The Chamber of Commerce and Industry filed a lawsuit against President Saleh and other executive members including the Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, Head of Tax Authority and Minister of Legal Affairs as well as the legislative authority represented in Parliament's Speaker.

 

Over the last five years, males and females have been seen increasingly coexisting together in workplaces, commercial establishments, state institutions and other places. They also study, travel together from one place to another inside and outside the country.

 

Sexual harassment against women in workplaces and streets has become widespread in Yemen. It has also become a source of interest for researchers.

 

Wedding ceremonies in Yemen are not much different from those of other Arab countries; however, they are much different from weddings just years ago.

 

Yemeni parliament approved some amendments related to crimes and punishment law numbered 12 of 1994. These amendments make the law adaptable to international human rights treaties endorsed by Yemen, especially those relating to women and children.

 

Despite the different challenges hindering the cooperation between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the latter has recently started to be more active with the Royal Office Representative Mohammed Al-Hadithi inaugurating the commercial attaché headquarters in Yemen.

 

Yemeni women spend long hours on childcare, cooking, cleaning, shopping, and doing laundry for their family, giving them no time to relax.

 

Two weeks ago, Yemen took its biggest step yet in fighting the existence of weapons as a nationwide campaign begun with a goal to close down all weapon shops throughout the country. Until today, 209 weapon shops have been closed down.

 

On May 17, elections were conducted to elect the mayor of the capital and governors for other 20 provinces. These elections were debated for long and it was boycotted by Joint Meeting Parties.

 

The Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Planning Education Saylan Al-Sayri assured that cheating in exams has become a danger that threats the existing educational system and the future of the country.

 

As soon as summer vacation approaches, parents' concern about their children starts to augment as fathers prepare for such vacations in different ways.

 

Centuries have passed and years have elapsed while Akhdam, people of African origin, still live in tin houses and places which are neither clean, nor appropriate for human beings to live in.

 

Forming the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum has been for long a debated issue between the ruling party – General People Congress (GPC) – and the opposition parties – Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), coalition of opposing parties which includes leftists and Islamists.

 

A report by the Central Administration for Control and Auditing revealed numerous shortcomings as for the establishment of technical and vocational institutes.

 

Though children form up nearly 50 percent of Yemen's population estimated to be over 22 million, they are not given the required attention and care. Children face numerous challenges including death of preventable diseases, early marriage, child smuggling and labor.

 

In its 2007 report, the Geneva-based World Economic Forum ranked Yemen last (128) as to the Global Gender Gap and estimated the gap in overall rankings to be 45 percent.

 

Yemeni rural areas seem to have more sufferings in getting safe drinking water; however, their suffering cannot be compared with fear over the future of water resources, especially when they depend on the annual rainfall more than underground water for their crops.

 

Amidst constant controversy and war of words between supporters and opponents, attempts to establish the Authority for Promotion of Virtue and Suppression of Vice have failed. Such a controversy was reported in media and electronic websites.

 

Twenty governors were elected for assuming reasonability in 20 different provinces and the capital Sana’a. Only eight provinces witnessed competitive elections, while it was no more than an uncontested win in others as there were no rivals.

 

In a symposium themed “Religious and Political Toleration in Yemen” and organized by the Cultural Bridges Forum (CBF), the participants called on the religious, cultural and political institutions as well as media, political parties and civil society organizations to work for promoting the values of toleration and peaceful coexistence.

 

A new taxi company known as Marhba has been recently introduced. The company started to rival Raha taxi which was introduced before more than two years ago. Both companies are owned by senior Yemeni businessmen.

 

Ongoing problems throughout a large number of governorates has influenced the National Solidarity Council to come up with strategies that could help the country escape the dangers it is confronted with.

 

Since the boom of education in Yemen during the early 90's, women have played a strong role in improving the country’s situation by educating themselves, therefore giving them a better chance to a prosperous life.

 

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that two out of three women in Yemen are illiterate and nearly half of primary school age girls do not go to school. Getting access to education, even primary school education, is one of the biggest challenges facing children in Yemen, especially girls.

 

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) in collaboration with the Supreme National Committee for Fighting Revenge Killing (SNCFRK) launched the first national campaign aiming to fight revenge killing through three private societies in Mareb, Al-Jawf and Shabwa.

 

The Yemen Polling Center (YPC) conducted a recent two-day survey in six different provinces to assess the public awareness as for the election of the mayor of Sana’a and governors of provinces.

 

The declaration of Yemeni Unity in 1990 was  considered by Yemeni academics and intellectuals to be the first corner stone for democratic practices. However, 18 years later the country has only taken baby steps in achieving its democratic goals, as it has not yet reached international democratic standers.

 

The arresting of a foreign expert belonging to a giant oil company working in Yemen at Sana'a International Airport for smuggling antiques and monuments have aroused a lot of questions on the mechanisms relating to the work of these companies in archeological sites, and the role to be played by the concerned authorities including oversight of their works and the mechanism to protect this priceless wealth.

 

In 'Poverty Alleviation and Unemployment Reduction' report recently released, Consultative (Shoura) Council exposed its vision aiming to get out of the dark tunnel; however, some parts especially those that address the real situation of the Yemeni economy have been deleted.

 

Thousands of Yemenis infiltrate into Saudi Arabia and the Emirates monthly to secure livelihood for themselves and their families behind them, mainly due to the hard economic situation they live through in Yemen.

 

In a workshop named 'Democratic Reform in Yemen and its Economic and Social Impact'  organized by Information and Human Rights Center, participants stressed on the importance of having economic reforms whose success is conditioned by making comprehensive political reforms.

 

Najaud is one of the early marriage victims who got married at the age of eight. Like Najaud, thousands of Yemeni female children get married early causing physical and metal damage to young girls.

 

Latest field study on revenge killing mention that 4698 people have been killed during the last ten years due to revenge killing. This number comes a shock to most Yemenis, as they used to consider weapons part of culture and not a weapon to kill.

 

Yemeni electricity sector have been witnessing a dangerous crisis, mainly of the inordinate growth of population and increased residential and commercial activities accompanied with a stronger  demand for energy.

 

Earlier this year, Yemen seen large and occasionally violent crowds standing in line for hours in an effort to buy cheap wheat form the Yemeni Economic Corporation, especially poor and limited-income employees.

 

Studies reveal that beating children in schools is not tolerated in many countries around the world as a method to control students. Yemen is one of the countries where beating is widely used to teach and educate school children.

 

In preparation of patching and repairing 950 km of asphalt roads nationwide by Highways Repair Fund, observers and citizens notice that most Yemeni roads and highways stretching over 12,500 km are in poor or mediocre condition and badly in need for repair, maintenance and patching.

 

Modeled after the famous TV serial 'the Road to Kabul', it came my title and reportage about the road to Al-Jawf Province, some 140 km northwest of the capital Sana'a.

 

Forming the Supreme Commission for Elections and Referendum (SCER), has been one of the most debated issues over the last few months between the ruling party, the General People Congress (GPC) and the opposition parties represented by Joint Meeting Parties (JMP).

 

Since the mid eighties, Yemeni Americans have used their daughters as a way to help other families enter the United States, in search for a better future. Fathers would bring home their Yemeni American daughter and have her choose from the many that come to ask for her hand in marriage. In most situations, the marriage stays in the family and cousins and relatives are given priority over others.

 

Though the country has seen an increased number of newspapers and websites, dozens of editors and journalists are exposed to attacks. Moreover, pressmen were jailed and others were threatened to be killed.

 

The recent events in the south of Yemen have disclosed part of the crisis between the opposition parties, represented in Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) and the ruling party, General People Congress (GPC) especially following the media fuss and statements distributed by both parties.

 

Relative marriage is accelerating as the percentage of relative marriages in Yemen is 47.5%. This comes higher than all Arab countries, as in Saudi and Palestine  the number is at 40%, and 38% in Kuwait and Egypt.

 

An international report by World Union for Labor Unions unemployment is six times higher among women than their fellow men. The same applies to Yemen where two thirds are unemployed.

 

In a symposium organized by Female Journalists without Borders Organization themed “-Islamists and Democracy in Yemen”, guests fiercely attacked some extreme Islamic streams.

 

In a symposium organized by Al-Tagheer.net, economic experts stressed that government should bring the agreement relating to operating and developing Aden Container Terminal before parliament for discussion, and demanded it to act responsibly with this issue because the terminal is of vital economic importance to the country.

 

Amman Center for Human Rights directed harsh criticism to Yemen for failing to observe human rights together with the continuing setback of freedom in the country.

 

Revenge killing and tribal conflicts are key obstacles for  achieving sustainable development in tribal areas, and they also deprive tribes from perusing their university education, especially when these conflicts extend to include universities, public facilities, cities, public markets and roads.

 

A new study revealed that violence against children by the most loved ones could turn them to be violent in their future, hinting that children always expect protection and care from those who are around them.

 

A number of political analysts have for months declared the existence of a political crisis between the ruling party, the General People Congress (GPC) and opposition parties represented by the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) prior to the parliamentary elections due to be conducted on April 2009.

 

Mohammed Ahmed Mansour Al-Sanafi was brought up in a family who he  considered to be his, and a mother he thought was his. However, this did not  last for long because he came later to know that his real mother was in Europe.

 

Over 2007, traffic accidents claimed the lives of 340 citizens and injured 4278 others, of those 1981 critically, according to a report issued recently by the General Traffic Administration.

 

Polygamy is between acceptance and rejection and has been a source of controversy between Muslims and Non-Muslims. When Islamic culture allows man to marry more than one woman and up to four at the same time, other cultures do not accept such a concept and considers it to be unfaithfulness in the part of husband.

 

Some of them were leaning on a stone chewing qat, others stretched their clothes on one of the corners to sleep. Those were the Al-Ja’ashin, near Ibb, who protested last Monday in front of the Local Administration Ministry because of their Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed Mansour's high demands for taxes. 

 

Over 60,000 Yemenis infiltrate into Saudi Arabia every year to search for work and money, according to official statistics. Nearly all pay human smugglers small financial amounts to get them across the border as some even risk dying on the way to get there.

 

Students Abdullah Ali Al-Kumaim, 14, and Mohammed Yahya Al-Kumaim, 17, are still detained by a group of tribal people belonging to Sana'a province's Bani Dhabian district; while their families suffer a lot under the forced absence of their children and the continuous threats by kidnappers to kill them.

 

Several civil society and freedom organizations as well as citizens condemned the recent agreement signed by the Arab Information Ministers aiming to impose strict measures and regulations on satellite channels, especially those with national, neutral and independent tendencies, mostly Al-Jazeera, Al-Aqsa and Al-Mannar satellite channels.

 

Around 90 people from Al-Sabyayin, Al-Ja'ashin area, off Ibb, camped this week in the Media Women Forum's front yard after they received no response to their protest which was held earlier in front of the parliament against the injustice of their tribal sheikh, Mohammed Ahmed Mansour.

 

By day, they sweep the streets of the Old City, ragged, dark-skinned men in orange jump suits. By night, they retreat to fetid slums on the edge of town.

 

Valentine's Day was different this year, as the country witnessed a large campaign by preachers calling the celebration of the day forbidden. The controversy grew as Valentine's Day this year was made special with the visit of famous Syrian-Bahraini Singer Asalah Nasri, however, it caused Al-Qaeda to issue its first threats connecting to Valentine's Day.

 

Yemen is in the process of choosing its national bird.  Of the more than 400 different bird species that are known to occur in Yemen, local experts have narrowed the choice down to four.

 

"I traveled to Saudi after high school to work and support my family who live in the village. I wanted to go to college, but my family needs my support," said Fares Al-Ezzi, a Yemeni high school graduate who works in a mall in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

 

Since the beginning of 2008, different conferences in tribal areas have taken place creating rare tribal coalitions as a result of the ongoing tension and developments in the country.

 

''When my father died, my mother married another man and left us alone. We have uncles but they were not very nice to us. We were forced to leave our house and to go to cities in search for livelihood," said Essam who is 11 years and has two younger brothers.

 

''When my father died, my mother married another man and left us alone. We have uncles but they were not very nice to us. We were forced to leave our house and to go to cities in search for livelihood," said Essam who is 11 years and has two younger brothers.

 

Over the last five years, the government has been putting more pressure and restrictions on civil society organizations, as a large number were refused license by government. According to the law, citizens have the right to open organizations and no restrictions nor conditions exist, except that its practices do not go against the Yemeni law.