It is one of the most enduring images of Diana, Princess of Wales. Wearing a visor and bombproof vest, she picked her way carefully through an active minefield in Angola, where one person in every 333 had lost a limb to the explosive devices. "I am not a political figure," she said in response to criticism from parliamentarians, "my interests are humanitarian."
That expedition in 1997 put the issue of landmines on the international agenda and was partly credited with attracting 122 signatories to the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty the same year, banning the stockpiling, production and use of mines.
More than 20 years on, we are seeing an ever more pressing need for action on mines, whose deadly legacy survives long after conflicts have ended.
In Yemen, UAE and Saudi armed forces have defused more than 40,000 and say Houthi rebels have planted a suspected one million mines across the country, some disguised to look like rocks or toys.
Syria is facing an unprecedented landmine crisis, with departing ISIS fighters booby trapping household items like teapots, pillows and fridges to target families returning home for the first time in years.
In the 60-plus countries still contaminated by landmines, they wreak unspeakable devastation, killing and maiming indiscriminately and activating years after they were rigged. Their presence is difficult to detect but they cause a ripple effect of fear among populations and hinder recovery from warfare and development, long after peace has been established.
The retreating Houthis who have peppered the Yemeni landscape with these killing machines supplied by Tehran have only one purpose in mind: to spark terror in the very civilians they sought to govern by force.
UAE mine specialists have been combing the land to destroy them, a ceaseless battle as the Houthis often return to plant devices overnight.
The rebels care little for the havoc and destruction they are perpetuating on a scale not seen since the Second World War.
As Emirati minesweeper Ghaneem Al Kaabi says, Yemen is unlikely to be clear of mines in his lifetime.
That is a sobering thought. Yemenis who have lost so much at the hands of the rebels are being robbed a second time of their right to peace of mind.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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The%20specs
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THE SPECS
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 275hp at 6,600rpm
Torque: 353Nm from 1,450-4,700rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Top speed: 250kph
Fuel consumption: 6.8L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: Dh146,999
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Profile
Company name: Jaib
Started: January 2018
Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour
Based: Jordan
Sector: FinTech
Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018
Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups
Company%20profile
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MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
Company%20Profile
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