DUBAI: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have detained more than a dozen aid workers, including United Nations staff, in an apparently coordinated sweep, the Yemeni government and an NGO said Friday.
At least 18 Yemeni aid workers were kidnapped in four rebel-held parts of the war-torn country, the Yemeni Mayyun Organization for Human Rights said, listing 10 workers from UN agencies.
Yemen’s internationally-recognized government condemned the “massive abduction campaign,” saying it targeted “dozens of employees of the United Nations agencies, the office of the UN envoy Hans Grundberg, and several international organizations working” in the capital Sanaa and other Houthi-run areas.
In a statement on social media platform X , Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani called it an “unprecedented escalation and a flagrant violation of international laws and conventions.”
A diplomatic source, speaking on condition of anonymity, also told AFP that more than a dozen aid workers including UN staff were kidnapped on Thursday.
There was no immediate comment from the Houthis or the United Nations.
The abductions underline the perilous task facing aid workers in Yemen, whose long-running civil war has precipitated one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
“The Houthi armed group raided the homes and kidnapped staff of the United Nations and other international organizations operating in four governorates under” their control, the Mayyun Organization said.
This “serious escalation... constitutes a violation of the privileges and immunities of United Nations personnel,” it added, describing the abductions as “blackmail practices in order to obtain political and economic gains.”
The “simultaneous” abductions took place in the capital Sanaa, the key port of Hodeida, Amran and Saada, the rebels’ traditional stronghold, the aid group said.
“The Houthis’ actions are undermining essential humanitarian work in Yemen at a time when the majority of Yemenis do not have adequate access to basic necessities like food and water,” Niku Jafarnia, Yemen researcher at Human Rights Watch, told AFP.
The Houthis have kidnapped, arbitrarily detained, and tortured hundreds of civilians, including UN and NGO workers, since the start of Yemen’s conflict in 2014, according to rights groups.
Several aid workers have been killed or kidnapped throughout the conflict, forcing international agencies to temporarily suspend operations or pull out international staff as a security precaution.
The Yemani information minister said the Houthis have “previously abducted dozens of United Nations employees,” with at least three kidnapped over the past three years still in detention.
Last year, the charity Save the Children suspended operations for 10 days in northern Yemen after a staff member died in detention in the rebel-held capital.
Also last year, a long-serving staffer with the UN World Food Programme was shot and killed in the southern city of Taiz by unknown gunmen.
The Houthis seized control of Sanaa in September 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention on behalf of the government the following March.
Yemen Houthis detain aid workers, UN staff
https://arab.news/n42bk
Yemen Houthis detain aid workers, UN staff
- The Houthis have kidnapped, arbitrarily detained, and tortured hundreds of civilians, according to rights groups
Pakistan to conduct fitness tests of players after humiliating T20 World Cup exit
- The 2009 champions suffered a shock defeat to first-timers USA before losing to arch-rivals India in last month’s World Cup
- The national team was dogged by allegations of internal discord and that some players were in squad because of favoritism
LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be conducting fitness tests for the first time ever in 104 districts across the 16 regions in the country, the PCB said on Monday, weeks after the national side’s humiliating exit from the Twenty20 World Cup.
The 2009 champions crashed out of the World Cup on June 15 after the USA-Ireland match was abandoned because of rain. It was the earliest-ever elimination from a T20 World Cup for Pakistan. They suffered a shock defeat to first-timers USA before losing to arch-rivals India. Pakistan’s only win was against Canada.
Throughout the tournament, the team was dogged by allegations of internal discord and that some players were in the squad because of favoritism and not merit. A week later, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi said players would now be selected only on the basis of fitness and performance in domestic cricket.
“Over 2,300 players are appearing in the ongoing countrywide fitness tests. These tests are being conducted as per the Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi’s vision for incorporating a culture of fitness at grassroots level,” the PCB said in a statement.
In order to assemble squads for the Regional Inter District Senior Tournament 2024-25, 23 players in each district have been shortlisted after the Challenge Cup that took place in April and May. These 23 players in each district are undergoing strenuous fitness and strength testing under the respective district and regional coaches and trainers, according to the PCB.
The players, after passing the fitness test, will be summoned for a 45-day camp in their respective districts leading to the Inter District Senior Tournament in September.
“The PCB has decided to conduct fitness tests at the district level instead of the regional level starting from this domestic season,” said Abdullah Khurram Niazi, a PCB director for domestic cricket operations.
“This initiative will surely push the players to prioritize their fitness right from the start and the culture will then expand to other domestic competitions. With more fitter players participating in the tournaments, the quality of cricket will also increase.”
MENA startups raise $116m in June, pushing first half of 2024 to $882m: Wamda
RIYADH: Investment activity in the Middle East and North Africa region’s startup space slowed in June with 38 tech startups raising $116 million, bringing the half-year total to $882 million, according to the latest data.
The amount raised in June saw a 59 percent month-on-month decline from the $282 raised in May but marked a 182 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to venture news platform Wamda.
In its latest monthly report, the platform stated that UAE-based startups led the region, securing $82.5 million across 15 deals. Egyptian startups followed with $15 million raised by four companies, marking the second-highest total.
Saudi Arabia dropped to third, with seven initiatives raising $13.5 million. Notable activity was also observed in Iraq, with six startups raising an estimated $1.2 million, though this amount could be higher as Orisdi, Bonlili, and Alsaree3 did not disclose their investment values.
June was marked by an absence of mega deals, with Tenderd’s $30 million agreement having the biggest ticket size.
Sector-wise, fintech reclaimed its position as the most funded field, securing $38 million with over 10 deals, closely followed by construction technology, thanks to Tenderd’s deal. Meanwhile, three proptech startups raised $19.6 million in June, reversing the lead it achieved in May.
The majority of June’s investment went to the pre-series A stage, with four startups receiving $45 million, followed by the seed stage, where five startups raised $27.3 million.
However, when considering investment volume, early-stage startups are still capturing the attention of investors, with eight startups at their pre-seed stage garnering $3 million and an additional eight securing $140,000 in grants.
Startups operating the business-to-business model dominated most of the funding in June, raising $66.4 million across 18 deals, accounting for 74 percent of the total investment, while 20 business-to-consumer startups raised $49.5 million.
The majority of funding went to male-founded startups, which received $103.4 million, or 89 percent of the total, while two female-led startups raised $200,000.
The UAE was the top-funded ecosystem in the region in the first half of 2024, with 91 UAE-based startups raising $455.5 million, down from $604 million in the same period last year.
Saudi Arabia followed, attracting $300 million in total funding, down from $554 million last year.
Egypt’s economic crisis has pushed the Egyptian startup ecosystem to a drastic decline, with just 33 startups raising $83 million, an 80 percent drop from the same period last year.
In contrast, the Moroccan ecosystem gained momentum, with six startups securing $12.5 million in funding in the same period.
Review: ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F’ — the sequel nobody needed
- Glossy update to beloved Eddie Murphy franchise falls flat
LONDON: There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about the opening minutes of “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F,” as Eddie Murphy’s Axel Foley drives through his beloved Detroit on his way to a Red Wings game. Only, of course, Foley isn’t there to watch hockey — he’s actually there to catch a group of bad guys in his inimitable, maverick-cop fashion, racking up a huge property damage bill and getting chewed out by his beleaguered captain in the process. All the elements that made 1984’s “Beverly Hills Cop” such a hit are here: Glenn Frey’s “The Heat is On,” the familiar strains of “Axel F” by Harold Faltermeyer, Murphy’s improv-ish bluster, and some carefully choreographed set pieces. As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
It's advice that Australian director Mark Molloy (making his feature debut here) takes to heart. This fourth installment in the “Beverly Hills Cop” franchise leans heavily on its past — returning alongside Murphy are Judge Reinhold (as Billy), John Ashton (Taggart), Paul Reiser (Jeffrey) and Bronson Pinchot (Serge). And yes, it’s a blast seeing all these guys back together. Joining the cast are Joseph Gordon-Levitt as by-the-book cop Bobby Abbot, Kevin Bacon as Beverly Hills captain Cade Grant, and Taylour Paige as Jane, Foley’s estranged daughter, who finds herself targeted by a group of corrupt cops (the reason for Foley’s return to Los Angeles early in the movie).
Molloy does at least throw in some more up-to-date, high-octane action scenes (unfortunately complete with some shonky CGI), and hits Foley with a flurry of more-modern California stereotypes to poke fun at. Even Abbot makes fun of Foley’s outdated alpha-male approach to solving crimes, throwing in a joke about 1994’s poorly received “Beverly Hills Cop III” not being his finest hour. It’s standard, fish-out-of-water fare, brought up to date with a 2024 budget and a script that’s not afraid to make fun of itself.
Sadly, as 2021’s “Coming 2 America” proved, simply refreshing a tried-and-tested Eddie Murphy comedy staple doesn’t automatically make it good — or even particularly funny. So, while it’s entertaining to see familiar characters riff on each other’s grey hairs and failing bodies, there’s little of the zing and zip that made the original “Beverly Hills Cop” so captivating. Instead, it makes for a glossy, unnecessary, retread. Maybe, if it ain’t broke, leave it alone entirely.
France players celebrating election results back home ahead of Euro 2024 semifinal
- Marcus Thuram: ‘Congratulations to all those who came forward in the face of the danger that hovered over our country’
- Jules Kounde: ‘Congratulations to all the French people who mobilized so that this beautiful country that is France does not find itself governed by the extreme right’
MUNICH: Several France players are already celebrating something at the European Championship — the result of the elections back home.
A leftist coalition that came together to try to keep the far right from power in France won the most parliamentary seats in Sunday’s runoff parliamentary election.
“The victory of the People,” France midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The first-round vote on June 30 saw major gains for the National Rally, potentially putting the far right in a position to govern France for the first time since World War II.
“Congratulations to all those who came forward in the face of the danger that hovered over our country,” France forward Marcus Thuram put on his Instagram story, after a graphic of the projected outcome.
“Long live diversity, long live the Republic, long live France. The fight continues.”
Thuram had already spoken out last month about the “sad reality” of the political situation back home and France’s players have consistently been vocal at Euro 2024 with calls to get out to vote in parliamentary elections.
Captain Kylian Mbappe had warned that his country was in a “catastrophic” political situation.
“The relief is equal to the worry of these recent weeks, it is immense,” France defender Jules Kounde wrote on X.
“Congratulations to all the French people who mobilized so that this beautiful country that is France does not find itself governed by the extreme right.”
France plays Spain in the Euro 2024 semifinal in Munich on Tuesday, hoping to reach its fourth major final in the past eight years.
That would be against either England or the Netherlands in Berlin on Sunday.
Iraq exhibits ancient artifacts returned by US and other countries
- Iraqi authorities have been trying to retrieve thousands of archaeological relics missing since the invasion
- More ‘rare archaeological collections’ would be returned by Switzerland and Japan this month
BAGHDAD: Iraq on Monday exhibited several ancient artifacts that it said had been returned by the United States and other countries, long after they were looted and smuggled out following the 2003 US invasion.
Iraqi authorities have been trying to retrieve thousands of archaeological relics missing since the invasion, which was followed by widespread looting in the country that some historians regard as the cradle of civilization.
Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein handed the recently recovered relics over to Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Ahmed Al-Badrani at a ceremony in Baghdad.
Most of the artefacts on display at the foreign ministry headquarters were returned by the US after a visit by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to Washington in April, Badrani said.
He said other relics had been returned by other states, but gave no details.
Hussein said more “rare archaeological collections” would be returned by Switzerland and Japan this month.
