VIET TODAY NEWS

Vinh Long fisherman catches 150 kg giant barb

2012-03-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

Phan Ngoc Phuoc, a fisherman in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long, last Tuesday caught a 150-kg giant barb in the Tien River.

The fish is pinkish white and 2.5 m long. Photo: SGGP

After catching the fish, Phuoc used a robe to hold it and brought it back alive to Cai Tau Ha Town.

The fish is pinkish white and 2.5 m long.

Many traders have offered Phuoc up to VND700,000 (US$35) for every kg of its meat but he turned them down.

Phuoc is expected sell the fish for as much as VND1 million (US$50) a kg.

In 2009, Phuoc caught a similar giant barb which weighed 160 kg and sold it for more than VND100 million (US$5,000).

Source: SGGP

Driving while smoking should be banned

2012-03-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

One day, I was driving down the street when my eyes suddenly became irritated. I quickly used a hand to wipe them and suddenly lost my balance and almost fell. After collecting myself, I realized it was not due to dust or rain drops, but cigarette ash.

Besides causing harm to those in the back, the act of smoking while driving does not obey street safety either. Photo: Tuoi Tre

In front of me, there was a young man driving his bike with one hand and holding a cigarette in the other. He carelessly exhaled white smoke together with ash towards people driving behind him.

It was not the first time I suddenly had tears coming from my eyes. On the street, I have seen several men smoking while driving. Besides causing harm to those in the back, their act does not obey street safety either.

When we have to stop at red lights or get stuck in a traffic jam next to a smoker, not only do we have to tolerate the noise and exhaust from tailpipes, but also from cigarettes, smoke and ash from which dashes into our nose and body. These days, with a growing number of cases of burning bikes, seeing someone with a cigarette increases the fear of a fire.

It becomes worse for drivers with children who have to suffer the “chimney” of poisonous smoke on the street every day. It has been reported that some drivers have been penalized for driving and talking on the phone. Why is there not a ban for those who smoke and drive at the same time?

I think drivers who smoke are the least of your concerns in Vietnamese traffic but thanks for sharing.

Written by Duong

Source: Tuoi Tre

Cyclo Race 2012 raises US$41,500 for charity

2012-03-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

The Saigon Children’s Charity (SCC) raised a gross fund of US$41,500 from the 2012 Saigon Cyclo Challenge race held today at the Crescent in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 7.

Staff of HSBC celebrate their championship title at the Saigon Cyclo Challenge 2012 held on Mar. 10, 2012 in District 7. Photo: Minh Phat

It is a greater success as the organizer had estimated to collect around $35,300. After deducting costs of organization, over 90 percent of the remaining funds will go directly to the educational initiatives of Saigon Children's Charity to support disadvantaged children in the southern provinces of Vietnam.

The team from HSBC crowned the championship title today in a thrilling relay cyclo race which is found nowhere else in the world. Caravelle Hotel came in second while TNK Vietnam finished at the third place.

Despite of the difference in the time to finish, they share a common target -- giving help to needy people.

Beyond the ‘racing spirit’, the event offered a chance for corporate staff to lend their hands to underprivileged children and also for team building.

The event drew the participation of 10 teams including Baker&McKenzie, Crown, Giant, Hoang Long Hoan Vu, Megastar Cineplex, Schenker, HSBC, Caravelle Hotel, TNK Vietnam, and the SCC All-stars.

Founded in 1992 as a UK registered charity working exclusively in Vietnam, SCC builds schools and provides scholarships to children. SCC also works with the children to adapt support to their changing needs, including offering vocational training or university scholarships when these become important.

To donate to SCC, please visit www.saigonchildren.com, or call us on (84 8) 3930 3502.

Followings are some enjoyable images of the cyclo race, taken by Minh Phat on Saturday morning on March 10, 2012:

Members of the HSBC team open a wine bottle to celebrate their championship title

Caravelle Hotel team gets silver medal

And the third prize is for TNK Vietnam. The gentlemen have a special favor -- shaking hands and bowing for medals with a brilliant woman from SCC

Riding with two instead of three wheels to reduce friction, this HSBC skillful racer is heading towards the destination line...

... Amid cheerful support from fans

HSBC supporters cheer their racers during the 2012 Saigon Cyclo Challenge

And another nice supporter of HSBC team

Two racers of Caravelle Hotel are under 'health care' by their colleagues

A star of the SCC All-Star team

Racing for the benefits of children

Men and women are equal

She looks steady on the cyclo. It seems as simple as riding a bike to work

With the chain derailing, the cyclo becomes a handcart, being pushed to the destination line amid big bravo from fans

Reading under the sunlight during the break of the race

He is the most prominent and loudest man of the race. Speaker Justin Murta

He entertains fans and racers with break-dancing during the break

A professional

A supporter of TNK Vietnam team plays with his horn

Riding a cyclo is different from riding a car

It's sure that he has never been granted a cyclo driving license

By Minh Phat

Source: Tuoi Tre

Vietnam football: 10 years of suppression

2012-03-15T19:11:00.001-07:00

A new chapter in the history Vietnamese football is opening up after all 28 club bosses in the top two leagues -- V-League and First Division -- unanimously stood up to slam down a decade of absolute leadership by the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF).

Hanoi ACB club chairman Nguyen Duc Kien (standing) strongly criticized the VFF's poor management at a meeting in Hanoi last month and called on other clubs to vote for a restructure in the VFF. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Lagging behind

Match attendance has steadily fallen over the last decade, while outcries against corrupt refereeing and stadium violence have consistently ratcheted up. On top of that, youth training has come virtually to a standstill with no effective breakthrough in boosting grassroots football training.

In the past ten years since the topflight V-League labeled as 'professionalism' in 2001, the Vietnam’s football governing body (VFF) has faced the same biggest challenge: the lack of investment fund for football, especially for women’s and youth football.

No effective measures yet have been introduced to solve it.

Corrupt refereeing has reached such a level that fans are firmly convinced that the champion teams are the one who gave away the fattest envelopes to referees while demoted teams are the most honest ones. Under the leadership of the VFF, the winning team has gained nothing but the loss of respect of their fans.

And yet, the VFF refused to make a change by setting up a shareholding company to run the top leagues, which is consistent with FIFA/AFC recommendation. Instead, they wanted football to remain under the total control of the VFF’s organizing board -- until all 28 club bosses stood up and demanded otherwise in a meeting last month.

It’s not only the victory of the force for progress and development, but also of the power of money as represented by the club bosses.

They have shown great patience, hoping for improvement and change in the management of football from the governing body (VFF) in the past ten years.

At the end of the 2011 season that terminated in August, many club owners voiced their disappointment towards the VFF, announcing they were reluctant to sink more money into their teams when match results were decided by corrupt referees, not the talent or skills of the players on the field, nor by their coaches.

It has long been a practice in Vietnamese football that clubs usually give referees envelops ahead of the games ‘to beg’ the officials to give them more favorable treatment on the pitch.

Pham Phu Hoa, manager of Dong Tam Long An which was relegated to the 2012 First Division, told local media at the end of the season two months ago that the club preferred to invest money in football and not in bribing referees.

The club owner Vo Quoc Thang admitted he was mulling over pulling the plug on all investment in his club. Boss Tran Dinh Long of Hoa Phat Hanoi filed a petition to Hanoi sports authorities at the end of the season to announce his termination of involvement in football and transferred his club to Nguyen Duc Kien, owner of Hanoi ACB.

Renowned coach Nguyen Thanh Vinh of Hoa Phat Hanoi condemned referees’ complete sway over Vietnamese football in the past seasons.

Those strong protests forced the VFF to make a ‘band-aid’ solution to suspend three referees for the entire 2011-12 season and warned three others for their “inaccuracy in blowing the whistle that has triggered public protests.”

However, clubs said their frustration and discontent did not come from referees only but from the management of the VFF, and demanded that the system be reformed.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai club chairman Doan Nguyen Duc blames the VFF to take responsibilities for match attendance dropping while corrupt refereeing and violence surging (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Even a worm will turn

Recently, seven V-League clubs, or half of the members of the topflight league in Vietnam, announced their decision to leave the league and establish their own league in a move to protest the corrupt refereeing and cover-up of the VFF.

It was not just a threat, but a well-planned action by the bosses in the runner-up to the regular meeting held in September in Hanoi to review the last season.

Hoang Anh Gia Lai FC owner Doan Nguyen Duc led the clubs’ protests by declaring that, “Each Thai club spends averagely US$1 million a season but here in Vietnam, a club pays $5 million. And the result is our fans are walking out on us. The main reasons stem from the organizing board under the VFF, corrupt refereeing and loose disciplines.”

“A business group that produces poor output must be restructured, why not the VFF that has failed to stop match fixing and other troubles in the last 10 years?” Duc asked angrily at the meeting chaired by the VFF chairman Nguyen Trong Hy and attended by a full set of other football officials.

Dong Tam Long An club boss Vo Quoc Thang voiced his support for the radical plan, “This plan is the best for the developments of our football and I am sure after two seasons under the new model, Vietnamese football will turn out to be more interesting than Thai’s.”

Hanoi ACB club owner Nguyen Duc Kien seemed to assume the presiding right by calling upon all 27 remaining club bosses to reject the proposal by the VFF to elect members for the organizing board for the new season and instead vote for the establishment of a company to operate the top leagues.

The VFF witnessed unanimous agreement by all 28 owners and had no other choice but to go along with the new plan.

Mai Liem Truc, former chairman of the VFF, was convinced that it was time for radical change at the VFF. Comparing the VFF to a corporation, with its executive committee as the board, the chief of its competition board as the production chief, and officials in charge of sponsorship as marketing officials, he argued that good products and effective marketing are required for a nation’s football leagues to succeed.

There is no reason why major football nations have long applied the formula but the VFF couldn’t adopt it, Truc pressed the VFF.

The bottled-up anger these clubs have tried to suppress for a decade has burst forth to the surface and forced the VFF to loosen their grip and carried out procedures to set up a company to run the leagues.

Source: Tuoi Tre

Vietnam, Cambodia review border demarcation

2012-03-15T19:02:00.000-07:00

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Ho Xuan Son and Cambodian Senior Minister Var Kimhong have reviewed the implementation of an MoU on land border area adjustment signed between the two governments last April.

At their meeting in Phnom Penh from March 12-14, the two sides agreed to complete border demarcation and marker placement prior to the end of June this year.

The two sides will organize a State-level ceremony to inaugurate border marker No. 314, the final marker on the Vietnam-Cambodia land border, in June this year, on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

They agreed that most of the land border demarcation activities have been completed, however the two sides need to further increase bilateral cooperation and make more efforts to fulfill the task and build up a file of Vietnam-Cambodia border legal documents.

The documents include a protocol on border demarcation and marker placement, an agreement on border management regulations, an agreement on border gates and border gate management and a Vietnam-Cambodia border atlas.

On the occasion, the two officials signed an agreement saying that the Vietnamese Government will provide financial support to Cambodia for the publication of the Vietnam-Cambodia border atlas.

Source: Tuoi Tre

French filmmaker Schoendoerffer, chronicler of war, dies

2012-03-15T18:56:00.001-07:00

Oscar-winning French filmmaker, novelist and war correspondent Pierre Schoendoerffer, a renowned chronicler of conflict, especially in Vietnam, has died aged 83.

Oscar-winning French filmmaker, novelist and war reporter Pierre Schoendoerffer at his home in Paris in November 2007. Photo: AFP

According to a statement from his family, the writer and film director died in the early hours of Wednesday at the Percy military hospital outside Paris.

A founding member of the Cesars, the French equivalent of the Oscars, Schoendoerffer launched his career with the French military film service during the country's war in Indochina, following a brief stint as a merchant sailor.

In both novels and films, Schoendoerffer returned again and again to the conflict in Indochina, where he was held for four months as a prisoner of war and which was the subject of his best-known works, "Le Crabe-Tambour" (The Drummer Crab) and "La 317e Section" (The 317th Platoon).

President Nicolas Sarkozy hailed Schoendoerffer as a "legend" who helped the French "better understand our collective history".

"France will miss this man -- an aristocrat in his heart and soul -- whose life was inspired by heroes like Joseph Conrad and Jack London, who shaped his imagination," Sarkozy said.

Born in 1928 in the central French town of Chamalieres, Schoendoerffer was inspired to a life of adventure by writers such as Conrad and French adventurer and author Joseph Kessel, whose work on Afghanistan, "La Passe du Diable" (The Devil's Pass), he filmed in 1956.

After 18 months as a sailor in the Baltic Sea, Schoendoerffer arrived aged 19 in French Indochina, the colony comprising present-day Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos where French forces were fighting the independence-seeking Viet Minh.

Taken on as a cameraman by the French military's film service, he filmed the war's climactic battle, the 1954 defeat of French forces at Dien Bien Phu, and was afterward held as a prisoner of war for four months.

Schoendoerffer left the military following the war but remained in Vietnam to work as a reporter for French and US publications including Paris Match, Time and Life.

Returning to France in 1955, he set himself up as a roaming correspondent, writer and filmmaker, returning many times to Vietnam and covering conflicts such as the Algerian War.

His experiences during the Indochina War would mark "Le Crabe-Tambour", which won three Cesars in 1977 and "La 317e Section", based on his own novel and winner of best screenplay at the 1965 Cannes Film Festival.

He went back to Vietnam for his 1967 Oscar-winning documentary, "The Anderson Platoon", which looked at the lives of a platoon of US soldiers fighting in the country.

He returned to the conflict again in 1991 with the film "Dien Bien Phu", about a US war correspondent covering the fateful battle.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon praised Schoendoerffer as "a great witness of our times" in a statement, saying "his images always went beyond the events."

Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand hailed him as a writer and filmmaker "haunted by war and its consequences on our humanity."

"He was a man of honour who believed in loyalty to his family and to his country," Mitterrand said in a statement.

Historian Benedicte Cheron said Schoendoerffer had shed much-needed light on difficult periods of French military history.

"He was a filmmaker and not a historian... but his work helped establish in the national imagination one period that was largely unknown, in the case of Indochina, and another that was difficult and traumatic, as in the case of the Algerian War," she said.

"His representation of war, of wartime heroism and of the tragedy of war, touched on the universal."

Schoendoerffer had three children, including filmmaker Frederic Schoendoerffer.

Source: Tuoi Tre

HCM City in the top 10 of street food destinations

2012-03-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

HCM City has been listed in the top 10 of world's best street food destinations.

The list was created by Food and Wine magazine, a monthly publication of American Express Publishing.

HCM City's most famous street foods include “pho” (rice noodles), “banh my kep pate” (sandwich with pate), and “banh xeo” (literary sizzling cake or fried pancakes made of rice flour, turmeric powder, and slivers of fatty pork, shrimp).

According to Food and Wine, street food has played an important role in the gastronomy of the world. The magazine sent readers to HCM City's Ben Thanh market where food-lovers can discover the beauty of Vietnamese cuisine and enjoy delicious dishes. It also suggested other destinations where tourists could enjoy street food, such as Bangkok (Thailand), Penang (Malaysia), Berlin (Germany), Austin (Texas, United States).

Food & Wine was founded in 1978 by Ariane and Michael Batterberry, American food writers. It features recipes, cooking tips, travel information, restaurant reviews, chefs, wine pairings and seasonal/holiday content.

Source: travelweekly.asia

Vietnam asks China to end sovereignty violations

2012-03-15T18:43:00.000-07:00

Vietnam asks the Chinese side to respect the country’s sovereignty and end all activities violating its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago, making practical contributions to maintaining peace and stability on the East Sea.

Vietnam's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi. Photo: VNA

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi made the request on March 15 in response to the Chinese side’s recent activities over Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has recently offered oil and gas tenders for 19 lots in the north of the East Sea , including Lot 65/24, about one nautical mile from the Tree Island of the Hoang Sa archipelago.

On March 2, the Guard Ship Fleet No. 11 of China conducted a live ammunition drill in the waters of the Hoang Sa archipelago.

On March 7, at the fifth session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the Deputy Director of the National Administration of Tourism of China (NATC) said the NATC and the authorities of Hainan province are cooperating to expand tourist activities on the Hoang Sa archipelago.

On March 12, on the “Powerful Nation Forum of the People’s Network, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China said in its 12 th five-year plan, China will build an archaeological center at the bottom of the East Sea and a working station on the Hoang Sa archipelago.

The Hainan authorities also plan to organize a yacht race from San Ya to the Hoang Sa archipelago on March 28.

According to the Vietnamese spokesman, Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos are inseparable parts of the Vietnamese territory. The above-mentioned activities of China have seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago and international law and went against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) signed in 2002 between ASEAN and China.

“These acts run counter to the common perception of the two countries’ high-ranking leaders and are not beneficial to the development of the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and China,” Nghi stressed.

Source: Tuoi Tre

Japan mourns tsunami dead; grapples with unfinished business

2012-03-10T17:49:00.000-08:00

With a minute of silence, tolling bells and prayers, Japan will on Sunday mark the first anniversary of an earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands and set off a nuclear crisis that shattered public trust in atomic power and the nation's leaders.

Girls pray after arranging candles at a candlelight event in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture March 10, 2012. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

A year after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake unleashed a wall of water that hit Japan's northeastern coast, killing nearly 16,000 and leaving nearly 3,300 unaccounted for, the country is still grappling with the human, economic and political costs.

Paper lanterns, lit to mourn March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami victims, are released into the sea in Yamada town, Iwate Prefecture March 10, 2012, a day before the disaster's one-year anniversary. REUTERS/Kyodo

Koyu Morishita, 54, with his dog Muku, takes a moment of silence in front of his father's grave, who was killed during last year's earthquake and tsunami in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture March 10, 2012, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the disasters. Koyu's father, Tokusaburo died at 84 years-old. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Along the coast, police and coastguard officers, urged on by families of the missing, still search rivers and shores for remains even though the chances of finding any would appear remote. Without bodies, thousands of people are in a state of emotional and legal limbo.

Koyu Morishita, 54, lost his 84-year-old father, Tokusaburo, as well as his home and family-run fish factory in the port of Ofunato. Tokusaburo's body has not been found.

"I do cry a little bit every once in a while, but my true tears will come later, when I have time," Morishita said while visiting a memorial for his father at a hilltop temple above Ofunato, accompanied by his dog, Muku.

Like the rest of the country, Ofunato will observe a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. (0546 GMT) when the quake struck and then again, 33 minutes later when a 23-metre (75-foot) wall of water hit the town, killing 340 of its 41,100 residents and leaving 84 missing.

A "bell of hope" will toll and mourners will sail out to sea to release lanterns.

The Japanese people earned the world's admiration for their composure, discipline and resilience in the face of the disaster while its companies impressed with the speed with which they bounced back, mending torn supply chains.

As a result, the economy looks set to return to pre-disaster levels in coming months with the help of about $230 billlion in rebuilding funds agreed in rare cooperation between the government and the opposition.

"In recent history, Japan seized rapid economic expansion from the ashes and desolation of World War Two, and we built the most energy-efficient economy in the world in the aftermath of the oil shock," Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said in an article published in the Washington Post.

"On the anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, we remember that today we face a challenge of similar proportions."

"100 PEOPLE, 100 OPINIONS"

Yet people are increasingly sceptical about whether the political establishment is up to the task.

Politicians and bureaucrats drew fire for the chaotic response to the crisis at the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant and their failure to seize the moment and tackle a myriad of ills that have dogged Japan for two decades.

"If there are 100 people, there will be 100 opinions," said Morishita. "We are hoping that someone can lead us and show us hope and dreams. But that doesn't exist."

After a brief truce, politicians resumed business as usual: parliamentary squabbles that gave Japan its sixth leader in five years and now threaten to block important tax and welfare reforms and stall progress in dealing with other business.

"There is no leadership," said Hiroaki Oikawa, 56, another Ofunato resident who lost his two fish factories and his home.

Nine people from three generations of his family now live under one roof in temporary housing. Oikawa resumed operations at one of his factories last September and he is leading efforts to rebuild a shopping arcade.

"There are no politicians to whom we can leave things."

Anti-nuclear demonstrations planned across the country for the anniversary also serve as a reminder that many want bolder action than the government's preferred scenario of a gradual reduction in reliance on nuclear power.

Not a single community has agreed to restart reactors taken off line since the disaster, meaning all of Japan's 54 reactors may be shut by the middle of the year.

Slow progress in drawing up plans for the tsunami and radiation tainted region is deepening the misery of survivors, about 326,000 of whom are still homeless, including 80,000 evacuated from the vicinity of the Fukushima plant.

While the government declared the plant's reactors had reached "cold shutdown" in December, its dismantling and the clean-up of an area the size of Luxembourg will take decades at an incalculable cost using technologies yet to be developed.

Taxpayers, facing proposed sales tax increases to help fund the country's debt, will need to cough up tens of billions of dollars to prop up Fukushima plant operator Tokyo Electric Power -- widely attacked for ignoring the possibility of a disaster and for what critics say has been arrogance since.

($1 = 81.4000 yen)

REUTERS

The best live action video game trailers

2012-03-10T08:09:00.001-08:00

There’s a new trend in video game promotion. Before a major game is released, an over-the-top, big budget live action trailer appears to amplify its hype.

More often than not, these trailers have little to do with the game they portray. But who are we kidding? We love them anyway.

Who wouldn’t want to see their favourite video game franchise turned into a movie, even if it’s a bad movie? It gives gamers an unprecedented opportunity to see what their favourite video games would look like in the real world.

Mass Effect 3

Bioware’s final title in their epic space trilogy was released on Tuesday March 6th. This short trailer shows humans cowering in fear at the impending Reaper invasion. It then follows the game’s main character Shepard, as he fights for Earth’s freedom.

Halo: Reach

Less explosions and action and more atmosphere and scene-setting, Halo Reach’s live action launch trailer chronicles the creation of a super soldier. This trailer humanized the game’s characters and made gamers believe that there was a little more under their dark helmets.

Halo 3

Niel Blomkamp, the director of District 9, was supposed to helm the ill-fated Halo movie a few years ago. Although that movie was never made, these Blomkamp directed shorts surfaced a few years ago, leading up to the release of Halo 3.

Resistance 3

This western inspired live action trailer evokes a feeling of desperation and helplessness. It doesn’t totally represent the atmosphere of the final game, but it’s certainly compelling, dark and chock-full of violent imagery.

The Legend oF Zelda: A Link To The Past

This extremely Japanese live action commercial (it’s not really a trailer) for the classic Super Nintendo title, The Legend Of Zelda: A Link to The Past, is both amazing and ridiculous. Link, Princess Zelda, Ganon engage in a thriller-esque dance battle.

Insane? totally. But also ridiculously entertaining. This is something that could have only existed in the 90s.

canada.com

Canadians split on who's to blame for robocalls: poll

2012-03-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

OTTAWA — Canadians are deeply split over allegations the federal Conservative party ran a "co-ordinated" robocalls campaign in the last federal election to deceive voters — but most seem to agree that byelections should be held in ridings where the practice occurred, a new poll has found.

Canadians are deeply split over allegations the federal Conservative party ran a "co-ordinated" robocalls campaign in the last federal election to deceive voters — but most seem to agree that byelections should be held in ridings where the practice occurred, a new poll has found. About 200 protesters called Canadians Against Electoral Fraud took to Parliament Hill Monday to protest against the ongoing "robocalls" issue. Photograph by: JULIE OLIVER, OTTAWA CITIZEN

The national survey, conducted for Postmedia News and Global TV, comes after a two-week storm of controversy that erupted when Postmedia News revealed that fraudulent phone calls were placed in the Guelph, Ont., riding directing voters to the wrong polling stations.

Since then, political debate on Parliament Hill has been dominated by the robocalls — which opposition parties claim occurred in dozens of ridings — and Elections Canada has begun a major investigation after being deluged with thousands of complaints.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his senior campaign team have denied categorically any involvement in the affair, and no evidence has emerged publicly to suggest they are connected.

The Tories say they are victims of "baseless smears" by the Liberals and New Democrats — who contend that the Tories are stonewalling as they push for answers.

As this political jockeying was going on, Ipsos Reid conducted a blended telephone and online poll this week of 3,154 Canadians to determine their views.

In the survey, people were told there had been accusations that some people working for the Conservative party in the last election "made calls to supporters of other parties and either pretended to represent their party of choice and deliberately harassed them or to deliberately confuse them about which polling stations to vote at on election day." The pollster also told respondents that Harper and senior Tories had said they had "nothing to do with these calls."

The survey found that 50 per cent of Canadians agree with the statement that "these accusations are true and the Conservative Party had a co-ordinated campaign to deceive Canadian voters with misleading telephone calls in the last federal election."

By comparison, 47 per cent disagreed with the statement, while the remainder said they did not know.

Ipsos Reid president Darrell Bricker said in an interview Friday the results are reflective of the current political landscape.

"The country is divided on this. There is a group of the population that thinks they probably were involved in some kind of shenanigans.

"It's reflective of the fact that if you don't like the Conservatives you probably think they are guilty of this."

At the same time, said Bricker, the Tories maintain a strong level of support among Canadians who don't believe they were involved in misleading robocalls.

"It hasn't fractured their core. It hasn't fractured that group that voted for them.

"As far as the public is concerned, the charges haven't been proven. For a large amount of the population, there's more work that needs to be done here by the opposition parties."

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is shown in a file photo. A new poll shows Canadians are deeply split over allegations the Conservative party ran a "co-ordinated" robocalls campaign in the last election to deceive voters.

Photograph by: Chris Wattie, Reuters

Meanwhile, the pollster appeared to find that many Canadians believe the robocalls have become a part of the political system and are not confined to one party.

When asked about the robocalls, 54 per cent agreed with the statement that "this is just politics as usual and something that all parties do in one way or another." By comparison, 45 per cent disagreed with that statement.

Bricker said this finding suggests many Canadians believe the opposition parties themselves are not "pure" on the issue — something which could weaken their own credibility as they attack the governing Tories on the controversy.

"High dudgeon and outrage, particularly from some of the people seen as being potentially equally culpable, is a difficult position to sustain."

As the controversy over the issue unfolded in recent days, there have been suggestions it might be necessary to hold byelections in ridings which saw narrow wins, and where claims of vote suppression may have tainted the results.

The Ipsos Reid poll suggests there would be strong public support for such a move. Sixty-eight per cent of those polled said if the Conservatives are found to have conducted the misleading robocalls, there should be new elections "in the ridings where it happened." By comparison, 32 per cent disagreed with that course of action.

The poll also found that four per cent of Canadians "strongly" believe that in last year's election campaign they personally "received a call that deliberately tried to confuse" them about the location of their polling station. Another seven per cent also agreed "somewhat" with the statement that this happened to them personally.

Bricker said he was surprised by these specific findings related to voters' own experiences and believes they are likely too high. He said he thinks that, in fact, many of those people were merely recalling any phone call they received during the 2011 election — a result known in the polling business as "false positives."

For the March 6-8 survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1,001 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone, and 2,153 interviews were conducted online.

Ipsos Reid merged the two samples. The margin of error is two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

© Copyright (c) Postmedia News

Crunchy Vietnamese Cabbage Salad With Pan-Seared Tofu

2012-03-10T05:26:00.000-08:00

Time: 30 minutes

3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

4 tablespoons peanut oil

1/2 pound extra-firm tofu, cut into slabs, 3/4 inch thick

6 cups shredded cabbage

1 large carrot, grated

1/3 cup coarsely chopped roasted, salted peanuts, plus more to serve

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more to serve.

1. To make vinaigrette, whisk together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, brown sugar,

1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce, lime zest and juice, jalapeño and garlic. Whisk in 3 tablespoons peanut oil.

2. Pat the tofu dry with paper towels. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick. When it shimmers, add the tofu. Cook 3 minutes without moving, until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce. Move the tofu to a cutting board, and brush both sides of each slice generously with this mixture. Cut tofu into bite-size pieces.

3. In a large bowl, toss together tofu, cabbage, carrot, peanuts, cilantro and vinaigrette. Garnish with more peanuts and cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings.

NEW YORK TIMES

‘Zeng’ weaving craft being revived by ethnic groups

2012-03-10T05:11:00.000-08:00

Local authorities in the mountainous district of A Luoi in the central province of Thua Thien Hue are of late doing their utmost to restore the ‘Zeng’ weaving craft of minority groups in the area, so as to preserve a traditional craft as well as to help the local community find a means to earn their livelihood.

Mai Thi Hop teaching ‘Zeng’ weaving to a young girl (Photo: SGGP)

Around the A Luoi region, stories abound of a wonderful woman named Mai Thi Hop of the Ta Oi minority group, who did her best to revitalise the traditional ‘Zeng’ weaving craft in her community.

‘Zeng’ cloth is a sophisticated marriage of colours in a wealth of motifs, using a black background with colored stripes and beads, woven into various artistic geometric patterns.

Having learnt the art of weaving ‘Zeng’ cloth from her mother since a child, to make clothes for her family or village people, Hop was not content that such a beautiful craft was being wasted and could be lost in the future.

She was determined to bring back to life this traditional craft form, despite encountering various problems, from explaining its usefulness to the young, to persuading Ta Oi elders into giving lessons to people from other ethnic groups, which actually goes against Ta Oi’s customs and rules.

By explaining that ‘Zeng’ weaving may disappear if no one attempted to save it and that it could help fight against poverty, she at last received unanimous approval from the village elders.

In 2004, Hop opened a small workshop in A Luoi Town for people of Co Tu, Pa Hi, Pa Ko, and Ta Oi ethnic groups to learn ‘Zeng’ weaving and earn a living by selling their own products. From only four people in the beginning, her workshop now has around 40 workers with an average income of VND1.2 to 1.5 million (US$58 to $72) per month, which is quite high in the area.

Mai Thi Tang from A Tin Hamlet of A Dot Commune in A Luoi District, a two-year weaver of ‘Zeng’ fabric, said that at first she did not known the craft, but watching many households in her hamlet generating such a high income, she and her mother turned to the craft.

Other ethnic groups like Co Tu, Pa Ko, Van Kieu, Pa Hi also came to learn and helped expand ‘Zeng’ weaving craft to neighboring areas. According to Ho Thi Loan, a Co Tu living in A Phu Vinh Commune, because of this craft her family now can earn an extra sum of VND1.5 to 2 million ($72 to 96) per month, making their financial state more stable.

At present, A Luoi District has three large-scale workshops for ‘Zeng’ weaving craft in Phu Vinh, A Dot Communes and A Luoi Town. It is the high quality and creativity that help A Luoi’s ‘Zeng’ cloth becoming much sought-after, said Hop.

In fact, ‘Zeng’ cloth is usually made with colorful patterns of legendary stories, plus it is quite fashionable and durable, hence the favourite of both residents as well as tourists, domestic and foreign alike.

Ho Van Ngoan, Head of A Luoi’s Office of Culture and Information, said that local authorities always encourage ethnic groups to preserve and develop this weaving craft. They have already approved of a fund to support training and expansion of ‘Zeng’ weaving, with a pattern preservation project also lined up in the near future.

By Phan Le

Source: SGGP

Vietnam among 4 candidates to host 2019 Asian Games

2012-03-10T05:07:00.001-08:00

Vietnam is one of the four candidates competing in hosting the 2019 Asian Games, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has confirmed.

A view of My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam

OCA says the candidates are Vietnam, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Chinese Taiwan.

It adds that Vietnam’s hosting city is Hanoi. Meanwhile, Indonesia has selected Surabaya City, Chinese Taiwan chose Kaohsiung, and UAE has two cities namely Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

associated facilities. It concluded that Hanoi was ready for the playoff round, set for March 25 to 31.

In the round, the three competing teams are the runners up from the three third round groups. They will play in a round-robin format. The playoff winners will take on Senegal, which finished fourth in the CAF U23 Championship.

Source: Sai Gon Giai Phong

Travelwise: The etiquette of Japanese onsen

2012-03-10T04:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks to its location in a volcanic zone, Japan is a hotbed -- quite literally -- of geothermal activity. There are more than 25,000 naturally-occurring mineral hot springs which help power 3,000 spa resorts across the country.

Most onsen have separate baths for men and women. (Antony Giblin/LPI)

The area around Kyoto, Japan’s former imperial capital, is home to more than a dozen hot springs, called onsen. One of the most popular isKurama Onsen, a peaceful outdoor bath located less than an hour from downtown Kyoto. Located in a lovely modern ryokan (traditional inn), with stunning mountain views, Kurama is surrounded by Japanese cedar trees. Traditional ryokan with hot spring baths include Gyozanen andSeryo, two beautifully designed resorts in Ohara, a rural district north of downtown, near the Sanzenin Temple.

Health benefits and bathing etiquette

Balneotherapy, the use of bathing as a form of medical treatment, is widely practiced in Japan. Although generally considered an “alternative medicine”, balneotherapy’s benefits have been demonstrated by globalpeer-reviewed medical studies. The chemistry, temperature, pressure and buoyancy of thermal baths have curative properties used to treat skin conditions such as dermatitis, inflammation-related conditions such as arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions such as lower back pain.

The sulfur and magnesium found in hot springs promotes skin health, while the heat of these baths can reduce inflammation and pain, and boost the immune system. Japanese onsen must be at least 25C, though some get as hot as 100C.

Onsen bathing is an important part of Japanese culture, and proper etiquette is well-established. The following tips should help you through your first experience.

Rinse off before going in

Depending on the facility you visit, you must either rinse off with tap water or scrub down with soap and tap water before entering the thermal bath. Bring your own soap, shampoo and towel just in case

Take it all off

Most onsen do not allow swim suits. At these spas, there are separate baths for men and women. You can use a towel to cover up when outside of the spring water – just be sure not to let that towel fall into the bath, since the goal is the keep the water as clean as possible.

Check beforehand about an onsen’s “tattoo policy”

According to the site OnsenJapan, tattoos have traditionally signified gang or organized crime ties. While it may be discriminatory, some onsen are still not open to people with tattoos.

Do not take pictures

Many onsen do not allow photography. If you wish to photograph the surrounding scenery, ask the resort staff before taking any chances.

Drink water not booze

Drink bottled water to stay hydrated. Alcoholic beverages are not recommended as prolonged exposure to hot water can be dangerous if you are intoxicated.

Travelwise is a BBC Travel column that goes behind the travel stories to answer common questions, satisfy uncommon curiosities and uncover some of the mystery surrounding travel. If you have a burning travel question, contact Travelwise.

BBC

Bletchley Park tweet saves Alan Turing computing papers

2012-03-10T04:51:00.001-08:00

There is something quite fitting that a single tweet sparked off a campaign to save the work of a man who helped to develop the world's first modern computer.

Alan Turing's nephew Sir John Dermot Turing looks at Stephen Kettle's sculpture of his uncle at the exhibition

This, in turn, led to the development of an exhibition devoted to his life and work.

Rare mathematical papers written by Alan Turing are now part of a new display at the World War II codebreaking centre Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire.

Turing, who look his own life in 1954 at the age of 41, helped to create the Bombe machine which was used to crack the Enigma code at Bletchley Park and later created one of the first designs for a stored-program computer.

During his life he only published 18 papers and gave offprints of 15 of them to his friend Professor Max Newman.

But after Newman's death, they changed hands a number of times and could have been lost to a private collector had it not been for the actions of a member of the Bletchley Park staff.

'Desolate tweet'

Director of Museum Operations, Kelsey Griffin, spotted they had come up for sale at Christie's auction house, and took matters into her own hands, turning to the social media network Twitter.

“What started off as just one tweet had become almost the mission of a determined nation” - Kelsey GriffinDirector of Museum Operations, Bletchley Park

Disappointed to realise that the cost of this "very valuable cache of Turing's works" was way out of the reach of the Bletchley Park Trust, she posted what she called "a desolate tweet".

"The guide price of £300,000 and £500,000 meant that there was absolutely no way the Bletchley Park Trust could afford to buy them," she explained.

"I sent out a desolate tweet saying "If only the Trust could afford to buy these for the museum and its visitors".

The call for help was spotted by Bletchley supporter and IT journalist Gareth Halfacree, who promptly launched a campaign to save the papers for the nation, which became viral across the Internet.

"Incredibly he raised £28,500 within 11 days," said Ms Griffin.

Search engine Google then pledged $100,000 and together with a "significant sum" from a private donor, the trust had £100,000 to spend on auction day.

"Sadly, it was a huge anti-climax because bidding started at £200,000, they failed to reach their reserve price and bidding stopped at £240,000," explained Ms Griffin.

'Determined nation'

With the papers still in danger of being sold overseas, "never to be seen or heard of again", Simon Greenish, then CEO of the trust, entered into talks with Christie's and the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF).

The campaign also received the backing of prime minister David Cameron.

Then, in February 2011, the papers were finally saved when the NHMF stepped in to provide the final piece of funding of nearly £213,500.

"What started off as just one tweet had become almost the mission of a determined nation to bring this collection here to Bletchley Park," said Ms Griffin.

After the papers went on display, people began to offer items to the museum, which eventually became 'The Life and Works of Alan Turing' exhibition.

It has now been longlisted for the Art Fund Prize 2012, the UK's annual 'museum of the year' award.

Turing's family then stepped forward with some of his personal artefacts, which are now on show to the public for the first time.

Alan Turing used to practice his lectures on teddy bear 'Porgy'

These include a teddy bear called Porgy, a biography of the scientist written by his mother, prize books awarded at school and his wristwatch, all of which provide a personal insight into the man.

William Newman, son of Cambridge professor Max Newman, then provided a hand-drawn Monopoly board on which the young William had played and beaten Turing.

Ms Griffin said they now not only had his papers, "but the most comprehensive exhibition of the life and works of Alan Turing in the world, the personal artefacts have added a very human dimension and we're very proud to have this open".

She said she was "thrilled" that her actions had led to the development of the exhibition and was proud that the tweet linked the story back to its origins.

"I'm absolutely delighted and almost still in a state of disbelief that all of this has come together," she said.

"One of the very poignant things in the exhibition is a letter to Alan Turing's mother written 20 years after his death when she was told for the very first time what a huge contribution he'd made to the outcome of World War II and also the vital contribution he'd made to the modern computer.

"So the fact that this astonishing collection of his life and works has been brought here by the very act of a tweet on a computer is rather fitting in itself - it rounds off the story."

BBC

Vietnam launches National Climate Change Strategy

2012-03-10T04:46:00.000-08:00

Nguyen Minh Quang, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment announced the National Climate Change Strategy in Vietnam, in a ceremony in Hanoi yesterday.

For illustration only

The National Climate Change Strategy, approved by the Prime Minister, will enable Vietnam to develop a constructive community-based model that can be replicated effectively and strategically to overcome the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels.

Vietnam is one of the countries particularly vulnerable to climate change and the Mekong Delta is among three deltas in the world that will be the most affected by rising sea levels.

If sea levels rise by one metre, about 39 per cent of the Mekong Delta area, 10 per cent of the Red River Delta area, 2.5 per cent of the coastal provinces, and over 20 per cent of Ho Chi Minh City will be flooded.

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will organise an investment conference and call on foreign businesses to invest in infrastructure projects to help reduce the damaging impact of climate change in Vietnam.

By A.Thu

Source: SGGP

Rice prices continue to drop in the Mekong Delta

2012-03-10T04:43:00.000-08:00

Farmers in the Mekong Delta are a worried lot as rice prices continue to drop with demand for rice having dropped substantially, even though there was a bumper crop this winter-spring season.

Rice farmers are concerned as price of low-quality IR50404 variety is now VND4,000-4,200 per kilogram for fresh paddy, and VND5,000-5,200 per kilogram for dried paddy. Price of dried paddy even fell to VND4,800-4,900 per kilogram in some places.

Meanwhile, long-grained rice sold for VND5,400-5,500 per kilogram and dried high-quality rice for VND6,300-6,400 per kilogram.

Rice consumption was reported very sluggish. Concerns increased as traders rejected low-quality IR50404 variety paddy. Farmers are worried that prices will continue to drop, even as they prepare for the next crop.

Nguyen Van Buong, Deputy Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Hong Ngu District of Dong Thap Province, said that farmers in the district have already harvested more than 2,000 hectares of the 11,000 hectares of winter-spring crop, expected to yield about 7.4-7.5 tonnes per hectare, up 600 kilogram per hectare from the previous season. However, a decline in prices is a predicament for the farmers at this time.

According to Dr. Le Van Banh, Director of the Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute, farmers need to sell off their rice crop immediately, to pay off debts and prepare for the next season. Hence, at this point of time, the government must buy up farmers’ stocks, for temporary stockpiling, so as to assist them in cultivating the next crop.

By Binh Dai

Source: SGGP

Gold approaches VND45 million

2012-03-10T04:20:00.000-08:00

Price of gold in Vietnam climbed by VND150,000 a tael (1.2 ounces) over the previous day on March 10 as global price surpassed US$1,700 an ounce on sudden demand.

Sacombank Jewellery Company bought gold at VND44.2 million and sold at VND44.8 million as of 8am Vietnamese time.

Saigon Jewellery Company, Vietnam’s biggest gold processer and trader, collected the metal at VND44.65 million and sold at VND44.8 million as of 9.33am Vietnamese time.

Hanoi-based Phu Quy Jewellery Company purchased SJC-brand gold at VND44.75 million and sold at VND44.85 million as of 10.31am Vietnamese time.

Bao Tin Minh Chau Jewellery Company quoted price at VND43.5 million for buying, and VND43.8 million for selling at 11.45am Vietnamese time.

Domestically, gold fetched around VND1.5 million a tael, higher than global price.

Internationally, gold rose nearly 1 percent in heavy trading on Friday, reclaiming early sharp losses, lifted by higher crude oil and US stock markets, following an encouraging US job report.

Initially, the heavy metal fell 1 per cent on news that US employers added more than 200,000 workers to their payroll for a third straight month in February and unemployment rate pinned at 8.3 per cent, the lowest level since February 2009, a sign of economic recovery.

The US Dollar Index, a gauge of six major currencies against the US dollar’s strength, rose 0.98 per cent yesterday. Despite a strengthened US dollar, the yellow metal made a U-turn after investors increased buying of gold.

Gold for immediate delivery rose as much as $14 an ounce, or 0.82 per cent, to close at $1,713.5 an ounce on the Kitco trading floor.

Gold futures for April delivery gained $12.8 an ounce, or 0.7 per cent, to close at $1,711.5 an ounce on the Comex in New York.

The euro exchange rate against the US dollar was above $1.31 a euro this morning.

By Thuy Doan

Source: SGGP

Toll fee proposed on vehicles plying National Highway 1

2012-03-10T04:16:00.000-08:00

The Vietnam General Road Department on March 9 proposed to the Ministry of Transport to levy a toll fee on vehicles plying on National Highway 1, which runs parallel to the Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong Expressway.

Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong Expressway collecting toll fees station

The Department remarked that only recently, after the Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong Expressway began collecting toll fees, a large number of vehicles switched to using National Highway 1 to escape paying the fee.

Statistics show that before the Ho Chi Minh City-Trung Luong Expressway began collecting toll fees, there were 6,796 vehicles plying the route every 24 hours.

However, soon after the toll fee was charged the numbers dropped substantially, with most of the traffic moving to the toll free National Highway 1, causing chaos, traffic jams and more pollution.

Thus, the Vietnam General Road Department proposed a toll fee of VND15,000-VND100,000 (US$4.8) per entry on vehicles plying Highway 1. It was suggested that the lowest rate be applied for smaller cars, trucks and buses, while higher rates be levied on heavy duty trucks of more than 18 tonne capacity and on 40 feet container trucks.

On an average, the toll fee rates are 1.5 times higher than the basic rates currently applied at other toll stations, with revenue going to the State budget, the department said.

The department has asked the Ministries of Transport and Finance to issue a joint circular to regulate the toll fee, which will be collected at a station in Tan An Town of Long An Province.

The proposed toll fee rates had been set after the department agreed to a proposal by the Cuu Long Transport Infrastructure Management Investment and Development Corporation to apply toll fees on vehicles travelling on the highway.

Therefore, the fee collection on Highway1 is aimed at balancing the volume of traffic between the two roads to increase the traffic on the Expressway, the department said.

Meanwhile, the HCMC Goods Transport Association has petitioned the Prime Minister to lower the toll fee rates on the 61.9-km Ho Chi Minh City –Trung Luong Expressway by up to 50 per cent on trucks.

However, at a press conference held on March 7, Deputy Transport Minister Nguyen Hong Truong said the toll fee rates applied to the Expressway had been properly calculated based on consideration of similar rates in other countries and on Vietnamese people’s income.

“Many transport firms have complained that these rates were too high, but in fact, they are still lower than in a number of countries in the region. In China, for example, the rate is 1 Yuan (VND2,500) per km,” Truong said.

Source SGGP

Microsoft cuts touchscreen lag to 1ms, makes other panels look silly (video)

2012-03-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed that there is a serious amount of lag between when you move your finger on a touchscreen and when it actually registers that input? Perhaps you haven't, but most panels and controllers out there suffer from about a 100ms delay.

For taps and slow swipes that's not an issue but, as you wing your finger around the screen faster and faster (say, while quickly doodling in a painting app), the lag becomes quite apparent. The powerful minds over at Microsoft Research have figured out a way to get that delay down to a measly 1ms.

Of course, there's no guarantee this tech will ever make it into a product, and the video after the break shows little more than a glowing box following a finger. Still, it's always enjoyable to see where we are now versus where we could be.

TechCrunch

Microsoft Research (YouTube)

Vietnamese Justice Ministry delegation visits Laos

2012-03-10T03:13:00.001-08:00

On March 7 the Prime Minister of Laos, Thongsing Thammavong, received a delegation from Vietnam’s Ministry of Justice headed by Minister Ha Hung Cuong, in the capital city of Vientiane.

Lao PM Thongsing Thammavong receives Justice Minister Ha Hung Cuong. Photo: VNA

The PM thanked the delegation for their visit and said he believed that their trip will help to promote more cooperation and solidarity between both ministries.

He said the talks between the two justice ministries were extremely fruitful and promoted joint initiatives on human resources training for Laos.

Laos is currently preparing for Laos-Vietnam Solidarity Year and across the country the authorities are highlighting the special relationship that exists between both countries, especially to young people. It is now 35 years since the signing of the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty and 50 years of Vietnamese-Laotian diplomatic ties.

Cuong said that there has been an increase in cooperation between both ministries, especially since the conference on justice, attended by provinces lying on each side of the Vietnam-Laos border. He stated that both Ministries of Justice have prioritised human resources training to develop the justice system.

Earlier, the delegation held talks with Laos’ Ministry of Justice, led by Minister Chaleune Yapaoher. They reviewed the outcomes of joint initiatives in 2011 and put forward proposals for 2012.

VNA

Afghan officials visit Guantanamo in peace bid

2012-03-10T02:28:00.000-08:00

An Afghan government delegation visited the Guantanamo Bay military prison this week to secure approval from five Taliban detainees who may soon be moved to Qatar, a sign that the Obama administration is inching closer to establishing peace talks to end the war in Afghanistan.

In this photo reviewed by a U.S. Department of Defense official, a Guantanamo detainee holds onto a fence inside the Camp 6 high-security detention facility at Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base April 27, 2010.
REUTERS/Michelle Shephard/Pool

The delegation, which visited the top-security detention center in Cuba on Monday, included Ibrahim Spinzada, a senior foreign policy aide to Afghan President Hamid Karzai, sources familiar with the subject said.

Government sources in Kabul said Spinzada and Shahida Abdali, a senior Afghan security official, visited the United States this week. The White House said the two officials were in Washington briefly but both the White House and the Pentagon declined comment on the Guantanamo visit.

U.S. Army Military Police escort a detainee to his cell during in-processing to the temporary detention facility at Camp X-Ray in Naval Base Guantanamo Bay in this file photograph taken January 11, 2002 and released January 18, 2002.
REUTERS/Stringer/Files

Karzai's government has demanded the five former senior members of the Taliban government, held at Guantanamo Bay for a decade, give their consent before they are transferred to , the small Gulf state where they would under Qatar's custody.

The transfer would be one of a series of good-faith measures that, if U.S. diplomats can surmount remaining hurdles, would set in motion the first substantial political negotiations on the bloody conflict in Afghanistan since the Taliban government was toppled in 2001 in a U.S.-led invasion.

A year after it was unveiled, the Obama administration's peace initiative may soon offer the United States a historic opportunity to broker an end to a conflict that began as the response to the September 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on the United States. The war has dragged on for a decade at great financial and human cost.

But the peace gambit also presents extraordinary risks for Obama, facing the potential for political fallout months before presidential elections, as his government considers backing an arrangement that would give some degree of power to the Taliban, a movement known for its brutality and extreme interpretation of Islam.

Despite months of covert diplomacy, it remains unclear whether the prisoner transfer will go ahead. Doubts are growing about whether the Taliban leadership is willing to weather possible blowback from junior and more hard-core members who appear to oppose negotiations.

U.S. officials have been hoping the behind-the-scenes peace initiative will gain enough momentum to permit Obama to announce the establishment of full-fledged political talks between the Karzai government and the Taliban at a NATO summit in May.

Such an announcement would mark a major victory for the White House and might dispel some of the anxiety created by NATO nations' plans to gradually pull most of their troops by the end of 2014, leaving an inexperienced Afghan military and wobbly Afghan government to fend off a still-potent insurgency.

The confidence-building measures the administration has proposed also include the opening of the Taliban office in Qatar and a Taliban statement distancing itself from terrorism.

The Taliban detainees are seen by some U.S. officials as among the most threatening inmates remaining at Guantanamo. Their possible transfer has become a lightning rod for attack - or at least anxiety - from U.S. politicians from both parties even before the administration formally begins a required congressional notification process.

Among the prisoners that may be sent to Qatar is Mohammed Fazl, a "high-risk" detainee alleged to be responsible for the killing of thousands of minority Shi'ite Muslims between 1998 and 2001.

They also include Noorullah Noori, a former senior military commander; Abdul Haq Wasiq, a former deputy intelligence minister; and Khairullah Khairkhwa, a former interior minister.

Republicans particularly have voiced concerns that transferred Taliban officials might regain positions of power or rekindle an insurgency that Western forces are working to extinguish.

Detainees in orange jumpsuits sit in a holding area under the watchful eyes of military police during in-processing to the temporary detention facility at Camp X-Ray of Naval Base Guantanamo Bay in this January 11, 2002 file photograph.
REUTERS/Stringer/Files

"My assumption is that my client would welcome an opportunity to be released from Guantanamo," said Frank Goldsmith, an attorney for Khairkhwa, who arrived at Guantanamo in May 2002.

This week's visit to Guantanamo may reflect the narrow course that Karzai, who had gone from Western darling to frequent antagonist, must tread as he seeks to build support for peace talks among Afghans who fear a Taliban return - all while shoring up his own fragile political backing.

It was unclear who else may have accompanied Spinzada to Guantanamo.

The reconciliation initiative has proceeded in fits and starts in part because of what U.S. officials describe as an unpredictable partner in Kabul. U.S. officials have held eight meetings with Afghan militant interlocutors since the peace initiative began, Reuters learned.

Karzai, meanwhile, has complained the United States has repeatedly sidelined in a process that is supposed to be "Afghan-led."

While those disagreements may have been put to rest, the latest diplomatic maneuvers come at a particularly sensitive time for the U.S.-Afghan relationship following the burning of copies of the Koran on a NATO military base, an incident that sparked protests and attacks on Western forces.

On Friday, the two governments announced a breakthrough in efforts to strike a bilateral deal that would outline their long-term presence and authorize a U.S. military presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014.

REUTERS

Vietnamese student wins academic prize

2012-03-10T02:21:00.001-08:00

HCM CITY — Vietnamese student Thai Minh Thuy has won the Academic Achievement Award granted by the New South Wales Department of Education and Communities for international students in Australians state public schools.

Thai Minh Thuy (R) poses with Mai Phuoc Dung, Vietnamese Consul General in Sydney, Australia. Photo: Vietnamplus

The HCM City resident achieved the highest Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank score of 99.95 and was listed on the Higher School Certificate for achieving over 90 in all subjects. She was a top ranking student of the Canley Vale High School.

The 18-year-old student was also commended for her outstanding leadership qualities as president of the school's Leo's Club and as a member of the Fairfield Council Advisory Committee.

Thuy is studying for a double degree – Bachelors of Commerce and Liberal Studies – at the University of Sydney.

Of 77 international students who were nominated for the award, 21 were from Viet Nam.

Source: VNA

Edu sector prioritizes human resources issues: minister

2012-03-10T02:14:00.001-08:00

The most important issue the Ministry of Education and Training will focus on enhancing this year is human resources, with teachers and students the core objects, said Minister Pham Vu Luan in an online Q&A session with the public held yesterday via the government online portal.

Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan. Photo: Tuoi Tre

During the session, a 12th-grade student demanded that the current textbooks and teaching methodology be amended in a way that will allow students to be exposed to more photos, video clips, and real stories and situations for practice.

“Please do not force us to study from the text-condensed books, and solve the non-realistic and incomprehensive math problems.”

Appreciating the student’s suggestion, Luan said that when the ministry begins to reform the high school textbooks and curriculums in 2015, ideas and suggestions from students will be listened to and considered.

Bonuses, allowances for teachers: a hot issue

The minister also received a number of questions concerning the policies targeting the teachers.

Nguyen Thi Nguyet, of the northern province of Ha Giang, said that despite the incentive policies, teachers in the mountainous areas still fail to obtain a decent life with their wages. Teachers in some areas have never been granted any bonuses on Tet, she said.

“So what can be done in this case to keep teachers from quitting their job?” she asked.

Meanwhile, an education management official in Binh Dinh Province said he has been in the post for 20 years, and is likely to receive no allowances upon his coming retirement.

Many teachers questioned why few teachers have actually received money from seniority allowances, even though the policy on the issue has been in effect for nearly a year.

“Even in Hanoi, many teachers have no idea when they will get the allowances, and how much they will be worth,” they said.

According to a joint circular issued by several ministries, teachers who have been teaching for five years or more will receive a monthly seniority allowance as of February 20.

They include the education, internal affairs, finance, and labor ministries.

Commenting on this, minister Luan admitted that the policy cannot be implemented quickly since there are as many as four ministries to develop it, while the content is related to too many different sectors.

As for the hardship of teachers in the remote and mountainous areas, Luan said the government is developing a new salary policy, in which they are set to receive more incentives.

Loose quality checks on universities

The Q&A session also saw many concerns over the numerous newly-established universities, while the education ministry proves to be incapable of fully controlling and providing checkups on their quality.

Minister Luan admitted that the ministry’s checkups and auditing tasks have not been satisfactorily conducted.

By the end of 2011, the ministry had suspended four universities, and hundreds of courses from other schools, from enrollment, Luan said. “We are auditing the quality in 80 other universities.”

However Tran Duc Thu, from Da Nang City, remains skeptical about further sanctions following the detection of universities with poor quality.

“The ministry has audited the universities, but how about its point of view on how to penalize these violators?” he asked.

In response, Luan said the ministry will at first provide a warning, caution, and also support the schools to improve their situation.

“Stricter sanctions will be imposed on universities guilty of more severe violations.”

Source: TUOI TRE