the port is a major strategic stronghold.a houthi peter o'brien has more. peter: today these markets are busy despite war on the doorstep. while residents went about their business on wednesday, there was fierce fighting just to the south, around the airport, in what looks to be the largest war.e so far in yemen's a saudi coalition with pro-government offenses launched an offensive on the port city, which is under houth rebel control. houthirikes -- under rebel control. arab states have not tried to capture such a heavily defended city since the war began three years ago. a coalition spokesperson said they plan to take the airport, seaport, and the road leading to the capital, the do not intend to fight a street war. residents say who's the fighters -- houthi fighters have fanned out. are mobilized, we will be as immovable as mountains. peter: it is a crucial lifeline for food and aid to the restst f the rest of yemen. 22 million yemenis are in need of humanitarian aid, with more than 8 million on the verge of starvation. taking it over could be called an ac

peter o'brien reports. through as lava poured villages, some narrowly escaped, coated in volcanic mud. the volcano threw up a plume of ashe. over 3000 have fled the area, authoritiestially did not evacuate. the flownot foresee that would cut off communities. not very good was on sunday morning. in the afternoon, only a bit of ashe was falling. amateur video shows residents fleeing a fast-moving slurry of material that solidified like concrete, in trapping residents. the red cross and the military have been dispatched for emergency operations. we have a state of emergency in at least three regions. rhodes imu nearby tourist town were blanketed. international aid has been arriving. a quick looktake at our top stories for you this hour. hundredsve cleared out from two more migrant tells him paris. that is the second evacuation in two weeks, prompting trouble between a french government and the city's socialist mayor. the king of jordan summons the prime minister for a meeting that could end in his resignation.

jane o'brien, bbc news, washington our north america correspondent peter bowes is covering the storyooking to you? well, it is looking to me like we are getting different levels of expectations for this summit next week from donald trump and from his secretary of state. we just heard trump and from his secretary of state. wejust heard donald trump and from his secretary of state. we just heard donald trump perhaps playing down expectations a little bit, saying that he doesn't have to be overly prepared, at least thatis have to be overly prepared, at least that is what he is suggesting, for this meeting. he doesn't want to get into detail on this first meeting and that it will be a longer—term process. but we also heard from mike pompeo, secretary of state, sounding rather more bullish. he has met kim jong—un on to occasions, and it seems on the basis of their conversations, he is rather more hopeful something substantial coming out of this. he has indicated to me personally that he is prepared to be nuclear eyes, that he understands that the current model doesn't work, that he is pre

jane o'brien, bbc news, washington our north america correspondent, peter bowes, told me more about theserump administration might mean. well, it's looking to me like we're getting different levels of expectations for this summit next week from donald trump and from his secretary of state. we just heard donald trump perhaps playing down expectations a little bit, saying that he doesn't have to be overly prepared, at least that's what he's suggesting, for this meeting. he doesn't want to get into detail on this first meeting, suggesting that it will be a longer—term process. but we also heard from mike pompeo, the secretary of state, sounding rather more bullish. he has met kimjong—un on two occasions, and it seems, on the basis of their conversations, he is rather more hopeful of something substantial coming out of this. he says he understands we cannot do it the way we have done before, that this has to be big and bold, and we need major changes. he has been talking with japan's prime minister. japan has a worry about citizens. they worry that donald trump will make it feel about long—ra