SANAA, 11 Jul -- Authorities in Yemen released the last group of Houthi prisoners detained during the sixth round of war between the Shiite rebels and government forces, the Abu-Dhabi al-Khalij newspaper said citing ‘informed sources.’  The move came to defuse mounting tension between the rebels and the government and local sources in Sadaa said “local authorities in Sadaa started releasing around 165 members of the Houthi group,” adding “the detainees were recently transferred to Sadaa from prisons in Sanaa and Hajja.”

SANAA, 11 Jul -- Sanaa Appeals court Sunday upheld the death sentences against four members of al-Qaeda’s “Tarim cell,” and reduced the death sentences of two others to between 10 and 12 years, the state official Saba news agency said.  The 16-member cell, 11 Yemenis, four Syrians and a Saudi national, were convicted of carrying out a spate of attacks in 2008 on government and Western targets over a period of two years.

SANAA, 03 July -- In a paper entitled: “Human Security and Development in Yemen,” presented during a seminar organized on Saturday by the Yemeni Center for Historical Studies and Future Strategies, Sanaa University teacher Dr. Abdul-Malik al-Dari said “a number of security challenges over the past two decades have had negative impacts on the economic, social, political and cultural development in the country,” adding “the summer civil war of 1994 cost the national economy $17.0 billion dollars, slowed economic growth to 1.4 percent and caused inflation to skyrocket to 77 percent.”

SANAA, 03 July -- The spokesperson of the opposition alliance, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), Dr. Muhammad al-Qobati Friday rejected President Saleh’s claims the opposition is pressing for the release of al-Qaeda detainees saying “what the President told Russia Today television channel that the JMP is asking for the release of al-Qaeda detainees is rejected and has nothing to do with the opposition alliance whatsoever,” al-Sahwa Net reported.

President Saleh walks with Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin during the First International Forum "Engineering Technologies 2010" in Zhukovsky outside Moscow June 30, 2010. MOSCOW, 02 July -- President Ali Abdullah Saleh Thursday said the opposition alliance, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) is demanding the release of al-Qaeda prisoners before any dialogue with the ruling party.  The President who was speaking to Russia Today TV channel said “in the past we released a number of al-Qaeda members after they declared their repentance but they rebelled again and committed acts of sabotage,” adding “although the opposition does not ask for the release of al-Qaeda detainees publicly, it is inside them and within their culture.”  Asked if he plans to have his older son, the commander of the republican and special forces to succeed him, he said “this is a rumor spread by irresponsible elements.

SADAA, 15 May -- In a stark violation of the border agreement signed with Yemen, Saudi troops raided on Saturday a Yemeni village in the district of Shada, destroyed it and occupied surrounding mountains, Shamar Press reported citing “an official source in Sadaa who spoke on condition of anonymity.”  “A number of Saudi bulldozers crossed the border into Yemen and continued their way to the district of Shada in Sadaa, and occupied the mountain of Tawliq after they ejected the Yemeni army from the area,” said the official, adding “the bulldozers protected by Saudi soldiers swept and totally destroyed the village of Um Qawia after the Saudi troops kicked out Yemeni villagers from the area.”  Witnesses said “the Saudi bulldozers destroyed homes, commercial shops and the mosque of the village.”  Last month, Saudi officials announced plans to create a 10-kilometer buffer zone inside Yemen’s territory.

ABYAN, 15 May -- During a visit to the southern region of Abyan, President Ali Abdullah Saleh Saturday called on the local authority to “endure along with the executive office in Abyan in facing the anti-unity forces,” stressing “endurance is not merely during military and security operations in mountainous regions but endurance is to face anti-unity forces culturally, politically and socially,” the state official Saba news agency reported.  “We are confident that our great people all over the country including in Abyan will face the southern movement and the culture of hate,” he said, adding “as far as I know, Abyan with all of its social and political slices are the security valve of the national unity,” and “there are a few individuals who have no effect but only harm the reputation of the people of Abyan however the majority of people are soldiers for the unity, development and stability.”  He urged local authority officials in the area to “bear their responsibility, exhibit self-esteem and not imitate weak-souled officials in Abyan and in other areas,” and called on “irresponsible officials,” to resign.  He appealed to people in Abyan to “endure, move forward, hold accountable those who hurt you, and those who cut roads and hijack trucks.”  “Those who talk in the media about just distribution of wealth, we ask them: Where is that wealth so that we can distribute it?