Yemenis rejoice as Saleh flees

SCENES of mass jubilation have broken out in Yemen after President Ali Abdullah Saleh fled the country.

Officially, the pro-American dictator is in Saudi Arabia for medical treatment following a near-successful attempt on his life.

But the mood on the street is that phase one of the revolution has been completed and the country has followed in the footsteps of Tunisia and Egypt.

Reuters quoted one Egyptian revolutionary as saying: "This signifies the fall of the third Arab authoritarian regime and will give a massive boost to those fighting in Syria and Libya."

Egyptian political scientist Hassan Nafaa added: "The 'Arab Spring' will continue, Arab people are in a state of total rejection of their current ruling systems."