The sports world paid tribute to former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier on Monday after the warrior whose toughness resonated with the blue collar everyman died at the age of 67.

"Smokin' Joe" fought with fearless aggression that belied his modest size and packed a powerful left hook that helped him rule the world heavyweight division from 1970 to 1973.
Frazier, the first boxer to beat Muhammad Ali, died in Philadelphia a month after being diagnosed with liver cancer.
"The world has lost a great champion," Ali said in a statement on Monday. "I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration. My sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones."
Frazier, who won the world heavyweight title in 1970 after Ali had been stripped of the championship in 1967 for refusing to fight in the Vietnam War, also won the Olympic heavyweight boxing gold medal for the United States in 1964 in Tokyo.
"We are all saddened by the death of a legendary Olympic champion," US Olympic Committee Chief Communications Officer Patrick Sandusky wrote on his Twitter account.
"See you in heaven 'Smokin Joe Frazier.'"
Current undefeated WBC World Welterweight Champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. was among those who expressed their appreciation of the late Frazier.
"Condolences go out to the family of the late great Joe Frazier. The Money Team will pay for funeral services," he Tweeted.

File photo of boxers Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali at the 10th annual ESPY Awards in Hollywood (Photo: Reuters)

 

File photo of former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier at ringside in Sydney (Photo: Reuters)

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Messi rescues Barca, Real rout Osasuna

Lionel Messi scored a last-minute equalizer to grab a 2-2 draw for Barcelona at Athletic Bilbao in a dramatic La Liga clash at a rain-soaked San Mames on Sunday, while Cristiano Ronaldo struck a hat-trick as Real Madrid crushed Osasuna 7-1.
Jose Mourinho's team lead the standings on 28 points, three ahead of the European and Spanish champions.
The clash between Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola and Argentine Marcelo Bielsa had been eagerly anticipated and produced a breathless encounter in Bilbao.
Barca keeper Victor Valdes was beaten for the first time in 10 matches when Ander Herrera fired Bilbao in front in the 20th minute, but Cesc Fabregas headed the visitors level just four minutes later.
Standing water on the pitch added to the tension and the conditions contributed to both late goals.
A Bilbao corner 10 minutes from time was cleared badly by Eric Abidal and the ball rebounded off Fernando Llorente and then Gerard Pique before slipping past Valdes.
In the frantic closing minutes Bilbao's Fernando Amorebieta was sent off for a second yellow card and Barca grabbed an equalizer after a free kick, which pinged around the area until it fell to Messi to score his 14th this season.
"We have shown a lot of character and maintained our unbeaten start," Fabregas told Spanish television. "It was a very difficult match especially in the second half with such a wet pitch.
"It was typical match at San Mames against a team with a great spirit and fantastic fans."
Golden boot
At the Bernabeu, Ronaldo, the world's most expensive player paraded the Golden Boot before kickoff for the 40 league goals he scored last season, and he boosted his bid to win it again with another sparkling performance.
Argentina winger Angel Di Maria set up the first three goals for Ronaldo, Pepe and Gonzalo Higuain before being carried off with a torn thigh muscle at the start of the second half.
Ronaldo notched his second goal from the penalty spot in the 54th when Osasuna had defender Eneko Satrustegui sent off, and he completed his fourth league treble this season in the 57th, taking his La Liga tally to 13.

Real Madrid's Ronaldo celebrates his third goal against Osasuna during their Spanish First Division soccer match in Madrid (Photo: Reuters)

Substitute Karim Benzema wrapped up the scoring with two more goals to complete the rout and Real's 10th successive win in all competitions.
Injury-hit Osasuna, thrashed 8-0 by Barcelona in September, had drawn level at 1-1 in the 31st minute when Ibrahima took advantage of a quickly-taken free kick to beat Iker Casillas.
"We have totally deserved these 10 victories. They have come from our great effort, without luck, and as a consequence of the good games we have played," Mourinho said.
Valencia are third with 24 points after winning the city derby 2-0 at Levante on Saturday, pushing the season's surprise early pace-setters down to fourth with 23 points.
Granada drew 0-0 at home with fellow strugglers Racing Santander and Villarreal drew 0-0 at Espanyol.
Helder Postiga netted a last-ditch equalizer for Real Zaragoza in a 2-2 draw with Sporting Gijon and Rayo Vallecano made the most of a red card for Real Sociedad's Inigo Martinez after only 12 minutes to run out 4-0 winners.
Getafe dragged themselves off the foot of the standings despite playing with 10 men for more than an hour when a late penalty from Diego Castro earned a 3-2 win over neighbors Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid's coach Mourinho talks to Ozil during their Spanish First Division soccer match against Osasuna in Madrid (Photo: Reuters)

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Vietnam war vets seize back hijacked ship

Taiwan hailed on Monday the bravery of five Vietnamese war vets who launched a surprise assault on six armed pirates and successfully took back their vessel after it had been hijacked off East Africa.

The former Vietnam war fighters had been recruited by Taiwan to be part of a 28-man crew on the "Chin Yi Wen", a 290-tonne vessel, along with nine Chinese, eight Filipinos and six Indonesians.
The crew, who had been out of contact with the ship since Friday according to the foreign ministry, forced the six armed Somali pirates to jump overboard, and successfully took back control of the ship.
Liu Wan-tien, the owner of the vessel based in the southern Taiwanese city Kaohsiung, said the five Vietnamese sailors launched the surprise assault on the pirates as they were having a meal, the state Central News Agency reported.
The pirates were forced to jump into the high sea and were likely picked up by a small boat operated by the same Somali pirates group, it said.
Liu promised to reward the five "brave" sailors and the rest of crew who were also involved, CNA said.
It added that three sailors were slightly injured in the action, according to Liu, and the ship would remain in the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles before returning to Taiwan.
Taiwan's Fisheries Agency also voiced its gratitude to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), an anti-piracy taskforce, for swiftly coming to the aid of the vessel and providing it with protection.
The UKMTO had received the Agency's request for help on Sunday.
Two decades of lawlessness have carved up Somalia into mini-fiefdoms ruled by gunmen and militia, encouraging rampant piracy.
At least 47 foreign vessels and more than 500 sailors are being held by pirates, according to Ecoterra International, which monitors maritime activity in the region.

Source: tuoitrenews.vn

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China protests Mongolia visit by Dalai Lama

China said on Tuesday that it had lodged a complaint with the Mongolian government about a visit to the vast and remote country by exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who Beijing considers a dangerous separatist.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China had made "stern representations" to the government in Ulan Bator about the Dalai Lama, who fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule.
"We have always opposed any country providing a platform for the Dalai Lama to engage in activities to split China in any form," he told a daily news briefing.
"The Dalai Lama always uses the opportunity of furtive visits to publicise Tibetan independence, smear the Chinese government and play up issues related to Tibet."
The Dalai Lama, fresh from a visit to Japan, arrived in the Mongolian capital on Monday for a short lecture tour at a invitation of a Buddhist group.
Ulan Bator has restricted the Dalai Lama to one lecture on Tuesday in the city's new 4,000-seat Buyant-Ukhaa sports complex, which was built using Chinese aid.
Further lectures due to be delivered on Wednesday and Thursday will be relocated to a less controversial location, Mongolian Transportation Minister Battulga Khaltmaa told reporters following a cabinet meeting.
The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Dalai Lama denies being a separatist, saying he only seeks autonomy for his homeland through peaceful means.
Buddhist monastic life, which took hold in Mongolia in the 1500s, was nearly wiped out within 15 years of communist rule, mostly during Stalinist purges in the 1930s when an estimated 17,000 lamas were executed.
But since the country emerged from decades of Soviet dominance in 1991, the Yellow Hat sect of Buddhism -- also practised in Tibet -- is making a comeback, and the Dalai Lama is recognised as one of the country's spiritual leaders.
China has been accused by human rights groups of using its growing economic clout to pressure trading partners into refusing visits by the Dalai Lama. His plans to visit South Africa earlier this year were cancelled amid accusations that the government had refused to process his visa.
Mongolia won its political independence from China in 1912, but Beijing did not recognise its sovereignty until 1946, and many in Mongolia are concerned about Beijing's growing economic hegemony.
Mongolia's booming, mining-dependent economy is almost completely reliant on its southern neighbour, with 90 percent of its exports going to China in the first half of this year.
During a previous tour by the Dalai Lama of Mongolia in 2002, China retaliated by closing the border rail crossing for two days, leaving 500 passengers stranded and severing one of the country's few links with the outside world.
Mining companies based near the Chinese border said they were not aware of any disruptions to border transport so far.

tuoitrenews.vn

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Los Angeles court jury found Michael Jackson doctor guilty

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury on Monday found pop superstar Michael Jackson's personal physician Conrad Murray guilty in the singer's Propofol-induced death, while the trial wrapped up on Monday afternoon.

Photo: Reuters

Murray, who was a little bit shocked by the decision, was handcuffed after the verdict was read and was immediately remanded to custody in county jail. Conrad Murray, 58, has been ordered jailed without bail pending his sentencing on Nov. 29.
At the conclusion of the six-week trial, the seven-man, five- woman jury read the long-expected verdict, which found Murray guilt of one count of involuntary manslaughter charge for Jackson' s June 25, 2009 death.
Murray, who faces up to four years in prison, remained stone- faced as the verdict was announced, showing no visible reaction.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said that Murray was convicted of a crime "where the end result was the death of a human being." Murray's "reckless conduct in this case" proved that he was a risk to public safety, according to Pastor.
The jury deliberated for about eight and a half hours before reaching a verdict.
Outside the downtown courthouse, droves of Michael Jackson fans cheered when the guilty verdict was announced. Several people waved signs that said "guilty," "Dr. Murray is a killer" and " Justice for Michael Jackson."
Many of them held up copies of Jackson's albums. One man, who refused to be named, said this is the victory to Jackson and his family. Murray is guilty because he failed to call 911, this is "a negligence for a doctor."
Another Jackson fan said that he could not be "happier."
When the verdict was announced, some cries of "Yes" could be heard from the courtroom audience. Fans outside the courtroom jubilated when the news was spread outside.
Jackson's parents, Katherine and Joe, were among those in the audience, along with his brother Jermaine and sister LaToya. Kathrine kissed Deputy District Attorney David Walgren on the cheek. Other Jackson family members also hugged and kissed prosecutors.
In addition, 24 fans and 20 media members, as well as others, presented when the verdict was read.
Joe Jackson, the superstar's father, said that justice was done. His sister LaToya said that she felt worse in some ways because nothing will bring back Jackson.
Jackson, 50, died when he rehearsing for his sold-out series of 50 concerts dubbed "This Is It."
When delivering closing argument Thursday, Deputy District Attorney David Walgren called Murray's treatment of the pop icon " unethical, unconscionable, and an extreme deviation from the standard of care." He said Murray demonstrated "consciousness of guilt" by failing to tell paramedics and emergency room doctors that he had given the singer the potent drug.
The former doctor only told the police about the anesthetic two days later because he thought investigators had already found the medication at the singer's rented Holmby Hills mansion, according to Walgren.
Defense attorneys argued Murray, who was hired by Jackson to care for him two months before his death, was weaning Jackson off the medication. Defense attorney Edward Chernoff, in an impassionate rambling of closing argument on Thursday, said the prosecution lacked the proof that Murray had set up a Propofol drip the day the singer died, which in turn failed to hold Murray accountable for Jackson's death.
Prosecutors had sought to prove Murray had failed to properly monitor Jackson after giving him a lethal dose of Propofol. They contended that the cardiologist "repeatedly acted with gross negligence, repeatedly denied appropriate care to his patient, Michael Jackson, and that it was Dr. Murray's repeated incompetence and unskilled acts that led to Mr. Jackson's death on June 25, 2009."
Defense attorneys argued Murray was weaning Jackson off the medication. He was hired by Jackson to care for him two months before his death.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet

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More than 300 Vietnamese websites hacked in October

 At least 345 Vietnamese government and business websites were hacked during October, according to recent statistics provided by the Ha Noi-based Bach Khoa Internet Security Corporation (BKav).

Only nine cases were conducted by domestic hackers, the rest came from abroad.

Also in October, BKav said more than 3,500 new types of computer viruses appeared in Viet Nam, infecting an estimated of 4.4 million computers, most notable was W32.Sality.PE.

Two popular websites, diadiem.com and vozforums.com, recovered their domain names on Monday after losing them to hackers at the end of last month.


VietNamNet/Viet Nam News

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Chinese cheap mobile phones flood VN market

Though subject to a Ministry of Industry and Trade’s restriction on luxury imports aimed at curbing trade deficit, mobile phones, mostly cheap and fake products from China, have made inroads into the local market in different ways.

In its circular No. 197 taking effect since June 1, the Ministry of Industry and Trade stipulated that luxury goods including mobile phones, cosmetics, wine and liquor, can only be imported through international ports in Hai Phong, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh cities.

Yet, the circular had a loophole which many local importers had learned to take full advantage of, some insiders said.

Since the circular No. 195 banned only full-set mobile phone imports via airlines but not the phones’ parts, importers disassembled their full-set products into parts and imported them via airlines.

Moreover, the low import tariff of only 2 percent slapped on both the full-set mobile phones and their parts have encouraged the growth of imported cell phones, according to some officials from Ho Chi Minh City’s customs agency.

Another common trick with the importers is to import the goods under the non-trade categories such as gifts without trading invoices.

With this, mobile phones can be imported via air, sea and land without facing the restriction of the circular no. 197.

Chinese fake mobile phones glutting local market

With the importers fully exploiting the regulatory loophole, imported mobile phones, especially those with Chinese origins, keep arriving in Vietnam in massive numbers.

According to the General Customs Department, import turnover of Chinese mobile phones last month surged to US$216.1 million from a mere $77.62 million recorded three months earlier.

At the end of the third quarter of this year, import turnover topped $1.1 billion, up by 51.96 percent year on year and Chinese mobile phones accounted for 73 percent of local market share, the customs agency said.

Since the targeted consumers of the cheap Chinese mobile phones are low-income earners, workers and students, products carrying the brands of Qmobile, Mobell, Pop Mobile, K-Touch, and Gfive are dominating mobile phone stores around the industrial parks and schools in Thu Duc, Go Vap and District 7 in Ho Chi Minh City.

Tran Van Thang, who runs a mobile phone store in Go Vap District, said Chinese mobile phones were sold at much lower prices than other brands.

“A China-made POP Mobile P71 phone imitating Nokia E71 is sold at only VND1 million, while the real Nokia E71 costs VND6.5 million,” he said.

Mobile phone traders said a large number of cheap Chinese cell phones knocking off well-known brands have been illegally brought into Vietnam recently.

Fake iPhones, and high-class Nokias could easily be found on sale in stores around the city with prices ranging between VND1.3 million and VND3 million, they said.

Source: Tuoitre

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