Conversations on Vietnam Development
Much was hidden from the tourists visiting Sinet Chan in her rundown Cambodian orphanage.
When they returned to their hotels, cameras full and best intentions sated, they remained oblivious to the reality of what they had just supported. Tiếp tục đọc “The race to rescue Cambodian children from orphanages exploiting them for profit”
The world’s oldest publishing house, Cambridge University Press, has been accused of being an accomplice to the Communist party’s bid to whitewash Chinese history after it agreed to purge hundreds of politically-sensitive articles from its Chinese website at the behest of Beijing’s censors. Tiếp tục đọc “Cambridge University Press accused of ‘selling its soul’ over Chinese censorship”
BEIJING: China is to restrict foreign investments in sports clubs, real estate and entertainment and is banning investment in pornography and “unauthorised” military technology.
The new rules were announced Friday (Aug 18) by the government which had previously encouraged overseas spending sprees, but then warned late last year of “irrational” acquisitions amid fears that powerful conglomerates were racking up dangerous debt levels. Tiếp tục đọc “China cracks down on foreign spending sprees”
Vietnam is battling a raging dengue fever outbreak with more than 10,000 new infections reported over the past week.
The number of infected represents a 42 percent increase over the same period last year along with seven more deaths, the Ministry of Health said on Friday.
A total of 90,626 people have been infected, of whom 76,848 have been hospitalised, and 24 have died. Tiếp tục đọc “Thousands ill in Vietnam dengue outbreak”
Dr Tran Duy Chau, a R&D expert from EDF, the French electricity group, replied that it is a matter of economic circulation: the input of a certain kind of production activity will be the output of another production activity.
Chau said HCM City would be able to develop a system to classify and treat waste from solar energy projects and noted that overseas Vietnamese would help in the effort. Tiếp tục đọc “Better solar energy policies needed from government: expert”
The jailing of Joshua Wong, Hong Kong’s youthful “face of protest”, and of his fellow activists Nathan Law and Alex Chow, is technically a matter of law but in reality one of politics. Two of them had already carried out community service for unlawful assembly or inciting unlawful assembly; the third had received a suspended sentence. That was not enough. They have been at the forefront of the pro-democracy movement, inspiring many more in Hong Kong to rally in defence of the greater freedoms it has enjoyed compared to the mainland under the “one country-two systems” formula. Authorities have been determined to silence these voices. By appealing against the “rather dangerous” supposed leniency of the original sentences, they have succeeded, for now. Tiếp tục đọc “The Guardian view on Hong Kong: the voice of Beijing, not of justice”
Police arrest two suspects after terror attack leaves dozens in hospital
At least 13 people have died and 100 have been injured after a van ploughed into a crowd of people in Las Ramblas area of Barcelona, in an attack that mirrors the spate of recent atrocities by terrorists who used vehicles to ram down civilians across Europe.
Catalan authorities confirmed that 13 people have been killed and 15 people are seriously injured following the attack in the area popular with tourists.
A Belgian national is among the dead, said Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders. Tiếp tục đọc “Barcelona terror attack: At least 13 dead and two arrested after van drives into Las Ramblas crowd”
This report is the opinion of the US State Department,
not of CVD or any of its authors, translators or admins.
Vietnam
The constitution states that all people have the right to freedom of belief and religion. Current law, however, provides for significant government control over religious practices and includes vague provisions that permit restrictions on religious freedom in the stated interest of national security and social unity. In November the National Assembly passed a new Law on Belief and Religion, which is scheduled to come into effect in January 2018. The implementation decree for the new law remained pending release. Tiếp tục đọc “US State Department – International Religious Freedom Report for 2016”
Besides the famous Phu Quoc Island, Nam Du Archipelago, also in Kien Giang province, has been known as a summer paradise in Vietnam. Let’s contemplate the pristine and splendid scenery of Nam Du through the lens of photographers at Zing’s photo contest.
 Nam Du Archipelago in Kien Hai District is around 80km from Rach Gia City. Tiếp tục đọc “Pristine and splendid beauty of Nam Du Archipelago” |
After July 2016, when the Investment and Enterprise Laws took effect, many unreasonable sublicenses were abolished, paving the way for 110,000 businesses to emerge.
However, at a recent government press conference, minister and chair of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said 5,700 procedures of different kinds still exist.
Cao Minh Truc, a member of the board of directors of Empire Group, the investor of the Cocobay Da Nang project, said there are too many vague regulations.
| After July 2016, when the Investment and Enterprise Laws took effect, many unreasonable sublicenses were abolished, paving the way for 110,000 businesses to emerge. |
“The current regulation stipulates that a hotel must have tennis court to be recognized as a 5-star hotel. Our hotel is next to a golf course and the guests mostly play golf. Do we still need a tennis court?” she said.
The regulation also says a 5-star hotel must have a spa. However, legally, there is no ‘spa’ industry in Vietnam, but there is only ‘massage’, she said. Tiếp tục đọc “Businesses have to contend with a “forest” of sublicenses”
VietNamNet Bridge – Bui Minh Trang, chief inspector of HCM City’s Health Department, said various violations had been detected at cosmetic surgery clinics, such as false advertising and employing surgeon not certified to perform plastic surgery, resulting in several fatalities in recent months.
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| The Viet Thanh Beauty Clinic. — Photo: VNN |
In addition, many clinics hired non-professional staff, he said.
An American man died while having cosmetic surgery at a clinic on Su Van Hanh Street in District 10 on July. The man, identified as Edward Hartley, 53, went to the clinic for surgery to remove loose skin around his hip. He was given an anesthetic at 4pm, but started showing signs of circuit obstruction.
Doctors conducted emergency procedures but failed to revive Hartley. The municipal Health Department has concluded that he suffered anaphylactic shock. Tiếp tục đọc “Cosmetic surgery deaths highlight clinics’ violations”
According to drivers, the fees of VND35,000-180,000 (USD1.50-8.18) to travel on a 12-km road with just two lanes was too high. Meanwhile, the fees of for vehicles of from seven seats and lower is just VND40,000 (USD1.80) on Trung Luong-HCM City Highway which is up to 50km and has four lanes. Tiếp tục đọc “Transport minister addresses over-charging BOT toll station”
Fifty-seven schools reported a high rate of students, 90 percent or more. At least 74 schools reported 70-90 percent, while 65 schools reported 50-70 percent. Tiếp tục đọc “Student enrollment drops amid tuition increases”
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| The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee held a working session on supervising implementation of BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) traffic projects in the wake of heated protests over one of them in the southern province of Tiền Giang. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Trí |
HÀ NỘI — The National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee held a working session on supervising implementation of BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) traffic projects in the wake of heated protests over one of them in the southern province of Tiền Giang.
The BOT model, which primarily cedes construction of public traffic infrastructure to the private sector, has been utilised by the Government to alleviate the burden on the State Budget, especially after official development assistance (ODA) began running thin. Tiếp tục đọc “NA committee discusses BOT controversy”
Racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism & Islamophobia are poisoning our societies. We must stand up against them. Every time. Everywhere.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 15, 2017
Tiếp tục đọc “Racism ‘poisoning our societies’ says UN chief”
CVD 