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WORLD NEWS Monday 21 March 2022
Yemen rebels launch barrage of strikes on Saudi sites

By ISABEL DEBRE for Yemen’s Iran-backed
Associated Press Houthis, said the rebels
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- had launched “a wide and
ates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi large military operation”
rebels unleashed one of in retaliation for the Saudi-
their most intense barrages led “aggression and block-
of drone and missile strikes ade” that has turned much
on Saudi Arabia’s critical of Yemen into a wasteland.
energy facilities on Sunday, The escalation followed
sparking a fire at one site a flurry of diplomacy over
and temporarily cutting oil the weekend in Oman’s
production at another. capital of Muscat. The U.N.
The salvo marked a serious special envoy for Yemen,
escalation of rebel attacks Hans Grundberg, met with
on the kingdom as the the chief Houthi negotiator
war in Yemen rages into and Omani officials to dis-
its eighth year and peace cuss “a possible truce dur-
talks stall. ing the holy month of Ra-
The attacks did not cause madan” in early April, the
casualties, the Saudi-led U.N. mission said.
military coalition fighting in The White House con-
Yemen said, but struck sites demned the attacks,
belonging to one of the blaming Iran for supplying
world’s most important en- the Houthis with missile and
ergy companies and dam- drone parts, as well as train-
aged civilian vehicles and ing and expertise.
homes. The coalition also “It is time to bring this war
said it destroyed a remote- In this photo provided by the Saudi Press Agency, a damaged car is parked at an Aramco terminal to a close, but that can
ly piloted boat packed in the southern border town of Jizan, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, March 20, 2022. only happen if the Houthis
with explosives dispatched Associated Press agree to cooperate with
by the Houthis in the busy inventory,” the ministry said, nite a regional crisis — an after weeks of intense vola- the United Nations,” said
southern Red Sea. without elaborating. attack that the U.S. and tility in energy markets trig- U.S. National Security Ad-
Hours after oil giant Aram- Another aerial attack later Riyadh later alleged came gered by Russia’s invasion visor Jake Sullivan. “The
co’s CEO Amin H. Nasser in the day struck a fuel tank from Iran. of Ukraine. United States stands fully
told reporters the attacks at an Aramco distribution The attacks on Sunday The international oil bench- behind those efforts.”
had no impact on oil sup- station in the port city of came as Saudi Arabia’s mark Brent crude spiked The Saudi-led military coali-
plies, the Saudi energy min- Jiddah and ignited a fire. state-backed Aramco, the over $107 on Sunday after tion reported aerial strikes
istry acknowledged that a The relentless wave of strikes world’s largest oil compa- nearly hitting a peak of on a range of facilities:
drone strike targeting the revealed the expanding ny, announced its profits $140 earlier this month. Sau- an Aramco liquified gas
Yanbu Aramco Sinopec reach and precision of the surged 124% in 2021 to $110 di Arabia and the United plant in the Red Sea port
Refining Company caused rebels and the persistent billion, a jump fueled by Arab Emirates have so far of Yanbu, an oil storage
“a temporary reduction in gaps in the kingdom’s air renewed anxieties about resisted Western appeals plant in Jiddah, a desalina-
the refinery’s production.” defenses. A sophisticated global supply shortages to increase oil production tion facility in Al-Shaqeeq
The disruption, as oil prices strike in 2019 on Aramco oil and soaring oil prices. to offset the loss of Russian on the Red Sea coast and
spike in an already-tight facilities knocked out half Aramco, also known as the oil as gasoline prices sky- an Aramco oil facility in the
energy market, “will be the kingdom’s oil produc- Saudi Arabian Oil Co., re- rocket. southern border town of Ji-
compensated for from the tion and threatened to ig- leased its annual earnings Yehia Sarie, a spokesman zan, among others.q

Car runs into Carnival revelers in

Belgium, killing 6

By RAF CASERT cal people in their thirties colorful garb with bells at-
Associated Press were arrested at the scene tached, walking behind
BRUSSELS (AP) — A car in Strépy-Bracquegnies, 50 the beat of drums. It was
slammed at high speed kilometers (30 miles) south supposed to be a day of
into Carnival revelers in a of Brussels. Prosecutors said, deliverance.
small town in southern Bel- in the early stages of their Instead, said mayor
gium early Sunday, killing investigation, there were Jacques Gobert, “what
six people and leaving 10 no elements to suspect a happened turned it into a
more with life-threatening terror motive. national catastrophe.”
injuries, authorities said, In an age-old tradition, Car- More than 150 people of all
adding many others were nival revelers had gathered ages had gathered around
lightly injured. at dawn, intending to pick 5 a.m. and were standing in
“What should have been up others at their homes a thick crowd along a long, Gilles de Binche performers and people talk on a street, after an
a great party turned into along the way, to finally straight road. Suddenly, “a incident at a carnival, in Strepy-Bracquenies, Belgium, Sunday,
a tragedy,” said Belgian hold their famous festivity car drove from the back at March 20, 2022.
Interior Minister Annelies again after it was banned high speed. And we have Associated Press
Verlinden.The prosecu- for the past two years to a few dozen injured and said. their car came to a halt a
tor’s office, which gave the counter the spread of CO- unfortunately several peo- The driver and a second few hundred meters (yards)
death toll, also said two lo- VID-19. Some dressed in ple who are killed,” Gobert person were arrested when further on.q