Yemen rebels issue power vacuum ultimatum

Houthi rebels that control Yemen's capital have given politicians a three-day ultimatum to fill a power vacuum.

Yemen's powerful Houthi rebels have given the country's political factions three days to fill the political void resulting from sudden resignations of the president and the government.

The Houthis threatened that if the deadline is not met, they will take over the country's affairs, a move that would complicate Yemen's political turmoil.

Last month, internationally recognised President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi and his government quit, saying they could not remain office after the Houthis failed to abide by a peace deal.

"These resignations are mere manoeuvres aimed at subjugating the Yemeni people," the Houthis said in a statement at the end of a conference in Sanaa.

The Houthis, who originated as a movement to revive the Zaydi Shi'ite traditions of Yemen's historically dominant northern highlands, controlled most of Sanaa in September.

They have since swept across northern and central Yemen, exploiting the weakness of central authorities.