Top News

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry has welcomed a request from Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) for a forum in Riyadh to resolve a deadly factional rift in the country’s south that has stoked armed conflict there and triggered tensions between Gulf Arab nations.

In a statement on Saturday, the Saudi foreign ministry called on southern factions to participate in the forum in the Saudi capital to “formulate a comprehensive vision for fair solutions to the southern cause”.

Earlier on Saturday, PLC Chairman Rashad al-Alimi appealed to the different groups and figures in southern Yemen to come together for a meeting in Riyadh, according to Saba News Agency.

Saba quoted al-Alimi as underlining the “justness and centrality of the southern cause” and “rejected any unilateral or exclusionary solutions” to resolve the ongoing conflict.

Deadly tensions have erupted in recent days, after the separatist group Southern Transitional Council (STC) launched a major offensive in Yemen’s Hadramout and al-Mahra provinces, which make up nearly half of Yemen’s territory.

Oil-producing Hadramout borders Saudi Arabia, and many prominent Saudis trace their origins to the province, lending it cultural and historical significance for the kingdom. Its capture by the STC last month was regarded by the Saudis as a threat.

The STC is part of the anti-Houthi coalition in Yemen’s south. But it is said to harbour plans to carve out its own nation in southern Yemen, causing conflict with its partner, the internationally recognised Yemeni government led by the PLC.

The Saudis have accused its coalition partner, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), of arming the STC, whose military operation is now threatening to split Yemen into three, while also posing problems to Riyadh’s own national security.

The UAE has denied those allegations, insisting that it supports Saudi Arabia’s security.

In a statement on Saturday, the UAE expressed its “deep concern” over the ongoing escalation and called on the Yemenis “to prioritise wisdom and exercise restraint to ensure security and stability in the country”.

The Saudi-backed coalition was formed in 2015 in an attempt to dislodge the Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen’s north.

But after a brutal, decade-long civil war, the Houthis remain in place while the Saudi and Emirati-backed factions attack each other in the south.

On Friday, air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition killed 20 people, according to the STC.

Late on Friday, the UAE announced the return of all Emirati armed forces personnel from Yemen, signalling a possible detente with Saudi Arabia.

The UAE’s defence ministry said that the withdrawal of its forces from Yemen is in accordance with its decision “to conclude the remaining missions of counter-terrorism units”.

“The process has been conducted in a manner that ensured the safety of all personnel and carried out in coordination with all relevant partners,” the ministry said in a statement published on the Emirates News Agency website.

Amid the UAE’s announcement of a withdrawal, the STC unilaterally declared that it aims to hold a referendum on independence from the north in two years.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, former Yemeni diplomat and parliament member Ali Ahmed al-Amrani, however, dismissed the idea of secession as a solution to the Yemeni crisis, saying it “does not reflect a national consensus”.

Meanwhile, Hisham Al-Omeisy, a political and conflict analyst focusing on Yemen with the European Institute of Peace, warned that if not resolved, the latest violence in the south could mark the start of a dangerous new phase in the war, with rival forces seeking to reshape control on the ground.

“We’re going to be basically seeing a bloody conflict, at least in the coming few days, to draw a new map in the south,” he added.

“This is prolonged fighting,” Al-Omeisy told Al Jazeera, describing a situation in which “warring factions are trying to gain territory and secure the upper hand.

“This is a proxy war within a proxy war,” he said, adding that the consequences could extend far beyond Yemen’s borders.

Jan. 1 (Asia Today) — South Korea will raise its median income standard by 6.5% this year, the largest increase on record, expanding eligibility for basic livelihood benefits and related support programs, the government said Wednesday.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said the median income for a four-person household in 2026 will be set at 6,494,738 won per month ($4,900), up 6.51% from a year earlier. The higher benchmark will be used to calculate eligibility for benefits under the National Basic Living Security System.

Under the revised criteria, the selection threshold for a four-person household will rise to 2,078,316 won per month ($1,570), from 1,951,287 won last year. For a one-person household, the threshold will increase to 820,556 won ($620), up from 765,444 won.

Actual benefit payments are determined by subtracting a household’s recognized income from the applicable selection threshold, the ministry said.

The government will also expand income deductions aimed at encouraging youth employment and self-reliance. Eligibility for additional deductions on earned and business income will be extended from those aged 29 and under to those aged 34 and under. The maximum additional deduction will increase to 600,000 won ($450) from 400,000 won.

New special provisions will address state compensation payments. Lump-sum compensation received by beneficiaries who are victims of unlawful state actions will be excluded from asset calculations for three years, a move intended to prevent beneficiaries from losing eligibility due to compensation payouts.

The ministry said it will also tighten oversight of fraudulent benefit claims. Mandatory prosecution will apply to cases where recovered fraudulent payments exceed 10 million won ($7,500), and authorities will be required to submit prosecution results every six months to strengthen supervision and transparency.

Health and Welfare Minister Chung Eun-kyung said the changes are expected to add about 40,000 new recipients in 2026.

“We will continue to closely review and improve the system so that low-income citizens can live stable and dignified lives,” Chung said.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Jan. 1 (Asia Today) — Major South Korean game companies posted sharply different results in 2025, with performance largely tied to whether they shipped new titles built on established intellectual property or introduced new franchises, industry officials said.

Nexon is projected to report 2025 revenue of 4.5594 trillion won ($3.16 billion) and operating profit of 1.4112 trillion won ($979 million), up 13.7% and 26.4% from a year earlier, according to industry estimates.

The gains were attributed to the impact of recent releases including Mabinogi Mobile, Maple Raising and The First Berserker: Khazan. Mabinogi Mobile won the top prize at the 2025 Korea Game Awards held at BEXCO in Busan.

Krafton is also expected to top 1 trillion won ($693 million) in operating profit. The company’s 2025 revenue is estimated at 3.09 trillion won ($2.14 billion) with operating profit of 1.301 trillion won ($902 million), up about 14% and 10% on the year.

Krafton’s results were driven by its flagship PUBG: Battlegrounds franchise, with Battlegrounds Mobile India cited as a key growth engine in the Indian market.

Netmarble is projected to post 2025 revenue of 2.79 trillion won ($1.93 billion) and operating profit of 360 billion won ($250 million), up 4.7% and 68% from a year earlier. The company’s new titles based on in-house IP, including Vampyr and Seven Knights Re:Birth Global, were credited with supporting profitability, along with a higher share of self-developed games in its lineup.

NCSoft, which recorded its first loss since its initial public offering last year, is expected to return to profit. The company’s 2025 revenue is estimated at 1.45 trillion won ($1.01 billion) with operating profit of 15 billion won ($10.4 million), with strong early performance of the MMORPG Aion 2 cited as a key factor.

Kakao Games, however, is projected to swing to an operating loss amid delays in new releases. The company’s 2025 revenue is estimated at 470 billion won ($326 million) with an operating loss of 39 billion won ($27.0 million).

An industry official said game makers are leaning more heavily on proven franchises while trying to develop new IP, and that 2026 results will likely depend on whether companies can sustain release momentum.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Jan. 1 (Asia Today) — Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife sent New Year’s greetings to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un but North Korean state media gave the exchange scant attention and did not publish Xi’s message, according to diplomatic sources in Beijing.

The Korean Central News Agency mentioned Xi’s greeting in a roundup of messages from multiple foreign leaders, including Vietnam’s president and Myanmar’s interim president, the sources said. Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling Workers’ Party, also carried the item in a brief reference placed low in its coverage.

Neither outlet disclosed the contents of Xi’s greeting, the sources said, in contrast with extensive coverage of Kim’s exchange with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

North Korea reported that Kim sent Putin a New Year’s message Saturday and published it on Rodong Sinmun’s front page, the sources said. North Korea also said Putin sent Kim a New Year’s message Thursday.

The sources said North Korea published the full text of New Year’s letters exchanged by Kim and Putin a year ago, underscoring what it portrayed as close ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.

The muted handling of Xi’s greeting comes despite signs of a thaw in North Korea-China relations after a summit in Beijing on Sept. 3 during China’s Victory Day anniversary events, the sources said. Even so, they said this year’s coverage suggested lingering frictions have not been fully resolved.

The sources said Kim also exchanged New Year’s greetings with Hur Jong-man, chairman of the General Association of Korean Residents in Japan. They added that the General Association of Koreans in China sent Kim a lengthy congratulatory message.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Jan. 2 (UPI) — Mexico-based AeroMexico won Cirium’s On-Time Performance Review for the second straight year with more than 90% of its flights being on time in 2025.

U.K.-based Cirium is a global aviation analytics firm and made AeroMexico the second global airline to win its On-Time Performance Review in consecutive years since it began the review in 2009, according to Business Wire.

AeroMexico maintained its industry-leading schedule across 188,859 flights in 23 countries with 90.02% completed on time.

Saudi Arabia’s Saudia Airlines finished second with an on-time rate of 86.52%, followed by Scandinavian Airlines’ SAS at 86.09%.

Several regional airlines exceeded AeroMexico’s on-time rating, while claiming regional crowns in Cirium’s annual airline ratings competition.

U.S.-based Delta Airlines won the regional crown in North America for a fifth-straight year with 80.9% of its flights being completed on time, while Copa Airlines secured a record 11th regional win with a 90.74% on-time rate.

International Airline Group’s Iberia Express topped the European market for a third-straight year with an on-time rate of 88.94%, and Philippine Airlines claimed the top spot in the Asia-Pacific region with 83.12% of its flights being completed on time.

In the Middle East and Africa, Safair Airline of South Africa topped the competition with an on-time rate of 91.06%.

Cirium’s platinum award for 2025 goes to Qatar Airways, which logged an on-time rate of 84.42% while completing 198,303 flights across six continents.

U.K.-based Virgin Atlantic secured the most-improved award with a 9.44% on-time rate improvement, from 74.01% in 2024 to 83.45% in 2025.

Among global airports, Santiago Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport in Chile won the large airport category with 87.04% of its flights departing on time.

Among medium-sized airports, Panama’s Tocumen International Airport took the top spot with 93.34% of its flights departing on time.

Turkey’s Istanbul Airport won Cirium’s Airport Platinum Award for its operational services, passenger care during flight disruptions and its general growth.

Jan. 2 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s presidential office said Friday it “respects the One China principle” after China urged Seoul to reaffirm its position on Taiwan ahead of President Lee Jae-myung’s planned visit to China.

National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac told reporters at the Blue House that the government respects the One China principle and is responding in line with that stance.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi raised the issue during a phone call Wednesday with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. Wang also criticized what he described as efforts by some political forces in Japan to revise history and downplay past aggression and colonialism, the ministry said.

The remarks were widely seen as pressure on Seoul to publicly restate its position before Lee’s trip.

China’s Foreign Ministry said Cho told Wang that Lee places importance on cooperation with China and is committed to developing the bilateral strategic cooperative partnership. Cho also said South Korea’s position of respecting the One China principle has not changed, the ministry said.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Jan. 2 (UPI) — Travel restrictions for 20 more nations and locales took effect on Thursday in accordance with President Donald Trump‘s Dec. 16 order expanding travel restrictions to 39 nations.

President Donald Trump has restricted travel from a total of 39 nations and entities due to deficiencies in their respective screening and vetting processes that make it difficult to protect the United States against public safety and national security threats.

“The United States government has identified additional countries that are unable to meet basic criteria for identifying their nationals and residents who may pose national security and public safety risks, or for sharing necessary information with the United States,” U.S. Customs and Immigration Services officials announced on Thursday.

“It is paramount that the United States government ensure aliens in the United States do not intend to threaten its citizens or undermine or destabilize its culture, government, institutions, or founding principles,” USCIS added.

“Entry will not be granted to aliens who advocate for, aid or support designated foreign terrorists or other threats to our national security or public safety.”

A dozen high-risk nations identified by the White House are Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, and their citizens are fully restricted from traveling to the United States.

Another five nations, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria, plus anyone holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority, also are subject to full restrictions on U.S. travel.

Full restrictions also are in effect for travelers from Laos and Sierra Leone, which previously were subjected to partial restrictions.

Prior to the Dec. 16 order, 19 nations were subject to travel restrictions, but the president added the 19 additional nations and the Palestinian Authority amid ongoing violence and recent revelations of fraud.

Some exceptions to the travel bans are allowed for diplomats and athletes competing on teams that are participating in the Olympics, FIFA World Cup and other events.

Jan. 2 (Asia Today) — South Korean President Lee Jae-myung will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday during a four-day visit to China aimed at advancing talks on Korean Peninsula peace, economic cooperation and issues including restrictions on Korean cultural content in China, the presidential office said Friday.

National Security Office Director Wi Sung-lac told a briefing at the Blue House that Lee will travel to China from Sunday through Wednesday at Xi’s invitation, visiting Beijing and Shanghai.

Wi said the summit on Monday will include talks, a signing ceremony for nearly 10 memorandums of understanding and a state banquet. He said the main agenda will center on peace and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

“People’s livelihoods and peace cannot be separated,” Wi said, adding that both countries share an interest in peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia. He said Seoul plans to strengthen strategic communication with Beijing and urge China to play a constructive role in helping address Korean Peninsula issues.

Wi said the two sides will also seek progress on what South Korea calls China’s restrictions on Korean cultural content. He said China’s official position is that no such ban exists but that South Korea sees it differently and will pursue broader consensus on cultural exchanges.

Wi said Lee’s team will also raise concerns about Chinese structures in the West Sea, also known as the Yellow Sea. He said the issue was discussed during a South Korea-China summit in Gyeongju in November and working-level consultations have continued.

A K-pop concert that had been discussed in connection with the trip is unlikely to take place this time, Wi said.

Lee will attend a South Korea-China business forum on Monday, the presidential office said. On Tuesday, he is scheduled to have lunch with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and meet Zhao Leji, the chairman of China’s national legislature.

On Wednesday, Lee plans to visit the former Shanghai headquarters of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Wi said the visit will mark the 150th anniversary of independence activist Kim Gu’s birth and the 100th anniversary of the Shanghai provisional government building, and is intended to honor the independence movement and the countries’ shared historical experience.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Jan. 1 (Asia Today) — Kim Tae-woo, director of nuclear security research at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, said the security outlook on the Korean Peninsula remains grave as North Korea continues missile activity and China advances new weapons systems.

In a column, Kim pointed to North Korea’s missile launches late last year and its unveiling of what he described as a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine under construction. He also cited reports of a Chinese hypersonic glide vehicle test.

Kim said the White House in December released a four-chapter National Security Strategy that he described as notably different in tone and language from past versions. He said it explicitly embraces “America First” and frames policy around U.S. national interests.

Kim said the strategy argues that post-World War II U.S. leaders wrongly believed taking on global burdens served U.S. interests. He said it criticizes free trade for weakening U.S. industry and portrays alliances in transactional terms, arguing some allies shifted security costs to Washington or drew it into conflicts not tied to core U.S. interests.

Kim wrote that the strategy’s stated goals include U.S. survival and security, neutralizing external threats and unfair trade, maintaining the strongest military and nuclear arsenal, developing next-generation missile defense, sustaining a dynamic economy, protecting industrial and energy capacity and preserving leadership in science, technology and soft power.

He said the document defines core U.S. interests as maintaining dominance in the Western Hemisphere, protecting freedom of navigation and supply lines in the Indo-Pacific, restoring what it calls Western civilization’s identity and self-reliance in Europe, preventing hostile forces from dominating Middle Eastern energy and preserving U.S. leadership in cutting-edge science.

Kim said the strategy lists U.S. political institutions, economic innovation, financial leadership, technological and military strength, alliance ties, geographic advantages and natural resources as key tools. He said it also lays out guiding principles including a focus on core security interests, “peace through strength,” a preference for non-intervention and demands for greater allied defense spending.

On regional policy, Kim said the strategy describes the Western Hemisphere as a zone where the United States will seek to maintain dominance, prevent external threats and block illegal immigration, drug trafficking and human trafficking, while expanding partnerships and, if needed, redeploying forces to address urgent threats.

For Asia, Kim said the strategy emphasizes economic security and military deterrence while criticizing past assumptions that integrating China into the global economy would lead it to accept a rules-based order. He said it targets China’s state-led industrial practices, intellectual property theft and efforts to restrict access to resources such as rare earths. He added that it also says the United States will not accept persistent trade deficits with allies including Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada and European partners.

On deterrence, Kim said the document maintains existing U.S. declaratory policy on Taiwan and calls deterring conflict in the Taiwan Strait a U.S. interest, arguing this requires conventional military superiority and greater allied cost-sharing and roles. He said it also warns that rival control of the South China Sea would pose a serious threat to U.S. interests and calls for cooperation from Asian nations from India to Japan to keep sea lanes open.

Kim said the Europe section urges European countries to reclaim identity and self-reliance and criticizes what it calls weakening economic weight and lax immigration policies. He said it presses Europe to pursue strategic stability with Russia, treat NATO less as an ever-expanding alliance and open markets to U.S. goods while offering fair treatment to U.S. companies.

Kim said the Middle East and Africa sections are comparatively brief, focusing on burden-sharing and limiting long-term intervention. He said the document argues the Middle East’s strategic value has declined due to increased U.S. oil production, while emphasizing preventing hostile control of energy and maritime routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, countering terrorism, supporting Israel and expanding the Abraham Accords. On Africa, Kim said it calls for selective engagement tied to resource security.

Kim argued the strategy no longer reflects the image of the United States as an “Uncle Sam” defender of liberal democracy and human rights. He said it does not emphasize strengthened combined defense and extended deterrence, and he wrote that it does not mention North Korea’s nuclear program or the North Korean threat. He said South Korea appears only a few times, largely in contexts that call for greater allied defense burdens and fair trade.

Kim said South Korea has limited options, even if concerns grow about the reliability of U.S. commitments after what he described as a blunt statement that the era of America carrying the world order is over. He wrote that South Korea should treat a “changing America” as the new normal, keep the alliance as the cornerstone of its security and approach talks on tariffs, investment and alliance modernization as critical.

The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.

– Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Jan. 2 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order stopping a semiconductor chips deal between U.S. and Chinese companies citing national security concerns.

The $2.92 million deal would have seen HieFo Corp., a Delaware-based company operated out of China, acquire the semiconductor chips and wafer fabrication businesses of New Jersey’s EMCORE Corp. The two companies announced plans for the deal in 2024.

“There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that HieFo Corporation, a company organized under the laws of Delaware (HieFo) and controlled by a citizen of the People’s Republic of China … might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States,” Trump’s order reads.

The executive order, issued under the Defense Production Act, prevents HieFo from having any interest or rights in Encore assets and orders HieFo to divest from Encore within 180 days. The divestment is expected to be overseen by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

Millions of Americans are facing a huge increase in the amount they have to pay for health insurance.

A dispute about government subsides for healthcare was one of the major issues that led to a 43-day shutdown of the US government last year – the longest in history.

But even when the shutdown ended, Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on and extension of the the subsidies.

As the clock struck midnight on January 1 – the health costs for 24 million people rose dramatically

So, what’s the impact for those in need? And how much politics is involved?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Lindsay Allen – Health Economist and Policy Researcher at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University

Neel Shah – Physician and Chief Medical Officer of Maven Clinic

Rinah Shah – Political Strategist and Geopolitical analyst

Jan. 2 (UPI) — Saudi Arabia’s military struck United Arab Emirates-backed separatists in Yemen on Friday, prompting an unofficial declaration of “war” from the Southern Transitional Council.

Representatives of the separatist Southern Transitional Council in Yemen’s Hadramout Governorate accused Saudi forces of bombing their fighters while they were near Yemen’s border with Saudi Arabia.

They say a state of war exists in the province, but no casualty reports were provided for the military strike that involved Saudi ground and air forces.

The Hadramout province is situated in eastern Yemen and about 500 miles east of Yemen’s capital city of Sanaa, with Saudi Arabia to its north and the Gulf of Aden to its south.

Hadramout Gov. Salem al-Khanbashi dismissed the STC’s war declaration and said the military operation by Saudi Arabia sought to “peacefully and systematically” regain military bases controlled by the STC, Al Jazeera reported.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia have become involved in the internal conflict in Yemen, with the Saudis backing the Yemeni government and the UAE the STC.

Saudi and Yemeni officials have accused the UAE of arming STC separatists and encouraging them to seize parts of southern Yemen’s Hadramout and al-Mahra provinces.

STC representatives have said they intend to hold a voter referendum in two years to decide if an official declaration of an independent state will be delivered.

Yemen already is in a deadly civil war that started in 2014, and the STC’s planned vote could make the fighting more frequent and intense and worsen conditions in what is considered one of the world’s most impoverished nations.

The civil war has created famine conditions within the nation that already has experienced many deadly conflicts since the civil war began.

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing into Gaza, speaking with volunteers delivering aid to the enclave. The former special envoy for the UN refugee agency also met with Palestinians displaced by Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Protests are intensifying in Iran as a deepening economic crisis fuels public anger over soaring prices and falling living standards. Here’s a breakdown of what’s driving the unrest and how authorities are responding.

Jan. 2 (UPI) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Friday that he named spy boss Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov as his chief of staff.

“I had a meeting with Kyrylo Budanov and offered him the role of the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. At this time, Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues, the development of the Defense and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track of negotiations, and the Office of the President will primarily serve the fulfillment of these tasks of our state. Kyrylo has specialized experience in these areas and sufficient strength to deliver results,” Zelensky said in a post on X.

Budanov retweeted Zelensky’s post and said he accepted the offer.

“It is both an honor and a profound commitment, especially at this decisive moment in our country’s history, to focus on issues critical to Ukraine’s strategic security,” Budanov said.

“We will continue to do what must be done — to strike the enemy, defend Ukraine, and work tirelessly toward a just peace. Together, we will continue to fight for a free and secure future for Ukraine.”

Zelensky’s former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, resigned on Nov. 28 after a raid on his home in a sweeping corruption scandal. Yermak was the most powerful political figure in Ukraine behind Zelensky.

Yermak, 54, has not been accused of any wrongdoing, and officials did not explain why they searched his property.

Budanov, 39, has been the leader of the country’s Hur military intelligence agency since 2020. The agency is known as one of the most competent institutions in the country, and Budanov has become a household name, the Kyiv Independent said.

A lawmaker from Zelensky’s party told the Independent that hiring Budanov could indicate that the peace plan for the war between Ukraine and Russia negotiated by President Donald Trump and his team may fall apart.

“We need to prepare for a long, exhausting struggle. And this is exactly the approach that Budanov represents,” the lawmaker said.

Budanov “will need to build his own system, his own vertical of power. I think it will be a different style of leadership for the office,” the source told the Independent. “He’s a spymaster, but he’s not a master of political intrigue.”

Saudi-backed Hadramout governor says move under way to ‘peacefully’ take over military sites from STC.

Fighting broke out on Friday in Yemen’s Hadramout province that borders Saudi Arabia, between forces loyal to the region’s Saudi-backed governor and the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC).

The STC accused Saudi Arabia of bombing its forces near the border on Friday.

Seven people were killed and than 20 people were also wounded as seven air strikes hit a camp in Al-Khasah, said Mohammed Abdulmalik, head of the STC in Wadi Hadramaut and Hadramaut Desert.

But Hadramout’s governor Salem al-Khanbashi said on Friday that the efforts to take back bases from the STC were meant to “peacefully and systematically” reclaim military sites in Yemen’s southern province.

“The operation is not a declaration of war or an escalation, but rather a precautionary measure to protect security and prevent chaos,” he said in a statement.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Al Attab, reporting from Sanaa, said fighting was reported to be taking place on Friday in positions where STC forces are located along the Saudi border.

But, he added, “we are still waiting for confirmation about what is going on there,” saying that the latest information available from the area suggested the STC had maintained control of its positions.

The outbreak in fighting comes after Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said it ‍had appointed al-Khanbashi to take overall command of the National Shield forces in the eastern province, granting him full military, security and administrative authority in what it said was a move to restore security and order.

Saudi Arabia and the internationally recognised Yemeni government that it backs have accused the United Arab Emirates of arming the STC and pushing it to seize parts of the Hadramout and al-Mahra provinces in southern Yemen last month. Riyadh has warned that it views the STC’s growing presence in these provinces — which border Saudi Arabia — as a threat to its national security. The UAE has rejected these allegations and said that it is committed to Saudi Arabia’s security.

Last week, the UAE said it was pulling its remaining forces out of Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a call for its forces to leave within 24 hours.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the STC are all part of a military coalition that Riyadh pulled together a decade ago to confront the Houthis. But the STC’s increasingly aggressive secessionist acts, and allegations that the UAE is assisting the group, have fostered tensions within the coalition.

The head of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, warned against any attempt to oppose the government’s decisions to prevent the country from sliding into a new cycle of violence.

“The decision to end the Emirati military presence came within the framework of correcting the course of the [coalition] and in coordination with its joint leadership, and in a way that ensures the cessation of any support for elements outside the state,” al-Alimi said in a statement.

Tensions escalate

The STC has insisted its fighters will remain in place in the southern provinces that Saudi Arabia and the official Yemeni government want them to withdraw from.

On Friday, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen blamed STC leader Aidarus al-Zubaidi for refusing to grant landing permission the previous day for a plane carrying a Saudi delegation to Aden.

“For several weeks and until yesterday, ‌the Kingdom sought to make all efforts with the Southern Transitional ⁠Council to end the escalation … but it faced continuous rejection and stubbornness from Aidarus Al-Zubaidi,” the Saudi ambassador, Mohammed Al-Jaber, said on X.

A halt in flights at Aden International Airport ‌on Thursday continued into Friday as both sides traded blame for the air traffic shutdown.

In a statement on Thursday, the STC-controlled Transport Ministry accused Saudi Arabia of imposing an air blockade, saying Riyadh required ‍all flights to go via Saudi Arabia for extra checks. A Saudi Arabian source, however, denied the allegation, saying Yemen’s internationally recognised government, led by the Presidential Leadership Council, was behind the requirement for UAE-bound flights to land for inspection in Jeddah.

Yemeni presidential adviser Thabet al-Ahmadi confirmed to Al Jazeera that it had imposed a requirement that applied to one flight route departing from Aden airport. He said the move was meant to prevent STC money smuggling.

Crash kills two men and injures British boxer Anthony Joshua in Nigeria.

The driver of a car carrying British boxer Anthony Joshua that was involved in a fatal crash in Nigeria has been charged with reckless and dangerous driving, police in southwestern Nigeria’s Ogun State say.

Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, was driving the boxer and two of his friends, Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami, on a busy highway linking Lagos and Ibadan on Monday when the Lexus SUV in which they were travelling rammed into a stationary truck.

“The defendant was granted bail in the sum of 5 million naira ($3,480) with two sureties. He was remanded pending when he meets his bail condition,” police spokesman Oluseyi Babaseyi told the AFP news agency on Friday.

Kayode has been held in police custody since he was discharged from hospital on Thursday.

Nigerian police and state officials said Ayodele and Ghami died at the scene while Joshua and the driver sustained minor injuries.

Preliminary investigations showed that the vehicle was moving at an excessive speed and had burst a tyre before the crash, the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency in Ogun State, where the accident occurred, told AFP earlier in the week.

After leaving the hospital on Wednesday, Joshua and his mother paid their respects at the funeral home where the bodies of his friends were being prepared for repatriation.

A government source suggested to AFP on Thursday that the remains of the victims may have been repatriated to the United Kingdom. Joshua’s whereabouts are unknown.

Military intelligence chief has been credited with a series of daring operations against Russia since it launched its invasion.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has named military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as his new chief of staff as Ukraine and the United States work on a 20-point plan that could end Russia’s war.

“Ukraine needs greater focus on security issues, the development of the Defence and Security Forces of Ukraine, as well as on the diplomatic track of negotiations, and the Office of ​the President will primarily serve the ‌fulfillment of these tasks of our state,” Zelenskyy said on X on Friday.

“Kyrylo has specialized experience in these areas and sufficient strength to deliver results,” ‌he added.

The new post for the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) of the Ministry of Defence was announced at a key moment in the nearly four-year war with Russia after Zelenskyy announced on Wednesday that the US-brokered deal to end the conflict was “90 percent” ready.

Budanov has been credited with a series of daring operations against Russia since it launched an all-out assault against Ukraine in 2022. The 39-year-old has run the GUR since being ⁠appointed to the post by Zelenskyy in August 2020.

Budanov said he had accepted the nomination and would “continue to serve Ukraine”.

“It is an honour and a responsibility for me to focus on critically important issues of strategic security for our state at this historic time for Ukraine,” he said on Telegram.

Procedures to formally appoint him as the president’s chief of staff have been launched, Zelenskyy’s adviser Dmytro Lytvyn told journalists.

Budanov will succeed Andriy Yermak, a divisive figure in Kyiv. He was decorated as a Hero ‍of Ukraine and known to be Zelenskyy’s most important ally, but he resigned in November after investigators raided his house as part of a sweeping corruption probe.

The corruption scandal involving Yermak, who was also Kyiv’s lead negotiator in US-backed peace talks, fuelled public anger over persistent high-level graft.

His opponents accused him of accumulating vast power, acting as a gatekeeper regarding access to the president and ruthlessly sidelining critical voices.

Jan. 2 (UPI) — Danish renewable energy giant Orsted filed suit Thursday against the Department of Interior because it paused its lease on a $5 billion off-shore wind farm in Rhode Island.

Orsted’s Revolution Wind project is 87% complete, and “is expected to be ready to deliver reliable, affordable power to American homes in 2026,” a press release said.

Orsted shares jumped more than 4% on the lawsuit news, CNBC reported.

The administration put a halt to the project last month. The Interior Department announced it would pause the leases of five offshore wind farms being built on the East Coast.

Besides Revolution Wind, the projects are Vineyard Wind 1, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind. The projects are in New England, Virginia and New York. Revolution Wind is a joint venture between Orsted and Global Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables. It’s about 15 miles off the coast of Rhode Island.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced on X in December: “Due to national security concerns identified by @DeptofWar, @Interior is PAUSING leases for 5 expensive, unreliable, heavily subsidized offshore wind farms! ONE natural gas pipeline supplies as much energy as these 5 projects COMBINED.”

The department explained in a press release that “unclassified reports from the U.S. government have long found that the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers create radar interference called ‘clutter.’ The clutter caused by offshore wind projects obscures legitimate moving targets and generates false targets in the vicinity of the wind projects,” it said.

But Orsted argues that, “Revolution Wind has spent and committed billions of dollars in reliance upon, and has met the requests of, a thorough review process. Additional federal reviews and approvals included the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Marine Fisheries Service, and many other agencies.”

Revolution Wind faces “substantial harm” from the lease suspension order, Orsted said. “As a result, litigation is a necessary step to protect the rights of the project.”

Orsted’s other project, Sunrise Wind, which also had its lease suspended, “continues to evaluate all options to resolve the matter, including engagement with relevant agencies and stakeholders and considering legal proceedings,” Orsted said. Sunrise Wind is about 30 miles off the coast of New York.

President Donald Trump has made it clear that he dislikes wind energy, calling the turbines “ugly” and saying the noise they make causes cancer.

On Aug. 22, the administration ordered Orsted to stop construction on Revolution Wind to “address concerns related to the protection of national security interest of the United States.”

On Aug. 29, the Department of Transportation announced it was cutting about $679 million in funding to 12 wind farms, calling the projects “wasteful.”

Orsted then filed suit in September to reverse the stop-work order. In that filing, it said the project had already spent $5 billion.

United States tennis legend Venus Williams returns to the Australian Open for the first time since 2021.

Seven-time major singles champion Venus Williams has been handed a wildcard to the Australian Open aged 45, becoming the oldest woman to play at the season-opening tennis Grand Slam.

The American, who has played only a limited number of singles matches in recent years, will compete in the main draw at Melbourne Park for the first time since 2021.

“I’m excited to be back in Australia and looking forward to competing during the Australian summer,” Williams said on Friday.

“I’ve had so many incredible memories there and I’m grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that has meant so much to my career.”

Williams is a five-time Wimbledon champion and also won two US Opens.

She was an Australian Open singles finalist in 2003 and 2017.

She will become the oldest woman to play at the Australian Open since Japan’s Kimiko Date, who was 44 when she lost in the first round in 2015.

Williams, a four-time Australian Open doubles champion, is set to begin her preparations for the January 18-February 1 tournament at the Auckland Classic next week, having returned to the circuit at the US Open last year after a 16-month break.

She will then head to the Hobart International immediately before Melbourne.

Two-time Grand Slam champion and fellow American Coco Gauff said it was “incredible” to see Williams still turning up for tournaments.

“She’s a legend of the sport, so it will be cool to see her back in action,” she said.

“It’s incredible the longevity of her career. She’s one of the people I looked up to, so looking forward to seeing her back on court.”

The separatist Southern Transitional Council accuses Saudi Arabia of bombing its forces near the border.

Sina Azodi, a professor at George Washington University, discusses escalating protests in Iran and how sanctions and corruption are deepening the country’s economic crisis.