Mukalla | Pakistan

• UAE issues call for restraint; Saudi Arabia summons factions to Riyadh for ‘comprehensive’ talks • FM Dar speaks with Saudi counterpart about regional situation MUKALLA : Yemen’s Saudi-backed and internationally recognised government said on Saturday it had retaken control of Mukalla, the key eastern port in Yemen and capital of Hadramaut province, from separatists who seized it last month. The rapid government gains since Friday have reversed many of the advances made by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and cast doubt on viability of its intention to hold a referendum on “independence”. As the fighting threatened to upend the regional order, the United Arab Emirates urged de-escalation, saying it was “deeply concerned” by the violence. Saudi Arabia appealed for factions to convene for talks in Riyadh. Saudi-backed forces said on Friday they had made advances and taken control of key locations in Hadramaut, a large province with stretches of desert along the Saudi border. By Saturday, military offici...