Booming resorts, littering, rip-offs among ‘negatives’ of Phu Quoc tourism

TUOI TRE NEWS

Updated : 04/03/2017 20:01 GMT + 7

Editor’s note: Quang Kiet, a frequent visitor to Phu Quoc, has found many ‘negatives,’ one of which is the mushrooming number of resorts on the ‘pearl island’ just off southern Vietnam.

I would visit Phu Quoc almost every year, thanks to the marvelous natural beauty there, particularly the beaches, and the great seafood and friendly, hospitable islanders.

But I have come back from my latest trip with mixed feelings – the joy of seeing the island’s constant development is accompanied by sadness and worry. Tiếp tục đọc “Booming resorts, littering, rip-offs among ‘negatives’ of Phu Quoc tourism”

Nearly 100 Vietnamese depression sufferers commit suicide daily: study

Tuoi Tre News

Updated : 04/07/2017 17:04 GMT + 7

A patient is being treated at the mental health institute of Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi.
Tuoi Tre

A recent study published by the Hanoi-based Bach Mai Hospital has revealed that nearly 100 people in Vietnam commit suicide due to depression on a daily basis, shedding light on the devastating role mental illness can play in local communities.

Depression is on the rise in Vietnam, accompanied by the many consequences the condition can have on suffering individuals, their families, and the community.

More and more young people are falling victim to depression in recent years, including a 21-year old senior university student currently being treated at the mental health institute of Bach Mai Hospital. Tiếp tục đọc “Nearly 100 Vietnamese depression sufferers commit suicide daily: study”

Vietnam determined to lower prices on brand name drugs

TUOI TRE NEWS

Updated : 04/07/2017 15:46 GMT + 7

Over half of brand name drugs in Vietnam with expired intellectual property rights are still being sold at exorbitant prices while authorities fail to update their patent status and allow the production of cheaper generic versions of the drug.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has called for joint efforts from the Ministry of Health and Vietnam Social Insurance (VSI) to tackle the issue and lower drug prices, a move which would benefit both medical patients and the state welfare program.

Brand-name “privilege”

Brand-name drugs are medicines that have been patented by pharmaceutical companies, providing them with protection from copycats.

According to international conventions honored by Vietnam, patents for brand-name drugs are valid for 20 years, after which generic versions, equivalent to a brand-name product in dosage, strength, route of administration, quality, performance, and intended use, are allowed to be produced by other pharmaceutical companies. Tiếp tục đọc “Vietnam determined to lower prices on brand name drugs”

Central region recovers after mass fish deaths

vietnam news

Update: April, 07/2017 – 09:00

Residents of Vĩnh Linh District in central Quảng Trị Province receive financial compensations for the environmental catastrophe caused by the Hưng Nghiệp Formosa Steel Corporation last year. — VNA/VNS Photo Trần Tĩnh

HÀ NỘI — A year after the environmental catastrophe of mass fish deaths caused by the Hưng Nghiệp Formosa Steel Corporation, residents along the central coast are trying to return to a normal life.

Formosa’s actions polluted more than 200km of coastline in April last year, killing more than 100 tonnes of fish and devasting the environment, robbing thousands of people of their livelihoods and severely damaging the economies of Hà Tĩnh, Quảng Bình, Quảng Tri and Thừa Thiên Huế provinces.

Fisheries and tourism, key economic sectors for the central region, were plunged into a serious crisis.

Residents surviving on fishing were rendered desperate and helpless, not knowing what to do with no fish or shrimp to catch. Tiếp tục đọc “Central region recovers after mass fish deaths”

Mass fish deaths reported in fresh water cages

Update: April, 07/2017 – 18:00

A breeder and his dead fish. — VNS Photo Điền Quang

THỪA THIÊN- HUẾ — Fish breeding in floating cages in central Thừa Thiên-Huế Province’s river have died en mass, resulting in huge losses for breeders.

The fish deaths occurred earlier this week in Bồ River’s section running across the province’s Hương Toàn Commune in Hương Trà District. Breeders said the fish were almost ready to harvest; therefore, they were expected to incur significant losses for this breeding season. Tiếp tục đọc “Mass fish deaths reported in fresh water cages”

Philippine military to upgrade island facilities, not launch land grab

MANILA: The Philippines’ military said Friday (Apr 7) that it plans to upgrade and improve facilities on islands it already occupies in the disputed South China Sea, not embark on a new land grab.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday that he had ordered the armed forces to “occupy all” remote reefs claimed by Manila, in a move that could provoke rival claimants including Beijing. Tiếp tục đọc “Philippine military to upgrade island facilities, not launch land grab”

Wave of small explosions hit southern Thailand after king signs new charter

japan times

Reuters, Apr 7, 2017Thai police on Friday reported 22 attacks, including at least five small bomb blasts, in Muslim-majority southern Thailand only hours after King Maha Vajiralongkorn signed a new constitution on Thursday as a step toward ending military rule.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the attacks in the region where there has been a recent upsurge in a decades-old Muslim separatist insurgency. Parts of the region voted against the new constitution at a referendum last year. Tiếp tục đọc “Wave of small explosions hit southern Thailand after king signs new charter”

INTERVIEW-Beyond light, solar startup seeks to plug in rural homes in Africa

Friday, 7 April 2017 01:00 GMT

“It is about changing expectations, raising aspirations, and empowering people to become part of the knowledge economy” By Kieran Guilbert

DAKAR, April 7 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Access to off-grid solar energy in rural areas of Africa goes beyond lighting up homes – it also enables people to connect to the wider world and boosts their economic prospects, said the head of one of the continent’s biggest solar companies.

Azuri Technologies’ entry level solar system – for which customers pay a one-off installation fee, then use scratch cards or mobile phone payments to top up on a weekly or monthly basis – provides eight hours of lighting each day. Tiếp tục đọc “INTERVIEW-Beyond light, solar startup seeks to plug in rural homes in Africa”

Fighter jet spotted on South China Sea island, more believed in hangars: U.S. think tank

japan times

by Staff Writer

Apr 7, 2017A Chinese fighter jet has been spotted on a Chinese-controlled island in the South China Sea for the first time in a year, a U.S. think tank said Thursday as President Donald Trump met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), part of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the J-11 fighter jet was visible on a runway in a satellite photo taken March 29 of Woody Island in the disputed waterway’s Paracel chain. More fighters were believed to be in hangers nearby. Tiếp tục đọc “Fighter jet spotted on South China Sea island, more believed in hangars: U.S. think tank”

China may shelve controversial Myitsone dam in exchange for other interests in Myanmar

japan times

Reuters, Apr 6, 2017

China has shifted its position in a lengthy dispute with Myanmar over the building of a $3.6 billion dam, seven sources said, signaling its willingness to abandon the project in exchange for other economic and strategic opportunities in Myanmar.

Myanmar President Htin Kyaw will discuss a potential deal on the massive Myitsone dam during a trip to China beginning on Thursday, two senior Myanmar officials and a person familiar with the matter said. Tiếp tục đọc “China may shelve controversial Myitsone dam in exchange for other interests in Myanmar”

China’s Influence on Hydropower Development in the Lancang River and Lower Mekong River Basin

CGIAR (consultative Group in Agriculture Research)

Read and download:China’s Influence on Hydropower Development in the Lancang River and Lower Mekong River Basin

Link to Mekong Hydropwer Map and Portal

Series of “State of knowledge” on Mekong:

1. The Impact of Dams on the Mekong
2. Mekong sediment basics
3. Corporate social responsibility in Mekong hydropower development
4. China’s Influence on Hydropower Development in the Lancang River and Lower Mekong River Basin

 

Corporate social responsibility in Mekong hydropower development

CGIAR (Consultative Group in Agriculture Research)

Read and Download:Corporate social responsibility in Mekong hydropower development

Link to Mekong Hydropwer Map and Portal

Series of “State of knowledge” on Mekong:

1. The Impact of Dams on the Mekong
2. Mekong sediment basics
3. Corporate social responsibility in Mekong hydropower development
4. China’s Influence on Hydropower Development in the Lancang River and Lower Mekong River Basin

 

Mekong sediment basics

CGIAR (Cnsultative Group in Agriculture Research)

Read and download:Mekong sediment basics

Link to Mekong Hydropwer Map and Portal

Series of “State of knowledge” on Mekong:

1. The Impact of Dams on the Mekong
2. Mekong sediment basics
3. Corporate social responsibility in Mekong hydropower development
4. China’s Influence on Hydropower Development in the Lancang River and Lower Mekong River Basin

 

The Impact of Dams on the Mekong

CGIAR (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research)

Read and Download: The Impact of Dams on the Mekong

Link to Mekong Hydropwer Map and Portal

Series of “State of knowledge” on Mekong:

1. The Impact of Dams on the Mekong
2. Mekong sediment basics
3. Corporate social responsibility in Mekong hydropower development
4. China’s Influence on Hydropower Development in the Lancang River and Lower Mekong River Basin

Hanoi needs long-term solutions for garbage collection

Last update 08:10 | 02/02/2017
VietNamNet Bridge – The garbage collection in urban areas is mechanized, while the work is still done manually in rural areas with low productivity and efficiency.vietnamnet bridge, english news, Vietnam news, news Vietnam, vietnamnet news, TPP, US President Obama, Vietnam net news, Vietnam latest news, vn news, Vietnam breaking news, rural area, trash workers, Hanoi

In rural areas, garbage collection is done by self-managed units in hamlets and communes. Garbage is collected from residential quarters, gathered in certain places and then carried to the city’s concentrated treatment plants.Since there are not enough dumpers, garbage cannot be collected in the right way and the collection time is erratic. Garbage is often left in residential quarters. In most cases, garbage is only collected once every 2-3 days, or 10 days. The places where garbage are gathered are within residential quarters, but the rubbish is not covered in a hygienic way. Tiếp tục đọc “Hanoi needs long-term solutions for garbage collection”