In addition to access to humanitarian aid, the UN's report on children and armed conflict also lists the number of children killed and wounded, as well as attacks on hospitals and schools. The report draws up a "list of shame" of government forces and other armed groups responsible for the...

The IMF action, repeatedly postponed and eagerly awaited by the Egyptian government, arrives at a time of mounting difficulties for its economy. The IMF said Egypt has achieved all the objectives set out in the first two stages of the aid program, with the exception of the level of its...

In November, the Houthis launched a campaign of drone and missile strikes against vessels in the Red Sea, an area vital for world trade, in professed solidarity with Palestinians during Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. US and British forces have responded with strikes against the Houthis, who...

The Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned and operated Huang Pu issued a distress call but did not request assistance, US Central Command said. The rebels, who control much of Yemen's Red Sea coast, have launched dozens of missile and drone strikes on shipping over the past four months, actions they say are in...

United States Central Command forces operated "in self-defense" when they engaged and destroyed the anti-ship missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as three weapons storage containers in Houthi-controlled areas, CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X, the former Twitter.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels discussed "expanding confrontations and encircling" Israel in a meeting in Lebanon with Hamas and other Palestinian factions, a Houthi official told AFP. Houthi attacks on Red Sea ships since the start of the Israel-Hamas war have disrupted global trade, actions the rebels say are in solidarity...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates--The US military said Thursday it had destroyed nine anti-ship ballistic missiles and two drones in Yemen after Houthi rebels fired on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said two missiles fired by the Houthi rebels towards the Red Sea and...

Ramadan, when Muslims break their day-long fasts with large evening meals, usually means brisk business for Yemen's shops. But in a Taez market, customers were few and far between. Shopkeepers were standing idly by, displaying vegetables, herbs and grains in straw baskets outside their stores.

Rising fuel needs of ships rerouted away from the Red Sea also to increase demand, the International Energy Agency said. Commercial ships have been taking longer and costlier journeys around the southern tip of Africa to avoid attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack on the Pinocchio in a statement early Tuesday, maintaining the missile strike "was accurate". The British maritime security agency UKMTO had previously said a ship in the area "reported a sound of an explosion" in its vicinity southwest of the Yemeni port of...

Beijing, China - The navies of China, Russia and Iran are staging joint drills in the Gulf of Oman this week, Beijing said Monday. The military activities -- to be conducted from Monday through Friday -- are aimed at "jointly maintaining regional maritime security", according to a statement published on social...

CENTCOM and coalition forces determined that the drones "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels, US Navy and coalition ships in the region". It was one of the Houthis' largest attacks since they began in November a campaign of drone and missile strikes against ships in the Red Sea area,...

Other parts of the Islamic world may be grappling with their own challenges, from conflicts to high inflation. But many Muslims say their thoughts are with Palestinians this year.

An anti-ship ballistic missile struck the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned M/V True Confidence, after which its crew reported "three fatalities, at least four injuries, of which three are in critical condition, and significant damage to the ship", the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

The US military command said that its forces shot down one anti-ship ballistic missile and three one-way attack unmanned aerial systems launched from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen toward USS Carney in the Red Sea. Houthis have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea for months over Israel's war on...

Yemen's Houthi rebels, who since November have fired drones and missiles at numerous ships in the Red Sea area vital for world trade, claimed responsibility for the latest incident. They say their campaign is in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip where Israel is battling Hamas fighters.

Yemen's Houthis have been targeting shipping for months and their attacks have persisted despite repeated US and British strikes aimed at degrading their ability to threaten a vital global trade route. The Houthis began attacking Red Sea shipping in November, saying they were hitting Israel-linked vessels in support of Palestinians ravaged...

The Houthis, who control war-torn Yemen's most populated areas, have previously reported the death of 17 of their fighters in the Western strikes targeting military facilities. The Houthi attacks have had a significant effect on traffic through the busy Red Sea route, forcing some companies into a two-week detour around...

The new wave of strikes "specifically targeted 18 Houthi targets across eight locations in Yemen" including weapons storage facilities, attack drones, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter, a joint statement said. It was co-signed by Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands and New Zealand, who gave unspecified "support" to...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired two missiles at a British-owned cargo ship passing through the Gulf of Aden on Thursday, causing one minor injury and damage to the vessel. The rebels, who control much of Yemen, have carried out months of attacks on merchant vessels in...

The downing of the drone came the same day that the Houthi rebels targeted two US-owned merchant vessels as they continue their multi-month campaign of attacks on shipping in the area. It is the second time an MQ-9 used for both surveillance and strikes was lost near Yemen in recent...

According to a statement from CENTCOM, the five strikes included targeting "the first observed Huthi employment of a UUV (unmanned underwater vessel) since attacks began" in October. The strikes were carried out between 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm Saturday Sanaa time, the US Central Command said.

Tehran, Iran - Iran unveiled two new air defense systems on Saturday, state media reported, with tensions high in the Middle East amid the war in Gaza. "The Arman anti-ballistic missile system and the Azarakhsh low-altitude air defense system, built by the ministry of defense, were unveiled this morning," the official...

Friday's strike came as a US decision in January to redesignate the Houthis as "terrorists" formally came into force. The designation would not prohibit "the shipping of commercial goods into ports and airports in Houthi-controlled areas," the State Department spokesperson said.

"The current military-security situation heralds what is likely to be a more dangerous decade, characterized by the brazen application by some of military power to pursue claims," the report said.

World Bank President Ajay Banga said that "what's going on Gaza, but also the challenges of Ukraine... and the Red Sea" are among the top challenges to the global economic outlook. "When you add variables to what is turning out to be probably the lowest growth of the last 55...

DUBAI, UAE- As Houthi attacks roil the Red Sea and Western air raids target the rebels, moves to end Yemen's long-running war are at a standstill, threatening further woe for a country on its knees. As recently as December, painstaking negotiations were gaining ground and the United Nations said the warring...

Another security firm, Ambrey, said the Marshall Islands-flagged, Greece-owned bulk carrier "was targeted by missiles in two separate incidents" within 20 minutes and "was reportedly hit and sustained physical damage on the starboard side". The Houthis, part of the anti-Western, anti-Israel "axis of resistance" of Iran-backed groups, have been targeting...

Saudi Arabia said it had disbursed $250 million in aid to the internationally-recognized government in Yemen. The money follows an initial payment of the same amount announced in August, when Riyadh committed to provide a total of $1.2 billion to ease the government's budget deficit and pay salaries for civil...

A total of 17 Houthi fighters were killed in US strikes, the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group said through its official media. "The bodies of a number of martyrs of the nation as a result of the bombing of the American-British aggression were carried through Sanaa in a solemn funeral procession,"...

Washington, US - The United States military confirmed on Thursday its forces conducted multiple strikes against Houthi missile systems as the Yemen-based rebel group prepared to launch attacks that threatened US Navy and merchant ships. Late Wednesday Sanaa time US Central Command forces "conducted self-defense strikes against two Houthi mobile anti-ship...

The company warned of "uncertainty" due to Houthi attacks.

"The presence of US forces in our region has no justification," Raisi said in a Tehran ceremony ahead of the 45th anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution on February 12.

Common beliefs associated with gemstones are largely what motivates people to buy them, said Hassan Samimi, a lapidary at the market near the shrine of Shah Abdolazim. Iran subsequently declared the ring "cultural heritage" and a "national asset", Samimi says demand for gemstones has remained relatively steady despite Iran's severe...

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Saudi Arabia drew 27 million foreign tourists in 2023 and has more than doubled its goal for the end of the decade, an official said on Tuesday. The announcement came less than five years after the Gulf kingdom fully opened up to tourism and as fears persist...

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said last week that the movement's armed forces had targeted an American merchant ship named KOI with "several appropriate naval missiles". The ship, he said, had been heading to "the ports of occupied Palestine", a phrase which is sometimes used to mean Israel.

Saturday's strikes hit "36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen in response to the Houthis' continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea", the United States, Britain and other countries that provided support for the operation said in a statement.

Scaling up attacks in the Middle East, US and UK carried out joint air raids in Yemen after a separate wave of US strikes on targets in Iraq and Syria carried out in response to the killing of three US soldiers in Jordan. It is the third time the western...

Washington, US - American forces shot down eight drones near Yemen and destroyed four more on the ground, the US military said on Saturday, announcing a series of incidents that took place the previous day. The strikes and shootdowns in and around Yemen came as American forces launched a wave of air...

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on all parties to avoid further escalation in the Middle East after US strikes on Iran-linked groups in Syria and Iraq. "Everybody should try to avoid that the situation becomes explosive," Borrell said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

Maritime security firm Ambrey said that a merchant ship had been targeted with a missile in southwest of Aden, Yemen. The vessel has reported an explosion on board, Ambrey said. The security firm said it was aware that a missile was fired from Taiz. It comes after Houthis claimed an...

"Container shipping... has declined by almost 30 percent," said Jihad Azour, director of the IMF's Middle East and Central Asia department, adding that "the drop in trade accelerated in the beginning of this year."

The Houthis, part of the anti-Western, anti-Israel "axis of resistance" of Iranian-backed groups, have been harassing Red Sea shipping for months, triggering US and British reprisal attacks. The attacks have prompted some shipping companies to detour around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea, a vital route that normally carries...

Israel's relentless military offensive has since killed at least 26,422 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to the territory's health ministry. The Gaza war has forced more than one million Palestinians to flee to the far-southern Rafah area near the Egyptian border, according to the UN,...

For about a dollar per trip, male-only groups of visitors can board wooden boats five times a week to the hijacked car carrier, which the Houthis hail as a trophy in their fight in solidarity with the Palestinians. On the deck of the Galaxy Leader, none of the visitors interviewed...

US forces struck an anti-ship missile in Houthi-held Yemen that they said was ready to fire, hours after the Iran-backed rebels caused a fire on a British tanker in the Gulf of Aden. US and British forces have launched joint strikes aimed at reducing the Houthis' ability to target vessels...

US and British forces have launched two rounds of joint strikes aimed at reducing the Houthis' ability to target vessels transiting the key Red Sea maritime trade route. The attacks by the rebels -- who are part of the anti-Israel have disrupted trade in the Red Sea, which carries around...

Washington, United States -- A US Navy warship shot down a missile Friday that was fired at it by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who have carried out two months of attacks on international shipping, the military said. US and British forces have launched two rounds of joint strikes aimed at reducing...

The deadly incident came after the Israeli army said it had encircled the city, where footage released by the military showed soldiers engaged in urban combat amid ruined buildings. Hamas's press office also reported fierce clashes in the center and west of Khan Yunis, while its health ministry counted multiple...

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired three missiles at two merchant ships in the Red Sea in their latest attack in the commercially vital waterway, the White House said. The report came after the Houthis vowed to keep up their attacks despite repeated US and British strikes against them.