U.N. chief regrets failure to extend Yemen ceasefire

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced disappointment at the failure to extend a humanitarian ceasefire in Yemen despite repeated calls by the United Nations to do so, a spokesman for Ban said on Monday. "The secretary-general regrets that despite repeated calls by the United Nations, the five-day humanitarian pause in Yemen was not extended when it expired yesterday," U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters. Saudi-led forces resumed military operations in Yemen after a five-day ceasefire ended late on Sunday, and Yemen's foreign minister blamed the Iranian-allied Houthis for the failure to renew the truce. (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau)