Yemen Observer

US Embassy announces Fulbright Program

Wed, 07 May 2008 06:23:23 PST

The United States is now accepting applications for its prestigious Fulbright Program. Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program is offered yearly to foreign students as a two-year program for Master’s Degree programs in the United States.

Freedom of Press worldwide and the Yemen case

Wed, 07 May 2008 05:59:49 PST

On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, people has to know what is like to be a journalist and what is the freedom of press situation in Yemen and the risks facing journalists across the world. Many Yemeni journalists feel that freedom of press in Yemen is retreating for several reasons.

Price hikes of food impact Yemeni living standards

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:04:13 PST

The number of people living among poverty level is expected to rise due to the price hikes in food commodity, according to a report conducted by the World Bank. Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world and belongs to the Least Developed Countries.

Yemeni finalist wins IYPE 2008 award

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:50:38 PST

The Public Authority of Books, in collaboration with the British Council in Sana’a and Yemeni Publishers Union, held an honoring party for Nashwan al-Maghafi, the winner of the International Young Publishing Entrepreneur Award 2008 (IYPE) in London.

Women’s development organization launches in Marib

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:34:05 PST

Soul for Development, a woman and child development organization is to launch a four day training course in Marib. The course is supported by the American Middle East partnership initiative and is within the organization’s activity to build Marib NGOs’ institutional capacity.

Orphan rate increases, conference modernizes care methods

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:30:56 PST

The increase of the orphan rate in the Islamic world is a great concern for the authorities and institutions responsible for orphan care, said the CSSW General Manager, Dr. Mohammed al-Qubati.

Ceremony for signing production sharing Agreements shows Yemen’s strong oil future

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 01:47:16 PST

The Ceremony for the Production Sharing Agreements involving the winning companies took place at midday, 13th April 2008. Mr. Khalid M. Bahah, the Minister of Oil and Minerals, chaired the signature process with representatives from the five successful companies attending.

Seedy hotels in Sana’a lure guests with pornography

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:12:29 PST

Remarkably cheap hotels have suddenly been appearing in Sana’a. These hotels are attracting a great turnout among Yemenis by providing television channels showing pornography.

Intellectuals’ crisis continues to face women

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:02:07 PST

Some intellectuals are still dominant regarding women’s affairs, denying them their legally established individual freedoms. In feminist affairs, even learned men forget their modern knowledge and retreat into old customs which consider the woman as a creature of service and pleasure.

Ibn al-Amir school honors distinguished students

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:36:05 PST

Ibn al-Amir basic school in Sana’a old city held a party last Thursday to honor its distinguished teachers and students.
The students of Ibn al-Amir school chanted a number of the traditional Sana’ani songs and performed a number of short plays and comedy sketches.

Yemen ranks 14 out of 18 Middle East and North Africa countries in combating corruption, report

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:13:00 PST

Yemen has been ranked number 131 out of 179 countries around the world and 14 out of 18 countries in the Middle East and North Africa regarding counteracting corruption. According to an international report, Yemen has shown signs of improvement in the quality of regulating laws.

Breast canceBreast cancer leading cause of death for women

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:06:43 PST

Cancer is one of the greatest global threats to life. According to statistics from bodies such as the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, one of the most serious cancer diseases that threaten Yemen is breast cancer.

Anti-Quran film deepens chasm between East and West

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:08:08 PST

Yemeni religious scholars and Muslim nations condemned the offensive anti-Quran film that was launched on Internet websites March 27, 2008. The film, entitled Fitna, was made by Dutch Member of Parliament Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Dutch parliament, and accuses the Quran of inciting violence.

Media regulation: necessary censorship or restriction of information?

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:56:05 PST

The Arab Information Ministers held a meeting during the gathering of the Arab League in Cairo on February 12, where many questions were raised concerning an initiative regarding censorship of satellite channels.

Child kidnapping threatens Yemeni community

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:37:27 PST

The mediator in the case of the kidnapping of the 2 al-Komaim children has said that the kidnappers threatened if they were attacked by interior ministry security forces, they would kill the children.

Yemeni delegation attends Afro Arab Youth Council in Uganda

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 07:24:34 PST

A delegation of Yemeni youth, consisting of 130 members from Yemeni universities and youth associations, has recently returned from the 2nd Afro Arab Youth Council in Uganda called ‘The Worldly Paradise’.

Rising price will increase the number of poor by 6 percent, says report

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 04:07:37 PST

Price increases are a nightmare for the poor not only in Yemen but all over the world. Prices are increasing every day. Rising costs of wheat and its production during the current year will increase the number of poor people by 6 percent, according to a report issued by the International Bank.

Muslims increasing: continuing service to our Prophet

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 03:58:39 PST

Huthifa is his new name since becoming a Muslim. He has an interesting story of which he is very proud about how he embraced Islam. One day, his teacher ordered him and his classmates to write a report about any religion they chose.

National Health Accounts team to be formed in Amran

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:36:18 PST

As part of the government’s initiative to improve the health care situation in Yemen, the second of five training courses planned for different governorates around the country on National Health Accounts was held in Amran province to analyze health expenditures in the region.

Dutch Government condemns new anti-Muslim film

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 03:08:14 PST

Relations between the Muslim world and the West plummeted after the infamous Danish cartoons depicted Muslims and Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Now a Dutch politician has announced a recently released film containing insults to the Holy Quran and Muslims.

Yemeni, French photographers depict women of Yemeni countryside

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:43:04 PST

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the French Cultural Center opened an exhibition depicting the living conditions of rural Yemeni women. The exhibition’s pictures were taken by the well-known and talented Yemeni photographer, Boushra al-Mutawakel, and distinguished French photographer, Jean-Baptiste Lopez.

Britain’s Connecting Classroom project in motion with Yemen

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:24:49 PST

The British Council held a Contact Seminar yesterday between schools in Yemen and the United Kingdom as part of the Connecting Classrooms initiative. Eight British teachers arrived in the capital to join 16 Sana’a teachers for a three-day seminar on finding partners and developing international links.

San’ani Coffee included in Oscar nominee gift bag

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:40:55 PST

San’ani, The Original Mocha Coffee, was one of the exclusive items selected to participate in the gift bag being given to this year’s Academy Award nominees.

Suicide rates on the rise in Yemen

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 01:26:02 PST

Gumalah Ali Abdu al-Hetar, 40, of the al-Wazieah neighborhood of Ibb was a housewife and mother of four children, ages 20, 17, 15 and 12. Her eldest child is an expatriate living in Saudi Arabia with his father.

Saleh the statesman flies the flag of Arab unity in Europe

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:10:45 PST

President Saleh’s recent tour of Turkey and Germany and his meetings with the German and Turkish political leaderships had important implications for joint security and development policies.