At least 22 dead in Yemen police academy suicide bombing
Source: Reuters (Read full story)
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That attack – claimed by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) – along with Wednesday’s bombing – showed quite how far the Yemeni government is from defeating the Islamist insurgents despite a U.S.-backed military offensive which drove them out of their southern strongholds.
The insurgents have vowed to carry their fight across Yemen.
Theodore Karasik, director of research and development at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, said AQAP appeared to be adopting methods used in Iraq.
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Hawks demand popular govt, constitutional monarchy – Majority bloc divided over scope of reforms
Source: Kuwait Times (Read full story)
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At the opposition gathering, speakers warned that any change to the electoral law outside a legitimate Assembly amounts to a coup against the constitution. “This gathering is to confront a grave event as some quarters are pushing to amend the electoral constituencies and the voting system and if this happens, it amounts to a coup against the constitution,” former Islamist MP Abdullatif Al-Ameeri said. Member of the 2012 Assembly Nayef Al-Merdas said what adds to the suspicion is the fact that the government has remained silent and failed to issue any statement to clarify its position. Another 2012 member Osama Al-Menawer said Kuwait is passing through a constitutional vacuum and the government must quickly approve the decree to dissolve the 2009 Assembly, which was brought down under pressure from the people.
Eco-friendly mosque to come up in Dubai by 2013
Source: Khaleej Times (Read full story)
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The 45,000-square-foot mosque will be in a 105,000-square-foot area. As the largest mosque in Dubai, the facility will accommodate 3,500 worshippers.
The mosque will feature green spaces, particularly gardens on the roof for heat insulation. In addition to green building technologies such as solar panels to heat water for ablution and the Imam’s house, the mosque will host recycle plants to treat water used in ablution for gardening and washroom purposes.
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GCC states’ 2012 growth, budget outlooks improve
Source: Gulf Times (Read full story)
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The immediate economic outlook for most of the Gulf’s wealthy Arab oil exporters has improved in the last several months despite a sharp drop in global oil prices over the period, a Reuters poll of analysts showed yesterday.
Since the previous poll was conducted in March, the price of Brent crude has plunged by $40 to as low as $88 per barrel because of signs that the global economy is slowing.
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