In Brief [Archives:2006/926/Local News]
– The 28th Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Near East Regional Conference (NERC-28) will be held in Sana'a March 12-16 under the auspices of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Gathering 32 member countries of the FAO Near East region, the conference aims to hold high-level consultations to highlight regional issues and constraints, as well as identify the region's priority areas for preparing a work and budget program and the organization's longer term strategic work program.
The conference will be preceded by the fourth session of the Near East Agriculture, Land and Water Commission (ALAWC), which also will convene in Sana'a March 7-9.
– Scientific Arbitration Committees for the Hayel Sa'eed Foundation for Sciences and Arts Award award are due to meet March 8-9 to discuss research evaluation results. Much research has been evaluated for the Award in areas of medicine, environment, agriculture, human studies,
literary creativity and Islamic science.
Committee recommendations are due to be approved at a press conference scheduled in the final days of March.
– A German Institute antiquities team began implementing a plan to refurbish inscriptions of the Defeater of Kings in Sirwah. The inscription measures 7,240 meters long, 72 centimeters high and 52 meters thick.
Discovered last September, the inscription is composed of seven lines for the Sheban Makrab Yan'e Amr and Tarif Yakreb, King of Yakhder. The Defeater of Kings inscription describes political, economic, social and military life of a period extending from the sixth to the seventh century.
– Eight people, including six children in the Wadi Hawar area of Al-Mahwit governorate, are rumored to have died in January and February from bird flu. The death toll raised concern among village locals in Al-Bakr and Al-Masiba.
– In a copy of a statement obtained by the Yemen Times, the Higher Administrative Authority for the Yemeni Teachers Syndicate announced it gradually will stage a strike including all education workers beginning March 14.
According to the statement, the government never met teachers' demands regarding improving their entitlements, which they claim were ignored by the new wage strategy. According to organized law, the syndicate is to stage a gradual strike until the government meets their demands.
– Al-Sa'eed Foundation for Science and Culture, in cooperation with the German Embassy in Sana'a, will organize a Harrman Porchardit exhibition in Yemen. Due to be held March 8-22, the exhibit will feature photographs from voyages dating to the period 1900-1909.
The highly valued documentary photos depict cities, areas and Yemeni people who appeared at the beginning of last century. It is worth mentioning that Porchardit made voyages to Yemen between 1900 and 1909.
– Over the past few days, flood-affected residents in Lahj province have complained of poor conditions at schools in which they were given shelter after their homes were damaged. Some flood victims told the press they, along with their families and children, suffer instability, as the schools are not suitable for residences. In them, they have been subjected to cold weather and the spread of epidemics. They suggested authorities lease houses in the area's vicinity until the situation improves.
A 30-member Red Crescent team has been erecting tents for displaced families lodging in Al-Hautah area's Educational Complex. Many societies have extended aid to approximately 150 families whose homes were damaged by the flooding.
– An extremist Salafi group in Laudar, Abyan province, attacked many province locals after security authorities released them late. The group was accused of having links with Al-Qaeda Network and the Aden-Abyan Islamic Army.
Over the past three days, group members launched three offensives against citizens, beating them. The group claims to fight vice, implement provisions of the Qur'an and control any deviant habits like drinking wine.
– Al-Beidha locals now are burning their birds, fearing the spread of bird flu in the area. Concerns and fears run high due to the scourge of land birds in their area. Despite learning of the phenomenon, local authorities took no preventive measures to curb the spread of bird flu in the province.
– Since last week, measles have spread in many districts in Abyan province. Several measles cases emerged in Laudar, Modia, Al-Wadhe' and Sabah districts, with such cases numbering up to 21 in a single day.
Local authorities informed relevant parties in the capital of the infection, who in turn promised to take suitable measures to curb the epidemic's spread. However, until now, nothing has been done.
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