Sanaa (AFP) - Western governments evacuated their diplomats from Yemen on Wednesday as conflict deepened in the impoverished Saudi neighbour which has long been on the front line of the war against Al-Qaeda.

Exactly four years after the start of Arab Spring-inspired protests that forced veteran strongman Ali Abdullah Saleh from power, his Western-backed successor is under effective house arrest, after being ousted by Shiite militia last week.

The United Nations has demanded his reinstatement but its efforts to broker a deal between the militiamen and their opponents have made no headway and the Security Council was to meet later Wednesday to decide on what to do next.

The Huthi militia, which entered the capital unopposed last September, seized more territory in the Sunni-majority country this week, sparking fears of a backlash from its feared Al-Qaeda branch.

Washington said the "deteriorating security situation" in the capital Sanaa had triggered its decision to close its embassy indefinitely.

"On February 11... US Embassy Sanaa American staff were relocated out of the country," a State Department travel warning said.

"The Department urges US citizens to defer travel to Yemen and those US citizens currently living in Yemen to depart."

Yemeni soldiers were seen deployed around the US mission in Sanaa on Wednesday.

Britain too evacuated its diplomats.

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Shiite Huthi fighters shout slogans as they drive in a the back of a vehicle in the Yemeni capital S …

- 'At increased risk' -

"Regrettably we now judge that our embassy staff and premises are at increased risk," said Tobias Ellwood, the Foreign Office minister with responsibility for the Middle East.

"Our ambassador and diplomatic staff have left Yemen this morning."

France also called on its 100 or so citizens in Yemen to leave the country and said it would close its embassy starting from February 13 over mounting security fears.

The Arab Spring protests of 2011 had raised hopes of democratic reform after more than three decades of ironfisted rule by Saleh.

But his departure from office the following year created a power vacuum that the Huthis and Al-Qaeda have vied to fill.

Washington has been at pains to stress that its battle against the jihadists' Yemen branch will go on regardless of the outcome of the struggle for power in Sanaa.

Four suspected Al-Qaeda fighters were killed in a US drone strike in Hadramawt province in the southeast on Tuesday.

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A Yemeni soldier stands guard outside the United States' embassy in Sanaa, on February 11, 2015 …

It was the fourth strike since US President Barack Obama vowed on January 25 not to let up in Washington's campaign against Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

Last Thursday, Al-Qaeda said a US strike had killed Harith al-Nadhari, a senior commander who threatened more attacks on France after last month's killings at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Washington considers AQAP the jihadist network's most dangerous branch after repeated attacks and attempts against targets in the West.

The exodus of Western diplomats came despite pleas from the Huthis' commander that the security situation in the capital was stable.

- Militia says 'fears unfounded' -

"Some people are raising concerns among diplomatic missions so that they flee the country," Abdulmalik al-Huthi said in a televised address on Tuesday.

"These fears are unfounded. The security situation is stable."

Huthi has repeatedly portrayed the militia's advance into Sunni-majority areas as a battle against jihadists and called for Western support.

But loyalists of Western-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi insist that only his restoration can prevent a collapse of central authority that will hamstring the war against the jihadists in Sunni areas.

Hadi also has strong backing from Yemen's wealthy Sunni-ruled Gulf neighbours, whose aid is vital to the economy.

Protests against the Huthis were held on Wednesday both in the capital and in the central city of Al-Baida, which the militia entered on Tuesday.

Huthi called on his own supporters to take to the streets to commemorate the protests of 2011.

Addressing his adversaries, Huthi proposed what he called "a partnership" under the "constitutional declaration" by which the militia seized power on Friday.

UN envoy Jamal Benomar brokered two days of talks between the opposing factions and was due to brief the Security Council session later on Wednesday.

The fall of Hadi's government has sparked fears that Yemen -- strategically located next to oil-rich Saudi Arabia and on the key shipping route from the Suez Canal to the Gulf -- could plunge into chaos.

U.S. shuts embassy in Yemen, evacuates staff

The State Department suspends embassy operations due to political unrest and security concerns in the country.
Travel warning

TouchVision
Fighting escalated in Ukraine ahead of peace talks

Minsk (AFP) - The leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany were to hold peace talks Wednesday aimed at halting a 10-month war in Ukraine where dozens were killed in the latest fighting.

In the run-up to the summit, the climax of a frantic diplomatic push to prevent the worst East-West crisis since the end of the Cold War from escalating, Russia expressed optimism.

"Experts are working, there is noticeable progress," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, although he signalled there would be no flexibility on the crucial negotiating demand from Ukraine that it be given back control of its border with Russia.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko warned he could "introduce martial law throughout Ukraine" if the talks in the Belarussian capital Minsk failed to stop the war with the pro-Russian separatists.

"I will not hesitate with this decision, if the actions of the aggressor lead to further escalation," he told a cabinet meeting.

Martial law would mark a grave escalation of the crisis, freeing up military resources for the fight in the east but also likely leading to the cutting off of foreign investments, including a vital loan from the International Monetary Fund.

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An elderly woman walks past destroyed vehicles after a bus station was hit during a recent shelling …

- 'One voice' -

The pro-Western Ukrainian leader said he, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel would speak "with one voice" to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom they accuse of backing the separatist rebellion.

"The key position is that we need an unconditional ceasefire," he said.

US President Barack Obama has warned Putin that Russia would be made to pay if the talks fail.

A French presidency source said Hollande and Merkel would "try everything" to achieve peace but that hours before the start of the summit at about 1530 GMT there were "quite a lot of problems still to be resolved".

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Members of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) investigate the scene after a …

Merkel's spokesman said the summit offered "a glimmer of hope, nothing more".

"It is uncertain whether an outcome can be reached, but despite all the uncertainty, it is worth trying in the interest of the suffering people in eastern Ukraine," said Steffen Seibert.

The bloodletting on both sides has been relentless in recent weeks as pro-Russian separatists have pushed a new offensive and Kiev forces have counter attacked.

At least 50 people were reported killed in the last 24 hours, including 16 in a devastating rocket attack on Kramatorsk, the Ukrainian government's eastern military headquarters and administrative hub.

- New proposals, old plans -

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Pro-Russian separatist fighters take pictures on February 9, 2015 next to a destroyed Ukrainian Army …

In the rebel stronghold of Donetsk, city officials said that 11 people had been killed, including nine in a mortar strike on the city early Wednesday.

Rebels, who rarely announce military casualties, said they had lost seven fighters.

Poroshenko, who was scheduled to join a European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the conflict, will in Minsk come face-to-face with Putin for the first time since October.

If the talks fail, Obama has warned that Washington may decide to start providing lethal weapons to Ukraine, a step many European leaders oppose for fear of getting drawn into open conflict with Russia.

On Tuesday, Obama spoke to Putin by phone and sought to pressure him to rein in the rebels, who have close political links to Moscow, and embrace the chance for peace.

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A pro-Russian separatist fighter stands guard on February 9, 2015 in Uglegorsk, 6kms southwest of De …

"If Russia continues its aggressive actions in Ukraine, including by sending troops, weapons, and financing to support the separatists, the costs for Russia will rise," the White House said.

The plan to be discussed is based largely on repeatedly broken peace deal between Kiev and the rebels in September. The hope is that, at minimum, a ceasefire to halt fighting that has killed hundreds of civilians in recent weeks can be agreed upon in Minsk.

A key sticking point is whether a new deal will extend rebel control over some 500-square kilometres (200-square miles) of territory seized over the past month.

As leaders converged on Minsk, fighting raged on the ground with both sides trying to strengthen their hand at the negotiating table.

Insurgent fighters have been battling for weeks to take the rail hub of Debaltseve, while Ukrainian forces on Tuesday captured ground around the port city of Mariupol.

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People stand beside the body of woman killed as result of shelling in the eastern Ukrainian city of …

Kiev is desperate to get Putin -- who has watched Western sanctions and low oil prices batter the Russian economy -- to put his signature on a deal. But the former KGB spy has consistently told Ukraine's government it needs to reach an agreement with the rebels, not with him.

Moscow is pushing for the separatist-held territories to be granted a large degree of autonomy, while Ukraine is demanding it get control back over some 400 kilometres (250 miles) of its border with Russia.

Kiev and the West accuse Putin of pouring soldiers and troops across the border into Ukraine to spearhead the insurgency, but Moscow denies it is behind the fighting.

Lavrov said that Moscow did not support allowing Ukraine to regain control of its frontier.

"While there is fighting, while many other issues remain unsolved, this will be unrealistic, in my opinion," Lavrov told reporters.

Reuters Videos
Two terror suspects arrested by Australian police during Sydney suburb raid

Sydney (AFP) - Two men were charged in Australia Wednesday after police thwarted an "imminent" terror attack, seizing an Islamic State flag, a machete and an Arabic-language video detailing the alleged plot during a raid in Sydney.

New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said the planned attack was "consistent with the messaging coming out of IS", while New South Wales state Premier Mike Baird described it as "beyond disturbing".

Asked whether the plot involved a beheading, Burn said police were as yet unsure, but that it had been due to happen Tuesday in Sydney, and would likely have involved a knife.

The men, Omar Al-Kutobi, 24, and Mohammad Kiad, 25, were arrested in a raid on a property in the city's western suburbs by the Joint Counter Terrorism Taskforce on Tuesday after a tip-off, and charged with making preparations for a terrorist act.

Reportedly devout Muslims, they were refused bail with the case adjourned until Thursday due to security issues.

"A number of items were located including a machete, a hunting knife, a home-made flag representing the proscribed terrorist organisation IS, and also a video which depicted a man talking about carrying out an attack," Burn said.

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Emergency personnel wheel an injured hostage to an ambulance during a cafe siege in the central busi …

"We will allege that both of these men were preparing to do this act yesterday. We built up information, we received further information which indicated an attack was imminent. And we acted."

In September Australian police shot dead a "known terror suspect" armed with two knives who stabbed two officers in Melbourne, a day after the Islamic State group called for Muslims to indiscriminately kill Australians.

In another unprovoked attack in May 2013, two Britons of Nigerian descent hacked to death 25-year-old soldier Lee Rigby near an army barracks in the southeast of London.

Attorney-General George Brandis told parliament the video seized allegedly showed "one suspect kneeling in front of an ISIL flag, with the knife and machete, making a politically motivated statement, threatening to undertake violent acts with those weapons".

ISIL is another name for the Islamic State group.

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Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan (R) listens as New South Wales Deputy P …

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the video was in Arabic and that "regrettably there are people out there, some living in our midsts, who would do us harm".

Baird said a potentially "catastrophic" incident had been avoided.

"It was beyond disturbing, what was planned," he told reporters. "Certainly, something catastrophic was avoided yesterday and for that we should be very thankful."

- Radicalised Australians -

Australia in September raised its terror threat level and carried out extensive raids in Sydney and Brisbane to disrupt an alleged plot by IS supporters to abduct and randomly behead a member of the public.

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In December, Sydney was rocked by a siege at a cafe by Iranian-born Man Haron Monis, a self-styled c …

The Islamic State group has captured swathes of territory across Iraq and Syria and sucked in increasing numbers of radicalised Australians to its cause.

In December, Sydney was rocked by a siege at a cafe by Iranian-born Man Haron Monis, a self-styled cleric with a history of extremist views.

He took 17 people hostage for some 16 hours, with the stand-off only ending after Monis shot dead cafe manager Tori Johnson, prompting police to storm the building and kill him. Another hostage was killed by a stray police bullet.

Abbott warned Wednesday to prepare for more IS-influenced plots.

"This is a serious problem and I fear it will get worse before it gets better, as we have seen again and again in recent times the death cult (IS) is reaching out all around the world, including here in Australia," he said.

Burn said the men arrested were not previously on authorities' radar and she did not know the exact nature of their alleged target, nor whether it was the police, military or the general public.

Islamic State, known for beheading and stoning to death its victims, routinely use videos uploaded onto social media for propaganda purposes.

It is increasingly luring jihadists from foreign countries, with more than 90 Australians now fighting in the Middle East.

Many others are being radicalised at home with Canberra late last year passing a law criminalising travel to terror hotspots.

"The concerning thing about this clearly is that this represents the nature of the environment that we currently face," said Burn.

"This is indicative of the threat that we now have to live with and which we are now having to deal with."

Muslims make up only 2.2 percent of Australia's largely Christian, but multicultural population of 23 million, with about 61.5 percent of them born overseas.

WTVD – Raleigh/Durham
3 college students shot to death in Chapel Hill, man charged

By Colleen Jenkins

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Reuters) - A gunman who had posted anti-religious messages on social media was charged with killing three Muslim students near the University of North Carolina in what police said on Wednesday was an ongoing dispute over parking.

Jim Roberts ✔ @nycjim Follow 3 Muslim students shot to death in apartment near UNC-Chapel Hill. Motive unknown. http:// cnn.it/1KHLHGS 7:15 AM - 11 Feb 2015 74 RETWEETS 15 FAVORITES

Muslim activists demanded that authorities investigate Hicks for possible hate crimes in the killings late on Tuesday of the three students who were all involved in humanitarian aid programs.

"Our preliminary investigation indicates that the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking," police said in a statement. "Hicks is cooperating with investigators and more information may be released at a later time."

Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue said in a statement: "We understand the concerns about the possibility that this was hate-motivated and we will exhaust every lead to determine if that is the case."

On Facebook, Hicks' profile picture reads "Atheists for Equality" and he frequently posted quotes critical of religion. On Jan. 20 he posted a photo of a .38-caliber revolver that he said was loaded and belonged to him.

"Yes, that is 1 pound 5.1 ounces for my loaded 38 revolver, its holster, and five extra rounds in a speedloader," the post said.

The victims in the shooting are Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; his wife Yusor Mohammad, 21, and her sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19.

Barakat was a second-year dental student at the University of North Carolina. He and Mohammad were recently married, according to postings on a Facebook memorial page for the victims, and she was planning on starting dentistry school at UNC in the next school year.

Abu-Salha was a sophomore at nearby North Carolina State University, where her sister and brother-in-law were both alumni.

ANTI-RELIGIOUS STATEMENTS CITED

A spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) told Reuters the three were Muslim.

"Based on the brutal nature of this crime, the past anti-religion statements of the alleged perpetrator, the religious attire of two of the victims, and the rising anti-Muslim rhetoric in American society, we urge state and federal law enforcement authorities to quickly address speculation of a possible bias motive in this case," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.

The shooting sparked the hashtag #MuslimLivesMatter on social media, with posters also questioning what role the students' faith may have played in the incident.

A Facebook page titled "Our Three Winners" was created to honor the victims, and a vigil was planned near the university's Chapel Hill campus for Wednesday night.

Officers responded to a report of gunshots at 5:11 p.m. local time (2211 GMT) and found the three victims, who were all pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

(Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner; Editing by Crispian Balmer and Howard Goller)