Update 1845 Sana’a. It is increasingly likely that a group aligned to Al Qaeda and based in northern Yemen has committed this atrocity. Whether all 9 have been killed or whether 7 have been killed with 2 of the children being found alive, is not confirmed.
At some point between Friday 12th June and Monday 15th June,  a picnic arranged by a group of 9 foreigners in the Saa’da region in north Yemen, turned into a horror story. We know that at least 7 bodies have been found, 3 German women …

In late May, The Guardian had an excellent report on a group of tourists visiting Yemen from the UK.
As with everything we are told, taught or preached to about, context is everything. Kevin Rushby’s article is one of the best i have read in that it sets western life – notably British life – in context with how many people miss-perceive countries such as Yemen. In particular i like the juxtaposition between knife crime in Britain, the Yemeni jambiya worn by most Yemenis in the north of Yemen, and the …

On Sunday 4 South Korean tourists were killed in a suicide bomb attack in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shibam Hadramout. 2 Yemenis working as tour guides were also killed. A number of others in the group were injured. I also understand that 4 Spanish students were close by and were not injured.
Here’s some links to the story:
BBC – Tourists Die In Explosion
Reuters – Qaeda Bomber Behind Yemen Attack Trained In Somalia
CNN – Al Qaeda Blamed

Why now is Somali piracy headlining around the world? it is hardly a new phenomenon. I decided to take a quick look around the online media to see what is being rumoured, theorised and conspired.

Like many others in Yemen on the 4th November, i bought a bag of Qat, and pulled an all nighter watching the US election coverage on TV zapping between BBC, Sky, Fox News, CNN, Al Jazeera and even France 24.
By far the BBC coverage was the most clunky but i think that was because they had a boatload of guests to squeeze in. The Jeremy Vine touchscreen wotsit made me nauseous. Simon Schama the historian was clearly pissed and close to drooling involuntarily all over the desk. It …