Today's 4...Blasts, fists, Olympics & drugs

Al-Jazeera reported that a bomb exploded amidst gun fire at a polling station in Aden one day before Vice-President Abd Rabbou Mansour al-Hadi asks for Yemen to vote him in as the new President of Yemen in an uncontested election. This does not bode well for Yemen's acceptance of the new leader. Tomorrow will be an important day to watch.

Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia's interior ministry have vowed to end with an iron fist the violence in the Eastern Province (which houses almost all of the country's Shia population). Considering the violence in this instance has been caused by the Saudi's policy of marginalisation towards the country's Shias, the Sauds would be wise to consider a less forceful approach to resolving this issue.

The UK's Daily Mail reported that Qatar have announced they will bid to host the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games of 2020 in Doha. In order to avoid competitors performing in the extreme heat of a Qatari August, the bid suggests holding the Games in October. With the World Cup in 2022, it seems Qatar is hoping for the 20s to be their year of sport.

And finally...

Gulf News reported that a Pakistani national entering Oman through Muscat international airport has been arrested after he attracted the eye of the Royal Omani Police. An x-ray of the man showed that he had swallowed 134 capsules of illegal drugs. It is hardly a surprise that he looked somewhat uncomfortable on his way through customs.