U.S. Army General Joseph Votel,
The top general overseeing U.S. military operations in the Middle East met Wednesday with Yemen's chief of staff in the interim capital, Aden.
According to Yemen’s official SABA news agency, Gen. Joseph Votel, head of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and Major General Taher al-Aqili discussed developing Yemen's coast guard, naval forces and special forces to “tackle the threat of terrorist militias and fight smuggling”.
The two also discussed the situation in Yemen and the government's attempt to restore the state.
"Yemen will not be the starting point of terrorist groups but will be a part of international peace and security," al-Aqili said.
"The U.S. supports the legitimate government in Yemen and wants peace and stability in the country," Votel noted.
Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by conflict since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country.
The conflict escalated the following year when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a wide-ranging air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen.
The violence has devastated the country’s infrastructure, prompting the UN to describe the situation as “one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”.
Yemen's Houthi movement said on Wednesday its delegation was prevented from flying to attend United Nations-sponsored peace talks in Geneva, the group's al-Masirah TV reported.Al-Masirah said the United Nations could not secure required authorisations from the Saudi-led coalition which controls Yemen's airspace.The Saudi-led coalition could not immediately be reached for comment, while the U.N. Special envoy's office did not respond to Reuters request for comment.Yemenis continue protests amid currency plungeYemeni photojournalist shot dead in TaizWar-weary Yemenis protest local currency collapseUS welcomes Saudi Arabia's admission about Yemen strike
Houthis prevented from attending Geneva peace talks
A Spanish Defence Ministry spokeswoman confirmed on Tuesday a media report that Spain has halted the sale of bombs to Saudi Arabia amid concerns about their use in a conflict in Yemen.Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser reported the Defence Ministry had started a process to cancel a contract signed between Spain and Saudi Arabia in 2015 to sell 400 laser-guided bombs, and would pay back 9.2 million euros already paid for the material.The broadcaster added the bombs would have been used in Yemen.Abu Dhabi postpones unveiling of $450 mln da Vinci painting"We confirm the news," a spokeswoman for the ministry said, declining to give any further details.Amnesty International and other campaigners have denounced Western arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its allies in a deadly conflict in Yemen. US welcomes Saudi Arabia's admission about Yemen strike
Spain confirms report it has halted sale of bombs to Saudi Arabia
Yemenis staged fresh protests in the eastern Hadhramaut province for the second day in a row on Tuesday against the rising living costs and local currency collapse.The Yemeni riyal severely plunged against foreign currencies in the past few days. One dollar is traded now for 600 riyals, from only 513 riyals in mid-August.Angry residents set tyres on fire and blocked several streets in the city of Seiyun in the province, according to local residents.“Daily life was almost paralyzed in the city as protests continued for the second day in a row,” a local resident told Anadolu Agency, requesting anonymity due to security concerns.According to residents, the city witnessed a state of civil disobedience with stores shutting their doors in protest of the deteriorating economic situation.Protests have spread across many Yemeni provinces in recent days, including Aden, Hadhramaut, Taiz, Abyan, Dhale, Lahij.On Sunday, Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi ordered an increase in oil exports and a pay raise for civil servants as part of efforts to deal with the currency collapse.In January, Saudi Arabia intervened to save the local currency by depositing $2 billion in the Yemeni Central Bank, but the move seems to have a little impact on strengthening the Yemeni currency.Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by conflict since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.The conflict escalated the following year when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a wide-ranging air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen.The violence has devastated the country’s infrastructure, prompting the UN to describe the situation as “one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”.Yemeni photojournalist shot dead in TaizWar-weary Yemenis protest local currency collapseUS welcomes Saudi Arabia's admission about Yemen strikeYemenis protest in Aden as local currency plunges
Yemenis continue protests amid currency plunge
A Yemeni photojournalist has been shot dead in the southwestern city of Taiz, according to a local military spokesman on Monday.Mohamed al-Taheri was killed near a hospital in southern Taiz by an unidentified sniper, Colonel Abdul Basit al-Bahar told Anadolu Agency.No group has claimed responsibility for the killing.Held by government forces, Taiz has been under a siege imposed by Houthi rebels since 2015.The city has seen a spate of assassinations of military and security personnel and mosque preachers and in recent months.Impoverished Yemen has remained wracked by conflict since 2014, when Shia Houthi rebels overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa.The conflict escalated the following year when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies launched a wide-ranging air campaign aimed at rolling back Houthi gains in Yemen. The violence has devastated the country’s infrastructure, prompting the UN to describe the situation as “one of the worst humanitarian disasters of modern times”. Saudi-led coalition admits mistakes in Yemen bus strikeYemen's Houthis say target a Saudi warshipWar-weary Yemenis protest local currency collapseUS welcomes Saudi Arabia's admission about Yemen strike
Yemeni photojournalist shot dead in Taiz