YEMEN is establishing
diplomatic relations with the Vatican. There are thought to be about 3,000 Catholics in
Yemen, mainly foreigners. There are no churches in Sana'a, but there are two in Aden.
(12.10.98)
THE Information Ministry banned an issue of al-Ra'i al-Aam
following Saudi complaints about an article published in the paper a week earlier.
A GROUP of female students in Aden are suing the
university in protest at a decision forbidding them from wearing veils on campus
(al-Sahwa, 24.12.98).
ACCORDING to international organisations, the number of
people infected with the HIV virus in Yemen has reached 900, though it is thought that
there are many cases still undiscovered. The Health Ministry argues that only 500 cases
have been discovered, some of them infected as a result of blood transfusion. The first
case was officially reported in 1993. The last official count disclosed that 35 persons
died of AIDS-related illnesses in 1996 (al-Usbu', 17.12.98).
MORE than 150 employees of the cash-strapped Aden Company
for Plastic Industries are receiving their salaries in the form of plastic products
(al-Shoura, 20.12.98)
IN YEMEN'S first sex-change case, a young man is seeking
legal backing from parliament and government financial help to have the operation abroad
(al-Ra'i al-Aam, 15.12.98).
FISHERMEN in Hodeida have appealed to the government to
stop illegal fishing by foreign ships in Yemeni waters which seriously hit last month's
yield of shrimps (al-Ra'i al-Aam, 15.12.98).
AN INCREASE in divorce cases in Yemen is being blamed on
the deteriorating economic situation (al-Soura, 13.12.98).
TWO Chinese vessels were seized by coastguards for fishing
illegally near the shores of Abyan. (al-Shoura, 8.11.98)
ABOUT 1,500 teachers at Sana'a University have returned to
work after a two-week strike, claiming victory. They went on strike on December 8 over
non-payment of an agreed pay rise. Their average salary is 25,000 riyals ($200) a month.
VIAGRA has gone on sale in Yemen at 7,200 riyals (just
over $50) for a packet of five tablets. The health ministry has imposed strict regulations
on its distribution and is threatening surprise inspections of pharmacies to ensure it is
not sold without a doctor's prescription. (RAY, 17.11.98; al-'Usbu', 19.11.98)
A YEMENI man, Ahmad Mohammad Abdu, received 80 lashes in
front of the court building in Aden on November 8 for selling and drinking alcohol. A
large crowd watched. He was also fined 2,000 rials ($15) and sentenced to two months in
jail. (al-Sahwa) |
FULL diplomatic relations
between Kuwait and Yemen may soon be restored, the Kuwaiti foreign minister, Sheikh Sabah
al-Ahmad al-Sabah, said on November 2. The two countries have had limited diplomatic
relations, but no ambassadors, since the 1990-91 conflict in which Yemen was accused of
sympathising with Iraq.
THE MINISTER of Agriculture has banned ministry employees
from chewing qat while at work. (al-Shoura, 18.10.98)
THE BRITISH consulate in Aden is one of eight diplomatic
posts recommended for closure by a Foreign Office report. (The Times, 23.10.98)
YEMEN'S first 1,000-riyal banknote went into circulation
on September 20. Printed in Germany, it is the largest denomination issued, and is worth
$7.25.
ABOUT 2,000 men and women were married at a mass wedding
in Ta’izz on September 11 funded by the Islah welfare organisation. Sheikh Abdullah
al-Ahmar, leader of Islah and parliamentary speaker, attended along with several senior
government officials. President Salih reportedly donated 10 million riyals (80,000
dollars) towards a total of 30 million riyals collected at the wedding.
NASSER al-Shaybani, a Sunni Muslim cleric and prominent
member of the General People's Congress, was appointed Minister of Religious Guidance on
September 12. He replaced Ahmad Mohammad al-Shami, leader of the Shi’ite al-Haqq
party, who resigned on September 8 complaining of "intervention".
THE FALLING price of oil has taken its toll on another of
Yemen's sources of foreign revenue: bribes from Saudi Arabia. According to the Yemen
Times, a few years ago Riyadh's largesse extended to 27,000 Yemeni sheikhs, religious
leaders, officials, military officers, journalists and politicians. Today, there are only
11,000 on the Saudi payroll.
A FORMER prime minister of southern Yemen, Abd al-Qawi
Makkawi, died in Cairo on August 12, aged 80. During the 1960s he was leader of the South
Yemen Liberation Front which fought against British rule. He had spent many years in exile
and had recently been involved in Mowj, the London-based opposition group.
A POLICE sergeant who stops motorists passing
through his checkpoint in Gheel Ba-Wazir and tries to extort money from them, recently
assaulted and swore at one of his victims. The victim turned out to be a judge, who
persuaded the prosecutor's office to issue a warrant for the sergeant's arrest. However,
the police appear to be having some difficulty in executing the warrant. (al-Tariq
28.7.98)
ABUSE of the drug Diazepam is becoming
widespread among young people in Ibb. The illicit market for this drug means that many
pharmacies no longer have enough supplies for patients who really need it. Diazepam is
normally used for treating anxiety, tension and epilepsy. (al-Sahwah, 30.7.98) |
THE ARAB
Journalists’ Union is to investigate the case of two Yemeni journalists who are due
to be flogged. Abdallah Saad, editor-in-chief of al-Shura newspaper, and his brother,
Abdel Jabbar, were sentenced to 80 lashes each in May 1997 for articles criticising Sheikh
Abd al-Hamid Zindani of the islah party. The sentences have not yet been carried out and
the two men are appealing.
REVENUE from Yemen’s oil exports was only $254.58
million in the first half of 1998, compared with $1,012 million during the whole of 1997.
Yemen produces about 380,000 barrels per day, of which 57% is exported.
SEWAGE was mistakenly pumped into the drinking
water supply in Hayil district, Sana'a. (RAY, 21.7.98)
A MIRACULOUS event occurred at a state-owned
warehouse in Khamir which was looted during the June riots. Before the riots, according to
official records, it contained 6,000 sacks of flour. After being looted, it was found to
contain 47,000.
YEMEN was among poor 18 countries and regions named by
the United States on July 18 as eligible for food donations. A total of up to 2.5 million
tonnes of wheat will be distributed. The scheme is partly humanitarian but is also
intended to help American farmers by boosting grain prices, which are low at present.
MOBILE phone and pager services were restored on
August 8. They had been cut off in June as a security measure when trouble broke out
following price increases in flour and fuel. (al-Ayyam, 9.8.98)
A 22-YEAR-OLD Yemeni is travelling around the Middle East
on a diplomatic mission - by camel. So far Muhammad Ali al-Hassani has completed 8,000 km
of his 13,000-km trip, visiting Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and
Egypt. In Cairo on July 28, he met Esmat Abd al-Maguid of the Arab League. He is
protesting against UN sanctions on Iraq, Libya and Sudan.
PRESIDENT Salih’s eldest son, Ahmad, had a
successful operation in Geneva for a broken shoulder, the government newspaper, al-Thawra,
reported on August 14. Ahmad, aged 28, was injured in a car crash in Sana’a last
October, but a previous operation on his shoulder, in Paris, was not successful.
MILLIONAIRE Sheikh al-Kaff has emptied his bank
accounts in Hadramaut and transferred the money to Dubai. The move came after the Public
Funds Prosecutor's Office decided to investigate irregularities at the Construction and
Housing Office in Hadramaut where the sheikh worked. (al-Ray al-Aam, 21.7.98)
THE PUBLISHER of the Yemen Times, Dr Abd al-Aziz
al-Saqqaf, has changed his mind about resigning from the Consultative
Council. In his resignation letter - which President Salih refused to accept - he
described it as "a lethargic organ", despite having tremendous potential. He
added that the President used the council "as a dumping ground for individuals he
wants to appease, but who he doesn't care to keep on active duty elsewhere." Dr
Saqqaf has now returned to the dumping ground. |