Okaz launches ‘Creative Advertising Awards’

JEDDAH: The Okaz Creative Advertising Award 2010 contest will be launched today with a huge campaign in the print media and on television. Organizers are inviting participants to send in their entries.
Waleed Jameel Kattan, Director General of Okaz Organization for Press and Publication and chairman of the award’s higher organizing committee, said this year’s prizes will come as a welcome surprise to everyone. “We have a sense of responsibility because of the success achieved by the awards during its launch last year under the patronage and in the presence of Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the Emir of Makkah,” Kattan said, adding that this ensured “a strong beginning” for the competition.
Kattan stressed that Okaz is committed to ensure that all its initiatives are successful. This stems from the organization’s social responsibility toward Saudi society as a whole and Saudi talent in particular.
Dr. Abdullah Banakhr, secretary general of the award, said that the scope of the advertisement competition has been broadened. In addition, the panel of judges for this year’s contest will include the winners of prestigious international competitions.
More information and details on the competition can be found on the website www.okaz-caa.com.
– Okaz/Saudi Gazette

Resource from: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa

Israel, Hamas resume prisoner swap talks

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel said Sunday it had resumed talks with the Hamas on swapping about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for a soldier held captive for more than four years.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the German mediator who has been working to broker a deal for about a year has returned to the region.

Hamas captured Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit in June 2006 in a raid across the Gaza-Israel border. Secret negotiations over a swap, mediated by Egypt and more recently by Germany, have been deadlocked for several months. Hamas is not part of the US-sponsored peace talks that restarted last month in Washington. As opposed Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is heading the peace negotiations, Hamas has no official relations with Israel.

Deals proposed in the past have entailed Israel swapping about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners for Schalit. The most recent talks broke down over Israel’s refusal to release a number of prisoners who carried out deadly attacks on civilians because of fears they would return to violence. Hamas insists these prisoners be part of any deal. Hamas officials said over the weekend that the lead German mediator had returned to the region to resume talks, which Netanyahu confirmed.

“We are operating at all times, in different and various ways to bring him back. One of these ways, even the main way, is this negotiation, which indeed resumed a few weeks ago,” Netanyahu told Israel Army Radio Sunday. Neither Netanyahu nor Hamas officials provided any details about the current state of negotiations.

But Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha said the German mediator’s visit was “exploratory” and that he had not brought a new offer. “Netanyahu is misleading Israeli public opinion when he talks about his willingness to make major concessions in order to conclude the deal,” Taha said. The release of prisoners is an emotionally charged issue for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Palestinians view the 7,000 prisoners Israel holds as heroes, and most of them have a relative or know someone who has done time. Israel detains them for offenses ranging from participating in attacks to stone-throwing and belonging to organizations Israel considers illegal.

— Associated Press __

Resource from: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa

Projek mega di Makkah siap menjelang 2012

MAKKAH: Datuk Bandar Makkah, Dr Osama Al-Bar, berkata beberapa projek mega yang dilaksana di kota suci ini dijamin siap menjelang 2012.

Saudi Gazette melaporkan Osama yang juga Pengerusi serta Ketua Eksekutif Pihak Berkuasa Pembangunan Makkah sebagai berkata jaminan itu bersandarkan kepada arahan Raja Abdullah.
Antara projek berkenaan ialah Lebuh Raya Raja Abdul Aziz yang menghubungkan Makkah dan Jeddah.

Beliau berkata, pembinaan lebuh raya itu sudah bermula dan ia akan menjadi contoh untuk pembinaan jalan raya di wilayah itu pada masa depan.

Satu lagi projek yang hampir siap ialah lapan rumah penyembelihan yang dilengkapi peralatan moden dan akan diurus oleh Bank Pembangunan Islam.

Juga dalam pembinaan ialah empat terowong pejalan kaki yang menghubungkan daerah Al-Hujun dan Al-Jarwal dengan Masjidil Haram.

Osama juga dilapor berkata projek membina 5,000 unit rumah juga telah bermula dan apabila siap kelak akan diberi kepada penduduk terutama mereka yang rumahnya dirobohkan.
Selain itu, sembilan stesen monorel yang menghubungkan Padang Arafah, Mina dan Mudzalifah juga hampir siap.

Projek lain yang diarahkan siap menjelang 2012 oleh Raja Abdullah ialah pembinaan ruang tambahan di timur Masjidil Haram, projek Jabal Omar dan sistem keretapi laju antara Makkah dan Madinah. - BERNAMA

Dipetik dari: http://www.bharian.com.my

Makkah mayor promises mega projects’ completion by 2012

MAKKAH: Dr. Osama Al-Bar, the Mayor of Makkah, member of the Central Haj Committee and Chairman and Chief Executive of the Makkah Development Authority, has promised that a number of large projects currently underway in the city will be completed by 2012.
Al-Bar told Saudi Gazette that this has been ordered by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
He said the projects that have been earmarked include the King Abdul Aziz Highway between Makkah and Jeddah, running parallel to the existing highway. He said construction has already started and that it will be a prototype for future road developments in the region.
Another project is the construction of eight slaughter houses with modern equipment and an automatic cleaning system, which is also now nearing completion.
These slaughter houses will operate under the Islamic Development Bank.
The arrangements have been made to slaughter one million animals during the days of sacrifice. There are five other slaughter houses operating under the mayoralty’s authority.
Al-Bar said there are four pedestrian tunnels, named after King Abdullah, now being built.
The tunnels will connect Al-Hujun district and Al-Jarwal District with the Grand Mosque. These tunnels are expected to reduce traffic in the area.
A housing project of 5,000 units has also started.
These houses will be given to citizens particularly those whose houses have been demolished.
This will be an additional benefit, apart from compensation already paid out by King Abdullah, said Al-Bar.
He said nine stations are almost completed, which are part of the multibillion railway project linking Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifa.
Al-Bar said the King wants other projects also completed by 2012, including the new annex east of the Grand Mosque, the Jabal Omar project near the Grand Mosque, and the high-speed rail between Makkah and Madina.
– Saudi Gazette

Source from: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa