Nepalese mourn victms of quake
KATHMANDU, Nepal – Thousands of Nepalese dressed in white offered prayers and flowers at home and in temples Thursday in a Hindu ritual marking the end of a 13-day mourning period for those killed in the country’s massive earthquake.
Families and friends also published condolence messages with photographs of victims in local newspapers.
Thousands of mourners gathered amid piles of stones, mud, bricks and wooden beams that once formed centuries-old temples, palaces and structures toppled in the April 25 quake, which killed more than 7,800 people and injured another 15,000.
Saudis proposing Yemen cease-fire
SANAA, Yemen – Saudi Arabia said Thursday it is prepared to begin a five-day, renewable cease-fire in Yemen so that humanitarian aid can reach millions of civilians caught up in the conflict that has killed more than 1,400 people.
The reprieve was announced in Riyadh by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the Saudi foreign minister. It is dependent on whether Yemen’s Iranian-backed Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, and their allies also agree to halt fighting.
Hamed al-Bokheiti, a spokesman for the Houthi movement, was dismissive of the news of the cease-fire.
Associated Press
