Asia- The Latest Headlines from the continent of Asia

A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy's plea to prosecute home minister P Chidambaram in the 2G case.

Former Pakistan player Azhar Mahmood, who now has a British passport, has been sold to Kings XI Punjab for $200,000. He started with a base price of $100,000.

Sahara ended its 11-year-old sponsorship of the Indian team and also gave up its ownership of Pune Warriors, saying that BCCI ignored some of its grievances.

hief minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to install CCTV cameras in the ministers? chambers at Writers? Buildings.

He might be in his early 20s but is already known for creating terror in the Patancheru area of Medak district, which he considers his home turf.

PARIS: European scientists say they have successfully tested in animals a vaccine for hepatitis C, a contagious and debilitating virus that can cause

WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday he was ''particularly concerned'' about the possibility of further cuts in military spending

HYDERABAD: Deputy Commissioner Hyderabad Asif Ali has informed that around 33763 ''Sasta Atta'' bags, each of 10 Kg were distributed through 132 stalls

HYDERABAD: The Department of International Relations University of Sindh is introducing a seminar series/lectures every Saturday by Dr. Aftab Kazi For

RAWALPINDI: Rain in Rawalpindi city turned weather pleasant on Thursday giving relief to the residents from the prolonged heat wave conditions.

KUALA LUMPUR: RapidKL will provide additional bus services to accommodate passengers travelling to Batu Caves for Thaipusam on Tuesday.

PETALING JAYA: Many, including overseas buyers, regard the Malaysian golden arowana as a good luck charm and symbol of prosperity.

REMBAU: Sixty Muslims who patronised a computerised gambling premises near Taboh Naning, here, were detained in a raid early Saturday.

ALOR SETAR: The gag order issued on Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak shows his position as the state leader is not respected by Pakatan Rakyat.

KUALA LUMPUR: Former director-general of Museums Department, Datuk Dr Adi Taha, 60, died from cancer at his house in Setapak here, early Saturday.

Cambodia's war crimes court rejected the appeal a man who ran a Khmer Rouge regime torture prison and instead increased his sentence to life imprisonment.

Across Afghanistan, civilians live in fear that they will become part of a grim and ever growing tally -- as innocent casualties in a decade of conflict. And according to a United Nations report released Saturday tracking civilian casualties, that rate of such deaths rose yet again in 2011.

Charges have been dismissed against an Army soldier accused in what prosecutors described as a conspiracy to kill Afghan civilians for sport and then cover it up, the military said Friday.

Senior Iranian lawmakers are considering a boycott of Samsung, the South Korean electronics and appliance manufacturer, because of a controversial Israeli ad that pokes fun at the nuclear crisis, semi-official Press TV said Friday.

Some 246 survivors have been rescued in the aftermath the sinking of a passenger ferry off the east coast of Papua New Guinea, authorities said Friday.

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(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The incoming Finance Minister Christina Liu yesterday said a ?windfall tax? could be a measure to achieve taxation fairness, but she has no plans to raise the stock transaction tax or introduce a capital gains tax during her term.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The incoming agricultural chief yesterday denied that the government has already decided to lift a ban on ractopamine-containing U.S. beef, but health authorities vowed to impose strict control of such imports if they are allowed.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The incoming Finance Minister Christina Liu yesterday said a ?windfall tax? could be a measure to achieve taxation fairness, but she has no plans to raise the stock transaction tax or introduce a capital gains tax during her term.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Authorities in northeast Romania have taken nine children into care after a baby died in an unheated house where the temperature was as cold as outside, an agency said on Friday.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - The U.S. economy created jobs at the fastest pace in nine months in January and the unemployment rate dropped to a near three-year low of 8.3 percent, indicating last quarter's growth carried into early 2012.

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.

At least two people have been shot and killed in the Egyptian city of Suez as police used live rounds to hold back crowds during a protest over security forces’ failure to prevent a deadly football riot. Angry fans closed off Tahrir Square and state TV ahead of a protest against police handling of the [...]

Seven Pakistani soldiers were killed and three others wounded in a Taliban attack on their check post in the country?s northwestern tribal belt, security officials said on Friday. A government official says militants have killed seven Pakistani paramilitary soldiers in an attack near the Afghan border. According to sources, militants attacked a check post in [...]

Senior officials in the Egyptian city of Port Said and the Egyptian football association have been sacked in the wake of riots on Wednesday at a football match. Angry members of parliament denounced the lack of security at the match and gathered for an emergency session on Thursday, a day after violence erupted following an [...]

The Supreme Court has summoned Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Feb 13 ruling that he committed contempt of court by not implementing court orders. Judge Nasir-ul-Mulk said there were grounds to proceed against Gilani, despite the government’s insistence that President Asif Ali Zardari has immunity from prosecution while he is head of state. Meanwhile [...]

In a major setback for the government, the Supreme Court on Thursday quashed all 122 spectrum licences granted during the tenure of former communications minister A Raja. Imposing a fine of Rs five crore each on three telecom companies, which offloaded their shares after getting the licenses, the court directed regulator Telecom Regulatory Authority of [...]

LAHORE: Two more people passed away in Lahore from drug reaction. Doctors are busy administrating the anti

ISLAMABAD: Several cities of the country are experiencing snowfall and rain. In northern areas, snowfall c

KARACHI: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will visit the Gulf state of Qatar next week to meet with the leadershi

QUETTA: A complete wheel-jam strike was observed in different parts of Balochistan on Saturday against the killing

KARACHI: Pakistan s first Business train reached Karachi fifteen minutes before the scheduled time from Lahore on

ISLAMABAD: While the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) and Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI) are poised to significantly dent the PML-Nawaz in future parl

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has signed two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with the Centre for Advance Studies and Eng

ISLAMABAD: Transparency International Pakistan has requested the CJP to take notice of non-fulfillment of the contract agreement by Karkey-II (Extensi

HYDERABAD: Sindh Taraqi Passand Party’s (STP) chief Dr Qadir Magsi has demanded that the Sindh government should be dissolved and a caretaker governm

ISLAMABAD: Altaf Hussain, the founder-leader of Pakistan’s third largest and Sindh’s second largest political party, has concluded that the government

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.

The presence of seven glamorous looking young women at the MCA Youth annual general meeting (AGM) on Saturday turned heads of delegates and made the front page of several newspapers the next day...

'Since Nazri did not say the custom declaration form is wrong, I suppose it is reasonable to assume the form, in its entirety, is correct.' Customs confirms existence of RM24mil ring Louis: Malaysians...

A total of seven animal cruelty cases at animal care centre, Petnode Online Pet Store, last September have been referred to the Public Prosecutor (PP). Deputy Agriculture and Agro-Based Industries...

Five employment sectors have been given the green light to hire 1.3 million illegal immigrants registered under the 6P amnesty programme to fill up job vacancies. Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein...

A Port Klang Authority (PKA) legal adviser told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today in the corruption trial of former transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik, that its former general manager OC Phang...

MOSCOW: Tens of thousands massed on Saturday for rival rallies in Moscow opposing or supporting Russian strongman Vladimir Putin's political domination ahead of presidential polls, police said.

BEIJING: The death toll from a gas explosion in a southwest China coal mine rose to 13, Xinhua news agency said on Saturday, in the latest accident to hit the nation's dangerous mining industry.

MANILA: A senior aide to Philippine President Benigno Aquino was reprimanded but allowed to keep his job after being photographed buying counterfeit movie discs, a government spokeswoman said Saturday.

SINGAPORE: Police are investigating an accident involving two cars, which occurred at the junction of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 and Avenue 8 on Saturday afternoon.

DAMASCUS: The Syrian army unleashed a massive attack on the city of Homs early Saturday, bombing the protest hub and killing at least 260 people in a bloody "massacre", activists and witnesses said.

We have to give the rural people who comprises 80% of our population the results of giant development works we have initiated in the country. It is not only an expectation but also a challenge which we are ready to take up, President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.

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Our nation is fortunate to celebrate the 64th Independence Day with a genuine sense of dignity about freedom. Today the national flag flutters pointing to a new country in the making. The way is open for an independent economy. It daily reinforces the nation?s aspiration for a prosperous future.

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday told the state Assembly that she will not rest till Katchatheevu is retrieved to defend livelihood rights of fishermen.

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Luke Bronin, the US Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes met with Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka, at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Colombo on 02 February.

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Former Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK) President M Karunanidhi has alleged that some goondas had entered the General Council meeting in the guise of supporting Mr Stalin and had tried to drive a wedge in the party.

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Following Zhang Yueran?s NEWriting (?), Han Han?s defunct Party (???), and Di An?s ZUI Found (????), Annie Baobei becomes the latest popular novelist to launch her own literary magazine.

The inaugural issue of O-pen (??) makes a splash by featuring a pair of literary giants.

The first half of the magazine is devoted to a lengthy interview with Haruki Murakami. The interview, conducted over the course of three days in May 2010 by Matsuie Masashi, first appeared in the Summer 2010 issue of Kangaeru Hito (????, ?The Thinker?). The O-pen version is translated by Zhang Lefeng.

Accompanying the interview is a 1Q84-inspired trip through Tokyo courtesy of Peggy Kuo (???), the author of a book of photo-essays about the Tokyo locations featured in Murakami?s fiction.

One of the issue?s other highlights is ?What Are Dragons? (????), a previously unpublished essay by Zhou Zuoren. Critic and O-pen editorial board member Zhi An (??) describes the essay?s journey to publication:

?What Are Dragons? is an unpublished piece by Zhou Zuoren written in the early 1950s. In Zhou?s diary, we find in the entry for August 24, 1953: ?Copied out the old essay, ?What Are Dragons?, twelve pages by the afternoon.? August 25: ?Copied out the old essay, eighteen pages in all.? August 27: ?This afternoon went to the post office to send off the old essay ?What Are Dragons,? eighteen pages, to Mr. Pan.? Mr. Pan is Pan Jitong (???), then head of the Beijing office of Da Kung Pao. However, the piece was not published. Zhou rewrote some of its material into ?Yangtse Crocodile? and ?The Qilin, Phoenix, Tortoise, and Dragon,? collected in Wood Chips (???). The October 28, 1964 edition of Hong Kong?s New Evening Post (???) printed ?Dragons Today? (????), which included the line, ?Ten years ago I wrote a piece called ?What Are Dragons,? and although it was not published, the manuscript fortunately still survives.? The piece excerpted part ten of ?What Are Dragons,? with certain additions and deletions. The handwritten manuscript of ?What Are Dragons? is retained by the late author?s family. Neither Uncollected Writings of Zhitang edited by Chen Zishan nor the Complete Prose of Zhou Zuoren edited by Zhong Shuhe include this essay.

In the essay itself, a rather lightweight investigation into the origins of the mythological creature, Zhou Zuoren briefly discusses traditional Chinese depictions of the dragon as a reptile, as a supernatural being, and as the Dragon King, before moving on to look at how dragons are depicted in India and in the West. He also compares the dragons to dinosaurs, crocodiles and lizards, and suggests, ?We can conclude that the Chinese dragon actually existed as a large reptile, a kind of lizard. Closest to it today is probably the Komodo dragon, and hence it could be raised domestically. But the strange thing is that this not particularly sophisticated creature has left such a deep influence upon Chinese culture.?

This issue also features a translation of ?Pharmacy? from Elizabeth Strout?s collection Olive Kitteridge, an appreciation of Hou Hsiao-hsien by Jia Zhangke, a short story by Hong Kong writer Flora Wong Bik-wan (???), and an essay by Annie Baobei herself.

Tags: Annie Baobei, dragons, Haruki Murakami, Zhou Zuoren

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The Dongguan-based Pegasus battery company decorates its wares with elements of traditional Chinese culture.

"Energy transmits culture" (??????), the packaging claims, and customers can enjoy depictions of giant pandas, Peking Opera masks, the four great inventions, and scenes from classic novels, at least until they shut the battery slot and go back to clicking the TV remote.

Shown here is a Qing Dynasty ceramic jar with an illustration of a man riding a qilin. The caption:

Thousands of years ago, through their own knowledge and hard work, the ancestors of the Chinese people invented and created with their own hands a perfect artificial stone, which has endured to be enjoyed by all humanity. This artificial stone, known as ceramic, is a great wonder in the history of human civilization.

Tags: batteries, culture, energy, soft power

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MANAMA: GCC leaders will firmly confront any plots against member states, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa said yesterday.

A MUNICIPAL council is going up against parliament in a multi-million-dinar land row - with one councillor accusing MPs of wasting people's time.

RELATIVES of a British pensioner, who went missing nine months ago during the height of Bahrain's unrest, have accepted they may never see her again.

MANAMA: The Interior Ministry yesterday stated that a medical examiner affirmed the death of a citizen on Saturday was due to natural causes.

MANAMA: Bahrain could soon have an energy agency that would focus on green power working closely with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Even as several tracks of peace talks with the Taliban open up, Asia Times Online has learned that senior members of the Western-trained and financed Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police plan to defect with vast numbers of their colleagues to the militants once foreign forces start to leave the country. - Hamza Ameer and Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud (Feb 3, '12)

The surprise decision to phrase out a combat role for US troops in Afghanistan by mid-2013 has drawn mixed reaction in Washington, with critics of the 11-year international occupation cheering and neo-cons and other hawks assessing that the strategy will open the door to Kabul for the Taliban. The announcement comes as a critical juncture on a number of fronts. - Jim Lobe (Feb 3, '12)

Washington, London and Paris are falling over themselves to assure the real international community that the "Arab-led drive to secure a peaceful end to the 10-month crackdown" in Syria at the United Nations is not seeking another mandate for bombing a la Libya. But BRICS members Russia and China see it for what it is: no less than a crude drive for regime change. - Pepe Escobar (Feb 3, '12)

North Korea reportedly is producing middle-range missiles for export for Iran's defense in the event of a Middle East war that would make the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan look like brush fires. Closer to home, Pyongyang has fired off a series of questions to South Korea that are not necessarily expected to be answered. - Donald Kirk (Feb 3, '12)

Squabbling among followers of late spiritual guru Acharya Rajneesh over a US$7.1 million land deal has escalated in the Indian courts, while visitors to the "sex to super-consciousness" guru's ashram are falling due to exorbitant pricing. The materialism on display seems far removed from the days of "free love" and transcendental meditation. - Sudha Ramachandran (Feb 3, '12)

The day's top showbiz news and headlines including Madonna releases a new video, Roseanne Barr announces a bid for the U.S. presidency, and Jean Dujardin is featured in a racy ...

Financial Secretary John Tsang has vowed to continue fighting property market speculation. Speaking on a radio programme today, Mr Tsang said the Government has implemented measures to stabilise ...

Rory Boland, 29, grew up in Tamworth, England, and moved to Hong Kong in 2006 to pursue writing: He is the author of "Moon: Living Abroad in Hong Kong," published in August (Avalon Travel; ...

Hong Kong's Secretary for Food &Health York Chow said on Friday that the city government will review the need for an adjustment in the quota and policies regarding pregnant mainland women ...

Financial Secretary John Tsang's fifth and last budget of the current-term Hong Kong government delivered on Wednesday was a model of fiscal design, the envy of most governments. Which ...

Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard began naval maneuvers Saturday in the latest show of force near the strateg Strait of Hormuz, the critical Gulf oil tanker route that Tehran has threatened to ...

Nine out of ten offices of state water company PDAM in Jambi province are in a poor finacial state, according the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP).BPKP Jambi office head Didik Krisdiyanto said ...

The World Bank?s newly appointed Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific, Pamela Cox, will visit Indonesia next week to meet with government counterparts and opinion makers in the country to ...

Antara/Yudhi MahatmaA worker assembles an electricity panel at the PT Guna Elektro factory in Cikarang, West Java, on Thursday. The company could annually produce 3,000 units of medium voltage ...

JP/Arief SuhardimanJAKARTA: Local pop band Nidji is planning to release their new album, Victory, in Australia as part of their latest attempt to conquer the international music scene.?Actually, we ...

NHK is in talks to sell some 1,050 analog broadcasting relay stations it no longer uses to Softbank Mobile Corp., sources said.
The mobile phone service provider will use the stations — rendered obsolete by the nationwide switch to digital broadcasting last July — mostly as cell towers in mountainous areas because of complaints about reception in rural areas, the sources said Thursday.

Driver Takuma Sato has signed a deal with IndyCar team Rahal-Letterman Racing. Honda Motorsports announced the move on Friday.
Sato competed in Formula One from 2002-08 before moving to IndyCar in 2010. He drove for KV Racing Technology the last two seasons.

In a rare move, the Fair Trade Commission has retracted a 2009 order to the Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers to end a "monopolistic" fee collection practice, because it couldn't find evidence the copyright body is breaking the Antimonopoly Law.
JASRAC, the nation's largest music copyright protection group, manages the copyrights of more than 7 million tunes. It has nearly full control of the music licensing market for broadcasters in Japan.

The Nationals are heading to spring training with what appears to be one of the deepest starting staffs in the major leagues.
Edwin Jackson agreed Thursday to a one-year contract with Washington, a deal that gives the Nationals seven potential starting pitchers.

Fujifilm Holdings Corp. may get snubbed by cross-town rival Olympus Corp. in its attempt to move further away from the photographic film business that dragged down industry pioneer Eastman Kodak Co.
"We aren't too optimistic" that Olympus will welcome a takeover approach or collaboration, CEO Shigetaka Komori said in a recent interview at Fujifilm's Tokyo headquarters. "Olympus will most likely want to run the business by itself."

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KUWAIT CITY (AP) ? Witnesses say demonstrators have stormed into the Syrian Embassy compound in Kuwait, breaking windows and hoisting the flag of the opposition to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Saturday's attack came as activists sa...

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) ? Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf says India will not resume cricket ties with its neighbor because it fears losing. The subcontinent's arch rivals have not played each other in a series since 2007, wit...

ISLAMABAD (AP) ? Pakistan's prime minister will explain his country's stance on the issue of peace talks with the Afghan Taliban when he travels next week to Qatar to meet the Gulf state's leaders, a government spokesman said Saturday. Last month,...

Gepokert wird bekanntlich auf der ganzen Welt und in jedem Casino. Natürlich sind die Mitspieler nicht alle so brav, wie man es gerne hätte. Viele sind auf Betrügen aus und wollen nur eines. Den ganzen Pot gewinnen. Egal auf welche Art und Weise. Das Falschspiel hat schon eine lange Tradition. Schon im Wilden Westen wurden [...]

Beim Pokern kann man nur gewinnen, wenn man von Anfang an weiß, welche Karten schlecht und welche Gute sind. Es macht keinen Sinn, wenn man schlechte Karten bis ans Ende mitspielen lässt, weil man im Endeffekt nur eine Menge Geld dabei verliert – mehr zum Geldgewinnen findet Ihr auch unter http://www.der-casinoclub.com. Das bedeutet schlechte Karten [...]

Es gibt Dinge im Leben, die darf man einfach nicht verschweigen. Glücksspiele machen eine Menge Spaß und der Reiz ist groß. Manchmal leider zu groß. Menschen, die nie von sich gedacht haben, dass sie irgendwann mal spielsüchtig werden, sind jetzt pleite. Ob diese Menschen Warnungen ernst genommen haben, ist fraglich. Die meisten wollen es gar [...]

Überall auf dem Malediven wird Poker gespielt. Das Poker, welches man im Fernsehen sieht, ist die populärste Methode und nennt sich Texas Holdem. Es gibt aber noch viele andere Varianten, die man gemeinsam spielen kann. Manche sind eventuell schwieriger, andere dafür einfacher. Aber hat man einmal die Regeln verstanden, dürfte jedes Spiel seine Reize haben. [...]

Die 19 Inselgruppen der Malediven werden nochmal aufgeteilt auf 1196 Inseln, dabei sind aber nun 220 bewohnt. Leider liegen die Malediven nur einen Meter über dem Meeresspiegel und werden oft von Hochwasser heimgesucht. Aber durch das wunderschöne Klima wird das Hochwasser wieder überspielt. Die günstige Lage bringt tropisches Luft auf die Inseln – ideal für [...]

Dumhpawng Kawng, Myanmar ? When the Burmese soldiers dumped the body of a young ethnic Kachin guerrilla fighter outside a jungle hut in front of his commander, he was still in his uniform. His right hand had been shredded with a knife. There was a large gunshot wound in his stomach. The Burmese had captured [...]

Laiza, Burma] ? The leadership of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), Burma’s last major armed ethnic group still engaged in armed conflict with the central government, say they want a formal ?political dialogue? to begin with Burma’s retired General Thein Sein’s government and will not take part in “ceasefire talks”. Speaking at public meeting at [...]

Hkun Okker, Chairman of the PaO National Liberation Organization (PNLO), speaking at the closing ceremony of the 11th batch of the Shan State Social Justice Education Programme training on Sunday, 29 January, said the identities of Burma?s multi-ethnic peoples hang in the balance as long as the country?s latest constitution which is ?of the military, [...]

The new media law bill to be introduced in the Burmese Parliament in February will make major changes to Burma?s media landscape, said an official quoted in the Myanmar Times on Monday. However, he said that the law will apply only to print publications and not to broadcast or online media. The deputy director general [...]

New Delhi ? Members of eight Burmese political parties arrived in New Delhi on Saturday to discuss the Kaladan River project, a joint India-Burma trade venture. The two-day meeting is hosted by Jamia Millia Islamia University, said Chin National Party chairman Zam Ciin Paul. ?I want our people to know what the project intends to [...]

TOKYO ? Typhoon Songda churned northeast along Pacific coasts in southern Japan Sunday, bringing with it heavy rains and staying on course to hit Tokyo as it weakened, weather officials said. It was expected to be downgraded to a depression late Sunday but could still dump torrential rain on the northeast coast, which was devastated [...]

BEIJING ? Authorities said a blast at a chemical plant in eastern China has killed three people and injured eight others. The government of Zibo city in Shandong province said in a statement Sunday that police were investigating the cause of the explosion at a chemical plant owned by Shandong Baoyuan Chemical Co. Ltd. The [...]

KUALA LUMPUR ? A team of UN atomic energy experts began a week-long visit to Malaysia on Sunday to review the safety of a proposed Australian rare earths refinery that has drawn protests. Following public concerns that radioactive waste from the plant could leak out and harm the environment, Malaysia has put the project by [...]

TOKYO ? Emergency workers on Sunday restored the cooling system of a reactor which had come to a halt after escaping major damage from the March 11 quake and damage at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. The water pump to cool the reactor and the pool for spent nuclear fuel at the facility’s No. [...]

BEIJING ? China will expand a ban on free shopping bags, state media said, as it tries to further curb its addiction to plastic in a bid to rid the country of “white pollution” that clogs waterways, farms and fields. Bookstores and pharmacies nationwide will soon be forbidden to give out free plastic bags, joining [...]

ZAWYA DOW JONES DOHA QATAR, the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is drawing up a contingency plan to close down its vast LNG facilities in an emergency, if Iran carries out recent threats to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a senior oil official said on Thursday.

REUTERS ISTANBUL FRENCH construction group Vinci and a partnership between US private equity firm Carlyle Group and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) are the leading bidders in a race for a near 40 percent stake in Turkish airport operator TAV Havalimanlari Holding, three sources close to the deal said on Friday.

AFP KUWAIT CITY KUWAIT’S Islamist-led opposition has won a landslide majority in Kuwait’s snap polls by securing 34 seats in the 50-member parliament, with women and liberals the big losers, results showed on Friday.

AGENCIES BEIRUT AT LEAST 19 people, among them two children and three army defectors, were killed on Friday around Damascus when government forces stormed areas that have witnessed recent anti-regime protests, Syrian activist Omar Idlbi told DPA.

AFP JERUSALEM UN SECRETARY-General Ban Ki-moon said time is running out for a settlement but he is not giving up, after Israeli and Palestinian leaders rejected a return to direct negotiations.

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 Elections Department has said the name of the DNA member to fill the vacant parliamentary seat of former Army Commander and DNA Leader Sarath Fonseka would be gazetted today (7).

Private buses operating along at least 15 routes from Horana including the 120 route have launched an indefinite bus strike from this afternoon.

Police today (Feb. 06) arrested two Muslim men from Sea Street, Colombo on the charge of having aided the LTTE.

UNP MP for Hambantota Sajith Premadasa says he will launch an local government election campaign of his own, which will be second to none.

S. Pathmanathan aka ‘KP’, described as LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s successor, says his North-East Rehabilitation and Development Organisation (NERDO) will not seek political recognition.

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....