Arabic press review: Houthis 'ban journalism' in Yemen

Houthis ban journalists

Political and media sources in Yemen reported that Houthis banned journalists from working in the capital Sanaa and other areas under their control, according to the London-based newspaper, al-Quds al-Arabi. They also threatened to arrest all those who practise journalism.

Mohammed Hamid, the Houthi information minister, threatened to imprison all those who are practising journalism and media work outside Houthi institutions, the newspaper said.

Other sources in Sanaa said the Houthis had already begun arresting some of the journalists affiliated to their ostensible ally and former president, Abdullah Ali Saleh.

Saudis offer to mediate in Kurdish crisis

The government in Iraqi Kurdistan has said Saudi Arabia offered to mediate in a growing crisis linked to the Kurdish independence referendum on 25 September, according to al-Hayat.

The Saudi newspaper quoted the presidency of Iraqi Kurdistan as saying stated: "President Massoud Barzani received the Saudi minister of Gulf affairs, Thamer al-Sabhan," who expressed "his country's readiness to mediate and create a suitable atmosphere for dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad".

Barzani praised the "ongoing relations between Riyadh and Erbil,” stressing that "the region did not close the doors to dialogue”.

Algeria bans books and publishing houses

Algeria's security services banned 130 books from the country and 25 Arab as well as Algerian publishing houses from participating in the Algiers International Book Fair, according to the Algerian newspaper, al-Shorouk.

The newspaper quoted an Algerian official who said that 130 out of 120,000 book titles had been banned from being brought into Algeria ahead of the book fair. However, the official did not disclose the reasons why.

Egyptian man suspected of harvesting children's organs

Egyptian police have arrested a man in his 50s suspected of harvesting the organs of his 11 children by three wives, according to the Kuwaiti newspaper, al-Rai.

The public prosecution ordered children between the ages of four and 20 to be be examined in order to determine whether they had organs removed.

Authorities also said the man had forced his children to become beggars.

* Arabic press review is a digest of reports that are not independently verified as accurate by Middle East Eye