Yemen conflict: Saudi coalition declares 48-hour ceasefire

November 19, 2016

Nov 19: The Saudi-led military coalition supporting Yemen's government against the Houthi rebels has declared a 48-hour ceasefire to begin on Saturday.

colition

The ceasefire will begin at midday (0900 GMT), the Saudi government announced via state media.

The coalition said the truce could be renewed if the Houthis observed it and allowed aid to be delivered to rebel-held areas in the southwest.

More than 10,000 people have died in 20 months of civil war in the country.

There has been no word yet from the Houthis and several previous ceasefires have broken down.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said earlier this week that the coalition and Houthis had agreed on a ceasefire to begin on Thursday.

But the internationally recognised Yemeni government, led by exiled president Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, rejected the move, complaining that it had been being bypassed.

The truce announced by Mr Kerry held in some parts of the country but not others. More than 20 civilians were killed on Friday in the shelling of a busy market in the war-torn city of Taiz.

International medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said one of its staff was also killed, calling it "another heartbreaking example of a hard-working citizen affected by this ongoing conflict".

Taiz has been one of the worst-affected cities in Yemen's conflict, witnessing some of the heaviest and most sustained fighting in the country.

The UN estimates that more than three million people have been displaced from the conflict and 21 million are in need of some form of humanitarian assistance.

Two million people are malnourished nationwide, including 370,000 children who are severely malnourished.

The conflict has also ravaged Yemen's health system. More than half of the health facilities the country are closed or partially functioning, a survey by the World Health Organisation found earlier this month.

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Agencies
May 22,2020

Riyadh, May 22: The family of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi on Friday said that they forgave his killers. Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who had written columns critical of Saudi Arabia, was brutally killed in October 2018, allegedly at the behest of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

“In this blessed night of the blessed month [of Ramadan] we remember God’s saying: If a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah,” Jamal Khashoggi’s son Salah Khashoggi said in a tweet. “Therefore, we the sons of the Martyr Jamal Khashoggi announce that we pardon those who killed our father, seeking reward [from] God almighty.”

The legal outcome of this announcement is not yet clear. Earlier, Salah Khashoggi said he had “full confidence” in the judicial system, and that the accused were trying to exploit the case.

Jamal Khashoggi’s body was said to have been dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and disposed of elsewhere, but his remains were never found.

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News Network
May 6,2020

A massive fire engulfed a residential tower in UAE's Sharjah last night. The building has been identified as one Abbco Tower in Al Nahda.

According to the latest inputs, Sharjah Civil Defence teams rushed to the spot and evacuated all residents. 

Firefighters managed to douse the blaze after several hours. The building in question is reportedly a 48-storey structure. Officials are yet to reveal the cause of the fire.

All residents of the building were evacuated while seven incurred minor injuries during the evacuation and were treated at local hospitals, reported the United Arab Emirates' local media.

More details are awaited as this is a developing story.

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Agencies
May 25,2020

Abu Dhabi, May 25: Dusty weather to persist in the UAE on Monday as well with a chance of rainfall in parts of the country, the national Met department reported.

According to the NCM, the weather today will be fair to partly cloudy, with a chance of some convective clouds formation by afternoon - eastward and northward - extending to some internal areas that may be associated with some rainfall.

The weather will get humid by night and Tuesday morning over some coastal areas.

NCM predicts a wet Eid break.

Sharjah Police issued a weather warning as heavy rain flooded roads in Sharjah's Kalba among other areas.

Moderate to fresh winds will gain strength during the day causing blowing dust and sand.

The sea will be slight to moderate in the Arabian Gulf and in Oman Sea.

Earlier on Sunday, a weather alert was issued by authorities as moderate to heavy rain - accompanied with hail - lashed parts of the UAE. A rainbow in Dubai skies cheered up residents, celebrating a unique Eid this year amid the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic - by mostly staying home.

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