By joining the opposition movement, Ali Mohsen and other defectors from the regime have not necessarily heralded a new era for the Yemeni people. Instead, they appear to be settling old scores.
The inner workings of Saleh's Yemen are incredibly opaque. Think of a series of concentric circles with him at their center: That's the regime.
Pro-Workers Protest, 12 March 2011In February and March, national media attention turned to the state of Wisconsin. Crowds of protesters, tens of thousands strong, thronged the Capitol building in Madison and the streets outside. Fourteen Democratic senators, the 'Fab 14' to their supporters, fled to nearby Illinois to avoid the Republican-controlled state legislature having the quorum needed to pass a controversial budget.
In an attempt, to some, to balance the state's bloated budget, or for others, to use the deficit problem as the justification to gut the rights of public workers, newly-elected Governor Scott Walker had proposed a budget that ended collective bargaining rights of many state employees. With the legislation stalled because of the absent Democratic votes, Republicans opted to force the bill through by what a circuit court judge ruled in May were unconstitutional means.
Now, according to the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Sentinel Journal: "Acting with unusual speed, the state Supreme Court on Tuesday reinstated Gov. Scott Walker's plan to all but end collective bargaining for tens of thousands of public workers.”
We post this press release from Bahrain News Agency without further comment, except to note that the festival is featuring Alice in Wonderland, also known as Through the Looking Glass:
Bahrain's Summer Festival 3 aims to spread a message of hope, love and optimism in the kingdom, the region and beyond, organisers. The third annual event from July 1 to 31 includes events and activities that aim to bring joy and happiness to residents and tourists. Culture Minister Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa said this year’s festival would have a different flavour, under the slogan "Summer of Joy, Coming Together and Hope".
Nikahang Kowsar, drawing for Rooz Online, notices Death's comment to the Supreme Leader: "Racing against me?"
New recruits to the morality police listen to instructions from a commander (more photos at bottom of LiveBlog)
2015 GMT: Press Watch. Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi said today that he has summoned the manager of Iran newspaper for insults against the head of judiciary and Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi.
2000 GMT: The US Hikers. Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi has said a final decision in the case of three US hikers, charged with espionage, is expected Americans charged with espionage by late August.
Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal are still in custody after almost 23 months in detention. The latest hearing in their trial was cancelled without explanation on 11 May.
Sarah Shourd was released in September 2010 on $500,000 bail and has refused to return to Iran for trial.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 11:14 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 2046 GMT: An activist posts this photo online, claiming to show a pharmacist, who fled from Jisr al-Shughour and set up this "clinic."
2024 GMT: In Yemen, hudreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets in every major city, calling for the arrest of the family and close advisors of President Saleh (see videos below). There were protests reported in Hadramawt, Hodeida, Ibb, Damar and Saada, as well as Taiz (the second largest city in Yemen) and the nation's capital, Sana'a.
Tens of thousands of protesters also gathered outside of Vice President Hadi's residence, vowing to stay until he establishes a transitional council.
President Saleh's health is still debatable, but according to one official, he is having an undisclosed problem with his throat.
1942 GMT: Al Jazeera documents regime thugs beating peaceful protesters in Damascus, and the cries of women and children in Jisr al-Shughour.
1937 GMT: Liberia is now the latest country to withdraw diplomatic recognition of the Gaddafi regime:
"The Government took the decision after a careful review of the situation in Libya and determined that the Government of Colonel Gaddafi has lost the legitimacy to govern Libya."
1929 GMT: As Syrian tanks approach the eastern town of Deir Ezzor, the Arab League has released a statement condemning the violence in Syria. The Assad regime, however, dismisses the condemnation as politically motivated. The Syrian envoy even suggested that outgoing Arab LEague Secretary General, Amr Moussa, was advocating military intervention in Syria:
"Days before leaving his post, Moussa calls for a kind of foreign intervention in the Syrian affairs, when the Libyan blood, shed by Nato air strikes as a result for a [UN] security council resolution, based, regrettably on an Arab demand in which Moussa's efforts immensely contributed, isn't dry yet," he said.
1921 GMT: NATO has stepped up efforts to discourage Gaddafi's soldiers by dropping leaflets to warn them that Apache helicopters will be mowing them down. The problem: they dropped the leaflets over rebel positions near Misurata.
Bahrain, Guido Westerwelle, Libya, Maysoon Sabkar, Syria 
The Central Intelligence Agency is preparing to launch a secret program to kill al Qaeda militants in Yemen, where months of antigovernment protests, an armed revolt and the attempted assassination of the president have left a power vacuum, U.S. officials say.
The covert program that would give the U.S. greater latitude than the current military campaign is the latest step to combat the growing threat from al Qaeda's outpost in Yemen, which has been the source of several attempted attacks on the U.S. and is home to an American-born cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, who the U.S. sees as a significant militant threat.
The CIA program will be a major expansion of U.S. counterterrorism efforts in Yemen. Since December 2009, U.S. strikes in Yemen have been carried out by the U.S. military with intelligence support from CIA. Now, the spy agency will carry out aggressive drone strikes itself alongside the military campaign, which has been stepped up in recent weeks after a nearly year-long hiatus.
8.00pm ET: The candidates are introducing themselves. Rick Santorum mentions he has seven children. Then Michele Bachmann beats him with five children – and 23 foster children! Really.
Mitt Romney has five sons and 16 grand-kids. Does that beat Bachmann? Good question!
8.03pm ET: OMG, Ron Paul beats them all by mentioning that he has delivered 4,000 babies! Which is a true fact because he used to be an obstetrician and gynecologist. (Although given his philosophy, wouldn't it be better if babies have to birth themselves?)
Poor Tim Pawlenty, he only has two children.
Herman Cain: "I am not a politician. I am a problem solver." But only two children and three grandchildren. Solve that problem Herman Cain!
You, oppressor,
from where do you derive your power,
the power to keep your people down? -
all your people,
even women
even children
even men.
Yet you call for "dialogue",
even in the midst of your brutality?
The mission commended the authorities for the early success in the implementation of their ambitious subsidy reform program. The increases in prices of energy products, public transport, wheat, and bread adopted on December 19, 2010, are estimated to have removed close to US$60 billion (about 15 percent of GDP) in annual implicit subsidies to products. At the same time, the redistribution of the revenues arising from the price increases to households as cash transfers has been effective in reducing inequalities, improving living standards, and supporting domestic demand in the economy. The energy price increases are already leading to a decline in excessive domestic energy consumption and related energy waste. While the subsidy reform is expected to result in a transitory slowdown in economic growth and temporary increase in the inflation rate, it should considerably improve Iran’s medium term outlook by rationalizing domestic energy use, increasing export revenues, strengthening overall competitiveness, and bringing economic activity in Iran closer to its full potential.
