Dr. Nafisa Sadik, the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), will visit Yemen during May 1-3, 1999. She will meet with government officials to discuss population and development issues. She will also visit UNFPA funded projects, and consult with key donors.
Dr. Sadik, appointed in 1987, was the first woman to head one of the United Nations major voluntarily funded programs.

 

Mr. Robin Cook, British Foreign Minister, ordered the shut-down of the British Council offices in Sanaa and Aden. The British decision is said to reflect the unhappy mood in London regarding the less than adequate (read, honest) response from Yemeni authorities regarding the on-going differences on legal and procedural matters concerning the trial of the Britons in Aden.
On the same issue, close relatives of the Britons jailed in Yemen have been refused entry visas to come and attend the trial and offer comfort to their loved ones. These include Mrs. Tasweer Begum, mother of Ghulam Hussain, and two of his brothers. They also include Souad & Nadia Ghailan, aunts of Mohsin Ghailan.

Mrs. Monica Davies, wife of one of the accused, was the only one allowed back into the country after direct intervention from Dr. Abdul-Karim Al-Iryani, Prime Minister, following her repeated appeals. She sounded very frustrated in her letter to him. "I converted to Islam and saw a beautiful way of life and a religion that brings up good people with values. This is the first time I have had to go to people for help, and I find that the people giving me the most difficulty and problems are Muslims. I ask myself why?"
Along the same lines, a delegation of British investigators is in Yemen to gather information on the connection of British nationals to international terrorism.

 

A new NGO, Yemeni Society to Care for Minors is going to be established tomorrow, Tuesday, April 27th. Mr. Mahfoodh Salim Shammakh, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee, has called for the constituent assembly to meet at the Sanaa Chamber of Commerce.
"Interested persons are welcome to join," he said.

 

The Y2K Technical Committee of the Ministry of Planning and Development started a 2-day seminar explaining the efforts of various Yemeni sectors in trying to make their institutions and companies work smoothly on the turn of the century. The seminar that started yesterday, April the 25th will explain the progress and the obstacles facing them in making their systems 100% Y2K-compliant. The Ministry of Planning, Electricity Corporation, Central Bank of Yemen, Procter and Gamble Co., Teleyemen, Yemenia, and other establishments submitted their research during the seminar.

 

The Queen Arwa University launches its Cultural Week today, Monday, 26th April. Dr. Wahiba Fare', Rector, said that this year's theme will be "Democracy's Day in Yemen." 
The event is open to the public.

 

The Republic of Yemen has done it again. We are now confronted with what is termed as a Yemeni initiative to resolve the Kosovo problem. Mr. Abdullah Al-Ashtal, Yemen's Envoy to the UN, is expected to hand-deliver the initiative to the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan.
Yemen had earlier come up with an initiative to resolve the Somali civil war, mediated between Sudan and Eritrea, kicked off an Arab League initiative with respect to Iraq, and many other valuable, though unheeded contributions to international politics.
Is this great or what!

 

Artists among the Iraqi community residing in Yemen are launching an Iraqi Artistic Exhibition tomorrow, Tuesday, 27th, April. The three-day event is taking place at Gamal Abdul-Nasser Hall in Sanaa University.

 

Supported by a team of technical experts from the Federation of Arab Journalists, the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate has just embarked on a membership screening drive.
The new YJS leadership had promised, when it was elected two months ago, to look into the membership body. Many circles believe that some members were inserted by the People's General Congress in order to control the election results.

"Of the 1,800 members in the old list, we expect about half will disappear from the final list because they will not qualify as journalists," said Mr. Rajeh Al-Jaboobi, Member of the Board.
The YJS has circulated a form which all would-be members need to fill out. It also requires copies of various documents from applicants to prove they are journalists.
"I would like to strongly invite all journalists to apply for membership. I would like to especially appeal to those who have doubts about our integrity to try us out. It is easy for them to curse the darkness. I do wish some of the journalists opposed to us would help light a few candles," said Mr. Mahboob Ali, Chairman of the Syndicate. Indeed, his appeals haveobtained results. Several key journalists have already completed their registration.