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Xinhua world news summary at 0030 GMT, March 27

Xinhua, March 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

Egypt announced Thursday its participation by naval and air forces in the Saudi-led military operation against the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen in response to the request of the Yemeni president, the Egyptian presidency said in a statement.

It is inevitable for Egypt to respond to the plea of the Yemeni people to restore stability in the turmoil-stricken country, the statement said. (Egypt-Yemen)

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NEW YORK -- A massive fire broke out after an explosion in a building in New York City's East Village neighborhood on Thursday afternoon, leaving 12 injured, three critically, the Mayor Bill de Blasio said.

The explosion caused partial collapse of the building and more than 200 firefighters responded to the ensuing blaze engulfing the five-story commercial and residential building in Manhattan, a FDNY spokesman said. (US-Fire-NYC)

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SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt -- The Arab foreign ministers agreed Thursday to form an Arab united force for immediate action, Arab League Chief Nabil al-Arabi said.

"This is a great progress and a historical move in terms of the Arab joint work that an Arab united force will be established for the first time and work in the name of Arab states," he said at a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry. (Egypt-AL Meeting)

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SANAA -- The Saudi-led coalition forces launched a fresh air strike against military targets in Yemen's capital Sanaa and the southern province of Taiz on Thursday night, sources told Xinhua.

The airstrike in Sanaa hit a military base affiliated with the reserve forces which is the former elite republican guards loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, a security officer said on condition of anonymity. (Yemen-Saudi Arabia)

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BANGKOK -- More than 40 people were injured after two trains collided in central Thailand's Ayutthaya province late Thursday night, local media reported.

At about 10 p.m. local time, a Bangkok-Nong Khai train and a Bangkok-Phrae train collided near the train station of Pachi district in Ayutthaya, according to a Thairath report. (Thailand-Train Crash) Endi