The World in Brief

Yemeni ousts Cabinet, revives subsidies

SANA, Yemen -- The Yemeni president on Tuesday dismissed the Cabinet and partially reversed an earlier decision to cut fuel subsidies in a bid to end a standoff with Shiite rebels holding anti-government protests across the country.

Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi made his decision during a meeting with the now outgoing government, representatives of political parties and parliament members, the official news agency SABA reported.

Hadi pledged to represent the interests of the Yemeni people as a whole and not privilege particular factions or groups. He said he would appoint a new prime minister within a week, after which political parties will nominate Cabinet ministers from their own ranks. Hadi will appoint defense, interior, finance and foreign ministers, SABA said.

Rebel spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Salam said his group rejected the moves and would continue to pressure the government. "We are not giving in ... but we will also not shut the door to dialogue."

Foiled nuke spies, sabotage, Iran says

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran has disrupted plots by foreign spies to recruit its nuclear experts and stopped attempts to sabotage its facilities with faulty foreign equipment, the deputy head of the Islamic Republic's nuclear department said.

Asghar Zarean, who is in charge of security for Iran's nuclear program, made the comments during a visit by an Associated Press team to Iran's Atomic Energy Organization in Tehran that was organized by state officials.

"We aim to raise awareness about the enemy, who is more hostile to us every day," Zarean said Monday, without naming the countries that authorities believe are behind the sabotage and the recruitment effort.

Iran's nuclear program has been the target of sabotage in the past. In 2010, the so-called Stuxnet virus temporarily disrupted operation of thousands of centrifuges, key components in nuclear fuel production, at Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility.

Iran has said that and other computer virus attacks were part of a concerted effort by Israel, the U.S. and their allies to undermine its nuclear program through covert operations. Israel has never commented on the allegations but is widely believed to have been involved in the Stuxnet attack.

Saudis arrest 88 in terror-attack plots

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- A top Saudi security official said Tuesday that police had arrested 88 men suspected of being part of an al-Qaida cell that was plotting attacks inside and outside the kingdom.

Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour al-Turki did not give any details about the purported plots, but said 59 of the men arrested had previously served prison sentences for similar offenses. He said they also were planning assassinations.

Al-Turki said Saudi security forces monitored the group for months and learned about the plans. He said the arrests had been made over the past several days and that Saudi forces "are serious in tracking down" anyone who joins a terrorist group.

"It is unfortunate that some of those who had completed their sentences and were released by court orders returned to their previous ways," al-Turki said.

The police said three of the men are from Yemen, one is still being identified and the rest are Saudis.

Told extremists took city, Nigerians run

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria -- Thousands of Nigerians were fleeing a northeastern city as conflicting reports surface that the city has been seized by Boko Haram Islamic extremists, a federal senator said Tuesday.

The military claimed to have repelled the insurgents in fierce fighting but the stream of refugees from the city indicated otherwise, said Sen. Ali Ndume, who is from Borno state.

If Boko Haram won control of Bama, the second-largest city in Borno state, that would leave the way open to attack the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, which is also the military headquarters of the fight against Boko Haram. Ndume said Bama is 45 miles from Maiduguri and has a population of about 200,000.

Residents reported Monday that the rebels had taken the military barracks in Bama, but the military said it had fought off the attackers. Ndume said the conflicting reports led to a bungled air force bombing raid Tuesday on the barracks, killing an unknown number of soldiers and civilians who had taken shelter there.

A Section on 09/03/2014

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