Ho Chi Minh City rises

The eastern part of HCM City has been transforming rapidly thanks to several key transport projects and new modern urban areas with high rises that are springing up along the Saigon River. The East-West Highway, which was given the name of former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet last week, was partially completed last year and acts as an artery for the city, facilitating traffic between the downtown and outlying areas and, thus, their development.
When the Thu Thiem Tunnel under the Sai Gon River is opened in the middle of this year, the 20 kilometer, six – to eight-lane highway will be completed.
Beginning from National Highway 1A in Binh Chanh District in the west, it will run through districts 6,5,4,1, and 2 to link up with the Ha Noi Highway, allowing traffic from Sai Gon Port to the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta and southeastern provinces to bypass the city centre.
Another strategic structure, the Phu My Bridge, connects districts 7 and 2 across the Sai Gon River, easing cargo transport to and from Cat Lai Port and traffic between southeastern provinces like Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Dong Nai and Binh Duong and the Cuu Long Delta without the need to go around on Highway 1A.
This bridge also helps shorten the District 2-District 7 route by 10km.
Between 2005 and 2010, around 210km of new roads and 50 bridges have been built in addition to the upgrade done to the Nguyen Van Troi-Nam Ky Khoi Nghia axle and Thu Thiem Bridge.
Under a Ministry of Transport development strategy, by 2020 ring roads and expressways will be built to inter-link the Southern Key Economic Region including HCM City, Tay Ninh, Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.
According to the My Thuan Managing Board, a major MoT agency that develops transport infrastructure in the south, it has reported to the ministry about building Ring Road 3 this year.
The 89km road will run through HCM City (49 km) and Dong Nai, Binh Duong and Long An provinces. The ministry also planned to start work on the 58km Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway from Long An to Dong Nai through HCM City in 2012, the board said.
Work will continue on some 20 major projects in the city. 

aseanaffairs

Read more »

Posted in: Society,Vietnam

Central bank says to refrain from policy tightening

The central bank said it plans to stop tightening monetary policy further in the next three to six months, even after inflation reached its peak in April.
Nguyen Dong Tien, the central bank’s deputy governor, said at a government meeting last week that money supply expanded 1.5 percent in the first four months this year. That compares to a money supply growth target of 15 percent for the whole year, he added.
Meanwhile, loans grew at 5 percent in the period, which means the central bank still needs to be cautious in controlling credit to achieve the annual credit growth target of less than 20 percent, he said.
Tien said the central bank would not tighten its monetary policy while waiting for the market to respond to recent regulations.
The State Bank of Vietnam has intensified its efforts to control inflation this year. In its latest move, the refinancing rate was boosted to 14 percent from 13 percent, effective May 1. The rate hikes followed consecutive increases in February, March and April.
The monetary authority also raised the discount rate to 13 percent from 12 percent on May 1. It stopped commercial banks from lending in gold and restricted deposits of the precious metal.
Inflation surged 17.51 percent in April from a year earlier, according to the General Statistics Office in Hanoi. The rate is the highest since December 2008.

Controlling inflation is the priority for Vietnam this year, the government said

Nguyen Xuan Phuc, head of the government’s office, said at the meeting on Friday that controlling inflation will continue to be the priority this year. But at the same time, the government will try to achieve economic growth at the same level or not too much lower than last year’s rate of 6.78 percent.
The government on March 30 decided to spend VND3.1 trillion on providing inflation relief to low-income citizens in the second quarter.
Phuc said Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has also approved a plan to grant financial supports to students, personnel of the armed forces, and workers in the non-state sector, especially at garment and footwear factories.
Finance Minister Vu Van Ninh said amendments to the Personal Income Tax Law will have to be decided by legislators in a National Assembly meeting in July. Right now, the Ministry of Finance can only extend the payment deadline for corporate tax, he said.

Reported by Anh Vu / thanhniennews

Read more »

Posted in: Business,Society,Vietnam

Thailand-Cambodia border crossing reopens

Tens of thousands of villagers have been displaced by the fighting

A border crossing between Thailand and Cambodia, closed during recent fighting, has been reopened amid signs that tensions may be easing.

A tentative truce appears to have held since Monday night, and tens of thousands of villagers displaced by the fighting are gradually returning home.
Seventeen soldiers and a Thai civilian have been killed in the clashes.
The leaders of the two countries are expected to meet at a regional summit in Indonesia this weekend.
The latest fighting flared on 22 April around the temples of Ta Moan and Ta Krabey, which lie in jungle areas that both countries claim.
The area is about 200km (125 miles) west of the disputed 900-year-old Preah Vihear temple, the scene of deadly clashes in February.

The exchange of gunfire across the Thai-Cambodia border has ceased, allowing the more usual exchange of trade to resume via the newly reopened crossing. But correspondents say the row is far from being resolved.

Cambodia is now seeking clarification from the International Court of Justice of a ruling made in 1962.
The court awarded Cambodia ownership of the Preah Vihear temple, but Thailand lays claim to the land around the temple.
The issue has long been a source of tension and bone of contention for nationalists on both sides, says the BBC's South East Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey.
Cambodia has asked the court to act "as a matter of urgency" because of the gravity of the situation.
Indonesia has been trying to broker a permanent ceasefire and has offered to station observers in the disputed border areas.
Those efforts will be tested again this weekend when Jakarta hosts a regional summit including the leaders of both Thailand and Cambodia, our correspondent says.

BBC

Read more »

Posted in: Asia,Politics,Society

Seoul Still Quiet After Spying Debacle

Lotte Hotel & Resorts in Seoul, South Korea, May 4, 2011

An incident at a luxury hotel in South Korea has given a rare public glimpse into the world of international espionage. Agents of the country’s National Intelligence Service, in February, allegedly broke into a hotel room of a member of a delegation representing Indonesia’s president.

South Korean authorities are remaining tight-lipped, two-and-a-half months after the mysterious break-in of Room 1961 at Seoul’s Lotte Hotel.

What happened

Domestic media say three agents of the intelligence service were discovered inside the downtown five-star hotel, tampering with laptop computers of a visiting Indonesian delegation. The trio, reportedly composed of two men and one woman, managed to escape.

At the time of the February 16 break-in, the delegation, led by Indonesia’s chief economics minister, was at a meeting with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. 

The two countries were negotiating a deal involving the export of defense technology to Indonesia, including supersonic trainer jets.

Who's responsible

Dankook University political science professor emeritus Jung Yong-suk says he has "no doubt" who was responsible for the break-in.

Jung says it was certainly conducted by South Korea’s spy agency. He says it should be considered industrial espionage, rather than political spying.

Jung explains this is something South Korea’s government has focused on intensely for years, because the country depends heavily on exports. The professor says South Korea faces a lot of competition among export-dependent countries and to stay ahead of the game, industrial spying is essential and encouraged. The intelligence agency, he asserts, did what it had to do but unfortunately got caught in the act.

Denial

Officials at the National Intelligence Service, in response to queries by VOA and other media organizations, have repeatedly denied its agents were responsible for the bungled break-in, but say the NIS will not issue an official comment.

A member of South Korea’s intelligence community, speaking to VOA on condition of anonymity, confirms that the incident has prompted his colleagues to question the professionalism of some of their peers.

The national police commissioner, Cho Hyun-oh, told reporters that punishing those responsible would not be practical if it turned out they were South Korean intelligence operatives. He cited "the national interest."

Embarrassment

A former U.S. intelligence official and a retired diplomat, both of whom have worked in the region but do not want to be further identified, term the incident a huge embarrassment for South Korea. They say such "black bag" operations occur all of the time, but that operatives rarely get caught because of adequate surveillance of the targeted site. The officials express surprise that the incident was bungled and became public.

The executive director of the International Spy Museum in Washington, veteran CIA operations officer Peter Earnest, explains that such clandestine operations have become increasingly common.

"With globalization and global competitiveness we're going to see even more of it," Earnest said. "A number of other governments are quite prepared to use their government intelligence apparatus to support their leading industries."

Criticism

The South Korean spy agency has faced withering media criticism here, not for what it was trying to do at the Lotte Hotel, but rather for getting caught.

Several prominent newspapers, as well as politicians across the political spectrum, called for the resignation of Won Sei-hoon, the chief of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.

President Lee last month replaced two of the agency’s three deputy directors.

The incident also has tarnished the reputation of one of Seoul’s most prestigious hotels. A spokesman for the Lotte Hotel acknowledges the incident took place but will not comment further, saying it is under investigation by the police.  He says there has been no drop in bookings as a result of the negative publicity.

Collusion?

Professor Jung of Dankook University says he is certain the hotel colluded with the spy agency.

Jung says this is because of South Korea’s unique security situation. The country has been facing unceasing threats from North Korea for more than half a century, he explains, noting that South Koreans have a mindset of protecting national security. Thus the hotel’s security department, he says, would have willingly accepted the request from the intelligence agency, not because of government pressure or any financial inducements.

Former CIA operative Earnest, who spent two decades in the agency’s clandestine service, warns that any high-profile guest checking into a hotel anywhere should assume that items left in rooms may be scrutinized by government spies.

"If that service wants a key to the room and with a 'wink and a nod' gain entry, that hotel is, in all likelihood, not going to pose an objection," Earnest said. "If there is a safe in the room, you can probably leave your wallet in there and other things. However, it doesn't mean it's not going to be looked at by people who could gain access."

But intelligence insiders, such as Earnest, put part of the blame for what happened in Room 1961 at the Lotte Hotel on the Indonesians. They say no hotel guests with confidential papers should let those materials out of their sight, and that laptop computers should be carried with them, not left in the room for prying eyes.

VOA

Read more »

Posted in: Asia,Society

Pakistan: World Shares Blame for bin Laden Intelligence Failure

Pakistan's Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani reviews the troops during a ceremony at the Invalides in Paris May 3, 2011

Pakistan's prime minister says intelligence agencies around the world share the blame for his country not capturing Osama bin Laden, while Pakistan faces pressure to explain how the al-Qaida leader managed to live in a town with a large military presence.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said in Paris Wednesday if there are lapses in intelligence on the part of Pakistan, then there are lapses from the whole world.

U.S. special forces killed bin Laden early Monday during a raid in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad.  U.S. officials have demanded answers to how the al-Qaida leader could live at a $1 million compound in the town for years without the knowledge of Pakistani authorities or some level of help

In Afghanistan, a spokesman for the defense ministry said Pakistan's intelligence agency had to know bin Laden was living there because his house was so close to military installations.

The area around the compound remained sealed off Wednesday by Pakistani police and soldiers.

Pakistan has denied it protected bin Laden.  The government on Tuesday sharply criticized the U.S. raid that killed the al-Qaida leader, warning that countries should not think they have free rein to come and go through Pakistan.

Some U.S. lawmakers on Tuesday suggested the U.S. reconsider the billions of dollars in economic and military aid it sends to Pakistan each year.  Others, including House Speaker John Boehner, who led a congressional delegation to Pakistan and Afghanistan last month, said now is the time to press for closer cooperation with Pakistan.

The White House also released new details Tuesday about the U.S. special forces operation that killed bin Laden.

Spokesman Jay Carney said bin Laden was not armed, but did resist the Navy SEALs who raided the compound where he was hiding.  Carney said resistance does not require a firearm, but he did not give further details.

voa

Read more »

Posted in: Politics,Society

Vietnam condemns all forms of terrorist acts

Vietnam opposes terrorism and condemns terrorist activities in any form, said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nguyen Phuong Nga.
The spokesperson made the statement on May 3 while answering a reporter’s query on Vietnam’s response to the death of Osama Bin Laden.
“Terrorists must bear responsibility for their acts and should be severely punished,” Nga said.
Vietnam will continue to join the international community in the fight against terrorism, based on the UN Charter and the basic principles of international law, to eliminate terrorism, she said.

tuoitrenews

Read more »

Posted in: Politics,Society,Vietnam

Candidate for HCMC Council election suddenly dies

Nguyen Tien Dung, member of the city Communist Party Committee and newly-appointed deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Transport who was shortlisted to run for the upcoming city’s People’s Council election, suddenly died at 9:30 am at Cho Ray Hospital today (May 3). 

The news was announced by the transport department. 

According to preliminary information, Dung went up to the rooftop of his three-story house in District 10 to watch the plumbers fix the water system but due to dizziness, he fell down to the ground.

He was rushed to hospital for emergency care. But it was too late.

His body has been taken home for burial.

Dung was born in 1961 in An Giang southern province. He was appointed as deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City’s Department of Transport just last month.

Dung also was chairman of Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation’s (Samco) management board and its Party committee secretary.

Dung is one of 161 nominees shortlisted to run for the city’s 8^th People’s Council for the 2011 – 2016 term. The list is now therefore reduced to 160.

tuoitrenews

Read more »

Posted in: Politics,Science,Vietnam

Hamas and Fatah sign reconciliation agreement

The leaders of Fatah and Hamas, the main Palestinian factions, have signed a deal in Cairo aimed at ending their four-year rift.

Palestinian president and Fatah party leader Mahmoud Abbas said Palestinians had decided to "turn the dark page of division for ever".
Mr Abbas and Hamas's Khaled Meshaal had not met since the expulsion of Fatah from Gaza in 2007.

Fatah and Hamas have been bitterly divided for more than four years

That expulsion followed a shock Hamas election victory a year earlier.
Correspondents say the recent Arab uprisings have given fresh momentum to reconciliation.
The agreement paves the way for a joint interim government ahead of national elections next year.
The Fatah-led Palestinian Authority runs parts of the West Bank, while Hamas governs Gaza.
'Certain of success' "We are certain of success so long as we're united... Reconciliation clears the way not only to putting the Palestinian house in order but also to a just peace," Mr Abbas said.
He added that Israel must now "choose between settlements and peace".
Mr Meshaal said that the Islamist group's "only fight is with Israel" and that the dispute with Mr Abbas's Fatah faction was "behind us".
The UN special co-ordinator for the Middle East peace process, Robert Serry, is also in Cairo to attend the ceremony, along with Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi and Arab League chief Amr Moussa.

Palestinians have been celebrating the deal

Correspondents say it is a first sign of how political changes in the Arab world could affect the dynamic of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had been wary of bolstering Hamas, but the new Cairo government has adopted a less hostile stance towards the Islamist group.
The two rival Palestinian leaders carry with them the hopes of millions of Arabs for an end to the infighting that has so weakened the Palestinian cause, says the BBC's Jonathan Head in Cairo.
The first step after the agreement goes into effect will be to form an interim government of technocrats whose task will be to work on reconciliation and prepare for new elections.
Leading members of Hamas and Fatah will stay out of this government for now.
But there are deep differences yet to be resolved over whether to recognise and negotiate with Israel, and over how to share security in Gaza and the West Bank, our correspondent says.

The reconciliation move has angered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has said the Palestinian Authority must choose either to make peace with Israel or with Hamas.

Israel has suspended tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority, with the Israeli finance minister saying payments would be stopped until it was clear money would not go to militants in Hamas.
Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether Western powers will deal with the new government that is to emerge from the unity deal.
The Quartet of mediators - the US, the EU, the UN and Russia - has long demanded that Hamas renounce violence and recognise the principle of Israel's right to exist.
In recent months, tens of thousands of Palestinians have taken to the streets in Gaza and the West Bank to ask for political unity, amid calls for democracy elsewhere in the region.
Correspondents say that while the protests were not on the scale of those elsewhere, they clearly got the attention of Palestinian political leaders.

 BBC

Read more »

Posted in: Mid-East,Politics

Obama: bin Laden Death is 'Good Day for America'

President Barack Obama speaks about the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden before he awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously to two Korean War veterans during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, Monday, May 2, 2011

The day after U.S. forces killed terror network leader Osama bin Laden, President Barack Obama said it is a good day for America.  And, the president’s top counterterrorism adviser briefed reporters on Monday about the details of the operation that killed bin Laden.

President Obama said the killing of the al-Qaida founder shows what Americans can do when they work together.

"I think we can all agree this is a good day for America," he said. "Our country has kept its commitment to see that justice is done.  The world is safer.  It is a better place because of the death of Osama bin Laden."

At a ceremony recognizing the heroism of two U.S. soldiers during the Korean War, Mr. Obama said he could not be more proud of the troops who carried out Sunday’s raid on bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan.

U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan gestures during the daily news briefing at the White House, May 2, 2011

 Later in the day, John Brennan, the president’s assistant for homeland security and counterterrorism, told reporters that U.S. forces were prepared to take bin Laden alive, if possible.  But he said that possibility was remote, and that bin Laden was killed in a firefight at his compound.

Brennan said the al-Qaida leader was "hiding in plain sight," and must have had help.

"I think it is inconceivable that bin Laden did not have a support system in the country that allowed him to remain there for an extended period of time," he said.  "I am not going to speculate about what type of support he might have had on an official basis."

Brennan said U.S. intelligence officials are talking with their Pakistani counterparts, whose cooperation, he said, is crucial to rounding up more terrorists.

The president’s counterterrorism adviser said Pakistan has captured and killed more terrorists within its borders than any other country.

Brennan said Sunday’s gathering of the president and his top advisers in the White House Situation Room to monitor the progress of the operation was tense.  He said there was some disagreement among the advisers on how to proceed.

"It was probably one of the most anxiety-filled periods of time, I think, in the lives of the people who were assembled here yesterday,"  he said.  "The minutes passed like days."

According to Brennan, the tension increased when a helicopter malfunctioned, but he said there was a sigh of relief when word came that Osama bin Laden had been killed.  He said President Obama’s response was, "We got him."

Brennan said the circumstances surrounding bin Laden’s death reveal his hypocrisy.

"Here is bin Laden, who has been calling for these attacks, living in this million-dollar-plus compound, living in an area that is far removed from the front, hiding behind women who were put in front of him as a shield," he said.  "I think it really just speaks just how false his narrative has been over the years."

Brennan told reporters that al-Qaida has been damaged but remains dangerous, like a fatally wounded tiger.

"There is always the potential for terrorist groups to try to strike out and avenge an operation like this," he said.  "But also, I think, some of them are asking themselves, 'Bin Laden is dead, the al-Qaida narrative is becoming increasingly bankrupt.'  There is a new wave sweeping through the Middle East right now that puts a premium on individual rights and freedom and dignity."

Brennan said Pakistani authorities were not notified before the operation.  And as a result, some Pakistani fighter jets were scrambled.  But he said there was no engagement with U.S. forces.

The adviser said U.S. officials are 99.9 percent sure that the man they killed was Osama bin Laden, and that that confidence increased over time.

Brennan said bin Laden’s body was buried at sea on Monday.  He said a place for a land burial could not be found in time to comply with Islamic custom.

John Brennan called the killing of Osama bin Laden a strategic blow to al-Qaida, but not a fatal blow.  He said President Obama’s decision to proceed with the mission was "one of the gutsiest calls of any president in recent memory."

VOA

Read more »

Posted in: Politics,Society,USA

US: Bin Laden Would Have Been Taken Alive If Possible

John Brennan (L), assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, and White House Press Secretary Jay Carney smile as they take the rostrum to speak about the killing of Osama bin Laden at the White House, Washington May 2, 2011

President Barack Obama's top counter-terrorism official says U.S. forces would have taken Osama bin Laden alive if they had the chance.

John Brennan told reporters at the White House Monday the U.S. team that conducted the raid on the compound in Pakistan would have taken bin Laden alive if he did not pose a threat to them.
Bin Laden was killed in a firefight with the U.S. forces, who swooped down in helicopters in the nighttime operation in Abbottabad, about 56 kilometers north of the capital, Islamabad.

Brennan described the death as a "strategic blow" to al-Qaida.

He said officials monitored the raid from the White House as it was happening, and he described it as an anxiety-filled time. He said the U.S. did not know with certainty that bin Laden was in the compound.

Brennan said U.S. authorities did not inform Pakistan of the operation until after U.S. forces were out of Pakistani airspace. He said a tense moment during the raid came when one of the helicopters was disabled.

He also refused to speculate on what kind of support bin Laden may have had in Pakistan.

The Obama administration says the raid lasted less than 40 minutes. 

In a briefing early Monday, an official said the "extraordinarily unique" compound had two security gates, 3-5-meter-high walls topped with barbed wire, and a third floor terrace with a 2-meter-tall privacy wall.

A diagram of the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed - Courtesy U.S. Department of Defense

An official said the home was more than eight times larger than others in the area, had no telephone or Internet, and the residents burned their trash rather than putting it out for pickup. The official said the estimated value of the home was about $1 million.

U.S. intelligence officials concluded that a "high value target" was staying at the home of two brothers who had "no explainable source of wealth."

According to officials, bin Laden resisted the assault and was killed in a firefight, along with two of his couriers and one son. A woman, believed to be one of bin Laden's wives and who was used as a human shield, was killed and two other women were injured.

One of the American helicopters had to be destroyed because it experienced mechanical failure.

Local residents, awakened by the raid, said they had no idea bin Laden was staying at the compound.  Residents said they heard gunshots and watched from rooftops as flames leapt from the compound.  The area was later blocked off by Pakistani forces.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.

VOA

Read more »

Posted in: Politics,Society,USA

Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden dead - Barack Obama

Bin Laden was top of the US "most wanted" list

Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden has been killed by US forces in Pakistan, President Barack Obama has said.

The al-Qaeda leader was killed in a ground operation outside Islamabad based on US intelligence, the first lead for which emerged last August.
Mr Obama said after "a firefight", US forces took possession of his body.
Bin Laden was accused of being behind a number of atrocities, including the attacks on New York and Washington on 11 September 2001.
He was top of the US' "most wanted" list.
Mr Obama said it was "the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al-Qaeda".
The US has put its embassies around the world on alert, warning Americans of the possibility of al-Qaeda reprisal attacks for Bin Laden's killing.
Crowds gathered outside the White House in Washington DC, chanting "USA, USA" after the news emerged.
Compound raided Bin Laden approved the 9/11 attacks in which nearly 3,000 people died, saying later that the results had exceeded his expectations.

Analysis

Haroon Rashid BBC News, Islamabad, Pakistan

---

Last night there were rumours an operation was going on in an area close to Abbottabad. There were unconfirmed reports of a military helicopter crashing in the area as well.
Witnesses said the whole area was cordoned off and nobody was allowed close although they did hear gunshots and firearms. But nobody had any inkling that this was an operation to get Osama Bin Laden.
For those who keep a close on eye on these matters it wasn't a total shock that he was ultimately hunted down in an urban area.
In the past we have had reports of him being treated in hospitals in Rawalpindi for kidney problems. There was even one report that he was treated in the southern city of Karachi. All of these were officially denied.
And some of the big al-Qaeda and Taliban names in the past have been captured in big Pakistani cities. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the Kuwaiti-born senior al-Qaeda leader, was captured in Rawalpindi and Afghan Taliban military commander Mullah Baradar was reportedly captured in Karachi.

He evaded the forces of the US and its allies for almost a decade, despite a $25m bounty on his head.

Mr Obama said he had been briefed last August on a possible lead to Bin Laden's whereabouts.
"It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground," Mr Obama said.
"I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located Bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan.
"And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorised an operation to get Osama Bin Laden and bring him to justice," the president said.
On Sunday a team of US forces undertook the operation in Abbottabad, 100km (62 miles) north-east of Islamabad.
After a "firefight" Bin Laden was killed and his body taken by US forces, the president said.
Mr Obama said "no Americans were harmed".
Giving more details of the operation, a senior US official said a small US team had conducted the operation in about 40 minutes.
One helicopter was lost due to "technical failure". The team destroyed it and left in its other aircraft.

"After a firefight, US forces killed Osama Bin Laden and took custody of his body"

"After a firefight, US forces killed Osama Bin Laden and took custody of his body"

Three other men were killed in the raid - one of Bin Laden's sons and two couriers - the official said, adding that one woman was also killed when she was used as "a shield" and two other women were injured.
The size and complexity of the structure in Abbottabad had "shocked" US officials.
It had 4m-6m (12ft-18ft) walls, was eight times larger than other homes in the area and was valued at "several million dollars", though it had no telephone or internet connection.
The US official said that intelligence had been tracking a "trusted courier" of Bin Laden for many years. The courier's identity was discovered four years ago, his area of operation two years ago and then, last August, his residence in Abbottabad was found, triggering the start of the mission.
Another senior US official said that no intelligence had been shared with any country, including Pakistan, ahead of the raid.
"Only a very small group of people inside our own government knew of this operation in advance," the official said.
The Abbottabad residence is just 700 metres (2,300 ft) from the Pakistan Military Academy - the country's equivalent of West Point.
'Momentous achievement' Former US President George W Bush described the news as a "momentous achievement".
"The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done," Mr Bush said in a statement.
His predecessor, Bill Clinton, said in a statement: "This is a profoundly important moment not just for the families of those who lost their lives on 9/11 and in al-Qaeda's other attacks but for people all over the world who want to build a common future of peace, freedom, and cooperation for our children."
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner says that, to many in the West, Bin Laden became the embodiment of global terrorism, but to others he was a hero, a devout Muslim who fought two world superpowers in the name of jihad.
The son of a wealthy Saudi construction family, Bin Laden grew up in a privileged world. But soon after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan he joined the mujahideen there and fought alongside them with his Arab followers, a group that later formed the nucleus for al-Qaeda.
After declaring war on America in 1998, Bin Laden is widely believed to have been behind the bombings of US embassies in East Africa, the attack on the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000 and the attacks on New York and Washington.

source BBC

Read more »

Posted in: Politics,USA

Pro-Gadhafi Crowds Vow Revenge for Deadly Strike

In this photo made on a government-organized tour, residents gather in the neighborhood near the scene of a NATO missile attack in Tripoli, April 30, 2011

Crowds have rallied at the Tripoli compound of Moammar Gadhafi, after the government said the Libyan leader narrowly escaped a NATO airstrike that killed one of his sons and three grandchildren. NATO denies any individuals were targeted.

Supporters of Colonel Gadhafi demanded vengeance after the government announced the death of Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, and three of the leader's grandchildren.

The crowds of protesters also effectively served as a human shield for the colonel, who government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said was in Saif al-Arab's Tripoli home when it was hit.

"The leader with his wife was there in the house with other friends and relatives.  The attack resulted in the martyrdom of brother Saif al-Arab Gadhafi, 29 year old and three of the leader's grandchildren. The leader himself is in good health. He was not harmed," said Ibrahim.

Foreign journalists were taken to a heavily damaged one story house in a residential neighborhood said to be the scene of the attack.

It was apparently the Colonel Gadhafi's second brush with death in a day, with a NATO strike early Saturday landing near a television studio where he was delivering an address.

The attacks raised speculation that the NATO-led campaign has moved beyond its U.N. mandate to protect Libyan civilians from government attack. Spokesman Ibrahim stated bluntly that Gadhafi was being targeted.

"This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country. This is not permitted by international law; it is not permitted by any moral code or principle.

The commander of operations in Libya, Canadian General Charles Bouchard, said he was aware of unconfirmed reports and expressed regret for all loss of life. But he said NATO does not target individuals, and that all strikes have been on places clearly linked to the government's "systematic attacks on the Libyan population."

Those attacks have not diminished, despite Colonel Gadhafi's offer of yet another cease fire Saturday. In addition to the government's siege of the rebel-held town of Misrata and the attempted blockade of its harbor, there are new reports of attacks on another western town, Zintan.

Fighting has reached a stalemate in recent weeks, with neither the government, nor the rebels and NATO-led coalition able to decisively turn the battle.

The conflict, which began in mid-February as popular protests, has been accompanied by a progressive hardening of emotions among Libyans. On the streets of the rebels’ de facto capital, Benghazi, reports of the death of Saif al-Arab, one of the most private members of the Gadhafi family, were greeted with celebratory gunfire and calls for a similar fate for his father.

A man who gave his name as Majid expressed joy at the news, adding the "big joy" will be the day the Libyan leader is killed.

 VOA

Read more »

Posted in: Afica,Politics

Hong Kong workers to enjoy minimum wage for first time

Critics say the minimum wage is a departure from Hong Kong's free-market roots

Hong Kong has introduced a minimum wage that is expected to benefit 270,000 low-paid workers, or around 10% of the working population.

Workers will now earn a minimum of HK$28 ($3.60; £2.18) per hour.
The legislation was passed in response to public pressure to narrow the territory's wealth gap.
But the minimum wage has been resisted by the business community, who say it is too costly.
Business leaders say small businesses will be forced to lay off staff.

Critics also say the legislation is a departure from Hong Kong's free-market roots.

With the exception of Singapore, most Asian countries now have a minimum wage or are considering one.
The move is expected to boost the pay of Hong Kong's legions of street sweepers, security guards and restaurant workers.
"The employers now cannot squeeze the lowest paid sectors of society," said Lee Cheuk-yan, general secretary of the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions and a legislator.
Unions had campaigned for a minimum wage of HK$33 an hour and many workers say the wage increase will not cover rising living costs.
The government said it was forced to introduce the legislation after a voluntary minimum wage scheme in 2006 met with a tepid response from businesses.
Even before its implementation, the legislation has led to disputes between workers and employers.
Some employers have re-hired workers on new contracts with unpaid meal breaks and rest days to avoid paying a higher wage bill.
The legislation does not cover the territory's almost 300,000 domestic helpers, who mainly come from the Philippines and Indonesia.

BBC

Read more »

Posted in: Asia,Society

Truong Sa affirms sovereignty with gifts

Truong Sa (Spratly) Island District has presented the central mainland provinces of Quang Tri and Thua-Thien Hue with coral stones and almond trees as a gesture of solidarity.
Truong Sa’s Navy Command handed 21 pieces of coral stones and almond trees native to the island to each of the two neighboring provinces on Liberation Day, April 30.
These corals and trees symbolize the 21 islands all over the Truong Sa archipelago which is being claimed by both Vietnam and China.

Tuoitrenews

Read more »

Posted in: Politics,Vietnam

Inflation to rise by 2 pct in May

Inflation is expected to increase by only 2 percent in May compared to last month’s hike of almost 4 percent.
April's consumer price index (CPI) rose by 3.32 percent compared to March, the highest rate of increase since May 2008.
This increase pushed the nation's inflation in the first four months of this year to 9.64 percent, already exceeding the figure expected for the entire year.
Former State Bank of Vietnam Governor Cao Sy Kiem said inflation would continue to be high in the near future because of domestic policies such as deregulation of electricity rates, which is expected to take effect in June, and a minimum wage increase.
The current bout of high inflation was started when the Vietnam dong was devalued by 9.3 percent against the US dollar in February, and worsened by the hikes in petrol costs and electricity rates in March.
Inflation has also been spreading globally, especially in Asia, putting great pressure on the Vietnamese economy.
To help curb rising prices, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has promised to maintain the prices of food staples.
General Secretary of the Vietnam Banking Association Duong Thu Huong and member of the National Advisory Council for Financial and Monetary Policies Tran Hoang Ngan however cautioned that the government should tighten monetary policies in a consistent manner to avoid reigniting pressures that could result in a double-digit inflation at the end of this year.
"If the government is determined to pursue tighter monetary policies between now and the third quarter, inflation could begin to ease by the end of the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter," said Fulbright Economics Teaching Program's Director Vu Thanh Tu Anh.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the British bank Barclays however have a gloomier view of the Vietnamese economy.
ADB forecast Vietnam's inflation could top 13 percent by this year's end while Barclays expected inflation to approach 15 percent.

tuoitrenews

Read more »

Posted in: Business,Society,Vietnam

Arsenal 1 - 0 Man Utd

By Phil McNulty
Chief football writer at the Emirates Stadium

Welsh midfielder Ramsey scores through the outstretched legs of Michael Carrick

Arsenal blew the Premier League title race wide open as leaders Manchester United were deservedly beaten at the Emirates Stadium.
Aaron Ramsey's winner early in the second half condemned United to defeat and leaves them only three points ahead of Chelsea with identical goal difference - and a meeting between the two to come at Old Trafford next Sunday.
Forced to rebuild his promising career after suffering a broken leg, Ramsey made the most of a chance to deputise for injured captain Cesc Fabregas with a goal that will have been met with almost as much joy at Stamford Bridge as it was in front of Arsenal's fans.
Victory was well-earned reward for their superiority against a United side that never looked like repeating the heroics of their Champions League semi-final first leg victory against Schalke 04 on Tuesday in Germany.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger must have thought the fates had conspired against him when they were denied a clear first-half penalty after Nemanja Vidic handled Theo Walcott's cross.

But the game concluded with United manager Sir Alex Ferguson angry at referee Chris Foy after substitute Michael Owen was hauled down in the area by Gael Clichy in the closing moments, only to have his appeals ignored.
It is a win that has probably come too late to revive Arsenal's own title aspirations, but one which gives Chelsea real hope that they can retain their crown if they can beat United next week.
Ferguson cut a frustrated figure throughout, a mood matched by his players as they rarely got to grips with an Arsenal side they have enjoyed so much success against in the recent past.
Arsenal lost Fabregas to a thigh injury sustained in training on Saturday - but his absence did not stop the Gunners dominating a first half that concluded with them nursing an acute sense of injustice.
Vidic, a central figure in every sense, was fortunate not to be punished for an uncharacteristic error after only three minutes.
In attempting to clear, he only succeeded in finding Jack Wilshere and was relieved to see the teenager pull his effort inches wide.
And Walcott could not keep a close-range shot under control as he stretched to meet Clichy's cross, sending it well over the top of Edwin van der Sar's crossbar.
United have had joy against Arsenal in the past by lying deep before striking with devastating effect on the counter attack.
And they almost delivered a sucker punch in the face of Arsenal's early superiority when Fabio da Silva burst into the area unmarked, but was unable to find Javier Hernandez.

Arsenal, with justification, were furious just after the half-hour when Vidic clearly used his hand to direct Walcott's cross away from the incoming Robin van Persie - an offence missed by the officials.
England striker Wayne Rooney's main contribution had been a yellow card for fouling England team-mate Wilshere just before the interval.
He did show his enduring quality with a curling 25-yard free-kick after 48 minutes, but the previously unemployed Wojciech Szczesny was equal to the task with a diving save.
Arsenal finally got the goal they had merited after 56 minutes, Ramsey sliding a low finish into the corner of the net from Van Persie's incisive cut-back.
United, thoroughly out of sorts, replaced Anderson with Antonio Valencia moments before the goal.
They did muster a response, however, when Vidic rose highest from a corner to head just wide.
And in a belated show of urgency by United, Szczesny was then forced to save well from Nani after Rooney had driven deep into the Arsenal half in a bid to lift his team-mates from their slumbers.
With three minutes left Ferguson and United's players were reduced to a fury as Owen was brought down from behind by Clichy as he raced into the area.
Referee Foy, much to Ferguson's obvious disgust, was unimpressed.
It was Arsenal's last anxious moment before closing out a win that leaves the title potentially on the line when United confront champions Chelsea, who narrowly beat Tottenham 2-1 on Saturday.

 BBC

Read more »

Posted in: Sport

Hanged storekeeper’s wife provides 'sex' tapes

Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen, the wife of Nguyen Cong Nhat, a warehouse manager in Binh Duong Province who hanged himself at a police station last week has produced two tapes recording an unidentified man courting her.
The two tapes recorded many telephone conversations between Tuyen and a man who told Tuyen he was an investigator in her husband’s case.
Tuyen’s husband, 31-year-old Nhat hanged himself at Ben Cat District’s Police Office where he had been held for questioning over missing goods of Korean tire maker Kumho which he was working for.
Kumho, located in Binh Duong’s My Phuoc III Industrial Park, had reported to the district police a loss of 6,000 tires worth over VND6 billion (US$289,000).
Nhat was taken to the district police on April 21 and found dead at 6 a.m on April 25.
Mysterious phone calls
Tuyen said on April 23, one day before her husband killed himself, she received a missed call.
She called back and a man answered.
He identified himself as Phu and tried to court her. Tuyen grew suspicious and recorded their later conversations.
In their numerous conversations, Phu suggested meeting Tuyen at a hotel. He also said Tuyen’s husband, Nhat, was asking for his help with the investigation.
Phu also told Tuyen that Nhat also wanted to sell a piece of land he owned in My Phuoc 3 Commune to pay for investigation expenses.
Yesterday, Nhat’s family lodged a complaint at Binh Duong Province’s Police, requesting an investigation into Nhat’s death and the man’s identity.
Tuyen told reporters the man who courted her sounded like a man she once met at the canteen of the district police where her husband was held.
Le Van Thao, deputy head of the Ben Cat District People’s Procuracy, said there was indeed an official named Phu at the district police.
But Thao said the voice of the man in the tapes wasn’t identical to the voice of the official, who is head of the district’s economic police team.
The provincial police said they were investigating the tapes.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen held a photo of her deceased husband at Binh Duong Province General Hospital on April 26 (Photo: Thanh Nien)

Mysterious letters
Tuyen said on April 26, one day after her husband died, she also received two letters which the district police told her were suicide notes from her husband.
One was supposedly written to her and the other to Nhat’s colleagues.
However, after comparing the letters with Nhat’s handwriting, Tuyen and her family told the provincial police that the handwriting in the letters was not Nhat’s.
Tuyen also gave the provincial police Nhat’s notebook as proof and asked them to identify who really wrote the letters.
Yesterday, Nhat’s family took his body back to his home province of Tien Giang for burial after the provincial forensics team conducted an autopsy.
However, results of the autopsy are yet to be announced.

Read more »

Posted in: Society,Vietnam

Binh Duong policeman courts suspect’s wife

For illustration purposes only

The southern Binh Duong Provincial Police have confirmed that a district police tried to court the wife of a suspect during an investigation over missing goods.

Nguyen Thanh Phu, an investigator from Thuan An District, was found courting the wife of Nguyen Cong Nhat, 31, a warehouse manager for Korean tire maker Kumo who was detained on April 21 for questioning over a loss of 6,000 Kumo tires and found hanging himself four days later.

Phu was dispatched from his district to Ben Cat District to help investigating the case.
Before Nhat killed himself, Phu phoned Nhat’s wife, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tuyen repeatedly to court her.

In the phone calls, the man said his name was Phu and he was an investigation in Nhat’s case.

Tuyen had recorded the phone conversations into two tapes and turned them over to the provincial police on April 28, requesting an investigation into her husband’s death and the man’s real identify.

Who wrote the suicide notes?

However, the provincial police are yet to identify the person who wrote two suicide notes to Tuyen.

Tuyen said on April 26, one day after her husband died, she received from the Ben Cat district police two letters which the district police said were suicide notes from her husband.

One was supposedly written to her and the other to Nhat’s colleagues.

After comparing the letters with Nhat’s handwriting, Tuyen reported to the provincial police that the handwriting in the letters was not her husband’s.

Tuyen also gave the provincial police Nhat’s notebook as proof and asked them to identify who really wrote the letters.

The provincial police have also conducted an autopsy on Nhat’s body but are yet to announce the result.

tuoitrenews

Read more »

Posted in: Society,Vietnam