National

Washington [US], January 17: The US destroyed ready-to-fire ballistic missiles of the Houthi forces in Yemen, while the forces continued to attack a commercial ship in the Red Sea.
The US military launched a new attack in Yemen on January 16 targeting Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles, while Houthi launched a missile at a Greek commercial ship in the Red Sea, according to Reuters.
The White House said the US attack destroyed Houthi ballistic missiles that were ready to fire. US officials said the attack targeted four anti-ship missiles.
"We are not looking to expand. The Houthis have a choice and they still have time to make the right choice, which is to stop these reckless attacks," according to White House spokesman John Kirby.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that the country decided not to participate in US-led attacks to avoid escalation in the region. He said France had a "defensive" approach to the Red Sea and would stick to it.
Leaders of several international banks attending the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland) said they were concerned the crisis could cause inflationary pressures, leading to a delay or reversal of cuts. interest rates and impact on the US economy.
On January 16, a cargo ship owned by Greece and flying the Maltese flag was hit by a missile in the Red Sea, about 76 nautical miles northwest of Yemen 's Saleef port , according to sources.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea said the force attacked the Zografia ship with naval missiles and launched a "direct hit". The ship was traveling from Southeast Asia to Israel with 24 sailors and was not carrying cargo when it was attacked, according to a Greek source.
"There were no casualties, only material damage," the source said, saying the ship was still moving but might have to be rerouted for safety checks.
Concerned about the situation in the Red Sea, Nippon Yusen shipping company (Japan) has allowed ships operating near this area to wait in the safety zone and is considering changing their route. However, Maersk (headquartered in Denmark) dispatched two container ships to the Red Sea to transport goods to the US military and government.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper