Vietnam Bets $21 Billion on ports development to draw export Industries from China (BLOOMBERG) Vietnam is pouring $21 billion into building ports for the world’s largest container ships in a drive to draw export industries from China. The investment may propel the port complex near Ho Chi Minh City into the ranks of the world’s top 15 ports within a decade, said Malcolm Gregory, chief commercial officer at the $270 million Cai Mep International Terminal Co. His optimism underlines the former Saigon’s transformation less than four decades after being overrun by Communist forces. Companies from Nokia Oyj to Intel Corp. are shifting production to Vietnam, lured by cheaper labor compared with China and deeper ports for container vessels sailing directly to the U.S., Europe and Asia. The government aims to boost shipping volume more than 400 percent this decade in the quest for economic growth. Exports make up about 75 percent of Vietnam’s gross domestic product. “Vietnam is so heavily dependent on external demand that getting the entire system to work, not just ports, but roads and railways too, and making customs work faster, is a big part of the story,” said Jonathan Pincus, the dean of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Fulbright Economics Teaching Program in Ho Chi Minh City. Port manager Vietnam Container Shipping Joint-Stock Co. is among stocks worth buying, says Cha Kyung Jin, the Seoul-based head of investment at Golden Bridge Asset Management Co. He pointed to the untapped potential in a nation that last year exported less than half as much as Thailand, whose population is about a quarter smaller. “We want to increase our investment in Vietnamese companies, including Vietnam Container Shipping,” he said. “Their port industry offers a lot of potential as their international trade is growing.” Shares in the Vietnamese company, based in Haiphong, east of Hanoi, have risen 1.6 percent this year. Another shipping enterprise, General Forwarding & Agency Joint-Stock Co., is a “good buy” after sliding since 2009, said Ho Chi Minh City- based Nguyen Hoai Nam, an analyst at Kim Eng Vietnam Securities. LINK

Da Nang

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Hanoi

Their justifying it, then apologize in the same article? Strange logic. Young Abdi did what the likes of K'naan or Yasmin Warsame should have done, useless Canadians.

^Damn, this show is good, gets better in season 2. The Aliens are sick looking, especially the Master-Aliens.

Chess, not checkers!

The only character that can out-troll Xaaji

Somalia - 24 May 13 At the end of last year Sid Ali Mohamed Abdi set out from his native Somalia to represent his country in Turin at Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre 2012. A long time friend of Slow Food, his work has always been fundamental and carried forth the values of our organization. He was President of the important humanitarian association, Ayuub Orphans, an association that created an entire village for children orphaned by the war, and in 2010 took up the challenge to coordinate the Thousand Gardens in Africa project in Merka, an area where the Shabaab cell of al-Qaeda is very present. He came to Turin in 2010, the only representative from his country. The two trips were filled with complications. Nobody wanted to give him a visa. In 2012 he set out from Somalia, traveled through Kenya and via Uganda until he was finally was able to leave for Italy. His trip lasted one month. But for him, the joy of arriving at Terra Madre and the Slow Food Congress nullified the fatigue of the month behind. “In these past 20 years, Somalia has gone through one of the world’s worst crises: long years of anarchy, civil and tribal wars, banditry and natural disasters have devastated the country. Now we have to reconstruct a destroyed economy,” he said during his speech at the Congress. “And I think that starting from agriculture is not only necessary, but fundamental.” “ The Lower Shabelle region, for example, could alone provide corn, legumes and oil to the whole country. Somalis must start to think about food gardens and their importance for diet and health. The Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity has already started to think about them with its wonderful project. With the support of Slow Food, 15 food gardens have been started in Somalia in the same number of villages. Eight are family gardens and seven are community gardens. A miniscule number compared to how many we need to create, but in Somalia, practical models work much better than theories and lessons. I’m certain that in the coming years the gardens will multiply.” He died yesterday, 23 May, at 67. We will commit to continuing on his work, together with his young friend Mohamed Abdikadir Hassan, known as Mudane, who accompanied him to Turin last year. Goodbye Sid Ali, we will make sure that the seeds you planted will flourish. -- LINK Very visionary man, I wish he had the resources to make it happen on a epic scale nationwide during his lifetime, such a shame. Food gardens in urban hubs such as Mogadishu, Kismayo, Merka, Barawa, Garowe, Bosaso, and Hargeisa could positively compliment the harvests of the countryside.

xiinfaniin;953607 wrote: ok Chimera, I can understand ---your sore fingers gave up on you after typing lengthy responses to NGONGE, Baashi, and Professor Abtigiis ps. I did not like the style of copying and responding posters pieces either Xiin, big bro that's a significant edit you made in your last reply, I logged off at "mistrust is deep" and was content to end the discussion there, but there are few new interesting points you made I must honor with a reply. Insha-allah when I have more time. Alpha, does that make you a pseudo elder? "Baqal fardo la daaqday faras bay is moodaa"

Xiin, I said what I wanted to say on this issue, I can only hope (and dream) for the best, both for that region and the country as a whole. We lose the next five years to petty squabbles, and the country is truly gone for good.

xiinfaniin;953560 wrote: Chimera, if you have been following this Jubbaland story , Ahmed Madoobe and his team sent a high caliber men like Professor Gandi to Mogadishu to 1) talk to the government about this effort and 2) invite them to participate and play their role . Watch Professor Gaandi himself telling teh world what happened to him and to his team when they got to Mogadishu. http://www.allidamaale.com/article.php?id=2551 The thing is Hassan and his team resolved at the get go to refuse the idea of Jubbaland for political reasons. Ahmed Madoobe and his repeatedly say that they recognize government's role. But if the government does not recognize their effort there is nothing to talk about and go to Mogadishu to discuss. As for the prime minister's trip to Kismayo , do you know what his agenda was ? The prime minister proposed three things to Ahmed Madoobe and his men: 1) remain in the leadership of Kismayo, not Jubbaland, for six months 2) stop the conference and disband the 400 delegates, 3) and let the government organize a reconciliation conference in a time and place of her choosing. The counter proposal was, 1) no , we cannot remain in the leadership of this city as an appointed leaders, 2) we cannot stop the conference , a lot of effort went into bringing all these delegates together from various regions, and 3) the government is welcome to come and lead the conference as long the objective is to establish a Jubbaland federal state because that is what the people want. As to why Kenya & IGAD is involved, I believe that is obvious , Kenya has an understandable security interest in these regions, IGAD has a clear political role in Somalia that is not unique to Kismayo. One can believe conspiracy theories about Kenya stealing Somali land or maritime space , but the reality is Somalia is Somalia, no one in today's world can steal land I don't think you're telling me the whole story here Xiin. What happened to the status of the Kismayo Port? The charcoal trade and the remaining stash? There were major disagreements on these issues long before the Jubba conference, and Madoobe and his team didn't show political decorum towards the Federal government, in fact the ban was ignored. Would you recognize the efforts by the Ras Kamboni leaders if they disrespected you on a issue like the charcoal trade let alone more important ones on a federal level like how to create a regional state? I might sound biased, (but i'm honest) because I see nothing wrong with the PM's proposals, or anything that is over the top. The areas claimed by Jubbaland are still under the yoke of Al-Shabaab, declaring a state in Kismayo today or tomorrow would not matter, for better or worse, as long as these territories remain under their yoke. I also don't see why getting all these delegates back together 6 months later would be a problem, considering it would be sponsored by the government. How will sacrificing Federal recognition aid the sustainability of the regional state? Is declaring one today instead of 6 months later that much more important than recognition? Unless your privy to info that states the Federal government would appoint a whole new administration after the interim one, because I have read no such thing. As for Kenya and IGAD, anyone that has followed the Somali conflict for even a single day can see their agendas from a distance. IGAD is the extended filthy hand of Ethiopia, and their entire mission is to undermine the Federal government, luckily after decades of throwing Somali leaders around like rag-dolls they have found their match in the Federal government.The issue of the maritime borders is not a conspiracy theory, it is a well-proven subject. Kenya never claimed what it's claiming today back when there was a strong Somali navy patrolling those waters, yet they have awarded specific maritime sections legally under Somalia's jurisdiction to multi-nationals in direct violation of the UNCLOS Law of the Sea agreement, and even attempted day-light robbery through a shady memorandum.

NGONGE;953557 wrote: Really? A&T says: Third, my point was that without security and national healing, any progress be it economic or diplomatic is prone to reversals and is not sustainable. You reply: Absolutely! Muddling my ability to read you say? Where is the contradiction? Security and national healing without a proper international presence is just as unsustainable. The case of a grass-roots movement like the ICU is a good example. They controlled more land than either Madoobe or Hassan Sheikh, and restored stability in the South, yet they're history today. Security and national healing comes through economic and diplomatic progress. The former is the fruit of the latter. All I see from your are daydreams, LISTS and the odd mention here and there of bygone famous leaders. Xiin and Abtigiis provide me with insights to the situation, NGONGE provides a useless psycho-analysis. p.s. Xiin is proud of his crystal ball, A&T boasts about being "bila saaxiib" and Maaddeey's "xamaasad" is there for all to see. Not one of of them or any of the people that post in here ever came back complaining about being "heckled". Naga daa dee and don't take things personal warya. You confirm its a red-herring then, that's all I wanted to get out of you sxb. No worries.

NGONGE;953534 wrote: Horta lets sort out the heckling bit once and for all Chimera. This is a politics discussion and you should expect to be heckled whenever you choose to dip a toe into such discussions. You're right, its a red-herring from those whose argument is too weak to stand on its own, hence the use of the old "dreamer" card, even when its utterly unapplicable. You have a tedious habit of posting LISTS and hardly any argument, saaxib. When you get picked up on it (or any throw-away comments such as: this is the right government) I let facts do the arguing for me, which constitutes a debate, and that's the difference between you and me. you throw a hissy fit about being heckled and what not. You have never seen me throw a hissy fit, trust me its messy. In here I just exposed your weak tactic with regards to me. As for agreement. I am truly lost with you. Of course you are, if you paid more attention to the writing, instead of the one writing it, you would be in the loop. When I said to you that none of the international "progress" mattered unless the government sorts out internal disputes, YOU disagreed with me. When A&T said it, you agreed with him. Naga daa dee. This is what I mean, your focus on Chimera is muddling your ability to read, because otherwise you would know my "agreement" with Abtigiis is on the issue of compromise, but not your position that the international lobbying is unimportant. To me they are equal, that is the big difference and they aren't mutually exclusive positions to held on my part from a political standpoint

Rock's best performance, and good movie on Drugs:

I think a formation service is the way to go, plenty of questions they are willing to answer.