Eighteen persons died as a result of poisoning within the last ten days after having methanol alcohol, officials at the Ministry of Health & Population reported. They added the ministry was working closely with the security departments to track down the persons who illegally deal with this substance.
On the other hand, Qat-chewers in Sana'a are nowadays panic-stricken following the death of 13 Qat-chewers last week as a result of masticating Qat leaves treated with highly poisonous chemical substances. Last year five persons died in Hajja after they had chemically-treated Qat. The Israeli-made Topaz chemical product which is usually used by farmers to prompt the growth of Qat plants is most properly the reason for poisoning.
Yemeni markets are crammed with tens of internationally prohibited as well as expired chemical products which are mostly used by Qat farmers. The security authorities have so far been unable to seize these chemical substances or preclude their entry into the country.

During President Saleh’s visit to the Aden Free Zone last Thursday, he was briefed on the progress of current activities in the Free Zone together with the future plans and the efforts exerted to establish the industrial zone.
More than 377 thousand containers were unloaded at the container terminal in 2001 registering an increase by 120 thousand containers in comparison with 2000. The president stressed that restructuring the Free Zone should be reconsidered and re-formed. He indicated that the new developments and changes should be assimilated and carefully studied according to the new global changes. He placed great stress on the necessity of supervising the continuos development of the Free Zone, preserving the allocated land, mapping out new mechanisms to administrate the Zone and making use of others' experiences. He said all bodies concerned should adhere to the plans of the Free Zone's land according to the Cabinet's resolution.

Founders of the Forum of the Sons of the South Governorates (FSSG) ignored the government demands to bring the establishment of this ‘regionalistic’ forum to a halt and elected colonel Ali al-Qufaish chairman of the FSSG.
Independent MPs, Faisal bin Shamlan and Saleh bin Fareed al-Ulaki also joined the Forum amid news reports about stark differences between groups loyal to former president Ali Nassir Mohammed and pro-president Ali Abdulah Saleh elements.
Well-informed sources told the Yemen Times the disagreement between president Saleh and his vice-president Abdurabu Mansur reached a critical point following the news about the participation of the latter in the establishment of the FSSG through the former Interior Minister, Hussein Arab and Fish Wealth Minister, Ahmed Mussaid Hussein.
President Saleh has earlier met with colonel al-Qufaish but reached no agreement, as president Saleh refused to deal with him as a representative of the southern governorates. However, president Saleh said he was ready to listen to his personal demands if he had any.
Surprisingly, bin Shamlan, head of the independent block at the parliament and former Minister of Oil joined the FSSG, although this Forum has been labeled as an entity for the dissidents from the Yemeni Socialist Party following the civil war of 1986.
President Saleh ordered in Ramadan the halt of demobilizing of roughly 20 thousand soldiers from the southern governorates in a move to ease the mounting tension between the tow sides. Similarly, Abdulqadir Bajamal described the formation of the Forum as inappropriate for protesting the ruling-out of some elements from the new government formation and advised them to adopt different measures to oppose it.
The differences between the president and his vice-president emerged after the declaration of the current government, as the later insisted on selecting the representatives of the southern governorates himself and refused the replacement of the Former Minister of Interior.

For the third time Abdulah Mohammed al-Ahdal appealed to the State Minister of Human Rights against the injustice and attacks he had been subjected to by a military group belonging to the Airforce. In a letter addressed to Dr. Waheeba Fare'a, State Minister of Human Rights, through the Yemen Times, al-Ahdal said his family and he were under continued attacks. He added his family was still homeless after his house was demolished.
Al-Ahdal has previously met with president Saleh, who promised to solve his problem and visited the site of his house. Many verdicts have been also issued in favor of al-Ahdal but nothing has been so far done.

Tow persons were killed last week during tribal clashes between al-Fukara tribe from Khulan and al-Saiad tribe from Murad.
A source who requested anonymity said the reason for the fight was a dispute over a plot of land which had been aggregated by some government officials with the view of dividing tribes, particularly amid the current circumstances. A number of tribal sheikhs are exerting efforts to bring the confrontation to a halt; while, the government sounds to have no intention to intervene to stop the fighting. The same source spoke out his fear that the ongoing fighting may lead to an all-out tribal war in Mareb region, especially as these two tribes had fully prepared themselves for a much fiercer fighting.

The Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) issued a statement in its meeting on January 8 2002 focusing on the deteriorating conditions of the legislative system of the country. The statement discussed the amendments of pleading bylaw offered by the Endowments and Justice Committee at the Parliament through updating the marital obedience law (Bait Atta'aha). It strongly condemned the article No. (371) relating to women's' degradation, humiliation and discrimination. The statement called on people, human right organizations and the civil service organizations to oppose the bylaw.

Two persons were reportedly killed and three others injured in confrontations between MP’s bodyguards and some troops from the Republican Guards. Clashes erupted after armed people escorting Sheikh Mansur al-Hanik exchanged fire with elements from the Republican Guards last Wednesday, when the former attempted to erect a building on a plot of land close to the Republican Guards School.
Machine-guns and RBG projectiles were used during the confrontation leading to the death of a resident of the area and a 9-year boy, as well as the injury of 2 escorts of the Sheikh. The confrontation which lasted for several hours led to the blockade of the road leading to the airport before some units of the Republican Guards could force the gunmen out of the site.

After a long preparation for open heart surgery in the Yemen German hospital, which has given its management the time to equip the department of cardiac surgery to high standard, the Hospital will shortly be inaugurating the first cardiac surgery and cardiology center in Yemen.
The department is under the leadership of Prof. Raboi, the first Yemeni cardiac surgeon with 15 years cardiac surgery experience and Prof. Dr. Struck from Germany who has performed heart transportation in Germany.
Dr. Abdulkader Abbas is a consultant radiologist and is the chief of the cardiology department, who was trained for invasive cardiology in Germany.
The heart center is equipped with the most up-to-date equipment for diagnosis and investigations in heart disease.
The inauguration well be in the first half of 2002.

Yemeni government has taken a set of measures to curb the flow of Arab students and preachers unless they get permits from the authorities concerned. During its weekly meeting the cabinet approved the draft law which incorporates banning any students from joining government or non-government educational institutions, but under the bilateral education agreements signed between the Yemeni government and their respective countries.
The cabinet also entrusted the relevant ministries to check if all the foreign preachers and students had been duly registered at the authorities concerned. From now on, foreign students interested in studying in Yemen will have to get their governments' approval in case their countries have no student exchange agreements with Yemen.

The president of the Republic issued last Thursday a decree to establish the Coast Guards Authority and identified its tasks for the first time in the history of Yemen. Observers said Yemen had been seeking such an authority to prevent sea piracy and illegal infiltration of foreigners into Yemen.
The decision was made with the aim of enhancing safety in the south of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In this respect, the Yemeni government has tried to obtain technical assistance from the Western countries to establish coast guard forces and to make use of the Saudi experience in this field.

Yemenia Airways is scheduled to start flights to Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta at the end of the current month. Two weekly flights are scheduled for each Wednesday and Saturday aboard a modern airbus A 310-300.
To this end a reception party was held at the Sheraton Sana'a Hotel which was attended by Captain Saeed Yafa'ai, Minster of Transpiration and Hussein Dhaifallah al-Awadhi, Minister of Information.
Yemenia airways has a plan to expand its international flights with the view of connecting Yemen with direct flights to east Asia, said Captain Abdulkhaliq Al-Qadti, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company. Mr. Abdulah Ahmed al-Kebsi announced that t he Yemenia would receive three new Boeing B737-800 in the current year.