عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Yemen MPs in Aden Ahead of Voting in Presidential Council, Govt

Speaker Sultan al-Burkani and lawmakers arrive in Aden on Sunday. (Saba)
Speaker Sultan al-Burkani and lawmakers arrive in Aden on Sunday. (Saba)
TT
TT

Yemen MPs in Aden Ahead of Voting in Presidential Council, Govt

Speaker Sultan al-Burkani and lawmakers arrive in Aden on Sunday. (Saba)
Speaker Sultan al-Burkani and lawmakers arrive in Aden on Sunday. (Saba)

Several Yemeni lawmakers, ministers and members of the Shura Council arrived in the interim capital Aden on Sunday ahead of the arrival of the new Presidential Leadership Council to the city.

The council and new government are set to be sworn in in the city, capping the transition of power from former Presindent Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.

Informed government sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that parliament Speaker Sultan al-Burkani, members of the Presidential and Shura Councils and lawmakers arrived in Aden flying in from Riyadh.

Head of the Presidential Council Rashad al-Alimi and the seven members of the body will arrive at a later time as a security precaution, they added.

In 2020, the Iran-backed Houthi militias launched a ballistic missile attack against the then newly government as it was arriving at Aden airport. Several people were killed and wounded in the assault. The prime minister was unharmed.

In his first remarks to the press since his appointment, Alimi expressed last week his confidence that national efforts and unity will succeed in translating into action the outcomes of the intra-Yemeni consultations that were held in Riyadh earlier this month.

The Council is seeking the "highest level of consensus" among Yemenis given the challenges facing their country.

The Council will rely on consensus between local forces and political and societal groupings to operate with the aim to restore the state and ease the suffering of the people.

It stressed that achieving economic stability and easing humanitarian suffering are its top priorities.

"We realize the amount of challenges ahead of us, but we are determined enough to forge ahead," said Alimi.

"We are relying on the cooperation of all sides, on the local, regional and international levels, to fulfill our national duties" he declared.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Hundreds in Somalia’s Capital Protest Israel’s Recognition of Breakaway Territory of Somaliland

People protest against Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)
People protest against Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)
TT
TT

Hundreds in Somalia’s Capital Protest Israel’s Recognition of Breakaway Territory of Somaliland

People protest against Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)
People protest against Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland in Mogadishu, Somalia, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP)

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Somalia’s capital to protest Israel’s recognition of the self-declared Republic of Somaliland, waving Somali flags and chanting patriotic songs in a show of national unity.

The protest on Thursday night took place at Taleh Square in downtown Mogadishu, where the crowds condemned Israel’s move as a violation of sovereignty and territorial integrity in the east African country. Demonstrators carried placards rejecting what they described as foreign interference in Somalia’s internal affairs.

The rally came two weeks after Israel announced that it recognized Somaliland as an independent and sovereign nation — and two days after Israel’s foreign minister visited Hargeisa, the Somaliland capital. On his visit, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that Israel would soon open an embassy and appoint an ambassador.

Thursday night's demonstration was the third such event since Israel recognized Somaliland on Dec. 26.

“We are protesting against the division of our country,” demonstrator Said Gedi said. “This is against the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Somalia, and we hope Somalia will stand united.”

Another protester, Abdirahman Abdulkadir, said that the demonstration was meant to send a message of unity.

“Somalia cannot be divided,” he said. “We are united by one religion, one culture and the same heritage.”

The demonstration coincided with a televised address by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who strongly rejected Israel’s decision and urged dialogue between Somaliland’s leaders and the federal government in Mogadishu.

“I want to make it clear once again that the Republic of Somalia is a sovereign and united country,” Mohamud said. “Its territory cannot be divided or ceded by any letter written by Israel or signed by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu.”

Mohamud warned that the dispute could undermine Somalia’s political stability, economic recovery and development if not handled carefully. He urged Somaliland’s leadership to aim for talks, saying successful secessions elsewhere usually happened through political agreements. He cited examples including South Sudan, which became independent of Sudan in 2011.

Israel has no historical, cultural or economic ties with Somalia, he said.

Somaliland, a former British protectorate, declared independence from Somalia in 1991 following the collapse of the central government. Despite maintaining its own institutions and relative stability, it had never been recognized by a UN member state.

More than 20 mostly Middle Eastern or African countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation rejected Israel’s move.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Tuesday that Israeli recognition of Somaliland was a “dangerous precedent that threatens regional and international peace and security.”

US and Israeli officials told The Associated Press last year that Israel had approached Somaliland about taking in Palestinians from Gaza as part of US President Donald Trump’s plan at the time to resettle the territory’s population. Somalia's foreign ministry says such a proposal has neither been discussed nor considered.

Washington has since abandoned that plan, and the US State Department says it continues to recognize the territorial integrity of Somalia, “which includes the territory of Somaliland.”

Arab World

Israel Casts Doubt on Hezbollah Disarmament South of the Litani

A French peacekeeper of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands by munitions formerly used by Iran-backed Hezbollah at a position that was held by the group in the Khraibeh Valley in el-Meri in south Lebanon on August 27, 2025. (AFP)
A French peacekeeper of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands by munitions formerly used by Iran-backed Hezbollah at a position that was held by the group in the Khraibeh Valley in el-Meri in south Lebanon on August 27, 2025. (AFP)
TT
TT

Israel Casts Doubt on Hezbollah Disarmament South of the Litani

A French peacekeeper of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands by munitions formerly used by Iran-backed Hezbollah at a position that was held by the group in the Khraibeh Valley in el-Meri in south Lebanon on August 27, 2025. (AFP)
A French peacekeeper of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) stands by munitions formerly used by Iran-backed Hezbollah at a position that was held by the group in the Khraibeh Valley in el-Meri in south Lebanon on August 27, 2025. (AFP)

Israel on Thursday voiced skepticism over the Lebanese Army’s announcement that its plan to seize weapons from southern Lebanon has reached an advanced stage, calling the effort insufficient.

The reaction came even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the move as an “encouraging beginning,” while reiterating accusations that Hezbollah is rearming with Iranian support.

In a statement, Netanyahu’s office said the efforts by the Lebanese government and army to disarm Hezbollah amount to “a promising start, but absolutely not enough.”

It accused the group of attempting to rebuild its military infrastructure with backing from Iran, stressing that the US-brokered ceasefire agreement clearly calls for Hezbollah’s complete disarmament.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry echoed this skepticism, saying Hezbollah’s military infrastructure south of the Litani River remains intact and that the goal of disarming the group in southern Lebanon “is still far from being achieved.”

The ministry described the Lebanese Army’s efforts as limited, repeating claims that Hezbollah continues to rearm with Iranian assistance.

The Israeli security establishment adopted a sharper tone. Army Radio quoted military sources as saying statements by the Lebanese Army about disarmament in the south “do not reflect reality on the ground,” asserting that Hezbollah fighters and infrastructure are still present south of the Litani.

A military source told Haaretz that Israel’s assessment of the disarmament process “is not based on declarations, but on data and operational results,” adding that as long as Hezbollah’s military structures remain in place, there can be no talk of genuine disarmament.

Yedioth Ahronoth, citing military sources, reported that the Lebanese announcement had been expected and that Israel is inclined to reject claims that the area south of the Litani has been effectively disarmed.

According to the paper, the Israeli army believes Hezbollah still maintains combat capabilities there, describing the Lebanese Army’s performance as slow and partial, despite reaching sites where it was tasked with collecting Hezbollah weapons.

Lebanese parliamentary sources said Israel’s skeptical stance comes as no surprise. MP Mohammed Khawaja, of the Development and Liberation bloc, warned that Israeli threats against Lebanon “have not stopped and continue through its media,” stressing that the danger is aimed at all Lebanese, not a specific group or faction.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Khawaja said Israel is openly threatening the region and that Lebanon has long been part of its ambitions.

MP Waddah Al-Sadek said Netanyahu’s recent remarks suggest that, from Israel’s perspective, the continuation of the ceasefire is now conditional on Hezbollah’s full disarmament.

He argued that Israel’s description of Lebanese efforts as encouraging but inadequate may be a sign that an escalation could happen in the future despite assurances from Lebanon’s leaders and army command of their commitment to the ceasefire.

In Israel’s view, he said, such commitments are meaningless without concrete measures and a clear timetable for disarmament, conditions that risk providing Israel with justification for further escalation.

Arab World

Chinese Envoy Visited Israel and Ramallah This Week, Ministry Says

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar speaks during a meeting with Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto (not pictured), in Budapest, Hungary, October 27, 2025. (Reuters)
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar speaks during a meeting with Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto (not pictured), in Budapest, Hungary, October 27, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Chinese Envoy Visited Israel and Ramallah This Week, Ministry Says

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar speaks during a meeting with Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto (not pictured), in Budapest, Hungary, October 27, 2025. (Reuters)
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar speaks during a meeting with Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto (not pictured), in Budapest, Hungary, October 27, 2025. (Reuters)

A Chinese envoy visited Israel and Ramallah ​this week and met senior officials from both sides, China's foreign ministry said in statements on ‌Friday.

Zhai Jun, ‌special ‌envoy ⁠of ​the ‌Chinese government on the Middle East issue, was in Israel from Tuesday to Thursday and held talks ⁠with Israeli officials ‌including Foreign Minister Gideon ‍Saar ‍and "exchanged views on ‍regional hot issues".

In a separate statement, the ministry said Zhai ​also visited Ramallah in the West Bank ⁠on Wednesday and held a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in which they discussed China-Palestinian relations and the Palestinian issue.