Greater Middle East

Yemen: security forces fire on women-led protests

Security forces in Yemen opened fire on protests led by women, many in full face veils, after President Ali Abdullah Saleh tried to win support from Islamists by attacking the “mixing of sexes” at demonstrations.

Greater Middle East

Hero of Egytian revolution scolds IMF

Wael Ghonim, the Google executive who became the hero of the Egyptian revolution, spoke before an International Monetary Fund paenl in Washington DC, chiding the organization for its long support of strongman Hosni Mubarak.

Greater Middle East

Syria: unrest, deadly repression escalate

More protesters were killed by security forces in Syria, despite a pledge by President Bashar al-Assad to end emergency rule—in force since 1963 when the Ba’ath party took power—within a week.

South Asia

India: one dead in Jaitapur anti-nuclear struggle

At least one was killed as officers fired on protesters who overran a police station near Jaitapur, site of a proposed nuclear plant in Ratnagiri district of India’s Maharashtra state.

Iran

Iraq expels Mujahedeen Khalq

Baghdad has ordered the expulsion of Mujahedeen Khalq, armed wing of the opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), following a raid on Camp Ashraf, the group’s stronghold.

Greater Middle East

More clashes in Jordan, Syria

Dozens were injured as Salafist Muslims clashed with government supporters in Jordan’s northern city of Zarqa, while in neighboring Syria, police fired tear gas to disperse some 2,000 demonstrators at Jobar, north of Damascus.

North Africa

Libya: Misrata siege politicized; Qatar arming rebels

Foreign workers are desperately trying to flee the besieged Libyan city of Misrata—but they may be fleeing attacks by the rebels as well as Qaddafi’s forces. Qatar now acknowledges it is arming the rebel forces.