Farmers harvest rice in Can Tho City. The city’s People’s Committee says the city should move away from its over-reliance on rice and fishery production and reform its industrial sector. — Photo baocantho.com.vn The Can Tho People’s Committee has called for industrial reform as the city’s Industrial Production Index (IPI) is not growing as quickly as in other cities. At a meeting of the People’s Committee, departments and district officials on Tuesday, the city’s Department of Planning and Investment reported that Can Tho’s IPI was 4.4 per cent lower than in January. In addition, the overall IPI in the first two months was only 5.63 per cent higher compared to the same period last year. This was the lowest IPI increase among other big cities in the country. Nguyen Minh Toai, director of the city’s Department of Industry and Trade, said the city’s rice harvest season had not arrived yet and workers were either on Tet (Lunar New Year) break or spending their time maintaining machinery for the harvest season. The city’s IPI is mostly tied to rice and fishery production and processing, and will increase once the harvest season starts and workers resume their normal work load after Tet break, he said. However, the People’s Committee said the city’s low IPI was due to over-reliance on the rice and fishery sectors, which are insufficiently profitable and slowing the city’s growth. The committee said the Department of Industry and Trade should work with other departments to introduce more advanced technologies… [Read full story]
Accordingly, by 2030, Vietnam’s aviation transport market will strive to be among the top 4 ASEAN countries in terms of transport volume with three regional air passenger and freight transport centres. Specifically, the total passenger transport market will increase by an average of 16% every year from 2015 to 2020 and 8% for each year during the 2020-2030 period. Meanwhile, the total freight transport market will increase by an average of 18% annually from 2015 to 2020 and 12% from 2020 to 2030. The transport capacity of Vietnamese airlines by 2020 is set to reach 64 million passengers and 570 thousand tonnes of cargo, rising to around 131 million passengers and 1.7 million tonnes of cargo by 2030. Regarding plans for the airport network, by 2020 there will be 23 airports comprising 13 domestic and 10 international airports. There are four international airports (Noi Bai, Van Don, Cat Bi, Vinh) and three domestic airports (Dien Bien, Tho Xuan, Dong Hoi) in the North region, three international airports (Phu Bai, Da Nang, Cam Ranh) and four domestic airports (Chu Lai, Pleiku, Phu Cat, Tuy Hoa) in the Central, and three international (Tan Son Nhat, Can Tho, Phu Quoc) and six domestic airports (Buon Ma Thuot, Lien Khuong, Phan Thiet, Con Dao, Rach Gia, Ca Mau) in the South. By 2030, the system will incorporate 28 airports with 15 domestic and 13 international airports.
A military unit of the central Vietnamese of Da Nang on Wednesday began the implementation of a plan to ensure safety and security for the upcoming visit of an aircraft carrier-led group of U.S. Navy ships. The security measures for the March 5-9 visit by the Carrier Strike Group One, (CSG-1) were adopted during a meeting held by the municipal border soldier unit, according to Vietnam’s Government Information Facebook page. Several agencies have been assigned separate tasks to secure all activities, from immigration and surveillance to security and safety, for the visiting warships, particularly the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain and the destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer. Under a program approved by both the Vietnamese and U.S. governments, the USS Carl Vinson-led CSG-1, with a crew of more than 6,000, will dock in Da Nang for a five-day visit from Monday next week. The historic visit, the first time for a U.S. aircraft carrier to be in Vietnamese waters since the war ended in 1975, was announced in January, when U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis visited Hanoi, his first trip to Vietnam since assuming his post. International media are referring to the upcoming visit as the largest military presence by the U.S. in Vietnam since 1975. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training has submitted a plan to the municipal administration requesting approval for an ambitious pilot scheme that would establish a network of ‘smart schools’ in the megacity. The scheme is among the steps being undertaken by the southern metropolis to realize its vision of becoming a smart city by 2025, which includes the development of low-cost energy, convenient public transport systems and improved healthcare services alongside high-quality education. At the core of the ‘smart schools’ project is the application of information technology and communications in the management and organization of educational activities, said Nguyen Van Hieu, deputy director of the Department of Education and Training. The ultimate goal is to establish a complete online interactive environment that interconnects schools, families, and society – the three pillars supporting a student’s success, Hieu explained. To realize this goal, tablets, interactive boards, and cyber teaching materials will be utilized to their fullest potential. Tests and examinations will also begin to be held online through Internet-connected devices, the director said. The municipal department of education will work to establish an open online library for teaching materials and education applications and software which all students and teachers can access and download for their own use. Apart from general exams, teachers are encouraged to compile personalized tests that are tailored to the ability and development of individual students, with the help of computer software. Students will also be able to study and take exams from the comfort… [Read full story]
The Asia-Pacific Gateway (APG), Vietnam’s lifeline undersea cable, broke down at 6:30 am on Tuesday at a spot 125 kilometers away from Hong Kong. The rupture has disrupted Internet connections from Vietnam to other countries, according to the Vietnam Posts and Communications Group (VNPT), a major Internet service provider in the Southeast Asian nation. The group said Internet services linked to overseas servers like Gmail, YouTube and Facebook would be affected to a certain extent. However, according to a number of Internet service providers, they have stored fallbacks for the cable failure, for they have been familiar with the situation. A representative from VNPT said to partly deal with the problem, it has rerouted international Internet traffic to other cable systems, which are safe and sound, and has been cooperating with its foreign partners to facilitate the Internet traffic volume related to servers outside the country. It has employed solutions which guarantee Internet service quality, ready to provide customers with information about the cable issue and give them prompt assistance. The time frame for restoring the cable has not been determined, according to an Internet service provider. Three of the important international cable systems crossing Vietnam are the Intra Asia (IA), the Asia-America Gateway (AAG), and the currently failing Asia-Pacific Gateway (APG). The last system, around 10,400 kilometers long, connects eight countries and territories in the Asia-Pacific, namely Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, mainland China, Japan, and South Korea. It can deliver a capacity of up to 54Tbps, the greatest of… [Read full story]
Nhan said Hippler’s visit demonstrates German universities’ interest in and creates cooperation opportunities between German universities and HCM City, and universities in the city in particular. Secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan (R) shaking hands with President of the German Rectors’ Conference Horst Hippler He urged Hippler to share his experience in connecting universities with local authorities in innovative research, and social development promotion, while calling for his support to HCM City in organising workshops between universities in recognising and handling challenges to the training sector during the fourth industrial revolution. The official expressed his hope that Hippler will contribute further to enhancing cooperation between German universities and their counterparts in HCM City, as well as cooperative activities in scientific research, especially in scientific and technological application in urban development. For his part, Hippler applauded educational collaboration between Germany and Vietnam, including partnerships between their universities, pledging that he will work to further boost cooperation in higher education. According to the Professor, apart from training, the Vietnam-Germany University has great opportunities to participate in HCM City’s development projects. Hippler said he is willing to introduce universities with a lot of experiences in personnel training to HCM City to help the Vietnamese southern metropolis improve the quality of human resources, thus meeting increasing demand for construction and development. Source: VNA
Danang City People’s Committee has decided to temporarily suspend the operation of two steel plants in the area following complaints from local people about their threats to the environment. People gathered at Dana-Italy and Dana-Australia to protest against their wastewater discharging on February 26 The decision was announced on Thursday morning after a meeting between the committee and people in Hoa Vang District’s Hoa Lien Commune a day earlier. The Dana-Italy and Dana-Australia have been required to temporarily stop production from February 28, the announcement said, adding that the Hoa Vang District People’s Committee and the local Department of Natural Resources and Environment would supervise their activities. Other activities including administration, transportation or trade can still continue but will be monitored by local authorities. The committee has also asked relevant agencies to find a proper location to move the two factories by March 2. On February 26 evening, hundreds of people in Hoa Lien Commune gathered at the two factories, blocking the gates. According to local people, the two factories have seriously polluted the environment for the past 10 years with their wastewater. The problems had been reported to leaders of the city who pledged to move 50% of the households to other places by the end of 2017. At a meeting with local people on February 28, deputy chairman of Danang City People’s Committee, Ho Ky Minh, said that it was very difficult to find a solution to the case. “Relocating the plants and the households will both face… [Read full story]
Authorities in Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang closed down two steel factories on Wednesday following a prolonged protest by residents complaining about pollution and the city’s failure to deliver on a promise to relocate them. The local government has pledged to come up with a complete plan this week to move residents away from the factories, and many people are hoping that officials mean it this time. “Please stop making promises and excuses,” Pham Mai, a resident, told officials as they met on Wednesday. The $88-million plants, Dana Y and Dana Uc, started operation on an area of 22 hectares (54 acres) in 2006, with only a wall separating them from a residential area. They were designed to produce 700,000 tons of steel products a year. Residents said the plants received approval from authorities, so they should take the blame for the “unbearable” dust and noise that have bothered them for years. Hundreds of people in Hoa Vang District have been protesting outside the factories since Monday night, putting up tents to show their determination to get the situation resolved. “If you cannot fix the pollution, you have to move the plants,” Ngo Chau, a resident, told officials. Either that or the city closes the factories until everyone is moved to a safe zone, said his neighbor Phan Nhan. Phan Nhan, a Da Nang resident, demands the city act to save people from pollution on Wednesday. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong Officials were unable to give a concrete answer at… [Read full story]
At least one person was killed and 19 others were injured when a sleeper bus slid off a cliff on the downhill portion of the Lo Xo Pass in Kon Tum Province in Vietnam’s Central Highlands region early Thursday morning. The bus was heading from Quang Nam Province on the central coast toward Kon Tum at around 2:30 am, according to Colonel Le Dinh Toan, the provincial traffic police chief. The area where the accident occurred is considered the most dangerous section of the mountain pass and has been the site of multiple fatal crashes over the years, Toan said. Initial reports show that the bus was traveling downhill when it lost control and plunged into a 70-meter abyss. The driver was thrown out of the vehicle during the fall and killed on the spot while 19 passengers suffered from injuries of varying degrees, nine of whom were critically injured, police say. Rescuers and locals used ropes to reach the victims and transfer them one-by-one to safety. Ropes are used to bring victims to the ground. Photo: Tuoi Tre According to Dao Duy Khanh, director of the Kon Tum Department of Health, three of the passengers sustained only minor flesh wounds and have been discharged from the hospital, one of whom caught soon another bus to continue the journey. Sixteen remaining victims are still receiving medical treatment at Kon Tum General Hospital, Khanh said. The Lo Xo Pass, located between Quang Nam and Kon Tum, is the part of National… [Read full story]
The event, covering an area of 30,000 square metres of the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre, will feature 1,980 booths, up 29 percent compared to the previous year. The Vietnam International Furniture and Home Accessories Fair (VIFA – EXPO 2018) will take place in Ho Chi Minh City from March 7 to 10. (Photo: vifafair.com) HAWA Vice Chairman Huynh Van Hanh said VIFA – EXPO 2018 is the largest annual event of the wood industry as it gathers all wooden products, handicrafts, furniture and supporting services, meeting demand of consumers from all over the world. More than 2,000 visitors from 95 countries and territories had registered to attend the event as of February 27. Source: VNA
Rosa Elena Bonilla was detained at her residence on the outskirts of the capital Tegucigalpa, officials said. Police also arrested her brother-in-law and seized documents pertaining to graft accusations. Ana Maria Calderon, interim head of the Organization of American States’ (OAS) Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH) said Bonilla and others had embezzled 16 million lempiras ($680,000). “Mrs. Bonilla is accused, along with other former officials, … having created a money laundering network to hide money from the state that was earmarked for social works,” Calderon said. Late last year, Bonilla denied the corruption allegations after voluntarily testifying before prosecutors in the case. Her lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Calderon said Bonilla used part of the money to pay for family members’ educational fees and personal surgeries. Corruption scandals have led to a string of arrests in Central America in recent years, thanks to growing pressure from activists and backing from foreign powers. Bonilla was detained a day after U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley visited Honduras to talk about drug trafficking and corruption. Among the funds suspected of being embezzled were about $255,000 donated by Taiwan in 2013 for medical equipment, building materials for poor families and job programs, officials said. Bonilla is also being investigated by prosecutors for suspected anomalies in $330,000 that was designated for the purchase of shoes and uniforms for poor children, officials said. Earlier this month, the head of… [Read full story]
19:02 – 28/02/2018 (GMT+7) Lượt xem: 78 Bình luận: 0 Để thêm phần ấn tượng và đặc sắc hơn, Lexus và hãng phim Marvel Studio cùng hợp tác, kết hợp hình tượng siêu anh hùng với siêu xe coupe thể thao Lexus LC500 trong bộ phim bom tấn Black Panther. Chiến binh Báo Đen xoay quanh vị vua trẻ T’Challa, người vừa quay trở về vùng đất Wakanda giàu có, hiện đại bậc nhất nhưng lại nằm tách biệt hoàn toàn so với thế giới bên ngoài để tiếp quản ngôi báu trị vì đất nước và bảo vệ quê hương khỏi những kẻ thù đang bành trướng thế lực sau khi vua cha qua đời. Lexus và hãng phim Marvel Studio cùng hợp tác, kết hợp hình tượng siêu anh hùng với siêu xe coupe thể thao Lexus LC500 trong bộ phim bom tấn “Black Panther” Đó là những câu chuyện khơi nguồn cảm hứng song hành cùng những trải nghiệm tuyệt vời, hay chính là sự kết hợp hoàn hảo giữa Marvel Studios và Lexus. Hình ảnh siêu anh hùng Black Panther (Chiến Binh Báo Đen) trong bộ phim cùng tên hiện lên nổi bật đầy phong cách song hành với siêu xe thể thao LC500. Với công nghệ tiên phong, thiết kế táo bạo và vận hành hứng khởi, LC500thực sự xứng tầm đói với vị vua Wakanda, người cai trị vương quốc hiện đại nhất thế giới. Được khơi nguồn cảm hứng từ mẫu xe ý… [Read full story]
Bars and restaurants in Hoi An are required to turn down music after 10 pm and close by midnight. The order came from Nguyen Van Son, vice chairman of the Hoi An People’s Committee at a meeting on February 27 with owners of local bars and restaurants. A corner of Hoi An ancient town According to Son, bars and restaurants in Hoi An are allowed to open until midnight every day. However, many bars and restaurants still ignored the regulation, operating after the midnight with music, encroaching pavements, causing noise and traffic problems. Son also mentioned the case in which passengers were overcharged on bus in Hoi An or a male tourist from Australia was attacked by a group of motorbike taxi drivers in Hoi An, causing him to be hospitalised due to injuries. He warned that these have affected the city’s image, emphasising that municipal authorities will strictly deal such violations. He requested local bars and restaurants to lower music after 10 pm, close by midnight and keep signage and tables off sidewalks. There must be an announcement of closing broadcast to patrons at least 15 minutes in advance. Businesses were also ordered to not work with motorbike taxi drivers or touts. Any violation will be strictly punished. Police patrols will be arranged to maintain order in the old town.
At the thematic discussion held in Hanoi on February 28, UNDP Country Director in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen highlighted that control of corruption must be sped up for sustainable development of all nations and societies. The UNDP supports the study as part of efforts to share experience with Vietnam in penalising the bribery of foreign public officials, thus helping the country complete its legal framework to combat corruption in the business sector, she said. UNDP Country Director in Vietnam Caitlin Wiesen at the thematic discussion. Photo: baoquocte.vn A member of the research group, PhD Dao Le Thu, director of the comparative legal research centre under the Hanoi Law University, said that global economic integration has increased the risks of local investors giving bribes to officials at foreign governments, agencies and organisations to seek competitive advantages in international trade and investment. The US, the UK, Japan, the Republic of Korea and China, which have criminalized the act of offering bribes to foreign officials, were chosen as case studies in service of this study, she noted. The bribery of foreign cadres should be prescribed in the anti-corruption law to ensure comprehensive legal mechanism, the group suggested. Gerry Macgowan, a representative from the British Embassy in Vietnam, said that Britain’s Bribery Act 2010, an act that covers the criminal law relating to bribery, was issued in 2010 and takes effect from 2011. It is considered as one of the world’s most stringent laws. He pointed to the need to have a strong enforcement strategy… [Read full story]
Senior artist in the Chinese self-defense martial art of Wing Chun, Pierre Francois Flores, is in Vietnam for the second time to once again challenge local fighters on what he says is a journey to promote the authenticity of traditional martial arts, after winning two fights last year. Flores became known across Asia last year after responding to a challenge from Chinese mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Xu Xiao Dong. Xu had issued the challenge to all traditional Chinese martial arts masters following a 10-second victory over a Tai Chi master that went viral. Xu, a 38-year-old self-taught MMA fighter, said that the traditional martial arts have become outdated and are now only good for keeping the body fit, while freestyle fighting and boxing are more effective when it comes to combat. In Flores’ invitation on Facebook, he referred to Xu’s fight as a “necessary awakening in the face of a phenomenon that threatens the credibility of martial arts.” The fight between Xu and Flores never transpired. In a interview with VnExpress on Wednesday, Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat, who has made history by becoming the first Vietnamese fighter to win the International Federation of Muay Thai Amateur World Championship seven times, spoke differently about Flores’ motivation in Vietnam. Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat said Pierre Francois Flores is not qualified enough to represent Vietnamese martial arts. In his latest statement, Flores said Vietnamese people are angry at him because he does not represent the country’s martial arts. What do you think… [Read full story]
By Vi Vu  February 28, 2018 | 10:49 am GMT+7 Artist’s concept shows seven Earth-sized planets, whose discovery was revealed in February lat year, based on available data about their sizes, masses and orbital distances. Photo by Reuters/NASA/JPL-Caltech The five-day event is discussing the diversity and wide range of the universe to search for life outside our world. More than 70 scientists from around the world are in Vietnam for a series of conferences to explore planets outside our eight-strong solar system. The annual Meeting Vietnam (Rencontres du Vietnam) event opened on Monday at the International Center of Interdisciplinary Science Education in Quy Nhon in the central coastal province of Binh Dinh, with the theme “Exoplanetary Science”. Scientists from 20 countries at the event said that studies outside the Earth’s solar system have become an active part of astrophysics, which looks into the diversity and wide range of the universe for the purpose of finding life away from the blue planet. The five-day event will include 10 presentations and multiple discussions between observers in the field. The first two days were open to students. France-based physicist Tran Thanh Van (R), founder of Meeting Vietnam, talks with scientists at the Exoplanetary Science conference in Quy Nhon on February 26, 2018. Photo by Binh Dinh Online Professor Guillaume Hébrard from the Paris Institute of Astrophysics (Institut d’astrophysique de Paris), who is chairing the 14th Meeting Vietnam, said scientists will share their latest research to provide new knowledge as well as observation methods for extrasolar… [Read full story]
Just a few short weeks after a global equity selloff caused Vietnam to lose its crown as Asia’s best-performing market so far this year, the country is back on top. These gains may extend, helping the VN-Index surpass its March 2007 peak, as the gauge is forecast to reach 1,210 by the end of 2018, according to a survey of 10 strategists by Bloomberg. RongViet Securities Corporation in Saigon said in a report that the VN-Index will increase by at least 17 percent this year, and even 67 percent in its best scenario, meaning it could end the year somewhere between 1,170 and 1,640. Nguyen The Minh, a senior analyst at Saigon Securities Incorporation, was more reserved. “The VN-Index could reach 1,050 points in the short term, and 1,300 by year-end,” he said. Foreigners have been net buyers of the country’s shares this month, even as they pulled a combined $14 billion from nine Asian markets tracked by Bloomberg. “Earnings growth is expected to be better, at around 20 to 25 percent, and not just with the listed companies but also at newly-listed ones,” Bloomberg quoted Thang Uong, who oversees a $1 billion portfolio at Manulife Asset Management (Vietnam) Co. in Ho Chi Minh City, as saying. “We are very bullish this year.” A swift reversal since Feb. 12 has sent the gauge above levels reached before the selloff, making the nation’s shares more expensive relative to their regional peers. The VN-Index trades at about 20 times 12-month projected earnings,… [Read full story]
