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The six-day siege of al-Hawta (Hota, Huta) in southern Yemen ended yesterday with an official announcement that the army had cleared suspected al-Qaeda fighters from the town.
The huge operation, involving tanks, artillery, air strikes and 1,500 troops may have been intended to show donor… Read more
Abdel-Monem Said, chairman of al-Ahram, the leading pro-government newspaper in Egypt, has issued a statement headed: "The Ahram 'photo' and the Western media's reaction".
This is in response to criticism of the doctored photograph which purported to show President Mubarak… Read more
More than 1,500 Yemeni troops launched a major offensive yesterday against the southern town of Hota (Huta, Hawta) which they have been besieging since Sunday. Xinhua news agencyquotes a local counter-terrorism official as saying:
"The massive offensive started with ... air raids and a partial… Read more
As many as 15,000 civilians have now fled al-Hota (Huta), the southern Yemeni town which has been besieged by the military since Sunday.
Between 80 and 100 al-Qaeda militants are said to be holed up in the town (estimated population 20,000-25,000) and the surrounding area… Read more
In the continuing crackdown in Bahrain, Ayatollah Hussein al-Najati – a prominent Shia religious figure – has been stripped of his citizenship. The passports of his wife and three children have also been revoked.
Najati is the local representative of the Iraqi grand ayatollah, Ali al-Sistani.… Read more
Between 8,000 and 12,000 people have fled their homes in al-Hota, southern Yemen, in what is said to be a battle between government forces and al-Qaeda militants, according to Red Crescent sources in the area.
The town, in Shabwa province, has reportedly been subjected to heavy… Read more
Don't you just love Egyptian humour? Following the al-Ahram debacle, when a sharp-eyed blogger spotted that the leading pro-government newspaper had doctored a photo to show President Mubarak apparently leading the way along a corridor in the White House, it seems that anyone can now get… Read more
In Yemen, the deputy governor of Abyan province, Ahmed al-Rahawi, survived an assassination attempt yesterday when his convoy was ambushed in al-Rai district of Jaar.
AFP says a roadside bomb exploded, injuring three soldiers and a fourth person who was in al-Rahawi's car. A civilian was… Read more
The New York Times has a report giving a few more details about the case of Ali Ahmad Asseri, the Saudi diplomat who is seeking asylum in the US on the grounds that he is gay. The Los Angeles Times also notes some negative reactions in the Arab media.
Writing in the Crossroads Arabia blog, John… Read more
The international Friends of Yemen group must do more than fight terrorism and provide economic aid, Christophe Wilcke of Human Right Watch argues in an article for the Yemen Times.
"If Yemen’s friends don’t tie economic assistance to improvements in the country’s rapidly… Read more
ARAB ART ONLINE: Susan Hefuna: Al Sabr Gamil (Patience is Beautiful) 2007. Ink stained on wood 140 x 170 cm. More information | Click to enlarge
