NEWS OF THE DAY
From Around the World
_1 Yemen fighting:
Medical officials say fighting outside the capital of Sanaa between Shiite rebels and forces loyal to an internationally recognized government has killed more than 55 people on both sides. The officials said Saturday that the clashes took place in Nihm district, about 30 miles northeast of the rebel-held capital. Dozens were also wounded over the past 24 hours, they added. Fighting also killed at least 25 people on both sides along Yemen’s west coast, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters. The rebels, known as Houthis, seized Sanaa in September 2014 after they drove out the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. A Saudiled coalition backing Hadi has been fighting to defeat the Iran-backed Houthis since March 2015.
_2 Bahrain crackdown:
Authorities said Saturday that they have arrested 116 people in a sweep targeting alleged Shiite militants in the Sunniruled kingdom of Bahrain. The arrests come amid a years-long crackdown on dissent on the island off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The Interior Ministry said police seized explosives and weapons in their raids. It did not say when the arrests took place. Bahrain regularly announces similar sweeps, blaming Iran for instigating and training the alleged militants.
_3 Russia rally:
Tens of thousands of supporters of President Vladimir Putin gathered Saturday for a campaign rally at Moscow’s sprawling main sports complex. The crowd filled the Luzhniki stadium, which has a capacity of 81,000 people. Police estimated the overall turnout at the complex, which includes other sports facilities, to be 130,000. Putin told the cheering crowd: “We want to make our country bright, forwardlooking into the future, because our ancestors lived here, we live here, our children live here and our children and our grandchildren will live here.” Putin is seeking a fourth term and faces no significant opposition in the March 18 election.
_4 North Korea talks:
Pyongyang said Saturday it is willing to hold talks with the United States, but that it rejects preconditions and Washington’s demands that it must first demonstrate its willingness to denuclearize. The Trump administration’s position is that North Korea must show a real commitment toward ending its nuclear and missile programs before any talks can take place. The U.S. has applied a series of sanctions in what it says is a “maximum pressure campaign” to force North Korea to disarm. On Saturday, the representative of North Korea’s foreign ministry said the North would not accept preconditions.
_5 Vatican bank trial:
Prosecutors have indicted the former president of the Vatican bank and his lawyer on embezzlement charges, holding them responsible for losses of more than $62 million from real estate sales. The trial of Angelo Caloia and his lawyer, Gabriele Liuzzo, begins March 15. A third suspect died while under investigation. The Institute for Religious Works said late Friday that Caloia and his lawyer were charged with embezzlement and self-laundering between 2001 and 2008. The scam allegedly involved the suspects selling Vatican-owned real estate at below-market prices to offshore companies that then resold the buildings at market rates, with the suspects allegedly profiting from the difference, according to a person familiar with the investigation. The suspects have denied wrongdoing.