In brief [Archives:2008/1166/Local News]

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June 23 2008

SANA'A

Yemen, UNESCO in talks over protection of Yemen's oral heritage

Yemen and the UNESCO have discussed mechanism and support that should be provided to protect Yemen's oral heritage.

At the meeting that gathered minister of Culture Muhammad Abu Bakr al-Muflahi and the UNESCO deputy director general Marcio Barbosa and the organization regional director in Cairo Tariq Showqi, projects of mutual cooperation were brought up.

The meeting dealt with preparations for announcing the island of Socotra to be listed on the World Heritage List during the UNESCO meeting next July which would be held in Canada.

The meeting also brought up problems facing the efforts to protect the Zabeed historic city and discussed the possibility of providing assistance to the project of protecting oral heritage in the country.

The meeting suggested that the UNESCO send technical experts to develop Yemen capabilities of protecting oral heritage, due to the distinguishing features of this kind of heritage.

Barbosa expressed the UNESCO readiness to provide support Yemen to resolve difficulties linked to protect its heritage either oral or material.

Yemen and the organization are expected sign an agreement to protect Yemen's heritage during the participation of prime minister Ali Muhammad Mujawar in the next UNESCO meeting to be held in Paris.

Over 19 tons of drugs seized in Yemen

Security sources said on Thursday that over 19 tons of drugs were seized in 44 operations during the five months of 2008.

The sources were quoted by the state-run almotamar.net as saying that Interior Ministry said that about 137 foreign persons were being investigated due to involvement in cross-border drug trafficking activities into Yemen.

A mouthpiece of Yemen's Defense Ministry has said the security forces seized few days ago 1.59 tones of drugs on an Iranian boat.

Last year, over 4 tons of drugs, 189.2 grams of Heroin were seized by Yemen's security services.

HADRAMOUT

Conference on Hadrami immigration to be held next year

Preparations are underway for an international conference on the immigration of Hadramis to southeast Asia countries, the state-run 26sep.net has said.

The conference is planned to be held early next year.

General director of media and public relations at the Hadramout Chamber of Commerce and Industry Emad Mahdi said the conference will discuss several issues in relation to the dates of the immigration of Hadrami people to southeast Asia countries particularly Malaysia and Indonesia and the role of Hadramis in development in these countries.

The conference, which will be attended by Yemeni historians, businessmen and immigrants, will also bring up the social, cultural and economic impacts on the Hadrami immigrants to the countries.

DHAMMAR

2nd phase of excavation in Masnaat Mariya done

The American archeological mission has finished second phase of archaeological excavation in Masnaat Mariya in Ans district of Dhammar governorate.

Ail Daifullah al-Sanbandi, head of the General Organization for Antiquities and Museums office in the governorate said that the mission made a field survey for the place and detailed map for several sites in the region.

The mission registered 32 archeological sites in the region since its work in 2007, he said.

Head of the mission Krista Lewis said that the mission used modern tools to draw the maps, saying that the mission would continue its works in coming years after finshing maps and registration of sites.

Masnaat Mariya is pre-Islamic Himyarite archaeological site is one of the largest in the Yemen. In the local language the name means the fortress of Maria. A name such as this has obvious affinities to early Christianity. It is important as a large escarpment site partly of late pre-Islamic date.

IBB

Spread health education courses concluded in Ibb

Yemeni Family Welfare Association has concluded a training course for 20 volunteers to spread health education in the community funded by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

During the course, the participants recognized skills and expertise on primary health care, the concept of reproductive health and family planning, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, childhood diseases and maternal and child nutrition.

HAJJA

Campaign on risks of smuggling children concluded in Hajjah

An awareness campaign on the risks of smuggling children was concluded on Thursday in five districts of Hajjah province.

The five-day campaign, which began on June 15, targeted families and citizens living in Hajjah to argue to combat the phenomenon of smuggling children.

In a statement to the weekly newspaper 26September, director of the social affairs and labor bureau in the province Haitham al-Jabri said that the campaign was achieved by the bureau in collaboration with the Access Mena project funded by the US Labour Ministry.

Al-Jabri pointed to the risks of child trafficking and its damages on societies.

AMRAN

Yemeni court sentences mosque attacker to death

A court in Amran governorate sentenced Saturday a man to death after he was condemned to killing 7 people and wounding12 others in a shooting rampage last May in the Bayt al-Aqari mosque of Amran, north-western Yemen.

The court issued the verdict in its hearing headed by judge Abdul-Bari Uqbah, ordering the convict Abul-Elah Saleh to pay YR 4 million in compensation to the people injured in the attack.

HODEIDAH

Training course on media skills kicked off in Hodeidah

A training course on promoting media skills of Yemeni women leaders was kicked off on Saturday in Hodeidah province.

The four-day course aims at providing 25 woman participants with skills of writing a press release and preparing workshops, seminars and press conferences in addition to managing media campaigns.

The training course was organized by Women Journalists Without Chains, in collaboration with the Canadian program for developing self-help efforts.

ADEN

NCW launches family planning session in Aden

The National Commission for Women (NCW) launched on Saturday a awareness session on family planning for 50 participants funded by the United Nation population Fund (UNFPA).

During the two-day session, the participants will be introduced to concepts of reproductive health, family planning, methods used to prevent pregnancy and prepare programs to improve the level of family healthy development.

TAIZ

Meeting on social monitoring program for juveniles held in Taiz

A consultative meeting was held on Saturday in Taiz on promoting social participation in the social care and monitoring programs for juveniles.

In the meeting, the deputy governor of Taiz Mohammed al-Hiajam said that the children care is care for the future of the nation and it is regional humanitarian and national duty.

He called for evaluating achievements done by social monitoring program during the previous period to come out with practical recommendations, voicing readiness of the governorate's leadership to offer all facilities to bring such program into success. Some 70 participants from ministries of social affairs, justice, interior, education, endowments and Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood took part in the meeting. Deputy minister of social affairs Abduh al-Hakimi said that the program of social monitoring aims at protecting children from abuse and violence. The meeting would discuss the program in Taiz and its activities, he said.

LAHJ

Symposium on health, population launched in Lahj

The Culture Center in Lahj province launched on Saturday a special symposium on a study of the national policies for health and population funded by the European Union.

In the symposium, the governor of Lahj Mohsen al-Naqeib affirmed the importance the symposium to address many issues, including the national policies for health and population.

Al-Naqeib highlighted the comprehensive study in the area of health and population, arguing service bodies in the province to benefit from the study. Participants in the symposium pointed out the necessary of improving government efforts and services in the fields of health and population, calling for increasing support to those fields provided by donors. The study showed that the expenditure spent on the health sector in Lahj in 2006 amounted to 6.5 billion.
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