In Brief [Archives:2008/1219/Local News]

HODEIDAH

– Symposium on water desalination, purification

A scientific symposium on water desalination and purification modern technologies is to be held on Wednesday in the University of Hodeidah governorate.

About 12 academics and specialists representing universities in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Yemen will take part in the symposium that will be organized by the Federation of Arab Scientific Research Councils in cooperation with Hodeidah University.

The Hodeidah University's Rector Qasim Mohammad made clear that the symposium aims to highlight the locations of groundwater and surface water in lakes at all Arab states in addition to drawing attention to the significance of using the new and renewable energies to desalinate water for drinking and irrigation.

He also pointed out that the symposium would address several new techniques used in water desalination and purification and means of maintaining the inventory of water and groundwater in the Arab states.

Al-JAOF

– French archeological team visits historical al-Soda city in al-Jaof

A French archeological team paid a visit to the al-Soda city of al-Maslob district of al-Jaof governorate.

The director of the district Adel al-Zarai said that the team was briefed on historical sites in the city and the plan conducted by the district to protect the city and its archeological sites.

Monir al-Rabsh, the head of the team said that the aim of the visit is to prepare studies to rehabilitate and restore the city.

SANA'A

– First health survey stage launched in 150 schools

First stage of health survey has started in the capital Sana'a organized by the health and education ministries .

Director of School Health Program Nabeel al-Ansi said to althawranews.net that the survey will focus on the level of health and food safety in schools .

The survey, which targets about 150 schools, will come out with a number of recommendations aiming at improving the level of food and health services.

– Cabinet approves cooperation youth program

In its weekly meeting held on Tuesday, the cabinet approved executive program for cooperation agreement in field of youth and sports signed between Ministry of Youth and Sports and Saudi General Presidency of Youth Welfare for the period 2009-2010.

The program includes executive measures for brotherly cooperation between youth in the two countries via exchanging youth and sportsmen visits and technical expertise in field of sport arbitration and training, exchanging printings, researches, books, studies and documents concerning developing youth capabilities.

The cabinet directed completing legal measures needed for issuing the program.

On the other hand, the cabinet referred health republican decrees presented by minister of health to ministerial committee for revising them technically. The decrees are about establishing the high institute for health sciences and al-Thawra public hospital in Hudeidah and Dhamar Public Hospital.

– Int'l experts to acquaint with Yemeni efforts fighting blindness

Pakistani international expert in combating blindness Mohammad Shah Nawaz is visiting Yemen currently to get acquainted with the level of eye care services and combating blindness in the country.

Director of National Program of Combating Blindness Tawfiq al-Khatib told the state-run althawranews.net that the international expert's visit to Yemen is organized by the Ministry of Public Health and Population for ten days.

The expert will pay visits to the governorates of Marib, Dalei, Lahj, Amran and Raimah to get acquainted with the national and international efforts in this regard as well as needs of each governorate in field of eye care services under of global initiative of “the Right to Sight 2020.”

Nawaz will present a report on the situation in the governorates to enhance efforts to combat blindness, al-Khatib added.

– New proposed amendments to custom law at parliament

New proposed amendments to the custom law have been submitted to Parliament for approval to be among other amendments aimed at coping with active investment practice, head of the Custom Authority Ali al-Zabeedi has said.

The amendments, which include an amendment regarding trafficking and how to combat it, come to meet the WTO rules, al-Zabeedi said.

He said continuous development of custom regulations is ongoing as a new mechanism for these regulations has been adopted and a reconsideration of custom tariffs ordered.

Little custom tariffs investors pay in Yemen demonstrate the government's commitment to provide facilitations for investors to eliminate impediments facing investing in the country.

The first national conference on industry development held lately in Mukalla highlighted serious intentions of the government to develop industry and promote investment as prominent Malaysian officials and economists were attending.

The conference produced recommendations calling for providing a financial portfolio to fund industrial investments.

On the margins of the conference, four agreements were signed between Yemen and Malaysia on establishing investment complexes and a memorandum of understanding to twin the Hadramout Chamber of Commerce and Industry with the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM).
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