By Ridwan al-Saqqaf
Yemen Times Aden Bureau
The republic of Yemen has celebrated the 35th anniversary of the British colonization evacuation on 30 November 1967, ending 139 years of occupation.
Seizing this national opportunity, the Yemen Times spoke with the Governor of Aden Taha Ahmed Ghanem.
He confirmed that the national meaning of the 35th anniversary is still renewable by virtue of success and gains that Yemen is experiencing under the leadership the president Ali Abdulallah Saleh.
This day coincides with the anniversary of one of the historic Yemeni days, i.e., signing the unification agreement.
Ghanem also pointed out that the departure of the last foreign soldier from the Yemeni territories was the product of honorable work of the people of Yemen, who waged battle with all political and social forces.
Nowadays Yemen is experiencing political pluralism, freedom and democracy that our political leadership is pursuing, said the governor.
He has also recalled the struggle of Yemeni people, their sacrifices of our martyrs, stressing that the city of Aden is composed with all its national constants, and is heading for a future to achieve success and realize accomplishments.

A great and houorable occasion, refreshing to the memory
Meanwhile, the secretary general of local council of Aden governorate, Abdualkareem Shaif says that the 35th anniversary of independence on Nov. 30 a great and honorable occasion, refreshing the memory of young Yemeni generations about benefits of unity and its accomplishments.
He said many Yemeni died martyrs in order to pave the way for the homeland and the people to entertain security, stability and development.
Shaif said that we observe it at a time many of achievements, in times of development and construction and support, with successes resulting from democracy and political pluralism embodied during national council elections.
Shaif has also affirmed that local councils experiment, despite the difficulties it has faced, has found a practical role, with democracy exercised as an approach and action.
He called all on political and social organization to interact with the local council experiment in a manner that would enrich and develop Yemen, under the directives of President Ali Abduallah Saleh.

TAIZ - Preparations are in full swing to host the first international conference on Zabeed on December 14 to 18 at Hodeidah University.
During the conference, a number of eminent professors, historians and researchers representing a number of foreign and Arab countries will attend.
The Rector of the Hodeidah University, Mohammed Boraih told the Yemen Times that this activity has come within the framework of the extensive efforts made by the university in order to present Zabeed in its originality.
"Our universities have a leading role to make the public know all there is to know about our cultural heritage through publishing and buying old manuscripts and holding periodical cultural competitions among students," he said.
In order to raise awareness of the great significance of the our cultural heritage, the rector said that this could be achieved through publishing the Tihama magazine for reviving the cultural heritage and protecting the city from decay for Yemen in general and Tihama in particular, the rector also said.
In this context, a scientific conference will revolve around the historical importance of the Zabeed's city in the Arab and Islamic world.
Objective of conference
The conference has garnered the attention of Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh with a view of promoting the academic and research responsibilities of the university.
The main objectives of the conference are:
-Giving a historical background of Zabeed through lectures in order to inform the public of the significance of Zabid's long history.
-Announcing Zabeed as an international cultural sanctuary, particularly after the decay has been detected of collapses of some archaeological buildings.
- Attracting the attention of the governmental bodies concerned and the Arab and foreign organizations interested in protecting the historical and archaeological sites concerning Zabeed as one of the significant historical cities in the world.
More than 150 different approaches are to be dealt during the conference in the presence of 40 participants on the following six themes: Zabeed through history; arts and architecture; religious and scientific approaches; Mecca-Medina-Zabeed relationship through history; Zabeed in the memory of the world; Zabeed and its relation with other centers in the world.

The reinvestment tourist projects during the coming two years, up to 2003-2004, have been estimated at YR 10 billion.
In the same context, around 12 tourist projects are under implementation by the private sector.
The General Director of the Tourist & Environment Office, Ali Naji Yahya, said that the Aden governorate chaired by its governor and by the HE, the president of the republic, had witnessed an increasing tourist development during the last decade.
This has been achieved in order to meet the requirements of the economical and commercial capital.
The General Manager has denied that availability of hindrances regarding the establishment of developmental tourist projects.
Only the investors are complaining about the high increase of electricity costs to their projects which have reached YR 12 millions.
Tourism in Yemen, however, has taken a blow since 9/11 and terror attacks which have also occurred in Yemen.

A person from African origin has been caught by security in Shabwa governorate for possessing 2.25 kg of hashish narcotics.
The Yemeni Saba Agency reported the man is appearing before court.
Several similar cases have occurred this year, including where ten individuals were caught red-handed having hashish.
"Through conducting investigation and the confessions made by convicts, it has been made clear that there has been an organized gang residing in Yemen illegally. The controlled hashish has the same property as that was detected before," Judge Habtoor said.
The judge noted further that the gang is attempting to smuggle hashish to other adjacent countries.

The Ministry of Commerce in Saudi Arabia has decided to raise the temporary ban to import some of Yemeni products including the fungi products, those in the leather industry, watches, jewelry, and the oriental perfumes.
The Saudi-based al-Jazeera newspaper said last week that the Saudi Commerce Ministry received a telegram from the Saudi Foreign Minister, the Prince, Saood al-Faisal, and a member of the National Board for Fungus Preservation to raise the temporary blockage of the fungi products.

As many as 3,000 Yemeni prisoners have been released during the Holy Month of Ramadhan.
Official resources have indicated that the number of prisoners released range from 2,000 to 3,000. The release decision has been taken by the president.
A judicial and security committee has been entrusted with the Minister of Justice, the Judge, Ahmed Aqabat to pay a field visits to a number of governorate of the republic.
In addition to this, the prisoners who have spent two thirds imprisonment have been released, as have those who have been able to pay back debts after the passing the legal duration behind bars

By Yemen Times Staff
Saving the lives of mothers in Yemen through better obstetrical care was the focus of a two-day public health workshop that concluded Nov. 28 in Sana'a.
The workshop, which had 100 participants from various governorates, aimed at creating a joint policy for obstetrical emergency services as well as finding the means to coordinate this field and specify the roles of the partners and the society.
In the conclusion, Dr. Abdu Nasser al-Manibari, the Minister of the Public Health and Population, noted the importance of applying the president's decision that calls on free obstetric in all hospitals and health centers in Yemen.
This is the major factor in reducing the death rate of mothers who are under reproduction age, and infants.
He also stressed on the necessity of expanding and improving coordination among the various sectors related to the ministry, such as the Ministry of Public Works to implement and find health institutions that should have suitable measures and standards. Good mechanisms are also needed to run the heath institutions and its centers in the districts and remote areas, to unify health concepts that aim to reform the health sector in Yemen.
A number of submitted papers and studies indicated maternal deaths rates among mothers in Yemen. International statistics show across Yemen, a woman has a one-in-nine lifetime risk of dying from a pregnancy-related complication.
The services of obstetric emergency care is weak in Yemen because of many reasons, such as ignorance of the society, a reduction in health centers, and a lack of equipment and medicine.
In addition, there is a lack skilful health and medical specialists to render the appropriate service.The studies also concentrated on the safe motherhood objectives in Yemen through the national plan for reproductive health and family planning 2001-2005.
This aims at reducing deaths among mothers by at least 25 per cent through delivery of services, specialists to supervise obstetrics, along with new emergency care in a hospital for 500 women.
The study ensured the priority of the services of the obstetrical emergency to spread public awareness and train midwives, as well as provide ambulances and other services of obstetrical care.

Over the last few weeks, Yemen has imported a new billing telecom system to replace the traditional billing system which has been used for 20 years.
This is to cope with state-of-the-art technologies in the context of the telecommunication and IT services.
The new telecom-billing project, estimated at US $2 million has and inbound system where a subscriber can inquire about his bill using the number (115) without fixed subscription value. It also has an outbound system where subscribers are informed of bill value and a voice message is sent to them informing them of things like service disconnection.
The new billing system is related to sales, operation, billing, and telecom centers.
General Director of the General Corp. for Wire and Wireless Telecom, Kamal Hussien al-Jabri, said the Telecom Corp. has initiated its activities since March.
"Strenuous efforts have been made in cooperation with the Nibotic International, a leading company in the consultant services, IT and integrates system," al-Jabri said.

A $40 million project to update Yemen's telecommunication system is getting a boast from Korea.
The Korean government will sponsor the work with a 30-year loan, with a 10-year allowance.
The new project is about to be inaugurated in mid 2003.
It will cover most of the Yemeni governorates.
journalism institutions represented in the editors. The project will be also discussed by journalists in various governorates of the republic.

A meeting was held Nov. 30 for Yemen's Journalists Syndicate, which included editors of official party and private papers, along with media leadership and correspondents from papers and agencies, Arab and foreign special channels, and lawmen as well.
They launched a campaign to discuss the project of the journalists syndicate, and the charter of journalistic honor as a first phase that preceded the two projects in every

The Embassy of Romania in Yemen celebrated Romania's national day in a reception held on the 1st of December at the Taj Sheba Hotel in Sanaa. Mr. Gheirghe Epure, the Charge d' Affairs of the Romanian Embassy welcomed his guests and expressed his country's eagerness to strengthen relations and cooperation with the Republic of Yemen.
On this occasion, Mr. Epure told Yemen Times that "December first 1918 signifies the historical act in the life of Romanians in achieving their union."
"President of Romania Ion Iliescu invited to the Cotroceni palace Romanian officials from the parliament, government, and social organizations, as well as representatives of the diplomatic sector. During his speech, the president said that the success of Romania to full economic reform and principles of democracy and receiving invitation to join NATO is a result of the fulfillment of the priorities of the policy of the Romanian government.""For the coming period, the Romanian government will ensure to continue the hardworking procedures in order to become a full member of NATO in the beginning of 2004 and to implement the economic and social reforms in order to join the European Union." he said.

Japan helps build Yemen schools

Ibb and Taiz will get 30 new schools for 18,000 students thanks to a development grant from Japan.
The grant, worth US $4.7 million, will be official upon an agreement signed at the Ministry of Planning and Development between between H.E. Ahmed Sofan, Minister of Planning and Development and Yoshiaki Hata, of the Embassy of Japan in Sana'a.
The agreement is part of the Construction of School Facilities of Basic Education in a number of Governorates in the Republic of Yemen.
Since Japan believes that human resources development is one of the main issues in Yemen, it has decided to extend this grant in order to support the efforts of the Yemeni Government in its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and recent National Basic Education Strategy.
This agreement is the first tangible cooperation of such size between Yemen and Japan in the field of basic education. It will also play an important role in reducing the high illiteracy rate and increasing the percentage of students in basic education schools.

Korean physician Dr. John Park, and American nurse Lorraine Kisch, workers who are with International Community Services (ICS), check a young boy with a cleft lip during a recent medical project at the Kuwait Hospital in Sana'a.
Dr. Park, based in Sana'a, hosted a team of surgeons from Korea for one week to perform operations on 33 patients, mostly children, with cleft lips and clip palates.
The team will return in March, 2003 to continue on the 200 young Yemeni patients now on a waiting list.
ICS, a humanitarian aid organization based in Sana'a, has offices across Yemen.