Asia- The Latest Headlines from the continent of Asia

Mumbai Cricket Association banned KKR co-owner SRK from entering Wankhede Stadium for five years. However, Rajiv Shukla says the BCCI will take a final call.

IPL player Luke Pomersbach was arrested for "molesting" a US national. The victim claimed the player insisted on having drinks with her and her fiancé.

The sharp fall of the rupee has spooked the parents of students studying abroad.The rupee on Friday plunged to a new low of 54.89, many of them are an anxious lot.

World?s largest retailer Wal-Mart plans to enter Gujarat through the NRG-rich belt of Gujarat ? Anand, also India?s milk capital.

Results of the Joint Entrance Examination, scores of which will be used for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology across the country, were published this morning. Arpit Agarwal from Faridabad is said to have bagged the top rank with a score of 385 of 401.

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 TERENGGANU: PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub has confirmed that he will contest in his home state Johor in the general election.

KUALA LUMPUR: Two policemen claimed trial at the Magistrate's court here to using criminal force on a press photographer during the April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth has condemned the incident in London where a few Malaysians were seen heckling Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when he was delivering a speech.

KUALA LUMPUR: Someone tried to break into Bersih co-chairman Datuk S. Ambiga?s office between Thursday evening and Friday morning.

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have opened an investigation paper on Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez?s remarks, published in an Indonesian newspaper, that Malaysia was unsafe for migrant workers.

The Ayala brothers are keen motorcyclists and hope their family company remains a driver for the Philippine economy.

The art duo of Gilbert and George on how their work can ruffle feathers and the benefits of routine.

Song Byeok had every reason to be pleased with his success. A gift for drawing led to a prestigious career as a propaganda artist and full membership in North Korea's communist party.

CNN's Kyung Lah reports on how the Philippines hopes to reduce pollution, one ecofriendly motorbike at a time.

CNN's Nkepile Mabuse reports on a successful fashion designer who suddenly became a devoted conservationist.

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(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Spain's borrowing costs shot up at a bond auction on Thursday, after economic data confirmed the country is back in recession and reports of an outflow of deposits from nationalized Bankia hammered its share price.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - A judge suspended Ratko Mladic's genocide and war crimes trial indefinitely Thursday after prosecutors failed to disclose thousands of documents to the former Bosnian Serb military chief's defense team ? a ruling that could delay the trial for months.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - President Ma Ying-jeou vowed to further enhance Taiwan's trade liberalization in the upcoming four years by signing various international trade pacts. He made the remarks at the 2012 Europe Day dinner for the European Chamber of Commerce Taipei (ECCT, ?????????) yesterday evening.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - Fair Trade Commission (???, FTC) Chairman Wu, Shiow-ming (???) stated yesterday that the FTC will summon representatives of Nexon Co. to talk next week concerning the takeover of Gamamia Digital Entertainment Co. (????). Nexon may be fined up to NT$25 million (US$833,333) and the FTC might acquire the authority to nullify the takeover of Gamamia, according to officials.

(ChinaPost.com.tw) - More than two dozen world leaders will join President Barack Obama in an extraordinary weekend of back-to-back summits to tackle Europe's mounting economic woes and solidify plans for winding down the decade-long war in Afghanistan.

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.

Headley has pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism charges related to Mumbai attacks and other plots.

Baba Ramdev has decided to go on hunger strike from Saturday in New Delhi to put pressure on the government to rid the society of corruption.

The two-day National Executive Meeting assumes importance as the party is in political wilderness in Uttar Pradesh for about a decade and now placed behind SP, BSP and Congress in the state in the Lok Sabha polls in 2009.

Baba Ramdev said that his agitation was neither "politically motivated or communal" nor he has any "underground agenda".

Maran was questioned by a news magazine the circumstances in which he granted license to Aircel.

Rating agency Moody’s downgraded 16 Spanish banks on Thursday, the latest sign of distress in Europe. Benchmark indices in Europe all tumbled, including London, Paris and Frankfurt. Greece?s ASE fell to its lowest level since January 1990. Spain’s main share index fell more than 2% before recovering, while shares in London fell by as much [...]

US lawmakers in the House of Representatives debating the National Defence Authorisation Act voted 412-1 for an amendment that could block up to $650 million in proposed payments to Pakistan unless Islamabad lets coalition forces resume shipment of war supplies across its territory. The lawmakers were debating an annual defence policy bill that seeks $642.5 [...]

Prosecutors are outlining their evidence of the alleged involvement of former Bosnian Serb military chief General Ratko Mladic in Europe’s worst mass murder since World War II, the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. Gen Mladic is accused of orchestrating the killings of more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslim boys and men in the town. The former general showed [...]

Two Pakistan Air Force (PAF) light aircraft collided mid-air on Thursday, killing four pilots on a routine training mission near Nowshera, police said. It was the sixth Pakistan Air Force crash in seven months and the second in a week, raising concerns over the safety of its largely Chinese and locally made fleet. Last Friday, [...]

Ratko Mladic, who is accused of orchestrating a horrific campaign of ethnic cleansing during the bloody civil war that ripped apart Yugoslavia, went on trial Wednesday at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Netherlands. Mladic is accused of 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including orchestrating the [...]

KARACHI: The Sindh government has announced that the summer vacations in the province would start from July 1st ti

KARACHI: Bullet riddled body of a young man was found in Liaquatabad on early hours of Friday, police said. br

KARACHI: A young man was shot dead by unidentified armed men near Al-Asif Squire, Sohrab Goth area late Thursday,

ISLAMABAD: On the advice of the Prime Minister, President Asif Ali Zardari on Friday summoned a joint sitting of t

FAISALABAD: A thirteen year old student of class six, Umer tried to commit suicide by self –immolation after he wa

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...

JAKARTA: A mob of 600 Islamic hardliners threw plastic bags filled with urine at an Indonesian church congregation celebrating the ascension of Christ, a lawyer said on Friday.

BANGKOK: In two weeks, 111 banned Thai politicians from the Thai Rak Thai Party are set to re-enter the political fray.

NEW YORK: Facebook on Friday makes the richest-ever share offering for a technology firm, raking in billions of dollars it could wield to dethrone Google as king of the Internet.

MADRID: Shares in Spain's troubled Bankia soared 28.88 per cent on Friday as the financial sector staged a dramatic recovery a day after 16 banks were sharply downgraded by Moody's.

MUMBAI: Mumbai cricket officials on Friday announced a five-year ban on Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan from the city's main stadium after a late-night row with staff at the grounds.

Following the complete annihilation of the somewhat superior military might of the separatist Tamil Tigers within the territorial boundaries of Sri Lanka exactly three years ago but allowing its international public diplomacy to grow in a rapid pace amazingly surrounding the power centers of Washington and some European Union nations, the issues facing Sri Lanka in which the U.S. has already established a direct link seem to be divided between two centers in Washington.

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The recent Asian Tribune article on ?Philosophical Issues In Relation To Buddhism? is very critical of Buddhism and complains that Buddhists criticize other religions.

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As the two governments strengthen their bilateral relationship, the United States seeks to build on its engagement with the people of Burma through increased people-to-people exchanges. More than 1,400 Burmese civil society members, young leaders, students, and journalists are alumni of U.S. government exchange programs.

read more

Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan hit back at the Mumbai Cricket Association, saying he was not drunk during the alleged brawl between him and MCA officials and got into the spat only after kids with him were "manhandled".

read more

It is reported that President Mahinda Rajapaksa has obtained cabinet approval for the release of former Army Commander and General, Sarath Fonseka from jail. His release is now imminent. Conditions of release, if any, are not known as yet.

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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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After more than a year of sporadic contact, U.S.-Taliban talks have been stalled for months, deflating the Obama administration?s hopes that progress toward a political solution to the Afghan war would be well underway this spring.

Read full article >>

MUMBAI ? Kumar Jain?s small shop in Zaveri Bazaar, Mumbai?s labyrinthine jewelry district, has the feverish atmosphere of a Wall Street trading room. Women wave calculators, quote the latest global gold prices and haggle fiercely over bangles laid out on velvet trays.

Read full article >>

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan ? U.S. commanders in Afghanistan want to get war supplies rolling across Pakistan?s borders again. So do Pakistanis in places high and low ? from officials trying to balance the nation?s budget to black marketeers who stand ready to plunder the NATO-contracted trucks and oil tankers expected to shortly resume passage into Afghanistan after nearly six months of closed border crossings.

Read full article >>

NEW DELHI ?Facing a collapse in investor confidence and a decline in the rupee to a record low against the dollar, India?s finance minister said Wednesday it was time for ?some austerity? ? but not time to panic.

Read full article >>

ISLAMABAD ? Although Pakistan?s leaders have complained bitterly about CIA drones targeting militants on their country?s soil, they seem powerless to stop them. Now attorneys for drone strike victims want to know why the government has failed to act.

Read full article >>

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).

In the matter of the Scarborough Shoal mess, the Philippines started it and the infamous Chinese nine-dash line encompassing almost the entire South China Sea looks like an audacious claim drawn from an appetite for aggression. A closer look reveals that there is some genuine method to Beijing's madness, and a chance that gas and greed, rather than international law and principle, may salvage peace in the South China Sea. - Peter Lee (May 18, '12)

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization hopes that If you can't beat them in Pashtunistan, you can at least corral them in the home of the blues, with NATO's Chicago summit planned to instill in members the "common values" behind drone warfare and base expansion. As riot police lock down the city, some partners likely fear they've married into the mob. - Pepe Escobar (May 18, '12)

Hopes by Iran hawks for the United States Congress to provide enough ammunition to threaten Iran with a military strike on the eve of critical talks over Tehran's nuclear program have fallen unexpectedly short. The House has retracted its talons, while over in the Senate a new sanctions bill was blocked by Republicans because it wasn't sufficiently aggressive. - Jim Lobe (May 18, '12)

The possibility of direct talks between the United States and Iran emerged in January when new sanctions gave the White House political cover to revert to a policy of engagement. However, Tehran's profound mistrust of American sincerity hampers progress. The only sensible way forward is to let bygones be bygones and work through an intermediary such as Turkey or Oman. - Peter Jenkins (May 18, '12)

China's refusal to use its leverage as North Korea's friend and protector to halt its provocations strengthens the United States alliance system that Beijing considers a tool of encirclement. As Pyongyang blithely continues with missile launches and other acts that undermine China in the international arena, it seems hard to image a policy more damaging to Chinese national interests. - Ralph A Cossa and Brad Glosserman (May 18, '12)

With Hong Kong's traditional strengths and unique advantages, the city will serve as the testing ground for the Mainland's science and technology enterprises to go global, further enhancing ...

HONG KONG--(Marketwire -05/18/12)- Juniper Networks ( ), the industry leader in network innovation, today announced that a carrier-class switching infrastructure based on the Juniper Networks ...

The Environmental Protection Department has rated water quality at 18 beaches 'good' for this weekend.Eighteen other beaches have been rated 'fair' while Silver Mine Bay Beach has ...

The main English paper in Hong Kong carried an editorial on Friday from a fellow Hongkonger named Jessica, who opposes looming fare hikes averaging 5.4 percent on the Mass Transit Railway or MTR ...

Artists, collectors and dealers from around the world thronged the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on Wednesday for the preview of Hong Kong International art fair. Known as Art HK 12, ...

The National Transportation Safety Committee (KNKT) will download and transcribe the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) from the black box of the ill-fated Sukhoi Superjet 100, senior air safety ...

The National Police say that a total of 15 victims of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 that crash into Mt. Salak in West Java on May 9 have been identified by the disaster victim identification (DVI) ...

Marking its first ever joint cooperation with the Education and Culture Ministry and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Korea International Cooperation ...

A clash broke on Jl. Malengkeri in Makassar, South Sulawesi, late on Thursday between two student groups defending their respective regions, resulting in a fire at a student dormitory.It was the ...

Police apprehended four motorcycle gang members as they were trying to rob a pedestrian in Makassar, South Sulawesi, as part of a sting operation to crack down on motorcycle gangs who have long ...

Two people familiar with the situation say the Bobcats will interview Orlando assistant Patrick Ewing on Thursday in Charlotte for their vacant head coaching position.
The people say Charlotte will interview Memphis assistant Dave Joerger on Friday. The people spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because the team hasn't publicly announced its list of candidates.

Technology titan NEC has unveiled a gadget that lets people control their TVs, mobile phones or tablet computers with a virtual input device.
NEC said a camera that tracks the movements of 3-D shapes will combine with a projector that could show the image of an input device — such as a keyboard — on almost any surface.

The Muppets franchise gets a thorough dusting off and a major makeover in "The Muppets," but it's probably the parents, and not the kids, who will most appreciate the effort. This is the first Muppets movie to come out since "Muppets From Space" in 1999, and such a lot of water has gone under the bridge that the Muppets themselves are acutely aware of how times have changed, how old friends are gone and how their shelf-life has long since passed.
Kermit the Frog, that master philosopher who had always combined compassion with soulful self-pity ("It's not easy being green"), is the first to admit it; he's a relic of the past. He lives alone in a rundown Hollywood mansion, and his needs are catered to by a creaky "'80s robot" carrying drink cans on a tray. "I haven't seen the old gang in a long, long time," sighs Kermit wistfully. "I guess people sorta forgot about us."

As risk-aversion spawned by fresh concern over the eurozone sovereign debt crisis dominates equity markets, Tokyo stocks are expected to stay in the doldrums as markets abroad deteriorate.
In March, the Nikkei index climbed back above the 10,000 line for the first time in around seven months after the yen's decline caused by the Bank of Japan's surprising decision Feb. 14 to further loosen monetary policy.

A number of companies have started marketing equipment and devices that enable inspectors to visually detect radiation hot spots.
The devices are expected to be a great help to municipalities and construction companies engaged in decontamination work in areas affected by the nuclear crisis at Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 power plant.

I have a friend  who was late from leave for seven days. If the company terminates his contract, will my friend receive a 3-month payment for his termination or does he have to serve a 3-month notice period? Name withheld Answer : If a perso...

BEIJING (AP) ? Leaders of China's solar power industry have rejected a U.S. antidumping ruling and say proposed punitive tariffs might disrupt efforts to promote clean energy. The companies on Friday denied receiving improper subsidies and said...

NEW DELHI (AP) ? Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has been banned from entering a Mumbai cricket stadium after scuffling with security guards. Mumbai Cricket Association official Vilasrao Deshmukh said Friday that Khan would be banned from the stadi...

TEHRAN, May 18, 2012 (AFP) -Iran summoned Bahrain's ambassador in Tehran after his foreign minister told the Islamic republic to stop interfering in his nation's internal affairs, state media reported on Friday. Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled b...

Bangkok, May 18, 2012 (AFP) -Six human foetuses which had been roasted and covered in gold leaf as part of a black magic ritual have been seized from a British citizen in Bangkok, Thai police said Friday. Chow Hok Kuen, 28, who is of Taiwanese ...

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 [...]

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Ethnic rebels in the far north of Myanmar have urged the United Nations to send observers to monitor fighting with government troops, a Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) official said on Thursday.In a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, emailed to AFP, the KIO ?implored? observers to visit the conflict zone where fighting has raged [...]

Nearly 150 Burmese migrant workers, who for up to two years had been locked inside a shrimp factory in Mahachai near Bangkok, were rescued on Tuesday by Thai police and social organizations.Kyaw Thaung, a spokesperson for the Burmese Association in Thailand (BAT), told The Irrawaddy that his organization found out about the workers through an [...]

Dawei, Myanmar – A simple, red sign on a white beach marks the start of a billion-dollar highway that will, one day, lead to a vast industrial project to be built close to impoverished Myanmar’s border with Thailand.But with years to go before it is up and running, the $50 billion port and industrial complex [...]

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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....