Fires erupted on Wednesday 16.2.2000 in three Somalians refugee camps in Abian in south Yemen. Security sources in the camps told Yemen Times that the fire was caused by leakage of gas while one of the refugees was making wine and that a number of suspected had been arrested for investigation. 
At another level, some newspapers have recently reported the spread of AIDS and other kinds of diseases among the refugees. 

A high-ranking official delegation representing the American Congress and the National Council for Arab-American Relations, headed by Mr. John Abi Nader, member of the Council, arrived in Sanaa Saturday 19.2. 2000 on a weak-long visit to Yemen. In a statement to Saba, Abi Nader said that he would meet Yemeni officials to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries as well as means to enhance them. He also said that the delegation would  get acquainted with the democratic experiment in Yemen and visit some  historical sites. 

Mr. Alaa Qauod from  the Human Rights Watch(HRW), New York, visited Yemen last weak. During the visit, he met  a number of journalists, lawyers, intellectuals, politicians and social figures in Aden, Taiz and Sanaa. In his visit to Yemen Times’ offices in Sanaa at the end of last weak he expressed his gladness with the paper, its focus on human rights as well as the its publication of human rights reports, “that would raise the people’s awareness about journalism, women and children rights and torture issues,” he said. 
Speaking about legislation, he said that they were moving from bad to worse and that Yemen needed a work team that believed in human rights. 
Mr. Qauod left for USA Friday 18 after promising of another visit to enhance the role of HRW in Yemen. 

Eastern Sana’a court, chaired by Judge Hamoud Qaith took up on Sunday the case of Mr. Abass Qhalib, Editor-in Chief of Al-Methaq newspaper organ of the ruling party. He is  accused by misbehavior against against Arab and foreign newspapers and news agencies correspondents. 
The court session listened to decisions of the prosecution at  the presence of advocates Yaseen Abdulrazaq and Ali Mohammed Al- Masmari, representatives of the the correspondents. The cession was postponed till Tuesday February 29, 2000. 
Al-Methaq newspaper and its Chief Editor had published an article late last year full abuses against correspondents of Arab and foreign newspapers and news agencies accusing them of telling lies and forgery, a matter made them sue the newspaper and its chief editor. 

On Saturday, February 19, 2000, Taiz witnessed a strike up in schools due to the negligence of the education office in Taiz. Teachers have not received their salaries of January yet. 

The Brussels-based European Commission has decided to increase financial aid to Yemen. With this regard, ¤ 50 million has been allocated for supporting development and public services projects and the economic program for 2000 marking an increase of ¤  26 millions compared to 1999. This was preceded by the allocation of ¤ 137 million for the same purpose. The increase is said to be one of the fruits of the visit President Ali Abdullah Saleh paid to Belgium and the European Commission. At another level, a delegation from the EC is excepted to visit Yemen  to meet with Yemeni officials and talk about further projects that the European Commission will be support. 

The Membership Confirmation Committee at the Journalists Syndicate reported that 390 journalists were enrolled as active members at the Syndicate; 151 in the Capital Secretariat, 170 in Aden, 21 in Hadhramout, 18 in Taiz, 13 in Lahj, 7 in Abian and 10 in Hodeidah, 17 non-active members, 212 associate members and 24 in probationary period. The Syndicate rejected 178 requests to join it and was still looking into more requests. 
The Committee requested Chairman of the Syndicate, Mr. Mahboob Ali, to make a decision with regard to memberships confirmation  and the date of distributing the new IDs. 

An official source in the Interior Ministry stated that crime’s ratio in 1999 decreased sharply in comparison with 1998. The ratio of discovered crimes in 1999 is 93,6.% “The Interior Ministry has future prospects for the year 2000 in terms of expanding Central Prisons in some governorates and establishing Central Prisons in Al-Dala’a and Imran governorates. We’ll also make available all the equipment and tools necessary for training and qualifying prisoners”, he said in an interview to Al-Wahdah newspaper. 
However, he did not elaborate on whether the new prisons will be provided by the iron shackles existing in Yemeni prisons since the Imam’s rule. 

American Ambassador Barbara K. Bodine  visited Al-Ghayda on the 16th of February to deliver medical supplies donated by the United States government to the people of Yemen. The shipment has an approximate value of $ 5000. It includes a number of different medical items including orthopedic bandages and surgical instruments, sterile blood-drawing supplies, antibiotics and oxygen equipment. The donation reflects the American government’s long-standing commitment to assist with improving health care and medical services in Yemen. 
Ambassador Bodine toured the local medical facility in Al-Ghayda and met with the governor and other local officials. She was accompanied by Dr. Abdulkarim Shaiban, Deputy Minister of Health and several U.S. Embassy officials. 
At another level Ambassador Bodine will present to Dr. Abdulla Abdulwali  Nasher, Minister of Public Health a donation of medical supplies worth close to $500,000. The donation includes surgical instruments, sterile bandages, intravenous infusion devices, microscopes, laboratory equipment and a wide assortment of other essential health care supplies provided to the Yemeni people as part of U.S. government involvement in the Yemeni Humanitarian Program. The ceremony is taking place today at the American Embassy at 10:00 am. 

A 12 tone shipment containing 4 million tablets has arrived in Hodeidah port as a donation from the Government of Canada made through UNICEF to reduce the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) 
The donation is estimated to be $ 80,000 and it will assist the Ministry of Health to provide all pregnant women visiting the Mother and Child Centers throughout the country with the iron-folate tablets. 

Ashoura newspaper board of directors is still refusing to pay its arrears to the former Editor-in-Chief Noman Qaeid who has been discharged from his post before the end of his contract with the paper despite the judgment passed by Sana’a court in his favor. 
A signature-collecting campaign is being launched by colleagues of the profession, men of law and non-governmental organizations in solidarity with Mr. Noman  especially after the Popular Forces Federation refused to pay him the arrears. 
Attagammu ( Yemeni Unitary Congregation) and Al-Usbooa (Independent) newspapers publish lists of names of those supporting Mr Noman. The report of Human Rights Committee issued two weeks ago pointed out several breaches the journalists in Yemen are subject to and Mr. Noman is one of them, in spite of the court decision in his favor. 
 

Organized by Mr. Saeed Al-Saud, founder of Yemeni competitor establishment which is specialized in all kinds of motorsports such as auto test, desert challenging, rallies and hill climbing. The test is sponsored directly by the Yemenia Airways and indirectly by Yemecin Technology and Al-Thawrah Industrial Complex. The test will take place in the Seventeen Stadium on February 25, 2000 from 8 a.m. The invitation is open for interested men and women as there will be two categories. This is third of its kind to happen in Yemen. 

Sponsored  by the biggest commercial companies in Yemen Al-Jazeera Information Technology and Communication  Show is held in APOLLO hall, Sana’a Expo Center 20-25 February, 2000. 
The show was inaugurated by the minister of communications, the chairman of the board of directors of the state establishment of cable and wireless communications, Engineer Ahmed Mohammed Al-Ansi. 
Mr Al-Ansi expressed satisfaction for holding the show and his thanks that the ministry of communications to sponsor it. The show is considered a developed technology added to the information asset so that Yemen could keep pace with  the best countries in this field. 
More than 30  business companies specialized in the field of computer are taking part in the show among them NIIT, Yemen Computer Company Limited, Tihama Computer and Peripherals LTD, Yemen Soft for Programs and Consultations, Smartech Trading Company LTD, Yemen Technology and other trade investment companies that introduced computer and information technology to the Yemen market. 

The show opened at 9:30 a.m. Monday 20.2. 2000 by the minister of communications engineer Ahmed Al-Ansi was attended by large number of businessmen who have shown great astonishment for the technological development of computer companies in the world. 
Commercial and investment activity remains more serious and stronger especially when competition is the way adopted for offering services. 
 A great variety of computer monitor screens of different world trade marks are today displayed before the businessmen, these that have changed the world into a small village. Any visitor who intends to get acquainted with the latest in the world of computer can visit APOLLO, Sana’a Expo Centre to obtain what he likes of information technology.