NEW YORK: Members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday called on Yemen’s Houthis to halt their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying they are illegal and threaten regional stability, freedom of navigation and global food supplies.
Addressing the council’s first formal meeting of 2024, members also demanded that the Houthis release the Galaxy Leader, a Japanese-operated cargo ship linked to an Israeli company, and its crew, which the group seized on Nov. 19.
Some members urged the council to take action to halt the Houthi missile and drone attacks. But the body took no formal steps in the open session before going into closed consultations.
The United States believes the situation has reached an “inflection point,” Chris Lu, a US representative to the United Nations, told the council.
“These attacks pose grave implications for maritime security, international shipping and commerce, and they undermine the fragile humanitarian situation in Yemen,” threatening aid deliveries to the war-torn country, Lu said.
The Iran-aligned Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have launched drones and missiles at more than 20 ships since Nov. 19, saying that in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, they were targeting vessels with Israeli links or were sailing to Israel.
But many vessels have had no Israeli connection and were not bound for Israeli ports, and major shipping lines have suspended their operations through the Red Sea.
The United States and other countries last month formed a naval task force, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to protect civilian vessels. US warships have shot down Houthi-fired weapons, and on Sunday sank Houthi speed boats.
Hours before the Security Council met, the United States and 12 other countries warned in a joint statement that the Houthis “will bear the responsibility of the consequences” should the attacks persist.
During the session, the US, British and Israeli representatives accused Iran of supporting the Houthi strikes, a charge Tehran has denied.
“The Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels” without Iran’s backing, said Lu.
Japanese Ambassador Kazuyuki Yamazaki was among those calling for the council to act to halt the attacks, although he did not specify what steps it should take.
“Japan believes the Security Council should take an appropriate action to deter additional threats by the Houthis and maintain international peace and security,” he said.
Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia urged Houthi leaders to ease any actions posing threats to commercial vessels and their crews.
But, he said, the root of the issue was that it was an extension of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and he criticized Washington for blocking resolutions calling for a cease-fire.
China called the Red Sea an important shipping lane for the international goods and energy trade on Thursday, and said it is of common interest to safeguard its peace and stability.
“China opposes attacks against civilian vessels. I believe all sides need to play a constructive and responsible role in safeguarding the security of shipping lanes in the Red Sea,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said during a regular news briefing.
UN Security Council members call for Houthis to stop attacks on shipping
https://arab.news/gn9cb
UN Security Council members call for Houthis to stop attacks on shipping
Arab foreign ministers say important to deal with US Gaza proposal seriously and positively
- Biden on Friday presented what he labelled an Israeli three-phase plan that would end the conflict in Gaza
- The ministers stressed the need to stop Israeli aggression on Gaza and end the humanitarian catastrophe it is causing
RIYADH: The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar and Egypt said on Monday it was important to “deal seriously and positively” with a proposal presented by US President Joe Biden that would lead to a ceasefire in Gaza.
Biden on Friday presented what he labelled an Israeli three-phase plan that would end the conflict in Gaza, free all hostages and lead to the reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian territory without Hamas in power.
The foreign ministers met virtually to discuss the proposal and US-Qatari-Egyptian mediating efforts for a swap deal of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners that would lead to a permanent ceasefire and sufficient aid entry into Gaza, Saudi Press Agency said.
The foreign ministers of Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia affirmed their support for these efforts.
The ministers stressed the need to stop Israeli aggression on Gaza, end the humanitarian catastrophe it is causing, and allow displaced people to return to their areas.
They called for a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the launch of a reconstruction process within the framework of a comprehensive plan to implement the two-state solution in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and with specific timings and binding guarantees.
The ministers stressed that implementing the two-state solution, which includes an independent, sovereign Palestinian state along the lines of June 4, 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital, is the way to achieve security and peace for all countries in the region.
Yemeni riyal breaks all-time low of 1,770 against dollar
- Local currency trading at 215 to the dollar in late 2014 when war in Yemen broke out
AL-MUKALLA: The Yemeni riyal fell to an all-time low of 1,770 against the dollar on Monday in Yemeni-government-controlled districts, a drop likely to drive up prices and spark violence.
Local money traders and local media said on Monday that the Yemeni riyal was edging closer to a historic record low of 1,800 against the dollar in Aden, Al-Mukalla and other Yemeni districts controlled by the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
In January, the riyal reached a record low of 1,600 against the dollar in government-controlled provinces, two months after it had fallen to a new low of 1,500 against the dollar.
The local currency was trading at 215 to the dollar in late 2014 when the war in Yemen broke out after the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa.
It reached an all-time low of 1,700 against the dollar in December 2021, but rebounded to 1,200 after Saudi Arabia injected hundreds of millions of dollars into the central bank in Aden.
The rate of the currency in the Houthi-controlled areas has stayed consistent at 527 against the dollar since late 2016.
The Yemeni government and the central bank in Aden have not commented on the latest drop in the currency, but they usually blame currency speculation by black-market money traders as well as the Houthis, who deprived the Yemeni government of oil revenues by attacking oil terminals in southern Yemen.
In an attempt to control a chaotic market, Adens central bank has previously shut down unlicensed exchange companies, held public auctions to sell the dollar to local food and fuel importers, ordered financial institutions to submit annual statements to the bank, and linked local exchange companies in a unified remittance system under its supervision.
These measures failed to slow the riyal’s devaluation.
The Yemeni riyal used to rebound once a new government was formed or when Saudi Arabia and the UAE made additional deposits into the central bank.
The depreciation of the currency has led to increases in fuel, food and transport costs, forcing millions of Yemenis into poverty, according to local and international aid agencies.
The riyal’s decline in government-controlled provinces of Yemen was attributed to the central bank’s diminishing foreign currency reserves, the cessation of oil exports, and a decrease in remittances from outside the country, according to the World Food Programme’s most recent regular bulletin on food security in Yemen, which was released on Saturday.
The bulletin said, referring to the internationally recognized government of Yemen based in southern Yemen, that the “disruption of oil exports resulted in a nearly $2 billion loss in IRG revenues. The worsening economic situation has also increased food and fuel prices in the south.”
State workers say their wages have not risen in more than a decade and have lost more than 200 percent of their value while prices have skyrocketed.
The devaluation of the riyal has prompted teachers in Yemen’s Hadramout province to go on strike to demand a pay raise.
Taha Bafadhel, a teacher from Ghayel Bawazer in Hadramout, told Arab News that he was currently required to work three jobs to support his family and make ends meet and that educators have fallen into poverty as a result of the devaluation of the riyal and poor salaries.
“The salary has become insufficient to cover a third of the family’s expenses, necessitating additional work to cover the remaining expenses. Even a second job would not meet the expenses,” he said. “The reason for this is the currency collapse, which has resulted in a rise in prices, and also unchanged salaries.”
Palestinians say Israeli forces kill two in West Bank
NABLUS: Palestinian officials said Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Monday, as Israeli police confirmed undercover agents had killed a wanted man in the territory.
The Palestinian health ministry in Ramallah named the dead men as Adam Salahuddin Mansour Faraj, 23, and Mutaz Khaled Sadiq Nabulsi, 28.
Israeli police said undercover officers had killed “a senior wanted man” in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus.
“The undercovers entered the area near the refugee camp in broad daylight and closed in on an event hall where the wanted person was staying,” the force said in a statement.
“As soon as the wanted person noticed the fighters (agents), he started trying to escape on the roof of the building with a weapon in his hand.
“The undercovers killed the wanted person by shooting” on the roof, the statement said, without identifying him.
The incident triggered an exchange of fire between the undercover agents and “armed terrorists in the area who shot at the force and threw explosives,” the police said.
The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli police took one of the bodies with them.
The Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed that two men were killed in an Israeli raid, adding that one belonged to a Palestinian militant group.
Nine others were wounded by Israeli forces in the raid, it added.
The West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has seen a surge in violence for more than a year, but particularly since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7.
At least 523 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops or settlers since the Gaza war broke out, Palestinian officials say.
Attacks by Palestinians have killed at least 14 Israelis in the West Bank over the same period, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Ballet Hispanico CEO pleased with well-attended Arab world debut in Abu Dhabi
- Auditorium saw 90 percent attendance over the two-day program
LONDON: The CEO of Ballet Hispanico of New York, which performed its Arab world debut at the Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi auditorium on Friday, said he was pleased with how well attended the event was, Emirates News Agency, or WAM, reported on Monday.
The ballet company delivered a performance celebrating the fusion of diversity, heritage, and Hispanic culture.
Ballet Hispanico, founded in 1970 by dancer and educator Tina Ramirez in New York, was established to provide opportunities for Latino youth and artists at a time when access to the arts was limited for the community.
Its CEO Eduardo Vilaro told WAM that the auditorium saw 90 percent attendance over the two-day program.
Vilaro said the audience enjoyed a “contemporary show that celebrated the different Latin cultures, with different types of dance movements like classical ballet, jazz and modern forms to create a distinctive movement vocabulary.”
The program began with Pedro Rodriguez’s “Club Havana,” an homage to Cuban culture with West African influences.
Through the Mambo, Cha Cha Cha, Rhumba, and big band music, the story of six couples visiting a club transported the audience to 1950s Cuba.
The performance continued with “Sombrerisimo” by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, a mysterious and playful work exploring the cultural significance of a hat.
The finale, “18+1,” was an exhilarating ballet set to the music of Perez Prado, the renowned Mexican orchestra leader. Choreographed by Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, it presented the vibrant rhythms of Latin America with a dance infused with humor.
Vilaro said the company’s success lies in its commitment to diversity and multiculturalism, highlighting the importance of embracing different perspectives and ideas.
“As Latinos, we are a fusion of cultures such as African, Spanish, Asian, and others, which gives us a unique perspective celebrating all parts of those diasporas,” he said.
He added that multiculturalism is “important because it teaches us how to be better humans, it is the gateway to unity; if we can be good neighbors in a city, then we should be good neighbors in the world.”
The Abu Dhabi performance was attended by ambassadors from the US, Costa Rica, Spain, and France, along with other diplomats and officials.
Jordanian and Egyptian business leaders discuss investment cooperation
- Primary focus is on challenges related to the entry of Egyptian products into the Jordanian market, vice versa
AMMAN: Members of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce and representatives of Egyptian businesses met in Amman on Monday to discuss ways to foster investment cooperation between their countries.
The primary focus during the talks was on addressing challenges related to the entry of Egyptian products into the Jordanian market and vice versa, the Jordan News Agency reported. Representatives of 23 Egyptian companies visited several Jordanian firms, and the participants also explored the potential for Egyptian products to enter wider Middle Eastern markets through Jordan, and for Jordanian goods to access African markets via Egypt.
Representatives of Egyptian companies acknowledged the importance of the Jordanian market, describing it as a promising platform for entry to other Arab markets.
Ibrahim Al-Nawaiseh, a member of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors who represents the construction and building materials sector, said he was optimistic about the potential for commercial partnerships between businesses from both nations. He highlighted the efforts made by Jordan to strengthen trade relations with Arab countries and mitigate the regional challenges that affect investment and export opportunities.
Al-Nawaiseh also emphasized the high-quality products offered by Jordanian companies in the building materials sector, which he said were competitive with other imports and could meet some of the needs of the Egyptian market. He called for expanded cooperation in the sector, including the exchange of expertise and knowledge to help enhance product quality in both countries.
Khaled Abul Makarem, chairperson of Egypt’s Chemicals and Fertilizers Export Council, described the visit as a significant step toward enhancing trade and economic relations between the two countries, and highlighted the potential for commercial cooperation in the chemicals, building materials, fertilizers, glass, plastic and packaging sectors.
He also underscored the geographic and economic importance of tripartite cooperation between Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, as well as industrial partnerships linking Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco.
