KSA, UK to boost security off Yemen

Saudi Arabia and Britain launched a partnership Tuesday to strengthen Yemen's coastguard in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, where Huthi rebels have stepped up attacks on commercial shipping.

Under the agreement announced at a news conference in Riyadh, the coastguard of Yemen's internationally recognised government would be trained and equipped to tackle threats that also include piracy, human-trafficking and smuggling.

The initiative received funding worth several million dollars from more than 35 countries, including Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States, as well as Gulf nations and the European Union, according to the British embassy.

Saudi Arabia pledged $4 million, said its ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al Jaber.