Emirates Secretly Sends Colombian Mercenaries to Yemen Fight
 

WASHINGTON — The United Arab Emirates has secretly dispatched hundreds of Colombian mercenaries to Yemen to fight in that country’s raging conflict, adding a volatile new element in a complex proxy war that has drawn in the United States and Iran.

It is the first combat deployment for a foreign army that the Emirates has quietly built in the desert over the past five years, according to several people currently or formerly involved with the project. The program was once managed by a private company connected to Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater Worldwide, but the people involved in the effort said that his role ended several years ago and that it has since been run by the Emirati military... READ ON NYTIMES.COM

For Children Who Cannot Speak, a True Voice via Technology

Enrique Mendez, 9, and his older brother, Cristian, 11, sorted through a plastic bin of toys in their New Jersey home. “I want to play with the wrestling guys,” said Enrique in a voice not quite his own, but pretty close.

Enrique has Down syndrome and speech apraxia, which means that he cannot speak, aside from a few grunts and “Ma” in the word “Mama.” He was able to speak to his brother, though, with an iPad loaded with the latest version of a widely used text-to-speech application, Proloquo2Go... READ ON NYTIMES.COM

Push to Ban New York Carriage Horses Gains Steam

A ride through Central Park in a horse-drawn carriage is one of New York City’s most storied attractions, the rhythmic clip-clop offering a respite from the hustle of everyday life.

But now this old-fashioned industry is facing unprecedented turmoil.

After campaigning for decades, animal rights advocates are gaining support for legislation that would ban those horse-drawn carriages, including endorsements from mayoral candidates and celebrities...READ ON NYTIMES.COM

Secret Desert Force Set Up by Blackwater’s Founder

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Late one night last November, a plane carrying dozens of Colombian men touched down in this glittering seaside capital. Whisked through customs by an Emirati intelligence officer, the group boarded an unmarked bus and drove roughly 20 miles to a windswept military complex in the desert sand.

The Colombians had entered the United Arab Emirates posing as construction workers. In fact, they were soldiers for a secret American-led mercenary army being built by Erik Prince, the billionaire founder of Blackwater Worldwide, with $529 million from the oil-soaked sheikdom... READ ON NYTIMES.COM

Learning to Walk in the Slippers of a High-Wire Artist

Amye Walters tried not to look down. Her feet gripped a cable less than an inch thick that stretched 21 feet in front of her. Sweat dampened her long dark hair, black tank top and spandex pants.

The potential seven-foot fall to the ground did not scare her, but if she did not advance, she could imagine her father saying: “You should have gone all the way. I know you could have finished it.”...READ ON NYTIMES.COM