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In a significant move, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council has annulled a defense agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This decision comes after Saudi Arabia’s coalition forces targeted two vessels allegedly smuggling arms and military equipment to the Yemeni port of Mocha. The vessels had entered the Mocha port without permission from the UAE, departing from the country’s Fujairah port.
According to statements from the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, the action was taken at the behest of the council’s president. Saudi Arabia has demanded that the UAE withdraw its forces from Yemen within 24 hours, citing concerns that the UAE’s support for separatist groups in Yemen poses a direct threat to Saudi national security.
In a statement, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the need for dialogue to achieve peace in Yemen and reiterated the importance of maintaining strong relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The ministry expressed hope that the UAE would take steps that would safeguard bilateral ties and promote regional stability and prosperity.
Meanwhile, the funeral prayers for Bangladesh’s first female prime minister, Khaleda Zia, will be held today in Dhaka. Speaker of the National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, will represent Pakistan at the funeral. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s phone call with his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, focused on the situation in Gaza.
Heavy rainfall has hit several cities in the United Arab Emirates, including Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, and Al Ain, exacerbating the cold snap. Israel carried out over 10,000 airstrikes on six countries in the region this year, according to reports.
A cable car accident in Italy’s Piedmont region left four people injured. The Saudi cabinet, led by King Salman, held a meeting to discuss the country’s domestic and foreign policy. Iran has warned the United States that it will respond strongly to any potential attack, with President Ebrahim Raisi stating that any aggression would be met with a severe response.
The UAE has announced the withdrawal of its counter-terrorism units from Yemen. The US-India relationship has been strained due to India’s Hindu nationalist policies and its increasingly isolationist foreign policy, according to a British newspaper report.
The killing of a 26-year-old employee of the Indian pharmaceutical company Biocon, Anantha Kumar, was discovered in the company’s office in Bengaluru. A massive Christmas heist in Germany saw thieves steal 30 million euros from a bank. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has been urged to resign over his handling of recent incidents, including the Pulwama attack and the Delhi blasts.
The death toll in the Pulwama attack remains a mystery, with many questions still unanswered. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has come under fire for his handling of the crisis.
