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October 14 is Yemen's National Day – the anniversary of the day in 1963 when southerners launched their armed struggle against British occupation. As such, it provides an officially-approved excuse for people to take to the streets.
The video above, via YouTube, shows the scene earlier today… Read more
There's confusion in Yemen over the apparent forcible closureof an Iranian-funded hospital in the capital, Sana'a.
The hospital, which employs 120 staff (eight of them Iranian) was sealed off by security forces yesterday amid claims that it had links with the Houthi (Shia) rebels. The… Read more
I have been searching Google for reports about the death in Egypt of Yousef Abu Zuhri, the brother of a Hamas spokesman. It's covered in Russia, China, Britain, Israel and several Arab countries, but so far the only major American news organisation to mention it seems to be Fox News.… Read more
There are further developments regarding Yahya al-Houthi, a relative of the Yemeni rebel leader, Abd al-Malik al-Houth, who is also an absentee member of the Yemeni parliament living in Germany.
On Sunday, I noted that he has been stripped of his parliamentary immunity in Yemen (… Read more
Writing in today’s issue of Arab News, Walaa Hawari tells the
shocking story of a mentally and physically disabled Saudi woman who was married off by her father for money – without her consent and to a man she had never met.
The woman, identified by the name Fatima, suffered brain… Read more
A Jordanian man has been sentenced to 15 years in jail with hard labour for killing his sister “to cleanse his family's honour”. By Jordanian standards, the sentence is unusually tough – sentences in some previous cases have been as little as a few months.
According to a court official… Read more
A three-day workshop organised by the Saudi ministry of municipal and rural affairs is due to start in Jeddah today. Arab News reports: "The workshop aims at familiarising people on using healthy shaving tools, especially razor blades. And also the tools used in barbershops and ways to use… Read more
After years of delay, the text of the EU’s association agreementwith Syria has been finalised and will be signed on October 26. The move is seen partly as a reward to the Damascus regime for progress so far and also as a way of encouraging further changes in its behaviour.
The last… Read more
Just when the fuss over Unesco’s rejection of Egypt’s culture minister seemed to be dying down, Libya has entered the fray. It is threatening to boycott the organisation if Bulgarian diplomat Irina Bokova is formally installed as its head on October 15.
"Libya does not agree with the… Read more
The leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Abd al-Malik al-Houthi,said yesterday he is “ready for dialogue” to “save the country from corruption and injustice”.
His statement seemed to suggest he is seeking to engage with the opposition Joint Meeting Parties, which has called for a ceasefire, rather… 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
