Hong Kong - Job creation in Hong Kong has fallen to its lowest level in 30 months as the global financial crisis takes its toll, according to a survey published Wednesday.

The number of jobs created by the average company in the wealthy city of 6.9 million during the third quarter of 2008 was 0.51, lower than for the previous quarter and the same period in 2007.

Announcing the survey findings, the Institute of Human Resource Management said it expected job creation in Hong Kong to worsen with further decreases in 2009.

The institute, which calculated job creation rates by the number of news jobs minus jobs cut in around 1,000 Hong Kong companies, said the third quarter rate was the lowest since early 2006.

Agra, Nov 26 : Notwithstanding last season''s bad experience due to glut in potatoes that has pushed down prices in markets, farmers of Agra region in Uttar Pradesh cultivate potatoes again saying that they have no other option due to soil conditions.

Farmers said that their options to shift to other cash crops are primarily limited by scarcity of irrigation facilities and low water table in the region. They said that potato is a less water intensive crop and they have to live with it to sustain their livelihood.

Islamabad, Nov 26 : PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt met with Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad Satya Pal last evening, and later told media persons that he hoped that the Indian tour (to Pakistan) will take place as per the schedule.

Ijaz said he briefed the Indian High Commissioner about PCB’s plans for the forthcoming Indo-Pak series. “I am hopeful that India will tour and we are preparing for it,” the Daily Times quoted him as saying.

Ijaz, however, refused to disclose any details of his meeting with the Indian High Commissioner.

Manila - The Philippine government on Wednesday urged its citizens to defer non-essential travel to Thailand as anti-government demonstrators seized the international airport in Bangkok.

Foreign department spokesman Claro Cristobal said Filipino travellers requiring assistance were advised to contact the Philippine embassy in Bangkok.

He said the travel advisory was issued "in consideration of the Filipino travelers' safety and convenience."

Washington, Nov 26 : Investigation of the fireball that lit up the skies of Alberta and Saskatchewan in the US on November 20 has determined that it was caused by an asteroid fragment weighing approximately 10 tonnes.

The investigation was conducted by University of Calgary researcher Alan Hildebrand, who has outlined a region in western Saskatchewan where chunks of the desk-sized space rock are expected to be found.

The fireball first appeared approximately 80 kilometers above and just east of the border city of Lloydminster, Alberta/Saskatchewan, and traveled SSE towards the Battle River valley, fragmenting spectacularly in a series of explosions.

India's Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra has been drawn into the latest controversy as Collage Sports, which managed Bindra's endorsements before his Olympic Gold medal, has threatened to move court after their contract was terminated by the shooter. Collage Sports were associated with Bindra since 2003 and had contract till August 2009.

Bindra terminated the contract a year before its expiry and signed a new contract for his marketing rights with B Formula Entertainment.