Conversations on Vietnam Development
Choi Chnam Thmay is the traditional New Year of the Khmer people living in the Mekong Delta. It takes place from April 13 to 15, bringing crowds to pagodas to worship Buddha. Traditional customs like bathing the Buddha statue, and wearing wish bracelets, as well as music and dance performances, are also offered.
People attend an offering worship at Xoai Xiem Thmay Pagoda. Tiếp tục đọc “Khmer New Year Festival wishes for lucks” |
VietNamNet Bridge – Hanoi at night is the most beautiful time. If you find it hard to sleep, step outside and listen to the night sound and see a Hanoi with a quiet and old look.
What are the destinations for tourists at night in Hanoi?
Go wherever you like, through familiar streets to see how quiet Hanoi is at night. Afterwards visit Hoan Kiem Lake and go along streets of the Old Quarter.
Besides Hoan Kiem lake and the Old Quarter, you can visit Ba Dinh square, West lake. Opera house, Ngo Quyen Street, Long Bien bridge, Quang Ba flower market, Long Bien night market, and many other places.
Shops serving food at night in Hanoi:
– Night shops near Dong Xuan market
– Beef noodle at 27 Hang Ngang street (from 3 pm to 5 am)
– Chicken noodle at intersection of Hang Bo and Luong Van Can (5 pm- 11 pm)
– Fish noodle in Hang Dau street (24/24 service)- sticky rice (5 am- 1 am next day)
Besides these places, in night markets sell porridge, noodle soup. Tiếp tục đọc “Travelling Hanoi at night”
Updated : 04/19/2017 19:01 GMT + 7
While a considerable number of Vietnamese travelers are planning their trips online, few local travel companies have tapped into this lucrative market, insiders said at a conference on Tuesday.
Websites or online services helping travelers to prepare for their trips via a mouse click is “a gold mine left unexploited” in Vietnam, experts have said at an event jointly held by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper and Google.
Trinh Quang Chung, industry manager of Google Asia Pacific, said Vietnam currently has 47.7 million Internet users, most of whom search travel information, destinations and other related services as part of their daily habit. Tiếp tục đọc “Online trip planning market remains untapped in Vietnam”
VietNamNet Bridge – “It was a brilliant period in the post & telecommunication development history with enthusiastic leaders who had spirit of commitment, and who dared to reform, take responsibility and throw themselves in difficulties,” said Do Trung Ta, former Minister of Post & Telematics, now the Ministry of Information & Communications, recalling memories about the days of renovating the industry.
Fomer Minister of Post & Telematics Do Trung Ta
Daring decision
After the war, Vietnam entered a very difficult period. The post & telecommunication sector operated with outdated equipment and technologies. The telephone density in Vietnam in 1985 was just 0.2 machines per 100 people, 7 times lower than African countries, while the telegraphic density was 10.27 telegrams per 100 people, or 18 times lower than Cuba’s. Tiếp tục đọc “30 years of post & telecommunications reform: Blocked by hurdles and pressured by the embargo”
Updated : 04/19/2017 13:53 GMT + 7
Villagers of a commune in outer Hanoi, who have held law enforcement officers hostage since last weekend, are looking forward to a dialogue with authorities as soon as possible in order to resolve the escalating land dispute.
The dispute revolves around a large plot zoned for military purposes, which Hanoi authorities say has been illegally occupied by residents of Hoanh village in Dong Tam Commune, My Duc District, 30km from the center of Hanoi.
Thirty-eight people, including My Duc officials and police officers, have been held captive by local residents after they attempted to stop a protest in the village on Saturday. Tiếp tục đọc “Villagers holding police captive seek dialogue with Hanoi authorities”
FILE PHOTO: A woman prays for her loved one who she says was killed due to alleged involvement in illegal drugs, during a Holy Eucharist mass against extra-judicial killings inside a Roman Catholic Church in Paranaque city, metro Manila, Philippines March 2, 2017. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco/File Photo
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said in a statement that the Philippine National Police (PNP) should take “drastic measures” to verify the allegations made by two senior police officers, and punish those who have “broken their vow to protect the Filipino people.” Tiếp tục đọc “Philippine senator calls for probe into police cash-for-kill claim”
Spectacular views of Ninh Binh northern province where the blockbuster “Kong: Skull Island” was filmed, have impressed tourists through flycam perspective.
 The Trang An Tourism Complex in Ninh Binh has been recognised as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. It is home to limestone mountains 31 lakes connecting to each other through 48 caves. Tiếp tục đọc “Stunning beauty of Ninh Binh through flycam perspective” |
Today the five international judges for the Monsanto Tribunal presented their legal opinion, which include key conclusions, both on the conduct of Monsanto and on the need for important changes to international laws governing multinational corporations.
The judges conclude that Monsanto has engaged in practices that have impinged on the basic human right to a healthy environment, the right to food and the right to health. Additionally, Monsanto’s conduct has a negative impact on the right of scientists to freely conduct indispensable research. Tiếp tục đọc “Monsanto Tribunal Judges Slam Monsanto over Violation of Human Rights”
Trong hành trang của bà, có một túi vải to khá nặng, đựng đến mấy trăm chiếc băng cassette “nhạc vàng”.
Đó là những năm 1980, thời kỳ cực thịnh của các ca sĩ hải ngoại và các tình khúc bolero.
Mẹ tôi, cũng như rất nhiều người đi xuất khẩu lao động sang Đông Âu, được nghe thỏa thích dòng nhạc “sến” mà thời điểm đó trong nước không phổ biến. Những Tuấn Vũ, Giao Linh, Chế Linh… được ghi cẩn thận kèm tên các bài hát vào mảnh giấy gài trong vỏ băng nhạc.
Cái túi băng “nhạc vàng” ấy, nếu quy đổi trọng lượng ra bột cacao, sữa trẻ em, xà phòng thơm, hay nước hoa, thì sẽ mang lại một khoản tiền kha khá. Nhưng suốt nhiều năm sau đó, mẹ tôi nghe đi nghe lại từng chiếc băng, ghi cả hai mặt, mỗi mặt chừng 5-6 bài, khiến ngay cả tôi cũng thuộc lòng không biết bao nhiêu bài hát.
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| HCM City has asked the government to allocate an additional VNĐ48.76 trillion (US$2.14 billion) worth of ODA funds for the city to continue work on two projects. — VNA/VNS Photo Mạnh Linh |
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has urged the city to work with the government to request more funds to implement two JICA-funded projects this year.
The work includes construction on metro line No 1 Bến Thành-Suối Tiên and the second phase of a water environment improvement project on the Tàu Hủ-Bến Nghé-Đôi-Tẻ canal.
Under commitments with the contractors, annual ODA loans needed for the two projects would reach VNĐ29.512 trillion ($1.3 billion) by 2020, and VNĐ7 trillion ($308.34 million) for this year. Tiếp tục đọc “HCM City asks State for additional $2 billion of ODA”
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| The solar power factory in Côn Đảo Island in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Ngọc Hà |
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Opportunities to invest in Việt Nam’s solar energy sector are abundant after Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc issued a decision to encourage the development of solar power projects.
Under Decision 11/2017/QĐ-TTg, which takes effective from June 1, 2017, all output produced by solar power projects will be purchased for VNĐ2,086 (US 9.3 cent)/kWh (excluding VAT) – a profitable rate for investors. Tiếp tục đọc “Decision paves way for solar power development”
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| A veterinary staff sprays disinfectant on ducks to prevent bird flu infection. — Photo vietnamplus.vn |
HÀ NỘI — Four provinces in Việt Nam have reported six outbreaks of bird flu, according to the Department of Animal Health.The provinces affected are Vĩnh Long, Đăk Lắk, Quảng Ninh and Thừa Thiên-Huế.
An outbreak was detected in the southern province of Vĩnh Long on Saturday at a household in Bình Tân District’s Mỹ Thuận Commune which affected 300 chicken.
More than 3,000 chicken also tested positive for A/H5N1and were disposed of at a farm in the province’s Bình Minh Town.
In the northern province of Quảng Ninh, 320 poultry were reported to have fallen ill and died in the past four days. The number of poultry culled was 670. Tiếp tục đọc “Four provinces in Việt Nam infected with bird flu”
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| The People’s Court of Hà Nội yesterday handed down sentences to 11 defendants related to a case of fraud that occurred at the Agriculture and Rural Development Bank, Nghệ An Branch, eight years ago. — VNA/VNS Photo Kim Anh |
HÀ NỘI — The People’s Court of Hà Nội today sentenced 11 defendants in a fraud case that occurred at the Agriculture and Rural Development Bank, Nghệ An Branch, eight years ago.
Trịnh Khánh Hồng, 50, former chairman of the Board of Trustees and General Director of Tân Hồng Import-Export Company, was sentenced to life in jail for “asset misappropriation fraud” and 20 years for “swindling in order to misappropriate assets”.
Đỗ Đức Hưng, 61, former director of Agribank Hồng Hà, was given 23 years in jail, and Trương Đăn Dần, 43, was given 12 years in jail, both for “asset misappropriation fraud” and violating lending regulations.
Nguyễn Văn Mạnh, chief accountant of Tân Hồng company was sentenced to 11 years in jail for swindling to misappropriate assets.
The five defendants to receive custodial sentences, Đỗ Minh Hiền, former head of the planning unit of Agribank Hồng Hà, Đinh Văn Hải, former director of Đức Hùng Company, Trần Hữu Tuân, director of Giang Linh Company, Nguyễn Thị Mỹ, director of Thái An Company, and Đỗ Hữu Bách, director of Đức Hùng Company, were given from five to seven years in jail for fraudulent misappropriation of assets.
Two credit staff of Agribank Hồng Hà, Nguyễn Văn Thúy and Đinh Minh Đạo, were given three years probation.
According to the court indictment, in 2009, Trịnh Khanh Hồng set up a project with loans of US$20 million from Agribank to plant material forest. However when the loan was approved, Hồng used the money for his own purposes. He also created 965 fake invoices showing that he gave the money to households to plant trees.
Hồng worked with the other defendants to misappropriate more than VNĐ281 billion (US$12.8 million) from companies and borrowed another VNĐ200 billion ($8.8 million) from banks.
In this case, five former staff from Agribank Hồng Hà, who knew that Hồng was incapable of paying back the loans but didn’t want to have bad debts on their record, signed guarantee documents so that Hồng could borrow more money. — VNS
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| Việt Nam and China agreed yesterday that they would work to strengthen the focal points of their strategic partnership. — VNA/VNS Photo Vũ Lê Hà |
BEIJING – Việt Nam and China agreed yesterday that they would work to strengthen the focal points of their strategic partnership.
The agreement came at the 10th meeting of the countries’ Steering Committee for Bilateral Co-operation co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh and Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi in Beijing.
Reviewing bilateral co-operation since the ninth meeting on June 6, 2016, both sides saw positive development trends, noting in particular the holding of regular meetings between senior leaders, enhanced co-operation between ministries, sectors and localities, and stronger people-to-people exchanges. Tiếp tục đọc “VN, China to bolster strategic partnership”
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| A farmer of An Biên District in the Mekong Delta’s Kiên Giang Province is saddened by his withered rice field which was caused by a shortage of water and salt intrusion last year. Việt Nam is among the countries to be hit hardest by climate change, which is expected to exacerbate natural disasters in the country. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đạt |
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam needs to improve the quality of weather forecasting and enhance international co-operation to prepare for natural disasters, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has said.
The PM made the statement at a meeting to review disaster prevention and control in 2016 and layout tasks for 2017.
Nguyễn Xuân Cường, head of the Central Steering Commitee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, said, 2016 saw multiple extreme weather phenomena such as droughts, extreme cold weather, floods and storms, causing losses of VNĐ39.7 trillion (US$1.75 billion).
“Natural disasters struck from the beginning of the year to the end of the year, occurring in all regions with many types of natural disasters,” Cường said. Tiếp tục đọc “Natural disasters cost Việt Nam $1.7 billion”
CVD 