Saudi Arabia says strikes push Yemen rebels out of air bases

By AHMED AL-HAJ4 hours ago

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — A Saudi-led airstrike campaign targeting Shiite rebels who control much of Yemen has pushed them out of contested air bases and destroyed any jet fighter remaining in the Arab world's poorest country, the kingdom has said.

Saudi Brig. Gen. Ahmed bin Hasan Asiri said the airstrike campaign, now entering its fourth day Sunday, continued to target Scud missiles in Yemen, leaving most of their launching pads "devastated," according to remarks carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency.

However, he warned Saturday that the Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, could control more of the missiles. His account could not be immediately corroborated.

The Houthis began their offensive in September, seizing the capital, Sanaa, and later holding embattled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi under house arrest. The rebels later took over government in Yemen and ultimately forced Hadi to flee the country in recent days.

A Saudi-led coalition of some 10 countries began bombing Yemen on Thursday, saying it was targeting the Houthis and their allies, which include forces loyal to Yemen's former leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

On Saturday, Hadi directly accused Iran of being behind the Houthi offensive as leaders at an Arab summit considered creating a military reaction force in the Mideast, raising the specter of a regional conflict pitting Sunni Arab nations against Shiite power Iran. Iran and the Houthis deny that Tehran arms the rebel movement, though the Islamic Republic has provided humanitarian and other aid.

Meanwhile Sunday, Pakistan planned to dispatch a plane to the Yemeni city of Hodeida, hoping to evacuate some 500 citizens gathered there, said Shujaat Azim, an adviser to Pakistan's prime minister. Azim told state-run Pakistan Television more flights would follow as those controlling Yemen's airports allowed them.

Pakistan says some 3,000 of its citizens live in Yemen.

Ali Hassan, a Pakistani in Hodeida, told Pakistan's private GEO satellite news channel that hundreds there anxiously waited for a way home.

"We had sleepless nights due to the bombardment in Sanaa," Hassan said.

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Iran nuclear talks go down to wire as Israel lashes out

By Simon Sturdee and Jo Biddle13 minutes ago

Lausanne (AFP) - High-stakes negotiations to rein in Iran's suspect nuclear programme looked set to go down to the wire Sunday with only three days left until a midnight deadline for the outlines of a deal.

In a sign that the complex talks were coming to a head, top US diplomat John Kerry cancelled plans to attend a high-profile event in his beloved Boston on Monday to stay at the negotiating table, while the French and German foreign ministers delayed a planned visit to Kazakhstan.

"Given the ongoing nuclear negotiations, (Kerry) will not be able to share this special time ... in person," deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said of Monday's dedication of new institute in honour of late senator Ted Kennedy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose country is widely believed to have nuclear weapons itself, denounced as "dangerous" the accord that is on the table.

"The dangerous accord which is being negotiated in Lausanne confirms our concerns and even worse," Netanyahu said in remarks broadcast on public radio.

Kerry met again early Sunday with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the latest in a flurry of closed-door discussions at a luxury hotel in the Swiss town of Lausanne.

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US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz (L) US Secretary of State John Kerry (2nd L) US Under Secretary …

Asked afterwards if he was going to get his deal, Kerry said: "I don't know."

"It's going all right. We're working," he added.

French and German foreign ministers have already arrived in Lausanne, along with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

Their Chinese counterpart Wang Yi flew in early Sunday, and was due to meet separately with both Kerry and Zarif. The Russian and British foreign ministers were also expected during the day.

Officials have expressed guarded optimism that after 18 months of tortuous negotiations and two missed deadlines that a breakthrough might be in sight for a deal ending 12 years of tensions.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (C) speaks to the press after meeting with the German …

"If we manage to resolve all the remaining issues today or in the next two to three days, then we can begin to draw up a text. But for the moment we are still in discussions," a source close to the Iranian delegation said Sunday.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who like French counterpart Laurent Fabius joined the negotiations on Saturday, said the talks were in the "endgame".

Steinmeier added however that "the final metres are the most difficult but also the decisive ones".

The aim is to agree broad outlines for an accord by Tuesday's midnight deadline, and then flesh out a series of complex annexes containing all the technical details by June 30.

- Sanctions hurdle -

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European Union High Representative Federica Mogherini (C) arrives at the Beau Rivage Palace Hotel Ma …

The mooted deal would see Iran scale down its nuclear programme and allow unprecedented inspections of its remaining activities.

The hope is to prolong the theoretical "breakout" time that Iran would need to produce enough fissile material to build a nuclear bomb to at least a year from the current estimate of several months.

This would require a combination of slashing the number of machines producing nuclear material, converting the capacities of existing nuclear plants such as the underground Fordo facility, exporting its stocks of enriched uranium and limiting the development of newer, faster equipment.

But Iran, which denies wanting nuclear weapons, is insisting that in exchange global powers must lift sanctions that have choked its economy by strangling its oil exports and banks.

The issue of UN sanctions is proving particularly thorny, diplomats said, with global powers insisting the sanctions should be eased only gradually to ensure that they can be "snapped" back into place if Iran violates the deal.

"The brinksmanship in these negotiations will no doubt continue until the 11th hour," said Ali Vaez, an expert at the International Crisis Group.

Kerry is under pressure to return from Lausanne with something concrete to head off a push by Republican lawmakers to introduce yet more sanctions, potentially torpedoing the whole negotiating process.

Russia has also warned that US-supported airstrikes by Iran's foe Saudi Arabia on Iran-backed rebels in Yemen were "having an impact".

Nigerian voters try again after technical glitches

By Ola Awonyi1 hour ago

Abuja (AFP) - Nigeria's closely fought general elections were forced into a second day on Sunday after failures in controversial new technology snarled the polling, including for President Goodluck Jonathan.

Authorities reopened some 300 polling stations -- of a total 150,000 -- where devices to read biometric voter identity cards did not work properly on Saturday.

Jonathan's ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has opposed the use of the technology, saying it was insufficiently tested, while the main opposition backs the new system as a way of curbing electoral fraud.

The president's campaign spokesman Femi Fani-Kayode late Saturday called for the resignation of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman Attahiru Jega.

But Jega played down the problems, apologising for failures but insisting that the overall process had gone well.

"Regrettably there have been challenges. There were still cases of late distribution of materials and late arrival (of officials) in polling units," he told Channels television in an interview.

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A voter listening to the news on a radio set speaks to a foreign election observer near a polling st …

"From our general assessment, out of the 150,000 card readers which we have deployed, only about 450 were affected."

On Sunday the devices will be used again or voters will be processed manually in case of further glitches so that all citizens can exercise their democratic right, he added.

"It will not affect returns on (the) presidential election," he said.

- 'National embarrassment' -

Jonathan, 57, was eventually able to vote in his hometown of Otuoke, in southern Bayelsa state, but the problems did not affect his main challenger Muhammadu Buhari.

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An elderly woman waits in line to vote at a polling station in Daura, Katsina State, during presiden …

"All this... negative thought about Nigeria election shouldn't hold because of (a) problem in even a maximum of five states," the 72-year-old former military ruler said.

A 24-hour extension to the election was "in order", Buhari added after voting in his home state of Katsina, in the Muslim-majority north.

The PDP has called the problems "a huge national embarrassment" but Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) maintains that card readers should still be used as much as possible on Sunday.

To do so would "enhance the integrity of the process", party spokesman Lai Mohammed said in a statement late Saturday.

INEC spokesman Kayode Idowu said there were "about 109 places where cards were not read. Barely 100 places with biometrics issue and others had issue with batteries".

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Incumbent Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan arrives to cast his ballot during presidential electi …

The row, which could be grounds for a legal challenge from either side, reflects the high stakes in the election, with Jonathan and Buhari running neck-and-neck in opinion polls.

The PDP, in power for all of the 16 years since Nigeria returned to civilian rule, has never faced a serious opposition challenge before now.

But the APC and Buhari have apparently gained support by attacking Jonathan's record in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency, endemic government corruption and a slump in the economy.

- Security issues -

Boko Haram, after dominating the campaign trail, has also loomed large in the vote, apparently honouring their pledge to disrupt what it sees as the "un-Islamic" elections by launching a series of attacks.

On Friday, 23 people were beheaded and homes were set on fire in Buratai, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the Borno state capital, although the attacks were not clearly related to the elections.

On Saturday, at least seven people were killed in a string of shootings that witnesses blamed on the Islamists in the northeastern state of Gombe. Three of the attacks were at polling stations.

An election official in the Nafada district, who asked not to be identified, said the gunmen were heard shouting: "Didn't we warn you about staying away from the election?"

The Islamists have repeatedly targeted Nafada but the APC blamed its political opponents.

Nigeria's most senior police officer, Suleiman Abba, said a number of sporadic incidents of poll-related violence were reported on Saturday and security would be maintained on Sunday.

Vote tallying began late Saturday, but at many polling stations officials resorted to flashlights as night fell, hit by the power cuts that are endemic to Nigeria.

Arab summit: Yemen airstrikes to go on until rebels withdraw

By HAMZA HENDAWI2 hours ago

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SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen will continue until Shiite rebels there "withdraw and surrender their weapons," a summit of Arab leaders decided Sunday, as they also agreed in principle to forming a joint military force.

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The decision by the Arab League puts it on a path to more aggressively challenge Shiite power Iran, which is backing the Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis.

A Saudi-led coalition began bombing Yemen on Thursday, saying it was targeting the Houthis and their allies, which include forces loyal to Yemen's former leader, Ali Abdullah Saleh. Current and former Yemeni military officials have said the campaign could pave the way for a possible ground invasion.

At the summit, held in the Egyptian resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby read a final communique outlining the leaders' views.

"Yemen was on the brink of the abyss, requiring effective Arab and international moves after all means of reaching a peaceful resolution have been exhausted to end the Houthi coup and restore legitimacy," Elaraby said.

The Houthis swept down from their northern strongholds last year and captured the capital Sanaa in September. Embattled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, a close U.S. ally against a powerful local al-Qaida affiliate, fled first to the southern city of Aden and left the country last week.

Speaking at the summit Saturday, Hadi directly accused Iran of being behind the Houthi offensive, raising the specter of a regional conflict. Iran and the Houthis deny that Tehran arms the rebel movement, though the Islamic Republic has provided humanitarian and other aid.

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Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi chairs an Arab foreign ministers meeting during an Arab summ …

Asked at a news conference to explain vague references to "foreign powers" being behind conflicts in different Arab nations, Elaraby said: "I will answer this question indirectly. There is meddling by some neighbors, Israel on one side, Turkey and Iranian interference in several countries."

Speaking after Elaraby, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said leaders also agreed in principle to creating a joint Arab military force. He said a high-level panel will work under the supervision of Arab chiefs of staff to work out the structure and mechanism of the force.

Elaraby said the chiefs of staff would meet within a month and have three more months to decide on the structure, budget and mechanism of the force before they present their proposals to a meeting of the Arab League's Joint Defense Council.

"It is an important resolution given all the unprecedented unrest and threats endured by the Arab world," Elaraby said.

A summit resolution said the force would be deployed at the request of any Arab nation facing a national security threat and that it would also be used to combat terrorist groups.

"There is a political will to create this force and not to leave its creation without a firm time frame," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri told a news conference.

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Saudi Foreign Minister Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud reviews a document during an Arab forei …

Egyptian military and security officials have said the proposed force would consist of up to 40,000 elite troops and be headquartered in either Cairo or Riyadh, the Saudi capital. The force would be backed by jet fighters, warships and light armor.

However, it is unlikely that all 22 member nations of the often-fractious Arab League will join the proposed force. Creation of such a force has been a longtime goal that has eluded Arab nations in the 65 years since they signed a rarely used joint defense agreement.

Iraq, whose Shiite government is closely allied with non-Arab and Shiite Iran, has said more time is needed to discuss the proposed force.

Now in its fourth day, the Saudi-led air campaign has pushed Houthi rebels out of contested air bases and destroyed any jet fighter remaining in Yemen, Saudi Brig. Gen. Ahmed bin Hasan Asiri said.

Yemen's Foreign Minister Riad Yassin said the air campaign, codenamed Operation Decisive Storm, had prevented the rebels from using planes they seized to attack Yemeni cities or to using missiles to attack neighboring Saudi Arabia. It also stopped Iran's supply line to the rebels, he said.

Yassin said military experts will decide when and if a ground operation is needed.

"This is a comprehensive, a package operation and (ground operations) will depend on the calculations of the military," he told reporters. Yassin said political dialogue will only happen after the Houthis surrender the weapons they seized from the state.

Meanwhile Sunday, Pakistan dispatched a plane to the Yemeni city of Hodeida, hoping to evacuate some 500 citizens gathered there, said Shujaat Azim, an adviser to Pakistan's prime minister. Azim told state-run Pakistan Television more flights would follow as those controlling Yemen's airports allowed them.

Pakistan says some 3,000 of its citizens live in Yemen. Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj also tweeted Sunday: "We are doing everything to evacuate our people from Yemen at the earliest by all routes — land, sea and air."

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