Yemen, Israel, DR Congo.
Today's three stories you should know.
Yemen
Could there be hope for an end to one of the world’s most protracted wars? That fact that Iran and Saudi Arabia this week normalized diplomatic relations after seven years of feuding could bring about a political settlement, Iran’s mission to the United Nations has said. Why? Because Yemen’s war, which has been going on for about nine years, is essentially a proxy war between those two nations. According to Iranian state media, Iran’s UN mission said the deal “could help start a national dialogue, and form an inclusive national government in Yemen.” The conflict erupted in 2014 when Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, seized control of the capital Sanaa. A Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened a few months later an attempt to restore the toppled government. The conflict has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
More from AP here.
Israel
A staggering number of people have surged into the streets of several Israeli cities to protest hugely controversial judicial reforms. Protest organizers said as many as 500,000 people took part in the demonstrations - including 200,000 in Tel Aviv - which the Haaretz newspaper said were the biggest in Israeli history. Opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right governing coalition are calling the reforms, which will boost government influence over the selection of judges and limit the power of the Supreme Court to strike down legislation, a threat to democracy.
More from Haaretz here.
DR Congo
Angola is to send peacekeeping troops to eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as a truce it brokered between the government and rebels appears to have failed. Both the government and the M23 armed group have accused the other of breaking the ceasefire as fighting continues. M23, which is widely believed to be backed by neighboring Rwanda, had been inactive for years but launched a fresh offensive several months ago. Regional analysts are increasingly worried that the escalating conflict could end up dragging in other countries from the region.
More from BBC here.