Thousands of people gathered in Sanaa on Friday for a demonstration against the blockade and foreign interference in Yemen, and U.S. military operations in the region.
The rally was held in Sabeen Square in the capital city controlled by the Houthis.
It came amid rising tensions between the country and Saudi Arabia earlier the week. Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said Monday Saudi Arabia launched several airstrikes on the runways of Sanaa International Airport. Later the day the group said that it had launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport, calling the operation retaliation.
Meanwhile, renewed fire-trading between the United States and Iran also worsened regional situation, posing impact again to the situation in Yemen.
"The conflicts have restarted because the United States has broken the ceasefire and launched aggression against many countries. The United States has destabilized Iraq, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan. But we still believe the U.S. will ultimately fail and withdraw from our region," said a rally participant. Yemen has been mired in conflict since late 2014, when the Houthis seized control of Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year in support of the internationally recognized government.
Mass rally held in Sanaa against external intervention, blockade
New Development Bank (NDB) President Dilma Rousseff said on Friday that effective AI governance will rely on multilateral frameworks to bridge divides in technology, regulation, and capacity.
Roussef is also the former president of Brazil, a country that is now building its first smart public hospital in Sao Paulo using a 1.7 billion-yuan loan from the NDB. The facility will feature AI-driven diagnostics, 5G-connected ambulances, and smart ICUs to reduce emergency wait times.
While attending the 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance in Shanghai, Rousseff highlighted the project materialized under the BRICS framework and benefits from significant support from China's AI sector.
"I would like to talk about a very important project, that is intelligent hospitals. It is a partnership of some BRICS countries. They are going to be built in Sao Paulo. China contributes in some kind of innovations," she said, speaking to a reporter from her seat at the conference.
This year, the 2026 World AI Conference runs from Friday to Monday under the theme of "AI Partnership for a Brighter Future." At the opening ceremony, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave an address to attendees, urging all parties to seize AI development opportunities by encouraging open source, openness, collaboration and sharing, as well as joint efforts to establish a just and equitable system for global AI governance.
According to Rousseff, the president's call comes at a timely moment as the world begins to decide its path forward with regard to AI's development.
"I think this conference is very important, because he (Chinese President Xi Jinping) puts on the table one question: what about AI governance? That is, open sources require good governance. Good governance requires multilateral cooperation. These all are linked -- how to create a better world," she said.
Good AI governance requires multilateral cooperation: NDB president
Good AI governance requires multilateral cooperation: NDB president
