Thousands of Yemenis hold demonstrations in support of Palestinians

A wave of protests is sweeping across Yemen's capital Sanaa and other provinces, with thousands marching in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their ongoing suffering, voicing their support for military action.

Houthi officials have pledged a robust response following Israel's bombing of a port in Al Hudaydah, western Yemen, in July.

The Houthis announced plans to coordinate a retaliatory attack with the so-called "Axis of Resistance." The group is currently preparing a collective retaliation in response to the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, and Hezbollah military commander Fouad Shukr.

In a weekly speech, Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, leader of the Houthi group, has promised a definite military response to Israel, saying the Israeli government knows that a reaction is inevitable, and that Tel Aviv is currently preparing with U.S supervision and cooperation from western and Arab powers. He warned that Houthis will not be deterred by any pressure or threats.

"A definite response to the Israeli attack on fuel tanks at the Port of Al Hudaydah is inevitable and will come, God willing. The delayed response from the Axis is purely tactical, as it aims to ensure the response is effective against Israel's preparations," he said.

Many also support Hamas’ choice to replace Ismail Haniyeh, as Yahya Sinwar becomes the group’s new political leader. Many protesters say the move undermines Israel's plan to weaken the Palestinians and the Axis of Resistance.

On Thursday, the Al Hudaydah governorate was hit by five air raids in different areas. In response, protesters are calling for increased attacks on American and British ships in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

According to observers, the popular marches in Yemen, ongoing since October 2023, show the extent of solidarity with the Palestinian people. And demonstrators say they will not stop protesting until Israel ceases its war on the Gaza Strip.

Thousands of Yemenis hold demonstrations in support of Palestinians

Thousands of Yemenis hold mass demonstrations in support of Palestinians

China's consumer market showed signs of robust recovery in the first quarter of 2025, driven by pro-consumption policies and heightened spending during the Chinese New Year holidays, according to the latest high-frequency data from the State Information Center (SIC).

The SIC's offline consumption index, a key gauge of brick-and-mortar retail activity, surged by 14.2 percent year on year in Q1, against the 9.1 percent rise in the previous quarter.

Momentum strengthened further in March, with growth of the index hitting 20 percent -- up 4.7 percentage points from the January-February period.

The offline consumption index for China's first-tier cities, second-tier cities, third-tier cities and below saw year-on-year growth of 19.6 percent, 11.4 percent and 20.2 percent, respectively.

The small commodity market heat index, tracking sales of household goods and daily essentials, jumped 16.3 percent in Q1, with March alone seeing a 21.6 percent spike.

The figures underscore resilient demand for affordable, high-frequency consumer items, signaling a broader recovery in grassroots economic activity.

The country's service sector saw a notable expansion as well, with the life services consumption heat index climbing 18.3 percent in the first quarter - 7.4 percentage points higher from the last quarter of 2024.

Among them, the leisure and dining sectors saw growth of 67.6 percent and 14.5 percent respectively.

Online searches for the Qingming Festival travel and spring outing destinations -- including keywords like "cherry blossom spots" and "hiking trails" -- skyrocketed over 400 percent in March, the SIC's internet monitoring data revealed.

China's consumer market gains momentum in Q1