Yemen's Saleh Has Severe Burns, Collapsed Lung

Looks like Ali Abdullah Saleh won’t be making such a quick recovery after all. The Yemeni president has burns over 40% of his body and a collapsed lung, US officials briefed on his condition tell CNN. Though Saleh is now said to be in stable condition, he won’t be ready to leave the Riyadh hospital where he’s being treated for at least two weeks, the Guardian reports. Saleh will also reportedly undergo cosmetic surgery.

The president has already undergone surgery to remove shrapnel from his face, neck, and chest; an Arab diplomatic source said one of his wounds was a whopping 2.75 inches deep. The reports all contradict regime pronouncements, which originally said Saleh’s wounds were only minor. But Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi refuses to discuss any transition of power until Saleh returns, dismissing opposition offers to negotiate as “ridiculous,” al-Jazeera reports. (More Yemen stories.)