Clever News

From hobbyist to renowned collector

2009-11-26T21:43:00.000-08:00

A 35-year-old man in Hue City is the owner of an antiques collection that makes the national museums envious.

Nguyen Huu Hoang, a resident of the former imperial capital city of Hue, is an antiques collector. But what makes his collection different from most is that he specializes in collecting a rare kind of porcelain: Nguyen Dynasty’s Custom-made pattern porcelains.

Nguyen Dynasty’s Custom-made pattern porcelains, also known amongst historians and collectors as: “Blues de Hue” (Hue’s blue-enamel porcelains), were special limited edition pieces designed for the royal court, ordered and finished overseas to exacting specifications. They were usually made in small numbers, sometimes as a lone piece.

According to “Custom-made pattern porcelains in Nguyen Dynasty” a book by historian Tran Duc Anh Son, these pieces were made from the 16th century to the early 20th century, mostly by pottery kilns in China. The collections were brought back by Vietnam’s emissaries after visiting the neighbor to the north.

The bowls and dishes were intricately decorated, mostly with dragons and phoenixes, or the Hue landscape. On each item would rest a poem in ancient Vietnamese. Most were used in ceremonial fashion for banquets at the imperial palace.

Nguyen Dynasty was the last ruling family of Vietnam, lording over the country from 1802 to 1945.

Hoang’s collection boasts at least 40 pieces from this era, which, according to him, were made from 1800 to 1945. Although they were used only in Hue, they filtered outwards and he has picked up items from throughout the country.

“I was surprised to see that there are a lot of valuable antiques in Hoang’s collection,” said Tran Duc Anh Son, Director of Hue’s Museum of Royal Fine Arts, writer of the “Custom-made pattern porcelains in Nguyen Dynasty” book.

“The Nguyen Dynasty’s Custom-made pattern porcelains are now very rare. Even the national museums have very little of them.”

“Even Hue Imperial Museum, the national museum that has the most antiques from the Nguyen Dynasty era does not have any of these custom-made pieces,” said Son.

For the good of his hometown

Hoang is a furniture maker by trade; but he began to collect antiques 15 years ago.

Being a collector, Hoang has traveled to many parts of the country and developed relationships with a number of collectors and historians, which has helped him along the way.

When he started to collect antiques, Hoang had ample chances to buy Nguyen Dynasty porcelains.

He pointed to seven years ago when he purchased a porcelain bowl categorized as a Nguyen Dynasty porcelain from a family’s ancestral temple for VND2.5 million ($140).

After a few days, there was an offer to buy the bowl for VND20 million ($1,120). Then after some days of ruminating, Hoang made a decision, which he says he has regretted ever since.

“That event became my obsession,” said Hoang. “It was very beautiful and way too precious to be sold.”

It is the kind of obsession found in a man that puts beauty ahead of possessions.

“Antique-collecting is a game of chances,” he said. “You may have a full pocket of money, but without a good opportunity you are not going to get anything.”

“Last month I received a phone call from a friend in Binh Dinh. He said there was a collector wanting to sell a bowl from the Nguyen Dynasty.”

“I borrowed VND30 million ($1,680) and went to Binh Dinh as soon as possible. When I bought it and came back home, almost immediately another friend called form HCMC said there was another bowl up for sale at $2,000. Once again, I borrowed the money and bought the item.”

Hoang learnt the ability to assess antiques through his experiences. He is not a student of history or archaeology, but a keen observer of art.

“My journey into the world of antiques has not ended yet. Many people have asked to buy my entire collections at higher prices than what I paid for them, but I refused,” Hoang said.

“I want to help preserve the antiques of my hometown,” he said. “A lot of them were scattered around the country. I want to bring them back to where they belong.”

Source: vietnewsonline.vn

Thai food-fest to kick off in capital

2009-11-26T21:41:00.000-08:00

A festive week to celebrate Thai cuisine and culture will take place in Hanoi from December 1 to 6 to celebrate Thailand’s National Day, which falls on December 5.

The “Thai Culinary and Culture Delight Week” is jointly organized by the Royal Thai Embassy and the Hanoi Melia Hotel, which will play host for the festival.

The week will present an abundance of Thai specialties made with hand-picked spices and herbs by two Thai chefs, Aek Charttrakul and Chutchanok Boonchai, The Saigon Times Daily reported.

The chefs said Thai food is known for its balance of five fundamental flavors in each dish: hot (spicy), sour, sweet, salty and bitter.

The food is also known for its use of fresh herbs and spices as well as fish sauce.

Thai dance is a staple of the country’s culture. Like many forms of traditional Asian dance, it can be divided into two major genres, classical dance for the nobility and folk dance for the masses.

Guest will be provided with either Thai snacks or a dinner buffet at the five-star hotel during the week.

High tea or early evening meals are available from 3p.m. to 5p.m. at prices of US$4 for children and $6 for adults.

The hotel’s El Patio Restaurant will serve a Thai buffet from 6p.m. during the week at $24 per adult and $12 per child. Beverages, draught beer and wine are included in the price.

Japanese violist to unveil capital performance

2009-11-26T21:39:00.000-08:00

Distinguished Japanese violist Nobuko Imai will return to Vietnam for two symphony concerts to be held in Hanoi on November 26 and 27.

Imai will collaborate with local artists from the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra (VNSO) to perform some renowned compositions, including “La Valse” by French composer Maurice Ravel and “Symphony No.3” by Claude Debussy.

The concerts mark the third collaboration between the Japanese artist and VNSO. Imai was invited to perform with the orchestra in the capital city in 2005 and 2007.

The award-winning musician will also bring on stage the renowned viola concerto “A string around autumn” written for her by Japanese well-known composer Takemitsu Turu.

The masterpieces will be performed under the baton of Japanese conductor Honna Tetsuji. The conductor is a familiar name to classical music lovers in the country, Vietnam News Agency reported.

Tetsuji also performed with VNSO across five Vietnamese cities under a symphony tour sponsored by Japanese auto maker Toyota in June this year.

The concerts will start at 8p.m. at the Hanoi Opera House, at 1 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem District.

Nobuko Imai is considered one of the world’s premier violin players. She is also known as the only violist to have won the highest prizes at both the Munich and Geneva international viola competitions.

Imai is now established as a distinguished international soloist whose career takes her to perform with some of the distinguished orchestras in Europe, the U.S. and Japan.

Some of the big names include the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Tokyo’s NHK Symphony Orchestra.

Source: vietnewsonline.vn

HCMC to celebrate world cuisine

2009-11-26T21:36:00.000-08:00

The cuisine of 24 countries will be showcased at the annual food festival “Taste of the world 2009” to be held in Ho Chi Minh City from December 3 to 6.

La Quoc Khanh, deputy director of the HCMC Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, told Tu Van va Tieu Dung (Consultancy and Consumer) magazine the participating countries include South Korea, Japan, China, Italy, Russia, Germany, France, the U.S. and Brazil.

The festival will open on the night of December 3 with a parade through Le Lai, Nguyen Thi Nghia and Pham Ngu Lao streets, highlighting the cultural diversity of the participating countries, The Saigon Times Daily reported.

It will be followed by a rock show on December 4 and a cooking contest for Vietnamese chefs as well as international folk music performances on the following day.

Visitors to the festival’s venue: the September 29 Park in the city’s downtown, will also have a chance to enjoy cooking presentations by international professionals and taste a wide variety of exotic food from outside the country.

The 4th “Taste of the World Festival” is organized by the HCMC’s People’s Committee, the city’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and local advertising firm Youth Advertising Joint Stock Company.

It is aimed at promoting international cooperation and boosting tourism in the southern city, one of the biggest tourism hubs in Vietnam.

The four-day event, the biggest of its kind, will cost about VND10 billion (US$559,221). About 80,000 visitors are expected to take part in the celebration.

Source: vietnewsonline.vn

Federer squeezes into semis, agony for Murray

2009-11-26T21:20:00.000-08:00

World number one Roger Federer squeezed into the semi-finals of the ATP World Tour Finals on Thursday despite a 6-2 6-7 6-3 defeat by Juan Martin del Potro but Briton Andy Murray literally missed out by a fraction.

The final round-robin action in Group A had players, tournament organizers and journalists scratching their heads as all three contenders ended with virtually identical records.

Del Potro summed up the confusion, admitting later that he did not even know he had joined Federer in the semi-finals until 25 minutes after their match had ended while Murray posted a Twitter entry simply asking "Anyone know what's going on?"

Murray's 6-4 6-7 7-6 victory over Spain's Fernando Verdasco meant any win for Federer later would have sent the Scot through but Federer suffered badly again at the hands of the giant south American who beat him in the U.S. Open final in September.

Federer, Del Potro and Murray all posted two wins and a 5-4 sets win/loss ratio meaning that calculators were as useful as tennis rackets to work out which two players would progress to Saturday's semi-finals by virtue of a better game percentage.

Despite an off-color performance against Del Potro in which he came within a whisker of elimination himself, Federer topped the group with a 44-40 games record.

A bemused-looking Del Potro edged home favorite Murray by one game having finished 45-43 compared to Murray's 44-43 although he seemed unaware of his fate after sealing victory in an entertaining scrap lasting just over two hours.

"Sure, it's confusing," Federer told reporters. "It's hard for Murray. I mean, I asked Juan Martin myself at the net, 'Did you make it or not?' He said, 'I don't think so.'

"So that's the story I got. Of course, you got to feel sorry for the guy who didn't make it."

A straight sets defeat for Federer would have knocked out the 15-times grand slam champion and when Del Potro had a 5-4 lead in the second set tiebreak with two serves to come it looked bleak for the Swiss maestro but a miss-hit return caught Del Potro off guard and pounced to take it into a decider.

"I knew I couldn't lose in two sets because I knew that was going to knock me out," said Federer.

"That's why I was very excited having won the second set. The only thing that was important to me was the set I needed to win. That it got so close with the other two guys, it's quite incredible."

While Federer was effectively through by taking the second set, the sums meant 21-year-old Del Potro, faced with needing to win the final set 6-3 or better and despite some nervous moments, managed to kill off Murray's hopes.

"It was very strange," he told reporters. "I'm happy to be in the semi-finals, but it's strange. I took my opportunities and that's what you need to do against the best player in the world."

It was tough on Murray who did precious little wrong in the tournament, although losing the third set of his second group match against Federer 6-1 ultimately proved costly.

"When he served at 5-1 down against me in that set, maybe he had it on his racket, if he had held that game maybe he would have gone through," Federer said.

Source: vietnewsonline.vn

Nadal's season ends with a whimper

2009-11-26T21:18:00.000-08:00

It seems hard to believe that only six months ago Andre Agassi was predicting Rafa Nadal would complete a calendar grand slam in 2009.

Agassi's statement proved to be the kiss of death for Nadal's season as instead of emulating the feat last achieved by Australia's Rod Laver 40 years ago, his winning run instantly dried up and he failed to win a title since May.

The year that started with much promise when he captured the Australian Open crown before adding another four titles in the space of 14 weeks, ended with a whimper on Wednesday as he became the first player to be eliminated from the ATP World Tour Finals.

Two straight set defeats means the Spaniard has no chance of progressing any further in the elite eight-man event even if he beats Novak Djokovic in his final round robin match on Friday.

Despite his barren spell over the past six months, he had arrived in London with a realistic chance of grabbing the year-end top ranking from French Open and Wimbledon champion Roger Federer.

But Nadal barely looked like a man capable of climbing to the summit of his sport in his match against Nikolay Davydenko on Wednesday and he said reclaiming the world number one ranking had not been his top priority this week.

"I didn't come here to be number one. It wasn't my goal because I'm not playing well enough to be number one right now," he told reporters after his 6-1 7-6 defeat by Davydenko.

"If I'd won the Masters (ATP Finals), I would have arrived at next week's Davis Cup (final against the Czech Republic) with more confidence. I would prefer to get there in my best moment and I'm working hard to get my confidence back."

Lack of confidence is what Nadal has struggled with ever since his four-year reign at the French Open was abruptly ended by Robin Soderling in the Roland Garros fourth round.

He then missed the defence of his Wimbledon title as he tried to overcome a bout of tendinitis and returned to the tour in August, though has failed to dominate as he once did.

While other top players like Federer and Djokovic look forward to taking a break from the rigors of the tour, Nadal has no intentions of putting his feet up during the off season.

"I've had enough breaks this year. Too much, in my opinion," he smiled about his eight-week absence from the tour.

"I'm ready to practice hard. I have motivation to play my best tennis. When you have this goal and you have this motivation, doesn't matter if you are tired or not. So I am ready to start practicing and to start playing in 2010.

"I don't know how far I am from my best. The important thing is when this change happens, I'll be ready for it."
Source: vietnewsonline.vn

Anelka sinks Porto as Chelsea win group

2009-11-26T21:16:00.000-08:00

Nicolas Anelka's second-half header earned Chelsea a 1-0 win against Porto Wednesday and guaranteed the English side will win Champions League Group D with one match still remaining.

The goal came from a simple move in the 69th minute. With the Porto defenders static, Yuri Zhirkov fed Florent Malouda on the left wing and the Frenchman crossed for his compatriot Anelka to head in unchallenged.

"It's not easy winning at this stadium, but we did it. In the first half we ran some risks and weren't very well, but I think we had a good game, though not fantastic," Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti said.

"It was a very important win because it allows us to now concentrate on the Premier League," he added.

Anelka was a threat throughout and created the first chance on 15 minutes with a powerful shot that keeper Beto blocked with some difficulty.

Porto, who like Chelsea had already qualified for the last 16, responded with Argentine midfielder Fernando Belluschi forcing a save from Petr Cech. Striker Radamel Falcao pounced on the rebound but also sent his shot straight at the keeper.

The influential Belluschi had the best chance of a mostly tame first half on 29 minutes, sending a shot crashing against Cech's bar.

The Premier League leaders showed more intent at the start of the second half and playmaker Deco almost netted against his former club on 52 minutes, collecting Rolando's flawed clearance but shooting just wide.

Porto drove forward in search of an equalizer, but substitute forwards Hulk and Ernesto Farias were unable to trouble a composed Chelsea backline.

"No one can forget that we played against a great team, in my opinion the best in English football, with great quality players who always remain serene," Porto coach Jesualdo Ferreira said.

" Porto could have perfectly well drawn this match. Even before Chelsea scored we could have had the first goal, but its the three points that count in the end."

Chelsea have 13 points from five matches with Porto on nine. Atletico Madrid have three and APOEL Nicosia have two.

Source: vietnewsonline.vn

Holiest places for spiritual experiences

2009-11-26T21:08:00.002-08:00

SINGAPORE - It is often said that God works in mysterious ways, and travel guide Lonely Planet has come up with a list of the holiest places in the world where the faithful believe the handiwork of the divine is evident.

1. Ife, Nigeria

The Yoruba supreme god Oludumare sent his son Oduduwa down a gold chain to the site of present-day Ife, with some sand, a cockerel to scratch a hole and a palm nut to plant in it, creating the world and 16 Yoruba clans. Ife today is a large university town with some superb cast-bronze heads and the energy you'd expect from the universe's first city.

2. Jerusalem

For the ancient Israelites, the world began from the Ark of the Covenant, resting in the Holy of Holies in Solomon's temple, sited on the Foundation Stone - the foundation of the world. This place is revered by Muslims as the spot from which Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven. It's now housed within the 7th-century Dome of the Rock, whose golden cupola dazzles visitors across Jerusalem.

3. Temple Of Somnath, Gujarat, India

The faithful believe the temple witnessed the creation of the universe. Purportedly constructed by the Hindu moon god, Somraj, then rebuilt numerous times by luminaries including Krishna himself, the current edifice isn't quite what you'd expect from a temple that's supposedly older than time itself.

4. Mount Kenya, Kenya

There are ample reasons to feel awed by Africa's second-highest mountain. Its loftiest peak, 5,199m Batian, is a daunting challenge even for experienced technical climbers, while those who top the 'trekkers' summit', Point Lenana (4,985m), contend with breathlessness, a pounding head and subzero chills. Then there's the fact that you're trespassing on the home of a supreme deity. Kenya's most populous tribe, the Kikuyu, believe Ngai resides atop the mountain, whose English moniker derives from Kere Nyaga (Mountain of Brightness).

5. Mount Kailash, Tibet

Mighty Kailash is four-times sacred. For Buddhists it's the home of vengeful Demchok; it's where the founder of Jainism attained nirvana; it's the seat of all power for the pre-Buddhist faith; and for Hindus it's the home of Shiva, the destroyer. The 'navel of the world', Kailash is also known as Mt Meru, legendary abode of gods and birthplace of four holy rivers. Devotees of all four faiths make the circular pilgrimage around this isolated, hulking peak in order to gain good fortune and religious merit.

6. Mount Sinai, Egypt

The mount is where God is believed to have revealed to Moses the Ten Commandments. Still standing is St Catherine's Monastery, built in the 6th century at the location of the burning bush that gave Moses his orders. Bedouin guides on site help visitors to explore the region and get an insight into local traditions.

7. Tai Shan, China

From the body of the creator of the universe, Pan Gu, were formed five sacred Taoist mountains, the most holy of which is Tai Shan, in Shandong province. A climb up the 1,545m peak passes temples, tea houses, rivers, ancient inscriptions and ethereal mountain views.

8. Isla Del Sol, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia

Machu Picchu might be magical, but if you want to see where the seeds of the mighty Inca empire were reputedly sown, take a boat from the small town of Copacabana to the 'Island of the Sun', floating in azure Lake Titicaca. At the northern end of the island, in the Chincana site, sits the sacred rock from which the bearded god Viracocha drew Manco Capac and his sister Mama Ocllo, the founders of the Inca dynasty. Hike around the island to take in Inca ruins and watch the sun set over the picture-perfect lake.

9. Mount Olympus, Greece

Murder, infidelity, incest, doublecrossing: the tales of the Greek gods read like a particularly lurid soap opera. Their home, Mt Olympus, is a suitably dramatic backdrop. It's a two-day ascent to reach the immortals' vertiginous lair, 2917m Mytikas peak, through verdant forests and past striking views. Though the climb doesn't require superhuman powers, before attempting it, it might not hurt to visit the site of ancient Dion, where Alexander the Great made sacrifices.

10. Lake Chelan, Washington, USA

Native Americans believe the Great Chief Above created the world, all the animals and humans, for whom he left an instruction manual: a series of red ochre pictographs depicting hunting and other activities. Though some are now underwater and many have been defaced, a few can still be seen on rocks at the northern end of Lake Chelan in Washington state.

Source: vietnewsonline.vn

Holidays abroad popular again despite downturn

2009-11-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

SINGAPORE - Going on holiday is back on the cards again despite the recession, with a global survey showing one in five people plan to travel overseas, even if it's largely within their region.

The survey by credit card firm MasterCard asked over 10,600 people in the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific about their travel priorities for the next six months, and the findings are likely to cheer the global travel industry which has had a rough year in the wake of the global financial crisis.
Some 20 percent of respondents said they plan to spend on international personal travel, with Hong Kongers topping the list of people planning holidays abroad, followed by Singaporeans and Saudi Arabians.

African respondents were the most keen to travel long-haul and go to the United States, Canada or European destinations, but for the majority, their top 10 likely destinations were largely within their own region.

Japan, Australia and China were the most popular countries for prospective travelers in the Asia-Pacific, while Middle Easterners were more likely to visit Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, the survey showed.

Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, Asia-Pacific economic adviser for MasterCard Worldwide, said the survey showed the resilience of the travel industry in parts of the world not as badly affected by the global financial crisis as the United States and Europe.

The survey involved 24 countries and territories, from Australia to Nigeria.

"Although travel patterns have changed moderately, we see that consumers' appetite for travel has held up through the recession," Hedrick-Wong said in a statement.

"The fact that Asia has been the region that has been least affected by the global recession also means that spending on travel by Asian consumers will likely rebound more strongly in the coming months as well."

Across the 14 markets surveyed in Asia-Pacific, 22 percent said they were planning a holiday abroad, compared to 20 percent six months ago. Nearly 60 percent stated international travel was a priority non-essential, or discretionary, spend.

In the Middle East, almost a quarter were planning trips abroad, down from a third six months ago, but nearly 90 percent said the strongly believed in spending money on travel.

In Africa, some 17 percent of respondents plan to spend on international air travel, the survey showed, a figure Hedrick-Wong said was likely to rise in the coming years in line with economic growth and rising incomes.

Source: vietnewsonline.vn

Thai police vow crackdown on Buddha statue thieves

2009-11-26T21:06:00.000-08:00

Thailand - Thai police promised to get tough with criminals who steal historic artifacts for the international market after a spate of thefts from the old capital of Ayuthaya outraged the public in the Buddhist country.

At least 20 heads of Buddha statues have recently been reported stolen from temples in the World Heritage province of Ayuthaya, which was the kingdom's capital from 1350 to 1767, said deputy national police chief Jongrak Juthanond.
"We believe there is a rise in demand in the antique markets abroad where people like to decorate their living rooms with these images," Jongrak told Reuters, a day after he visited the province.

He met with hundreds of monks at Wat Phananchaoeng Worawiharn temple to discuss ways to improve security such as closed-circuit cameras, higher fences and barred windows.

"It's already sinful to steal from temples. It's much worse to steal ancient relics," Jongrak said. "The thieves are cursed and those who buy them are cursed, too."

The latest case on Monday involved the theft of six Buddha statues from Wat Thammasinsopa temple in the province, about 90 km (56 miles) north of Bangkok. Some of the images were nearly 300 years old.

In another incident on November 19, seven heads of sandstone Buddha images were stolen at Wat Dong Wai, according to police.

"When the monks woke up for morning prayers, it was still dark and we didn't notice anything until we found the dogs dead. They poisoned the dogs in the middle of the night before stealing the statues," Phra Athikansadaeng Premasilo, the temple's 77-year-old abbot, told Reuters.

"Villagers are naturally very upset about this."

Responding to the public outcry, Jongrak was reported as saying the police would use force if thieves resisted arrest.

"You could see thieves lying dead next to Buddha statues that have had their heads cut off," he told reporters, although he stressed to Reuters that such force would only be used if suspects tried to escape or fought back.

The theft of temple artifacts carries a jail term of up to 15 years.

Headless statues are a common sight among temple ruins in the old capital although the plundering often dates back centuries.

The authorities are monitoring the online trade of Buddhist relics and artifacts that may have been smuggled out of the country, Jongrak said.

These images and other pieces of Thai art have been sold illegally abroad in recent decades, usually by Thais who pillaged ancient archaeological sites, Khemachai Thepchai of the government's Fine Arts Office told Reuters.

Once a relic has been smuggled abroad and then sold through legal channels, it becomes all the harder to recover it.

"That makes it very difficult for us to make official complaints and bring them back," Khemachai said.

Source: vietnewsonline.vn

Telecom utility charged with causing billions in losses

2009-11-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

Vietnam's telecommunication utility provider has committed several wrongdoings in equitizing several of its affiliates, causing losses worth billions of dongs to the state budget, inspectors say.

Members of the Government Inspectorate said apart from the equitization process, the wrongdoings also extended to how the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT) has managed its land holdings and investments. They estimate the total losses to the state budget at more than VND89 billion (US$5 million).
Between 1999 and 2005, the Prime Minister had approved for VNPT to equitize its 42 state-owned affiliates. But the group had only managed to turn 39 of them into joint stock companies by this August, the inspectors found.

The firms yet to be equitized include a cable firm that has not cleared its debts to its partners and a postage stamp printer that is facing police investigation for several irregularities in financial management.

Under government regulations, the equitization must be carried out under rules of the Ministry of Post and Telecommunication, which is now the Ministry of Information and Communication. But 26 of the 39 firms were equitized under the decision of VNPT leaders.

VNPT has also not revoked state budget funds worth nearly VND44 billion from 12 of the equitized firms as well as around VND17.5 billion worth of profit made from this money.

Besides, the group and its members are using around 34.4 hectares of land but as of the end of 2008, 13 had not signed land lease contracts with the city/provincial Departments of Natural Resources and Environment nor paid the land rent.

The inspectors also said that three equitized member firms have used investments worth VND140 billion for several projects but have not reported that to VNPT. Most of the projects were ineffective, they added.

The inspectors have asked the Prime Minister to instruct VNPT to deal with the wrongdoings and return VND89 billion to the state budget. They also asked the PM to have the Ministry of Information and Communications punish individuals responsible for the losses.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Sidewalk not for walking in HCMC

2009-11-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

Good luck trying to use a pavement for its actual intended purpose in Ho Chi Minh City; that was the verdict of an urban development meeting held in the city on Tuesday.

Statistics by the HCMC Institute of Development Studies showed the 1,000 roads and 4 million square meters of sidewalk have been occupied by small businesses, vendors or as makeshift parking lots.

In addition, around 250 bridges, especially the cavalcades under bridges, have been turned into markets or homes for street vendors and the homeless.
The Department of Industry and Trade said there are 20 “spontaneous” markets in the Tan Binh and Go Vap districts, while downtown District 1 is home to 13 illegal markets.

The meeting heard that city residents keen to turn a buck aren’t the only offenders as local authorities have been too eager to hand out business licenses in areas not zoned for commercial use.

Compounding the problem has been a city People’s Committee decision to charge fees for the use of sidewalks and streets for parking and business purposes.

Under a decision effective November 13, the sidewalks on 272 streets in the city can be used for parking and business activities. Parking will also be allowed near the curbs of 73 other streets.

Nguyen Huu Nguyen, an expert in urban development, said the city should solve the issue of a lack of parking spots before it collects fees.

The HCMC government in 2004 approved a plan to construct eight underground car parks; to date, six have been cancelled.

Meanwhile, the city is grappling with burgeoning vehicle ownership rates, with 400,000 cars and more than 4 million motorcycles using the city’s streets everyday.

Source: vietnewsonline.vn

HCMC drivers not mice for doomed experiment

2009-11-25T21:08:00.000-08:00

Ho Chi Minh City should not rush into installing an electronic toll system downtown. Both the city’s infrastructure and its citizens are simply not ready for it.
A city proposal to implement Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) for cars in HCMC’s downtown has drawn criticism from the public, the National Assembly and outside analysts – just about everybody except for the company set to earn a profit on the project.
Tien Phong (Innovative) Technology Development Corp. (ITD) has been overexcited about employing “the modern technology of Singapore,” in downtown Saigon ever since it was assigned to carry out the project, but no reliable study suggests that such an innovation would suit HCMC.

Lam Thieu Quan, general director of ITD, said such a study would be too expensive. He said the company would only carry out such a study if the municipal administration officially approved the project.

Quite an odd process.

Instead of doing a study and then proposing a method for approval, the method has been proposed and the company is waiting for approval before doing a study.

It should also be known that the city government chose ITD not through bidding but simply because the company operates 70 percent of the country’s automatic toll stations. In other words, ITD was chosen not as the best contractor offering the lowest cost, but as a familiar toll collector.

ITD has cited the successful implementation of ERP in Singapore, London and Stockholm to support the toll system case.

But when you compare those cities to HCMC, the difference is stark. Our infrastructure is poorer, our roads are fewer and of lower quality, and our drivers obey a much smaller percentage of traffic regulations than in those cities.

ERP alone will not solve the traffic problem. Public transportation must be improved and traffic police also have to do their job.

In London, traffic jams were reduced by 50-60 percent after ERP because people switched to public transport. But public buses cannot replace private vehicles in Vietnam, both in terms of quantity and quality. Car owners in Vietnam, who are by definition wealthy, would much rather pay a few dong to take their car into the city than crowd into one of our dirty buses.

Some have said that the city should be brave enough to give the method a try to see how effective it might be. But such a trial will cost VND700 billion (US$39 million) in taxpayer money, and most residents would rather not be the mice in a failed experiment.

Source: thanhniennews.com

First conference to deepen Vietnam-diaspora ties

2009-11-25T21:06:00.000-08:00

Overseas Vietnamese hope that the encouragement they receive from the Vietnamese government in laws and polices does not remain on paper.

This was the general sentiment among more than 900 overseas Vietnamese, known as Viet kieu, attending the first ever national conference for the Vietnamese diaspora that opened in Hanoi on Saturday.

Converging in the capital city from 52 countries and territories worldwide, the large number of Viet kieu were from America, Thailand, France and Germany.

At the opening ceremony, Vietnamese leaders and government officials said the Viet kieu were an “inseparable” part of the country’s socio-economic development and could play a vital role in maintaining good relationships between Vietnam and other countries.

“The overseas community are the blood and bones of this country,” said President Nguyen Minh Triet in his opening speech.

However, there were still problems of some not being able to achieve a stable legal status abroad or others committing actions that “go against the benefit of the country” because of a lack of information, Triet said.

He hoped the conference will suggest relevant policies to bridge the overseas community with those back home.

Nguyen Thanh Son, head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese and deputy minister of foreign affairs, said that Vietnam hopes to continue supporting its overseas community through preferable policies relating to land, housing, citizenship and immigration for them to live, work and do business back home.

The committee is also working on having Vietnamese taught at schools in communities abroad where there’s a large Vietnamese community; and expanding the number of Vietnamese Culture Centers in an effort to preserve Vietnamese culture and tradition abroad, especially among the second or third generation of Viet kieu.

Thirty-two-year-old Duc Khuong Nguyen left Vietnam in 2000 for France after graduating from the Hanoi Commercial University.

Now an associate professor of finance and head of the Department of Economics, Finance, and Law at the ISC Paris of School of Management, Khuong said among many Vietnamese intellectuals who left the country mostly after 1996 for study-related purposes in France, the desire to work in Vietnam is always there.

“I’ve read about our policies to encourage overseas intellectuals to return home and work but the question is where should they be placed and whether they can find an appropriate position,” Khuong said on the sidelines of the conference.

He noted that qualified Viet kieu would not want to start at zero, meaning low-level positions. He said Viet kieu coming back to work in Vietnam would depend on “whether we give them enough responsibilities.”

Nguyen Van Tho, a well-known novel writer and an overseas Vietnamese from Germany, said for the past 12 years, he has been returning to Vietnam to work with writers in the country.

He said most of the overseas community abroad hopes the government’s policies will be implemented effectively so that they can reflect truly Vietnam’s goodwill toward its overseas citizens.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Vietnamese American professor receives UNESCO award

2009-11-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Thursday awarded the Kalinga prize to a Vietnamese American professor for his contribution to popularizing science.

A famous astronomer with many publications in French that have been translated into English and now a professor at the US University of Virginia, Trinh Xuan Thuan shared the Kalinga Prize with Indian Professor Yashpal.
The award was given during the three-day World Science Forum that kicked off on Thursday in Budapest, capital of Hungary.

Founded in 1952, the prize aims to honor individuals who make great contributions to the interpretation of science and technology to the public during their career as writers, editors and lecturers among others. It is administered by UNESCO’s Science Analysis and Policies Division.

Source: thanhniennews.com

A violent peace

2009-11-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

There is no peace for those who live in one of the world’s most heavily-bombed areas.

Nguyen Van Troi slept through the afternoon, not common practice for a farmer who usually tends fields all day. His neighbors in Quang Thach Commune in the central province of Quang Binh were all working, but Troi, 56, could not.

A sudden cold front had exacerbated the pain in his chest and left hand. They were all injured seven years ago when Troi was digging to plant cassava.

“I heard an explosion and felt as if my body was being torn apart,” Troi told Thanh Nien Weekly during a visit arranged by the UK-based Mines Advisory Group (MAG), an organization that clears the remnants war in former conflict areas worldwide.

Troi, whose left hand has been virtually paralyzed, said he has been terrified of digging on his land ever since.

“It’s dangerous. Unexploded bombs could be found anywhere.”

The fear has forced Troi and his neighbors to grow perennial crops, which require far less digging, but also earn far less money.

“We don’t want to dig. No one wants to be killed or injured,” he said.

Permanent war

Quang Binh and its neighbor to the south, Quang Tri, have recorded the highest number of deaths and injuries caused by unexploded bombs and landmines in Vietnam, said a study released this summer by the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense’s Technology Center for Bomb and Mine Disposal (BOMICEN).

In early October, Quang Tri authorities unearthed seven unexploded bombs after Storm Ketsana cut a swath into the province. The seven bombs were found in a commune bordering Laos.

“We find or are told about unexploded bombs and ordnance almost every day,” said Hoang Minh Duc, head of a MAG mine action team tasked with tracking unexploded war ordnance in Quang Binh.

Police said on Wednesday that four men had been killed on the spot when a bomb left over from the Vietnam War blew up in the southern province of Tay Ninh. They were trying to open it to remove explosive material, according to police sources.

‘Huge responsibility’

Since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, unexploded bombs, artillery shells, mortar bombs, rockets and landmines have killed 10,529 and wounded 12,231 people in the six most heavily-affected central provinces alone, the study by VVAF and BOMICEN said. Of the six provinces, around 7,000 people in Quang Tri and some 6,000 in Quang Binh have been killed or injured due to leftover ordnance, it said.

Over 40,000 people across the country have been killed by unexploded ordnance (UXO) since the war ended and over 35 percent of the land in six central provinces remains contaminated with UXO, it added.
According to the VVAF survey data, of 1,361 communes surveyed in six central provinces, 1,360 are contaminated with UXO.
“Vietnam has the unfortunate distinction of being the country that has had more bombs dropped on it than any other country in history,” VVAF founder Bobby Muller said in February 2004 as his organization signed the agreement to launch the survey with Vietnam’s Ministry of Defense.

“An undeniable fact is that the United States dropped these bombs,” Muller said.
“We as Americans bear a huge responsibility for helping to clean up Vietnam, because so much of the unexploded ordnance (UXO) found here originated with the US military,” Chuck Searcy, country representative for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, told Thanh Nien Weekly.
No peace
DEATHS DUE TO WAR-ERA ORDNANCE

SO FAR THIS YEAR
November 17: Four people in Tay Ninh Province were killed when a bomb blew up as they were trying to open it to remove explosive material.
September 8: A boy was killed and his father seriously injured when a bomb exploded near them as they dug a pond in Ha Tinh Province.
August 3: Four people were killed in Phu Yen Province as they tried to remove explosive material from a bomb.
July 6: Four men were killed in central Vietnam when a bomb exploded along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Quang Binh Province, where they were using a metal detector to salvage metal and explosives.

March 20: Three men in Tay Ninh Province were killed while trying to saw through a shell to salvage metal and explosives.

March 17: A bomb exploded killing a woman and wounding four other people including a baby in Bac Giang Province when a scrap-metal buyer was weighing material salvaged by local children.

Ho Van Nuoi, who lives on UXO-contaminated land in Quang Binh’s Canh Hoa Commune, said the war has never stopped haunting him. During the war, Nuoi lost much of his left leg and sustained permanent paralysis to three of his fingers due to bombs dropped on his homeland.
Like most Quang Binh and Quang Tri residents, Nuoi lives in fear

“Ever since, I’ve been afraid that the unexploded bombs will kill my children – even now that we are at peace,” Nuoi said.
Nuoi said the bombs were also taking a devastating financial toll on his family.
“We want to plant timber trees in the garden to increase our income, but we can’t. We’re scared of hitting unexploded ordnance.”
“On the land that we do cultivate, we don’t dare dig very deep. Our productivity has suffered as a result.”
The presence of the bombs had also caused much grief for the family of Nguyen Van Thao in Quang Binh’s Hop Trung Village. This family’s tragedy darkened the festive period of Tet, Vietnamese Lunar New Year, in 2008.
While grazing cattle on the family farm, Thao’s 17-year-old son Thien discovered a curious and rather innocent-looking item, no bigger than a tennis ball. In a split second, curiosity turned to tragedy.
“We heard the explosion” said Thao. “We ran to the field and saw Thien lying unconscious. He had injuries to his eye and two fingers on his right hand were missing.”
Thien will never regain the use of his injured eye, doctors have said.
A colossal task

UXO in Vietnam can never be 100 percent cleaned up, Searcy said in an email interview with Thanh Nien Weekly in July.

Senior Vietnamese military officials also said the task of cleaning up and destroying every piece of UXO would be a tall order.
Deputy Defense Minister General Nguyen Huy Hieu wrote in an article published by Quan Doi Nhan Dan (People's Army) newspaper in June that there were still an estimated 800,000 pieces of UXO around the country, especially in the central provinces. He estimated that about 6.6 million hectares (16.3 million acres) of land, more than 20 percent of the country’s total surface area, had been affected by UXO.
Finding and clearing all the bombs, landmines and other UXO would require “dozens of billions of dollars and will take hundreds of years,” Hieu wrote.
Phan Duc Tuan, an army colonel and deputy head of Military Engineering Command, said at a news conference in July that at the current pace, it would take 300 years and more than $10 billion to clear Vietnam of leftover bombs, shells and mines.
Tuan said that with aid, the agency in charge of clearing UXO had estimated that only about half could be cleared by 2050.

Progress begins at home
“UXO has not only killed people but contributed to poverty in Vietnam as well,” said Searcy. “Many international experts have said the US would have to bear the major responsibility for such a ‘crime against humanity,’” he said, adding that the US government should do more to help the Vietnamese victims.
But he also pointed out the need for Vietnam to ratify the Mine Ban Treaty and Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions.

Jimmy Roodt, Country Program Manager for MAG Vietnam said one problem was that Vietnam had not identified UXO removal as an issue of national priority.
“International donors and embassies develop their budgets upon the priorities identified by Vietnam government.”
Grassroots
Everyday Vietnamese people could also play a role in supporting UXO victims and removing the plague from the country, Searcy said.

“The Vietnamese people, through their social organizations, their veterans units, and the companies they work for, should continue to be generous in contributing to programs designed to ease the burdens of Vietnamese families disabled by UXO explosions.”
Many people in and outside Vietnam believe that Vietnam is now living in peace without any lingering effects of the war, according to Searcy.
“Local Vietnamese citizens, who more and more are meeting foreign tourists, students, professionals and business delegations traveling throughout Vietnam, should use the opportunity, not to complain – that is not in the nature of the Vietnamese people – but to tell foreigners about this post-war legacy that still exists in Vietnam.”

Source: thanhniennews.com

APEC faces ‘political’ obstacles to free trade area, Lee says

2009-11-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group faces “political” hurdles in its vision to form a region-wide free trade area, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said.

The 21 APEC economies will step up efforts to achieve their “long-term” goal for the Free Trade Area of the Asia- Pacific, or FTAAP, leaders including China’s Hu Jintao and Japan’s Yukio Hatoyama said in discussions in Singapore Friday. US President Barack Obama, who arrived in Singapore last night, will meet his counterparts Sunday.

“Political conditions need to be right before negotiations for a region-wide FTAAP could be launched,” according to a summary of Lee’s comments as he chaired the two- day gathering Friday. “There was consensus among the leaders that APEC economies should step up their efforts to realize this vision, by laying the necessary building blocks and exploring possible pathways.”

Obama on Friday said the US will enter into discussions with countries that are part of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, or TPP, with the aim of broadening its base. Several APEC leaders said the TPP is a “possible pathway” toward achieving the long-term goal of a free trade area, the Singapore government statement said.

Australia, Peru and Vietnam are among the other APEC member economies that are interested in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Signatories to the 2005 agreement include Singapore, New Zealand, Brunei and Chile.

Falling behind

APEC is already falling behind on some goals even as it strives for other agreements. Members in 1994 signed the so-called Bogor Declaration, pledging to create free and open trade in the group’s developed economies by 2010 and in its emerging economies by 2020.

APEC’s developed members should adhere to the group’s goal for free trade by next year, Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming said Nov. 13. Japan’s Hatoyama Friday said developed APEC economies must assess their progress in meeting their trade goals in 2010.

Leaders have differing visions for the Asia Pacific. The region needs an economic and political grouping, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Friday, calling for an Asia- Pacific Community by 2020 that includes the US and India. Japan has suggested an “East Asian Community,” whose membership has yet to be determined.

Reject protectionism

Finance ministers this week “reaffirmed their commitment” to achieve the APEC Bogor goals by the timelines that were already set. Singapore’s Lee said Nov. 3 that next year’s target is not likely to be met.

The leaders on Friday also pledged to “reject all forms of protectionism” as they urged for a conclusion to the World Trade Organization’s eight-year-old Doha Round of talks by the end of 2010.

“There was a sense of urgency that as negotiations moved into the end-game, strong political will was critical to break the impasse,” according to the statement.

APEC also needs to focus on areas like regulatory reform and connectivity, the leaders said. Some heads of state suggested increasing regional connectivity by improving land, air and sea transport linkages.

Source: Bloomberg

Fixed currencies are form of protectionism, APEC companies say

2009-11-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Controlling currency levels is a form of protectionism that policy makers must avoid “by all means,” said the incoming chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s Business Advisory Council.

“Foreign-exchange rates are a crucial factor in global trade, and guiding them to benefit a certain country is protectionism,” said Gempachiro Aihara, who’s also the current co-chair of the APEC business group and counselor to Mitsui & Co. “We want policy makers to reject such policies.”
Asia-Pacific finance ministers this week called for market- oriented currencies to rebalance growth while they pledged to seek free and open trade and investment. China has kept its currency at about 6.83 per dollar since July 2008, while several other APEC members also oversee some form of control on their currencies.

Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam manage their exchange rates against a basket of other currencies, while Hong Kong’s dollar is pegged to its US counterpart. Taiwan, South Korea and Thailand regularly buy and sell their currencies in market interventions.

US President Barack Obama, who is due to attend a summit of APEC leaders in Singapore this weekend before going on to China and South Korea, may discuss China’s fixed-rate policy, which has prompted central banks in India, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan to accelerate dollar purchases to curb currency appreciation.

Weak dollar problem

“Excessive weakness of the dollar, the manipulation of the yuan, and artificially influenced yen-dollar rates all are problems,” Aihara, 66, said in an interview Friday in Singapore, where he was attending an annual meeting of the APEC private-sector forum. “The stability of foreign-exchange rates is the most important thing for corporations.”

Policy makers should also refrain from talking up or down currencies, said Aihara, who will chair the APEC business council in 2010. He’s also a former executive vice president of Mitsui, Japan’s second-biggest trading company.

South Korea’s economic recovery this year has been driven by exports amid a weakening won and that may hurt other Asian economies, he said. The won fell 8.9 percent against the dollar in the first quarter, the worst performer among 10 currencies outside Japan. The yen slid 8.4 percent.

“The South Korean economy had deteriorated early this year, but the currency’s weakness has spurred exports and propelled its growth,” Aihara said. Such a recovery “would have a negative effect on other countries.”

Yen impact

Japan, which barely emerged from recession in the second quarter, may see its expansion cut short as the exporters it depends on for growth cede business to South Korean rivals. Toyota Motor Corp. is contending with a yen that has risen against all 16 major currencies in the past two years, eroding profit and leaving little room for price cuts.

South Korea’s gross domestic product grew 2.9 percent in the third quarter, the fastest pace in seven years. Japan’s 0.6 percent expansion in the second quarter barely lifted the economy out of its worst postwar recession.

The perception that the Democratic Party of Japan-led government is tolerant of currency gains helped the yen rise about 6 percent versus the dollar in the past three months, analysts say. While the advance threatens to hurt overseas sales, the administration, which took power in September, has repeatedly said Japan must reduce its reliance on exports and instead stimulate domestic demand.

Economic shift

“In Japan, there have recently been discussions that a strong yen is a good thing for Japanese people even though it may hurt exporters,” Aihara said. “That may be a correct theory, but we shouldn’t casually conclude that the yen’s gain would have a neutral effect on the economy, which I think is wrong, before carefully examining its influence,” he said.

A stronger yen makes Japan-made goods more expensive abroad and increases the relative cost of parts, labor and deliveries, affecting workers in all related industries, he said.

While Japan needs to shift toward reducing its dependence on exports, “we are doubtful whether the economy will actually develop that way,” Aihara said. “We shouldn’t expect too much to see that kind of change” anytime soon as the country’s population is shrinking and aging rapidly, he said.

Source: thanhniennews.com

India may import rice, fueling ‘panic,’ IRRI says

2009-11-25T20:56:00.000-08:00

India, the world’s second-largest rice grower, may become a net importer for the first time in 21 years in 2010, potentially sparking the kind of “panic” that sent prices to records in 2008, a rice expert said.

India may import as much as 3 million metric tons next year after the wet season harvest plunged, Samarendu Mohanty, a senior economist at the International Rice Research Institute, said in an interview. The nation is forecast to export up to 2.5 million tons of higher-priced basmati rice, he said.
Food price protests swept the globe from Bangladesh to Haiti last year after fears of supply shortages prompted producers including India and Vietnam to cut rice exports. Rice futures surged to a record $25.07 per 100 pounds in April 2008 as shipments slowed and importers including the Philippines, the biggest buyer, increased purchases to secure supplies.

“India can start it again,” Mohanty said Wednesday in an interview in Cebu, central Philippines. “If rice prices rise, there will be civil unrest in many countries.”

Rice for January delivery jumped 3 percent to close at $14.18 per 100 pounds on the Chicago Board of Trade Wednesday and traded at US$14.195 as of 8:53 a.m. Singapore time.

Futures and spot prices have yet to reflect the global supply and demand situation because of a lack of transparency in some of the government data that traders rely on, Dwight Roberts, president of the US Rice Producers Association, said on Oct. 27.

India’s wet season harvest, which accounts for 80 percent of its total output in the world’s second-most populous nation, may slump as much as 24 percent to 65 million tons, from 85 million tons a year ago, said Mohanty, who inspected rice fields in the country in the past few weeks.

Tight situation

The weakest monsoon since 1972 is likely to hurt the harvest of non-basmati rice, the lower-priced variety eaten by majority of the population. About 20 million tons is sold annually by the government at subsidized prices to about 65 million poor families, Mohanty said.

“The situation is very tight, there’s no doubt,” Mohanty said. “It depends on how the country reacts, whether there’s a panic in India or the Philippines. Those are the problem countries right now that can tilt the market one way or the other. In the rice market, panic is very easy to come.”

India has no plans to import rice because its reserves are adequate, Nanda Kumar, the country’s farm secretary, said in New Delhi Oct 27.

“They can survive without imports, if they decide to do so, but there are risks involved,” Mohanty said. “If they have a drought next year, they have to import.”

Stockpile risk

India’s return to the import market would push Thai rice export prices, the regional benchmark, at least 25 percent higher from current levels, and fuel a further rise to $800 a ton, Rakesh Singh, head rice trader at Emmsons International Ltd., which supplies about 500,000 tons a year in India, said in an interview Wednesday.

The Indian government “can’t afford to have a very low stockpile of rice next year in case another drought or flooding hurts crops,” Singh said. “We may hear about a tender in the next few weeks.”

The Thai Rice Exporters Association kept the export price of 100 percent grade-B Thai white rice unchanged at $525 a ton Wednesday, ending four weeks of declines.

“Thailand has some stocks but not enough,” Mohanty said. “So if India is in the market they might go and see if they can get a higher price. Thailand is not in a hurry to sell at all because they know the market isn’t going to go down. The market is most likely to go up.”

Regional exchange

The Philippines may boost overseas purchases to 2 million tons in 2010, from 1.78 million tons this year, after Tropical Storm Ketsana and Typhoon Parma damaged crops, the National Food Authority said Oct. 9. The Southeast Asian nation is bringing forward rice imports for 2010 after the losses, National Food Administrator Jessup Navarro said Oct. 26.

A regional commodities exchange should be created to curb panic in the market, the Rice Research Institute’s Mohanty said, as it would allow importing countries like the Philippines to buy futures contracts, ensuring supplies will be available when they need them and putting an end to export bans.

“Countries cannot put export bans or restrictions” if futures contracts are sold because exporters will be legally bound to deliver the rice at a specific date, he said. “That will also reduce the panic of importers.”

Source: thanhniennews.com

APEC to maintain stimulus until ‘durable’ recovery

2009-11-25T20:54:00.000-08:00

Asia-Pacific leaders said the economic recovery isn’t on a “solid footing” yet, pledging to maintain stimulus measures until there is “durable” growth.

Economies must shift toward a more balanced expansion strategy in the aftermath of the global crisis and cannot return to “growth as usual,” the leaders from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group said Sunday in a statement. APEC will also take steps and determine ways to realize its vision of a regional free trade area, they said.
“Our robust policy responses have helped to set the stage for recovery,” the leaders said. “But economic recovery is not yet on a solid footing. We will maintain stimulus policies until a durable economic recovery has clearly taken hold.”

Policy makers are moving to unwind some of the emergency steps they took to counter the world recession after cutting interest rates and outlaying more than US$2 trillion in government expenditure. APEC leaders this week said fiscal and monetary stimulus measures need separate exit strategies and timing, as countries seek a balance between protecting nascent growth and preventing asset bubbles.

The statement did not mention currencies. APEC finance ministers earlier this week called for market-oriented exchange rates. The call comes as pressure rises on China, the world’s third-largest economy, to abandon its currency’s fix to the dollar maintained since July 2008.

‘Not yet solid’

“The profound impact of the international financial crisis still persists,” China’s President Hu Jintao told APEC leaders in Singapore Sunday. “The foundation is not yet solid for the world economic upturn.”

APEC was set up in 1989 to advance trade in the region. The group faces “political” hurdles in its long-term vision to form a region-wide free trade area, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Saturday.

The US said Saturday it will enter into discussions with the four countries that are part of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, an accord aimed at removing trade barriers among its members.

APEC is already falling behind on some goals even as it strives for other agreements. Members in 1994 signed the so-called Bogor Declaration, pledging to create free and open trade in the group’s developed economies by 2010 and in its emerging economies by 2020.

Bogor goals

“We reaffirm our commitment to the Bogor Goals of free and open trade and investment,” the leaders said. “We direct ministers and officials to report to us next year with a meaningful assessment of the industrialized APEC economies’ achievement of the Bogor Goals.”

APEC’s developed members should adhere to the group’s goal for free trade by next year, Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming said Nov. 13. Singapore’s Lee has said that next year’s target is not likely to be met.

Leaders also pledged to “exercise all possible flexibility” to accelerate negotiations and complete the eight-year-old World Trade Organization’s Doha Round of talks in 2010.

“We strongly reaffirm that the most effective means of dealing with protectionist pressures and delivering a global stimulus package to sustain and secure our recovery is an ambitious and balanced conclusion to Doha in 2010,” they said.

Climate change

APEC leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reaching an “ambitious outcome” on climate change in Copenhagen next month.

An earlier draft of the statement said global emissions will need to peak over the next few years and be reduced to 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, with a later timeframe for peaking in developing countries. The final statement excluded that reference.

APEC’s biggest economies are the US, Japan and China. Other members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Measles outbreak fueled by lack of vaccine

2009-11-25T20:53:00.000-08:00

Ho Chi Minh City has reported at least 10 young measles cases every day this month due to an inadequate supply of shots for the disease, doctors said.

There were only twelve measles cases recorded in Ho Chi Minh City for all of 2008.

Tran Thi Thuy, deputy head of the Infectious Diseases Department at Children’s Hospital No.2, was quoted Friday as saying that this year’s measles rate was the highest in the past ten years.
There were 42 children being treated for measles at the hospital on Friday evening, two of them being assisted with respirators.

The disease normally occurs from February to April, but the hospital had received many emergency cases this month, said Thuy.

As of Wednesday, the hospital had admitted a total of 1,047 in-patients with measles this year, including 158 cases in the first half of this month alone.

A ten-month-old girl died of measles in the hospital last Thursday, with doctors attributing the death to late hospitalization.

Infections Diseases director Do Chau Viet said most of the children were from the city and half were under one year of age.

Viet said the Pasteur Institute in HCMC was exploring the cause of the “abnormal spread of the disease,” stating the preliminary findings showed that around 70 percent of the measles patients hospitalized were not vaccinated for the disease.

Some mothers at the hospital recalled said there was a shortage of measles vaccines more than a year ago and many babies were not vaccinated.

Children in Vietnam are given their first measles shots when they reach nine months old. They receive more shots at ages 1 and 6.

Viet added that hotter temperatures recently had prompted more children to become infected with other diseases.

This did not bode well for the future, he said, as youngsters who are sick now cannot be inoculated for measles, and would thereby become vulnerable to it in the future.

He said that sick children whose immune systems are busy fighting disease cannot receive the vaccine as the inoculation consists of a small dose of measles, which could fully affect a weak child.

Thuy added that some parents had chosen not to have theirs vaccinated as they were scared by headlines of vaccination-related deaths at children this year and last.

Measles shots are free in Vietnam as part of the National Vaccination Program.

Viet said measles is one of the planet’s most infectious diseases and parents should send their children to hospitals if they register fevers for more than 24 hours.

Parents should let their sick children eat and bathe normally while allowing them to rest in well-ventilated places, he said.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Australian actress to promote free eye surgeries

2009-11-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

Australian actress Jessica McNamee visited the central province of Quang Nam early this week to see first hand the free eye surgery program funded by Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) at work.

The star of Packed to the Rafters, an Australian family-oriented comedy-drama television series, on Monday visited 86-yearold Pham Thi Thong of Que An Commune in the province’s Que Son District.
Thong had been blinded by cataracts in both eyes for the last two years. McNamee escorted the patient to the Dai Loc General Hospital, where the FHF had helped build the Eye Department in 2007, for a free eye operation.

On Wednesday, McNamee took the patient back to her house and removed the bandage from her eyes, together with doctors from Dai Loc General Hospital.

"It's just amazing that I can see the life-changing difference that the Fred Hollows could make. I’m so happy that she can see now and excited to go back and tell other Australian people about the foundation's work in Vietnam," she said.

In June, McNamee had helped raise funds for the FHF through the entertainment reality show “Dancing with the stars.”

She will become an ambassador for the FHF after this visit to Vietnam, the foundation office in Hanoi said.

Since 2006, the FHF has joined Thanh Nien’s “Sight for life” program, which offers free operations for poor cataract patients with a donation of 1,200 artificial lenses and VND480 million so far.

For more than 15 years, FHF has helped train and equip nearly 400 doctors in Vietnam to perform modern sight-restoring cataract surgeries and expanded its program to all parts of the country. It has increased the number of annual cataract operations to 12,000.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Vietnam Airlines to launch twice-daily flights to Bangkok

2009-11-25T20:50:00.000-08:00

National carrier Vietnam Airlines said its daily Ho Chi Minh City-Bangkok service will become twice daily starting December 1 as the carrier plans for more passengers from Thailand next year.

Do Khoi Nguyen, Vietnam Airlines representative in Bangkok, told Thanh Nien that the new schedule, with one flight in the morning and the other in late afternoon, would be good for the tourist market.

The airline wants to prepare for more Thai tourists next year, when Vietnam celebrates Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary and the 2010 Hue Festival, he said.

Thailand is one of Vietnam’s key tourism markets. According to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, more than 125,118 Thai tourists visited the country in the first ten months this year, down 18.8 percent from the same period last year.

The new service is part of a plan implemented in late October to provide more flights on key international and domestic routes. The carrier’s passenger numbers this year are expected to increase 4 percent to 9 million.

Source: thanhnniennews.com

Russian beauty crowned Mrs. World 2009

2009-11-25T20:48:00.001-08:00

Victoria Radochinskaya from Russia won the world’s leading international beauty pageant for married women held in Vietnam on Sunday.

Vietnamese Hoang Thi Yen was named the second runner up after her question and answer round response was lost in translation.

Mrs. America Andrea Robertson, meanwhile, took the first runner up position at the competition’s finals in the southern coastal town of Vung Tau.
Critics said Yen could have won the competition had her interpreter not botched her answers in the final round.

The events, which were broadcast live on Star World channel with an estimated viewership of 500 million from over 70 countries, also crowned Marie Carine Davison from Côte d'Ivoire as Mrs. Ao Dai (traditional Vietnamese tunic).

Mrs. Denmark Alexandra Bach Ternstom won Mrs. Congeniality and Mrs. Hong Kong ChenJiyuan was named Mrs. Traditional Dress among the 76 finalists from 75 countries and territories.

The annual beauty contest will be held next year in South Korea.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Clash of cultures

2009-11-25T20:47:00.000-08:00

International gong festival disappoints with pop-style concert that neglects tradition.

Traditional gong music was the first casualty of the neon lights and blaring synthesizers that invaded the first International Gong Festival in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai November 12-15.

According to the organizers, more than 58 gong troupes from Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines performed at the event in front of 20,000 local and international visitors.
But aside from the polite applause awarded to performers, there was much head shaking and hand wringing in the audience as local and foreign observers alike said the bright and loud event was a far cry from the sacred atmosphere of a traditional festival.

The only part of the show that garnered major praise was a visit to Kon Tum Province’s Dak Ro Wa Commune, where Kon Jo Ri villagers gave what was considered a more authentic version of the gong’s song and dance. They performed in front of their old stilt houses, where they still live, using only the light of a bonfire to see. Silhouetted by the fire and night, the villagers and their gongs were in their element deep in the forest surrounded by nature.

However, on the main stage, many performers were in brand new outfits singing and dancing on red carpets in front of new stilt houses built just for the occassion. Silhouetted by spotlights and fog-machines, the performers looked like they were from Cirque du Soleil, not from remote mountain villages.

Brand new bag

Visitors complained that watching the performers play on stage in a well-manicured park was not nearly as meaningful as hearing the gongs in a rural village, where they’re supposed to be heard.

Some audience members said they even saw performers sitting on their gongs during breaks. Many took offense as the instruments are considered sacred objects.

Older visitors wondered how young people were supposed to learn about the true culture and history of the gong from the confused event.

Professor Oscar Salemink, head of the Social and Cultural Anthropology at VU University Amsterdam and a prominent scholar on Vietnam, said the program had little to do with a real gong festival in terms of cultural features.

Dr. My Liem, deputy director of HCMC Music Conservatory, just shrugged her shoulders instead of commenting on the show.

Singer Bach Yen muttered “very disappointing” twice when asked about what she had seen. She said the festival did not respect the sacredness of gong culture.

What’s that sound?

Professor Tran Van Khe said the festival was “grand, beautiful and in order.”

But he also said that “the large stage, the loud music and colorful flickering lights did not evoke the real feeling of the Central Highlands gong culture.

“Spectators could see artists move and dance but they could not feel the soul of the gong,” he said.

High-capacity loudspeakers blaring pop-style accompaniment on keyboards, drums and guitars made it almost impossible to hear the actual gongs themselves.

“Visitors to a gong festival expect to hear the sounds of the gongs but the loud music spoiled it,” said Khe.

The professor said he thought the organizers might have wanted a lot of visitors, so they held the show in easy-to-reach places, instead of in the remote areas where the gongs are still prevalent.

However, Khe said, UNESCO recognized “The Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands” as a Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity four years ago as a way to recognize the atmosphere that the gongs bring about in the middle of the forest, when the sounds of the bronze instruments reverberate through what is otherwise an impenetrable silence.

The festival clearly didn’t recreate this atmosphere, he said, adding that it was not right to mix gong sounds with other instruments.

“We should have organized fewer activities. We shouldn’t have organized so many performances that failed to help spectators enjoy the real beauty of the masterpiece [of the gong]. The festival this year was for marketing and ‘fun’ only,” professor Khe said.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Former Liverpool, United stars in Hanoi for friendly matches

2009-11-25T20:45:00.001-08:00

Former players of English Premier League clubs Liverpool and Manchester United arrived in Hanoi Wednesday for a friendly tournament.

At the Masters Cup on Thursday and Friday, they will play Vietnam’s former stars like Huynh Duc, Hong Son, Cong Minh and Minh Chien.

Among the ex-stars were Steve McManaman who used to play as midfielder for Liverpool and then Spain’s La Liga club Real Madrid; and Andy Cole who was a striker for United.

Cole was a bit quiet and went from the plane straight to the bus while McManaman obliged several fans with his autograph.

Along with Cole were former United teammates like Ronny Johnsen, David May and Jesper Blomqvist who helped United earn a treble (FA Cup, Premier League and European Champions League titles) in 1999.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Binh Duong draws first blood at BTV Cup

2009-11-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

V-League club Binh Duong scored a 2-1 victory over China’s Super League club Lifan in the opening match of the Number One BTV Cup in Binh Duong on Friday.

On home soil at Go Dau Stadium, Binh Duong looked the stronger side from the very beginning. They opened their account after 30 minutes when Elenildo De Jesus took a neat pass from Huynh Kesley Alves and fired in a powerful shot.
Lifan improved its defense and got back on equal terms with the hosts, but their equalizer came only in the 72nd minute after captain Xi Yang sent the ball out of goalie The Anh’s reach.

However, Brazilian Vietnamese striker Kesley Alves made it 2-1 with a shot from just outside Lifan’s penalty area in the closing minutes of the game.

In another Group A match, V-League club Hai Phong Cement fought to a 0-0 draw with MFK Petrzalka from Slovakia.

The 10th edition of the international tournament this year attracted four big names - Lifan, Petrzalka and Duque de Caxias from Brazil and Ugandan club Kampalaka to compete with hosts Binh Duong and three other V-League clubs Hai Phong Cement, Dong Tam Long An and V-League champs Da Nang.

Group A comprises V-League runners-up Binh Duong, Hai Phong Cement, Petrzalka and Lifan while Da Nang, Dong Tam Long An, Duque de Caxias and Kampalaka are in Group B.

The tournament is sponsored by the maker of Number One beverages.

Source: thanhniennews.com

HAGL terminates contract with Lee for indiscipline

2009-11-25T20:43:00.000-08:00

V-League club Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) has decided to end its contract with Vietnamese American Lee Nguyen on disciplinary grounds, club chairman Doan Nguyen Duc said on Thursday.

HAGL sent Lee to the English Premier League club Arsenal in early September to practice with the Gunners’ second team for three or four weeks to help him maintain his form after the V-League season ended in August.

When his practice time at the London club ended on October 10, Lee asked the V-League club to let him fly to the US for a two-week vacation with his family in Dallas.

However, five weeks have passed and HAGL has not heard from the 23-year-old midfielder, Duc said.

“HAGL really needs excellent young players, but for me a player must have proper conduct besides talent. Though he is a star, his indiscipline is unacceptable.”

Lee moved to HAGL from Danish club Randers in January this year on a three-year contract with a monthly salary of US$10,000 plus bonuses. In the 2009 season, Lee scored 12 goals for the club.

According to a member of the club, Lee’s father came to HAGL headquarters in Pleiku Town in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai to collect all Lee’s belongings without giving a reason.

Commenting on rumors that a club in the south has invited Lee to play for it in the 2010 season, Duc said, “If it is true, they (that club and Lee) can hardly be satisfied because Lee still belongs to HAGL legally.”
Source: thanhniennews.com

Playing for keeps

2009-11-25T20:41:00.000-08:00

Aggrieved Vietnamese nationals of foreign origin say they have raised football standards in the country and should not be treated like second-class citizens.

It’s touch and go between leveling the playing field and raising the playing level.

The Vietnam Football Federation’s latest move to give local players more opportunities to play and ensure that the nation’s youth are trained well has run into some criticism, particularly from those affected most – foreign players who have been granted Vietnamese nationality.
At a meeting in Hanoi on November 13, the federation said clubs were sometimes using too many expat players in a match, robbing local players of opportunities and seriously affecting the quality of Vietnamese football.

This practice would also slow down the process of youth player training, so the federation said it would limit the number of foreign players as well as foreigners who have been given Vietnamese citizenship that can take the field during a match.

The federation said it would ask clubs to have only one foreign player with Vietnamese citizenship on the field at any time in a game.

For instance, V-League club Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) has two Thai Vietnamese players Doan Van Nirut and Doan Van Sakda. Under the new rules, the club can have only one of them on the field during a match.

If they use both players, one of them would be considered a foreigner, which means the team can only have two more foreign players on the field at that time, (current rules restrict to three the number of foreign players on the field for a team).

At a meeting on Wednesday with VFF and representatives from the Government Office and the Ministry of Justice, a decision was passed on the situation.

According to the decision, from the 2010 season, each team can only have one foreign player with Vietnamese nationality at any time in a game.

In the 2010 season, each V-League club can register five foreign players and use three at any time in a game.

From the 2011 season till 2013, the number will go down to four and three respectively.

For the second-flight, each club can register three foreign players and use two at any time in a game from 2010 till 2013 (the end of the sixth VFF management).

Unfair, say players

Local papers reported several complaints from clubs and players.

Several foreign players with Vietnamese nationality voiced their unhappiness with the decision and hoped VFF would change its mind.

Huynh Kesley of V-League club Binh Duong, a Brazilian Vietnamese striker, said, “I have lived in Vietnam for several years. I have a Vietnamese wife and a son. Just look at Vietnamese football now. The presence of foreign players or foreigners with Vietnamese nationality like me has made the game more competitive and local players have to try harder. That is good, not bad. And it would not be reasonable if foreigners with Vietnamese nationality are not treated like Vietnamese.”

Doan Van Nirut of HAGL said, “I have lived in Vietnam for six years and have many Vietnamese friends. I can communicate in Vietnamese now. I have always fulfilled my duties as a Vietnamese citizen. I hope VFF will reconsider this issue so that we won’t see ourselves treated as second-class citizens. In Thailand, Vietnamese people with Thai nationality are treated as Thais.”

Doan Van Sakda, also of HAGL, said, “I am a Vietnamese citizen now and if VFF limits my interests, it will badly hurt me and other players like me.”

Phan Van Santos, a Brazilian Vietnamese goalkeeper playing for Dong Tam Long An, said, “I feel really sorry if this is VFF’s final decision. It was so hard for me to persuade my family to let me become a Vietnamese citizen. This limitation would rob me and other players like me of our right to work.

Huynh Mau, HAGL managing director, said, “Everything must be planned carefully. The V-League 2010 season will kick off in a little more than two months from now. We’ve prepared everything for the season months ago.

“We now have Nirut and Sakda. We have also arranged for two other players to be granted Vietnamese nationality. Now, it will damage our plan if it is VFF’s final decision. I suggest we shouldn’t decide this in such a hurry.”

Pham Phu Hoa, Dong Tam Long An’s managing director, said, “We have sent our complaints to VFF about this plan.

“It is not reasonable to have such a limit while Vietnamese football is developing. We should know that V-League is in the 41st place in the world for its excitement because of contributions from foreign players.

“Just look at the English Premier League, the clubs have many foreigners but England still has a lot of good players.

“Also, we must ensure the interests of citizens for foreign players with Vietnamese nationality. We can’t rob them of their legal right to work. I think VFF should be careful so that Vietnam won’t lose its strengths.”

On November 16, a VFF official said the rule limiting the number of foreign players with Vietnamese nationality would not be applied in the coming 2010 season because the federation has to ask for directions from relevant agencies.

Another VFF official said Vietnamese expats like American Vietnamese Lee Nguyen and Dang Van Robert will be considered local players despite their foreign citizenship.
Source: thanhniennews.com

Students to evaluate lecturers: education ministry

2009-11-25T20:39:00.000-08:00

University students will assess their lecturers as part of moves to improve higher education quality, the education ministry has said.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) will issue regulations on related standards so that students can start assessing all their lecturers from this school year’s second semester, usually starting in January, Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan told an education conference on Saturday in Hanoi.

Lecturers, meanwhile, will evaluate school management boards, Nhan added.

The conference setting orientations for the ongoing school year 2009-10 was attended by representatives from over 200 universities and colleges nationwide.

In an attempt to innovate its management methods, the MoET will issue a decree authorizing People’s Committees and education departments at provinces and cities to inspect their local schools based on the ministry’s regulations, Nhan said.

Nhan also asked all higher education establishments to make public details of their training quality and steps taken to guarantee quality, as well as their finances on their website or other regulated places by January 1 next year. Failure to do so could result in, or they won’t be given quotas on student admission next year.

The minister said all schools have to set up standards on their outputs by next December.

He also said, “From this school year, universities will assess MoET’s management activities; it will not just be the ministry assessing the schools.”

The National Assembly last week decided to supervise education directly from next year following mounting complaints about shortcomings in higher education quality and school establishments.

Vietnam now has 376 universities and colleges, including 40 universities established or upgraded from colleges in 2006 and 2007 alone, according to the ministry.

Some officials and experts suggested closing down schools of dubious quality.

However, Nhan told the conference, “It’s not easy to shut down bad schools. The government is responsible for strengthening inspections and dealing with their failings and violations so that no school has to be closed.”

Source: thanhniennews.com

Vietnam sends more students to US

2009-11-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

Vietnam ranks ninth among the top ten countries and territories sending students for higher education in the US, moving up from the 13th place last year, according to a report released on Monday.

The Open Doors 2009 report, an annual report on international academic mobility, is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in Washington, D.C. with support from the US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, using data based on a comprehensive survey of about 3,000 accredited US higher education institutions.

The report indicates that the number of Vietnamese students studying in the US in academic year 2008-2009 increased by 46.2 percent from the previous year.

The total is now roughly 12,800 students, according to the report.

The report noted that Vietnam’s increase was “dramatic” as the country was in only 20th place two years ago.

Of the total Vietnamese students in the US, 72.1 percent are enrolled in undergraduate programs, 15.2 percent in graduate programs and the remainder in other types of study or training programs.

According to a US Department of Homeland Security visa update from January 2009, there were more than 15,000 Vietnamese students in the US enrolled not only at universities but also high schools and vocational schools, making the US the world’s second leading host of Vietnamese students after Australia.

Some US campuses seeing declines in the number of international students cited reasons such as students’ concerns about the H1N1 virus and various effects of the current economic conditions.

But the report noted that the findings do not reflect the full impact of the past year’s economic downturn since “the decisions to come to the US to study were made before the financial effects were fully felt in the sending countries.”

India is now the leading country for international students in the US, followed by China and South Korea.

Souce: thanhniennews.com

Major IT fair in Hanoi features 3G technology

2009-11-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

Vietnam’s biggest information technology and telecommunications exhibition of the year opened in Hanoi Wednesday, offering fresh 3G (third generation) insights.

Visitors to the Vietnam Comm & Vietnam Electronics 2009 will be introduced to different models of 3G cell phones, as well as 3G infrastructure solutions, local newswire Vietnamnet reported.

MobiFone and VinaPhone, two mobile network providers under Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), are displaying 3G cell phones with visual, television, Internet, searching and locating features.

3G, the better known form for International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000), entered Vietnam officially early this year.

The exhibition has attracted more than 200 businesses from 18 countries and territories who are displaying their products and services over an area of 6,000 square meters.

Brands seen at the exhibition include NTT DoCoMo, Huawei, ZTE, Orange France Telecom and Nokia Siemens Network.

DoCoMo, Japan’s largest mobile network, introduced touch screen phones with wood cover called Touch Wood, showing its support to the green IT campaign.

Many products were also sent by state-owned organizations such as Singapore Industry Automation Association (SIAA), Electronics & Information Industry Sub-Council of China, China PTAC Communication Service Co., Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association, and the French Embassy in Vietnam.

Le Nam Thang, deputy minister of Information and Communication, said at the opening ceremony that information and communication technology has great potential to develop further in the country and also be of great value in tackling challenges like climate change as well as in flood and storm rescue efforts.

Nokia, Samsung and LG Electronics are conspicuous absences at the event.

The exhibition, co-organized by VNPT and Hong Kong Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd.. will last until Saturday. It will include conferences on development trends and outlook for ICT sector during the economic crisis. Awards for a Vietnam competition on ICT ideas will also be given.

Source: thanhniennews.com

WWF tracks rare rhinos in Vietnam

2009-11-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

The World Wildlife Fund for Nature said on Friday it had found the traces of the extremely rare and endangered Vietnamese Javan Rhinoceros, of which no more than a dozen are thought to exist.

Seven dung samples found on the five-day search launched by the WWF in cooperation with local rangers will be sent to Canada-based Queen’s University for analysis, the non-governmental organization said on its website.

The DNA analysis there will help experts detect the sex and the number of unique white rhinos they are tracking through Cat Thien National Park in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong.

The group referred to the creature (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) as “one of the world’s rarest mammals.”

“This field survey aims to reveal the secrets of Vietnam’s little known Javan rhino population in an effort to save it from extinction,” Sarah Brook, leader of the WWF rhino project in Vietnam, said in the statement.

The search has been aided by two hounds from the US,

London’s Zoological Society, meanwhile, will carry out a hormone analysis to reveal the animal’s breeding capability, WWF said, adding that it would draft a conservation plan based on the analyses.

WWF Vietnam’s country director Tran Minh Hien said: “The rhino is not only a rare animal unique to this country, but protecting the rhino is a flagship for conservation efforts in Vietnam.”

“If we lose the rhino, the future does not look good for Vietnam’s other rare and endemic species.”

According to WWF, the Vietnamese Javan rhino was thought to be extinct on mainland Southeast Asia until hunters in Vietnam were reportedly killed one in 1988.

Although its population is believed to be less than ten in Vietnam, no conclusive survey has ever been conducted to verify it, the organization noted.

WWF said Javan rhino are often hunted for their horns, skin and faeces for medicinal purposes. The species’ habitat has also been encroached upon by agricultural expansion and hydropower projects.

Source: thanhniennews.com

At least 9 killed as bus hits train on northern railway

2009-11-25T20:32:00.000-08:00

A train crashed into a passenger bus in Hanoi Sunday morning, killing a motorist on the road and five bus passangers.

The bus was crossing the railway at around 10:30 a.m. when it’s tail end was hit by the southbound train. The bus was pushed into a motorbike, killing the driver before it turned over several times.

Three bus passangers were killed on the spot.

The bus was carrying 29 people who had just participated in an engagement ceremony as members of the groom’s party. All others on the bus have been hospitalized locally, while four have been rushed in critical condition to better hospitals in the city for emergency treatment .

As of Monday afternoon, police said nine people had died in the accident altogether, including Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, 43, and her 13-year-old daughter Tran Ngoc Diep.

The bus driver and the future groom only received slight injuries.

Police said the bus driver was probably did not look to both sides of the tracks when he crossed the railway.

At the crossroad, the train signal was out of order with a note saying it was under construction while another pole with warning lights was collapsed, the local newswire Vnexpress said Monday.

Nguyen Huu Tuyen, head of commercial transport at Vietnam Railways, said the company had supported the families of the dead with VND2 million (US$111) each while providing the injured with VND1 million.

Nguyen Van Phuong, a Hanoi police officer, said the bus driver Phan Xuan Lang has been kept in custody and might face criminal charges. They also said the railway authorities would be blamed for the accident.

Police are investigating the cause of the accident and identifying the victims.

Another train collided with a truck on Sunday in the south central Binh Dinh Province killing the truck driver Phan Ngoc Be, a 37-year-old local, on the spot, Vietnam News Agency said Monday.

The crossroad between the road and the railway then was not guarded and had no barriers.

Doan Nhu Thien, 45, from the central Khanh Hoa Province, was driving the train.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Two dead, one missing in waterfall accident

2009-11-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

The bodies of two of three students who slipped and were swept away by rapids as they played at a waterfall were found Saturday in Dong Nai Province.

Police in Dinh Quan District, not far from Ho Chi Minh City, said several eighth-graders from the Ngo Thoi Nhiem Junior High were on an excursion at the Cay Si Falls on Friday when Nguyen Thi Hao and Nguyen Thi Mai Phuong slipped and were swept away by the strong currents.

Class monitor Do Van An rushed to save them but he was swept away as well by the swiftly flowing waters, police said.

The bodies of Hao and Phuong, both 14 years old, drifted to the stream’s banks on Saturday afternoon. Police and local residents are still looking for An.

Source: thanhniennews.com

500 delta fishermen languish in jails abroad

2009-11-25T20:28:00.000-08:00

Nearly 500 fishermen from the Mekong Delta’s Ca Mau Province are in custody overseas after entering the waters of neighboring nations, according to an official report released Saturday.

The Ca Mau Department of Natural Resources and Environment said nearly 500 crewmen on 43 fishing boats caught this year are detained in Malaysia and the Philippines. More than 200 of these are serving jail terms in Malaysia because their families didn’t manage to pay the fines, the report said.

The province has given local fishermen maps to help prevent such incidents in the future.

Earlier this month, Vietnam’s naval chief Nguyen Van Hien asked that all its fishermen who enter foreign or disputed waters unintentionally or to seek shelter be treated humanely in reciprocation for what the country has done for its neighbors.

Hien expressed his concern and appeal following China’s mistreatment of Vietnamese fishermen who sought shelter from Typhoon Ketsana in September.

The sailors said they had been attacked and robbed by Chinese forces, an act Hien said was contrary to the spirit of bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Vietnamese inflation accelerates to 4.35 pct; fastest since May

2009-11-25T20:26:00.000-08:00

Vietnam’s inflation accelerated to the highest level since May, driven by faster-than-targeted credit expansion, quicker economic growth and higher oil prices.

Consumer prices increased 4.35 percent in November from a year earlier after gaining 2.99 percent in October, according to figures from the General Statistics Office in Hanoi. On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.55 percent in November from October.

Inflation may accelerate to 6 percent by the end of the year, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung said last week. Credit growth in the 10 months through October reached 33 percent, exceeding the government’s 30 percent full-year target.

Higher commodity prices and “healthy” wage growth, according to Capital Economics Ltd., are also driving inflation.

“There are risks of inflation picking up,” Hung said in a Nov. 18 interview in Hanoi. “Since we wanted to boost economic growth, we injected a large volume of funds to businesses.”

The government also expects inflation of about 6 percent in 2010, Hung said, calling it an “acceptable and reasonable” increase given Vietnam’s economic growth.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Vietnam banks face shortage of funds on gold, dollar

2009-11-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

Vietnamese lenders are facing a shortage of funds to meet rising demand for loans because gains in gold and the dollar are deterring people from putting money in the bank, according to a government statement.

Commercial banks have had to raise deposit interest rates to as high as 9.99 percent over the past week and offered gifts and bonuses to depositors to lure them back, the statement on the government’s website said.

The dong fell to a record low when it traded at 17,882 at banks Tuesday and slumped in the so-called black market to as low as 19,890 from 19,800 in Ho Chi Minh City, according to the state-run telephone information service, known as 1080. Gold rose to VND28.57 million per tael Tuesday, from 28.55 million dong the previous day.

The funding shortage has prompted some commercial lenders to plan sales of extra shares to raise cash for lending, the statement said. Military Commercial Joint-Stock Bank said it will sell 90 million additional shares and Joint-Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam, known as Vietcombank, the nation’s biggest-listed company, plans to sell 112.3 million shares.

State firms hold $6 bln

Vietnam’s state-owned corporations are holding $5 billion to $6 billion of the US currency, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported, citing Tran Hoang Ngan, a member of the National Financial and Monetary Policy Advisory Council.

The country’s shortage of US dollars will ease if the companies sell 50 percent to 80 percent of their dollar holdings, Ngan said, according to Tuoi Tre.

Vietnam’s state-owned companies include Vietnam Airlines Corp., Vietnam Oil & Gas Group, Vietnam Posts & Telecommunications, Electricity of Vietnam, Vietnam Rubber Group and Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Vietnam’s Dung Quat oil refinery produces 935,938 tons products

2009-11-25T20:17:00.000-08:00

Dung Quat crude oil refinery produced a total 935,938 metric tons of products by Nov. 17, Vietnam Oil&Gas Group said in an e-mailed statement Monday.

The 148,000 barrel-a-day facility, which started commercial output in February, imported 1.45 million tons of crude oil in the period, according to the statement. Dung Quat refinery also sold 803,387 tons of its products, including LPG, propylene, gasoline, kerosene and diesel to the market, the company said.

The country’s first refinery was shut from August until Oct. 1 after problems developed with a gasoline making unit called a fluid catalytic cracker.

A fluid catalytic cracker takes vacuum gasoil and other so- called heavier fuel streams and processes them into gasoline, liquefied petroleum gas and petrochemicals. The unit allows refineries to use lower-cost crude oils

Source: thanhniennews.com

Vietnam’s government bonds fall on cash supply; dong advances

2009-11-25T20:12:00.000-08:00

Vietnam’s five-year bonds fell on speculation a shortage of cash at local banks will curb demand for the securities. The dong gained.
“Demand for government bonds is relatively low these days because banks have to set aside funds for business payments during the year-end period,” said Luu Hong Hue, deputy manager of treasury and bonds at Agribank Securities Joint-Stock Co., the country’s second-biggest bond brokerage.
The yield on the five-year note climbed one basis point to 11.21 percent, according to a daily fixing price from banks compiled by Bloomberg. It reached a one-year high of 11.29 percent on Nov. 19. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point.

Hue expects yields to rise further from now to the end of the year. Vietnamese banks have raised interest rates on dong deposits by about 0.5 percentage point to as high as 10 percent over the past week to help attract funds, Vietnam News newspaper reported on Nov. 17. The State Bank of Vietnam earlier said that it may intervene should rates exceed 10 percent, according to the paper.
Vietnam’s currency gained 0.06 percent to 17,864 per dollar as of 3:30 p.m. in Hanoi Monday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The currency traded at 19,800 Monday at money changers in Ho Chi Minh City in the so-called black market, compared with 19,510 late last week, according to a telephone information service run by state-owned Vietnam Posts & Telecommunications.
The central bank set the reference rate at 17,027 Monday from 17,025 Nov. 20, according to its Web site. The currency is allowed to trade up to 5 percent on either side of the official rate.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Actions taken by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to stabilize fuel, oil and steel markets will be scrutinized by the government inspectorate next year.

2009-11-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

Sumitomo Corp., Japan’s third- largest trading house, will build a 200 billion yen (US$2.2 billion) low-emission coal power plant in Vietnam as part of its plans to expand overseas.

The plant in southern Vietnam’s Khanh Hoa province will have 1,320 megawatt capacity and start operating in 2015, Sumitomo said in a statement on its Web site. The so-called super-critical plant will be designed to increase the amount of power generated per unit of coal, thereby lowering emissions.

Sumitomo is partnering with Hanoi Investment Industrial Construction Joint Stock Co. for construction, Katsuhiko Onishi, a spokesman at Sumitomo, said Tuesday by telephone. The financing structure has yet to be decided, he said.

Sumitomo aims to increase generation capacity to 6.3 gigawatts by 2011 by acquiring stakes and building plants in Asia, the U.S. and the Middle East. It wants to tap electricity demand growth, especially in developing countries where consumption is set to rise in line with economic expansion.

Sumitomo will receive a 25-year contract to supply power, the release said. The company said in August it would buy a thermal power plant in the U.S. for about 14 billion yen. In January, Sumitomo said it will spend 200 billion yen to double the capacity of a coal-fired power-plant in Indonesia.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Inspectors to evaluate ministries, industrial groups

2009-11-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

Actions taken by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to stabilize fuel, oil and steel markets will be scrutinized by the government inspectorate next year.

Other targets will include the education ministry’s handling of the establishment of new universities, and the Ministry of Science and Technology’s investment in major laboratories, the inspectorate said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Information and Communications’ efforts to reorganize local communications activities will also be checked.

Management of lands and minerals as well as investment in urban and industrial areas at five provinces – Bac Ninh, Quang Nam, Binh Thuan and Dak Lak together with the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho – will also come under the scanner.

Several economic entities like the Vinashin (Vietnam Shipbuilding Industry Group), Bao Viet Holdings and Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam will also be inspected.

According to the inspectorate, over 2300 inspections conducted over the past months have found 255 groups and 790 individuals engaged in wrongdoing including corruption.

In the latest Corruption Perception Index 2009 compiled by the non-governmental organization Transparency International, Vietnam ranks 120 out of 180 countries, moving up by one place compared to last year.

The country’s index, however, is unchanged at 2.7 on a scale ranging from 1 to 10, according to the index based on 13 different expert and business surveys.

New Zealand tops the ranking as least corrupt country, followed by Denmark and Singapore, while Myanmar, Afghanistan and Somalia languish at the bottom of the list.

Source: thanhniennews.com

Legislators say Vietnam not ready for annual housing tax

2009-11-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

National Assembly representatives on Saturday voiced their disagreement with the annual house tax proposed by the finance ministry, saying it would cause adversely impact many citizens.

“The draft’s regulations will significantly affect the society,” representative Dieu Kre from the central province of Dak Nong said. “I’m afraid that people won’t agree to pay housing tax under the (proposed) regulations.” According to the draft submitted early this month, homeowners would have to pay an annual house tax of 0.03 percent of the assessed value, which is based on total construction costs. Houses built for VND500 million (US$27,901) or below will be exempt from this tax.
“With the current per capita income (less than $1,000 a year) the housing tax shouldn’t be levied within the next ten years,” Ho Chi Minh City representative Tran Du Lich said.
Hanoi’s representative Nguyen Thi Nguyet Huong agreed with Lich and suggested more thought be given to the draft before it is put into effect.
Meanwhile, representative Ngo Van Minh from the central province of Quang Nam, said, “We should never ask those who only own one house to pay tax”, as people have already paid taxes when buying constructional materials.
Many deputies also said that to effectively curb property speculation, the stated aim of the draft on housing taxes, the draft should target those who own more than two houses.
Tax rates on housing area should also be increased, as the proposed one wasn’t high enough to deter land speculation, said deputy Truong Xuan Quy from the northern province of Tuyen Quang.
According to the draft, housing area exceeding an official threshold fixed by localities by less than three times would be taxed 0.06 percent a year. Housing areas that exceed this proportion will attract taxes of 0.09 percent per year.
If the housing area did not exceed the official threshold, owners would pay 0.03 percent of their housing value as tax every year a year.
“The (proposed) tax rates are too low to curb land speculation, especially for land left idle,” said Le Dung NA deputy from the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang.
The new tax system is set to take effect in 2011, after approved by the next National Assembly, which is expected to happen by May next year. There is currently no housing tax in Vietnam.
Also on Saturday representatives expressed approval of the draft Commercial Arbitration law which would allow arbitrator councils to employ interim measures, especially when dealing with disputes relating to perishable goods.
Current regulations still have loopholes, allowing many companies to delay abiding by decisions made by commercial arbitrators or bring cases to court whenever the decisions of the arbitrators do not satisfy them, said Tran Huu Huynh of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Over the past six years, four out of 280 cases tried by commercial arbitrators have been rejected by the courts, while this has never happened in other countries for tens or even hundreds of years, Huynh said.
“It’s not because our arbitrators are incompetent, but because our regulations [still have loopholes],” he said.
Lawyer Nguyen Dang Trung, chairman of HCMC Lawyers’ Association, agreed with Huynh, stressing that “arbitrators’ decisions must be recognized by the court.”

Source: thanhniennews.com

Vietnam expects 7-8 pct annual GDP growth in 2011-2015

2009-11-25T19:40:00.000-08:00

A pedestrian walks past a Phuong Dong Bank banner.
Vietnam’s economy may grow between 7 percent and 8 percent annually from 2011 to 2015, according to a statement on the government’s website that cited draft measures from the ministry of planning and investment.
The Southeast Asian nation expects the economy to expand 5.2 percent this year, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Nov. 19. The $91 billion economy grew 6.2 percent in 2008 and 4.6 percent in the first three quarters of this year.

Vietnam also forecast exports to rise 12 percent a year in the 2011-2015 period, according to the statement. It didn’t say what measures would be implemented to meet the goals.
In the 2006-2010 period, the country “basically stabilized the macro economy and maintained growth,” the ministry of planning and investment said, according to the statement.

Source: thanhniennews.com

One, two or none: MPs debate execution methods

2009-11-25T19:39:00.000-08:00

A new draft law has proposed the introduction of lethal injection as an additional execution method to death by firing squad, but many legislators feel the country should have only one.
All those given the death penalty are now executed by shooting. Under the new bill discussed a National Assembly session Friday, lethal injection would be used as a new execution method.
It also says the firing squad will be used "in cases that need heavy suppression of crimes, in wartime or state of emergency or when injection is not applicable."

Many legislators expressed their opposition to have two concurrent execution methods.
Representative Ngo Minh Hong from Ho Chi Minh City said the draft law allowed the use of both shooting and lethal injection, but the question is which method would be applied to whom.
Duong Ngoc Nguu of Thanh Hoa Province said only one method should be legal to make it fair for everyone. “If both methods are permitted, who will decide on the selection?” he asked.
Deputy Chairwoman of the Judicial Committee Le Thi Nga suggested execution by shooting be replaced completely by lethal injection as the new method is more humane and less stressful for the execution staff.
Some legislators, on the other hand, supported the dual-method system.
Tran Ba Thieu, director of Hai Phong City Police, said it is in fact very stressful for firing squads to carry out an execution although it is their responsibility.
“However, the country is not ready to switch to lethal injections completely,” Thieu said, noting it would take some time for execution staff to prepare for the new method.
Truong Hoa Binh, chief justice of the Supreme People’s Court, said at present it’s necessary to have both execution methods.
“In the current situation lethal injection is a very new method. Meanwhile, we also need to keep the option of execution by firing squad as a strong enough deterrent.”
Binh added, however that the final aim must be to abolish the death penalty, which is a global trend.
Newswire VnExpress quoted monk Thich Thanh Tu as saying, "No one want to shoot, that's why there have been many cases of missing the targets.
And injection, it must be done by doctors. An injection to save lives can make them happy, but if it is to kill someone, they will surely be reluctant."
Tu suggested that the death penalty be replaced with life sentence without parole.

Source: thanhniennews.com