3 Allahabad HC judges seldom spent on grocery and vegetables as everything, including beauty treatment of their family members, was paid through money withdrawn from the PF accounts of Ghaziabad district court employees.

The Commonwealth Games edifice is crumbling under thickening suspicions of corruption and inefficiency, with the CVC referring one of the several cases of corruption bedeviling the event to the CBI.

Breaking his silence on the recent India-Pakistan dialogue, PM Manmohan Singh on Thursday blamed Pakistan's pugnacious foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi for the failure of the Islamabad talks.

Senior IPS officer Geetha Johri and ex-Gujarat DGP P C Pandey have been summoned by the CBI for questioning in the Sohrabuddin encounter case, even as the agency grilled Amit Shah for the second straight day.

SEREMBAN: Being a state boxer Mohd Azli Azhari was once a hero in the ring. But he now faces the hangman?s noose after being found guilty of brutally murdering a couple, a man and his eight-month pregnant wife three years ago.

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek made his first tweet, signalling to party members that the new media is the way to go to win friends and influence voters.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sgt N. Tharmendran of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), who has been indicted in the civil court over the theft of two jet engines belonging to RMAF, is also being court martialled for alleged dishonest misappropriation of public property.

KAJANG: Former Transport Minister Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik has pleaded not guilty to two cheating charges related to the RM12.5bil PKFZ project.

KUALA LUMPUR: Claims that RON95 petrol causes fire during accidents as it is high in benzene is not true, Dewan Negara heard Thursday.

Recovery crews ended the search for bodies in the hills north of Islamabad Thursday where a passenger plane crashed a day earlier killing all 152 aboard, a government officials told CNN.

Among the 90,000 secret U.S. military documents posted on the internet this week by WikiLeaks are more than a dozen reports of possible attacks on Afghanistan coalition aircraft using heat-seeking shoulder-fired missiles.

South Korea's prime minister has offered to resign for a second time, the prime minister's office said Thursday, after failure to win parliamentary approval to stop relocation of government offices out of the capital, Seoul.

U.S. military officials are assessing what damage could be done to intelligence contacts in Afghanistan after a number of names of local Afghans working with the U.S. military appeared on documents leaked by the WikiLeaks website, according to a U.S. military official.

Rising waters from flooding in northeastern China hit a chemical plant and washed thousands of containers filled with explosive chemicals into a river, state media said Thursday.

The Mainichi Daily News has shut down this feed. Please click here to view our new selection of RSS feeds

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - About 150 people have been killed by flashfloods and bad weather in Pakistan in the last week, with the country's northwest and Baluchistan provinces bearing the brunt of the storms, officials said on Thursday.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A 47-year-old woman has confessed to suffocating her eight new-born children and hiding their bodies in a village in northern France, the public prosecutor said on Thursday.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Premier Wu Den-yih said Thursday a service center should be set up at the Formosa Plastics Group's petrochemical complex in Yunlin County to coordinate emergency responses to industrial accidents.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Emergency teams battled heavy rains and mud Thursday to recover bodies strewn over hills overlooking the Pakistani capital following the country's worst-ever plane crash.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A major Chinese mining company said Thursday that one of its vice presidents has been detained by police in connection with a spill of copper mine waste that poisoned a river near the country's southeast coast.

In keeping with a China Blog tradition, I'll sign off with a photo from the bureau window. Only this time there's no snarl of cars to be seen. Amazing how a few tanks (they're practicing today for the Oct. 1 National Day parade) can clear out traffic.

We've had a good run, but alas, the China Blog is indeed shutting down. Come visit us elsewhere on Time.com. You'll find most of our stories on the World and Magazine pages, ie the current issue of Time Asia includes the China 60th anniversary cover package. And if you want to respond to any of [...]

All good things must come to an end and, sadly, that applies to the China Blog too, which will shutter at the end of today. I and my colleagues have thoroughly enjoyed doing this (mostly) and equally been interested to get feedback from readers. There  was a lot of puerile drivel, too (you know who you [...]

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei underwent cranial surgery this week in Munich to treat lingering pain he's suffered since being punched by a Chengdu police officer last month. (He's posted pre- and post-surgery photos on his Twitter page.) Ai, who organized a campaign to tally student deaths in last year's Sichuan earthquake, was detained with other [...]

Heads up: here's my essay in this week's TIME Asia, about why, after nearly 100 years, China is suddenly honoring my great-grandfather.

Swami Nityananda has decided to step down from all posts of his ashram to lead a life of spiritual seclusion.

Rajkumar Soni's son Rahul had died on May 26, 2009 under mysterious circumstances.

Tamil Nadu govt says Prison Advisory Committee has not recommended Nalini's release.

Her lawyers are hopeful that she'll get relief under the state govt's amnesty scheme.

Curfew has been imposed indefinitely in 17 police station areas.

Andhra CM today expressed hope that the meeting convened by Prime Minister in New Delhi on August 2 with him and Maharashtra Chief Minister would help find solution to the inter-state dispute over Babhli project.

The Centre today opposed in the Supreme Court Natwar Singh`s plea seeking its direction to allow him to go through all the documents relating to the United Nation`s "oil-for-food" scam allegedly involving him and his son.

The Indian defence airspace might be opened up partially by next year end to cater to the growing civilian air traffic, a top aviation official said today.

Even as the deadlock in Parliament continued for the second consecutive day today, the government is in no mood to allow voting on the issue of price rise as demanded by the Opposition.

Navin Chawla on Thursday demitted the office of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), setting the stage for senior Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi to take over Friday.

Hange is the only constant in our lives. However, over the years, witnessed a major shift the meaning of friendship. Often called well-educated, as a person naive Gospel (poor), and taken for granted by his friends. This basic idea has proven to be a point of departure for the actor and director and playwright Makrand [...]

Endhiran is hot in 2010. It was shooted the film for nearly two years and shooting at the end of the day had ended yesterday with a celebration ends. The songs will be released on July 31 in Malaysia. Fans expect so much from this film. A. R. Rahman has composed music for this film. [...]

Music fans are waiting impatiently for the release of sci-fi songs Endhiran. It’s a movie a huge budget of the stars that Shankar Aishwarya Rai and Rajinikanth Endhiran in key roles. Given through music and songs and AR Rahman will be released on July 31. And has already announced that by the end of July [...]

Income Tax Department has launched an online facility for mail service brokers to return. Please download the latest Web Services Guide and follow the instructions of the feasibility of this Annex. E-return intermediaries can now download the user guide Web Services. Department revised the preparation of the return program in computing and include taxes, interest [...]

Tourism projects in India. Announced the company-owned Corporation Bank Q1 2010 results on Thursday. According to the Bank Company increased net profits by 28% and healthy growth in fee income and net interest income (NII). The company in the bank’s net profit is up by 27.76% (28%) in the Republic of Srpska. 333.78 billion rupees [...]

KARACHI: The Met Office has forecast a cloudy weather with chances of rain, thundershower at isolated places in the metropolis for the next 24 hours. The maximum temperature will remain in the range between 32 and 34 degrees celsius.

MIRPUR: The district administration was Thursday warned about the arrival of a heavy flood current in Mangla dam reservoir from the rivers coming from Muzaffarabad. The administration was also advised to adopt all preventive measures to deal with any eventuality in the areas located on the periphery of the dam, officials said. Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Tayyeb Chaudhry said that precautionary measures were being taken by the administration to encounter the impending flood ravages in the reservoir. After visiting various rain hit areas of Bandral, Bohar Colony and Kharak in outskirt of the city, along the periphery of Mangla lake Tayyeb said the population living in the areas along the bank of Mangla lake had been directed to shift to safer places to avert the increased threat of flood ravages. He said, "In case of flood in the abodes close to Mangla lake the affected people will be shifted to the nearest government schools and college buildings," adding, "tents will also be installed to provide shelter to the affectees if required in case of any untoward situation." A district level control room was established at his office, he said. The DC further said the district emergency cell could be contacted through the official telephone numbers of his office as and when required for any assistance. Similarly, the tehsil level emergency cell, at Mirpur and Dadayal, could be approached through telephone numbers of the respective Assistant Commissioners offices. Similar control rooms were also being set up in concerned Deputy Commissioners offices in all ten districts of the State, he said, adding, these centers would function round the clock to adopt safety steps in case of emergency in any part of the district. Meanwhile, district and tehsil level emergency centers had started functioning in various parts of AJK in order to deal with any eventuality following impending flood ravages in normal and seasonal nullahs as well as in low-lying areas during the monsoon rains, official sources said.

ISLAMABAD: The widespread rains continued in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa during the last 24 hours have broken the record of last 50 years in the province. The current monsoon rain spell is likely to continue in most parts of the country till Friday afternoon including twin cities Sargodha, Mianwali, Chakwal and most parts of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, said Chief Meteorologist, Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Ghulam Rasool Thursday. He said that above normal rains have been recorded across the country during July. The Chief Met informed that intermittent rains starting from July 26 has filled Simly and Khanpur dams besides improving water level in Rawal dam which will help overcome water shortage. However, the people living in low lying areas in Rawalpindi may get affected due to urban flooding which is caused by improper sanitation system. About agriculture, Ghulam Rasool said the widespread rains will cast negative impact on cotton, chilli and tomato crops. The cotton diseases can harm the crop while excessive water in chilli and tomato fields will damage them as both are very sensitive crops. However, rice and sugarcane crop may survive if the rain water didnot stay long in the fields. Earlier this rainspell, the met office issued agriculture advisory for the farmers of Sukkur and Khairpur districts of Sindh to protect date crop. While, he said sometimes farmers do not follow the advisory and have to bear big losses. Ghulam Rasool said that the rapid climate change is being observed across the globe and it is a very difficult task to give seasonal forecast and precise prediction about weather. "There is need to follow innovations in climate change science as all the weather experts across the world are facing challenges to give accurate seasonal prediction," he said. He said that extreme weather changes are being observed in the country as heat wave conditions prevailing in the months of March broke all the records and now the monsoon rains has caused floods in different parts of the country affecting people and agriculture sector. Giving details, he said that the El-nino phenomenon has been suppressed and now the weather system in neutral. However, La-nina phenomenon'' development is not observed in the Pacific Ocean. The rainfall in twin cities during 26-29 July,was recorded as 64 mm in Islamabad and 159 mm in Rawalpindi.

RAWALPINDI: District administration on Thursday evening declared emergency in low lying areas here as water level in Nullah Leh touches 21 feet both at Katarian and Gawalmandi bridges. Rescuers started immediate action and shifting of people is continuing right now. Sirens are being blown and people of low lying areas are being directed to shift immediately to safer places. Water level increased and vulnerable areas are Nadeem Colony, Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh, Dhoke Khabba, Gawalmandi, Chaman Zar Colony, Araya Mohalla and other places.

PESHAWAR: The flash floods wrought havoc in the Khyber Pakhtoonkhaw, where a massive number of human lives were lost; while, the bridges were washed away in various areas that lay cut off as a result, Geo News reported Thursday. The search for three foreigners who were working on Hydro-power projects in Kohistan, is underway. The downpours in Swat and Shangla and flooding in Swat River caused huge devastations, killing at least 106 people in Bahrain, Madyan, Matta, Kanju and Kabal areas of Swat and Shangla. Mingora Police Line has been evacuated in view of potential flooding here. Silk Highway got closed as a link bridge was washed away in rains in District Shangla, causing Gilgit-Baltistan to cut off from the rest of the country. Also, flash flood washed away at least seven hotels, 60 shops and nine houses in Kalam. Hundreds of houses including camps of foreigners busy with construction of hydro-power projects were destroyed in persistent rains and flooding in District Hohistan. Three foreigners are still unaccounted for. A government rest house, Nogram Bridge and Biyari Bridge were washed away in Batgram tehsil of Allai. At least four people lost their lives in Noshehra flooding. Various areas including Noshehra Kalan, Azakhel, Khairabad and Pir Sabaq are thoroughly inundated under floodwater. Azakhel Refugee Camp is being evacuated. The traffic on GT Road was held up by the floodwater from a rain drain. Kabul River surged with more flooding, leaving thousands of people trapped without any relief team making it to their rescue. In Upper Dir areas, dozens of houses, 21 link bridges, 13 schools, and thousands acres of lands washed away in flood, causing at least 1200 people to get trapped on various places. In Lower Dir also, the persistent downpours triggered floods, which took away eight people and six link bridges were washed away. In Tehsil Balam Butt, the house of former MNA Inayat Khan also was washed away in flooding. In Charsadda, hundreds of houses collapsed as a result of rains and floods. Pak Army provided two boats for rescue operation. Various areas in Kohat are under facing flood condition as a result of two days of stormy downpours, causing 143 houses to cave in. The high tide flooding at Gilgit River deluged several villages. Also, the historic Chinar Bagh and abutting Legislating Assembly came under water. In Bannu, the search for five minors, who went missing in flood tide, is afoot In Khyber Agency tehsil of Bara, at least 40 houses were washed away, where two children were injured as the rooftop of their house caved in. At least five people were injured in Tehsil Jamrood. Pak-Afghan Road and Mohmand-Bajaur Road have been blocked for traffic owing to the flooding of these roads. Tempestuous downpours and flood tide caused 20 houses and shops to fall down in a bazaar of Dabori in Upper Orakzai Agency area.

LAHORE: The Higher Education Commission has convened a meeting of vice-chancellors of public sector universities across the country on July 28 to disc

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif on Monday directed the federal and provincial authorities to recover and produce

ISLAMABAD: The prime minister has summoned a meeting of the chief ministers of the four provinces here on Wednesday (today) to consider continuation o

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that promotion of vocational education is vital to the youth to play their due role in national

PESHAWAR: Around 200 armed militants stormed the Achini police post jointly manned by the Peshawar Police and the Frontier Constabulary, killing a sol

PUTRAJAYA: Three beauty products were banned by the Health Ministry today because they contain scheduled poisons, tretinoin and hydroquinone.

PENANG: Timur Laut Narcotic Crimes Investigation Department uncovered a drug-processing laboratory and seized various types of drugs worth RM1 million in a raid on a condominium unit in Tanjong Tokong here yesterday.

MELAKA: Teachers Day observed today at Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Cheng here today will long be remembered by the teachers and pupils - for an entirely different reason.

PETALING JAYA: Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) chief Datuk Seri Rodzali Daud today said though the government had not made a request yet, the RMAF was ready to shift its base from Sungai Besi to enable the base to be developed as a commercial hub.

SIBU: The Election Commission (EC) has denied allegations by the DAP that it deliberately delayed announcing the result of the Sibu by-election last night.

Four politicians give their reactions after Ling Liong Sik pleaded not guilty to two charges of cheating.

Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim says the state's Audit Department will scrutinise the letters and also interview those involved.

The ex-airman is facing court martial for allegedly dishonestly misappropriating eight printer catridges that were public property.

The former law minister didn't have it easy at the Hard Talk on human rights session in the law conference.

PARIS: European giants Liverpool and Juventus began life under new coaches with victories in the first legs of their Europa League third qualifying round ties on Thursday.

LONDON: English Premier League side Fulham on Thursday named former Wales and Manchester City boss Mark Hughes as their new manager to succeed Roy Hodgson.

NEW YORK: World oil prices jumped on Thursday on the back of a weaker dollar and positive European data.

SOUTHPORT, England: Taiwan's Yani Tseng, a two-time Major winner, and Australia's Katherine Hull both eagled the final hole to share the lead after the first round of the Women's British Open at Birkdale.

PESHAWAR, Pakistan: At least 113 people have died and thousands more have been made homeless as flash floods triggered by torrential rains hit northwest Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir, officials said on Thursday.

It is the media and not the Opposition party that seems hell bent on defeating Labor and Prime Minister Julia Gillard on this occasion. They have forgotten the issues that confront the electorate and have failed to give the electorate a balanced view and an analysis of what is being offered by both parties.

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British Prime Minister David Cameron?s remarks in Bangalore that Pakistan is promoting the ?export of terror? in Afghanistan and around the world, has resulted in a diplomatic row between London and Islamabad. Cameron is currently on a visit to India.

read more

The Indian government said on Thursday it was confident of overcoming the naxal problem in the next three years and had prepared a two-pronged strategy of initiating development and police action in the affected areas.

read more

Indian Coast Guard has arrested 15 Sri Lankan fishermen and apprehended three fishing boats on charges of illegal fishing in Indian waters.

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The CBI on Thursday issued summons to Geetha Johri, the investigating officer in the fake encounter of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and killing of his wife Kausarbi, and asked her to appear before the agency by August 10.

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Reporting around the explosion in a plastics factory in Nanjing has been patchy. The factory, which has been called a "time bomb" before a gas leak killed 12, was in newspapers in the former capital today.

Modern Express is a Xinhua-run commercial newspaper. Today a black cover points to the explosion in Nanjing, and about how it is testing its people. However, no other major newspaper in the city had the explosion in a featured position on the front page.

The Yangtse Evening Post went with the time allocated for National day holidays and the Pakistan airplane crash;

The Oriental Guardian goes with the anniversary of the Tangshan earthquake, and the government organ Nanjing Daily with a small side banner about the explosion being under control;

The Xinhua Daily (not affiliated with the Xinhua News Agency) marks the ninth 'double support' model city commendation ceremony, and mentions the explosion in a small piece at the bottom of the page.

Tip from Media Wang's Sina microblog.

Tags: factory explosion, Modern Express, Nanjing, Nanjing Daily, Oriental Guardian, Xinhua Daily, Yangtse Evening Post

This article is from Danwei.org

Next Media, publisher of Apple Daily in Taiwan and Hong Kong, has become famous for it news animations of events like Tiger Wood's car crash and fight with his wife and the failed crotch bomb. Above is Next Media's take on Steve Jobs and the iPhone antenna affair.

Tags: animation, Apple, Apple Daily, iPhone

This article is from Danwei.org

From Wired:

The investment arms of the CIA and Google are both backing a company that monitors the web in real time ? and says it uses that information to predict the future.

The company is called Recorded Future, and it scours tens of thousands of websites, blogs and Twitter accounts to find the relationships between people, organizations, actions and incidents ? both present and still-to-come. In a white paper, the company says its temporal analytics engine ?goes beyond search? by ?looking at the ?invisible links? between documents that talk about the same, or related, entities and events.?

Recorded Future has a blog where they explain some of their methods and show case studies. It includes two items about Hu Jintao that are linked below.

The posts use open source data from the Internet to track past Hu Jintao's travel arrangements. The first post attempts to analyze if his behavior has changed over the last year, and what that might mean his successor who is widely believed to be Xi Jinping (he of the well-fed foreigners remark).

The second post looks at Hu's travel arrangements in the run up to the Copenhagen climate talks last year and examines if it is possible to understand "intent through travel records".

Tags: CIA, Google, Hu Jintao

This article is from Danwei.org

Today is the 34th anniversary of the Tangshan earthquake, but the Chinese Internet has been buzzing the whole day with news of a different disaster.

State-owned news agency Xinhua reports:

A powerful explosion at a factory in eastern China's Jiangsu Province Wednesday killed at least six people and injured many more, witnesses and hospital sources said.

Xinhua reporters saw at least six people recorded as dead at hospitals treating people injured in the blast that ripped through an abandoned plastics and chemical factory in northern Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu.

An initial investigation showed gas leak from a pipeline going through the plant at Mufu East Road of Qixia District triggered the blast at about 10:10 a.m..

Buildings and vehicles within a 100-meter radius around the factory were seriously damaged.

Much of the commentary and reporting on the Internet by citizens has taken a very different line from Xinhua. A few noteworthy items:

? According to a posting on the Xici forum website linked below, residents have been warning about the dangers of having the factory since 2009. The posting calls the factory a "time bomb".

The photo above also shows before and after the blast photos taken in the area around the factory; the signs in the top photo complain about a factory in the residential area.

? A Jiangsu TV journalist broadcasting live from the scene of the explosion was reprimanded by an official whose identity is currently being debated on the Chinese Internet. The official told the journalist to stop filming, saying "Who allowed you to broadcast live?" (?????????)

This saying has been widely circulated on the Internet and is already the subject of mocking Photoshop jobs. The videos are still circulating on the Chinese Internet and have also been saved on various servers outside the country as they may get deleted from Chinese websites.

? One person posting on the XCar forum says that windows in buildings as far as 3km away from the blast have shattered. Link below with many photographs.

? At the time of writing, the official death toll is six, but Internet reports are claiming as many as 100 people dead.

Update (2010.7.29): The official death toll according to Xinhua is now 10.

See also ESWN: Newspaper Coverage Of Nanjing Gas Explosion

Tags: disaster, explosion, Nanjing, Xinhua

This article is from Danwei.org

This morning, Dongguan Times published an exposé on the resurrection of slot machines in surrounding townships. These illegal devices were recently stamped out by localities to reduce gambling in the area, an effort which met with temporary success. Dongguan Times reports that slot machines have ?risen from the ashes? in several surrounding townships, such as Hengli (??) and Shijie (??).

During the second half of last year, Dongguan?s strategy to punch out all slot machines was highly effective. In a short period of time, the once rampant slot machines seemed to disappear completely. However, recent information has shown that these slot machines are making a vicious comeback. In township avenues and alleyways, the slots can be seen everywhere.

Other headlines include a story about a Hubei prosecutor, Feng Bin (??) who appealed a court order which caused his wife to lose her job, eventually causing Feng to lose his own job. Feng spoke with Dongguan Times reporters about his outrage, amidst warnings from officials to give up his case.

Another headline introduces the story of Lu Zhisheng (???), a Taiwanese gangster who fled to the mainland to avoid prison in Taiwan.

Lu Zhisheng was born in Taibei in 1972, a member of the Tiandao gang (??????). In 2008, a warrant was put out on Lu for smuggling drugs. Because he had nowhere to escape in Taiwan, Lu moved to the mainland in order to continue his drug trafficking.

Tags: lawsuit

This article is from Danwei.org

The government yesterday formally announced the new minimum salary structure for readymade garment sector hoping to put an end to the longstanding labour unrest over wages.

The parliamentary special committee for constitutional amendment might recommend inclusion of a stringent clause in the constitution blocking the way for extra-constitutional usurpation of state power.

Conflict within the party and strategy to forge an anti-government movement are likely to top the agenda for the first meeting of BNP's national executive committee tomorrow.

As many as 31 of 38 political parties including Awami League, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are yet to turn in reports on annual financial transactions to the Election Commission with the seven-month deadline for submission expiring tomorrow.

The High Court has directed Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to demolish and remove within 30 days its recreation centre in the Buriganga river in Kamrangirchar area of the capital.

Supporters of Honduran President Manuel Zelaya clash with riot police as their ousted leader seeks to gather international support.

CHUM Mey, a former mechanic, spent the first years of the Khmer Rouge regime repairing boats and sewing the black pajamas...

The favourable outcome for Cambodia in Spain could translate to more confrontation on the border, according to senior military officers.

THE husband of a woman who died during childbirth at the National Maternal and Child Health Centre on Saturday claims doctors...

CPP warns it will file a complaint against any opposition MP who says the National Assembly is run by one...

KABUL -- President Hamid Karzai said on Thursday that the disclosure of the names of Afghan informants in the trove of classified U.S. military documents posted online by the WikiLeaks Web site was "extremely irresponsible and shocking."


Afghanistan - Hamid Karzai - Wikileaks - War in Afghanistan - Warfare and Conflict

KABUL -- The second U.S. sailor who went missing in eastern Afghanistan last week has been found dead and his body recovered.


Afghanistan - Asia - NATO - Logar Province - Taliban

NOW RUZI, AFGHANISTAN -- Haji Ghani is an illiterate, hashish-growing former warlord who directs a semiofficial police force and is known to show his anger through beatings. In this Taliban nest west of Kandahar, he is also U.S. forces' main partner.


Kandahar - United States - Afghanistan - Taliban - United States armed forces

Total number of U.S. military deaths since 2001 and names of the U.S. troops killed recently in the Afghanistan war, as announced by the Pentagon:



Afghanistan - Asia - Warfare and Conflict - Afghanistan Civil War - Improvised explosive device

ISLAMABAD -- A passenger plane crashed into the hills surrounding Pakistan's capital Wednesday morning and officials said all 152 people on board -- including two Americans -- were killed.


Pakistan - Jet airliner - Asia - Islamabad - Karachi

THE decomposed body of a Nepalese man was yesterday found on the side of a road in Sanad.

AN illegal Indian worker who was rescued near-starving after hiding in a burned-out house in Adliya for nine months will fly home next Tuesday.

FOUR unemployed Bahrainis have pledged to sleep rough for days in protest if authorities don't meet their demands.

MANAMA: Police have broken up an elaborate human trafficking ring that allegedly lured teenage Indian girls to Bahrain to work as hotel dancers.

MANAMA: His Majesty King Hamad yesterday praised the one-family spirit characterising Bahrainis, renowned for their generosity, knowledge, tolerance, love and hospitality - qualities they have acquired over hundreds of years.

Myanmar's Senior General Than Shwe rounded off a five-day visit to India on Thursday after securing pacts that will boost security and economic cooperation between the countries, while also receiving US$70 million in grants. The red carpet laid out for the junta's leader is a sign of Delhi's decision to quietly nudge Myanmar on issues of concern, while playing down sensitive issues such as restoration of democracy. - Sudha Ramachandran (Jul 29, '10)

While Vietnam's Communist Party leadership is deeply ambivalent about getting too close to Washington, there is a growing realization that the United States is essential to counter-balancing China's rise. Vietnam is also using its influence as one of the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to create a united front, and for good measure also partnering with an old ally. - The Hanoist (Jul 29, '10)

Trade ties may deepen, visitor numbers may enlarge, and calls may grow for both sides across the Taiwan Strait to formally end six decades of war. All recent signs show however that amid the buildup of firepower trained at each other, China's and Taiwan's militaries are still light-years away from establishing the mutual trust necessary to end hostilities. - Jens Kastner (Jul 29, '10)

Village chiefs in the Shindand district of Afghanistan's Herat province say the "Village Stability Program" run by the United States is creating private militias, while the US says the scheme only provides limited training to volunteers. For the Taliban it's simple, anyone "collaborating" with the enemy will pay the price. (Jul 29, '10)

Northeast Asia after the Cheonan affair is more volatile than it has been since the end of the Cold War. With North Korea off the hook, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has lost the most. A reversal of his policy toward Pyongyang would stem the loss and, more importantly, could restore some sense of stability to the region. - Yong Kwon (Jul 29, '10)

The Saugus Women’s Over 30 Softball League (SWOT) entered the second half of the season with Kane’s Donuts on top with a record of 8-0. Team Kowloon, their closest competitor, is 5-3. B...

July 29 (Bloomberg) -- Xin Jing spends about 200 yuan ($30) on Japanese sashimi each time she visits City’super’s grocery store in Shanghai. Her appetite is helping fill cargo planes bound...

Hong Kong - Hong Kong's population is expected to climb from 7 million to almost 8.9 million people over the next 29 years, the government said in figures released Thursday.The projections also indica...

The Centre for Health Protection warns of increasing influenza activity, detecting 125 flu infections for the week ending July 24, compared to 98 the previous week. Flu virus isolates in last two w...

A guitar and singing duo will give their debut performance under the Open Stage Pilot Scheme on July 31 from 8pm to 10pm at the Cultural Centre piazza. The Leisure & Cultural Services Departmen...

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on Thursday for an audit of the disbursement of the state budget for the development of Papua island, saying that the achievement of the development on ...

Clash broke out between angry mob and members of the Islamic sect Jamaah Ahmadiyah in Kuningan regency, West Java Thursday, damaging scores of houses and injuring at least three people.

Italian officials are seeking to raise some euro25 million (about US$32 million) in private money to finance the restoration of one of the country's iconic landmarks: the Colosseum.

Rains have affected cocoa and coffee yields, Bali?s most prominent crops, during this upcoming harvest season, says a government official.

The government will for the second time push the House of Representatives to endorse the ASEAN agreement on haze pollution, an official said on Thursday.

The life of U.S. conductor Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) is being feted in Japan with the performance of his masterpiece, "Candide," under the baton of Japanese conductor Yutaka Sado, one of Berstein's pupils, in collaboration with Canadian director Robert Carsen.
"This satire was born from anger," says Carsen.

HOLLYWOOD ? He's featured in more than 100 movies spanning six decades, holds the Guinness World Record for most stunts by a living actor, and has enjoyed a career as one of China's truly global superstars. And despite all this, Jackie Chan continues to dazzle audiences and critics alike ? well, most of the time. While recent Hollywood kids' flick "The Spy Next Door" was generally panned by critics, his latest foray, a remake of 1984's "The Karate Kid," has won praise for the natural chemistry between Chan and his costar, 12-year-old Jaden Smith.
A remake of "The Karate Kid" seemed almost inevitable. The original hit movie spawned three sequels, made young actor Ralph Macchio a star ? for a while ? and brought new prominence to Japanese- American character actor Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (previously known for TV's "Happy Days"), playing the wise karate master Mr. Miyagi. The movie boasted a great kid's role and a powerful but lovable East Asian character, and it featured conflict, action, martial arts, a thwarted bully and innocent romance in bloom.

On July 1, 2009, Kenzaburo Mogi, 72, a former vice chairman of the soy sauce manufacturing giant Kikkoman Corporation, was appointed to direct the Japan Arts Council, which covers all traditional performing arts of Japan, including noh, kabuki and bunraku (puppet theater).
A soy sauce executive might seem an odd choice to oversee Japan's traditional theater. But Itaru Takashio, the deputy commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs and his colleague, Yayoi Komatsu, director of the Policy Planning and Coordination Division, had good reasons for asking Mogi to join the Japan Arts Council.

Hailing from Kyoto, Harp on Mouth Sextet create their own contemporary groove-oriented version of gagaku, a centuries-old form of Japanese court music. Among the stronger performers on the up-and-comer stage at last year's Fuji Rock Festival, their matching attire, which includes traditional bamboo hats fitted with veils to mask their identities, made them one of the most visually exciting as well.
With their third album, "Kasane no Neiro," Harp on Mouth Sextet are at their best on the rollicking rump shaker "Acoustic Black Hole." A powerful, densely woven piece of dance music, the track utilizes the full talents of the eight-member ensemble. Laptop and Tenori-On artist Rubyorla and percussionist Arthand craft an explosive bed of cheery, beat-driven electronica. The sounds mesh brilliantly with the hypnotic blues notes turned out by the act's six female harmonica players.

LONDON ? "The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong, are more powerful than commonly understood. Practical men, who believe themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist.''
So wrote John Maynard Keynes. I suspect, though, that a greater danger lies elsewhere ? that practical men and women employed in the policymaking functions of central banks, regulatory agencies, governments and financial institutions' risk-management departments tend to gravitate to simplified versions of the dominant beliefs of economists who are, in fact, very much alive.

Yangon, Myanmar ? North Korea’s foreign minister visited Myanmar on Thursday for high-level talks that come on the heels of a U.S. warning against any cooperation between the two nations on nuclear technology.Officials and diplomats confirmed the arrival of Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun, who is on a four-nation tour and making his first visit [...]

The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) led by Thein Sein, the Burmese prime minister, has outlined a wide range of tactics?including the use of cadres of hardcore criminals?aimed at achieving a landslide victory in the upcoming election.The party’s documents, which were leaked to Burmese media this week allege that Burma’s last election in 1990 [...]

Burmese officials have been assisting the North Korean embassy in Rangoon in seizing and destroying a biography of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, written by a Burmese.More than 500 copies of ?Kim Jong-Il or the Beloved Leader of North Korea? were taken off the shelves and destroyed in front of the author, Hein Latt. The North [...]

Thailand will only return the 150,000-odd Burmese refugees sheltering in camps along the border once situation in their home country returns to normal, which will likely be after elections this year, a Thai official has said.Tawin Pleansri, secretary general of the National Security Council, said that the matter of return was still under consideration by [...]

Bangkok ? Thailand will sign on Friday an agreement to buy natural gas from the Zawtika field at the offshore Block M9 in the Gulf of Martaban in Myanmar from late 2013, Energy Minister Wannarat Charnnukul said.State-controlled PTT PCL (PTT.BK), as a buyer, will sign the gas deal with sellers, which include state-owned Myanmar Oil [...]

A Quezon City court yesterday dismissed a civil case against the education department?s sex education program after the petitioning group itself moved to withdraw the complaint.

President Benigno Aquino III has signed the executive order reorganizing the Office of the Press Secretary into the Communications Group (ComGroup) to be headed jointly by two secretaries with Cabinet rank.

NEW ORLEANS?Two New Orleans police officers were indicted Thursday on federal charges in connection with the beating death of a civilian in their custody in July 2005, the Justice Department said.

Hundreds of government officials who are not career executive service officers (CESOs) have asked President Benigno Aquino III to withdraw Memorandum Order No. 1 which declared their positions vacant as of June 30.

United States Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas welcomed the guilty plea entered by Abu Sayyaf Group founding member Madhatta Haipe to four counts of hostage taking of 16 Filipino and American citizens in Mindanao in 1995 before a US federal court Thursday.

AFP ISLAMABAD A PAKISTANI airliner carrying 152 people crashed in a ball of flames on Wednesday into densely wooded hills outside Islamabad amid heavy rain and poor visibility, killing everyone on board.

REUTERS SINGAPORE QATAR’S bid to host the 2022 World Cup received a huge boost on Wednesday when Asian Football Confederation (AFC) President Mohamed bin Hammam threw his weight behind his country’s campaign.

IT might be a revelation for many in Doha that the city has a flourishing second-hand market where one can get consumer durables at throwaway prices.

RIYADH - A drive by shooting could have claimed the lives of three people in Riyadh downtown on Saturday. Two men received the full force of the shotgun blast to their legs and thighs. Both were taken to hospital.A verbal exchange of words and gestures including cursing between two groups

JIZAN – Ahmad Al-Reithi, a citizen and a native of Al-Reith mountainous area in Jizan, filed a complaint with authorities against the Governor of Al-Reith Mountain for an alleged abuse of power. The complaint also included the Wadi Amoud Center, affiliated with the Governorate, and the police,

Baha/Asir – As thermometers in other parts of the Kingdom have recorded high temps, the southern part has been blessed with rain. But at a price.Torrential rains pouring down on Al-Baha and Asir regions accompanied with gutsy winds on Friday afternoon halted traffic and destroyed signboards, an

JEDDAH – Breast cancer is no longer part of the Kingdom’s traditional culture of “Don’t tell anyone.” Public programs have been set up to encourage women to check on their breasts for early detection of the No. 1 killer of women in thus region.A national campaign for breast cancer detecti

SIHAT – A Bangladeshi national was executed on Saturday after being convicted of fatally stabbing and decapitating a Saudi national over a money dispute, the Ministry of Interior said.Jaman Hussain Jalaluddein was executed in Sihat in the Eastern Province, according to the statement, which was

The Welikada Prison complex covers some very valuable prime land, 40 acres in extent, within the City of Colombo. It is assessed at a minimum value of Rs. 15 billion.

Five senior Brigadiers in the Sri Lanka Army have been promoted to the rank of Major General, the Military Secretariat announced. Military spokesman, Brigadier U.A.B. Medawela was also promoted.

Mass Media and Communication Minister and Defence Spokesman Keheliya Rambukkwella yesterday stated that any public representative and Non Government Organization can visit the North and East and contribute to its ongoing resettlement drive and the development process.

UNP Hambantota Parliamentarian Sajith Premadasa yesterday requested the police to hold an investigation in to the death of Rienzie Algama, who set himself ablaze opposite the UNP headquarters Sirikotha on Monday afternoon.

The government’s failure to appoint boards to manage some State institutions and therefore the parliamentary watchdog committee on public enterprises is finding it difficult to initiate investigations.

Up to 400 residents and monks attack non-Tibetan businesses and individuals.
[Globe and Mail, 28/03/08, last updated 30/03/08.]
(reported by Globe and Mail, 30 March 2008)

Date unspecified: Pelo Trulku, a reincarnated lama, was to give a spiritual teaching towards the end of February; “local Chinese ‘work teams’” refused to allow the teachings to take place, resulting in a scuffle between local Tibetans and the ‘work teams’.
[Note: reported by CTA on 17/03/08 and again on 18/03/08.]
(reported by CTA, 17 March 2008)

China has ordered a “sweeping purge of Tibet’s ‘splittist’ monasteries” in the Kandze [Kardze] region, according to measures contained in an official “document” dated 28 June 2008, carrying the name Li Changping [possibly a signature on the original document], head of Kandze [Tibetan] Autonomous Prefecture. The “document” was posted in Tibetan language on a Chinese government’s Tibet information website (www.tibet.cn; Tibetan language version: http://zw.tibet.cn/news) on 18 July. However, the posting itself was “based on an earlier article” that appeared in the Tibet Daily newspaper [it appears that both the article and the posting based on the article contained the entire text of the document].
FTC’s translation of the document [specifically, a translation of the posting based on an earlier article] was independently verified by Tsering Topgyal at the London School of Economics [and trustee of Tibet Watch, FTC’s sister organisation]. The document reportedly contained details of “serious decisions” that were “settled at the third conference of the Executive Committee of concerned region”. The measures are “highly significant as they are to be implemented by the Kandze [Kardze] Tibetan Autonomous Prefectural Government” [note: FTC does not elaborate on this assumed significance]. Monks and nuns charged with “quite serious” crimes will undergo “serious re-education” [?] and will remain in custody until he/she “co-operates by telling the truth, confessing their guilt and submitting a shuyig (self-criticising letter). He/she must sincerely and voluntarily tell the truth”. Monks and nuns “with serious crime and attitude problem” will be “subjected to serious re-education” [?], dismissed from his/her monastery and his/her religious rights will removed. Monks and nuns not registered at the religious affairs office, or who have come from other regions, or who had been away from the monastery for a “very long time” will be “subject to dismissal from the monastery and their huts will be destroyed”. Severe punishment is prescribed for monasteries considered to have led protests in March and April. At monasteries where between 10% and 30% of monks took part in protests, “all religious activities at the monastery will be halted. Movements of monks will be closely monitored”.
[Further categories of offences and prescribed measures are listed in full in the FTC press release.]
(reported by FTC, 01 October 2008)

A document titled “Serious decisions to be taken against monasteries and monks/nuns for undertaking turbulent activities” was posted in Tibetan language on a “government information website” (URL provided as “www.ti.tibet.cn”) on 18 July. The “document” was “based on an earlier article” that appeared in the Tibet Daily newspaper [it it understood that both the article and the posting based on the article contained the entire text of the document].
A translation published by Tibet Watch carries the name Li Changping [possibly a signature on the original document], head of Kandze Autonomous Prefecture [Kardze TAP], and date 28 June 2008. The translation refers to “serious decisions” that were “settled at the third conference of the Executive Committee of concerned region”, and refers to new measures to deal with ‘subversive’ monasteries and nunneries in Kandze [Kardze] TAP; lists “various levels of punishment for monks or nuns who have taken part in protests, distributed flyers or raised the Tibetan flags”.
Families of monks and nuns who confess to ‘minor’ crimes are to be responsible for their ‘re-education’; religious leaders accused of collaborating with foreign ‘splittist’ groups are to be publicly humiliated on state television. A monk or nun charged with “quite serious” crimes will remain in custody until they tell the truth, confess their guilt and submit a shuyig (self-criticising letter). Severe punishment is prescribed for monasteries considered to have led protests in March and April. At monasteries where between 10% and 30% of monks took part in protests “all religious activities at the monastery will be halted. Movements of monks will be closely monitored”.
[Further categories of offences and prescribed measures are listed in full in the Tibet Watch report. Tibet Watch cited as “www.ti.tibet.cn” – an invalid URL; actually www.tibet.cn, the website of China Tibet Information Center. However, the posting appeared on the Tibetan language version, at http://zw.tibet.cn/news.]
(reported by Tibet Watch, 01 October 2008)

‘Patriotic education’ classes (“Anti-splittism, defending Stability and
Promote Development”) held for locals by retired Khangmar county cadres who also performed a cultural performance, which “exposed the miserable life under the rule of serfdom system in old society by narrating their own experiences” according to a government news report.
[Tibet Watch cited www.chinatibetnews.com/xizang/shizheng.]
(reported by Tibet Watch, 01 October 2008)

SANA?A, Aug 26 ? Extreme weather conditions and environmental changes are confusing farmers and threatening livelihoods, further aggravating Yemen?s already fragile food security. These new threats come as aid runs dangerously low and authorities ponder solutions. The Middle East in general is suffering from drought and the effects of climate change. Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Cyprus, Iran, Yemen and other areas have each been dealing with decreased rainfall, reduced water storage, and in some cases, declared drought, leaving many countries dangerously dependant on food aid. Philip Ward, the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, was in Yemen for the first time earlier this month to meet with senior government officials, donors, and partners, including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). During his stay he visited a number of agricultural centers in Dhamar and Hodeida and spoke to farmers about the impact of this year?s drought on agriculture. He also discussed the way ahead towards ensuring the country?s food security. ?Globally the issue of food security is more important than ever. It?s being discussed at the highest levels,? Ward said. Currently, Yemen imports 90 percent of its food. Farmers grow weary Due to lack of research, there are no numbers that accurately describe how drought is affecting Yemenis. However, one thing is clear; Yemeni farmers? attitudes towards planting have changed. ?The Ministry of Agriculture has a project together with the FAO to provide subsidized crop seeds such as sorghum and barley to farmers. A good indicator of drought is that farmers aren?t even coming to buy the seeds,? Ward said. ?The farmers weren?t coming to buy the seeds because they didn?t feel that it?s worth the investment,? he noted, explaining that sorghum and barley are the types of crops looked at to provide food security. ?The huge concern is that the rain this year is too little too late,? Ward continued. ?Farmers are worried that rains at this point will not sustain their crops.? In Hodeida, Ward met with farmers at the Tihama Development Authority. ?The farmers that we are worried about the most are those that are completely dependent on rain fed agriculture,? he said. ?One such farmer that we met lived with his brother, but the total extended family was 22 people. He is entirely dependent on rain and he said he didn?t anticipate any problem this year. Now he has to sell off livestock to feed his family,? related Ward. ?That worries us because when farmers start doing that, the very things that should protect and help them next year are now lost. These are the people we are trying to support the most.? Some families in various governorates including Dhamar, Al-Mahwit, Hajja, Taiz, Lahj and Dhal?e have already left their homes in search of greener pastures and wetter lands. ?It?s a concern when people start moving off the land to urban centers or where water is available,? Ward said. ?We are concerned about the social tension and fragmentation that could happen as a result.? Following a year with no rainfall in 2008, thousands of residents in Mahwit governorate, some 113 km northwest of the capital Sana?a, have been displaced after they were forced to abandon their mountainous villages and move to cities. Deadly clashes over water sources have also been reported this year. Food running out In July, a shortage of funds forced the WFP to halve its rations to 95,000 war-affected people in Yemen, many of whom depend entirely on food assistance. The WFP?s resources are running dangerously low. Overall, the program is facing a shortfall of US 20 million or 36 percent of its total needs for 2009. In June 2009, the WFP had to suspend food assistance programs linked to health and education which had benefited 815,000 of the most vulnerable Yemenis. ?Our programs are designed to support a developmental process rather than a dependency on food aid,? Ward said. He related a success story of the Food for Education program. ?Our deputy country director in Yemen went to a health clinic. The nurse that treated him had been a recipient of the food for education program. A few years ago, she might not have had that opportunity that she did.? Unfortunately, in June the WFP was forced to temporarily halt its Food for Education programs due to a lack of funds. During his visit to Dhamar and Hodeida, Ward went with representatives from the FAO and the Ministry of Agriculture. The Yemeni Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation arranged this mission that was led by Dr. Mansoor Al-Hoshabi, the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, as well as Ibrahim Thabet, an assistant representative of the FAO. Beneficial allocation of resources Yemen is getting hotter by the year. According to the National Council for Climate, there has been an increase in average temperatures in the capital Sana?a over the last 20 years, though they do not have an exact percentage due to a lack of research. Yemen is under ?serious water stress? according to a report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA). Former Prime Minister Abdul-Karim Al-Iryani has warned that the country could face famine as soon as next year, calling upon the international community to support Yemen. Continued on page 2 Climate change during the last few years and especially in 2009 is a real concern for Yemen, particularly if the frequency of precipitation events continues to diminish, putting agriculture in peril and potentially leading to a catastrophic drought. Agriculture accounts for about 90 percent of Yemen?s groundwater consumption, and up to 40 percent of it is used just for growing qat. Dr. Naef Abu Lohom, Head of the Research and Studies Department at the Water and Environment Center with the University of Sana?a, explained that there are two main water seasons in Yemen and that rainfall patterns are changing. ?The rainy season in Yemen is usually from March to May and July to September,? he said, ?but rains are now starting in August. ?We are noticing the late onset of the rains, but we still need research to determine if this is due to climate change,? Lohom said. ?We do not have statistics from before and so we cannot compare.? However, he explained that there are some rainfall areas that are currently being monitored. ?In the future we can fully assess the changes. There?s certainly been a change in agricultural seasons, but we cannot attribute this to climate change due to lack of scientific research,? he noted. Much like the rest of the region, the climate change impacts facing Yemen are drought and desertification on the one hand and torrential downpours on the other, rains that are useless because they are not harvested or channeled in any way. If these rains are taken advantage of they would help to ease drought. ?The concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is still new to Yemen and needs to be applied by the water sector here in order to strike a balance between water replenishment and usage,? Lohom said. ?Our geographical location in an arid area makes it especially difficult for Yemen. It rains four months in a year, if we are optimistic. The rest of the year is dry. The population increase, especially in the mountainous area where up to 90 percent of the population density distribution is located, further aggravates the issue,? he added. ?Most of the population is also concentrated in the major cities. This puts pressure on ground water. That?s why we have an annual drop of four to six meters in most of our groundwater resources,? Lohom explained. ?We are in urgent need for applying the concept of IWRM, in all its aspects,? he stressed. ?This cannot be solved by the government itself,? he noted, adding that the community needs to play a larger role. Lohom cited some examples where communities in Dhamar, Hadramout and Taiz have been empowered in water management and monitoring through establishing associations. The October 2008 flooding disaster which centered on the Hadramout governorate affected about a third of the country and triggered a major international response. Many residents there still depend on aid. ?The WFP has provided assistance to 43,000 people affected by floods in Hadramout and Al-Mahra,? according to WFP Yemen. Assessing the drought The WFP discussed water management systems at length with the Tihama Development Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture. ?There?s been a lot of investment in irrigation and water systems. The problem is that even with that very good investment, if there?s not enough water it doesn?t matter how much you?ve invested in it,? Ward said, explaining that this is part of the problem and that investment isn?t enough. ?With the irrigation systems that exist, there will be farming in areas where people have access to irrigation canals and pumps where the infrastructure is already set up,? he said. The WFP focus is always on the poor and the vulnerable who live away from such systems and are completely dependent on rain fed agriculture, according to Ward. ?We need to look at the issue in more depth,? he admitted. ?At this point we consider it a very serious issue. Given that, we have decided that there is a need to conduct a full food supply assessment mission through the WFP and the FAO. The Ministry of Agriculture has now officially requested us to conduct it.? A clearer picture of the situation is expected to emerge as a result of that assessment. ?The mission will look at the level of harvests that come in, the amount of food Yemen imports and consumption levels,? Ward said. ?They will then make recommendations.? The assessment is expected to be carried out next month....

Sana?a, Aug 26 ? A relative calmness between the government army and the Houthis prevailed in Sa?ada city last Tuesday during the daytime, according tribal sources in Sa?ada. The army did, however, resume shelling and using rockets against Houthi strongholds after sunset. In addition, fighter planes and bombardiers targeting Houthi sites were heard over a number of districts. The confrontations resumed in all points of contact in the districts that are at war. A source in the local authority in Sa?ada announced last Tuesday that security authorities arrested a cell of Houthis in Sa?ada city. The state-run Saba News Agency reported that the source said, ?The cell was fortressed inside a cell in the old city of Sa?ada, after confrontations with security men which resulted in a soldier killed and another one wounded.? Media reports said this week that confrontations between the two sides took place in Sa?ada city after groups of Houthis infiltrated and launched an abrupt attack against public buildings. They targeted the Al-Jawazat area, Al-Muwasalat and Bab Najran, Al-Mehwar and Al-Salam neighborhoods and the governor?s office. The Houthis said that they repelled a sudden attack launched by the army in Al-Malahidh area last Tuesday evening, when the army attempted to recover the area that the Houthis had announced they controlled two around weeks ago. Local sources said that the army focused on Al-Malahidh-Haradh front for tactical reasons and that it is currently mobilizing the 12th Military Division with all its equipment in an area between Abs and Haradh. The Houthis focus on the front of Harf Sufian and Al-Safra districts because they are a key to controlling the road to Sana?a used to carry government military supplies to Sa?ada. The source said that the Houthis attempted last Sunday evening to open a new front in the eastern side of Sa?ada city in Aal Salem area where clashes between the two sides took place. The source said people from both sides were killed and injured. ?The Houthis had opened a first front from Al-Anad-Al-Mahather road that leads to Sana?a and a second front in the entry to Sa?ada-Al-Talh-Dhahyan near the city,? said the source. ?The Houthis used mortars last Tuesday evening and many shells fell on empty areas near Political Security Office and Al-Salam hospital in Sa?ada city.? Abdul Malek Al-Houthi announced in a statement that his supporters have taken a number of military sites since the beginning of the sixth war including Tuwaileq, Al-Hasama, Muthallath, Al-Dhay?a and Habish, which are all located in Shada and Al-Malahidh districts, Ghaman strategic site in Sehar district, Tanfan, Jabal Esa sites in Al-Safra district and Al-Juh, Al-Qafl and Al-Qafif sites in the Saqain district. Al-Houthi further pointed out that other military sites, including Al-Farsh, Al-Arous, Al-Mefrakh, Mahdida, Jabal Ghanem Fella site, Khanf?ar Al-Hareba Ahma Al-Talh school and Al-Khaza?en withdrew due to the siege and extensive attacks launched by his supporters. The official spokesman for the government, Hassan Al-Laawzi, said that the local authority and military and security forces in Sa?ada currently give priority in their operations to securing roads and clearing of the Houthis. He pointed out that the Houthis block roads and set up ambushes to hinder the delivery of supplies to the districts and villages of Sa?ada, camps of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and other areas. He denied that military forces found over a hundred dead bodies of Houthis after clearing Harf Sufian. ?We don?t know about this news,? he said. ?The military and security forces cleared Harf Sufian and the nearby areas but they didn?t find any dead bodies of the Houthi elements in the area.? He confirmed that Doha agreement signed between the government and the Houthis last year has been cancelled, stressing that military operations against the Houthis will continue until they surrender. Continued on page 2 Informed sources in Sa?ada city said that ?citizens leave their villages toward safer areas due to the shelling of fighter planes which launch air raids mainly at night.? ?The city is surrounded by the government, which prevented citizens from entering or coming out of it,? said the source. ?It lives in a state of an unannounced emergency.? He pointed out that the security authorities imposed curfew in the city and the streets are free from people and cars, with the exception of tanks and military forces in Sa?ada deployed in the city. He said that citizens, including IDPs, coming from the conflict districts live in bad conditions in spite of efforts of relief circulated by the media. Sources said that ?The price of food, gasoline and gas increased unprecedentedly since the beginning of war, as a twenty-letter jerry can of petrol costs YR 3,000 and a gas cylinder YR 2,000. British Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of International Development appealed to the Yemeni government in a statement issued last Monday to reach a peaceful reconciliation for the conflict in Sa?ada. The two ministries said that they support the statement issued by the European Union and the statement of Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary-General. They further demanded that humanitarian aid be allowed to reach citizens who have been forced to leave their houses due to the recent events. The statement said that Britain pays attention to the crisis in Sa?ada, observes the situation closely and keeps in contact with the UN and other international agencies. It points out that the aid offered by the British Ministry of International Development is aimed to address the humanitarian needs in Sa?ada where there are around 100,000 IDPs. Brittan has offered 2.54 million Pounds Sterling in response to the call of the World Food Program to help the affected citizens due to war in Sa?ada....

Yemen today has so many problems that depression and complaints have become the norm. Perhaps, if it wasn?t for qat sessions, Yemenis might have revolted long ago. But as a sedative, qat has done the trick for now. Despite all this gloom, there are a few individuals and organizations who still believe that they can make things better through development and charity work. One of these organizations is the SEYAJ Organization for Childhood Protection. The word ?seyaj? in Arabic means fence. The organization defends children whose rights are violated, by either defending them in court against their abusers, or providing them with psychological and financial support to help them recover and resume a normal life. Child abuse in Yemen is both overlooked and underestimated. Over 50 percent of the population is 15 years old or younger, but their concerns are not a priority for decision makers. Yemeni children are not only neglected at policy level, but also looked down upon at home. Average parents do not pay attention to what their children are thinking or learning in and out of school. This is not only probably because they have too many children to look after -and too little resources to do so, but mainly because the concept of respecting children as individual human beings is unheard of in Yemeni culture. Yemeni culture is very much about older people, respect not just for adults but also for older generations. Although this too is fading quickly, influence and respect still comes with age, and so the grandfather in a multigenerational family usually has the last say inside the home. Children are just there to obey without discussion, and girls are even more oppressed than boys, living under greater pressure to be invisible. Corporal punishment is common among Yemeni families because it is usually the only way known for discipline. Only very few understand or know about other non-violent techniques, and even fewer actually use them. In fact, the Yemeni law says that if a parent kills his own child, he is not to be punished in the same way as if he killed another person. Apparently, the reason is that the parent is the reason behind the child?s existence. The people who drew up and approved this law don?t understand the meaning of renowned Lebanese American poet Gibran Khalil Gibran?s verses: ?They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.? This is why I am a fan of all organizations that work for children, especially those organizations like SEYAJ that are not afraid to challenge accepted traditions and stand up for children and their rights....

SANA?A, Aug 26? Saudi Arabia continues to ban Yemeni sheep exports from entering the Saudi market. Since 2001 up to now, Saudi authorities request a certificate that Yemen is free of rift valley fever before they will even consider Yemeni sheep imports. ?We have been trying to coordinate with the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture for a long time to allow Yemeni sheep exports to enter their market. However, they refused, demanding that the Yemeni government provide a certificate stating Yemen is free of rift valley fever,? said Mansoor Al-Qadasi, Director of the Animal Health Department at the Ministry of Agriculture. ?Now for sure Yemen is free of rift valley fever, but Saudi authorities still ban Yemeni sheep imports for no reason,? Al-Qadasi stated. Though Saudi Arabia recently lifted a nine year long ban on sheep imports on both Jordan and Sudan this month, Yemen is still suffering the consequences of the old ban decision. The livelihoods of sheepherders in Yemen are being affected by the nine year long Saudi Arabia ban on Yemeni sheep. Meanwhile, smuggling is pushing prices of meat out of the reach of ordinary citizens in Yemen, said Yemeni experts. ?Sheep smuggling to Saudi Arabia is going on year round, but during Ramadan and some other seasons, smuggling increases due to the demand,? stated Mostafa Nasr, Chairman of the Studies and Economic Media Center. The Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC) investigated Yemeni sheep smuggling into Saudi Arabia and found that the process is organized by professional smugglers. It includes the smuggling of ewes. The center reported that it commonly receives complaints from citizens of the Tihama region on the west coast of Yemen, the area most affected by the consequences of smuggling. ?Complaints said that the price of meat in coastal plantations doubled in the past year, reaching YR 2,000, or USD 10 for one kilogram,? according to the SEMC. According to the center, smugglers take Yemeni livestock to Saudi Arabia on a daily basis. Moreover, the center revealed techniques used by the smugglers. It said that smugglers buy livestock from Yemeni markets in western coastal areas and drive them to Saudi Arabia via the Haradh road. ?Smugglers pay between YR 1,000 to 2,000, the equivalent of USD 5 to 10, at every checkpoint to get crossing licenses,? explained the SEMC. ?The six crossing licenses that smugglers obtain from the various checkpoints are withdrawn at the last checkpoint. They then enter Saudi Arabia through Yemeni towns neighboring the kingdom,? stated the center. ?The most common Yemeni border towns for smuggling are Al-Mashnaq, Al-Madahesha, Al-Jafra and Qeta?a Al-Madafen,? it pointed out. The center demanded that Yemeni authorities take action against this illegal trade that has no revenues for the national economy and contributes to internal price hikes....

SANA?A, Aug. 26 ? Industry was the sector that most attracted investment in the first half of 2009, according to a recent report by Yemen's General Investment Authority (GIA). So far, industry in Yemen contributes to about 10 percent of the gross domestic product and around 4.5 percent of total workforce employment, according to previous Yemen Times reports. The Yemeni government has recently made efforts to attract foreign investment and boost the industrial sector to face the threat of oil depletion. ?Up to now, plans have been drawn up for more than ten industrial zones in Aden, Lahj, Hodeida, Hadramout and Al-Mahara,? Abdulrazzaq Al-Sururi, general manager of industrial zones at the Ministry of Industry and Trade told the Yemen Times earlier this month. Registered industrial projects reached 68 out of 144 registered at the GIA, with investment capital of around YR 60 million (USD 294,117) and creating 2,389 jobs. Total investment in all five of the industrial, agricultural, fisheries, services and tourism sectors reached over YR 1 billion (USD 490,196) in the first half of 2009. The services sector claimed the second largest portion of investment with 33 projects and investment capital exceeding YR 40 million (USD 196, 078), according to the report. The tourism sector came third with 23 projects and investment capital of over YR 20 million (USD 98,039). Agriculture was fourth most popular sector for investment with 19 projects attracting investment worth YR 4 million (USD 19, 607). Finally, the fishery sector came in the last with only one registered project with investment capital of YR 1.2 million (USD 5,882). Projects were registered at all 20 of the GIA?s branches in different governorates, of which around 46 of 144 projects were registered in Sana?a with investment capital of around YR 24 million (USD 117, 647). Foreign investors Despite foreign investment in Yemen decreasing in comparison with the same period last year, investors -namely from the Gulf and other parts of the Middle East- continued to pour capital into projects in Yemen, generating jobs for Yemenis. Foreign investment decreased from 26 projects during the same period in 2008 to 21 projects this year with investment capital of about YR 19 million (USD 93, 137). During the first half of 2009, Saudi Arabia contributed to the larger part of new investment projects in Yemen with four projects ? two in industry and two in services, with investment capital of over YR 4 million (USD 19,607) and creating around 238 jobs. Kuwait was second with three projects in industry, tourism and agriculture, investing over YR 3 million (USD 14,705) and generating employment for 142 people. Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan ranked third with two projects each. Iraq invested YR 11 million in an industrial project and a services project, providing 86 job opportunities for Yemenis. Lebanese investment capital in two projects -one in services and the other agriculture- reached YR 138,355 (USD 678), creating 28 jobs. The two Jordanian projects were in industry and services, with investment capital of YR 76,141 (USD 373) and providing 29 job opportunities. Finally, the UAE, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Iran, China, Italy and India were fourth with one project for each country, with investment capital reaching no more than YR 289,818 (USD 1,420) all together, creating 197 jobs....