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The Yemeni army says it killed more than 140 Houthi rebels in Saada city yesterday in "the fiercest" fighting since Operation Scorched Earth began on August 11.
The rebels attacked at 3.00 am from three directions in an attempt to capture the government's regional headquarters, but the… Read more
"Drawing upon the influences of Lacroix, Liberace, Phil Spector (for hair), Snoopy, and Idi Amin, Libya’s leader – now in his 60s – is simply the most unabashed dresser on the world stage."
I must admit I don't normally take much interest in Vanity Fair, so thanks to the Arabist blog for… Read more
Egyptian border guards shot and wounded a 20-year-old Ethiopian man who was among a group of African migrants trying to cross illegally into Israel, the German Press Agency reported yesterday.
On September 15, two Eritrean men were shot dead by Egyptian border guards and three… Read more
Devotees and critics of the late Edward Said may be interested in the September issue of Viewpoints (from the Middle East Institute) where a variety of writers and academics reconsider his seminal work, Orientalism – "the critique it proffered, the controversy it… Read more
The Yemeni government last night declared a temporary truce in its war with the Houthi rebels for the duration of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, according to the German Press Agency. Whether it will take hold remains to be seen. A similar unilateral ceasefire declared a couple of weeks ago… Read more
Ramadan is coming to an end, and in the Arab countries this year it has been accompanied by a rather unusual development: the issue of compulsory fasting versus personal liberty has at last entered the public discourse.
In Egypt, the police diligently rounded up 150 people for fast-… Read more
Attacks by warplanes reportedly killed as many as 87 displaced civilians in northern Yemen yesterday. Details are sketchy but the Associated Press report cites several witnesses to the large number of casualties.
Human Rights Watch, which has called for an investigation, said in a… Read more
Following the conviction of Lubna Hussein in Sudan for "indecently" wearing trousers, Egypt's government-appointed Grand Mufti, Ali Gomaa, says it's OK for women to wear trousers so long as they are loose-fitting and not see-through.
Posted by Brian Whitaker, 17 September 2009.
Next week sees the official opening of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia,described as “a bridge between world cultures”.
The university, intended to promote international research, has been established by the king outside the control of the… Read more
A Jordanian doctor could face legal action after reportedly abandoning his Indonesian maid near Directorate of Chest Diseases and Foreigners' Health after she developed tuberculosis.
The 28-year-old woman was allegedly beaten by the doctor’s mother and received no wages during the 19 months that… 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
