Yemen ceasefire takes hold

A UN-brokered ceasefire was taking hold in Yemen yesterday despite sporadic clashes, raising hopes that peace talks due next week may finally resolve the country's devastating conflict.

Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, the Shia Huthi rebels who drove his government out of the capital, and the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen last year all pledged to honour the truce after it took effect at midnight on Sunday.

The UN special envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, called the ceasefire "a first step in Yemen's return to peace".