REBELS VOW ESCALATION AS SAUDIS RELAX BLOCKADE

Saudi Arabia announced Monday that the Saudi-led coalition fighting Shiite rebels in Yemen will begin reopening airports and seaports in the Arab world’s poorest country, days after closing them over a rebel ballistic missile attack on Riyadh. The announcement from the Saudi mission at the United Nations came after the coalition fighting Yemen’s rebels, known as Houthis, faced widespread international criticism over the closure, with the UN and over 20 aid groups saying it could bring millions of people closer to “starvation and death.” The mission said that first to be opened within 24 hours are the ports in areas controlled by Yemen’s internationally recognized government. These are located in Aden, Mocha and Mukalla.