The country’s stock exchange will seek further clarification from the index provider on its concerns

The UN Security Council issued a joint statement on Thursday condemning the "escalatory" attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saudi Arabia, including "reckless strikes" on Riyadh's airport. The Saudi capital's international airport has been targeted by strikes 20 times since the beginning of the month, with an attack last weekend killing 13 people and wounding more than 300. In a joint statement shared by the Security Council's president, Greece's Evangelos Sekeris, the 15-member UN body "condemned in the strongest terms continued and escalatory Houthi attacks against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," as well as "continued Houthi attacks and threats against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab (Strait)." The statement also "affirmed the inherent right of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of self-defence in accordance with international law." Since the airport attack, the Saudi coalition reported on Thursday it had intercepted a missile in the region of Medina, one of the holiest cities in Islam. The Houthis, who have repeatedly said they would spare Islam's holy sites, denied being behind the attack. The Houthis launched a deadly missile attack on Thursday on the presidential palace in the Yemeni government's interim capital of Aden, hitting command centres located inside the compound used by government forces and the Saudi-led military coalition that supports them. Yemeni health minister Qasim Buhaibeh said the attack left five people dead and 16 injured "among those working to guard the site and civilian employees." Yemen's civil war – in which Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition supporting the government since 2015 – reignited in September after the collapse of a years-long truce. (AFP) Edited by Cecil Wong

BEIJING (AP) — A new bridge linking China and North Korea opened on Thursday after more than a decade of delay, signaling deeper ties between the two countries. Officials from the two countries attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the launch of the New Yalu River Bridge, with trucks adorned with the national flags of China and North Korea waiting on the bridge.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for more cooperation among members of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (Cica) as he attended the group's summit in Baku on Thursday. Xinhua News Agency said Wang urged members to safeguard peace and stability, promote prosperity and exchanges between different cultures and jointly improve global governance. Wang said Asia does not need a Cold War mentality and does not welcome bloc confrontation. Asia's problems should ultimately be addressed by the people of Asia through solidarity and cooperation, and Asia's security should be ensured by upholding the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, he added. The foreign minister also said Beijing encourages the United States and Iran to return to the political and diplomatic track to resolve their disputes, and calls on the parties involved in the Yemen issue to exercise restraint. The sovereignty and security of countries in the region should be respected, the stability of international industrial and supply chains should be ensured, and important shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea should remain open, Wang said. Wang also voiced support for Palestinians, saying the Palestinian question should be brought back onto the right track of the two-state solution as soon as possible. On global governance, Wang said efforts should be made to reinvigorate the authority and role of the United Nations, uphold the basic norms governing international relations established by the UN Charter, strengthen capacities in digital governance, disaster prevention and mitigation, and public health, and jointly build a more efficient, inclusive and resilient governance system in Asia. Edited by Cecil Wong

Five people were killed when the Houthi militia struck the Maashiq Palace in Aden, a Yemeni minister said.

Singapore continues to grapple with severe haze that is disrupting daily life and businesses, as authorities roll out protective measures — and issue warnings.