SANA'A // A grenade attack on anti-government protesters killed one person and injured dozens as government supporters and riot police clashed with pro-democracy demonstrators across Yemen yesterday. Four more people were shot dead by police in the southern port city of Aden, where violent clashes broke out for the third day between protesters and police.
In Taiz, south of the capital Sana'a, a protester was killed when armed men, accused of being government supporters, threw a grenade at a gathering of tens of thousands. He was one of dozens of people brought to hospital, where he died of his wounds, medics said. Taiz officials denied the attackers were supporters of President Ali Abdullah Saleh or his party.
Yesterday was the eighth consecutive day of protests against Mr Saleh.
"Armed men from the ruling party threw a hand grenade at the protesters and more than 40 people were injured," Bushra al Maktari, a protest organiser in Taiz, said in a telephone interview.
"I am now in the hospital and the situation is terrible. Some of the injuries are very serious," Ms al Maktari said. She said the attack brought more people on to the streets.
"The protesters are angry and they started blood donation to the injured. We are now demanding the prosecution of the leading officials in the ruling party who encouraged their thugs to attack us," she said, adding that she was injured in her leg by shrapnel from the grenade.
Hamud al Sufi, the governor of Taiz, said the attackers were not supporters of the ruling General People's Congress.
"According to initial investigations with the suspected attackers, some of the protesters threw stones at their car and they responded by throwing the hand grenade. These might be outlaws and investigations will be announced once they are complete," Mr al Sufi said. The government organised a rival protest in Taiz in support of Mr Saleh.
In Sana'a, at least 11 anti-government protesters were wounded in clashes with government supporters armed with clubs, daggers and pistols. Riot police fired shots in the air and used tear gas to disperse the crowds in the biggest demonstration in Sana'a in the past eight days of protests.
Some imams in the capital seemed to take a critical tone with the government yesterday - adding a new element to the protests.
Imam Jabri al Yamani at the Sana'a University mosque condemned the torture and beating of demonstrators, telling many protesters who had gathered there: "We have been living for 30 years without purpose or hope." He said "protests must be peaceful and not scare and harm the people".
Another Sana'a imam, Abdel Raqib Obad, urged people to join the protests and criticised the security forces for "battling" the youth.
After noon prayers, thousands of protesters marched from the Sana'a University mosque towards the presidential palace, and were met by riot police and hundreds of Mr Saleh's supporters.
The two sides attacked each other with rocks, and riot police began firing live ammunition in the air and launching tear gas. Among those attacked by government supporters were Hamud Munsar, the head of the Sana'a office of the Dubai-based Al Arabiya television network, and an Al Arabiya cameraman, Fuad al Khadir. Mr Munsar said their camera was destroyed.
In Aden, four protesters were killed and several others were wounded when police fired live ammunition to disperse a crowd demanding that Mr Saleh step down, according to witnesses.
Yesterday's deaths brought the toll to six during the past three days of protests in Aden, where demonstrators have burnt government cars and a local council building in the Sheikh Othman neighbourhood. Similar government buildings in al Mansura and Crater districts were set on fire on Wednesday and Thursday.
Mr Saleh has tried to meet some of protesters' demands. He announced on February 2 that he would not seek to extend his term beyond 2013, and has reached out to tribal elders.
The Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), an opposition coalition of six parties, condemned the increasing violence by the "thugs" of the ruling party against the protesters during the past week.
"We hold the president accountable for the mass killing attack on Taiz uprising and the consequences of such attacks," Mohammed al Kubati, a spokesman of the JMP, said yesterday.
In its first statement since the protests began, the US Embassy in Yemen called on the government "to fulfil its responsibility to protect the life and property of all Yemenis and to safeguard their basic human and civil rights [and] to prevent any further attacks on peaceful demonstrations".
The embassy said it "observed a disturbing rise in the number and violence of attacks against Yemeni citizens gathering peacefully to express their views on the current political situation. We have also seen reports that Government of Yemen officials were present during these attacks".
malqadhi@thenational.ae
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
F1 drivers' standings
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 281
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 247
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138
6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93
7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86
8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 56
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
'Top Gun: Maverick'
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Miles Teller, Glen Powell, Ed Harris
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cyl%20turbo%20%2B%20mild%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E204hp%20at%205%2C800rpm%20%2B23hp%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C800rpm%20%2B205Nm%20hybrid%20boost%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.3L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENovember%2FDecember%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh205%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Tottenham's 10 biggest transfers (according to transfermarkt.com):
1). Moussa Sissokho - Newcastle United - £30 million (Dh143m): Flop
2). Roberto Soldado - Valencia - £25m: Flop
3). Erik Lamela - Roma - £25m: Jury still out
4). Son Heung-min - Bayer Leverkusen - £25m: Success
5). Darren Bent - Charlton Athletic - £21m: Flop
6). Vincent Janssen - AZ Alkmaar - £18m: Flop
7). David Bentley - Blackburn Rovers - £18m: Flop
8). Luka Modric - Dynamo Zagreb - £17m: Success
9). Paulinho - Corinthians - £16m: Flop
10). Mousa Dembele - Fulham - £16m: Success
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
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
Profile of Foodics
Founders: Ahmad AlZaini and Mosab AlOthmani
Based: Riyadh
Sector: Software
Employees: 150
Amount raised: $8m through seed and Series A - Series B raise ongoing
Funders: Raed Advanced Investment Co, Al-Riyadh Al Walid Investment Co, 500 Falcons, SWM Investment, AlShoaibah SPV, Faith Capital, Technology Investments Co, Savour Holding, Future Resources, Derayah Custody Co.
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
England v New Zealand
(Saturday, 12pm UAE)
Wales v South Africa
(Sunday, 12pm, UAE)
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
What are NFTs?
Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
