Here's a rundown of all the news you need to start your Thursday, including Yemeni army saying 1,860 Houthis “neutralized” in several operations, Iran saying response to US proposals aimed at ending war to be delivered through mediators, and US President Donald Trump welcoming military support from Türkiye and Pakistan for Saudi Arabia.
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The Yemeni army said late Wednesday that 1,860 Houthis were “neutralized” in 2,103 targeting operations across multiple fronts as part of Operation “Dawn of Yemen.”
Armed forces spokesman Col. Majid al-Nuzaili said the military carried out 2,103 “precision targeting operations” against Houthi positions and movements on various fronts.
He said the operations destroyed hundreds of pieces of military equipment and Houthi positions. Al-Nuzaili did not specify how many of the 1,860 Houthis were killed or wounded.
Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Wednesday that it destroyed 82 Houthi military targets across four provinces, in Saada, Hodeidah, Al-Jawf and Marib.
The targets included 11 ballistic missile storage facilities in mountainous areas of Saada along with command and control centers, communications systems, missile and weapons depots and Houthi headquarters, he said.
Iran said Wednesday that its response to US proposals concerning efforts to end the conflict will be delivered through mediators while announcing progress with Oman on establishing safe shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran had clearly outlined its “considerations and conditions” for ending the war on all fronts and restoring security to the Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz, according to state-run IRNA news agency.
“The necessary response to the proposals of the other side will also be provided through the mediators,” Baghaei said, adding that messages between Iran and the US are being exchanged through intermediaries.
US President Donald Trump said he welcomed an agreement by Türkiye and Pakistan to provide military support to Saudi Arabia as part of a new collective defense arrangement involving the three countries.
Speaking to reporters at the White House before departing for Texas, Trump was asked about the decision by Türkiye and Pakistan to send military forces to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Defense Alliance.
"I think they want to help Saudi Arabia, and I think that’s great," he replied.
Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan agreed Monday to “immediately” implement collective defense commitments and take measures to ensure the “rapid deployment” of agreed military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia, according to a statement.
NEWS IN BRIEF
BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY
The global economy faces dual pressures from a negative energy supply shock and a positive artificial intelligence (AI) demand shock, said the head of the International Monetary Fund.
Kristalina Georgieva delivered a speech in Singapore ahead of upcoming annual meetings in Thailand, highlighting that the global economy must navigate three major crosscurrents, which are the rapid arrival of AI, persistently high energy prices and record levels of public debt.
She noted that global public debt is on track to soon exceed 100% of gross domestic product, reaching its highest levels since the end of World War II.
French scientist Henri B. Kagan and Japanese scientist Kenso Soai won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discoveries that helped explain how the molecular asymmetry essential to life can emerge.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the prize “for the discovery of non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.”
Their research addressed a longstanding question about homochirality, a feature of living systems in which molecules favor one of two possible mirror-image forms, according to a statement.
CULTURE AND LIFE
Oscar-winning actress Eva Marie Saint, known for her roles in the Hollywood classics On the Waterfront and North by Northwest, died of natural causes at her Los Angeles home at the age of 102, her representative Jeff Sanderson said.
Saint made her film debut opposite Marlon Brando in director Elia Kazan’s 1954 crime drama On the Waterfront, playing Edie Doyle, the love interest of Brando’s dockworker Terry Malloy.
The performance earned Saint the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, while Brando won his first Oscar for Best Actor for the film.
Umrah journeys via road from Türkiye are gaining momentum after transit through Syria resumed, with more pilgrims traveling individually and in groups to the holy sites in Saudi Arabia.
The Türkiye-Syria-Jordan-Saudi Arabia land route was completely closed to transit traffic and Umrah tours in 2011 following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war.
Overland Umrah journeys resumed after the fall of the Bashar Assad regime and the reopening of roads by Syria's new administration. According to Anadolu correspondents in the region, the number of people traveling from Türkiye by road for Umrah has increased significantly in recent months.
SPORTS
Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to longtime rival Lionel Messi following the Argentinian star's final international appearance, saying his history with the national team "will last forever."
Ronaldo left a message under a US social media platform Instagram post in which Messi reflected on his farewell to Argentina after playing his final match Tuesday against Benin.
"Leo, so many years defending your country and a history that will last forever. All my respect for what you have achieved with Argentina. A hug," Ronaldo wrote.
Fenerbahce Tarfin defeated hosts CIMSA CBK Mersin 79-71 to win the FIBA SuperCup Women title for the third time.
The reigning EuroLeague Women champions from Istanbul secured their third SuperCup crown after lifting the trophy in 2023 and 2024.
Mersin, the reigning EuroCup Women champions, were competing in the SuperCup for the first time.
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