Yemen's Houthi rebels claim attacks on Israel
Dubai(AP/PTI): Yemen's Houthi rebels for the first time on Tuesday claimed missile and drone attacks targeting Israel, drawing their main sponsor Iran closer into the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis had been suspected of an attack earlier this month targeting Israel by sending missiles and drones over the crucial shipping lane of the Red Sea, an assault that saw the US Navy shoot down the projectiles.
This time on Tuesday, however, Israel said its own fighter jets and its new Arrow missile defence system shot down two salvos of incoming fire hours apart as it approached the country's key Red Sea shipping port of Eilat.
The Houthis, who have held Yemen's capital, Sanaa, since 2014 as part of that country's ruinous war, claimed three attacks on Israel in a later military statement, without elaborating on the timeframe of the operations and whether Tuesday's salvos represented one or two attacks.
Beyond the attack that saw the US shoot down missiles, there had been a mysterious explosion Thursday that hit the Egyptian resort town of Taba, near the border with Israel. The blast, which Egyptian authorities have not explained, wounded six people.
"Our armed forces launched a large batch of ballistic missiles and a large number of drones at various targets of the Israeli enemy," Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a televised statement. "The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that this operation is the third operation in support of our oppressed brothers in Palestine and confirm that we will continue to carry out more qualitative strikes with missiles and drones until the Israeli aggression stops."
For Israel, Tuesday's attack marked an incredibly rare reported in-combat use of the Arrow missile defence system, which intercepts long-range ballistic missiles with a warhead designed to destroy targets while they are in space, according to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"All aerial threats were intercepted outside of Israeli territory," the Israeli military said. "No infiltrations were identified into Israeli territory."
Saree did not identify the specific weapons used in the attack. However, the use of the arrow suggests it was a ballistic missile. The Houthis have a variant of its Burkan ballistic missile, modeled after a type of an Iranian missile, believed to be able to reach over 1,000 kilometers to strike near Eilat.
It wasn't clear whether American naval forces in the region saw the incoming fire, as the troop-and-aircraft-carrying USS Bataan and other elements of its strike group likely are in the Red Sea now, along with other US vessels. The US Navy's 5th Fleet, which patrols the Mideast, referred questions on Tuesday's attack to the Pentagon. Officials there did not respond to a request for comment.
Saudi Arabia also did not respond to questions. The kingdom saw four of its soldiers killed in its southern Jazan province in recent days in fighting with the Houthis, according to a report Tuesday by Bloomberg citing anonymous sources. That's even as Saudi Arabia has tried for months to reach a peace deal with the Houthis after a yearslong deadlock war against them.
The Houthis' declaration further draws Iran into the conflict. Tehran has long sponsored both the Houthis and Hamas, as well as the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which continues to trade deadly cross-border fire with the Israelis.
Iran's mission to the UN did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Houthi attacks.
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Noida workers' protest turns violent; govt steps in, political blame game erupts
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Noida/Lucknow (PTI): Vehicles, including police SUVs, were torched, public property vandalised, and stone-pelting reported from industrial hubs in Noida on Monday as protests by factory workers demanding a wage hike turned violent, paralysing traffic.
The Uttar Pradesh Police used mild force to disperse the agitators and later registered FIRs against two X handles, charging them with spreading rumours linked to the unrest. The state government also formed a special panel to address the crisis.
Violence was first reported in afternoon, with sporadic stone-pelting and vandalism continuing till 5 pm. No major incidents of arson or violence were reported thereafter, officials said.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured support to the worker community and said Uttar Pradesh was progressing steadily, but "some people were conspiring to obstruct its growth". His remarks drew sharp criticism from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who flagged an intelligence failure and said the CM should step down if unable to handle the state.
The unrest, which began in the morning, left thousands of commuters stranded on key routes leading to Delhi during peak hours. Long queues of vehicles stretching several kilometres were reported at the Delhi-Noida border, with major congestion at Sector 62, National Highway-24, Sector 63 and the Chilla border. Protesters blocked key routes, including stretches connecting Sector 62 to Sector 16 and NH-9.
Officials said a large number of workers from industrial units in Phase-2 and Sector 60 gathered to press for long-pending wage revision demands and raised slogans.
Similar protests were reported from Sector 62 and Sector 84, including at a Motherson company unit. NH-9, a key link between Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh, was also blocked.
The protests soon escalated, with some protesters torching vehicles, vandalising property and pelting stones.
Officials said workers had been mobilising support for their demands on a wage hike and better working conditions in factories over the last two days. However, it was not clear what sparked the violence during the protest.
Heavy deployment was rushed to affected areas, while senior administrative and police officials remained on the ground to monitor the situation.
"The situation is under control and being continuously monitored. Efforts are being made to counsel the workers and maintain peace. Minimum force is being used wherever necessary to maintain law and order," police said, urging people not to pay heed to rumours.
The protests triggered widespread traffic snarls across Noida and Greater Noida. Traffic police said diversions were put in place and movement was gradually being restored at key points, including the Chilla border and the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.
Commuters narrated their ordeal, with an office-goer, Prashant Shukla, saying he was stuck at the DND flyover for hours. "Vehicles were not able to move due to heavy traffic jams caused by the workers' protest. It took me nearly two hours to reach the office," he said.
Workers cited low wages and poor working conditions as the reason for the protest.
Gautam Buddh Nagar Additional Labour Commissioner Rakesh Dwivedi said workers are demanding a wage increase similar to what the Haryana government has given. "Besides, there are other issues as well, like overtime and food," he said.
A protester said that despite working 12-hour shifts, workers earn between Rs 11,000 and Rs 15,000, making it difficult to sustain a household. Another protester, Nakul Singh, alleged that companies were not paying overtime in accordance with norms.
A woman worker alleged irregularities in wage payments, saying workers are often made to sign for double shifts while being paid for a single duty. "Working conditions are often very difficult and need improvement," she said.
Another woman protester said, "Everything is becoming expensive, but our salaries remain around Rs 11,000-12,000. They should be increased to at least Rs 20,000-25,000."
The violence came a day after the state government announced measures to strengthen labour welfare, including mandatory double overtime pay, weekly offs and timely wages.
As the situation escalated, the chief minister, speaking at an event in Muzaffarnagar, assured workers of government support and urged them to maintain peace.
"I appeal to all the personnel employed in industrial units, as well as to the workers working with them, to recall how this 'double-engine' government stood by your side, something which you witnessed firsthand during the Covid period," he said.
Adityanath also cautioned workers against those trying to incite unrest.
"Do not let them succeed," he said, adding that "the government stands firmly with the workers and will provide security to entrepreneurs while simultaneously offering protection to every single worker."
He said the government is moving towards ensuring minimum honorarium and social security for workers and urged industrialists to maintain direct dialogue with employees.
Meanwhile, the state government constituted a high-powered committee to address the crisis and ensure coordination between workers, industry and administration.
Officials said the panel, comprising senior bureaucrats and representatives of workers' organisations and industry bodies, has reached Noida and will submit recommendations on priority.
"A thorough probe will also be conducted into any attempts by vested interests or political motives to disturb the atmosphere. Anarchy will not be allowed in UP, and appropriate solutions to the problems will be worked out," officials said.
The developments also triggered sharp political reactions.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav targeted the chief minister over remarks linking the protests to a conspiracy.
"If the honourable chief minister is calling the Noida workers' movement a conspiracy, was your intelligence police accompanying you during campaigning in Bengal?" Yadav said in a post on X.
"...If you can't manage the state, then step down -- otherwise, the public will throw you out," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister added.
He further alleged that inflation and "commission-driven dealings" had worsened the condition of families and said, "The BJP's double engine has turned into a trouble engine for the public."
UP Congress chief Ajay Rai also criticised the government, calling visuals from the protest sites "disturbing".
"When inflation is breaking people's backs, and workers are being exploited in the name of wages, the youth will be forced to come out on the streets," Rai said.
"Advertisements cannot fill empty stomachs. Tear gas shells cannot answer hunger. Stop ignoring the legitimate demands of workers and find a solution instead of resorting to repression," he added.
Amid the unrest, UP Police stepped up monitoring and warned of strict action against those behind the violence.
Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna said "provocative elements" and "external elements" are being identified.
"Firm legal action will follow once their identities are established," he said, adding that the situation is under constant surveillance from the police headquarters.
Police said adequate deployment has been made across industrial zones, with PAC, paramilitary forces and senior officers stationed at key locations.
Authorities reiterated that the situation is under control and efforts are underway to restore normalcy, while urging people not to believe rumours.
Noida Police Commissioner Laxmi Singh and District Magistrate Medha Roopam also inspected the violence spots, according to officials.
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