Yemen president flees

Yemen’s embattled president fled his palace in the southern port city of Aden for an undisclosed location  as Shiite rebels offered a bounty for his capture and arrested his defence minister. Hours later, the rebels launched airstrikes targeting presidential forces guarding the palace.

Saudi Arabian forces, joined by nine other countries, have launched a military operation in Yemen against Shiite Houthi rebels, the Saudi ambassador to the US said. The offensive, which started with airstrikes, will also involve “other military assets.”

According to Ambassador Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, the military operation in Yemen started at 7 p.m. EST (11 p.m. GMT). The US is not participating in the operation, the envoy stressed. Media reports suggest that warplanes of the Royal Saudi Air Force bombed positions of Yemen’s Houthi militia, targeting their air defenses.

Al-Jubeir said the 10-country coalition launched the campaign “to protect and defend the legitimate government” of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after his appeal to intervene. Hadi is believed to have fled the country as Houthi rebels captured the southern seaport of Aden, the deposed leader’s stronghold.

Cameron not to serve third term

British Prime Minister David Cameron has stirred up the UK election campaign by announcing that he would serve a full second term if he is re-elected in May, but would not seek a third.

Cameron, 48 said if re-elected in the May 7 general election he would serve the full five years of his second term in Parliament and then leave 10 Downing Street. After that, he said, “it will be time for new leadership”.

The Conservative party chief tipped UK home secretary Theresa May, Chancellor George Osborne and London Mayor Boris Johnson as potential successors.

“There definitely comes a time where a fresh pair of eyes and fresh leadership would be good, and the Conservative Party has got some great people coming up – the Theresa Mays, and the George Osbornes, and the Boris Johnsons. You know, there’s plenty of talent there. I’m surrounded by very good people,” he told BBC.

It is likely to spark intense speculation about who will succeed Cameron, an issue which is likely to dominate the next Parliament if the Conservatives win.