Two People Wounded in Sana'a

Two People Wounded in Sana'a

By Fatik Al-Rodaini

Sana'a- Feb 25, 2011- At least two people, including a women, were wounded in Sana'a province in an attack was carried out by Sheikhs Hamed and Hamer Al-Hamer's bodyguards in 14 October Round.

The wounded were taken to a hospital immediately.

Yemen's Interior Ministry confirmed in a statement posted on its website the accident in which Saberi Al-Dhabhani, 35, and Takeia Al-Sarmi, 50, were wounded after Al-Hamer's bodyguards fired towards them. The Ministry said that the armed group kidnapped another person. No more details were reported.

SFD to implement projects worth over $ 1 bln during 2011-2015

SFD to implement projects worth over $ 1 bln during 2011-2015

SANA'A- Feb 25, 2011- The Social Fund for Development (SFD) is intending to implement 6775 projects during 2011-2015 at a total cost of over USD 1.12 billion, contributing to the provision of 48 million new daily temporary jobs.

A report issued by the Fund, which Saba got a copy of it, identified the Fund's targets during the years of the fourth five-year socioeconomic development plan for 2011-2015, including the provision of social basic services for community development in various sectors and the implementation of labor-intensive projects to reduce unemployment.

The targets also included offering small loans to establish small and smaller enterprises contributing in the provision of income-generating and capacity-building job opportunities and deepening popular participation of partners from associations and governmental and non-governmental organizations.

The report confirmed the increase in the net increase in the total projects implemented by the Fund until the end of last year to reach 5,833 projects, covering various sectors at a total cost of USD 755 million.

The percentage of projects implemented, compared with the executive scheme in the total projects, reached 90.28 percent and 98.45 percent consecutively for each of the projects and their cost, the reported indicated.

The report noted that the net increases implemented for the total beneficiaries reached 11.7 million beneficiaries, 53.9 percent of them are female.

In addition, the report pointed out that the Fund implemented and funded over the last year about 128 projects in the area of food security at a total cost of more than USD 15 million, which over 105,860 beneficiaries availed from.

Source: (Saba)

Millions in Yemen Pray in Streets, Demand Ouster of Regime

Millions in Yemen Pray in Streets, Demand Ouster of Regime

By Fuad Rajeh

Sana'a- Feb 25, 2011- At least one protester was killed and more than 20 others injured when riot police dispersed demonstrations demanding the ouster of the regime in Yemen's business capital Aden on Friday, the day which saw the most massive rallies ever in several cities in the aftermath of the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings.

Tens of thousands took to the streets in various Aden districts, with the biggest rally held in Al-Mansoura district, and the protesters chanting anti-government slogans including those calling for the removal of the Saleh regime.

Riot police broke up rallies in some districts, firing on the demonstrators killing Muhammad Saleh, who got a shot in his head, and injuring many others, eyewitnesses said. Arrests also took place, specifically in Al-Arish district, the eyewitnesses said.

Security has been tightened in Aden and the police are preventing the people from leaving their areas, as if there was a state of emergency declared.

Amid the crackdown protesters burned the municipal authority building in Al-Mansoura after they forced the police who opened fire on them out of the building.

In some the protests continued peacefully.

Today, more than half a million people gathered at Sana'a University, the square of change, for prayers and to show their support and blessing to the popular sit-in there.

They demanded Saleh to resign before the next Friday the day the sit-inners will march on the presidential palace.

Preacher Sa'ater who delivered the sermon criticized the attempts of the regime to incite regionalism among the people, saying such attempts will only lead to further alignment and unity of the people, not what the regime is really seeking.

The blood of those who were killed while protesting in Sana'a and other cities will not go in vain, however, these martyrs will be the fuel of a true revolution against the oppressive and corrupt regime, he preached.

In Tahrir Square, thousands of pro-government protesters gathered to show their support to President Saleh and his regime.

Plus, hundreds of thousands of people flooded to the square of freedom in Taiz, where the people have been on a sit-in protest for weeks, and to squares in Hodeida, Ibb, Saada and other cities demanding the departure of Saleh as the anti-government protests continue to escalate throughout Yemen.

The preachers who delivered Friday's sermons urged the regime to learn from the Tunisian and Egyptian lessons, saying the mass rallies were a clear message to the ruler to implement concrete political and economic reforms before the country is dragged into an unacceptable situation.

Nine injured as protests continue in Yemen

Nine injured as protests continue in Yemen

Sana'a- Feb 25, 2011- At least nine people were wounded after security forces opened fire at anti-government protesters in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden Friday, witnesses said.

They told DPA that thousands of protesters took to the streets after the weekly Friday prayers in the city's Khur Maksar and Mualla neighborhoods, shouting slogans demanding the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Seven people were wounded after police opened fire at demonstrators in Khur Maksar, a journalist said by phone. He said one of the victims was in critical condition.

In Mualla, two protesters were injured, a witness said.

Some 10,000 protesters gathered in the southern city of Taiz, some 250 km south of Sana'a, in an anti-government rally, witnesses said. No violence was reported there, however.

Meanwhile tens of thousands of government backers and anti-government protesters attended separate rallies in the capital Sana'a.

Around 50,000 supporters of Saleh attended a rally in Tahrir Square in the centre of the city chanting slogans like 'The people want Ali' and 'Ali, Oh creator of unity, you are in our hearts'.

They held up banners reading: 'Yes to stability and dialogue, no to chaos.'

Around 20,000 Saleh opponents gathered outside Sana'a University campus shouting 'The people want the president to fall'.

Source: (DPA)

Yemen: Tadhamon International Islamic Bank Ratings Affirmed

Yemen: Tadhamon International Islamic Bank Ratings Affirmed

By Asmaa Malik

Sana'a- Feb 25, 2011- Capital Intelligence (CI)has announced that it has affirmed Yemen-based Tadhamon International Islamic Bank’s (TIIB) Long-Term and Short-Term Foreign Currency ratings at B and B respectively, Global Arab Network reports according to a press statement.

Both ratings are constrained by Yemen’s Sovereign rating. At the same time, CI has affirmed the Bank’s Financial Strength rating at BB-. TIIB’s Support rating was maintained at 4. The outlook on all ratings is ‘Stable’. The operating environment remains very challenging with difficult banking conditions, and this position is reflected in the Bank’s ratings.

TIIB has experienced a challenging period over the past two years. Non-performing financing has risen substantially as the Bank was hit on two fronts; domestically through the Yemeni government delaying payments to TIIB’s clients and regionally on the back of the global financial crisis. TIIB has asset exposure, including unquoted securities and real estate investments in the GCC, and these were impacted by the downturn.

On the plus side however, and despite the large rise in non-performing financing, the Bank has maintained good provisioning coverage of non-performing facilities. Net profit and returns are low, in part reflecting high provisioning charges. Supporting the rating is TIIB’s capital adequacy position which is considered sound following an increase in capital in 2009. Liquidity is also adequate with the Bank benefiting from growth in unrestricted investment and savings accounts.

TIIB was established under the name of Yemen Islamic Bank for Investment and Development in 1995. The name of the Bank was changed to Tadhamon Islamic Bank. The Bank converted to Islamic banking and changed its name to TIB in 1996 and in 2002 to the present style.

The majority of shares are held by directors, associates and member companies of the Hayel Saeed Anam (HSA) international group of companies, the largest corporation in Yemen. Major activities of the Group include manufacturing, specialty food processing in a wide range of countries including Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom.

TIIB holds a full commercial banking licence issued by the Central Bank of Yemen. The Bank is the largest domestic bank in Yemen with assets over YER350 billion at end-June 2010.

Source: Global Arab Network