In Brief [Archives:2008/1211/Local News]
SANA'A
– Black list of violating contractors announced
The Capital Secretariat announced on Sunday a black list of the names of some private companies and contractors who do not adhere to the special provisions of projects they are responsible for .
The administrative body in the Capital Secretariat affirmed banning those companies and contractors to enter bids of new tenders, as they did not adhere to carrying out the projects entrusted to them on time.
Minister of State and mayor of Secretariat Capital Abdurrahman Al-Alkwaa called on taking necessary legal actions against the violating institutions, companies or contractors who do not adhere to the terms of contracts signed with them.
He that the Capital Secretariat and its administrative body will not tolerate any violations at all as the Capital Secretariat is Yemen's face and an important destination of visitors from all nationalities.
– Democracy School concludes workshop on civil, political rights among youth
Democracy School concluded on Monday a workshop on the second phase of awareness raising project of civil and political rights among youth which targets 23 young trainees.
The workshop is aiming to increase trainee's view on the community participation, volunteers, civil responsibilities, right and ways of dealing with local leaders.
In a statement to Saba, chairman of Democracy School Jamal al-Shami said this workshop is the latest project to raise awareness of civil rights and politics among young people which was implemented in each of Dhala'a, Dhamar and Hadramout and Capital Secretariat.
He pointed out that they already implemented seven workshops in the project targeting about 210 trainees and women.
– Government approves updating civil statuses' strategy
The government approved in its cabinet meeting held on Tuesday Interior Ministry's strategy over updating civil statuses and registry for 2008-2015 in regulatory and institutional fields.
The strategy aims at completing data base of population by 2015 on governorate and district level depending on identification card, the national number and vital marks included in electronic slice.
The strategy covers a number of duties among of which regulating law of civil status and registry, its executive by-law and by- law of civil statuses and authority and preparing indexes and guiders.
Earlier, the cabinet has reviewed field survey's results of registering births and other records of civil statuses for 2006. The survey disclosed deteriorated awareness on importance of registering in the civil record for different purposes
– U.S. to extradite Bin Laden's driver to Yemen soon
Sources said on Monday that U.S. authorities would extradite Salim Hamdan to Yemen in the coming few days, the State-run 26sep.net reported Monday.
He is one of Yemen's dozens detainees at the Guantanamo Bay, who were detained several years ago since 9/11.
Salim Ahmed Hamdan (born in 1970) is a Yemeni, captured in November 2001 during the invasion of Afghanistan, and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. He admits to being Osama bin Laden's personal driver and bodyguard.
He was charged with “conspiracy and providing material support for terrorism” but a judge declared the judicial system in place at the time unconstitutional and those charges were dropped on June 5, 2007. He was then held, without being charged, as an enemy combatant.
He was brought up on new charges on July 21, 2008, and found guilty of “providing material support” to al Qaeda, but was cleared of terrorism conspiracy charges. He was sentenced last August to five-and-a-half years of imprisonment by a military jury, being counted as having already served five years of the sentence at the time.
– Arab-Indian Cooperation Forum to be set up
On the fringes of the First Arab Cultural Festival 2008, Arab states and India are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding for the setting up of the Arab-Indian Cooperation Forum.
The draft agreement for the forum was approved at the last Arab Foreign ministers meeting in Cairo.
Yemen's participation in the 1st Arab cultural festival 2008, which would be held early next month in India's capital, New Delhi, will include artistic and dancing shows of Yemeni folklore as well as holding plastic art, heritage and images of various Yemeni areas exhibitions.
At the festival, which will take place on 2-7 December under the patronage of the Arab League, and Yemeni cultural activities would be held that will include displaying some Yemeni authors books.
Deputy Minister of Culture, who will lead the Yemeni delegation for the event, Ahmed Salem al Qadi said that Yemen's participation in the festival comes in response to the invitation of the Indian government represented by the Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Indian Center for Cultural Relations and Chamber of Commerce.
– Developing exports conference launched
Deputy Prime Minister for Interior Affairs Sadiq Abu-Ras affirmed government's keenness on studying means ensuring developing exports and varying income resources as national priority and economic necessity.
In the opening ceremony of the First National Conference for Developing Yemeni Exports which kicked off its activities here on Monday, he asserted necessity of coordination and cooperation between the government and the private sector's institutions and concerned civil society organizations for creating inclusive prospect leading to realizing aims of non-oil exports for reducing dependence on oil.
He indicated that this conference coincides with alter international conditions and international financial crises included developed and underdeveloped countries and on their programs and plans seeking development and economic and living stability to their people.
The conference discusses in two days a number of work papers presented by a number of concerned bodies and experts covers Yemeni non-oil exporting capabilities in addition to realizing role of partners, developing exports, improving services associated with export and exterior trade and its role in realizing Yemen's economic integration regionally and internationally.
The conference aims at enforcing partnership's relations between the government and the private sector for realizing competitive capability of Yemeni exports in foreign markets as well as enhancing role of partners of exports, backing services of export sector and assertion on importance of export's role in economic policy.
During the first day of the conference, two working sessions have been held. The firs session discussed seven working papers on fishery exports, importance of tendency to fishery industry, improving quality of agricultural exports, current situation and future vision of mining industries in Yemen, effects of quality in increasing competitive capability to exports and current situation and future horizons of industrial exports.
While the second session discussed five work papers on privileges and facilitations granted by investment law to export projects, role of the free zone in developing exports, role of specifications and metrology in developing exports and role of airlines in managing air shipments.
HADRAMOUT
– Pirates seize Yemeni ship off Socotra
Pirates in the Arabian Sea have captured a Yemeni cargo ship carrying 517 tons of steel destined for the island of Socotra.
The security forces in Hadramout said they had received a note that Somali pirates hijacked a ship, Adena, en route to the island and that the pirates took the ship to the Somali coast.
The ship cargo was set to have arrived in the island on 20 November.
Some sailors in the area were quoted as saying that they saw pirates hijacking the ship.
Somali pirates seized last week a Saudi oil vessel and took it to a Somali seaport. Negotiations are ongoing to release the vessel carrying 2 million barrels of oil worth $ 100 million.
The pirates have lowered their ransom demand to $ 15 million.
Earlier they demanded $ 25 million and that they would not accept long-term negotiations, threatening if their demand was not met, the vessel would be in danger.
Piracy has recently soared off Somalia's coast with about 39 ships hijacked this year.
ADEN
– Tons of Yemeni marble exported to Venice
About 755 tons of Yemeni marble stones were exported on Monday to Venice city of Italy.
According to officials the shipment was exported along with around 770 tons of local products including fish, perfumes, Henna, biscuits and soap to a number of foreign and Arab countries.
The fish shipment contains 400 tons exported to Egypt, France, Italy, Spain, Malaysia and China. The biscuits and soap shipment of 300 tons exported to Ethiopia.
The perfumes of 20 tons exported to Dubai while 50 tons of Henna exported to Oman.
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