President Bouteflika chairs assessment meeting on sector of vocational training and teaching ALGIERS- President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika chaired, on 31st August 2010, an assessment meeting devoted to the sector of vocational training and teaching, as part of the annual hearings on the activities of the different ministerial departments. During this meeting, Minister of Vocational Training and Teaching El Hadi Khaldi presented a report on the progress achieved in the implementation of the directives made by the Head of State at the 2009 hearing, in addition to the achievements made in the sector in 2009 and the prospects for 2010-2014. In accordance with these directives, the sector adopted a series of actions aiming at adapting the vocational training to the needs of economic entities as well as continuing the reforms, modernizing and improving training courses in order and meet quality, competitiveness and performance requirements.

New York: Rezag Bara cautions against hostage taking threat to international security
WASHINGTON (Unites States)- President of the Republic's Advisor Kamel Rezag Bara warned in New York against the serious threat to international security by terrorists taking hostages then demanding ransom or release of terrorists for setting hostages free. Bara called for measures to call to order the states that do not honour their commitments. Speaking at the second UN Review of the UN Global Counterterrorism Strategy, held September 7-9 in New York, through a panel devoted to the theme of ''ransom as a means to finance terrorism," Rezag Bara notified the international community that today in the Gulf of Aden, in the Indian Ocean, in the African Sahel and elsewhere in the world, ''hostage taking, followed by demand of ransom and freeing of terrorists for hostage release, has become so extensive that it threatens stability in those regions and the international security." The effectiveness of measures taken, until now, to fight financing of international terrorism "have led terrorist groups, including Al-Qaida, to resort to alternative ways, such as smuggling, arms dealing and drug trafficking, and especially abductions for ransom," he stressed.

Algeria maintains high public investments at height of economic crisis
ALGIERS- Algeria's prudential management of its foreign currency assets at the height of the global economic crisis allowed it to maintain high public investments, President of the Economic and Social Council Mohamed-Seghir Babes said in Xiamen, China. Representing the president of the Republic in the second World Investment Forum, Babes emphasized the virtues of Algeria's prudential management of its foreign currency assets," which ''made it possible for it to continue to undertake high public investments." The head of the Economic and Social Council outlined the 2010-2014 five-year programme, to which USD 286 billion have been devoted.

US church burning Quran, ‘a destructive act,' says President Obama WASHINGTON- US President Barack Obama called a "destructive act" the US pastor plan to burn the Koran on 11 September. "It is a destructive act" and "is completely contrary to our values," the US president told channel ABC Thursday. "As commander (in) chief of the armed forces of the United States, I just want him to understand that this stunt that he is pulling could greatly endanger our young men and women in uniform who are in Iraq, who are in Afghanistan,” Obama added. In spite of the wide outcry against this plan throughout the world, the pastor of the church "Le Dove World Outreach Centre" Terry Jones, intends materialise his plan to burn copies of the Quran Saturday 11 September in Gainesville to mark the ninth anniversary of 11 September 2001 attacks in the Unites States.

Youcef Yousfi at 21st World Energy Congress in Montreal

ALGIERS- Energy and Mines Minister Youcef Yousfi is to head Saturday to Montreal (Canada) to partake in the 21st World Energy Congress from 12th to 16th September, said Thursday a Ministry's communiqué. Yousfi, accompanied by executives of his ministerial department, as well as of the national hydrocarbon company SONATRACH, the national electricity and gas company SONELGAZ, the Hydrocarbon Regulatory Authority (ARH), the national agency for the promotion of hydrocarbon resources (AL-NAFT), Electricity and Gas Regulation Commission (CREG) and the Algerian Energy Committee (CAE), will participate in a round table held by several energy ministers, the source added. During this meeting, the ministers will examine issues relating to future global challenges in the energy sector, the communiqué said.

Army destroyed 7,429 mines in August

ALGIERS- A total of 7,429 mines dating from colonial period were discovered and destroyed by the People's National Army (ANP) units in August along the eastern and western borders, as part of the mine-clearing operations of the areas mined by the French colonial army, an official source said Thursday. The ANP units destroyed 3,776 antipersonnel mines and 535 anti-group mines in the 2nd Military Region, 555 antipersonnel mines, 42 anti-group mines and 2 flare mines in the 3rd Military Region, in addition to 2,218 antipersonnel mines, 276 anti-group mines and 25 flare mines in the 5th Military Region. Up to 31 August 2010, the ANP units discovered and destroyed a total of 489,784 mines, including 415,215 antipersonnel mines, 72,227 anti-group mines and 2,342 flare mines, the source added.