World briefs

Vatican City

Pope cancels visit, Mass

Pope Francis canceled a planned visit to a Rome hospital yesterday, the third time this month he has skipped or scaled back an event due to illness or fatigue. Francis, 77, had been due to visit the Gemelli hospital to celebrate a Mass. But nearly an hour after he was due, the Vatican said he was canceling due to an "unexpected indisposition." Later, a Vatican spokesman said the pope's appointments for the weekend were confirmed and that there were "no concerns for his health."

Yemen

Rebels, tribes in new clashes

Fierce clashes erupted between rebels and tribes backed by an army unit in a northern city close to the capital yesterday, breaching a week-old cease-fire, a Defense Ministry official said, as the country's leaders said assailants were plotting to destabilize the country. The official said that heavy weapons and artillery were being used in Amran. Hawthi rebels, who belong to a branch of Shia Islam, are fighting tribesmen from Yemen's largest tribal confederation, the Hashid, which is backed by an army unit and allied with the Muslim Brotherhood. The number of casualties was not immediately clear but hundreds have been killed and injured in similar clashes. The Hawthis waged a six-year insurgency against ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh, which officially ended in 2010.

Russia

Setback for space program

The first launch of Russia's new space rocket after two decades of development was aborted yesterday moments before blastoff, as President Vladimir Putin watched via live feed. The failed launch of the Angara booster rocket was the latest mishap to dog Russia's troubled space industries. Angara is built to replace the Soyuz, a workhorse designed more than four decades ago. Following the retirement of the U.S. space shuttles, Soyuz serves as the only way to deliver crews to the International Space Station. Officials said an automatic safety system aborted the blastoff for an unspecified reason.