Yemen’s embattled president agreed tonight to a proposal by Gulf Arab mediators to step down within 30 days and hand power to his deputy in exchange for immunity from prosecution, a major about-face for the autocratic leader who has ruled for 32 years.

The United Arab Emirates today backed off a threat to cut key BlackBerry services, just days before a ban was set to take effect that could have harmed the country’s business-friendly reputation.

A UPS cargo plane with two crew members on board crashed shortly after takeoff yesterday outside Dubai, officials said.