Yemen government says Houthis are delaying prisoner exchange deal

Yemen's internationally recognised government blamed Houthi rebels on Wednesday for delaying efforts to conclude a prisoner exchange.

The exchange was proposed during UN-brokered peace talks in Sweden in December as a confidence building measure preliminary to an eventual political settlement to end Yemen's three-year-old civil war.

But when representatives from the two sides met on Wednesday in Jordan for the second day of talks to finalise details of the prisoner exchange, Yemeni government officials said they had opposed attempts by the rebels to change the terms of the agreement.

"We have rejected claims made by Houthi rebels to split up the list of detainees, as they have proposed for the swap to take place in different stages, with only 200 individuals being exchanged in the first stage," a Yemeni official, who is part of the delegation sent to Amman, told The National.

“We cannot allow for this to happen, all the names that we have demanded must be released,” said the official, who spoke anonymously as they were not authorised to brief the media.

United Nations envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths and ICRC President Peter Maurer attended the first day of the talks.

The final list of the thousands of prisoners is expected to be complete on Thursday between the two sides, the UN envoy said.

"It will lay the basis for the next step which will be to see that release happening," Mr Griffiths told delegates before the start of the second round of talks in Amman in less than a month.

The UN envoy highlighted the importance of the deal as a means to achieving progress towards ending a war that has left millions on the brink of starvation.

"Success in this regard is not only of huge importance for those who will be released ... but also for the broader political process in which we have hopes the parties will together resolve the issues that divide them and return Yemen to peace,” Mr Griffiths said.

Jordan hosts second round of talks on Yemen prisoner swap

Saudi Arabia says it is ready to release seven Houthi prisoners

The negotiations in Jordan will allow the verification of names of around 15,000 prisoners exchanged by both sides.

The operation will be implemented by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which says that the deal could take weeks to implement.

"Trust doesn't come from one day to another. It is a difficult process and we know this is work in progress," ICRC President Peter Maurer said at the start of the Amman talks.

During previous talks in Amman last month, the two sides swapped lists of detainees they each wanted to see freed, but mistrust has prevented them from finalising the list of names.

At the end of January, the Houthis released a captured Saudi solider and Riyadh released seven Houthi prisoners, the only detainees exchanged so far under the deal.

There are fears that the failure of these three day talks could cause the collsapse of other elements of the Swedish deal, including a truce and removal of troops from the port city of Hodeidah and the battleground city of Taez.

The ceasefire in Hodeidah remains fragile with reports of Houthi violations, but the UN says it has "largely held". The timetable for the withdrawal of forces has also fallen behind schedule.

The Sweden deal is seen as the best chance yet to end Yemen's nearly four year conflict.

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Why the Tourist Club?

Originally, The Club (which many people chose to call the “British Club”) was the only place where one could use the beach with changing rooms and a shower, and get refreshments.

In the early 1970s, the Government of Abu Dhabi wanted to give more people a place to get together on the beach, with some facilities for children. The place chosen was where the annual boat race was held, which Sheikh Zayed always attended and which brought crowds of locals and expatriates to the stretch of beach to the left of Le Méridien and the Marina.

It started with a round two-storey building, erected in about two weeks by Orient Contracting for Sheikh Zayed to use at one these races. Soon many facilities were planned and built, and members were invited to join.

Why it was called “Nadi Al Siyahi” is beyond me. But it is likely that one wanted to convey the idea that this was open to all comers. Because there was no danger of encountering alcohol on the premises, unlike at The Club, it was a place in particular for the many Arab expatriate civil servants to join. Initially the fees were very low and membership was offered free to many people, too.

Eventually there was a skating rink, bowling and many other amusements.

Frauke Heard-Bey is a historian and has lived in Abu Dhabi since 1968.

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Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore

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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

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