UN to Relocate 14,000 Refugees from Frontlines in Yemen’s Marib

Arab World

December 1st, 7:39am

Aden - Mohammed Nasser

An internally displaced Yemeni family sit outside their shelter at Al-Suwaidan camp in Marib city, Yemen, June 2021. UNHCR/Jihad Al-Nahari

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said that it plans to relocate 14,000 refugees from frontlines in the southern entrance of Marib city to safer areas in Marib al Wadi. “As frontlines approach the southern entrance of Marib, hosting sites and civilian populations located in the city's outskirts face immediate safety concerns,” the UN agency warned. It said that on the western front, nearly 1,930 displaced families in IDP sites in Sirwah district are now five kilometers away from the ongoing clashes, with increasing concern for their safety. “UNHCR's partner in Marib, Society for Humanitarian Solidarity (SHS), in coordination with the Camp Coordination and Camp Management Cluster, is currently seeking relocation plans for these households to safer areas in Marib al Wadi, should there be a sudden displacement,” it noted. Since the beginning of the year, UNHCR said it has distributed more than $62 million in cash assistance to over 175,000 displaced Yemeni and refugee families and that a large portion of this assistance went to displaced Yemenis, four times more at risk of hunger than the average Yemeni population. According to the latest post-distribution monitoring data, up to 91 percent of beneficiaries spent the assistance on food and over 20 percent on rent. UNHCR said that as part of the ongoing efforts to respond to the needs of some 1,260 newly assessed families (more than 7,000 individuals), SHS provided non-food items to 585 families (3,041 individuals), and emergency shelter kits to 340 families (1,747 individuals) recently displaced from Rahba, Al-Abdiyah, Al-Jubah and Jabal-Murad districts into Marib City and Marib Al Wadi districts. Additionally, the UN agency has provided cash assistance to over 66,500 families in Marib so far this year. In a separate report, UNHCR revealed that food, health, and nutrition service shortage in Harf Sufyan led to a spike in malnutrition cases, with more than 160 suspected cases. It added that the start of the winter season in Sanaa governorate has created a dire need for winter and emergency shelter kits. The UN agency also said that government-held areas host over 60 percent of all 141,600 refugees and asylum-seekers in Yemen and that most of them live in the urban areas of Aden, Mukalla and Sayun.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334871/un-relocate-14000-refugees-frontlines-yemen%E2%80%99s-marib

UAE to Send Delegation to Iran Soon

Gulf

December 1st, 7:30am

Abu Dhabi - Asharq Al-Awsat

UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan

UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan received a phone call from Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran Hossein Amir-Abdollahian. They discussed bilateral relations and cooperation and ways to enhance them to advance the interests of their countries, state news agency WAM reported. This came as the diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, Anwar Gargash, said Tuesday that his country would soon send a delegation to Iran as part of efforts to improve ties with Tehran. "I hope that it is the sooner the better and all our friends are aware of it," he told reporters when asked when a UAE delegation would hold talks in Tehran. "There is a recognition by the Iranians that they need to rebuild bridges with the Gulf. We are picking that up positively" he added. Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani met Gargash and other Emirati officials on Nov. 24. The discussions stressed the importance of strengthening relations "on the basis of good neighborliness and mutual respect," working for greater regional stability and prosperity and developing bilateral economic and commercial ties. In another context, Gargash announced Tuesday that the UAE and France will sign major contracts when President Emmanuel Macron visits Dubai on Dec. 3. "I don't want to spoil the Christmas present with the president," Gargash told reporters when asked whether Abu Dhabi would purchase French Dassault Rafale fighter jets. "This is an excellent relationship and various agreements will be signed. After the president's visit the relationship will be broader in different areas," he noted.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334841/uae-send-delegation-iran-soon

New Book by Balkis Sharara Documents the life of Her Husband Rifat Chadirji

Book Reviews

December 1st, 7:24am

Baghdad - Alaa al-Mufarjy

New Book by Balkis Sharara Documents the life of Her Husband Rifat Chadirji

Dar Al Mada publishing house, Iraq, has released a new book entitled “Rifat Chadirji,” featuring the biography of the prominent architect written by his wife Balkis Sharara. The book details the journey of Chadirji and his great architectural achievements, in addition to his books on modern architecture. In her book, Sharara opens-up about her life with her husband, their acquaintance, marriage, and his death in mid-2020. She also speaks about his family and its role in the contemporary history of Iraq, mostly his father, Kamil Chadirji, one of the most important national and political figures in the country since the establishment of the Iraqi state in the past century. Although Balkis Sharara explored many aspects of her life with Rifat Chadirji in her two previous books that revolved around the detention of her husband and his life sentence in 1978, however, her new work reveals many details from the architect’s life, experiences, and achievements, in addition to his unique experience in photography, as well as his connections inside and outside Iraq. “Over two months after loosing Rifat, my companion, I felt the loss of time, and recalled his words ‘I don’t have a time to waste.’ Time is precious and we should take advantage of it. But time has become abundant, and I never dreamed of such abundance. First, I didn’t have the courage to sit behind my desk or even to start writing. However, the idea of writing about him was chasing me, so I started. When I finished the first chapter, I found this experience is a reminder of the importance of Rifat’s achievements. I knew him in our everyday life, and now, I introduce him through his ideas and efforts…After I finished this book, I felt relieved and discovered new sides in my late husband.” Sharara writes in her book.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334836/new-book-balkis-sharara-documents-life-her-husband-rifat-chadirji

‘Eves of Protection’ … Biography of Childhood

Book Reviews

December 1st, 7:17am

Dammam - Asharq Al-Awsat

‘Eves of Protection’ … Biography of Childhood

“Eves of Protection” is a biography by Dr. Hamad al-Balhid released by the Arab Institute for Research & Publishing. Exploring the childhood phase, the book is written with a “romantic, narrative language” with which the writer sought to “control the shades of some faded events, relying on the memory of his soul and the power of his imagination to assemble shreds of small facts, and to regroup and relive them with all the emotions, fears, and memories they bring back.” The new book features a “distinct, daring language that narrates different events and visions, whether by announcement and selection, or by hiding and omission, seeking a qualitative freedom suggested by the writing itself to face the constraints, restrictions, and circumstances of reality. This biography is also unique because it focuses on childhood, which is uncommon in the Arabic literature. “Childhood is probably the most amusing, yet the hardest phase that a biography writer could narrate,” said Dr. Saleh Maid al-Ghamdi, biography expert and Arabic literature professor at King Saud University. Dr. Hamad al-Balhid is a professor of modern literature at the Literature School, King Saud University, Riyadh.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334831/%E2%80%98eves-protection%E2%80%99-%E2%80%A6-biography-childhood

Premier League Talking Points

Sports

December 1st, 6:39am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Soccer Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Manchester United - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - November 28, 2021 Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs

TUCHEL SAYS HE'S NOT WORRIED, AND YET... Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said he was not worried after the Blues dominated a home league match only to draw for the second time in a row, but for some fans, there might be grounds for concern, Reuters reported. True, before Chelsea drew 1-1 with Manchester United, they had looked imperious against Juventus in the Champions League and away to Leicester City, racking up seven goals and conceding none. But there were echoes of familiar failures to turn dominance into goals on Sunday with Timo Werner, back from injury, and wingers Callum Hudson-Odoi and Hakim Ziyech unable to score. The return of striker Romelu Lukaku as a substitute offered the promise of goals, but the Belgian also struggled to find the net before an injury last month. "We created chances, we created deliveries, we had a huge amount of shots. Can we take them better? Yes," Tuchel said. "But we put in an effort and I think the spectators feel that so the energy is right, the quality is right, the result is the result." FREE-SCORING LIVERPOOL LOOKING OMINOUS Not everyone tipped Liverpool as serious title contenders this season, given their meek defense of the first Premier League crown last term, but their forwards have clicked into gear, and are looking ominous after a 4-0 win over Southampton on Saturday. Liverpool have scored two or more goals in 17 consecutive games in all competitions – becoming only the second ever English top-flight club to achieve this feat after Sunderland in 1927. They have plundered 39 goals in 13 Premier League games this season, their highest goal total at this stage of a top-flight campaign. "This year we had a pre-season which was a proper pre-season, which was incredibly helpful, especially up front with Sadio (Mane) and Mo (Salah) who had the longest pre-season they had for ages," manager Juergen Klopp said. "We could work on a lot things and found the stability back." VILLA ARE A WELL-OILED MACHINE UNDER GERRARD Aston Villa's 2-1 win at Crystal Palace gave Steven Gerrard two wins from his first two games in charge and in eight days the former midfielder has changed the goalposts from avoiding relegation to finishing in the top half of the table. Dean Smith struggled to get the squad to gel following Jack Grealish's departure but Gerrard's influence has been evident in a confident and well-drilled Villa side who create chances even when they do not dominate possession. Gerrard's biggest test will come on Wednesday, however, when Villa host champions Manchester City. EVERTON NEARING CRISIS MODE AHEAD OF MERSEYSIDE DERBY Everton go into Wednesday's Merseyside derby against Liverpool with a growing sense of unease around Goodison Park following their 1-0 loss at Brentford on Sunday. They were poor in the first half, more dominant in terms of possession in the second, but their efficiency in the final third remained woeful against a team who had not kept a clean sheet at home since the opening day of the season. Everton have taken two points from the last 21 available, and while it has been an injury-ravaged campaign, their squad depth has been found wanting. Manager Rafa Benitez has escaped widespread criticism because of the injuries, but a heavy loss to his former club on Wednesday will infuriate an already restless fanbase. MADDISON REDISCOVERING HIS MAGIC James Maddison was Leicester City's midfield creator-in-chief last season but an underwhelming start to this campaign was mirrored by the club's dip in performances. Two goals and three assists in three days, however, have breathed life back into a side who returned to the top half of the standings with a 4-2 win over Watford in which he scored the opener and assisted Jamie Vardy twice in the first half. "You can see his quality, he was a real inspiration for us," Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said. "When he's running, working and creating, he gives the team confidence. It's not about one player, it's about the team, but he was excellent."

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334781/premier-league-talking-points

Arab Coalition Destroys Houthi Explosive-laden Boat

Arab World

December 1st, 6:31am

Asharq Al-Awsat

Arab Coalition spokesman Brig. Gen. Turki al-Malki. Asharq Al-Awsat

The Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said Wednesday it has destroyed an explosive-laden boat used by the Iran-backed group in the south of the Red Sea on Wednesday. The explosive-laden boat was launched by the Houthi militias from Yemen's Hodeidah, the Arab Coalition added. The Coalition had earlier destroyed a drone which took off from Sanaa international airport.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334751/arab-coalition-destroys-houthi-explosive-laden-boat

Archaeologists Uncover Post-conquest Aztec Altar in Mexico City

Varieties

December 1st, 6:21am

Asharq Al-Awsat

A view of the excavations where an altar unearthed by archaeologists at a plot near Plaza Garibaldi in downtown Mexico City, in this photo distributed to Reuters by the National Institute of Anthropology and History on November 30, 2021. Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History/Handout via REUTERS

Sometime after Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan in modern-day Mexico City in 1521, an indigenous household that survived the bloody Spanish invasion arranged an altar including incense and a pot with human ashes. The remains of that elaborate display have been unearthed by archaeologists near what is today Garibaldi Plaza, famed for its revelry and mariachi music, Mexico's culture ministry said on Tuesday. In the wake of the fall of Tenochtitlan, likely within the years of 1521 and 1610, the offering from the family of the Mexica people was made "to bear witness to the ending of a cycle of their lives and of their civilization," the culture ministry said in a statement. The interior patio where rituals took place is about four meters (13 feet) below ground level, according to a team of archaeologists who spent three months analyzing the site. They found various layers of what had been a home over the centuries, the statement said, along with 13 incense burners, five bowls, a cup, a plate and a pot with cremated skeletal remains. The finding coincides with the 500-year anniversary of the Spanish conquest, which Mexico's government commemorated by building a towering replica of the Templo Mayor, the Aztec civilization's most sacred site, in downtown Mexico City. A number of ancient discoveries in the Mexico City area in recent years, including some in the capital's bustling downtown, have shone light on the Aztec civilization. They include the remains of a ceremonial ball court, a sacrificial wolf adorned with gold and a tower of human skulls. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador had previously sought an apology from Spain and the Vatican for human rights abuses committed during the conquest of what is modern-day Mexico.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3334746/archaeologists-uncover-post-conquest-aztec-altar-mexico-city