INTERNACIONAL
Yemen separatist forces seize key oil region, urge US to partner against Iran-backed Houthis
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
EXCLUSIVE: Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) claims its forces now control all eight southern governorates and are prepared to serve as Washington’s frontline partner against Iran-backed Houthis, al Qaeda affiliates and Muslim Brotherhood factions.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Ahmed Atef, the STC’s representative to the United States and United Nations, said STC hopes for expanded cooperation with Washington — militarily, diplomatically and economically. «All kinds of support are welcome,» he said. «President Trump is very courageous and very strong, and we are really looking forward to his support.»
The STC has emerged as the dominant power in southern Yemen, and is reportedly backed by significant Emirati funding and military support. Formed in April 2017, it unites factions seeking to reestablish an independent South Yemen — reviving the state that existed from 1967 until unification in 1990. Last week, the head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government called on STC to withdraw from territories they have recently captured in the southeastern parts of the country, The Associated Press reported.
US MILITARY CONDUCTS SUCCESSFUL AIRSTRIKES ON HOUTHI REBEL FORCES IN YEMEN
Crowds in southern Yemen rallying for independence, in December 2025. (AIC Aden)
On Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned that Yemen was facing a dangerous new escalation following recent advances by forces affiliated with the STC in the eastern governorates of Hadramawt and al-Mahra. Guterres said such unilateral actions risk deepening divisions, hardening positions and accelerating fragmentation, with potential spillover effects on regional security, including the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa.
Bridget Toomey, a researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital that for the U.S. to support southern secession would be «at odds with the stated policy of the internationally recognized government of Yemen, which currently exists for one Yemen.» She said the United States supports that government, but added that backing the STC as a partner in counterterrorism missions and in the fight against the Houthis «would not necessarily be at odds with the government,» particularly because the STC and its leadership are part of the current governing framework.
Country split in two
Yemen’s war has long divided the nation. In the north, the Houthis rule Sanaa and much of western Yemen with support from Iran and ties to Hezbollah. In the south, STC-aligned forces dominate Aden, the temporary capital, and a belt of inland and coastal regions that include Lahj, Abyan, Shabwa, Hadramout and al-Mahra.
The internationally recognized Yemeni government, which the United States continues to support, is formally based in Aden but remains fragmented. The Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council serves as the recognized authority and has relied heavily on a coalition of competing factions, including the STC, to govern and confront the Houthis and to maintain control on the ground.
Toomey said, «The government has faced serious economic, oversight and capacity challenges and has struggled to deliver basic services, a situation compounded by the ongoing fight against the Houthis and Yemen’s broader humanitarian crisis.»
In this Jan. 3, 2017 file photo, tribesmen loyal to Houthi rebels chant slogans during a gathering aimed at mobilizing more fighters into battlefronts to fight pro-government forces. (AP)
That reliance has drawn criticism. Yemen’s internationally recognized government has accused STC-affiliated forces of carrying out deadly attacks in Hadramout and warned that the group’s recent expansion risks sparking conflict between rival factions within the anti-Houthi camp. The Associated Press reported that Yemeni officials urged the STC to withdraw from areas seized in the east, cautioning that unilateral moves could undermine the political process and destabilize a fragile balance in the south.
Atef rejected that characterization, describing the Hadramout operation as a major success that demonstrated the STC’s ability to fight what he called hostile forces operating in coordination with the Houthis. He accused those forces of collaborating with «Houthi terrorists» and said the STC’s actions strengthened security rather than undermined it.
YEMEN’S CHILD SOLDIERS FACE LONG ROAD AFTER SEXUAL, PHYSICAL ABUSE
Yemenis who live along the strip between the south and north of the country and support the Southern Transitional Council (STC) hold an image of STC leader Aidarous Al-Zubaidi during a rally in Khormaksar Square, in Aden, the temporary capital of the Republic of Yemen, on Dec. 14, 2025. (Saleh Al-Obeidi/AFP via Getty Images)
Warning: the Houthis are a ‘regional and global’ threat
Atef described the Houthis as a destabilizing force well beyond Yemen’s borders.
«They have this slogan of ‘death to America, death to Israel,’ which is really very unacceptable,» he said. As long as the Houthis maintain control of Sanaa, he warned, they will «continue threatening maritime traffic in the Red Sea, continue threatening us in the South and Saudi Arabia, and continue threatening the UAE and the Gulf region.»
He also accused Houthi factions of cooperation with outside extremist groups, including Somalia’s al-Shabab, and of receiving training and support from Iran and Hezbollah.
STC President Aidarous Al-Zubaidi has pledged assistance to northern Yemeni forces seeking to «re-liberate Sanaa,» Atef said, dismissing prospects for a negotiated political settlement. «It is impossible,» he said. «We will talk the language that the Houthis understand.»
ISRAEL CONFIRMS STRIKE ON HOUTHIS IN YEMEN, MARKS SECOND TIME THIS WEEK
Houthi terrorists walk over British and U.S. flags at a rally in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Houthi strikes on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on Feb. 4, 2024, on the outskirts of Sana’a, Yemen. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)
Separatists seek deeper partnership with Washington
Atef repeatedly framed the STC as a natural U.S. partner on counterterrorism and regional stability. He praised President Donald Trump for designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and for efforts targeting branches of the Muslim Brotherhood.
«In Yemen, we have Muslim Brotherhood. We believe that they are terrorists. We believe that they sponsor terrorism,» Atef said, adding that he supported a recent bill to classify certain Muslim Brotherhood chapters abroad as terrorist entities, but he argued the organization is «extremist everywhere, even in the United States. Not only in these chapters.»
Houthi terrorists march in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and against the U.S. strikes on Yemen outside Sanaa on Jan. 22, 2024. (AP Photo)
Atef also said the STC intends to open southern Yemen’s oil, agriculture, fisheries and tourism industries to American companies as a path toward long-term self-sufficiency. «We invite U.S. companies to come and explore the oil fields and help us in getting revenues to develop our people,» he said.
Yemenis rally in support of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which wants to revive an independent South Yemen, in Aden, the temporary capital of the Republic of Yemen on Dec. 14, 2025. (Saleh Al-Obeidi/AFP via Getty Images)
A new front in the region’s power balance
The STC’s ultimate objective, Atef emphasized, is an independent, pro-Western South Yemen that can secure its territory while helping counter Iran’s regional influence.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«Once we have got this front against the Houthis strengthened and emboldened with the support of the international community and the United States,» he said, «that is going to help us very much on the ground to continue our fight and bring stability and peace to the region.»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
middle east,terrorism,al qaeda,donald trump,iran,conflicts
INTERNACIONAL
Ecuador incluirá la enseñanza del Holocausto en las escuelas tras acuerdo de cooperación con Israel
Los gobiernos de Ecuador e Israel firmaron un acuerdo de cooperación bilateral que, entre otros componentes, incluye la incorporación de contenidos educativos sobre el Holocausto en el sistema escolar ecuatoriano, como parte de una agenda más amplia orientada a fortalecer los vínculos entre ambos países en áreas como educación, ciencia, cultura y deporte.
El acuerdo corresponde a un Programa de Cooperación para el período 2026–2027 y fue suscrito en el marco de una política de acercamiento entre ambas naciones que prioriza el intercambio académico, el desarrollo científico y la promoción cultural. Según el boletín oficial del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana, el instrumento busca impulsar iniciativas conjuntas en sectores estratégicos, con énfasis en el trabajo entre instituciones educativas y el desarrollo de proyectos vinculados a la innovación y la tecnología.
En este contexto, la enseñanza del Holocausto se enmarca dentro de los esfuerzos por fomentar el entendimiento histórico, la memoria y la formación en valores en las nuevas generaciones. Aunque el documento oficial no detalla los contenidos curriculares específicos ni los mecanismos de implementación en el sistema educativo ecuatoriano, la inclusión de este tema responde a prácticas internacionales orientadas a prevenir el antisemitismo, la discriminación y otras formas de violencia basadas en el odio.
El acto de suscripción contó con la participación de la canciller ecuatoriana Gabriela Sommerfeld y del embajador de Israel en Ecuador, Tzach Sarid. Ambos destacaron la importancia del acuerdo como un paso significativo en la consolidación de una agenda conjunta que promueve el intercambio académico y científico, así como la cooperación entre instituciones educativas de ambos países .
Además del componente educativo, el programa contempla el fortalecimiento de iniciativas de intercambio juvenil, la cooperación en materia de patrimonio cultural, el impulso de actividades deportivas y la participación conjunta en eventos internacionales. Estas acciones están orientadas a fomentar el entendimiento mutuo y a consolidar relaciones bilaterales sostenidas en el tiempo, especialmente entre las nuevas generaciones.
La incorporación de la enseñanza del Holocausto en las escuelas ecuatorianas se alinea con estándares promovidos por organismos internacionales como la UNESCO y la Alianza Internacional para la Memoria del Holocausto (IHRA), que han impulsado la inclusión de este tema en los sistemas educativos como herramienta pedagógica para reflexionar sobre los riesgos de los regímenes autoritarios, la intolerancia y las violaciones masivas de derechos humanos.
En América Latina, varios países han avanzado en iniciativas similares en los últimos años, incorporando contenidos sobre el Holocausto y otros genocidios en sus currículos escolares como parte de políticas de educación en derechos humanos. En ese marco, el acuerdo entre Ecuador e Israel representa un paso en la convergencia con esas tendencias regionales e internacionales.
El documento oficial también subraya que el programa de cooperación reafirma el compromiso de ambos países de continuar trabajando conjuntamente en la construcción de oportunidades compartidas que impulsen el desarrollo y la integración a nivel internacional. En esa línea, la cooperación educativa es vista como un eje clave para fortalecer capacidades institucionales y promover valores democráticos.
Hasta el momento, no se han anunciado detalles sobre cuándo comenzaría la implementación de estos contenidos en el sistema educativo ecuatoriano ni si se realizará a través de reformas curriculares, programas piloto o capacitaciones docentes. Tampoco se ha especificado si la iniciativa contará con apoyo técnico o pedagógico por parte de instituciones israelíes especializadas en la enseñanza de la memoria histórica.
El acuerdo se produce en un contexto de fortalecimiento de las relaciones bilaterales entre Ecuador e Israel, que en los últimos años han profundizado su cooperación en distintos ámbitos, incluyendo seguridad, tecnología y comercio. La dimensión educativa se suma ahora como un componente estratégico en esta relación, con énfasis en la formación de nuevas generaciones y el intercambio de conocimiento.
Con esta iniciativa, Ecuador se incorpora a un grupo creciente de países que buscan integrar la enseñanza del Holocausto como parte de una política educativa orientada a la memoria, la prevención y la promoción de sociedades más inclusivas.
Auschwitz,Holocausto,Nazismo,prisioneros,Segunda Guerra Mundial,retratos,víctimas,historia,genocidio,fotografía
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Federal prosecutors are investigating whether a New York City councilmember and her sister, a top aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul, accepted bribes or kickbacks tied to city funding steered to a migrant shelter provider, according to a search warrant obtained by The Associated Press.
The March 19 warrant seeks evidence of possible criminal conduct involving Councilmember Farah Louis, a Brooklyn Democrat; her sister, Debbie Louis, Hochul’s assistant secretary for New York City intergovernmental affairs; and Edu Hermelyn, husband of Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.
A spokesperson for Hochul said Debbie Louis was placed on leave last week after the governor became aware of the federal corruption probe. Someone answering a phone number associated with Louis ended the call when asked by the AP about the investigation, and the AP reported messages left for Farah Louis and Hermelyn were not returned.
SEC SCOTT BESSENT: HOW TO STOP FRAUD IN MINNESOTA—AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY
New York City Councilmember Farah Louis is reportedly under federal investigation for an alleged bribery scheme. (Jason Mendez/Getty Images for Brooklyn Academy Of Music)
According to the warrant, investigators are examining whether the three received benefits in exchange for actions taken on behalf of BHRAGS Home Care Inc., a Brooklyn nonprofit that historically provided in-home care for sick and elderly clients.
As New York City’s migrant influx intensified in 2022, BHRAGS broadened its work to include emergency shelter operations for asylum seekers and other homeless services. Since then, public records show the group has been awarded more than a dozen contracts worth upward of $200 million from the city’s Department of Homeless Services.
«This is political persecution driven by the far-right, targeting immigrants and the leaders who stand with them,» a political insider tied to Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn told the New York Post on Monday. «There are no charges at this time, and the facts will ultimately lead to this case being dropped on its merits.»
DEPUTY AG TODD BLANCHE SHEDS LIGHT ON NEW DOJ FRAUD DIVISION TO ADDRESS ‘INSANE’ PROBLEM
An attorney for BHRAGS Executive Director Roberto Samedy declined to comment to the AP.
The warrant also seeks records of money transfers and communications involving Edouardo St. Fort, a former New York Police Department sergeant who retired in 2023. That same year, records indicate his firm, Fort NYC Security, secured a $3 million contract from the Department of Homeless Services. AP calls and emails seeking comment from St. Fort were not returned.
TRUMP’S FRAUD CZAR NOMINEE TOUTS MINNESOTA BLUEPRINT TO ROOT OUT OBAMACARE FRAUD, SENIOR SCAMS
The warrant’s existence does not mean charges are imminent. It indicates only that federal investigators convinced a judge they had sufficient grounds to search for and seize potential evidence.
The probe lands amid broader scrutiny over how New York City awarded emergency shelter contracts during the migrant crisis, when the arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers strained the city’s shelter system and prompted officials under then-Mayor Eric Adams to rapidly expand housing capacity through outside providers.
Some of those arrangements have drawn criticism from watchdogs and political opponents, who questioned the speed, scale and oversight of the contracting process.
FEDERAL PROSECUTOR CALLS NEWSOM ‘KING OF FRAUD’ AS TRUMP LAUNCHES CALIFORNIA CORRUPTION PROBE
The figures named in the warrant are all connected to Brooklyn’s Democratic political establishment, which has been rocked by a series of ethics controversies in recent years.
Hermelyn, who once served as a senior adviser to Adams, stepped down after questions were raised about whether his role as a Brooklyn district leader conflicted with rules barring certain dual government positions. He also went on to advise former Gov. Andrew Cuomo during Cuomo’s unsuccessful mayoral campaign.
The Trump administration, led by fraud investigation czar Vice President JD Vance, has prioritized federal law enforcement investigations nationwide.
VANCE SAYS BIDEN ADMIN ‘TURNED OFF’ ANTI-FRAUD PROTECTIONS, DEBUTS NEW TASK FORCE WITH FOCUS ON SOMALI SCHEMES
Just this week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s Treasury Department announced it is offering whistleblowers a major financial incentive to help expose fraud, directing would-be tipsters to the Treasury.gov website, telling Fox News on Monday that the administration has already received more than 700 leads.
The Treasury’s whistleblower page says eligible tipsters can receive between 10% and 30% of monetary sanctions collected for successful actions.
While Minnesota fraud among the state’s Somali community has made headlines thus far thanks to independent journalist Nick Shirley’s reporting, Bessent actually praised that state for having some level of transparency that is not permitted in California or New York.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«That’s why that young man, Nick Shirley, was able to go to see the scams, because it was: This is the name of the facility; this is the address; this is how much money they got,» Bessent said. «Oh look, it’s an empty storefront. There’s no one here. New York, California are hiding it.»
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
justice department, crime world, immigration, democrats elections
España cerró su espacio aéreo a aviones de EE.UU.
Trump y las bases francesas
El ataque de Marco Rubio
La exigencia de la UE
El Gobierno apelará el fallo que ratificó la aplicación de la Ley de Financiamiento Universitario
Los bienes de Adorni: el fiscal Pollicita citó a declarar a la escribana que certificó la compra del departamento de Caballito
El uruguayo ex Boca que considera que Argentina está al alcance de la Celeste
El motivo por el que la China Suárez y Mauro Icardi volvieron a Turquía en un avión de línea y con escala
Crisis en la fábrica de aviones: deuda de u$s20 millones con proveedores y parálisis
Quién es Raúl Horacio Ojeda, el juez K que suspendió más de 80 artículos de la reforma laboral de Javier Milei
Máximo Kirchner salió al cruce de Milei y Macri tras el fallo por YPF a favor de la Argentina
La secretaria del piloto denunció que el amigo de Adorni la hostiga y la justicia dispuso medidas
El Gobierno cambia su propuesta de reforma: endurece penas para delitos comunes, pero no para los casos de corrupción
Nuevas críticas de Marcela Pagano contra los Milei: “Karina es la que gobierna”, aseguró
POLITICA3 días agoMáximo Kirchner salió al cruce de Milei y Macri tras el fallo por YPF a favor de la Argentina
- POLITICA2 días ago
El Gobierno cambia su propuesta de reforma: endurece penas para delitos comunes, pero no para los casos de corrupción
- POLITICA2 días ago
Nuevas críticas de Marcela Pagano contra los Milei: “Karina es la que gobierna”, aseguró
