Vietnam beats Jamaica in friendly football match

Vietnam beat Jamaica 3-0 in a friendly soccer match, which took place in the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi on June 24.
The Vietnamese eleven took the initiative early on when striker Le Cong Vinh scored first in the eighth minute.The host team scored again in the 65th minute with a long shot from midfielder Duc Duong. Striker Anh Duc scored the final goal in the final minute.Vietnam's Austrian coach Alfred Riedl chose his best players for the starting line-up at the match to prepare the squad for the Asian Cup, which Vietnam is to co-host with Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia next month.

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Vietnam beats China’s Dalian 3-1 at VTC-Salonpas volleyball cup

The Vietnamese women’s volleyball team has exerted great effort to defeat their rivals Dalian from China after suffering a 25-20 loss in the first set of the match on June 22 as part of the VTC-Salonpas Women’s Volleyball Cup.
The turning point of the match came at the end of its second set, as Vietnamese players managed to secure a narrow win of 25-23 to the cheers of fans in Vinh Phuc Gymnasium.

From this point on, the Vietnamese athletes showed good form and played steady combinations to completely crush Dalian’s resistance in the next two sets with outright scores of 25-17 and 25-18.

Vietnam is likely to be placed fifth in the tournament following this victory.
The awards ceremony will take place after the final matches on the evening of June 23.

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Communication campaign launched to respond to Anti-Narcotics Day

An anti-drugs communication campaign was launched in the northern mountainous province of Son La on June 22 in response to the International Anti-Narcotics Day (June 26).
The ceremony was attended by Narumi Yamada, chief representative of the UN Office of Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), leaders of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Culture and Information as well as representatives of other sectors and local people.
Senior Lieutenant General Le The Tiem, Deputy Minister of Public Security and member of the National Committee for Drugs and AIDS Prevention, called on young people to stay away from the dangers of drugs and related crime.
Under the theme “Life in your hand”, the campaign targets young people who will decide on the future of their lives and the nation. After Son La, similar communication campaigns will also be launched across the country.

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Guantanamo meeting canceled after report closure is near

A White House meeting planned for Friday about the future of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility has been canceled after The Associated Press reported the Bush administration was "nearing a decision" to close the center.
National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said there would be no meeting Friday, but he would not comment on the reasons for the cancellation
Earlier Thursday, AP reported that officials were close to a decision to shut down the facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and that the administration had scheduled a meeting to discuss a proposal to transfer the detainees to other military prisons.
Officials from the White House, the Pentagon and the Justice and State departments denied the AP report.
"The administration is not 'nearing a decision' on changing our long-held policy to shut down Gitmo in a responsible way," said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. "There is no meeting tomorrow."
Johndroe said the president has "long expressed a desire to close" the detention center, but "a number of steps need to take place before that can happen."
Those steps include establishing military commissions and sending home the detainees who have been cleared for release, he said.
"These and other steps have not been completed. No decisions on the future of Guantanamo Bay are imminent, and there will not be a White House meeting tomorrow," he said.
Johndroe later told CNN that a meeting had been set but was canceled.
Official: We all want to see Guantanamo closed as soon as possible
A senior State Department official told CNN that the administration was not changing its course on Guantanamo and that regular, "high-level" discussions on the facility take place.
"We are working hard on this," the official said, adding that the administration was "in the process of negotiating agreements" on those at Guantanamo Bay both to transfer them to other facilities and to put them on trial. "We all want to see it [Guantanamo Bay] closed as soon as possible."
There are about 375 detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, according to the Pentagon. Among those are 14 "high-level detainees" formerly held in secret CIA prisons, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Senior administration officials said the facility will eventually be shut down.
"It's just a matter of figuring out how to get there," one official said. "It's a complicated, complex issue."
Officials said there have been numerous discussions on the issue involving Cabinet-level officials but none yet involving President Bush.
One item being worked on is reaching agreement with Afghanistan to build a prison, where several dozen detainees could be transferred, officials said.
"There are 375 detainees," one official said."If we transferred the Afghan prisoners, that would put us at less than 100 at the camp. This would be a reasonable number. It would allow us to then figure out who to try and get the military commissions up and running."
"But we still need to build the prison, train the guards and transfer people. All of this takes time," the official said.
Another issue, the officials said, is to establish working agreements with foreign governments to take remaining detainees to countries where they would be treated humanely but not released prematurely, which they said has been a problem in the past.

CNN's Suzanne Malveaux, Zain Verjee and Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report.

Afghan Taleban 'targeting Kabul'

The Taleban in Afghanistan are changing their tactics to mount more attacks on the capital, Kabul, a spokesman for the militant group has told the BBC.
The spokesman, Zabiyullah Mujahed, said Taleban were recovering after Nato had infiltrated the group and killed some of its leaders.
But more people were volunteering to carry out suicide bombings, he said.
A police bus in Kabul was bombed on Sunday killing up to 35 people, in the deadliest attack there since 2001.
Mr Mujahed said the city was the next main target of the Taleban.

"It is true we are increasing our pressure on Kabul, because Kabul is the capital city and the foreign troops are concentrated there," Zabiyullah Mujahed said.
He added that the "independence and freedom of our country" was the goal of the Taleban and that they were repeating the same tactics used by insurgents in Iraq.
"A lot of people are coming to our suicide bombing centre to volunteer," he said.

BBC News

Nine 'courageous firefighters' die in warehouse blaze

An inferno raced through a Charleston, South Carolina, furniture warehouse, collapsing its roof and killing nine firefighters in a tragedy that the city's mayor described Tuesday as "difficult to fathom."
"They lost their lives fighting for the safety of our citizens," Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. said.
Two employees were able to get out safely, but the fire, which began Monday night, quickly spread through the Sofa Super Store, causing part of the building to collapse. (Map)
Firefighters had to break an opening in the back of the store to allow one of the workers out of the burning building, Riley said. (Gallery)
"Nine brave, heroic, courageous firefighters of the city of Charleston have perished fighting a fire, and in a most courageous and fearless manner, carrying out their duties," Riley said. "This is a tragic event for our community, the magnitude of which is difficult to fathom or quantify." (Watch a witness describe firefighters escaping through windows )
The International Association of Fire Chiefs called on all firefighters to observe a moment of silence at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday to honor the nine who died.
The victims, their ages and their years of service are:
Capt. William "Billy" Hutchinson, 48 (30 years)
Capt. Mike Benke, 49 (29 years)
Capt. Louis Mulkey, 34 (11½ years)
Engineer Mark Kelsey, 40 (12½ years)
Engineer Bradford "Brad" Baity, 37 (9 years)
Assistant engineer Michael French, 27 (1½ years)
Firefighter James "Earl" Drayton, 56 (32 years)
Firefighter Brandon Thompson, 27 (4 years)
Firefighter Melven Champaign, 46 (2 years)
"We lost over a hundred years of service to the city of Charleston Fire Department, over a hundred years of dedicated service," Riley said. "To the families who gave them to us, we protected them as much as we could. They did exactly what they were trained to do. I can't say enough of these nine guys. They were my friends. I lost nine of my best friends."
Witnesses said more than 20 fire personnel were buried in the collapse, and flying ash hit bystanders, according to AP.
"It was like a 30-foot tornado of flames," Mark Hilton, who was struck in the eye, told The Associated Press.
Near Charleston's main firehouse, people left notes and flowers at the base of a monument to the firefighters Tuesday, according to AP.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you and your families," said one note the AP cited. "We are deeply saddened and want you all to know that we value your bravery and thank you for putting your lives on the line to keep us all safe. God bless you all."
In Washington, President Bush and first lady Laura Bush described the firefighters as "true heroes who demonstrated great skill and courage."
State and federal officials are investigating the cause of the fire, but Riley said there is no initial indication of foul play or arson.
Firefighters and other rescue workers formed a double line and saluted as their comrades' bodies were carried from the charred remains of the building. (Watch colleagues' solemn salutes as the fallen firefighters' bodies are brought out )
"To lose nine is just a tragedy of immense proportions," Riley said. "To lose nine is just unbelievable."
The deaths are the single greatest loss of American firefighters in the line of duty since the September 11, 2001, attacks, according to statistics compiled by firehouse.com. The attack on New York's World Trade Center resulted in the deaths of 343 firefighters.
The mayor said he didn't know whether the structure had sprinklers, but he said they would not have helped much. "A fire that gets going quickly enough is beyond any sprinkler system's capacity to put it out in a building like this," Riley said.
Store owner Herb Goldstein told the AP in a statement that everyone at the business is "devastated and heartbroken by this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and loved ones of the heroic firefighters who lost their lives."
It is the first time Charleston has lost a firefighter in the line of duty in at least 10 years, Charleston firefighter Lt. Chad Watson said.
Most of the bodies were found in the rear of the building, Watson said, where flames caused the collapse of large shelves that held heavy furniture.
"The fire burned so hot so fast that those [shelves] all collapsed, and that's where the majority of the fatalities" occurred, Watson said.
Eric Glover, a Charleston firefighter who worked the blaze, said the loss of his colleagues was difficult to bear.

© 2007 Cable News Network.

BLADES AWAIT HEARING OUTCOME

Sheffield United should discover later today whether their fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League has been successful.
A three-man arbitration panel will finish hearing a challenge brought by the Blades against the Premier League.
Sheffield United plc chairman Kevin McCabe said after giving evidence to the panel: "I think the panel recognise all the points of the case.
"It's about righting the wrongs from the first decision. That's really part of the arbitration proceedings and why we served the notice on the Premier League back in mid-May."
The Blades want the panel to order a fresh disciplinary hearing against West Ham over the Carlos Tevez affair.
The Blades are claiming that West Ham should have been docked points by an independent commission for including third-party agreements when they signed Tevez and Javier Mascherano last August, contrary to Premier League rules.
The three-man panel's main role is to see whether the correct disciplinary procedures were followed.
Retired High Court judge Sir Philip Otton is chairing the arbitration tribunal hearing, which is expected to conclude today, alongside David Pannick QC representing the Blades and leading barrister Nicholas Randall.
A statement released on behalf of the panel read: "Sheffield United are asking the arbitral panel to determine two matters.
"The first is whether the decision by the independent disciplinary commission on April 27 to fine West Ham, rather than dock points, was legally flawed such as to require the issue to be determined afresh by a disciplinary commission at some point in the future.
"The second is whether the Premier League acted unlawfully by not de-registering Tevez. Fulham are seeking similar relief.
"The arbitral panel have no power to decide what the penalty to be imposed upon West Ham should be."

Copyright ? TEAMtalk Media Group 2006

Chinese challenger aims for top spot in solar tech

Bucking the automation trend, Suntech Power Holdings credits its rise in the solar industry to people, and lots of them.
Rather than use expensive robots, Suntech employs roughly 2,500 workers to assemble solar cells into panels and perform other tasks ordinarily handled by machines. The workers give Suntech a lower operating cost than Western competitors, and there are fewer broken cells, said Steve Chan, vice president of business development at the company.
The factory workers make, on average, about $200 a month, not including housing subsidies, free food and an on-site medical clinic. (It's about half of what a new college graduate earns in China).
Low-tech as it sounds, the approach has led to a Moore's Law-like growth rate for the Shanghai-based company. Suntech, which makes both solar cells and completed panels, was an asterisk in overall market share in 2002. By 2005, it was the eighth largest solar cell maker in the world, according to statistics from Photon International. In 2006, it jumped to fourth and this year passed No. 3 Kyocera in solar cell manufacturing capacity.

Bucking the automation trend, Suntech Power Holdings credits its rise in the solar industry to people, and lots of them.
Rather than use expensive robots, Suntech employs roughly 2,500 workers to assemble solar cells into panels and perform other tasks ordinarily handled by machines. The workers give Suntech a lower operating cost than Western competitors, and there are fewer broken cells, said Steve Chan, vice president of business development at the company.
The factory workers make, on average, about $200 a month, not including housing subsidies, free food and an on-site medical clinic. (It's about half of what a new college graduate earns in China).
Low-tech as it sounds, the approach has led to a Moore's Law-like growth rate for the Shanghai-based company. Suntech, which makes both solar cells and completed panels, was an asterisk in overall market share in 2002. By 2005, it was the eighth largest solar cell maker in the world, according to statistics from Photon International. In 2006, it jumped to fourth and this year passed No. 3 Kyocera in solar cell manufacturing capacity.

Copyright ©2007 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Looters Raid Arafat's home, Steal Nobel Peace Prize

Hamas fighters stormed the home of late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat late Friday, stealing his Nobel Peace Prize, Fatah leaders told the Jerusalem Post.
"They stole almost everything inside the house, including Arafat's Nobel Peace Prize medal," Ramallah-based Fatah spokesman Ahmed Abdel Rahman told the Post. "Hamas militiamen and gangsters blew up the main entrance to the house before storming it. They stole many of Arafat's documents and files, gifts he had received from world leaders and even his military outfits." The Post reported that dozens participated in the Gaza City raid, taking clothing belonging to Arafat's widow, Suha and his daughter, along with personal mementos.
"Most of the looters were just ordinary citizens," an eyewitness told the Post. "They stole almost everything, including furniture, tiles, water pipes, closets and beds."

© 2007 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved

Outrage over Lebanese TV anchor's comments

A Lebanese television anchor's comments and laughter regarding the assassination of Lebanese anti-Syrian parliamentarian Walid Eido have caused a furor and resulted in her firing.
The NBN anchor, who has not been identified, did not realize her microphone was on.
"So, why did it take them so long to kill him?" the anchor asked a colleague on live television Wednesday, the same day as Eido's death. She begins laughing, and the colleague joins in. (Listen to the exchange over images of the deadly bombing )
Then she says, referring to anti-Syrian parliament member Ahmad Fatfat, "Fatfat should be next. I'm counting them down."
"We don't glee in someone else's misfortune," the colleague replies.
"It's not gloating," the anchor replied, "but we've had enough of them."
NBN is owned by Nabih Berry, a pro-Syrian politician who is speaker of Lebanon's parliament.
In a statement, the station said it had fired the anchor and colleague and apologized for "an unintentional mistake." The statement said, "the comments made do not represent the station in any way."
Leading anti-Syrian Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar wrote a story on the incident without naming the station or anchor. But other media picked up the exchange, which eventually made its way to the Web site YouTube.
Fatfat meanwhile told the Al-Arabiya network he is concerned for his life. He said he had hired an attorney and is prepared to sue the station for comments he interpreted as a direct threat.
Al-Arabiya continued to air the exchange Thursday, followed by interviews with officials representing and defending NBN, saying the firing of the anchor should be enough to quell any outrage her comments caused.
Syria has denied any involvement in Eido's killing.

© 2007 Cable News Network.

State President optimistic about Viet Nam-US ties

State President Nguyen Minh Triet said he believed the Viet Nam-US ties will see further developments in the future, serving the two nations’ interest. The president made the comment when he granted an interview to the Vietnamese media before his official visit to the United States, scheduled for June 18-23.The interview runs in full as follows:Q: Your upcoming official visit to the United States will be the first to the country by a head of state of Viet Nam. Could you elaborate on the significance of this visit?A: I will pay an official visit to the US from June 18-23 at the invitation of US President George W. Bush, an invitation he made when he visited Viet Nam and attended the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November 2006. The trip will take place in the context of positive developments in the relationship between the two countries and deep and wide cooperation in all fields, bringing practical results and meeting the interests and aspirations of the two countries’ people. I plan to discuss with President Bush and other US leaders specific measures to strengthen the effectiveness and stability in the Viet Nam-US relationship. I will meet with US residents as well as overseas Vietnamese who are living in the US in order to strengthen the friendship between the two peoples and boost the mutual understanding and sympathy between the two nations. I will also meet with US business circles and encourage them to increase their business in Viet Nam.In short, the visit will be of great importance to strengthening the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the people of the two countries.Q: Could you make an overall assessment of Viet Nam-US relations since the two countries normalised their diplomatic ties in July 1995 and the prospects for developing bilateral relations?A: Since the two countries normalised their diplomatic ties in July 1995, we have witnessed rapid progress in Viet Nam-US relations.The exchange of visits, particularly visits by high-ranking officials, businesspeople and representatives from mass organisations, have helped strengthen mutual understanding and create a firm foundation for multifaceted cooperation between the two sides.Two Joint Statements of leaders of the two countries, which were issued in June 2005 and November 2006, affirmed the two countries’ will to develop multi-faceted, constructive and friendly partnership on the basis of equality and mutual respect and benefit in an extensive, sustainable and efficient manner.Impressive progress has been made in trade-economic relations. Cooperation in humanitarian activities, culture, tourism, sports and the fight against terrorism and trans-national crimes has been gradually expanded.Although some differences remain, particularly those related to democracy and human rights, I believe that these differences are small as compared with the two countries’ common interests and they should be resolved through dialogues.With efforts and goodwill of both sides, I believe that bilateral relations would further develop in the future to serve the two nations’ interest and contribute to ensuring peace, stability and prosperity in the Asian region.Q: Viet Nam is now an official member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), so how do you think the membership will affect economic, trade and investment relations between Viet Nam and the US? Do you have any message to the US business community, particularly those who are planning to invest in Viet Nam?A: In conjunction with dynamic economic development, political stability and safety, Viet Nam’s WTO membership, the US Government’s establishment of Permanent Normal Trade Relations with Viet Nam and Viet Nam’s successful organisation of the 14 th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting have helped improve Viet Nam’s position and prestige and make the Vietnamese market more attractive to foreign business circles. Many leading economic groups of the US have decided to put heavy investment in Viet Nam.I welcome US entrepreneurs to do business in Viet Nam. The Government of Viet Nam will continue to create a favourable environment and conditions for foreign investors to operate in the country.

Copyright, Vietnam News Agency (VNA)

RoK to ship 20 million USD in food aid to DPRK

The Republic of Korea (RoK) will send emergency food aid worth some 20 million USD to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) via the World Food Programme (WFP).RoK’s Unification Minister Lee Jae-joung said in a press briefing on June 14 that his country will consult with the WFP to determine a proposed list and amount of food aid items, which include 24,000 tonnes of corn, 12,000 tonnes of bean, 5,000 tonnes of wheat, 2,000 tonnes of flour and 1,000 tonnes of powdered milk.It will be the first time since 2004 that the RoK will provide food aid to the DPRK via the WFP, reported RoK’s Yonhap news agency.Additionally, the RoK decided to send 10,500 tonnes of rice to the DPRK soon as part of a promise made last year to help the DPRK recover from flood damage, Minister Lee said.The RoK resumed shipments of fertilizer and other emergency aid to the DPRK in late March, but withheld the loan of 400,000 tonnes of rice as an inducement for the DPRK to start its nuclear dismantlement under a landmark February 13 agreement.-Enditem

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