Their News [Archives:2008/1135/Local News]
– CAC Bank annual assembly
The Cooperative Agriculture Credit Bank conducted its seventh annual assembly for all its branches at the commercial capital Aden.
The assembly will review the branches evaluation report for 2007 according to international standard monetary assessment. Assistant general manager for commercial and monetary affairs Mohammed Ahmed Taqi was pleased that the evaluation came out positive showing significant growth. CAC Bank will approve the branches plans and budgets and analyze measures to overcome obstacles and shortcomings in performance and services.
Taqi stated that some of the branches, which achieved more than 100 percent accomplishment for their 2007 plan, would be awarded in an honorary ceremony at the assembly.
“Current accounts and deposits for CAC Bank have increased 140 percent over those in 2006, as they reached 117 billion YR. The bank's net profit will be announced soon,” added Taqi.
The Cooperative Agriculture Credit Bank was established in 1982 through the merger of the Agriculture Credit Bank and the Public Cooperative for Development. CAC Bank has 54 branches all over Yemen.
– Yemeni Commercial Bank achieves growth in profit
The Yemeni Commercial Bank announced a net profit for 2007 at one billion, 211 million and 170 thousand Yemeni Riyals. This is an increase over 2006 profits of less than 933 million YR. However, the shares profit decreased from 365 YR in 2006 to 273 in 2007.
The bank stated its capital assets value has increased from 41 billion, 331 million and 161 thousand Riyals to over 62 billion YR by end of 2007.
“The clients deposits have increased to 51,757,886,000 YR compared to less than 35 billion YR in 2006. The total profit from interest rate on loans and bonds has also increased to over two billion YR in 2007” according to a press statement by the bank.
The Yemeni Commercial Bank was established in 1993 with the head quarters in Sana'a, and has 13 branches in Sana'a, Aden, Hodaidah, Taiz, Mukalla, Dhamar and Rada'.
– JICA volunteers helping Yemen development
The Japan International Cooperation Agency has been extending its technical assistance to Yemen since 1978 and its assistance is focused now on basic education, public health, rural water supply, and technical education/vocational training, which became a priority area of JICA's assistance after President Saleh's visit to Japan in 2005.
Within the technical cooperation program of Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, JICA has recently dispatched Japanese volunteers in the field of Youth Activities & System Engineering to Sana'a and it is going to dispatch five Japanese volunteers in the fields of physical education, automobile maintenance, public health nursing and program officers to Sana'a and Taiz by the end of March 2008.
JICA started the dispatch of JOCV to Yemen in 1991 and by the end of February 2008 JICA has dispatched 49 Japanese volunteers to Yemen to live and work with local people to contribute to Yemen's socio-economic development by making effective use of their abilities and experiences acquired in Japan.
There are now eight Japanese volunteers in Sana'a vigorously conducting their activities in the fields of nursery education, water analysis, system engineering, hairdressing and youth activities, and. JOCV is currently planning to expand its network of coverage to include other areas such as Taiz and Aden.
– Cover Design Contest
The Arab Human Development Report 2008 Human Security in the Arab World
The Regional Bureau for Arab States at the United Nations Development Programme is in the process of publishing the next series of the Arab Human Development Reports. The 2008 Report will identify the issues that threaten human security in the Arab world. It will concentrate on the dimensions and significance of human security, and elaborate on the effects of security and freedom from fear and want on the enhancement and realisation of development in all its economic, political and environmental dimensions. The Regional Bureau for Arab States is pleased to invite artists and designers to participate in a contest for the design of the cover of the forthcoming Report. The design must reflect the theme and purpose of the report and have clear indications about its subject, human security and human development, and reveal the region's legacy and cultural heritage.
The designer or artist must abide by the following guidelines:
The design should be provided on hard paper size 22X30 cm
The design should be in colour
There are no specifications for the type of colours used, but they should reflect the same colours that will be used in the printing of the cover
The design should clearly include the title of the Report in both languages, Arabic and English, the United Nations Development Programme name and logo, and the publishing year. The Report title is:
“Arab Human Development Report 2008: Human Security in the Arab World”
The person presenting the design should be the original designer of the cover, and the owner of the chosen design should agree to transfer the copy rights of the design to the United Nations Development Programme.
Designs that do not comply with the above specifications will be rejected.
The designs should reach the Regional Bureau for Arab States or any United Nations Development Programme office in the Arab region no later than 30 April 2008.
– French language courses in Media Women Forum
Media Women Forum (MWF) inaugurated the diploma courses to study French language to 25 women journalists form different Yemeni media outlets on Monday 3/3/2008. The courses are scholarships offered from Denis Douveneau /the deputy of French ambassador in a press meeting in MWF. That meeting was a part of break the isolation of media women.
The courses are for 100 hours means it will continue for about 6 months in MWF building. In the first class, Georges Mouden _attachment of French language cooperation in the embassy_ attended and said a word to the participants. He explained the reasons of this scholarship and the embassy's efforts to success it with a special thanks to MWF efforts to improve the skills and abilities of its members.
MWF is working to evolve language skills of Media Women to improve their journal performance and rid off all the obstacles of languages which is the main way of communication.
MWF thanks the French embassy for the scholarship and for their cooperation.
MWF is working hard to find other scholarships in English language for it is the most contemporary language and to learn it media women could be able to find more time and effort in work.
– Editors Weblog Re-Launched With New Functions
The World Editors Forum has re-launched its Editors Weblog, http://www.editorsweblog.org , to increase functionality and make it easier to navigate.
The weblog now has new sharing and social networking tools and produces a daily e-mail newsletter that is sent to thousands of editors each day. It also has a new, modern appearance.
WEF, the organisation within the World Association of Newspapers for senior newsroom personnel, launched the weblog in 2004. It has since become the premier international weblog on newsroom issues, with more than 1,600 unique visitors each day.
To celebrate the relaunch, WEF is conducting a series of interviews with editors-in-chief from major publications around the world, about the future of newspapers and the news industry, on the theme of “News, journalism, newspapers: same past, different futures”
Contributing publications include the Financial Times, the Washington Post, Canada's Globe & Mail, the Hindustan Times, Fairfax publications in Australia, Punch in Nigeria, and many others.
The series will begin running on the weblog this week. Other recent posts include:
– From traditional to digital: Skyrock Blogs_ phenomenal transition from French radio broadcaster to digital publisher, with more than half of its revenues coming from new media.
– Hindustan Times' integration: top-down, video-heavy, an examination of fundamental changes to the Times' organisation and working culture.
– A two-part series on Zero Hora_s integration, providing a look at the Brazilian company's cross-platform workflows, and a process in which journalists are also functioning as editors.
– Mawared unveils model for King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz City at Jordan Economic Forum
The National Resources Investment & Development Corporation 'Mawared' unveiled the plans for the King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz City on the first day of the Jordan Economic Forum. Mawared's planned city at Zarqa covers over 25 million square meters and is expected to house over 400,000 people in over 70,000 residential units of between 100-160 square meters each. Upon completion of the city, Mawared hopes to improve the standard of living in Zarqa while continuing to attract foreign investment. In addition to a number of facilities including commercial centers, entertainment centers, hotels, schools and hospitals, the city will also be home to one of the most prominent mosques in Jordan, with an estimated capacity of 5,000 worshippers.
One of the forum's diamond sponsors, Mawared is a financially and administratively independent state-owned corporation leading Jordan's drive towards urban regeneration and inner city development. Mawared is Jordan's largest real estate developer, with a commitment towards generating considerable investment opportunities for the private sector, creating job opportunities, and stimulating economic growth.
On the first day of the forum, Mr. Akram Abu Hamdan, Mawared's Director General, joined a panel of distinguished speakers led by H.E. Eng. Husni Abu-Ghida – chief commissioner of ASEZA. The panel included Mr. Haitham Dahleh, board member of Taameer – Jordan Holdings, Ms. Orayb Akeel – investors relation and marketing manager of the Aqaba Development Corporation, and Mr. Halim Al-Salfiti – CEO of TAJ investments.
The speakers covered a number of topics under the umbrella of the real estate and tourism development sector in Jordan, with an emphasis on the main urban developments in Jordan. The panel also touched upon urban planning in light of Jordan's current economic outlook and also highlighted the future of real estate investment in the Kingdom. Abu-Hamdan asserted the importance of raising open discussions of this kind at this time, saying: “Jordan is experiencing a period of unprecedented growth, and the development of real estate represents one of the main ways in which the Kingdom will maintain its momentum for continued economic growth and remain investment-friendly for foreign investors.”
As well as moderating the panel of speakers, Abu-Hamdan was honored at the forum as one of two 'Achievement Award of the Year' recipients for his contributions, throughout 2007, in leading the Mawared's journey of growth and prosperity in Jordan. “I would like to sincerely thank Al-Iqtisaad Wa Al-Amaal for this honor and I accept this award as a testament to what can be achieved in Jordan given the right conditions, approach, and dedicated team members as those within the Mawared Family” Abu-Hamdan commented after receiving his award.
Mawared's most recent contract agreement, signed during the Jordan Economic Forum, with The Land Holding Co. for the purchase of 35,000 square meters to develop a retail center totaling 80,000 square meters of built-up area injects over USD 100 million into the project, bringing The Land's total investment in the city to USD 350 million. The retail center will be located at the western entrance to the city, establishing a hub of commercial activity. Abu-Hamdan added: “The King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz City will be home to a number of shopping and retail centers, stimulating the economy of Zarqa and helping to further raise the standard of living in the area.”
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