At the mouth of Bab El Mandeb Strait, the southern port city of Aden is both strategically and politically important. It has served as the seat of Yemen’s government since it was liberated from Houthi rebels in 2015 and sits adjacent to some of the world’s most vital shipping lanes. Aden had also been cleared of militant groups seeking to over run the city.
In the past few weeks, Aden has witnessed in-fighting between forces loyal to the government and the Southern Transitional Council, backed by the Arab coalition. Once united in the battle against the Houthis, the split between factions is threatening to tip the city into chaos and open up a power vacuum. On Friday, the worst fears of those seeking to end the war in Yemen were realised when a suicide bomber killed three members of Yemen’s security forces, in an attack claimed by ISIS. In a separate attack, thought to have been mounted by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the military chief of the Security Belt forces, narrowly escaped a roadside bomb that injured five of his guards.
The attacks came shortly after the Arab coalition launched a series of airstrikes targeting terrorist groups in Yemen. These extremists flourished briefly in the interlude of power in 2015 when the Houthis lost their grip on the city. They have been waiting in the wings for a chance to exploit Yemen’s fragile balance of power and re-establish control. That cannot be allowed to happen.
The coalition’s pre-emptive airstrikes came after intelligence that extremists were planning to target their ranks. They attacked coalition fighters at Aden’s airport and will no doubt be plotting to regroup and attack again.
At a critical time in the Yemen war, with the Stockholm agreement still waiting to be implemented, unity is needed among those fighting to re-establish peace and prosperity to the country. As the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation said in a statement, terrorist cells have “started to accelerate their activity” and pose a “menacing threat to the strides made by the Arab coalition to uproot the scourge of terrorism in Yemen”. Efforts to bring about peace cannot be derailed by those who wish to take advantage of divisions among the ranks of fighters. Now is the time to come together to present a united front against that very scourge. The international community cannot be complacent when it comes to the threat of militant groups seeking to find a foothold in Aden.
Since clashes broke out, Saudi Arabia has offered to broker talks between all factions in Riyadh. As both the Saudi and UAE governments have said, dialogue is the only way to end the crisis. On a visit to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also emphasised the importance of a negotiated resolution. There are concerns that Al Islah militants linked to the Muslim Brotherhood are influencing government forces. No extremist ideology should be allowed to flourish. All parties should make a concerted effort to stamp out terrorist activity and work together towards a more peaceful future.
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The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 20: 11am to 7pm - Abu Dhabi World Jiu-Jitsu Festival and Para jiu-jitsu.
Sunday, April 21: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (female) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Monday, April 22: 11am to 6pm - Abu Dhabi World Youth (male) Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Tuesday, April 23: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Masters Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Wednesday, April 24: 11am-6pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Thursday, April 25: 11am-5pm Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Friday, April 26: 3pm to 6pm Finals of the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
Saturday, April 27: 4pm and 8pm awards ceremony.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
Honeymoonish
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Ferrari
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
