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Archive for May 22nd, 2010|Daily archive page

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Turkey lures Vietnamese tourists by special tour

In Uncategorized on May 22, 2010 at 9:17 pm




Turkey lures Vietnamese tourists by special tour


QĐND – Saturday, May 22, 2010, 21:22 (GMT+7)

A special tour taking Vietnamese visitors to the world heritages and natural wonders in Turkey will be launched by the Turkish Airlines and the Turkey National Administration of Tourism in July.


The tour dubbed “Hello Turkey” includes visits to Istanbul, the underground Cappadocia city and the ancient Ephesus.


In addition, the 9-day and 8-night tour will take tourists to the world’s largest markets.


Those visitors booking the tour will enjoy discounts until October.


Source: VNA


Source: QDND

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Southern fruit festival 2010 returns to HCM City park

In Uncategorized on May 22, 2010 at 9:16 pm




Southern fruit festival 2010 returns to HCM City park


QĐND – Saturday, May 22, 2010, 21:23 (GMT+7)

Specialty fruits and fruit-made artworks will be introduced to visitors during three summer months at Suoi Tien Cultural Park.


This year fruits will be displayed on boats placed around the campus. Visitors will enjoy around 45 species of fruits, including famous specialties like Cho Gao dragon fruit, Long Co Co pomelo, Cu Lao Dung pear-mango, Ba Den custard-apple and Cam Cao mango, along with 30 dishes processed from fruit.


Major activities will comprise a competition to make artworks and cuisine by fruit, the parade of magic seeds and gods of fruits, folk games plus the “Good and Safe Fruit” competition.


The festival will open on June 1 and close on August 31. This event is co-organised by the HCM City Department of Tourism and Suoi Tien Cultural Park to introduce the abundance of fruit in southern Vietnam. The festival will attract the participation of some international fruit associations from China and the US, among others.


Fruit will be sold around 20-40 percent cheaper than at outside markets.


Source: VNN


Source: QDND

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Winners of UPU letter-writing contest honoured

In Uncategorized on May 22, 2010 at 9:16 pm




Winners of UPU letter-writing contest honoured


QĐND – Saturday, May 22, 2010, 21:22 (GMT+7)

A total of seventy individuals and organisations winning the 39th Universal Postal Union (UPU) International Letter-Writing Competition were honoured at a ceremony in Hanoi on May 21.


The competition, themed “Write a letter to someone to explain why it is important to understand HIV/AIDS and to protect yourself from the disease”, has been organised by the Ministry of Information and Communications.


According to the deputy head of the organising board, Le Thi Kim Ha, who is also deputy general director of the Vietnam Post Corporation, many of the 1.2 million entries have surprised the jury by their stories and satisfactory solutions.


Ho Thi Hieu Hien from Tay Son junior high school in Hai Chau district, Da Nang city has won first prize with a letter to Zhang Yi Mou, a popular Chinese director.


In her letter, Hien expresses her hope that the Chinese director will produce movies on HIV/AIDS to help raise public awareness of the risks of the epidemic to effectively prevent it from spreading.


Da Nang ’s Tay Son school was also honoured with second, third and consolation prizes.


Along with their peers from Da Nang , contestants from the northern province of Hai Duong were among the most impressive groups at the ceremony. They have won a total of seven awards.


The organising board also presented awards to the youngest contestant, five participants from remote areas and three blind students.


Source: VNA


Source: QDND

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Trans-national drug ring busted

In Uncategorized on May 22, 2010 at 9:15 pm




Trans-national drug ring busted


QĐND – Saturday, May 22, 2010, 21:22 (GMT+7)

The police have asked the Supreme People’s Procuracy to prosecute eight suspects in an international drug trafficking case, including five Nigerians and one Zimbabwean, after finishing investigations.


32-year-old Nnaji David Ete and his Vietnamese wife Phan Thi Thanh Le are the leaders of the ring, which smuggled illicit drugs by air from India into Vietnam, mostly in Ho Chi Minh City , from where they forwarded the drug to a third country for sale.


The suspects admitted trafficking over 11 kg of heroin from 2008 to June, 2009 when they were arrested.


They said they used to hire poor women to transport the drugs into Vietnam or to other countries, mainly China.


During the raid in June, 2009, HCM City police also discovered that the ring even had a secret workshop where they pressed heroin into pills for easy transportation.


Source: VNA


Source: QDND

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Workshop on climate change opens in Da Nang

In Uncategorized on May 22, 2010 at 9:15 pm




Workshop on climate change opens in Da Nang


QĐND – Saturday, May 22, 2010, 21:22 (GMT+7)

A workshop on sharing experiences in coping with climate change was held in the central city of Da Nang on May 21 as part of the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) project funded by US foundation Rockefeller.


Participants at the workshop contributed ideas to a draft on sharing information, experiences and measures to strengthen Da Nang city’s climate change resilience.


The ideas will be the foundation for the city to complete its climate change resilience strategy and implement activities to deal with the problem in the coming time.


Climate change has become a global challenge and the more increasing and complicated natural disasters are requiring countries’ cooperation in seeking measures to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.


Da Nang city joined the ACCCRN in February 2009. With the assistance of Rockefeller Foundation and the UK’s “Challenge to Change” organisation, the city has implemented a climate change resilience strategy to analyse climate change impacts and take actions against the problem.


The city has also carried out two pilot sub-projects on coastal tree planting and building a ship pulling system in Son Tra district.


Source: VNA


Source: QDND

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Vietnamese favor online news over online games

In Uncategorized on May 22, 2010 at 9:15 pm




Vietnamese favor online news over online games


QĐND – Saturday, May 22, 2010, 21:23 (GMT+7)

Reading news on the Internet is the most popular activity of web surfers, according to a survey of Yahoo and Kantar Media.


Yahoo and Kantar Media, a market research firm, on May 20 released the results of their survey of the Internet panorama in Vietnam 2010. According to the report, up to 97 percent of Internet users read news when they are online.


Playing online games is the second favourite activity with around 50 percent of Internet users, most of which are men.


It is good news for e-commerce when 11 percent of users made online transactions, compared to only 4 percent last year. However, worries over information security, fraud and online payment difficulties are still hindrances for the development of e-commerce in Vietnam.


Notably, surfing the Internet at home is on the rise, with 71 percent of users compared to 66 percent in 2009.


The survey, named Net Index 2010, also reveals that the appearance of 3G networks in Vietnam has promoted Internet surfing on mobile phones. Social networks are more favoured, but users have focused on content and opinion sharing rather than to make friends.


According to the Ministry of Information and Communications’ report in late 2009, Vietnam had around 23.2 million Internet users and among countries with the highest Internet growth rate in the region.


The Ministry will conduct a national survey of the popularization of information and communication equipment in Vietnam in June.


Source: VNN


Source: QDND

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Vietnam welcomes Finnish businesses

In Uncategorized on May 22, 2010 at 9:14 pm




Vietnam welcomes Finnish businesses


QĐND – Saturday, May 22, 2010, 21:22 (GMT+7)

Vietnam has an abundant workforce, an 80 million strong market and political stability, therefore, Finnish businesses will face no obstacles when investing in Vietnam, said State President Nguyen Minh Triet at the Vietnam-Finland business forum in Helsinki on May 21.


Addressing the forum, Mr Triet said his Finland visit aims to promote economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.


At the talks with Finnish President Tarja Halonen, both sides said that bilateral economic and trade cooperation has seen positive developments but has yet to match with their potential and wishes.


Last year’s two-way trade value between Vietnam and Finland reached only US$230 million. Top leaders from both countries have agreed to raise two-way trade and Finnish investment in Vietnam to US$1 billion, each within the next few years.


To reach that goal, the two governments will create the best possible conditions for entrepreneurs to share experiences and do business in each other’s markets in the spirit of mutual benefit.


“Finland wants to encourage its businesses to invest in Vietnam and Vietnam wants to do the same. I hope that Finnish investors will come to Vietnam soon. Vietnam will provide favourable conditions for Finnish companies to make long-term investments in the country, especially in fields where they boast strengths such as information technology, ship building, the wood and paper industries, and environmentally friendly technology. Finland has a strong economy with large capital sources and management experiences so they will have advantages when investing in Vietnam. Both countries have maintained their fine friendly relations for years, therefore, Finnish businesses will always be welcome in Vietnam,” said Mr Triet.


On the occasion, President Triet witnessed the signing of cooperation documents on fine arts and handicraft production between Vietnamese and Finnish businesses.


The same day, Mr Triet visited Nokia group which is strong in information and technology and has secured its foothold in the Vietnamese market.


Source: VOV


Source: QDND

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ASEAN+3 senior labour officials prepare for ministers’ meeting

In Uncategorized on May 22, 2010 at 9:14 pm




ASEAN+3 senior labour officials prepare for ministers’ meeting


QĐND – Saturday, May 22, 2010, 21:22 (GMT+7)

Senior labour officials from ASEAN member countries met their partners from China, Japan and the Republic of Korea in Hanoi on May 21 to prepare for the ASEAN+3 Labour Ministers’ Meeting (ALMM+3).


At the ASEAN+3 Preparatory Senior Labour Officials’ Meeting (PrepSLOM+3), the participants have reviewed the cooperation programmes between ASEAN and those partners on labour and social security and put forwards directions for cooperation in the coming time.


The outcome of the PrepSLOM+3 will be submitted to the ALMM+3.


Same day, the ASEAN Preparatory Senior Labour Officials’ Meeting (PrepSLOM) concluded in Hanoi, passing documents that will be submitted to ASEAN labour ministers for approval in their meeting on May 24.


The documents include an action plan for ASEAN labour ministers for the period 2010-2015, a report on the protection and promotion of migrant workers’ rights and a report on hygiene and labour safety in ASEAN.


As the host, Vietnamese labour officials actively proposed priorities for actions that were endorsed by most of the participants.


Source: VNA


Source: QDND

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Party delegation visits France

In Uncategorized on May 22, 2010 at 9:13 pm




Party delegation visits France


QĐND – Saturday, May 22, 2010, 21:22 (GMT+7)

Senior officials of the communist parties of Vietnam and France on May 21 expressed the wish to increase exchanges of theoretical studies and practical knowledge on issues of common concern.


During their talks in Paris, Politburo member and Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) To Huy Rua and Jean Charles Negre, Chief of the Trade-Finance Division of the Communist Party of France (PCF) said such exchanges will further tighten the solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two parties.


The meeting was held during a working visit of Rua and a CPVdelegation to France.


Secretary To Huy Rua congratulated the PCF for its victory in the European Parliament election in June last year and the recent regional council elections. He took the occasion to inform the PCF representative of the current socio-economic development in Vietnam and the country’s preparations for the party’s 11 th national congress.


The congress, he said, will review the 20 years of implementation, improvement and development of the party’s national construction platform in the transitional phase for Vietnam to advance towards socialism. It will discuss achievements of the 10-year socio-economic development plan from 2001-2010 and set forth the new strategy for the next ten years 2011-2020.


PCF representative Jean Charles Negre informed the visiting delegation of the PCF’s preparations for its mid-term congress slated for June 18-20, the party’s reform and activities as well as its development trend in the current left-wing movement.


He said the PCF wishes to gather more followers among the masses and improve its status in social movements and among authorities at all levels. Therefore, he added, educational campaign, especially training of young party members, will receive special attention.


CPVCC Secretary To Huy Rua said the two parties may take turn to organise dialogues and exchanges of current issues, including models for sustainable development. This is the cooperation model that Vietnam is using with the communist parties of China, Japan and Russia .


During their talks, the two officials also shared opinions about the debt crisis of Greece and rescue measures that countries of the Euro zone are taking to help settle the crisis, development prospects for the European Union and other international issues.


Source: VNA


Source: QDND

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ASEAN countries stand by Thai people, government

In Uncategorized on May 22, 2010 at 9:13 pm




ASEAN countries stand by Thai people, government


QĐND – Saturday, May 22, 2010, 21:22 (GMT+7)

ASEAN members have expressed their support and solidarity with the Thai people and government in the search of a peaceful solution to the current situation in the country through dialogue and full respect for democratic principles and rule of law.


In a statement made on May 21 as the chair of the association, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Gia Khiem said
ASEAN countries support the early restoration of laws and orders, national conciliation and the return to normalcy in Thailand in accordance with those aforementioned principles and in line with the interests of the Thai people as well as the vision of an ASEAN Community.


“Peace, stability and development in Thailand are crucial to the advancement of the goal of the ASEAN Community by 2015”, said Khiem.


ASEAN member states believe that the Thai people, with their own strength, will overcome current difficulties, Khiem said, adding that based on principles in the ASEAN Charter, ASEAN stands ready to provide Thailand with any possible supports.


Same day, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajive announced that order has been restored in Bangkok capital and other provinces after a security forces’ campaign to dismiss demonstrations launched by the “Red Shirt” movement.


Speaking on the Thai television, the Prime Minister declared victory in the campaign to restore order in Bangkok but admitted that the kingdom faces “huge challenges”, particularly the divisions that have occurred in this country.


He affirmed that his government would spare no effort to swiftly restore normalcy while pursuing the reconciliation plan with the “Red Shirts” who are still demanding him to resign and hold an early general election.


Korbsak Sabhavasu, Abhisit’s Secretary General, added that it would take four months for the government to reach targets in the reconciliation plan, and then a general election will be held at the point decided by the Prime Minister.


Meanwhile, the Thai government’s acting spokesperson, Panitan Wattanayagorn, said the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) would establish a centre to support businesses affected by the recent political unrest and a task force to ensure security in Bangkok .


According to the “Nation”, infrastructure damages in the country alone cost up to 40 billion THB (around 1.2 billion USD). Reportedly, 85 people have died and other 1,900 people have been injured since the Reds launched the demonstrations in mid-March.


Source: VNA


Source: QDND