Explosions in an arms factory leave at least 70 dead

A series of explosion in an ammunition factory in the southern town of Jaar has killed at least 70 people and left many injured. According to a number of reports, the factory had recently been seized by Islamist militants that clashed with Yemen's security forces on Sunday 27th March.

Government officials have said they expect the death toll to rise as victims were still being recovered from beneath the rubble. The factory, in the Khanfar area, makes munitions and Kalashnikov rifles.

Over the last few weeks, Yemen has been shaken by political turmoil and an upraising which seems to be gaining momentum with eatch day. Inspired by the “Jasmine Revolution” in Tunisia, Yemeni people took to the streets demanding better living conditions, employment opportunities and more political freedom.

Yemen has been plagued by security issues including Al-Qa'ida activity, members of which are said to have looted the factory while taking control of Jaar. The cause of the explosion remains unclear.

Sources: BBC News, Aljazeera, Reuters, Ynet News

For more news and expert analysis about Yemen, please see Yemen Focus.

Algeria lifts 19 year long state of emergency

Algeria's President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has signed an order lifting the 19 year long state of emergency as a concession to the opposition, and a means to prevent the demonstrations spiralling further out of control.

Experts say that the government's decision might prevent the protests from gaining momentum, and eventually leading to Bouteflika's resignation. Ending the emergency powers was one of the demands made by opposition groups responsible for staging weekly protests in Algiers.

Originally, the state of emergency was imposed in order to help authorities' combat Islamist militants but, in the past few years, since militant activity has subsided, the Algerian government has been using the measure to suppress democratic freedoms.

US President Barack Obama has commended the Algerian government for lifting the measure, saying it was a positive sign that the government was taking heed of people's demands. He added that the US was hoping Algeria would also take other steps to allow the people greater freedoms.

Sources: Reuters, Voice of America, The Washington Post

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security .