UN ceasefire monitors set to leave for Yemen

A team of UN monitors led by retired Dutch general Patrick Cammaert will leave for Yemen on Thursday, first stopping in Jordan before heading on to Sanaa and then finally the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, where a ceasefire is in place between government forces and Houthi rebels.

The monitors’ job is to report if the ceasefire is working, after reports of numerous breaches, and after calls from the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres and his Yemen special envoy Martin Griffiths for independent verification that the truce is being honoured.

The UN confirmed that Mr Cammaert had chaired by video link and telephone on Wednesday the first meeting of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, set up after the ceasefire was agreed at peace talks in Sweden last week.

_______________

Yemen: Hodeidah ceasefire is working, says UN envoy Martin Griffiths

Observers fear Hodeidah deal may not lead to end of Yemen's war

_______________

“General Cammaert reiterated the commitment of the UN to fulfil its obligations and commitments and to help the parties de-escalate tensions,” the secretary general’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York, from where the monitoring team will depart.

Of Yemen’s government and the Houthis, he added: “Both parties remain constructively engaged with the work of the committee and vowed to facilitate the work of the committee in good faith and to cooperate with the implementation of the Hodeidah agreement.”

The UN-brokered talks between Yemen’s internationally recognised government and the Iranian-backed rebels concluded last Thursday with them agreeing to the truce in Hodeidah, which diplomats pushed for to allow aid to reach the country which is under threat of famine.

The second phase of the agreement will see ports handed over to the UN and the third will see both sides withdraw from the city and its surroundings.

The ceasefire – which does not apply to the rest of the country – began at midnight on Monday night.

UN officials have admitted, however, that there has been a time-lag in communicating the ceasefire decision to fighters on the ground and that some battles have continued.

Mr Cammaert, a veteran of numerous UN peacekeeping missions, is leading a small advance team to Yemen. After landing in Jordan’s capital, Amman, from where the UN coordinates much of its work on Yemen, Mr Cammaert is to fly first to Sanaa, the war-torn country’s rebel-held capital, and then on to Hodeidah itself.

The UN Security Council is expected to debate a resolution later this week regarding monitoring and implementation of the ceasefire. A draft of the document was circulated on Monday but it is yet to be scheduled for a vote in the Council.

On Monday night, Mr Griffiths said that UN agencies have detailed plans on how to oversee the port facilities, which are the main route into Yemen for aid and vital imports of food and medicine.

While you're here

Mugabe and Lee Kuan Yew: their different legacies

Marcos’s journey from dictator to hero is complete

In politics, genuine ‘saints’ are few and far between

Profile

Name: Carzaty

Founders: Marwan Chaar and Hassan Jaffar

Launched: 2017

Employees: 22

Based: Dubai and Muscat

Sector: Automobile retail

Funding to date: $5.5 million

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

Boulder shooting victims

• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65

STAGE%201%20RESULTS

%3Cp%3E1)%20Tim%20Merlier%20(Soudal-Quick-Step)%2C%203h%2017%E2%80%99%2035%E2%80%9D%3Cbr%3E2)%20Caleb%20Ewan%20(Lotto%20Dstny)%20same%20time%3Cbr%3E3)%20Mark%20Cavendish%20(Astana%20Qazaqstan%20Team)%20same%20time%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EGeneral%20Classification%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3E1)%20Tim%20Merlier%20(Soudal%20Quick-Step)%203%3A17%3A25%3Cbr%3E2%20-%20Caleb%20Ewan%20(Lotto%20Dstny)%20%2B4%22%3Cbr%3E3%20-%20Luke%20Plapp%20(Ineos%20Grenadiers)%20%2B5%22%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

South Africa squad

Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.

MATCH INFO

Chelsea 1 (Hudson-Odoi 90 1')

Manchester City 3 (Gundogan 18', Foden 21', De Bruyne 34')

Man of the match: Ilkay Gundogan (Man City)

The%20specs

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.0-litre%20six-cylinder%20turbo%20(BMW%20B58)%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20340hp%20at%206%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20500Nm%20from%201%2C600-4%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20ZF%208-speed%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E0-100kph%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.2sec%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETop%20speed%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20267kph%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh462%2C189%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EWarranty%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2030-month%2F48%2C000k%3C%2Fp%3E%0A