Yemen government troops advance on Hodeida port +++ Pompeo; Kim understands denuclearisation urgency

15. Juli 2018, 02:00

Yemen government troops advance on Hodeida port

Reports from Yemen say government-allied troops backed by Saudi led airstrikes have reached the outskirts of the port city of Hodeida, held by Iran-allied Houthi rebels. They say government forces have captured the town of Nakhilia near the Hodeida International Airport on the second day of the offensive against the Houthis, as civilians flee the city. Aid agencies are warning that disruptions to vital relief supplies coming through Hodeida port could deepen Yemen’s humanitarian disaster.

Pompeo; Kim understands denuclearisation urgency

The United States secretary of state Mike Pompeo has said sanctions on North Korea will be lifted only after it completes denuclearisation. Pompeo was speaking after talks in Seoul with the foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan, amid concern over President Trump’s unilateral decision at the Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to give up joint military exercises with South Korea. Pompeo says Kim understands the urgency of riding his country of nuclear weapons: “We believe that Chairman Kim Jong Un understands that we must do this quickly, and that sanctions relief - we should recall that these are UN sanctions - that sanctions relief cannot take place until such time as we have demonstrated that North Korea has been completely denuclearised.” Pompeo travels on to China which has called for sanctions relief soon for Pyongyang.

Verdict due in migrant truck deaths

The verdict is due in Hungary in the trial of 14 men accused in the deaths of 71 migrants who suffocated in a truck found abandoned on the highway near Parndorf in Austria in 2015. The most serious charge is murder with extreme cruelty. The accused have denied being members of a criminal organisation and have expressed remorse over the deaths.

Italy and France call for action on migration

Italy and France have said new initiatives on immigration must be taken ahead of the EU summit later this month, after a phone call between Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte and French president Emmanuel Macron. Conte is due in Paris for talks with Macron tomorrow, after Macron’s spokesman earlier accused the Italian government of cynicism and irresponsibility over its refusal to allow the aid ship Aquarius carrying over 600 migrants to dock at its ports.

Football world cup begins

The football world cup kicks off in Russia today. 32 countries are competing in the month long event. The opening game is between Russia and Saudi Arabia, which Fifa says are the two weakest teams in the tournament.

The weather

Mainly cloudy with skies clearing to sunny spells mainly in the west and south. Some showers in the east Top temperatures 15 to 23 degrees.

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