International

Yemeni Houthi rebels attack US merchant ships and military ships

Yemen’s Shiite Houthi rebels announced Saturday that they had carried out a wide-ranging attack with multiple naval missiles and 37 drones against US merchant ships and military ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. This attack, the largest of its kind since the start of the war in Gaza five months ago, was confirmed by Houthi spokesman Yehya Sarea. In his statement, Sarea stated that they managed to successfully attack their objectives and warned that they will continue military operations in response to the situation in Gaza and what they consider a US-British aggression against Yemen.

These statements came after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had thwarted a large-scale attack by Houthi rebels and had shot down 15 drones launched against coalition ships and merchant vessels in the region. Centcom later reported that at least 28 additional UAVs were shot down in subsequent engagements, with no damage reported to U.S. or coalition ships.

The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have controlled large areas of northern and western Yemen since their armed uprising in 2014. Since last November, they have launched multiple attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, as well as towards Israel, in retaliation for the war in Gaza. Despite bombing raids launched by the US and UK to protect shipping, the Houthis have reiterated their determination to continue their military operations in the region.

International

Ecuador’s Noboa vows to continue “war” on criminal groups

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa said on Sunday that his government will continue the “war” against criminal organizations and warned that he will not yield to criminal gangs operating in the South American country.

During his state-of-the-nation address before the National Assembly, Noboa stated that criminal structures “will tire first” before his administration abandons its fight against violence and drug trafficking.

The president reaffirmed his hardline security strategy amid ongoing concerns over organized crime and drug-related violence in Ecuador.

International

Iran says agreement with U.S. to end Middle East conflict is in final stages

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baqai, said Saturday that Tehran and the United States were in the “finalization phase” of a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East.

Speaking to Iranian state television Irib, Baqai explained that Iran had initially sought to draft a memorandum consisting of 14 clauses as part of the negotiations.

“We are currently in the phase of finalizing these memorandums of understanding,” he stated.

Shortly before Baqai’s remarks became public, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was “a possibility” that Iran could agree to a deal to end the conflict as early as Saturday.

“There is a possibility that later today, tomorrow, or within the next couple of days, we may have something to announce,” Rubio told reporters in New Delhi, adding that he hoped for “good news.”

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Despite acknowledging progress in the negotiations, the top U.S. diplomat warned that President Donald Trump could still decide to resume military strikes against Iran if talks fail to produce a final agreement.

International

WHO Warns Ebola Outbreak Is Spreading Rapidly in DR Congo

The World Health Organization on Friday raised the risk level of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from “high” to “very high,” the highest alert category used by the organization.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the outbreak is spreading rapidly across the country, particularly in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.

“The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is spreading rapidly,” Tedros stated during a press conference.

He explained that the WHO had previously classified the risk as high at both the national and regional levels, while maintaining a low risk assessment globally.

“We are now revising our risk assessment to classify it as very high at the national level, high at the regional level, and low at the global level,” he added.

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A WHO spokesperson told AFP that “very high” represents the organization’s highest risk category.

The outbreak has expanded across North Kivu and South Kivu, regions divided by the frontline between Congolese government forces and the armed group M23, which is reportedly backed by Rwanda and has seized large areas of territory since 2021.