UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon Calls For Immediate Yemen Ceasefire

SANA'A, YEMEN:  UN chief Ban Ki-moon called for an immediate ceasefire in Yemen as he began the hunt for a new peace envoy to the war-torn country, where Al-Qaeda is expanding its territory. The plea follows more than three weeks of air strikes by a Saudi-led coalition aimed at driving back Iran-backed rebels whose sweeping advance forced President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee abroad. Yemen "is in flames," Ban told the press in Washington on Thursday. "I am calling for an immediate ceasefire in Yemen by all parties." His remarks followed the resignation of his envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, a Moroccan-born career diplomat who lost the confidence of Saudi Arabia and its allies, amid accusations that he was appeasing the rebels. Ban said he was in the process of finding a new envoy "who can be immediately deployed" to seek a political solution. "The Saudis have assured me that they understand there must be a political process," he said. "I call on all Yemenis to participate, and in good faith."   AP