Yemen's Shiite rebels are meeting with political rivals for the first time since cementing their power grab last week by dissolving parliament and making their top security body the de facto government. The talks brokered by United Nations envoy Jamal Benomar on Monday included representatives from a coalition of the country's top political parties as well as the party of ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The negotiations last broke down on Thursday after politicians accused the rebels, known as Houthis, of refusing to offer any political concessions, including lifting a siege imposed on President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his cabinet members, who had earlier resigned from their positions in protest. The Houthis dissolved parliament the next day and appointed a Revolutionary Committee to govern the country.
