UN technical vessel arrives at rusting oil tanker off Yemen’s coast as salvage operation begins
May 30, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — The first technical salvage vessel arrived Tuesday near the rusting Safer oil tanker floating off the coast of war-ravaged Yemen, the United Nations said.
The arrival of Ndeavor, which set off from neighboring Djibouti on Monday, marks the first step of an estimated four- to six-week U.N.
What’s behind Syria’s return to the Arab League?
May 8, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — The Arab League’s decision to re-admit Syria after shunning it for 12 years was a significant symbolic victory for Damascus, part of a larger regional realignment and an indication of the United States’ waning role, analysts say.
White House national security adviser meets Saudi prince
May 8, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden's top national security aide met Sunday night with Saudi Arabia's crown prince amid long-standing tensions between the White House and the kingdom.
Biden dispatching top aide to meet with Saudi crown prince
May 5, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is dispatching one his top advisers to Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto leader of the oil-rich kingdom, later this week.
Millions pledged for oil transfer from tanker off Yemen
May 4, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — Donors pledged an additional $5.6 million Thursday that will enable the United Nations to start transferring more than 1 million barrels of crude oil from a rusting tanker off the coast of war-torn Yemen that poses a major environmental threat, but the U.N.
Ex-UN food chief returns to South Carolina roots for speech
May 3, 2023 GMTCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — For the first time in 25 years, former South Carolina Gov. David Beasley stood before lawmakers in his home state and gave a speech Wednesday.
Guards on famed yacht open fire off Yemen; 1 reported killed
April 28, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Armed private guards aboard a famous yacht once owned by the late Welsh actor Richard Burton fired on approaching ships on Friday in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, in an intense gunfight.
Missing yacht with 3 Russians, 2 Egyptians reaches safety
April 27, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A missing yacht with three Russians and two Egyptians onboard reached safety in Djibouti in east Africa on Thursday, after going missing for days following an attack off the coast of Yemen, its owner said.
Report: Yacht with 3 Russians, 2 Egyptians missing off Yemen
April 24, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A yacht carrying three Russians and two Egyptians reportedly went missing days ago off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea. Its owner alleged on Monday that armed pirates took the vessel.
Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr holiday with feasts, prayers
April 22, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — The holiday of Eid al-Fitr ushered in a day of prayers and joy for Muslims around the world on Friday. The celebration was marred by tragedy amid the explosion of conflict in Sudan, while in other countries it came against the backdrop of hopes for a better future.
Stampede in Yemen at Ramadan charity event kills at least 78
April 20, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — A crowd apparently panicked by gunfire and an electrical explosion stampeded at an event to distribute financial aid during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in Yemen’s capital late Wednesday, killing at least 78 people and injuring at least 77 others, according to witnesses and Houthi rebel officials.
Muslims end Ramadan, begin holiday amid war, reconciliation
April 20, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Large parts of the Muslim world marked the end of the fasting month of Ramadan at sundown Thursday and ushered in the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, but the festivities were overshadowed by raging battles for control of Sudan and a deadly stampede in Yemen.
Dutch salvage team set to pump oil off rusting Yemen tanker
April 20, 2023 GMTAMSTERDAM (AP) — A Dutch salvage company has reached agreement with the United Nations to pump oil from a rusting tanker off the coast of war-ravaged Yemen in a move hailed as a “critical milestone” in moves to avert a possible environmental disaster, its parent company announced Thursday.
Saudi-led coalition releases additional Yemen war prisoners
April 18, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A Saudi-led military coalition on Monday freed 104 more prisoners captured in Yemen's war, a unilateral release that followed an organized prisoner swap amid renewed diplomatic efforts to halt the conflict.
Red Cross: Yemen’s warring sides wrap up major prisoner swap
April 16, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — Yemen’s warring sides on Sunday wrapped up a major exchange of prisoners linked to the country’s long-running conflict, according to the International Committee for the Red Cross.
Red Cross: Yemen’s warring sides resume releasing prisoners
April 15, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — Hundreds of detainees from Yemen’s conflict were released Saturday as part of a major prisoner exchange that began a day earlier, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.
Red Cross: Yemen rebels, Saudi coalition begin prisoner swap
April 14, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — An exchange of more than 800 prisoners linked to Yemen’s long-running war began on Friday, the International Committee for the Red Cross said. The United Nations-brokered deal, in the works for months, comes amid concerted diplomatic efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict.
Biden aide, Saudi prince see ‘progress’ toward Yemen war end
April 12, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke by phone with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday amid signs that the Saudis and Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen are making “remarkable progress” toward finding a permanent end to their nine-year conflict, according to the Biden administration.
Saudi diplomat: Talks with Houthis aim to revive Yemen truce
April 10, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen said Monday his trip to the Houthi-held capital of Sanaa was aimed at reviving a cease-fire and re-starting political talks to end the nine-year conflict.
Saudi officials visit Yemen’s capital for talks with rebels
April 9, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Saudi officials were in Yemen's capital Sunday for talks with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as part of international efforts to find a settlement to Yemen’s nine-year conflict, officials said.
Yemen: Saudis free 13 Houthis as Omani officials visit Sanaa
April 9, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Saudi Arabia on Saturday released over a dozen war prisoners to their rivals, the Houthi rebels in Yemen, a Houthi official said. The release came as Omani officials arrived in the Yemeni capital as part of international efforts to end Yemen’s years-long conflict.
Saudi, Iran restore ties, say they seek Mideast stability
April 6, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Long-time Mideast rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia took another significant step toward reconciliation Thursday, formally restoring diplomatic ties after a seven-year rift, affirming the need for regional stability and agreeing to pursue economic cooperation.
Analysis: Saudi prince pivots to peace after years of war
April 3, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — In the years since Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman catapulted to power, it has been hard to find a controversy in the Middle East that doesn't somehow involve the 37-year-old heir to the throne.
US Mideast envoy hopeful Saudi-Iran détente will help region
March 30, 2023 GMTKHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — The Biden administration is hopeful that warming ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia will help deescalate conflicts and crises across the Middle East, a senior U.S. diplomat said Thursday.
At least 20 dead when bus hits bridge, burns in Saudi Arabia
March 27, 2023 GMTRIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — At least 20 people were killed when a packed bus hit a bridge, overturned and burst into flames in southwestern Saudi Arabia on Monday, Saudi state media reported.
Al-Ekhbariya TV said 29 other people were injured in the crash and aired footage showing the charred remains of the bus.
Yemen rebels restrict humanitarian flights arriving in Sanaa
March 25, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they were imposing severe restrictions starting Saturday on U.N. and other humanitarian flights arriving in the capital, Sanaa.
The Houthi-run Civil Aviation Authority said no humanitarian flights would land in Sanaa between March 25-30.
Rare anti-Houthi protests in Yemen after activist’s death
March 24, 2023 GMTKHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Rare protests have erupted against Yemen’s Houthi rebels following the funeral of a popular critic found dead after he was detained by the group.
Videos posted on social media showed hundreds of angry demonstrators carrying the body of Hamdi Abdul Razaq through the streets of Ibb province on Thursday.
Ramadan starts in Mideast amid high costs, hopes for peace
March 23, 2023 GMTKHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Hundreds of millions of Muslims began the first daily fast of Ramadan on Thursday, as parts of the Middle East approached crucial junctures in high-stakes peace negotiations during the holy month, traditionally a time of reconciliation.
Yemen: Fighting kills 16, endangering peace efforts
March 22, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — Renewed fighting has erupted in central Yemen, killing at least 16 forces, security and health officials said Wednesday.
The flare-up of violence comes after diplomats and leaders expressed new hope for peace efforts in the war-torn country in the days leading up to the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Yemeni rebels sentence activists to prison for criticism
March 21, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — A court in Yemen's rebel-held capital on Tuesday sentenced four activists to prison terms, ranging from six months to three years, over their criticism of the Iran-backed rebels on social media, a lawyer said.
Yemeni sides say deal reached to free nearly 900 prisoners
March 20, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s warring sides said Monday they agreed to release nearly 900 prisoners of war in a U.N.-brokered deal amid international efforts to end the yearslong conflict.
The deal on a prisoner exchange capped 10 days of intensive talks in Switzerland between Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels.
With Saudi deals, US, China battle for influence in Mideast
March 16, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — In a matter of days, Saudi Arabia carried out blockbuster agreements with the world’s two leading powers — China and the United States.
Riyadh signed a Chinese-facilitated deal aimed at restoring diplomatic ties with its arch-nemesis Iran and then announced a massive contract to buy commercial planes from U.S.
UN says intense diplomacy under way to end 8-year Yemen war
March 16, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. special envoy for Yemen said Wednesday that intense diplomatic efforts are underway to end the eight-year war in Yemen. He cited new regional and international momentum, including the recent restoration of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, who back rivals in the conflict.
Iran says deal with Saudi Arabia will help end Yemen’s war
March 12, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Iran's mission to the United Nations says a breakthrough agreement with Saudi Arabia restoring bilateral relations will help bring a political settlement to Yemen's yearslong war, Iranian state media reported on Sunday.
Yemen sides begin UN-brokered talks on prisoner exchange
March 11, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s warring sides began talks Saturday aimed at implementing a U.N.-brokered deal on a prisoner exchange, the United Nations said.
The discussions between Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi rebels are talking place in Switzerland.
Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to resume ties, with China’s help
March 11, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed Friday to reestablish diplomatic relations and reopen embassies after seven years of tensions.
UN signs deal to salvage stranded oil from tanker off Yemen
March 9, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations announced Thursday it signed an agreement to purchase a very large vessel that can transfer more than 1 million barrels of crude now stranded in a rusting tanker off the coast of war-torn Yemen.
Officials: 14 women, children drowned in shipwreck off Yemen
March 8, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — At least 14 women and children died in a shipwreck off Yemen's Red Sea coast earlier this week, authorities said Wednesday.
The boat, with over two dozen of people on board, capsized off the province of Hodeida, according to a statement by the Fisheries Authority in Hodeida, run by the country's Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Al-Qaida says 2 operatives killed in drone strike in Yemen
March 6, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — Al-Qaida's arm in the Arabian Peninsula said two of the militant group's operatives, including its media chief, were killed by a suspected U.S. drone in central Yemen last month.
British navy seizes Iran missiles, parts likely Yemen bound
March 2, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The British navy seized anti-tank missiles and fins for ballistic missile assemblies during a raid on a small boat heading from Iran likely to Yemen, authorities said Thursday, the latest such seizure in the Gulf of Oman.
UN raises $1.2 billion for Yemen, far below its 2023 target
February 27, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Global donors on Monday pledged about $1.2 billion at a conference aimed at generating funds to help millions of people in Yemen suffering from the fallout of an eight-year civil war, a U.N.
Yemen: Separatists object to leader’s delaying their cause
February 24, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s southern separatists on Friday slammed statements by their ally, the head of Yemen's presidential council, in which he said that now is not the right time to discuss southern independence.
Saudi Arabia deposits $1 billion into Yemen’s central bank
February 21, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — Saudi Arabia deposited $1 billion into the central bank of Yemen’s internationally recognized government Tuesday in a bid to bolster the country’s ailing economy, state media said.
UN votes unanimously to extend sanctions on Yemen’s Houthis
February 16, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Wednesday to extend the arms embargo on Yemen’s Houthi rebels and an asset freeze and travel ban on Houthi leaders and top officials until Nov.
Rise in Horn of Africa migration a worry, says UN official
February 15, 2023 GMTNAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The numbers of women and children migrating from the Horn of Africa to Gulf countries through Yemen has significantly increased and is a cause of concern, according to the head of the International Organization for Migration.
UK presents evidence linking Iran in Houthi weapon supply
February 13, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Britain says it has for the first time presented evidence that Iran is supplying advanced weapons to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, after finding images of tests conducted at the headquarters of the Revolutionary Guards in Tehran on the hard drive of an unmanned aircraft seized by the Royal Navy.
Greenpeace to appeal Spain-Saudi arms deal confidentiality
February 13, 2023 GMTMADRID (AP) — Greenpeace said Monday it will appeal a Spanish Supreme Court decision blocking public access, on national security grounds, to information on government export licenses for vehicle-mounted weapons systems sold to Saudi Arabia.
Houthi-run court in Yemen upholds prison term against actor
February 12, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — A court run by Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels on Sunday upheld a five-year sentence against a female actor and one of her companions who were convicted of committing an indecent act and having drugs in her possession, her lawyer said.
Mystery Yemen drone strike renews questions over US campaign
February 10, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — Onlookers gathered around a small, four-door car coated in dried mud, peering through its shattered windows and torn-away roof at three dead men inside.
Tribal leaders identified the three — killed in late January near Yemen's central city of Marib — as suspected members of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, long considered one of the extremist group’s most dangerous branches.
Officials: 13-year-old killed by landmine in Yemen port city
February 4, 2023 GMTSANAA, Yemen (AP) — A landmine killed a 13-year-old boy in the contested Yemeni city of Hodeida, medical and security officials said Friday, the latest in a string of similar incidents in the war-torn country.
France seizes Iran assault rifles, missiles heading to Yemen
February 2, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — French naval forces in January seized thousands of assault rifles, machine guns and anti-tank missiles in the Gulf of Oman coming from Iran and heading to Yemen's Houthi rebels, officials said Thursday.
Yemen and Lebanon sites added to UNESCO endangered list
January 26, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — An ancient Yemeni kingdom and a Lebanese modernist concrete fair park were added Wednesday to UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites in danger, the latest entries from the Middle East.
The seven major landmarks of the Ancient Yemenite Kingdom of Saba and the Rachid Karami International Fair in Tripoli were inscribed on the U.N.
UN says $4.3B required for Yemen humanitarian needs in 2023
January 25, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — The United Nations said Wednesday it needs $4.3 billion to fund its humanitarian activities in war-torn Yemen this year.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the funds are required to help 17.3 million most vulnerable people in Yemen.
UN: Cost is new obstacle to oil transfer from Yemen tanker
January 18, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The rising cost of purchasing or leasing a vessel that can hold more than 1 million barrels of crude oil now in a rusting old tanker off the coast of war-torn Yemen is the latest obstacle to resolving the grave threat of massive environmental damage from a possible oil spill or explosion, the U.N.
Yemen rebels, Saudis in back-channel talks to maintain truce
January 17, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Amid Yemen’s longest-ever pause in fighting — more than nine months — Saudi Arabia and its rival, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, have revived back-channel talks, according to Yemeni, Saudi and U.N.
UN envoy encouraged by intensified efforts to end Yemen war
January 16, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. special envoy for Yemen said Monday he is encouraged by intensified regional and international diplomatic activity to end the country’s eight-year conflict. He urged the warring parties to work toward “a shared vision” with concrete steps to restore peace to the Arab world’s poorest nation.
Report: Arms supplied by UK, US killed civilians in Yemen
January 11, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — Weapons supplied by the United Kingdom and the United States and used by a Saudi-led coalition fighting in war-torn Yemen killed at least 87 civilians and wounded 136 others in just over a year, a new report said Wednesday.
US Navy says it seized Iran assault rifles bound for Yemen
January 11, 2023 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. Navy seized over 2,100 assault rifles from a ship in the Gulf of Oman it believes came from Iran and were bound for Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, a Navy spokesman said Tuesday.
Oil facilities in Yemen change hands in $21.6 million deal
January 3, 2023 GMTCAIRO (AP) — A global energy company Tuesday acquired oil producing facilities in war-torn Yemen from another international firm. The move comes as the country’s Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted terminals and tankers in efforts to stop their rivals from exporting oil.
Red Cross conducts rare visit with 3,400 Yemen war prisoners
December 21, 2022 GMTGAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Red Cross said Wednesday that it had conducted rare visits to thousands of prisoners on both sides of Yemen’s eight-year civil war, a step that could pave the way for an exchange of detainees between the rival parties.