Alistair Burt, the British foreign office minister for the Middle East, has warned that efforts to stabilise Yemen are being complicated by the deliberate inclusion of "insurgents and terrorists" on lists of public sector salaries.
Efforts to pay civil servants and other government employees is a top priority for mediators and humanitarian organisations seeking to increase money in the economy and stave off food shortages and the country's descent into near starvation.
Donor countries have sought to provide funds to both the Yemen government and the Houthi-run ministries in Sanaa so that public servants can draw salaries.
"There is a new and added complication in speaking to the UN over the weekend – not everybody on the list is necessarily all they seem.
"There are those on the lists who may be insurgents and who may be terrorists and nobody is going to hand over taxpayers money to just pay salaries to these people. This is a new complication done by those who seek to abuse these lists."
Mr Burt also dismissed suggestions that a UN Security Council resolution should be passed that demands a ceasefire in the Yemen conflict.
Speaking to parliament, Mr Burt said he was guided by the need to provide maximum support for the efforts of Martin Griffiths, the UN Secretary General's special envoy, who is attempting to restart negotiations with the Houthi rebels.
"The best way to use the United Nations Security Council is to support the role of UN special envoy Martin Griffiths," he said. "We don't want to do anything to undercut it.
"If you want to see an end to the conflict you will support Martin Griffiths and his efforts."
Mr Burt said Mr Griffiths, who was meeting the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday, continued to work to build confidence among the warring parties for negotiations after the failure of an attempt to kick start a new round of talks in Geneva in September.
_________
Read more:
Saudi ambassador to Yemen oversees fuel aid delivery to Aden
Houthi rebels seize fuel and food cargo entering port city of Hodeidah
Yemeni government launches cholera immunisation drive
_________
Mr Burt said that the Houthi leadership had been responsible for the failure of the Geneva initiative. He said the summit between the government of Yemen and its Houthi-led rivals was "thwarted by the Houthi" who refused to go the negotiations.
Attempts to blame logistic hurdles and the lack of humanitarian or medical evacuations were not credible.
"If they had wanted to be there, they would have gone," the long-serving minister said.
He added Houthis were responsible for abuse of humanitarian aid, systematic recruitment of child soldiers, interference with cholera fight and campaigns of targeted assassination.
It was a view echoed by Jan Egeland, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council and a former deputy to Kofi Annan as special envoy to Syria. He said the diplomatic failure was comparable to the lack of outside pressure on the Assad regime in 2012.
"Martin Griffiths is doing everything that can be done as a special envoy. He did everything right until Geneva but there was not enough pressure on the parties from the outside world. To me it echos the situation with Kofi Annan and the parties in Syria in 2012," Mr Egeland warned. "There wasn't enough pressure on these irresponsible parties."
The British parliament also heard a call from Marwa Baabbad, a researcher with the Oxford Research Group, for pressure on Iran to take responsibility for the Houthi groups it arms and funds.
"There is a perception among some Yemenis that the UN Special Envoy is not holding the Houthis accountable enough," she said. "The UK government should pressure Iran to stop arming the Houthis and hold them responsible for their attacks on their population."
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
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UAE squad to face Ireland
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri (vice-captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Boota, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmad, Zawar Farid, CP Rizwaan, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Alishan Sharafu, Basil Hameed, Kashif Daud, Adithya Shetty, Vriitya Aravind
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RACE CARD
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Company profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
Oscars in the UAE
The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
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The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
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