Tác giả: Trần Đình Hoành

I am an attorney in the Washington DC area, with a Doctor of Law in the US, attended the master program at the National School of Administration of Việt Nam, and graduated from Sài Gòn University Law School. I aso studied philosophy at the School of Letters in Sài Gòn. . I have worked as an anti-trust attorney for Federal Trade Commission and a litigator for a fortune-100 telecom company in Washington DC. I have taught law courses for legal professionals in Việt Nam and still counsel VN government agencies on legal matters. I have founded and managed businesses for me and my family, both law and non-law. I have published many articles on national newspapers and radio stations in Việt Nam. In 1989 I was one of the founding members of US-VN Trade Council, working to re-establish US-VN relationship. Since the early 90's, I have established and managed VNFORUM and VNBIZ forum on VN-related matters; these forums are the subject of a PhD thesis by Dr. Caroline Valverde at UC-Berkeley and her book Transnationalizing Viet Nam. I translate poetry and my translation of "A Request at Đồng Lộc Cemetery" is now engraved on a stone memorial at Đồng Lộc National Shrine in VN. I study and teach the Bible and Buddhism. In 2009 I founded and still manage dotchuoinon.com on positive thinking and two other blogs on Buddhism. In 2015 a group of friends and I founded website CVD - Conversations on Vietnam Development (cvdvn.net). I study the art of leadership with many friends who are religious, business and government leaders from many countries. I have written these books, published by Phu Nu Publishing House in Hanoi: "Positive Thinking to Change Your Life", in Vietnamese (TƯ DUY TÍCH CỰC Thay Đổi Cuộc Sống) (Oct. 2011) "10 Core Values for Success" (10 Giá trị cốt lõi của thành công) (Dec. 2013) "Live a Life Worth Living" (Sống Một Cuộc Đời Đáng Sống) (Oct. 2023) I practice Jiu Jitsu and Tai Chi for health, and play guitar as a hobby, usually accompanying my wife Trần Lê Túy Phượng, aka singer Linh Phượng.

Debate Flares Over China’s Inclusion at Vatican Organ Trafficking Meeting

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New York times,  Sinosphere

By DIDI KIRSTEN TATLOW FEB. 7, 2017

Dr. Huang Jiefu, co-chairman of the National Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee of China, at a meeting on organ trafficking at the Vatican on Tuesday. Andrew Medichini/Associated Press

BEIJING — A politely worded but testy debate has flared over a Vatican conference on human organ trafficking, with a group of ethicists warning that China will use the participation of its most senior transplant official to convince the world that it has overhauled its organ procurement system.

In a letter to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in Rome, where the two-day Summit on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism began on Tuesday, 11 ethicists wrote: “Our concern is with the harvesting and trafficking of organs from executed prisoners in China.”

China has admitted that it extracted organs from death row prisoners for decades, in what critics have called a serious violation of the rights of inmates who cannot give genuine consent. Since Jan. 1, 2015, Chinese officials have said they no longer use prisoners’ organs, though doubts persist.

Duterte Gives ‘Rotten’ Officers Choice: Go to Terrorist Hotbed or Go Home

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By FELIPE VILLAMOR FEB. 7, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines assailed police officers during a live broadcast on Tuesday. Robinson Ninal/Presidential Photographers Division, via Associated Press

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines angrily dressed down more than 200 police officers on national television on Tuesday, presenting them with a thorny ultimatum: Resign or be shipped off to a terrorist hotbed known for beheadings and attacks on police stations.

Mr. Duterte accused the 228 officers of a litany of criminal and professional misdeeds, including corruption, drug use and dealing, and, in one high-profile case, the kidnapping and murder of a South Korean businessman.

Calling the group of National Police officers from Manila, the capital, “rotten to the core,” Mr. Duterte said he was ordering them to Basilan, an island in the country’s restive south and home to the Islamic terrorist organization Abu Sayyaf.

US, Japan conduct test of joint missile

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ChannelNewsAsia

  • Posted 07 Feb 2017 06:08
  • Updated 07 Feb 2017 06:09

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis (L) listens to Japanese Defence Minister Tomomi Inada during a joint press conference in Tokyo. (AFP/Toru YAMANAKA)

WASHINGTON: The United States and Japan have conducted the first interception of a ballistic missile target using a jointly built system, amid heightened tensions over North Korea’s missile programme.

The two nations have been working together since 2006 to develop a variant of the Standard Missile-3, a ship-launched missile that operates as part of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defence System.

Friday’s test off Kauai in Hawaii saw the Standard Missile-3 “Block IIA” successfully hit its target in space, the US Missile Defence Agency said.

According to the MDA, America has so far spent about US$2.2 billion on the system and Japan about US$1 billion.

“We are both deeply concerned about North Korea’s capabilities, and we are constantly working to improve our defense capabilities,” MDA spokesman Chris Johnson said Monday.

“It makes sense for the US and Japan to share some of that burden.”

Mitsubishi and Raytheon both make parts of the missiles, which are assembled in the United States, and which are designed to defeat medium- and intermediate-range missiles.

The test occurred as Pentagon chief Jim Mattis was in East Asia on his first overseas trip as defence secretary.

He said on Friday that any nuclear attack by North Korea would trigger an “effective and overwhelming” response, as he sought to reassure Asian allies rattled by President Donald Trump’s isolationist rhetoric.

South Korea is working with the United States to install another system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system, this year to prevent against any missiles from the North.

– AFP/de

Trump’s Unconstitutional Muslim Ban

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Jurist

Friday 3 February 2017 at 6:54 PM ET edited by Val Merlina
JURIST Contributing Editor, Professor Emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law, and author Marjorie Cohn discusses the constitutional violations resulting from the executive order banning nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries …

jfk_protests_january_28_2017

©  WikiMedia (Rhododendrites)

On January 27, 2017, President Trump made good on his campaign promise to institute a ban on Muslims entering the US. Trump’s executive order (“EO”) is titled “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States.”

The EO bars nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from the US for at least 90 days. They include Iraq, Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Yemen, and Sudan. The EO also indefinitely prevents Syrian refugees, even those granted visas, from entering the US. And it suspends the resettlement of all refugees for 120 days.

None of the 9/11 hijackers came from the seven countries covered by the EO; 15 of the 19 men hailed from Saudi Arabia, which is not on the list. No one from the seven listed countries has mounted a fatal terrorist attack in the United States.

Countries exempted from the EO include Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates — countries where Trump apparently has business ties. Tiếp tục đọc “Trump’s Unconstitutional Muslim Ban” →

China’s nuclear power capacity likely to overtake America’s within a decade

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Japan Times

by

Bloomberg Feb 1, 2017

China’s rapid nuclear expansion will result in it overtaking the U.S. as the nation with the largest atomic power capacity by 2026, according to BMI Research.

The world’s second-biggest economy will almost triple its nuclear capacity to nearly 100 gigawatts by 2026, making it the biggest market globally, analysts said in a note dated Jan. 27. The nation added about 8 gigawatts of nuclear power last year, boosting its installed capacity to about 34 million kilowatts, according to BMI.

China has committed to boosting nuclear power, which accounted for about 1.7 percent of its total generation in 2015, to help reduce reliance on coal, which accounts for two-thirds of its primary energy. The nation has 20 reactors currently under construction, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Another 176 are either planned or proposed, far more than any other nation, according to the World Nuclear Association. Tiếp tục đọc “China’s nuclear power capacity likely to overtake America’s within a decade” →

Bacteria to improve sanitation on Southeast Asia’s largest lake

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ChannelNewsAsia

Tonle Sap in Cambodia, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, is under threat of water pollution. (Photo: Pichayada Promchertchoo)

KAMPONG CHHNANG, Cambodia: Piles of rotten garbage and a choking odour engulfed the bank of Tonle Sap near a small harbour in Chhnok Tru, Kampong Chhnang. Most of the rubbish, from plastic bags to human waste and animal carcasses, came from a fresh market a few steps away.

For visitors, the experience may be shocking. But for the inhabitants of Tonle Sap – Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake stretching 13,000 sqkm across five Cambodian provinces – that is the only environment they know, and it is getting worse. Tiếp tục đọc “Bacteria to improve sanitation on Southeast Asia’s largest lake” →

Hong Kong holds anti-Trump protest

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ChannelNewsAsia

  • Posted 05 Feb 2017 22:34
  • Updated 05 Feb 2017 22:40

People from the Filipino Migrant Workers’ Union join a rally in Hong Kong organised by the International Migrants Alliance to protest against US President Donald Trump and his recent immigration and refugee restrictions on February 5, 2017. (Photo: AFP / ISAAC LAWRENCE)

HONG KONG: Dozens of people gathered outside the US consulate in Hong Kong on Sunday (Feb 5) to protest against US President Donald Trump’s executive order on immigration.

Many were women from the Philippines and Indonesia employed in Hong Kong as domestic workers. Protesters chanted, “US imperialist, number one terrorist!”

“We are very worried that what Donald Trump is doing will also be adopted by other states who believe that their nation is the greatest nation without the migrants,” activist and domestic worker Eni Lestari said outside the US Consulate General. Tiếp tục đọc “Hong Kong holds anti-Trump protest” →

No Extra Forces Needed in Gulf [and South China Sea] Now, [US] Defense Chief Says

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By MICHAEL R. GORDON and MOTOKO RICH FEB. 4, 2017

But Mr. Mattis said that the United States did not need to deploy additional military resources to signal its concern. “Right now, I do not think that is necessary,” he said.

Mr. Mattis also signaled restraint on another hot spot: the South China Sea. Mr. Mattis said that China’s territorial claim to almost all of its waters “has shredded the trust of nations in the region.” But he emphasized that he saw no need for more military maneuvers in the area.

“What we have to do is exhaust all diplomatic efforts to try to resolve this properly,” he said.

Philippine communist rebels to end unilateral cease-fire

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Japan Times

AP Feb 1, 2017

MANILA – Philippine communist rebels said Wednesday they were terminating their unilateral cease-fire after accusing the government of failing to release all political prisoners and encroaching on rebel-held areas.

The Communist Party of the Philippines and its military arm, the New People’s Army, said that the Aug. 28 cease-fire will expire Feb. 10. The rebels and the government had separately declared a cease-fire as they resumed their peace talks.

The rebels said they continue to support peace negotiations. Founded in 1968, the rural-based guerrillas have unsuccessfully tried to negotiate an end to their rebellion and their inclusion in government with six Philippine presidents, including Rodrigo Duterte. Tiếp tục đọc “Philippine communist rebels to end unilateral cease-fire” →

Duterte asks China to help patrol piracy-prone southern waters

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Japan Times

Kyodo Feb 1, 2017

MANILA – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he had asked China to send naval or coast guard ships to patrol international waters off the southern Philippines to help in the fight against piracy.

In an address to military officers, the Philippine leader said he “asked China if they can patrol the international waters without necessarily intruding into the territorial waters of countries,” referring specifically to the Sulu Sea between Mindanao and Borneo.

“We would be glad if we have their presence there,” he added. Tiếp tục đọc “Duterte asks China to help patrol piracy-prone southern waters” →

Not ‘Lone Wolves’ After All: How ISIS Guides World’s Terror Plots From Afar

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By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI FEB. 4, 2017

The authorities in India say a group of men plotting a terrorist attack in Hyderabad were instructed by an Islamic State handler to collect explosives material from this spot on the outskirts of the city. Atul Loke for The New York Times

HYDERABAD, India — When the Islamic State identified a promising young recruit willing to carry out an attack in one of India’s major tech hubs, the group made sure to arrange everything down to the bullets he needed to kill victims.

For 17 months, terrorist operatives guided the recruit, a young engineer named Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani, through every step of what they planned to be the Islamic State’s first strike on Indian soil.

Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani, left, and his younger brother Ilyas, whom he recruited to participate in the Hyderabad plot.

They vetted each new member of the cell as Mr. Yazdani recruited helpers. They taught him how to pledge allegiance to the terrorist group and securely send the statement.

And from Syria, investigators believe, the group’s virtual plotters organized for the delivery of weapons as well as the precursor chemicals used to make explosives, directing the Indian men to hidden pickup spots.

China’s Intelligent Weaponry Gets Smarter

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By JOHN MARKOFF and MATTHEW ROSENBERG FEB. 3, 2017

The Chinese-designed multicore processor of the Sunway TaihuLight, the world’s fastest supercomputer. The new supercomputer is thought to be part of a broader Chinese push to begin driving innovation. Li Xiang/Xinhua, via Associated Press

Robert O. Work, the veteran defense official retained as deputy secretary by President Trump, calls them his “A.I. dudes.” The breezy moniker belies their serious task: The dudes have been a kitchen cabinet of sorts, and have advised Mr. Work as he has sought to reshape warfare by bringing artificial intelligence to the battlefield.

Last spring, he asked, “O.K., you guys are the smartest guys in A.I., right?”

No, the dudes told him, “the smartest guys are at Facebook and Google,” Mr. Work recalled in an interview.

Now, increasingly, they’re also in China. The United States no longer has a strategic monopoly on the technology, which is widely seen as the key factor in the next generation of warfare.

The Pentagon’s plan to bring A.I. to the military is taking shape as Chinese researchers assert themselves in the nascent technology field. And that shift is reflected in surprising commercial advances in artificial intelligence among Chinese companies.

China warns US after Mattis says Senkaku islands covered by treaty

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ChannelNewsAsia

  • Posted 04 Feb 2017 16:26
  • Updated 04 Feb 2017 16:30

A group of disputed islands, Uotsuri island (top), Minamikojima (bottom) and Kitakojima, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China is seen in the East China Sea, in this photo taken by Kyodo September 2012. Mandatory credit. REUTERS/Kyodo/File Photo

BEIJING: China warned the United States Saturday (Feb 4) not to destabilise East Asia after Donald Trump’s new defence secretary said an island chain claimed by both Tokyo and Beijing was covered by a US-Japan military accord.

The Senkaku islands, known in China as the Diaoyus, sit in rich fishing grounds and are at the centre of a festering row between Tokyo and Beijing, which claims they have been part of Chinese territory for centuries. Tiếp tục đọc “China warns US after Mattis says Senkaku islands covered by treaty” →

Chinese official says U.S. should stop using Dalai Lama to stir up trouble

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Reuters Feb 4, 2017 Japan Times

BEIJING – The United States should stop using the Dalai Lama to create trouble for China, a senior Chinese official in charge of Tibet affairs told an influential state-run newspaper.

The U.S. is damaging ties with China, said Zhu Weiqun, head of the ethnic and religious affairs committee of the top advisory body to China’s parliament, according to the Global Times.

The Global Times, a tabloid known for writing strongly worded, hawkish and nationalist editorials, is published by the Communist Party’s flagship paper. Tiếp tục đọc “Chinese official says U.S. should stop using Dalai Lama to stir up trouble” →

China accuses US of putting stability of Asia Pacific at risk

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Beijing reacts to defence secretary James Mattis saying that the US would defend Japan in a conflict with China over disputed Senkaku islands

James Mattis reviews the guard of honour prior to a meeting with Japanese defence minister Tomomi Inada in Tokyo on Saturday.
James Mattis reviews the guard of honour prior to a meeting with Japanese defence minister Tomomi Inada in Tokyo on Saturday. Photograph: Franck Robichon/EPA

Japan Times

Friday 3 February 2017 23.54 EST Last modified on Saturday 4 February 2017 06.09 EST

China has accused the US of putting the stability of the Asia-Pacific at risk after Donald Trump’s defence secretary said Washington would come to Japan’s defence in the event of a conflict with Beijing over the disputed Senkaku islands.

James Mattis, on a two-day visit to Japan, said the islands, which are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China, fell within the scope of the Japan-US security treaty, under which Washington is obliged to defend all areas under Japanese administrative control. Tiếp tục đọc “China accuses US of putting stability of Asia Pacific at risk” →