Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi

Yemen's newly-appointed Vice President Khaled Bahah, a widely respected figure named this week to shore up the legitimacy of the exiled Saudi-backed government, said today that he hoped to avert a Saudi-led invasion to restore unity to the country.

The Gulf monarchies have agreed to a request by Yemen's beleaguered president to host talks in Riyadh aimed at pulling their impoverished neighbour out of crisis, the Saudi royal cabinet said.

Egypt shut its embassy in Sanaa and recalled all its staff today due to deteriorating security, state media said, joining a diplomatic exodus since Shiite militia seized the Yemeni capital.

Shiite militia fired warning shots today to disperse a protest against their takeover of the Yemeni capital that has plunged the country into turmoil, witnesses said.

Yemen's Parliament today again postponed an extraordinary session which had been due to discuss President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi's offer to resign, state news agency Saba reported.

Secessionist gunmen in southern Yemen today seized all police checkpoints in a major city, witnesses said, in another blow to the central government undermined by Shiite militants in Sanaa.

Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi resigned on Thursday after Shiite militia failed to honour an agreement to withdraw from the presidential palace, adviser Sultan al-Atwani said.

The Yemeni cabinet tendered its resignation to President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi on Thursday after a two-day siege of the prime minister by Shiite militiamen, a government source said.

Shiite militiamen seized the presidential palace in Yemen's capital today in what a minister said was a bid to overthrow President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi and his US-backed government.

Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for twin suicide car bomb attacks Tuesday that killed seven soldiers in Yemen, as fresh violence shook the increasingly unstable country where rival militias are battling for control.

Shiite rebels seized the Yemeni government headquarters Sunday and the premier resigned as violence raged despite a UN announcement of a power-sharing deal to end days of fighting, officials said.

The UN envoy to Yemen announced Saturday that an accord had been reached to "resolve the current crisis" after a week of deadly fighting between Shiite rebels and pro-government forces.

Two days of clashes between Shiite rebels and Sunni tribesmen fighting alongside hardline Salafists in northern Yemen have killed at least 23 people, sources said on Sunday.

A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-packed car into the Yemeni defence ministry complex yesterday, killing 52 people.

Yemen's newly-appointed Vice President Khaled Bahah, a widely respected figure named this week to shore up the legitimacy of the exiled Saudi-backed government, said today that he hoped to avert a Saudi-led invasion to restore unity to the country.

The Gulf monarchies have agreed to a request by Yemen's beleaguered president to host talks in Riyadh aimed at pulling their impoverished neighbour out of crisis, the Saudi royal cabinet said.

Egypt shut its embassy in Sanaa and recalled all its staff today due to deteriorating security, state media said, joining a diplomatic exodus since Shiite militia seized the Yemeni capital.

Shiite militia fired warning shots today to disperse a protest against their takeover of the Yemeni capital that has plunged the country into turmoil, witnesses said.

Yemen's Parliament today again postponed an extraordinary session which had been due to discuss President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi's offer to resign, state news agency Saba reported.

Secessionist gunmen in southern Yemen today seized all police checkpoints in a major city, witnesses said, in another blow to the central government undermined by Shiite militants in Sanaa.

Yemeni President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi resigned on Thursday after Shiite militia failed to honour an agreement to withdraw from the presidential palace, adviser Sultan al-Atwani said.

The Yemeni cabinet tendered its resignation to President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi on Thursday after a two-day siege of the prime minister by Shiite militiamen, a government source said.

Shiite militiamen seized the presidential palace in Yemen's capital today in what a minister said was a bid to overthrow President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi and his US-backed government.

Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for twin suicide car bomb attacks Tuesday that killed seven soldiers in Yemen, as fresh violence shook the increasingly unstable country where rival militias are battling for control.

Shiite rebels seized the Yemeni government headquarters Sunday and the premier resigned as violence raged despite a UN announcement of a power-sharing deal to end days of fighting, officials said.

The UN envoy to Yemen announced Saturday that an accord had been reached to "resolve the current crisis" after a week of deadly fighting between Shiite rebels and pro-government forces.

Two days of clashes between Shiite rebels and Sunni tribesmen fighting alongside hardline Salafists in northern Yemen have killed at least 23 people, sources said on Sunday.

A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-packed car into the Yemeni defence ministry complex yesterday, killing 52 people.