Hodeidah and Al Jawf. The group also pledged to continue attacks. “If they continue their aggression, we will continue the escalation,” Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi said on Sunday, pledging to continue attacking US ships in the Red Sea.
The group claimed on Monday to have attacked the USS Harry Truman twice in 24 hours, calling it retaliation for the deadly US strikes. The Houthis said they had launched 18 missiles and a drone at the ship in the Red Sea, without providing evidence. In a statement posted to Telegram on Monday, a representative said the attacks on the carrier group were “in retaliation to the continued American aggression against our country”.
US F-16 and F-18 fighter aircraft shot down a combined 11 drones on Sunday, an official told Reuters. The official said the drones did not come close to the Harry Truman aircraft carrier.
The Houthis have launched hundreds of attacks on international ships, threatening international trade routes, in what they said was an expression of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The US redesignated the Houthis a foreign terrorist organisation this month, reversing a Joe Biden-era policy.
The UN called on the US military and the Houthis to cease “all military activity” on Sunday. “We note with concern the launching of multiple strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen by the United States overnight, which reportedly resulted in death and injuries,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
Mr Al Houthi on Sunday called for a “million-strong” march of defiance after deadly US strikes hit the capital, Sanaa, and other areas. “I call on our dear people to go out tomorrow on the anniversary of the Battle of Badr in a million-strong march in Sanaa and the rest of the governorates,” he said in a televised address, referring to a celebrated military victory by the Prophet Mohammed.
US strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels send a warning message to Iran but will prolong civilian suffering, which the group will then exploit, officials told The National on Sunday.
The US is exerting so-called maximum pressure on Iran and its proxies in the region. Mr Trump has increased sanctions on Tehran while trying to convince the regime to return to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme.
Late on Sunday, Mr Hegseth spoke to Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani regarding the US strikes on Yemen, an Iraqi government statement said.
The US Defence Secretary reaffirmed that Washington “will continue its operations unless Houthi attacks on US forces and Red Sea navigation cease”, the statement read. But he said the US “does not seek escalation and that military operations will cease as soon as these attacks cease”.
Mr Al Sudani said “de-escalation and dialogue are the most effective means of addressing crises in a sensitive and vital region like the Middle East”.
Editorial: Houthi intransigence has put Yemen's people in the firing line
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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Company%20profile
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Specs
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
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England XI for second Test
Rory Burns, Keaton Jennings, Ben Stokes, Joe Root (c), Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes (wk), Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Jack Leach, James Anderson
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
