AL-MUKALLA: The head of a prominent Yemeni teachers’ union has been transferred from prison to hospital in Sanaa. Yemeni government officials and rights groups blame Abu Zaid Al-Kumaim’s Houthi captors for his deteriorating health, claiming they tortured him and refused to give him access to necessary medication.

Al-Kumaim, the head of the Teachers’ Club, has been moved from a Houthi-held jail and is currently in a “complete” coma in Al-Kuwait hospital.

TEHRAN: Iran said Saturday it helped broker the surprise release of Thai nationals who had been held by Palestinian militants in war-ravaged Gaza since their shock attack on Israel last month.
On Friday, Hamas unexpectedly released 10 Thais and a Filipino, along with the 13 Israeli women and children that were part of a temporary truce deal with Israel.
Israel in turn freed 39 Palestinian women and children from its prisons.

LONDON: Humanitarian aid organizations want the four-day truce between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas that came into effect on Friday in Gaza after weeks of fighting to become a permanent ceasefire.

The truce is intended to facilitate the flow of aid into Gaza and will see Israel swap 150 Palestinians held in its jails with 50 of the hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack that triggered this latest wave of violence.

RAFAH, Egypt: The Israeli government said Friday it would summon the Belgian and Spanish ambassadors following remarks by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Belgian counterpart Alexander de Croo on the war between Israel and Hamas.
The announcement came after the two leaders criticized Israel for the suffering of Palestinian civilians under Israeli military operations in Gaza. Sánchez also called for European Union recognition of a Palestinian state, saying Spain might do so on its own.

ANKARA: Two NATO allies, Turkiye and the UK, have sealed an agreement to bolster their collaboration on defense and security initiatives.

The joint statement of intent, inked by British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps and Turkish Minister of National Defense Yasar Guler on Nov. 22, aims to establish a framework for joint endeavors that are anticipated to fortify the security and prosperity of both nations while contributing to global stability, the UK government said via its official website.