Saudi Arabia urges Yemen’s separatists to leave 2 governorates

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia has called on separatists in southern Yemen to withdraw from two governorates they now hold. The move could spark tensions within the coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who control the country’s north. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday urged the Southern Transitional Council to leave Hadramout and Mahra. The separatists are supported by the United Arab Emirates while Saudi Arabia supports the forced of the internationally backed government, the National Shield Forces. The kingdom stressed the need for Yemeni factions to cooperate and avoid destabilizing actions. The council’s actions have strained Saudi-UAE relations as they both seek influence in the region.

Turkey detains dozens of IS suspects planning attacks on Christmas and New Year celebrations

ISTANBUL (AP) — Istanbul police have launched simultaneous raids at 124 locations, detaining over a hundred suspected members of the Islamic State group. The raids took place on Thursday. Authorities say the suspects were allegedly planning attacks against Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office stated that the IS group had issued a call to action against non-Muslims during these upcoming events. Warrants were issued for 137 suspects, and 115 have been detained so far. Officers seized firearms, cartridges, and organizational documents during the raids. The police counter-terrorism operation is still ongoing.

King Charles III calls for kindness and unity in Christmas message amid global conflicts

LONDON (AP) — King Charles III has urged people to focus on kindness instead of conflict in his annual Christmas address. Speaking from Westminster Abbey on Thursday, he highlighted the importance of companionship and kindness, especially during uncertain times. The speech, which concluded with a Christmas carol sung by a Ukrainian choir, comes as European leaders rally support for Ukraine. At home, British politics remain tense over immigration issues. Charles emphasized learning from the past, referencing World War II’s lessons of courage and unity. The message was clear: peace and hope are always possible.

Turkey begins black box analysis of jet crash that killed Libyan military chief and 7 others

ISTANBUL (AP) — The technical analysis of the recovered black boxes from a jet crash that killed eight people, including western Libya’s military chief, began as the investigation proceeded in cooperation with Libyan authorities, the Turkish Ministry of Defense said Thursday. The private jet with Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad, four other military officials and three crew members crashed on Tuesday after taking off from Turkey’s capital, Ankara, killing everyone on board. Libyan officials said the cause of the crash was a technical malfunction on the plane. The high-level Libyan delegation was on its way back to Tripoli after holding defense talks in Ankara aimed at boosting military cooperation between the two countries.