Yemen has declared a 90-day state of emergency after Saudi-led coalition forces launched airstrikes on the country. According to reports from Arab media, Yemen’s Presidential Council has announced the imposition of a state of emergency for 90 days. The Presidential Council stated that Yemen’s airspace, maritime, and land borders will be closed for 72 hours. The airstrikes were carried out after two Saudi-led coalition ships entered the port without permission and offloaded weapons and military equipment for the Southern Transitional Council in eastern Yemen.
Colonel Turki al-Maliki, the spokesperson for the coalition, stated that the two ships had left the port of Fujairah on December 27 and 28 and had arrived at the port of Mocha without obtaining official permission from the Joint Forces Command of the coalition.
Meanwhile, the funeral prayers of Bangladesh’s first female Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, will be held later today in Dhaka, with Speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq representing Pakistan. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan about the situation in Gaza. Heavy rain has lashed the UAE’s northern emirates, including Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, and Al Ain, exacerbating the cold weather. Israel has carried out over 10,000 direct strikes on six countries in the region this year.
In Italy, a 2-kilometer cable car collision in the Piedmont region left four people injured. The Saudi cabinet, led by King Salman, held a meeting, with the Information Minister, Prince Sultan bin Yusuf, announcing a statement after the meeting. Iran has warned of a strong reaction to any potential US attack. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said that any aggression against the country will be met with a strong response. The UAE has announced the closure of its anti-terrorist units in Yemen.
The Indian government’s Hindu nationalist policies and its controversial foreign policy strategy have affected its relations with the US. British newspapers have also banned the books of women and Iranian writers. An Afghan magazine, Hasht-e Subh, has reported that the body of 26-year-old Biocon employee Anantha Kumar was found at the company’s office in Bangalore.
In Germany, 3 million euros were stolen from a bank during Christmas. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked for an investigation into the Pulwama attack and the Delhi blast. She has also called for Home Minister Amit Shah to resign.
In other news, the Indian government’s decision to allow community-based trophy hunting has been met with criticism. The Ministry of Wildlife has said that the hunting of a 41-inch-long rhino was carried out under the Community-Based Trophy Hunting Program.
In Pakistan, Sindh Ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon and Nisar Khuhro have inaugurated double-decker buses. Australian cricketer Damien Martin has represented his country in 67 test matches, 208 ODI matches, and 4 T20 matches. In a viral video message, Pakistani actress Mehwish Hayat has called out men who maintain relationships with other women despite being married.
