VALLETTA (Reuters) - A Maltese armed forces patrol boat picked up more than 200 migrants from two dinghies in the Mediterranean and was bringing them to Malta on Saturday, a spokesman said.

DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar said on Friday that economic development needed for Israeli-Palestinian peace could not be achieved without "fair political solutions" acceptable to Palestinians, referring to a U.S. plan set to be unveiled next month.

DOHA, May 24 (Reuters) - Qatar said on Friday that economic development needed for Israeli-Palestinian peace could not be achieved without "fair political solutions" acceptable to Palestinians, referring to a U.S. plan set to be unveiled next month.

ADEN (Reuters) - Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi criticized the U.N.'s special envoy to the country in a sharply-worded letter to the U.N. chief, describing him as legitimizing Houthi rebels his Saudi-backed coalition is locked in a four-year war with.

KHARTOUM, May 24 (Reuters) - A coalition of Sudanese protest and opposition groups on Friday called for two days of strikes in private and public enterprises next week as part of pressure on military rulers to hand over power to civilians.

ADEN, May 24 (Reuters) - Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi criticized the U.N.'s special envoy to the country in a sharply-worded letter to the U.N. chief, describing him as legitimizing Houthi rebels his Saudi-backed coalition is locked in a four-year war with.

LYON (Reuters) - French police were hunting a suspected suitcase bomber on Friday after an explosion in the central city of Lyon that injured 13 people, officials said.

CHICAGO/SEATTLE May 24 (Reuters) - United Airlines said on Friday it is extending by one month its cancellations of Boeing Co 737 MAX flights, through Aug. 3, as the jetliner remains grounded following two fatal crashes.

LYON, May 24 (Reuters) - French police were hunting a suspected suitcase bomber on Friday after an explosion in the central city of Lyon that injured 13 people, officials said.