Russia, Qatar triumph as World Cup losers cry foul

Russia and the tiny Gulf state of Qatar have scored stunning victories in the battle for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, triggering anguished disappointment and cries of foul play from losing bidders.


The surprise results Thursday came after an acrimonious bidding war tainted by allegations of corruption.


In a historic conclusion to two years of frenzied lobbying, world football chief Sepp Blatter revealed the surprise winners following a secret ballot of 22 FIFA executive committee members in Zurich.


The announcement means that after the 2014 tournament in Brazil, the World Cup will be staged in two countries that have never hosted the event before. And it will head to the Middle East for the first time in the heat of Qatar.


Russia prevailed in the 2018 race after upsetting England -- who were knocked out in the first round of voting after mustering a mere two votes -- and joint bids from Spain/Portugal and Belgium/Netherlands.


After deciding to skip the actual vote, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin jetted into Zurich late Thursday to congratulate FIFA and the Russian bid team on the result, which he said was a defeat for England.

(A local supporter waves the Russian national flag as he celebrates after FIFA President Joseph Blatter announced on December 2, in Zurich, that Russia will host the 2018 World Cup.)

"A 2018 World Cup will be up to the highest standards, new modern stadiums will be built in time and to perfection: we are eager to do our best for the comfort and safety of our guests," Putin said.


Asked about England's meager support from FIFA's decision-makers, he said: "Britain is a great football country and in Russia we have a lot of fans of your football."


But while promising a warm welcome for England's players, should they qualify, he added pointedly: "Great Britain lost."


The shock of the day came in the 2022 race, where Qatar beat off stiff competition from the United States, Australia, South Korea and Japan in a remarkable result.


Qatar 2022 bid president Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani said his country's victory had defied the odds.


"We started off being written off, being the unconventional bid. And no-one thought we had a chance to win," he said.


"On behalf of millions living in the Middle East, thank you FIFA for having such bold vision. We have a date with history which is summer 2022."


Qatar's win came despite serious reservations being raised by a FIFA technical report about the logistical problems of staging the football tournament in the Gulf during the searing heat of the summer months.


The oil-rich Qataris have promised to build an array of state-of-the-art stadia to keep players and fans comfortable in a climate-controlled environment, but the technology has never been tested on a large scale before.


Al-Thani dismissed concerns about the climate as "misconceptions".


Yet there was global disbelief at the shock victory for Qatar, who have never played in a World Cup.


US President Barack Obama, who had recorded a personal appeal in support of the beaten American bid, told reporters in Washington: "I think it was the wrong decision."


Dejected Australian fans in Sydney were more forthright.


"Soccer is dead to me," Jeremy Tom, 26, told AFP. "What a rort (scam). Who goes to Qatar to watch the world game? It's a joke."


On Internet chat sites in the United States and Asia, allegations of shady dealing were rife.


"They can bribe us next time," an angry US fan tweeted. One netizen in South Korea said sarcastically: "Korean electronics companies should get ready for the bid to provide air conditioners to Qatar."


Thursday's results brought the curtain down on one of the most controversial World Cup votes in years, with FIFA facing myriad allegations of corruption which led to two executive committee members being suspended.


An ill-tempered climax to the campaign saw Spanish and Russian officials issue veiled attacks on England, after the British media had led the charge on alleged financial impropriety in FIFA.


England 2018 failed even to make it to the second round of voting despite a heavyweight lobbying offensive led by Prime Minister David Cameron, heir to the throne Prince William and football icon David Beckham.


"According to FIFA we had the best technical team, no one could identify any risks of coming to England. I think we had the strongest commercial bid and the country is passionate about football," Cameron told reporters.


"But it turns out that's not enough."


Former England team manager Graham Taylor was scathing.


"What did we expect?" he told BBC radio. "FIFA, as far as I'm concerned, is full of people who say 'yes' to your face and 'no' behind your back."
Source: AFP

Putin bristles as Russia dubbed ‘mafia state’

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin defended the honor of Russia after it was branded a “mafia state” in the WikiLeaks memos and he was accused of being aware of a plot to murder a dissident in London.


As the whistleblowing website’s founder Julian Assange, wanted by Interpol over rape allegations in Sweden, remained out of sight, one of his close associates voiced fears that he could be assassinated.


The United States meanwhile named an anti-terrorism expert to lead a review of security in the wake of the leaks of some 250,000 US diplomatic cables which has embarrassed and angered Washington’s friends and foes alike.

(US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton answers a question during a press briefing at the State Department in Washington, DC.)

Some of the most eye-catching of the latest revelations centered on Russia with one memo quoting a Spanish prosecutor describing it as a virtual “mafia state” whose political parties operate “hand in hand” with organized crime.


Spanish prosecutor Jose Gonzalez told US officials that “he considers ... Russia to be a virtual ‘mafia state’” where “one cannot differentiate between the activities of the government and organized crime groups,” the memo said.


Gonzalez, who has been investigating Russian organized crime in Spain for a decade, also agreed with poisoned dissident Alexander Litvinenko’s thesis that Russian intelligence and security services “owned organised crime.”


The memo, sent in February of this year from the US embassy in Madrid, cited the senior prosecutor as claiming that “certain political parties in Russia operate ‘hand in hand’ with organized crime”.


In a separate leaked cable sent shortly after Litvinenko’s death in London in 2006, US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried questioned whether Putin knew beforehand of the plot to kill the dissident.


In a meeting with a senior French diplomatic adviser, Fried asked “whether rogue security elements could operate... without Putin’s knowledge,” given the leader’s “attention to detail.”


The cables have also quoted Defense Secretary Robert Gates as saying that “Russian democracy has disappeared” and describing President Dmitry Medvedev as “Robin” to Putin’s “Batman.”


But in an interview with CNN, Putin said Gates was “deeply misled” about Russian democracy and warned US officials not to “interfere” in Russia’s internal politics.


Although relations between Moscow and Washington have thawed in recent months, Putin made clear his annoyance.


“Our country is led by the people of the Russian Federation through the legitimately elected government,” he said. “The Russian people have unilaterally made their choice in the direction of democracy in the early ‘90s. And we will not be led astray.”


The diplomatic damage of the leaks was also illustrated in Turkey where Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan was livid at allegations mentioned in the cables that he kept secret Swiss bank accounts.


“I do not have one penny in Swiss banks,” Erdogan said, urging Washington to “call to account” its diplomats for “slander derived from lies and inaccurate opinions.”


As the new leaks piled on embarrassment for his administration, US President Barack Obama named Russell Travers, an anti-terrorism expert, to “lead a comprehensive effort to identify and develop the structural reforms needed in light of the WikiLeaks breach,” the White House said.


The State Department has already temporarily suspended Pentagon access to some documents. WikiLeaks is believed to have obtained 250,000 cables from Bradley Manning, a disgruntled army intelligence officer.


WikiLeaks was thrown off its Web host Amazon, best known as a book retailer. After several hours of disruption, WikiLeaks was again accessible in the United States via a European server.


State Department spokesman Philip Crowley described Assange as “an anarchist” amid mystery over the whereabouts of the shadowy Australian who is the subject of an international arrest warrant.


Assange’s British-based lawyer Mark Stephens said the authorities knew his where he was.


“The police know how to get hold of him, as does the Swedish prosecutor. Yet no one seems concerned to tell us what is going on,” he said.


And a WikiLeaks spokesman said Assange feared for his life.


“When you have people calling, for example, for his assassination, it is best to keep a low profile,” Kristinn Hrafnsson said in London


Assange’s mother also expressed fear for her son’s safety, saying the forces he was challenging had become “too big”.


“I’m concerned it’s gotten too big and the forces that he’s challenging are too big,” Christine Assange told the Courier Mail, her local newspaper in Queensland.

Russian beauties charmed by Vietnamese people, food

Three Russian beauties who completed a four-day charity visit to Vietnam on Monday said they were most impressed by the people and the cuisine.
 
Miss Russia 2010 Irina Antonenko was accompanied by Evgenia Eusebia and Tamara Zhukova, who were among the top ten finalists in the Miss Russia pageant this year.

 (Miss Russia 2010 Irina Antonenko)

During their stay, they participated in several activities including cultural exchange, fashion shoots, cooking shows and charity campaigns.

After leaving Vietnam, the Russian beauties will fly to Singapore, the next stop on their Asia charity tour funded by Russian Standard International.

After finishing the tour, Antonenko will focus on preparing for the Miss Universe pageant to be held in August.

Reported by Nguyet Anh 

Russian investor postpones $200 mln resort project

The central province of Khanh Hoa has approved in principle a proposal by Russian group Mirax that it further delays a US$200-million resort project that was licensed in 2008.
 
Mirax has asked for permission to extend the deadline for its Mirax Cam Ranh Resort project, the Dau Tu (Investment) Newspaper reported Wednesday.  

 (Image: A stretch of beach in Khanh Hoa Province)

The company was given three years to finish its project when it received its investment license in 2008.

However, the project was delayed because of the global financial crisis. Construction is now scheduled to start in the first quarter of next year. 

The project includes a five-star hotel and 100 luxury villas. Site clearance and land compensation procedures have been completed. 

Some provinces in Vietnam have taken strong action against delayed real estate and tourism projects this year.

The central province of Quang Nam has just canceled a $4.15 billion resort project while the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau this year revoked another $200 million real estate project. 

Source: Thanh Nien

Russian culture headed to Vietnam

Russian cultural days will be held in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City from November 14 to 22, 2010 as part of a cooperative, two-year cultural exchange between the two countries.
 
The program will include Russian photo exhibitions which will be displayed at 29 Hang Bai Street, Hanoi starting November 14, 2010.

 (Russian artists in a traditional dance)

Two Russian films will be screened at the National Cinema Center (Hanoi), HCMC’s Thang Long Cinema and Le Do Cinema in Da Nang.

In addition, 75 Russian artists from Berezka (which means “birch tree” in Russian), Youth and Classical Troupe Arts, will meet with local students from National Music Institute and perform together as part of a Master-class program.

The event, which was first held in Vietnam in 2007, was co-organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Russia’s Ministry of Culture; and the Department of International Cooperation.

Source: Lao Dong

Vietnam’s National Assembly concludes 8th session

Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong described the legislative body's eighth session, which wrapped up on Friday, as an interesting and productive meeting.
 
Representatives discussed a number of important issues and left a great impression on the public nationwide, a report on the government website cited Trong as saying during his closing remarks. 

During the biannual session, which began on October 20, national legislators passed nine laws and discussed nine other bills.

They also issued several other resolutions covering the supervisory role of the National Assembly, agricultural land taxes, administrative reforms, and the country’s first oil refinery in Dung Quat. 

During an open three-day session, the lawmakers had an opportunity to question Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his ministers about the fate of shipbuilder Vinashin, the development of two bauxite mines and Vietnam's energy shortage. 

 (National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong speaks at the closing of the eighth NA session on Friday)

“The officials have seen their shortcomings and see their personal responsibilities more clearly,” Trong said. “The National Assembly has asked them to take measures to work on those shortcomings.” 

Legislators have approved the government’s economic targets for next year, including a 7-7.5 percent economic growth and a 7 percent inflation rate. 

Trong said the next National Assembly session will be held in March.

Source: Thanh Nien

US to help Vietnam search for missing soldiers

 (Pictures: US Army Sergeant David White makes notes on the edge of an overgrown bomb crater on Hill 881 South in Quang Tri province in Vietnam during a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) search to find the remains of a missing US soldier from the Vietnam War.)

Vietnam and the US Friday signed a memorandum of understanding on co-operation in locating and identifying Vietnamese soldiers missing during the Vietnam War.
 
Under the MoU between the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and USAID, the US will provide Vietnam with US$1 million in technical assistance to help the country search for, identify and document soldiers who went missing.


The assistance includes training, information exchange, provision of equipment and transfer of advanced technology.


Friday’s agreement was the first collaboration between the two governments in searching for Vietnamese soldiers missing in action during their decade-long war.


At the signing ceremony, US Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak said this new activity came at an opportune time, as Vietnam and the United States were celebrating the 15th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
”We are encouraged to see the increased mutual understanding and trust between our two nations,” he said.
There are still hundreds of thousands of unidentified graves of war martyrs in Vietnam and an equal number of Vietnamese soldiers remain missing.


Many relatives of the dead and missing have over the years sought help from those believed to have the ability to communicate with dead spirits to locate the bodies of loved ones lost in combat.