Monday, June 24, 2002		Lens on IT

Visitors to the CommunicAsia exhibition examine the new Panasonic GD88 mobile phone, which can take and send photographs, at Singapore Expo Centre. The exhibition showcases the latest products in communications and information technology and concluded last week.

A Chinese man transports computers on the back of a tricycle in Zhongguancun, often called "China's Silicon Valley." The Beijing government has said it hopes overall revenues from business in the hi-tech development zone will increase to $42 billion by 2004 from the present $31.4 billion.

Toshiba Corp. President Tadashi Okamura, left, and Fujitsu Ltd. President Naoyuki Akikusa smile as they shake hands during their joint press conference in Tokyo. They announced Toshiba and Fujitsu would tie up in the computer chip sector, a long struggling business for the Japanese electronics rivals, to face tough competition from the rest of Asia.

A Chinese policeman inspects a closed Internet cafe in Beijing. Mayor Liu Qi ordered the immediate closure of all Internet cafes in the city and fire inspections for all buildings over the next three months, after an early morning blaze at an illegal Internet cafe killed 24 persons and injured 13. The board reads "Closed temporarily due to orders handed down from above, will reopen subject to further notice."

American born journalist Andrew Meldrum (L, with glasses), the Zimbabwe correspondent for the British newspaper The Guardian, and Zimbabwean Magistrate Godfrey Macheyo (R) watch a computer monitor while a policeman searches the Internet for a story by Meldrum at a Harare Internet cafe. Meldrum is facing charges under the new Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act over a story about the alleged beheading of an opposition supporter by ruling ZANU (PF) party supporters, which later turned out to be untrue.

— Reuters photos