Yemen
Yemen airport blasts kill 26 as government plane arrives
Although all government ministers were reported to be unharmed, more than 50 people were wounded, medical and government sources told AFP in the southern city,...
Before the war, Yemen had a small but budding film and theatre industry but there were only a handful of makeshift cinemas that showed old films, while often cultural centres or schools provided the backdrop for plays that spoke of politics or significant moments in Yemeni history.
The country has endured a five year war between Iranian-backed Huthi rebels and government forces.
Economic shocks, conflict, floods, desert locusts and now the novel coronavirus were creating a perfect storm for the expected sharp rise in food insecurity, according to a report by several UN agencies.
Since the call by Antonio Guterres in March for ceasefires, announcements backing the end of fighting have been made in countries including Afghanistan, the Philippines and Cameroon, but conflicts have continued to rage in Libya, Yemen and elsewhere.
Amnesty International says the Huthis have been holding 10 journalists in detention since 2015.
The unilateral ceasefire follows an escalation in fighting between the warring parties despite a call by the United Nations for an immediate cessation to protect civilians in the Arab world's poorest nation from the pandemic.
Saturday's strike follows months of relative calm in the war between the Iran-backed Huthis and Yemen's internationally recognised government.
Artillery fire on 26 December damaged WFP grain stores at the Red Sea Mills located on the front line in the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah.
No claim of responsibility was made and Houthi media did not immediately comment on the blast or accusation.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hosted Iraq's Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi for talks on Wednesday focused on attacks on the kingdom's oil infrastructure, which Washington has blamed on Iran.
The United States on Friday imposed another round of sanctions on Iran, including on its central bank which was already blacklisted.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have already blamed Iran for the 14 September strikes that initially halved Saudi oil output. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has claimed responsibility.
Tensions between Washington and Tehran have further escalated after an attack last weekend on Saudi oil facilities that initially disrupted half of the oil production from the kingdom, the world’s largest oil exporter, and was blamed on Tehran by the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Trump said on Twitter that he had ordered the US Treasury to “substantially increase sanctions” on Iran, which denies carrying out the attacks, and told reporters the unspecified, punitive economic measures would be unveiled within 48 hours.
Riyadh, which is bogged down in a five-year war against Tehran-aligned rebels in neighbouring Yemen, has said that the weapons used were Iranian-made, but has not directly blamed its arch rival.
Vice President Mike Pence announced that Pompeo was on his way to the kingdom to 'discuss our response.'
Tensions between Iran and the US and its allies have threatened to boil over since May last year when President Donald Trump abandoned a 2015 nuclear deal and began reimposing sanctions in its campaign of 'maximum pressure'.
Standard Bank economist Elna Moolman said that the effects would be felt here at home.