• newsinsightplus.com
• 2015.Before
• 2023AttributionSoundsDifficult
• March 15, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaPalestinian president appoints long-time adviser as prime ministerPublished48 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, ReutersImage caption, Mohammed Mustafa (R) is a long-time economic adviser to President Mahmoud Abbas (L)By David GrittenBBC NewsPresident Mahmoud Abbas has appointed Mohammad Mustafa as the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, which runs parts of the occupied West Bank.Mr Mustafa, a US-educated economist and former senior World Bank official, is a long-time adviser to the president. His predecessor, Mohammed Shtayyeh, resigned three weeks ago, citing the “emerging reality in the Gaza Strip”.Mr Abbas is under pressure from the US to reform the PA so it can govern Gaza after the Israel-Hamas war ends.Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented last month a vision for the territory that made no mention of any role for the PA.The Israeli military launched a large-scale air and ground campaign in Gaza after Hamas gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on 7 October and took 253 other people hostage.Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says at least 31,300 people have been killed in the territory since then.Palestinian PM resigns over new Gaza ‘reality’Netanyahu lays out plan for Gaza after the warThe presidential decree issued on Thursday appointing Mr Mustafa said his priorities included leading humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza and organising the reconstruction of what has been destroyed during the war. Another priority was to develop plans for the “reunification of institutions across the homeland’s governorates as a single geographical, political, national, and institutional unit”, it added.It also called for “continuing the reform process” of Palestinian institutions, with the aim of “a robust and transparent governance system subject to accountability, combating corruption, and ensuring good governance”.Mr Mustafa, who has a PhD in economics from George Washington University, has been chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund since 2015.Before that, he served for two years as deputy prime minister and economy minister and was involved in reconstruction efforts in Gaza following the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas.The White House welcomed Mr Mustafa’s appointment and called for the formation of a “reform cabinet” as soon as possible.”The United States will be looking for this new government to deliver on policies and implementation of credible and far-reaching reforms,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.”A reformed Palestinian Authority is essential to delivering results for the Palestinian people and establishing the conditions for stability in both the West Bank and Gaza.”However, Ramallah-based Palestinian political analyst Khalil Shaheen said Mr Mustafa’s closeness to the president might limit the prospects for reforms.”In the end, [he] remains the right-hand man of President Abbas,” he told AFP news agency. “Abbas wants to say that he supports reforms, but they remain under his control.”Another analyst said they would reserve judgement until they saw who Mr Mustafa named in his cabinet. Some reports have said he will appoint technocrats in the hope that Israel could be persuaded to let them govern Gaza after the war.The PA, which was established in 1994 under the Oslo accords, has limited governance powers in parts of the occupied West Bank not under full Israeli control and is dominated by Mr Abbas’s Fatah movement, Hamas’s rival.It lost control of Gaza in 2007, when Hamas ousted forces loyal to Mr Abbas a year after winning the last Palestinian elections, and is deeply unpopular among many Palestinians, both in the West Bank and Gaza.In November, US President Joe Biden said Gaza and the West Bank “should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalised Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution”.Mr Netanyahu’s plan for post-war, “demilitarised” Gaza did not rule out a role for the PA. But it also did not specifically mention the body either. It instead talked about handing responsibility for civilian management and public order to “local elements with managerial experience”.Related TopicsIsrael & the PalestiniansIsrael-Gaza warPalestinian territoriesWest BankMore on this storyCrushed Palestinian hopes 30 years after Oslo accordsPublished13 September 2023Top StoriesRussians begin voting in election Putin is bound to winPublished5 hours agoPM under pressure over ‘new £5m’ from donor accused of racismPublished9 hours agoFather of US school shooter convicted of manslaughterPublished2 hours agoFeaturesRussians begin voting in election Putin is bound to winThe Papers: Hester ‘gave £5m more’ and Russia ‘jams Shapps jet’Trying to stay alive in a town of despairWeekly quiz: Which exclusive Oscars club did Emma Stone join?Trapped by gunfire at Gaza hospital, people risked death to help injuredVogue’s new editor says she has ‘big shoes to fill’Murder suspect stands for re-election in AustraliaWhat is the new extremism definition and who could be listed?Should Abbott have been able to speak at PMQs?Elsewhere on the BBCOpinionated and sharp conversations between friendsLily Allen and Miquita Oliver get together for transatlantic catch-ups with no holds barredAttributionSounds’It’s all consuming, it takes over your life’Oscar-winning actor Cillian Murphy’s insights into the making of Oppenheimer, from July 2023AttributionSounds’Difficult women’ who committed unspeakable crimesLucy Worsley and guests discuss the most contradictory cases featured in the latest seriesAttributionSoundsWhat motivates Lioness Ella Toone to keep going?The Manchester United attacking midfielder reveals all to Eddie HearnAttributionSoundsMost Read1Japanese baseball star unveils new wife’s identity2Father of school gunman convicted of manslaughter3Trying to stay alive in a town of despair4A ball of barnacles wins wildlife photo award5Hester ‘gave £5m more’ and Russia ‘jams Shapps jet’6Russians begin voting in election Putin is bound to win7HelloFresh denies taking money after accounts closed8Lenny Henry emotional ahead of final Comic Relief9Murder suspect stands for re-election in Australia10PM pressured over ‘new £5m’ from racism accused donor

[ad_1] Mohammed Mustafa is tasked with enacting reforms of the Palestinian Authority demanded by the US.

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 1970s
• 1975Related
• March 12, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityCultureAll By Myself songwriter Eric Carmen dies aged 74Published41 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Eric Carmen performing in 2005By James GregoryBBC NewsSinger-songwriter Eric Carmen, known for hit song All By Myself, has died aged 74, his wife has announced. The US star rose to fame with the power pop group the Raspberries before establishing himself as a solo artist.Hungry Eyes, one of his huge solo hits, featured in 1987 cult movie classic Dirty Dancing.”Our sweet, loving and talented Eric passed away in his sleep, over the weekend,” Carmen’s wife Amy said in a statement on his official website.”It brought him great joy to know, that for decades, his music touched so many and will be his lasting legacy.”She ended the statement with the quote “love is all that matters… faithful and forever” from his 1977 solo album Boats Against The Current. The Ohio-born singer co-founded the Raspberries in the early 1970s alongside Jim Bonfanti and Wally Bryson, who were later joined by Dave Smalley after the departure of John Aleksic.They released their debut album Raspberries in 1972, with tracks reaching chart success including Go All The Way – which was later banned by the BBC in the UK for sexually suggestive lyrics and was later included on the 2014 Guardians Of The Galaxy soundtrack.After four albums together, the band broke up in 1975 with Carmen then embarking on a solo career. Among the solo tracks he is most well-known for is All By Myself, which later became one of Canadian singer Celine Dion’s most iconic hits when she covered it.The song also featured in the opening scene of Bridget Jones’s Diary. As a songwriter, Carmen had hits including Almost Paradise from the Footloose soundtrack, as well as Never Gonna Fall In Love Again and Make Me Lose Control.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Giving a concert in 1975Related TopicsOhioUnited StatesTop StoriesGaza medics tell BBC that Israeli troops beat and humiliated themPublished13 minutes agoHaiti’s prime minister resigns as law and order collapsesPublished17 minutes agoUK needs new gas power plants to stop blackouts – ministerPublished2 hours agoFeaturesKate’s photo apology and Tory donor’s Abbott remarksHow the miners’ strike changed the role of womenSchoolboy recounts daring escape from Nigerian kidnap gangWhen wind turbine blades get old what’s next?’We don’t feel the joy of Ramadan in Rafah’ Video’We don’t feel the joy of Ramadan in Rafah’All By Myself songwriter Eric Carmen dies aged 74On Russia’s Arctic border, Nato’s new members prep for warIs pressure on Kate after photo chaos unfair?Seven of the best moments from the OscarsElsewhere on the BBCCrazy urban myth or legitimate punk-pop conspiracy?Comedian Joanne McNally investigatesAttributionSoundsDo you know why the Taj Mahal was built?Test your knowledge with The Seven Wonders of the World quizAttributionBitesizeAre you a descendant of royalty?Geneticist Dr. Adam Rutherford sets out to prove that we all are…AttributionSoundsFind out this foxy family’s BBC favourites…They’ve got their eyes on the MasterChef trophyAttributioniPlayerMost Read1UK man dies at his engagement party in Australia2Boeing whistleblower found dead in US3Haiti’s PM resigns as law and order collapses4Is pressure on Kate after photo chaos unfair?5Kate’s photo apology and Tory donor’s Abbott remarks6Workplace mental health service firm investigated7’Life is absolute hell – I feel I’m just existing’8Tory donor accused of racist Diane Abbott remarks9New gas power plants to stop blackouts – minister10Airbnb bans surveillance cameras inside properties

[ad_1] The singer-songwriter’s hits also included Hungry Eyes, which featured in the Dirty Dancing movie.

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 1980s
• 37year
• February 23, 2024
• 0 Comments

BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaAlexei Navalny: Putin critic’s mother ‘given hours to agree secret burial’Published5 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, EPAImage caption, Alexei Navalny, pictured here at a rally in 2020, was President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest criticAlexei Navalny’s mother has been told to agree to a “secret” burial for the Putin critic within three hours, Mr Navalny’s spokeswoman says.Otherwise, she was told, he would be buried at the Arctic Circle penal colony where he died a week ago.Mr Navalny’s mother has said she has been forced to sign a death certificate saying he died of natural causes.But Mr Navalny’s widow, Yulia, has said he was killed on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin has denied the allegations, calling Western reaction to the death “hysterical”. Mr Navalny died on 16 February. Prison officials said he had fallen ill following a “walk”. Mr Navalny’s team has offered security officers €20,000 ($22,000; £17,000) in reward and assistance in leaving Russia in exchange for information about the Russian opposition leader’s death in prison.Mr Navalny’s spokeswoman said the opposition leader’s mother, Lyudmila, had refused to negotiate with the authorities as they “are not authorised to decide how and where her son should be buried”. She is demanding compliance with the law, according to which investigators are obliged to hand over the body within two days of establishing the cause of death,” Kira Yarmysh said.These two days are due to expire on Saturday. On Thursday US President Joe Biden met Mr Navalny’s widow and his daughter in San Francisco.”The president expressed his admiration for Alexei Navalny’s extraordinary courage and his legacy of fighting against corruption and for a free and democratic Russia,” the White House said in a statement. Image source, X/@POTUSImage caption, US President Joe Biden said Navalny’s “legacy of courage will live on” through his widow Yulia (right) and daughter DashaA day later, the US announced more than 500 new sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and Mr Navalny’s death.These include measures against Russia’s main card payment system, financial and military institutions, and officials involved in Navalny’s imprisonment.US targets Russia with more than 500 new sanctionsThe EU has also announced new sanctions on access to military technology.For years Mr Navalny was most high-profile critic of the Russian leader.In August 2020, the former opposition leader was poisoned using the Novichok nerve agent by a team of would-be assassins from the Russian secret services. Airlifted to Germany, he recovered there before returning to Russia in January 2021, where he was imprisoned. Attempts at commemorating his death have been met by a heavy-handed response from Russian authorities, with makeshift monuments cleared and hundreds arrested.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Navalny’s moments of defiance as Putin’s fiercest criticRelated TopicsRussiaAlexei NavalnyVladimir PutinMore on this storyUS targets Russia with more than 500 new sanctionsPublished4 minutes agoNavalny’s mother demands Putin return son’s bodyPublished2 days agoNavalny’s grieving widow vows to continue his workPublished3 days agoRosenberg: How two years of war have changed RussiaPublished1 day agoTop StoriesLive. Thousands evacuated in Plymouth before unexploded WW2 bomb movedShamima Begum loses bid to regain UK citizenshipPublished3 hours agoNavalny’s mother ‘given hours to agree to secret burial’Published5 minutes agoFeaturesWhy jet streams mean ‘piggy-backing’ planes can fly across the Atlantic faster. VideoWhy jet streams mean ‘piggy-backing’ planes can fly across the Atlantic fasterAttributionWeatherThe ‘mind-bending’ bionic arm powered by AIWeekly quiz: What word did Emma Stone have trouble saying?Frontline medics count cost of two years of Ukraine warWhat are the sanctions on Russia and are they working?Dozens of cars pile up after icy Chinese highway crash. VideoDozens of cars pile up after icy Chinese highway crashFirst private Moon mission marks new era for space travelBengal famine: Searching for lost voices from WW2’s forgotten tragedyWhile energy cap has fallen, standing charges are going upElsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a Dublin factory that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerThe good, the bad and the bafflingWhen the British public leave a review, they almost always write something hilariousAttributionSoundsFrom the largest ship to disasters on deck…A closer look at times when cruise ships have caused commotionAttributioniPlayerHow did a booming computer manufacturer go bust?Commodore computers were huge in the 1980s, so why couldn’t the business adapt and survive?AttributionSoundsMost Read1Husband ‘made over £1m’ eavesdropping on BP wife2Ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells stripped of CBE3Mansplaining TikTok reaction ‘crazy’, says golf pro4Cat killer found guilty of murdering man5Shamima Begum loses bid to regain UK citizenship6Germany legalises cannabis, but makes it hard to buy7Children found dead in house died from knife injuries8Navalny’s mother ‘given hours to agree to secret burial’9Coronation Street actor John Savident dies aged 8610Astronomers crack 37-year cosmic ‘murder mystery’

[ad_1] The Putin critic’s spokeswoman says his mother was told he would be buried in the prison if she did not agree.

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• newsinsightplus.com
• 17K
• 2023The
• January 28, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaIs Canada vulnerable to foreign interference?Published1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Toronto Star via Getty ImageImage caption, Canadian member of parliament Michael Chong learned through media reports that China allegedly targeted himBy Nadine YousifBBC News, TorontoThe allegations kept mounting in Canada: Election-meddling by China, an Indian-backed assassination on home soil, and a campaign to harass Iranian dissidents. Is Canada especially vulnerable to foreign interference?Michael Chong said it did not take long for him to become a target of Beijing.In testimony before US lawmakers on Capitol Hill last year, the Canadian Conservative politician described how an alleged intimidation campaign against him was born after he spoke out against China’s human rights record in parliament.He said that a Chinese official in Canada began gathering details about his relatives living in Hong Kong shortly after, and that a smear campaign against him was launched on China’s most-popular social media platform, WeChat.”My experience is but one case of Beijing’s interference in Canada,” he said. “Many, many other cases go unreported and unnoticed, and the victims suffer in silence.”Canada launches inquiry into foreign interferenceThe alleged targeting of Mr Chong, which first became public when intelligence reports were leaked to Canadian media, unleashed a fierce debate in the country around its vulnerability to foreign interference and the safety of its citizens.On Monday, he and others will begin testifying before a public inquiry that will look into Beijing’s meddling in Canada, especially its alleged efforts to sway the country’s last two federal elections by backing certain candidates.China has denied any interference and the allegations have soured relations between Beijing and Ottawa. While the inquiry will focus on claims of election interference by China, Russia, India “and other foreign actors”, experts say the problem of foreign meddling in Canada is much more complex and widespread. Solving it, they say, demands a restructuring of the political and social DNA of the country, which has long-failed to prioritise matters of national security. “Generally speaking, we have been neglecting national security, intelligence, law enforcement, defence, and so on,” Thomas Juneau, a political analyst and professor at the University of Ottawa, told the BBC.While it is tough to determine whether Canada is uniquely vulnerable compared to its allies, Mr Juneau argued that other countries have done a far better job in addressing the issue.An outdated system that is slow to adaptOne glaring problem, Mr Juneau said, is the out-of-date act governing the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (csis). It is almost 40 years old, designed with the Cold War in mind, “when the fax machine was the new thing”, he said. Because of this, he said, the nation’s primary intelligence agency has been limited in its operations, focused on sharing information solely with the federal government.This means possible targets are often left in the dark. That was spotlighted by Mr Chong’s story. He only discovered that he had been an alleged target of Beijing through the media, despite csis having monitored threats against him for at least two years.Canada has since launched public consultations into how the law governing csis can be amended to better inform and protect individuals who could be a target.The source of Canada’s security complacency, argued Richard Fadden, a former csis director and national security advisor to two prime ministers, is that Canada has lived in relative safety, largely protected from foreign threats by its geography: the US to the south, and surrounded by three oceans.”I mean, nobody is going to invade Canada,” he said. Canada’s allies – like the US and Australia – have been quicker to adopt certain tools to help catch bad actors, such as establishing a registry of foreign agents and criminalising acts that can be classified as interference.In December, Australia convicted a Vietnamese refugee who was found to be working for the Chinese Communist Party, thanks to a law it passed in 2018 that made industrial espionage for a foreign power a crime.Such laws are not only important for charging and convicting culprits, but can also help educate the public and deter other nations from interfering, said Wesley Wark, a leading Canadian historian with expertise in national security.Diaspora groups are especially vulnerableMr Wark said the country’s diverse population has also made it a convenient target for foreign states.”We are a multicultural society and we have gone to great lengths over decades to preserve and protect that,” he said.But diaspora groups, especially those vocally opposed to the government of their country of origin, have naturally become a target.British Columbia lawyer Ram Joubin has had a first-hand look at the threats facing dissidents in Canada, particularly those from Iran. While investigating people with ties to the Iranian regime who call Canada home, Mr Joubin said he has heard from Iranian-Canadians who say they have been followed and harassed by regime agents in their own communities.”We’ve had death threats, knock-on-the-door type of death threats,” he said. “And then we have a lot of people with their families in Iran being threatened because they engaged in some sort of activism.”Csis has previously said it is aware of alleged intimidation attempts. The Iranian government has not commented publicly on these allegations. In Mr Joubin’s experience, reporting these incidents to officials like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has been a challenge, especially when additional work is needed to establish a credible criminal or civil case.Both the RCMP and csis were criticised after the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist that was killed in June in British Columbia, which Canada has alleged was done with the involvement of Indian government agents – something India denies. Prior to his death, Mr Nijjar had said that police were aware he was a target of an assassination plot. Questions were raised about whether something could have been done to stop his killing after the FBI said it was able to foil a similar assassination plot in November against another Sikh separatist leader in New York City. Image source, Bloomberg via Getty ImagesImage caption, Richard Fadden says Canada is only now coming to terms with its vulnerability to foreign meddlingMr Fadden said the events of 2023 represented a seismic shift in Canada’s psyche, forcing the country to finally confront the issue of foreign interference.”Despite a deep reluctance on the part of the government to hold a foreign inquiry, they were compelled to do it,” Mr Fadden said. “I think if there hadn’t been that shift, we wouldn’t have an inquiry.”The inquiry, led by Quebec appellate judge Marie-Josée Hogue, will be conducted in two phases, ending with a final report in December that will include recommendations on what Canada can do to deter future interference.Some have expressed concern about the inquiry’s short mandate, and whether its recommendations will be wide-ranging enough and implemented as Canada inches closer to an election year that could see a change in government.But in the meantime, Mr Fadden and others said they believe urgent action is needed.”There are two big issues: there’s interference in our elections,” Mr Fadden said. “But there’s also interfering and scaring members of the diaspora in this country, which is a very serious matter.””We have a responsibility to protect people who are in Canada, and I don’t think we’re doing as good of a job on this as we could be.”Related TopicsChinaCanadaMore on this storyCanada launches inquiry into foreign interferencePublished7 September 2023US must work with Canada to stop China meddling – MPPublished13 September 2023The long fight for justice over downed plane in IranPublished8 January 2023Top StoriesThree US troops killed in Middle East drone attackPublished4 hours agoDisposable vapes to be banned over fears for children’s healthPublished8 minutes agoPost Office chairman had to go – BadenochPublished3 hours agoFeaturesBBC confronts man who abused boy in secretive Christian churchKey UN Gaza aid agency runs into diplomatic stormWho invented butter chicken? Creamy dish centre of court battleWhen Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand nameAuschwitz film was ‘like Big Brother’ in house next to campKuenssberg: What do voters think of party leaders? Not a lotWould it bother you if you only got mail three days a week?Net closes in on vigilante destroyer of Italy’s speed camerasCould the UK’s ‘pre-war generation’ become a citizen army?Elsewhere on the BBCHow are jelly beans made?Gregg Wallace visits a factory in Dublin that makes over ten million of the sweets per day!AttributioniPlayerIs this the greatest Jurassic predator that ever lived?Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique discovery: the skull of a giant, prehistoric sea monsterAttributioniPlayer’I smashed all my trophies’Bradley Wiggins opens up about his mental health and imposter syndromeAttributioniPlayerA Royle Family reunion and the best of the North!Ricky Tomlinson and Ralf Little set off on an epic camper van adventure across Northern EnglandAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Disposable vapes to be banned for child health2British base jumper dies after parachute fails3Boys aged 15 and 16 killed in stabbing attack4Record UK January temperature in Scottish Highlands5Protesters throw soup at Mona Lisa painting6Three US troops killed in Middle East drone attack7When Louis Vuitton tries to make you change your brand name8I’ll repay mistaken £17K exit payout, says Dorries9UK navy ship shoots down Houthi drone in Red Sea10Post Office chairman had to go – Badenoch

[ad_1] A public inquiry launching on Monday could be a reckoning in the country on national security matters.

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• 1.7m
• 4th
• January 27, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaHuge push for Gaza aid – but little hope for those sufferingPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warBy Quentin SommervilleBBC News, Doha, QatarThe Qatar Emiri Air Force cargo plane, a hulking grey C17, sat by a runway at the sprawling Al Udeid airbase. Deep inside, Britain’s Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron, in black loafers and sweater, attempted to push a pallet of humanitarian aid for Gaza into the aircraft. It wouldn’t budge. He stepped back while burly Qatari airmen in combat fatigues made some adjustments. But the former British prime minister wasn’t giving up, and with a sudden shift, the bundle – part of nearly 30 tonnes of aid including tents and food – began to move into the belly of the plane.Lord Cameron’s latest Middle East tour was aimed at helping to broker a permanent ceasefire to the conflict, the release of the more than 132 remaining hostages, and an increase in the aid getting into Gaza on a daily basis. He’s putting in a lot of effort, but so far at least, has little to show for it. Standing by the plane’s enormous wings, Lord Cameron told me: “Nobody wants this conflict to go on a moment longer than necessary. But I’ve always understood that you won’t have a proper ceasefire if you’ve still got Hamas in place, able to launch attacks on Israel. “Everyone has to understand, that must be dismantled, otherwise no peace, no ceasefire will be sustainable.”His latest round of in-person diplomacy (the day before he met Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas) came in advance of this weekend’s talks under way in France, to free the hostages and pause hostilities. But there still appears little prospect the suffering will end soon in Gaza. There’s a chasm between the aid Gaza needs, and will need for years to come, and what it is currently receiving. While Israel’s bombardment of Gaza continues, the flow of aid is being drip-fed into the strip. Britain says 500 trucks a day are needed to provide basic needs – most days fewer than 200 make it inside. On one day this month, only 30 crossed into Gaza. Image caption, Lord Cameron with Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation at Al Udeid airbase, Doha, Qatar”It’s vital we can actually get it into Gaza and crucially, once it’s in Gaza, get it around Gaza,” Lord Cameron said. “What I was saying yesterday to the Israelis, they’ve got to deal with the bottlenecks. They’ve got to make sure the crossing points are opened more often. They’ve got to make sure the checking is done more quickly. They’ve got, crucially, to give the visas to the UN staff and the trucks that the UN staff need to get the aid around Gaza.”Nine out of 10 people are living on one meal a day in Gaza, according to the World Food Programme. All aid is subject to stringent inspections by Israel which does not want anything to get inside that could benefit Hamas. Qatar and Britain are allies, the Gulf emirate and Israel are not. It hosts the Hamas political leadership, and has been a key mediator in talks to release the hostages still held by the group, which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by several countries.Qatar helped secure the previous week-long ceasefire in November that led to the freeing of 105 hostages taken in the attack of 7 October, which killed 1,300 people. But as David Cameron arrived in Doha, a recording of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was leaked in which he described Qatar’s role as a mediator in the Gaza war as “problematic”. The British foreign secretary dismissed the criticism and said that Qatar’s role was “helpful”.Qatar said it was appalled at the Israeli prime minister’s remarks, which came just before this weekend’s meeting in France, which will bring together William Burns, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, his Israeli counterpart, David Barnea and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. The Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel will also attend. The talks are aimed at freeing the Israeli captives and establishing a ceasefire, however wide the gap between Israel and Hamas’s demands. Hosting Lord Cameron at the airbase was Lolwah Rashid Al-Khater, Qatar’s Minister of State for International Cooperation. Some 12 tonnes of aid on the plane are from Qatar, and even this joint consignment is far from enough said the minister. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Qatari minister Lolwah Rashid al-Khater says “many bottlenecks, man-created obstacles” are holding up aid for Gaza”On some days, these past days, even less than 100 [trucks make it into Gaza]. This situation is very difficult. There are many bottlenecks. And as a matter of fact, man-created obstacles, I should say. According to the 4th Geneva Convention article 59, it is the obligation on the occupying power, in this case it would be Israeli occupation, to ensure adequate levels of aid, supplies, and aid schemes,” she told me. And in some cases, the wrong type of aid is being sent, the Qatari diplomat said. One recent consignment from a foreign donor was full of covid tests, she said. As the cargo plane filled with tents climbed slowly into the clear blue desert sky, Lolwah Al-Khater had one final point to make: “It’s very important to emphasise,” she said, “that aid can never and should never be substituting the need for an immediate and a permanent ceasefire. “Unfortunately, some actors have been trying to promote that we need more aid without doing enough on the other front.”The situation inside Gaza is dire – at least 1.7m people have been displaced, some multiple times. The 285 family tents from Qatar and Britain will go to Unicef in Gaza and house up to five people in each tent. In recent days torrential rain there has made conditions even worse. The healthcare system is on its knees. From inside Gaza, a British doctor messaged me: “People don’t get operated upon because a) no beds b) no resources,” he wrote. “Lots of people are just left to die if the trauma burden is too high, on the floor in the emergency department, most of the time. We received 45 last night from Khan Younis, of which 70% died because of lack of resources. I think from a humanitarian perspective, it is just shocking to see the rapidity of the unfolding situation in front of my eyes.” Iran’s sudden strikes show just how perilous region has becomeTough choices for Israel in US’s Middle East visionHuge challenges for Israel on its vague ‘day after’ Gaza planStakes are immense as Biden presses Israel to change courseHamas support soars in West Bank – but full uprising can still be avoidedThe status quo is smashed. The future is messy and dangerousBowen: US sets clearer red lines for Israel as ceasefire endsWhen this truce ends, the decisive next phase of war beginsRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warIsraelPalestinian territoriesMore on this storyFunding paused as UN staff probed over Hamas attackPublished24 minutes agoQatar ‘appalled’ by Netanyahu’s reported criticismPublished1 day agoTop StoriesUK pauses UN aid funding as staff probed over Hamas attackPublished24 minutes agoFire on ship linked to Britain after Houthi attackPublished51 minutes ago‘I thought mum left me, she’d been sent to prison’Published11 hours agoFeaturesWhy defamation defeat is a double-edged sword for TrumpBali bomb families face accused at Guantanamo BaySumo, Surfing and Sabalenka: Photos of the weekThe Papers: ‘The King’s fine’ and ‘Klopp shock’Golden age or dying days for British theatre?Israel reined in by ICJ ruling – but will it obey?Fierce row after sacking of ABC presenter over Gaza postWoodpeckers and sparrowhawks: Your Birdwatch 2024 pictures’It’s my calling to stop knife-crime killers’Elsewhere on the BBCA Scottish wild swimming road-trip!Julie Wilson Nimmo and Greg Hemphill take the plunge at Scotland’s breath-taking wild swimming spotsAttributioniPlayerScientists uncover alcohol’s hidden dangersInvestigating what alcohol is and why so many people love to drink itAttributioniPlayerCould this Italian dream turn into a real nightmare?Amanda Holden and Alan Carr don their boiler suits to renovate a dilapidated house in TuscanyAttributioniPlayerBritish television’s greatest double actEric and Ernie share their remarkable journey through TV appearances, rare radio material and BBC archivesAttributioniPlayerMost Read1Fire on ship linked to Britain after Houthi attack2‘I thought mum left me, she’d been sent to prison’3Boy with IQ of 162 says football comes first4’Alfie’s killer threatened to torture me to death’5Warning over children using viral skincare products6The Traitors TV final reaches dramatic conclusion7Trump must pay $83.3m for defaming E Jean Carroll8Queen Camilla visits King after prostate treatment9Bali bomb families face accused at Guantanamo Bay10Funding paused as UN staff probed over Hamas attack

[ad_1] “On some days, these past days, even less than 100 [trucks make it into Gaza]. This situation is very difficult. There are many bottlenecks. And as a matter of…

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• 2023Top
• accidentalMichael
• January 24, 2024
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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaDowned plane: Still unanswered questions amid Ukraine and Russia claimsPublished1 hour agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsWar in UkraineThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, The BBC has verified this video showing the moment a Russian aircraft crashed in the Belgorod regionBy Sarah RainsfordEastern Europe correspondent, KyivThere are shooting wars and there are information wars and countries that are fighting do battle on both fronts. For the rest of us, it can make establishing facts very difficult. But whilst that’s true in this war as in any, it’s important to remember that Russia specifically has a long history of brazen lies and disinformation. That was proven with the shooting down of MH17 and the Salisbury Novichok poisonings, to name just two major incidents in the past decade. Even the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was launched on a lie: the false claim that a “Nazi” regime was putting Russian speakers here at risk of “genocide”.That doesn’t mean every word from the Russian Defence Ministry and the Kremlin is untrue – or from MPs and the state media. But they often are, so they need checking carefully before repeating. This time, the reports that an Il-76 transport plane had crashed first appeared on Russian state news agencies.They quoted the Defence Ministry in Moscow claiming that dozens of Ukrainian prisoners of war had been on board the flight, on their way to a prisoner exchange.Kyiv did not confirm that and from Russia there was no proof. A Russian MP, Andrei Kartapolov, began expanding on the statement almost immediately, even suggesting Ukraine might have used a Patriot missile to hit the Ilyushin plane. That would mean a Western-supplied weapon – a big claim, with as yet with no evidence to support it. As such talk grew louder and spread around the world, Ukraine still made no comment. Russia’s noise inevitably filled the silence.In Kyiv, we started to hear rumours that a prisoner swap had been planned for today – then confirmation of that from a source. But no-one in Kyiv would say so officially. Everyone we called for information told us, “not yet”, or “we’re checking information” or “just wait”. For eight hours, there was nothing.That didn’t stop the speculation from Russia, including wild claims that Ukraine had killed its own soldiers on purpose. The supposed rationale for that is so twisted, it’s not worth repeating. But dismissing such talk doesn’t mean dismissing the chance that Ukraine has made a terrible mistake. After all, we do know the plane came down – and Ukraine has the capacity for that.Early on, the Ukrainska Pravda news website quoted an armed forces source saying it was “their job”, and that the plane had been carrying Russian S300 missiles. A success, in other words. That was later corrected, to say the source had not been corroborated. Then this evening, we finally got two official statements.They came from the General Staff and from Ukrainian Military Intelligence, and together amount to acknowledgement that Ukraine may have shot the plane down – though neither said so directly.Ukraine stresses that it has no reliable information about who was on board. But it did confirm that a prisoner swap was planned for Wednesday and didn’t happen. It also said that Russia usually provides information on the route and transport that’s to be used for a swap, to make sure it’s safe.This time, Ukraine says, there was none of that. The General Staff statement amounted to a justification for firing on such a plane – without saying openly what it did.Russia has increased its missile attacks from Belgorod lately, especially on Kharkiv where it has killed and injured dozens of civilians. Transport planes like that one that crashed on Wednesday morning deliver the weapons that are then launched across the border. So this evening there are some answers, more hints and lots of claims. But there are still questions. We can’t be sure yet who or what was on the plane that came down. We don’t know how much more officials here in Kyiv may already know and not be saying. If there were Ukrainian soldiers on board the transport plane, then Russia will eventually have to provide the proof. And Ukraine will have to give fuller answers. Because there will be thousands of families across this country tonight, who have soldier relatives in Russia as prisoners of war, who are now waiting – and worrying.Related TopicsWar in UkraineRussiaUkraineMore on this storyRussia risked lives in downed plane, says ZelenskyPublished15 minutes agoUkraine and Russia in ‘biggest prisoner swap’ so farPublished3 January’Send back our husbands’ – Russian women in rare protestPublished1 day agoIn Ukraine’s river war, drones mean nowhere is safePublished2 days agoWhat weapons are being supplied to Ukraine?Published28 December 2023Top StoriesRussia risked lives in downed plane, says ZelenskyPublished15 minutes agoDowned Russian plane leaves unanswered questionsPublished1 hour agoUK to loan back Ghana’s looted ‘crown jewels’Published1 hour agoFeaturesMichael Owen: I’d pay anything for my son to see againRecords broken but Barbie snubbed – 6 Oscars talking pointsOscars 2024: List of nominations in fullAre Tory MPs plotting to get rid of Rishi Sunak?Skepta: I’m bored of the black James Bond narrativeHeartache and betrayal behind ‘secret’ policeUkrainian-born model named Miss Japan re-ignites identity debateXL bully ban deadline approachesVictims’ families condemn ‘savage’ triple killerElsewhere on the BBCHow did Britain lead the world into the jet age?An unlikely story of outstanding aviation achievement at a time of national austerityAttributioniPlayerWhat can a Kinder Surprise tell us about language?Sociologist Keith Kahn-Harris explores the toy’s multilingual warning label…AttributionSounds’I never tried to be famous…it was accidental’Michael Parkinson with guests Ricky Gervais, Michael Palin and Kate AdieAttributioniPlayerThe DNA test that exposed a scandalJenny Kleeman investigates what happens when genealogy, technology and identity collideAttributionSoundsMost Read1Downed Russian plane leaves unanswered questions2Russia risked lives in downed plane, says Zelensky3Britain must train citizen army, military chief warns4UK to loan back Ghana’s looted ‘crown jewels’5Girls found dead with family died of knife wounds6Add salt to make perfect cup of tea, US scientist says7Investigator says cleared sub-postmaster was guilty8Nottingham killer is ‘evil person’, says victim’s son9Speedboat killer Jack Shepherd freed from jail10Top US court refuses to block nitrogen gas execution

[ad_1] Warfare can come in the form of battle or information control, and Russia has a history of brazen lies.

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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountLiveNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaUAE has funded political assassinations in Yemen, BBC findsPublished59 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Jack Garland/BBCImage caption, The son of Yemeni human rights laywer Huda al-Sarari’s was fatally shot in 2019By Nawal al-MaghafiBBC News Arabic InvestigationsThe United Arab Emirates (UAE) has funded politically-motivated assassinations in Yemen, a BBC investigation has found, exacerbating a conflict involving the Yemeni government and warring factions which has recently returned to the international spotlight following attacks on ships in the Red Sea.Counter-terrorism training provided by American mercenaries to Emirati officers in Yemen has been used to train locals who can work under a lower profile – sparking a major uptick in political assassinations, a whistleblower told BBC Arabic Investigations.The BBC has also found that despite the American mercenaries’ stated aim to eliminate the jihadist groups al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) in southern Yemen, in fact the UAE has gone on to recruit former al-Qaeda members for a security force it has created on the ground in Yemen to fight the Houthi rebel movement and other armed factions.The UAE government has denied the allegations in our investigation – that it had assassinated those without links to terrorism – saying they were “false and without merit”. The killing spree in Yemen – more than 100 assassinations in a three-year period – is just one element of an ongoing bitter internecine conflict pitting several international powers against each other in the Middle East’s poorest country. The deadly atmosphere has discouraged the permanent return of Yemen’s internationally recognised government. This, it could be argued, has indirectly helped to embolden the Iran-backed Houthis – currently in the news for attacking ships and disrupting trade in the Red Sea. In recent days, Washington has announced that it will now re-designate the group as “global terrorists”.I have been reporting on the conflict in my native Yemen since it began in 2014. The fighting led to the government losing control of the country’s north to the Houthis – who over the years have become savvier and better equipped. In 2015, the US and the UK supported a coalition of mostly Arab states led by Saudi Arabia – with the UAE as a key partner – to fight back. The coalition invaded Yemen with the aim of reinstating the exiled Yemeni government and fighting terrorism. The UAE was given charge of security in the south, and became the US’s key ally on counter-terrorism in the region – al-Qaeda had long been a presence in the south and was now gaining territory. Yemen’s conflict In 2014, rebels known as Houthis belonging to a branch of Yemen’s minority Shia Muslim community seized the capital, SanaaPresident Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi set up a temporary capital in the southern city of Aden after fleeing house arrest in Sanaa in February 2015 Saudi Arabia and eight other mostly Sunni Arab states began an air campaign against the Houthis, whom they claimed were armed by regional rival Iran. The Saudi-led coalition has received logistical support from the US, UK and FranceThere have even been clashes between those ostensibly on the same side. In August 2019 fighting erupted in the south between Saudi-backed government forces and an allied southern separatist movement, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which has accused President Hadi of mismanagement and links to IslamistsMilitants from al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and the local affiliate of the rival Islamic State group (IS) have taken advantage of the chaos by seizing territory in the south and carrying out deadly attacks, particularly in AdenThe Houthis have also expanded their own circle of influence – in November 2023 they began carrying out attacks on international shipping routes in the Red SeaBut instead of this establishing greater stability, during my frequent reporting trips at that time I witnessed a wave of mysterious targeted killings, in Yemeni government-controlled southern areas, of Yemeni citizens unconnected to terror groups. Under international law, any killing of civilians without due process would be counted as extra-judicial. The majority of those assassinated were members of Islah – the Yemeni branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. It is a popular international Sunni Islamist movement which has never been classified by the US as a terror organisation, but is banned in several Arab countries – including the UAE where its political activism and support for elections is seen by the country’s royal family as a threat to their rule. Leaked drone footage of the first assassination mission gave me a starting point from which to investigate these mysterious killings. It was dated December 2015 and was traced to members of a private US security company called Spear Operations Group.I finally met one of the men behind the operation shown in the footage in a restaurant in London in 2020. Isaac Gilmore, a former US Navy Seal who later became chief operating officer of Spear, was one of several Americans who say they were hired to carry out assassinations in Yemen by the UAE.Image source, Jack Garland/BBCImage caption, Isaac Gilmore was paid by the UAE to carry out targeted killingsHe refused to talk about anyone who was on the “kill list” provided to Spear by the UAE – other than the target of their first mission: Ansaf Mayo, a Yemeni MP who is the leader of Islah in the southern port city of Aden, the government’s temporary capital since 2015.I confronted Mr Gilmore over the fact that Islah had never been classified as a terrorist organisation by the US authorities.”Modern conflicts are unfortunately very opaque,” he said. “We see this in Yemen – one person’s civil leader and cleric, is another person’s terrorist leader.”Mr Gilmore, and another Spear employee in Yemen at the time – Dale Comstock – told me that the mission they conducted ended in 2016. But the assassinations in southern Yemen continued. In fact they became more frequent, according to investigators from the human rights group Reprieve.They investigated 160 killings carried out in Yemen between 2015 and 2018. They said the majority happened from 2016 and only 23 of the 160 people killed had links to terrorism. All the killings had been carried out using the same tactics that Spear had employed – the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) as a distraction, followed by a targeted shooting. The most recent political assassination in Yemen, according to Yemeni human rights lawyer Huda al-Sarari, happened just last month – of an imam killed in Lahj by the same method. Mr Gilmore, Mr Comstock, and two other mercenaries from Spear who asked not to be named, said that Spear had been involved in training Emirati officers in the UAE military base in Aden. A journalist who asked to remain anonymous also told us he had seen footage of such training. The mercenaries would not go into detail about what it had entailed, but a senior Yemeni military officer from Aden, who worked directly with the UAE himself, gave me more details.Image caption, Ansaf Mayo, leader of al-Islah, who was targeted by Spear and now lives in exileAs the mercenaries’ profile had made them conspicuous in Aden and vulnerable to exposure, their brief had been changed to training Emirati officers, “who in turn trained local Yemenis to do the targeting”, the Yemeni military officer told me. Through the course of the investigation, we also spoke to more than a dozen other Yemeni sources who said this had been the case. They included two men who said they had carried out assassinations which were not terror-related, after being trained to do so by Emirati soldiers – and one man who said he had been offered release from a UAE prison in exchange for the assassination of a senior Yemeni political figure, a mission he did not accept. Getting Yemenis to conduct the assassinations meant it was harder for the killings to be traced back to the UAE.By 2017, the UAE had helped build a paramilitary force, part of the Emirati-funded Southern Transitional Council (STC), a security organisation that runs a network of armed groups across southern Yemen.The force operated in southern Yemen independently of the Yemeni government, and would only take orders from the UAE. The fighters were not just trained to fight on active front lines. One particular unit, the elite Counter Terrorism Unit, was trained to conduct assassinations, our whistleblower told us.The whistleblower sent a document with 11 names of former al-Qaeda members now working in the STC, some of whose identities we were able to verify ourselves. American Mercenaries: Killing in YemenBBC Arabic’s Nawal Al-Maghafi reveals how the UAE hired mercenaries to conduct targeted assassinations of its political enemies in Yemen, with American mercenaries starting the killings in 2015.Watch on BBC Two at 23:15 on Tuesday 23 January (23:45 in Northern Ireland) or afterwards on iPlayer. During our investigation we also came across the name Nasser al-Shiba. Once a high-ranking al-Qaeda operative, he was jailed for terrorism but later released. A Yemeni government minister we spoke to told us al-Shiba was a known suspect in the attack on the US warship USS Cole, which killed 17 American sailors in October 2000. Multiple sources told us that he is now the commander of one of the STC military units.Lawyer Huda al-Sarari has been investigating human rights abuses committed by these UAE-backed forces on the ground. As a result of her work, she would frequently receive death threats. But it was her 18-year-old son Mohsen who paid the ultimate price. He was shot in the chest in March 2019 while on a trip to a local petrol station, and died a month later. When Huda returned to work after his death, she says she received messages warning her to stop. “Was one son not enough? Do you want us to kill the other?” they said. A subsequent investigation by Aden’s public prosecutor found that Mohsen was killed by a member of the UAE-backed Counter Terrorism Unit, but the authorities have never pursued a prosecution. Members of the prosecutor’s office – who we cannot name for safety reasons – told us that the widespread assassinations have created a climate of fear that means even they are too afraid to pursue justice in cases involving forces backed by the UAE.Reprieve has received a leaked UAE document that shows Spear was still being paid in 2020, though it is not clear in what capacity. We asked Spear’s founder, Abraham Golan, whether his mercenaries had trained Emiratis in assassination techniques, but he didn’t respond. We put the allegations in our investigation to the UAE government. It said it was untrue that it had targeted individuals with no links to terrorism, and that it supported counter-terrorism operations in Yemen at the invitation of the government of Yemen and its international allies. “The UAE has acted in compliance with applicable international law during these operations,” it said.We asked the US Department of Defense and the State Department to talk to us about Spear Operations Group, but they declined. And the US government’s intelligence agency said in a statement: “The idea that the CIA signed off on such an operation is false.”Related TopicsYemenUnited Arab EmiratesHouthis United StatesMore on this storyYemen: Why is there a war there?Published14 April 2023Top StoriesUS and UK launch fresh strikes on HouthisPublished3 hours ago UK officials probe Iran generals’ antisemitic talks to studentsPublished5 hours agoManhunt as seven found shot dead in Illinois cityPublished1 hour agoFeaturesWar in Yemen: UAE funded political assassinationsThe Papers: ‘Weight-loss horror’ and Elon Musk visits AuschwitzIs North Korea’s leader actually considering war?How Storms Isha and Jocelyn get their namesRankin: I’m trying to change the whole idea of what beauty isWhere have all the UK tech ‘unicorns’ gone?No bail, no trial: Freedom on hold for Indian activist’I slept under airport chairs after Bristol flight diverted to Paris’Dramatic videos show Storm Isha damage so far. VideoDramatic videos show Storm Isha damage so farElsewhere on the BBCA Scottish wild swimming road-trip!Julie Wilson Nimmo and Greg Hemphill take the plunge at Scotland’s breath-taking wild swimming spotsAttributioniPlayerCan you guess what’s happening in an advert you can’t see?Chris McCausland asks a panel of comedians to live in an audio only worldAttributionSoundsScientists uncover alcohol’s hidden dangersInvestigating what alcohol is and why so many people love to drink itAttributioniPlayerThe baffling death of a talented mathematicianHow did a Welsh codebreaker’s body end up inside a bag in his bath in 2010?AttributionSoundsMost Read1’Weight-loss horror’ and Elon Musk visits Auschwitz2US and UK launch fresh strikes on Houthis3Manhunt as seven found shot dead in Illinois city4Storm Jocelyn to bring strong winds and heavy rain5Iran’s antisemitic speeches to UK students probed6MrBeast reveals he made $250,000 from X video7Two million ‘could see energy cut off this winter’8Is North Korea’s leader actually considering war?9Oscar nominations to reflect Barbenheimer success10Russian sanctioned for Australia’s worst data hack

[ad_1] The force operated in southern Yemen independently of the Yemeni government, and would only take orders from the UAE. The fighters were not just trained to fight on active…

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