Unchecked emissions will continue to grow, study says

HA NOI — Total emissions from four-stroke engines will continue to grow because of poor maintenance and the spike in numbers of people behind the wheel, a study released last Thursday said.
Motorcycle Check made the announcement based on their 2006 vehicle study that discovered only 41 per cent of inspected motorbikes met requirements of emission standards.
But inspected motorbikes make up a small portion of those on the road, the study found, making air pollution a more difficult problem to solve, since around half of the capital’s residents own a motorbike.
The six-day programme, which was conducted from November 25-30, 2006, was a co-operative effort between Ha Noi’s Natural Resource and Environment Department, the World Bank and the Swiss-Vietnamese Clean Air Programme which aimed to further pollution prevention efforts in the capital and outlying districts.
It’s estimated that for Ha Noi’s 3 million plus people, there are about 1.5 million motorcycles currently on the roads, turning the capital into a breeding ground of noise and smog pollution.
During the study, technicians from the Ha Noi University of Technology measured the pollutant emission of 1,675 motorbikes in three locations. The technicians offered drivers advice on how to keep their emissions down, like maintaining the proper speed, which also conserves petrol and prolongs engine life.
The results collected from the study will be further used to create a database which aims to control the city’s transportation.
Organisers also hope the programme will help inspire drivers to take an active part in improving air quality in Ha Noi. — VNS

Sacom to issue 17 million shares

HA NOI — The Cable and Telecommunications Materials Co (Sacom) will issue an additional 17 million shares in a move to finance the company’s business diversification strategy.
Sacom said it would pour capital into a joint venture to produce cable and into construction of a five-star resort and high-rise office buildings, as well as contribute capital to the Cambodia-based PCP Telecom Co and Taihan-Sacom Co.
Shares at a face value of VND10,000 each would be offered to existing shareholders at VND20,000 while it expected the shares to fetch at least VND150,000 when sold to strategic investors.
Sacom has attained a growth rate of more than 84 per cent in the past two years. With profits of nearly VND204 billion (US$12.75 million) last year, the company has paid an average dividend of 16 per cent during this period.
With charter capital of VND374 billion ($23.4 million), Sacom holds stakes in such companies as the Sai Gon Cable Joint Stock Co, the Sam Thinh Packing Co, the Sam Cuong Telecom and Electronic Materials Co, and the Sam Phu Plastics Co.
According to Sacom statistics, 75 per cent of the company’s products are bought up by the Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT). The company was expanding its market, however, by providing products to five other telecommunications enterprises in both domestic and regional markets.
Sacom shares traded last Friday at VND183,000, down a per cent from the previous session, at the HCM City Securities Trading Centre. — VNS

3 given prison sentences after pleaing guilty to slander, libel

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Court yesterday handed down imprisonment sentences to three defendants for disseminating slanderous and libellous information against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, in accordance with Article 88 of the Criminal Code.
Le Nguyen Sang, 48; Nguyen Bac Truyen, 39; and Huynh Nguyen Dao, 39, are sentenced to five, four and three years in prison, respectively, and then will be put under probation for two years after completing their jail terms.
The court said the defendants, on circulating distorted information on Party and Government policies, had sparked political instability.
The defendants pleaded guilty and showed their repentance, rescinding their statements, which resulted from incitement by hostile forces to violate the law.
According to the prosecutors’ statement, the three defendants became acquainted with Vietnamese-American Do Thanh Cong (aka Do Cong Thanh) in 2004-2005 through an internet club that Thanh had set up. They later joined the so-called "People’s Democratic Party". Under Thanh’s instruction, the trio printed and spread thousands of leaflets with distorted information about the Vietnamese Party and State.

Two Vietnamese jailed for anti-State smear campaign

HA NOI — Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan were sentenced to five years and four years in prison, respectively, for "disseminating slanderous and libellous information against the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam," violating Article 88 of the 1999 Criminal Code.
Dai, 38, will also serve four years of probation, and Nhan, three years, following their release, the Ha Noi People’s Court ruled.
According to the indictment handed down by the Ha Noi People’s Procuracy, Dai and Nhan had, from 2006 to the day they were arrested, used the Thien An Lawyers office run by Dai to draft, archive, and circulate documents biased against the Vietnamese State.
Dai was also found to have held courses through which he spread libellous and distorted news against the State and through which he recruited members for illegal organisations established by anti-Government elements, including groups so-called 21st Century Democracy Party, Viet Nam Progress Party and Block 8406.
The court also found that Dai and Nhan had done a great deal of harm to national security and to the accomplishments the entire nation has attained through hardship and war. Their behaviour degraded the prestige of the Communist Party of Viet Nam and the socialist regime, the court concluded.
Attorneys Tran Lam from the Hai Phong Bar Association and Dam Van Hieu of the Ha Noi Bar Association who defended Dai and Nhan failed to present the court with any convincing new evidence.

People’s Court gives slander offender 5 years in prison

HCM CITY — HCM City’s People’s Court doled out a five-year prison sentence to a 42-year-old resident for disseminating slanderous and libellous information against the State of Viet Nam, on May 15.
The court also ordered that Tran Quoc Hien, a HCM City resident, would also be placed under probation for two years following his release from prison.
Hien pleaded guilty, showing remorse and pledging to split from reactionary groups such as Bloc 8406, of which he was a member from July, 2006.
The court heard that Hien was also a member of the so-called "Viet Nam Workers-Farmers Alliance," which was founded by overseas extremists and issued a joint statement announcing the opening of the organisation’s representative office in HCM City.
The announcement contained fabricated and distorted information against Viet Nam and called on the public to hold general strikes and riots against the state. — VNS

Police get 1,200 convictions in major narcotics crackdown

HA NOI — Authorities discovered over 800 drug-related crimes and punished nearly 1,200 people between April 15 and May 18.
In total the anti-drug force, police, border guards and air security seized 20kg of heroin, 2,100 heroin doses, 4.5kg of opium and 3,500 amphetamine tablets from drug smugglers and dealers during the period.
The Security Ministry’s anti-drug force, in co-operation with the police and border guards of Nghe An and Ha Tinh central provinces, arrested Lao citizens smuggling 19 heroin batches weighing 6.65kg in Son Kim Commune, Ha Tinh Province’s Huong Son District. Furthermore police and border guards of Quang Ninh southern province caught another two people and seized 7.15kg heroin in 21 batches, .
In another development, the HCM City Police Department arrested Nguyen Tuan Khanh, 48, and another seven people in District 2 with 3,016 stimulant tablets and 63.61gr of Ice.
As part of the operation, the Hai Ba Trung District’s police of Ha Noi caught eight people red-handed with 200 stimulant tablets and the Noi Bai Airport security force arrested one person attempting to smuggle 200 amphetamine tablets.— VNS

HCM City court sentences four drug dealers to death

HCM CITY — The mighty hand of the law came crashing down on Monday as the HCM City People’s Court handed down four death penalties and one life imprisonment sentence to convicted drug dealers.
A total of 21 defendants were tried for producing and trafficking drugs.
The death penalties were slapped on Le Van Tien, 48, a resident of An Giang and head of the trafficking ring; Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyet, a 31-year-old resident of HCM City’s District 1; Tran Van Quynh, 47, a resident of HCM City’s Binh Tan District; and Nguyen Van Tien, 42, a resident of Binh Tan District.
The four condemned to die are charged with trafficking from 3.4 kg to 5.2 kg of ecstasy each.
Truong Hoang Bao Son, a 31-year-old resident of HCM City’s District 8, was sentenced to life in jail.
Another 17 defendants were sentenced to between five years to 18 years imprisonment.
Between July and December 2003, the ring led by Tien produced and sold more than 11,000 pills of ecstasy, 700 grams of Methamphetamines, 600 grams of Ketamin and 600 grams of other drugs.
In HCM City, these drugs were sold at restaurants, bars, hotels, discos, and cafes.

New book explores art of war

A book featuring paintings and sketches, mostly of war, by former soldier and artist Huynh Phuong Dong has been released in Vietnamese in HCM City.
Huynh Phuong Dong – Visions of War and Peace, sponsored by American NGO Indochina Arts Partnership was earlier published in English in the US last November.
Dong is famous for his collection of over 20,000 sketches, silk, gouache, and oil paintings, as well as wood, plaster, and bronze sculptures.
Most of his works feature forests, the faces of soldiers and guerrillas, and battles and the hardships in a soldier’s life during the wars in Viet Nam between 1945 and 1975.
Published in Viet Nam by the Sai Gon Culture Publishing Company, the book with 107 sketches and art works – mostly the former – is a brainchild of C David Thomas, manager of Indochina Arts Partnership.
Thomas was in Viet Nam in 1969 as an engineer in the US Army. In 1987 he returned for the first time after the war and has since travelled to the country many times to research and promote cultural exchanges between the two countries.
He met Dong in HCM City during his first visit in 1987 and was fascinated by his sketches and paintings.
In 2000 he received a For the Cause of Viet Nam Fine Arts medal from the Government. Two years later, with funding from the Fulbright Program, he published a photo essay called Ho Chi Minh: A Portrait, which was received warmly in the US.
Thomas, now professor of Oriental Art at Massachusetts University in the US, marked his 50th visit to Viet Nam by publishing Huynh Phuong Dong - Visions of War and Peace last year.
Born in 1925 in Sai Gon, Dong joined the resistance army in 1945 after completing a five-year course at the Gia Dinh Fine Arts School. He spent nine years in battle in the south during the war against the French.
He left for the north in 1954 and joined Ha Noi’s Fine Arts College. After graduating from the sculpture department in 1963, he again left for the south where the war for national reunification had begun.
Many of his works are displayed at HCM City’s Fine Arts Museum and Military Museum.
Six hundred out of the 2,000 copies of the book will be sold in Viet Nam and the remainder in America for US$40 each. —VNS

Southern history published

Ha Noi — The Viet Nam Historical Science Society is working with the World Publishing House on a book about the history of the country’s southernmost area.
"A Historical Glance At Viet Nam’s Southern Land," compiled by a group of scientists who conduct research on the area for many years, helps readers have a better understanding about the history of the country’s southernmost area.
The authors, headed by Prof. PhD. Vu Minh Giang, have collected research by scientists in many related fields such as historiography, archaeology, ethnography and jurisprudence at home and abroad.
The book, which was written objectively and systematically, presents fundamental evidence that the south is an integral part of Viet Nam.
The book’s index includes a chronicle of historical events and full or quoted legal documents relating to the contents analysed in the work. — VNS

Spotlighting Viet Nam’s leading spy

A book about the incredible double life of Pham Xuan An, reporter for Time Magazine and Vietnamese secret agent, has been released in the US.
The Perfect Spy by Larry Berman, professor at the University of California, is the story of An’s extraordinary double-life; both as a well-respected Vietnamese journalist and communist intelligence agent gathering information during the American War in Viet Nam.
An began his military career in the 1950s when he was a member of the Viet Nam People’s Army. After the French left the country, the Vietnamese army sent him to America to study journalism and to observe its people and culture. There he attended community college in California, worked for the Sacramento Bee, interned at the United Nations, and travelled across the country making friends.
Later, in the 1960s, An returned to his homeland to work as a reporter for Reuters and Time Magazine.
Meanwhile, he was providing intelligence to the Vietnamese army fighting against the US invasion of South Viet Nam.
It was a dual-life that was to continue for 20 years.
In recognition for the contributions made by An, the Vietnamese Government awarded him six medals and named him Hero of the People’s Army. He is one of only two intelligence officers during the war ever promoted to the rank of General and Hero. He died last September in HCM City.
Larry Berman is professor of political science at the University of California, Davis and the director of the UC-Davis Washington Programme. He is the author of three books on Viet Nam.
Berman met An in 2001 in HCM City where they quickly became friends. Over the next five years, the US professor made more than a dozen trips to Viet Nam and spent hundreds of hours interviewing An.
In return, the retired general allowed Berman to peruse through his personal belongings, including photographs and books he had read and was influenced by.
The Vietnam News Agency’s Publishing House holds the right to publish The Perfect Spy in Vietnamese. — VNS

Catholic priest’s religious, secular writings published

HCM CITY — A HCM City publisher released a collection of essays on spiritual and temporal issues, patriotism, and society by a famous Catholic priest on Tuesday.
Thao Thuc (Sleeplessness) is a compilation of works by Jean Baptist Bui Tuan, a former bishop of Long Xuyen in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of An Giang, who is well-known in Viet Nam and abroad for his profound writing on both religious and secular life and relations between Catholics and others.
The book published by Tong Hop Publishing Co is a collection of Tuan’s writings appearing over a period of time in Cong Giao&Dan Toc (Catholicism&The Nation), a magazine published by the HCM City Committee for Catholic Solidarity.
The function in Long Xuyen to launch the book – on his 80th birthday – was attended by over 300 priests and representatives of An Giang Province’s Committee for Religious Affairs and the Fatherland Front committees of many delta provinces.
Tuan started writing many decades ago even while he was a student at Long Xuyen Seminary. He wrote mainly about patriotism and people’s responsibilities and obligations towards family and society.
"My writings are not intended just for Catholics but for all people with good will," he said.
Despite his old age and poor health, Tuan still writes every day. His writings, in plain and succinct style and on issues concerning ordinary life, have always evoked a warm response in readers at home and abroad.
Tong Hop Publishing Co received orders for over 2,000 copies at the release function.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung called Tuan two days before the ceremony and spoke about the relationship between politics and religion.
"[He] also spoke to me about the relations between the State and Vietnamese Catholic Church and between Viet Nam and the Vatican," Tuan said.
Tuan became the bishop of Long Xuyen on April 30, 1975, the day that south Viet Nam was liberated. He retired five years ago. — VNS

Summer reading for youth lacks Vietnamese titles

HCM CITY — Local publishers will print 17 new books for young readers to consume on their summer holidays, but people are concerned about the availability of authentic Vietnamese material, as 15 of the titles are foreign.
Local publishers and readers are concerned about the ratio.
Explaining the shortage of Vietnamese stories for children, Nguyen Quang Vinh, director of the Kim Dong Publishing House, said his company did not receive good ideas from authors that know how to appeal to children’s imagination.
"We hope to receive creative ideas for characters and stories that appeal to Viet Nam’s children and youth and give them an appreciation for stories about Vietnamese life," Vinh said.
Toi La Be To (I’m Be To) by well-known writer Nguyen Nhat Anh and Sieu Nhan Do (A Red Superman) by Nguyen Thi Hong An are the two new Vietnamese stories published to entertain the country’s young readers over their summer holidays, which begin next week.
Anh’s story is about five dogs living in a writer’s family. His story Kinh Van Hoa (Kaleidoscope) broke publishing records in Viet Nam, selling more than 1.5 million of copies when it was published two years ago.
A Red Superman, with illustrations by Eddy Coubeaux, a painter from Belgium, praises teenage friendship.
Kim Dong also will republish some already popular Vietnamese children stories like To Hoai’s An Adventure of a Cricket and Nguyen Huy Tuong’s A Flag Embroidered with Six Golden Letters.
The Youth Publishing Co and Kim Dong Publishing House will organise a week-long children’s book fair at the HCM City Exhibition House, 92 Le Thanh Ton Street, beginning tomorrow.
Next Monday, participants will have the chance to meet An and Coubeaux, the writer and illustrator of A Red Superman.

Artists, techies capture spirit of old Ha Noi

Many artists have tried to revive the quaint beauty of "old" Ha Noi, a city that will mark its millennium anniversary in 2010.

One such artist is Bui Xuan Phai.

He has devoted most of his life to painting scenes of quiet streets and small houses with peeling paint and moss-covered tile roofs. Phai’s works, full of nostalgia for an era long past, earned him the nickname Phai Pho, or Phai of the old streets.

The Khang, an artist that paints in black and white almost exclusively, made his mark by resurrecting scenes of life in 19th-century Ha Noi.

His 23 lacquer paintings, carefully crafted pictures of old monuments, street vendors, scribes in turbans and long robes and mandarins riding on palanquins, can be likened to a mini-documentary of Ha Noi’s past, no mean feat for a self-taught artist in his 70s.

More recently, a group of five young architects and architecture students decided to preserve the city’s long history using electronic means.

The five IT specialists, who call themselves 3D-Ha Noi, set up shop at Cafe 18C on Cha Ca Street.

They began their conservation project with few financial resources, but somehow got a grant from the Swedish-Vietnamese Cultural Fund as the project neared its spectacular end.

After two hectic years, the group was able to unveil the final result of their strenuous labour at an exhibition called Ha Noi Through the Prism of Time last January.

On display were breathtaking digitally reconstructed images of the capital as it was during three different periods: before French rule, under the French administration and during the 60 days of street fighting in late 1946 and early 1947, when parts of the city were razed to the ground to deny shelter to enemies.

The five compared the periods in Ha Noi’s dramatic history and showcased how French architecture came to overtake much the city’s older Vietnamese styles.

Viewers were most impressed by the aerial views of old Ha Noi, made possible thanks to recent archaeological discoveries. They saw the former glory of the Royal Citadel, the sprawling grounds of the Bao An Pagoda, of which only one small archway is left on the corner of Hoan Kiem Lake and what Transverse Street looked like when it was filled to the brim with Chinese-owned shops.

Audiences also got a chance to see the city’s many transformations thanks to German architect Lena Hairmann. The amateur photographer presented 15 photos showcasing the more than 50-year metamorphosis of a house on Hang Ga Street.

Before the French arrived, Number 53 only had one storey and no front windows to prevent Vietnamese from peeping at passing royal processions.

During the colonial period, the house was renovated and now boasted a set of French windows. Today, there stands a modern four-storey building, replacing the old structure that was demolished in 1995.

Flushed by their initial success, 3D-Ha Noi is setting its sights on digitally restoring the ancient port in Hoi An, the ruins of Cham in My Son and other historic sites across the country. — VNS


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Keys to longevity? Eat fish and exercise

It is generally thought in modern medicine that the human life span could ultimately be extended up to 100 or even 175 years. But how come we have yet to reach those limits? The answer from the World Health Organisation is that death occurs less often as a result of aging than of physical and mental ailments, ignorance or lack of will.
Vietnamese and Chinese doctors seeking a recipe for longevity have discovered that illnesses have more external causes (80 per cent) than hereditary or internal causes (20 per cent).
The researchers, from both the Asian and Western schools, say that external causes are related to a person’s mode of life, which revolves around his or her dietary habits, physical activity and mental state.
In terms of food, they recommend more fish and less meat. Small fish (or small crustaceans) are better and should be eaten whole because the head and the belly contain most of the active elements. Goat meat is better than pork, chicken better than goat, fish better than chicken, crustaceans better than fish. The smaller the animals are, the better their proteins. Flea protein is the best in the world; it enables those tiny creatures to jump and clear a height of over 1m.
Leading in protein excellence is the soybean. The high life expectancy in Japan is attributed to a regular consumption of what is called striped seaweed, 8g of which can sustain life for 40 days. For the elderly, 200ml of fresh milk every day, preferably before sleep, is good protection against bone decalcification. For Asians, soy is more compatible, as the lactose existing in cow milk cannot always be assimilated into their bodies. None of these, however, is comparable to yogurt, which allows beneficent bacteria to multiply while inhibiting the growth of harmful ones.
Green tea (not black tea) is rich in fluorine, a good protection for teeth; it also has anti-cancer properties and prevents cerebral haemorrhage. A daily intake of 50cc or 100cc of red wine helps guard against hypertension and high cholesterol rates. The same effect can be obtained with whole red grapes (not white grapes). Bone soup and mushroom soup are very nourishing; the latter also improves immunity. A normal diet should consist of 500g of vegetables a day, preferably carrots (good for mucous membranes and guarding against cancers), pumpkins (beneficent to pancreatic cells and for preventing diabetes), tomatoes (cooked, not raw, to guard against prostate hypertrophy and various cancers and inflammations), garlic (polyvalent, best when raw, sliced and exposed to air for 15 minutes for oxidisation) and black mushrooms (for preventing heart problems). Maize and sorghum both have life-prolonging effects, as believed by the Indians and the Chinese.
Physical activity, in particular the Asian psycho-physical gymnastics, ensures a longer life. Walking (five times a week, each time over 3km, for 30 minutes) is good for guarding against heart problems and high cholesterol. Evening is a better time for exercises, as maximum blood pressure and body temperature in the morning might result in undesirable effects.
Finally, longevity would be impossible without mental equilibrium, which can be obtained by means of Asian psycho-corporal exercises. People with cardiovascular troubles should rid their minds of past unpleasantness, live in the present and look forward to the future optimistically. — VNS

Keys to longevity? Eat fish and exercise

It is generally thought in modern medicine that the human life span could ultimately be extended up to 100 or even 175 years. But how come we have yet to reach those limits? The answer from the World Health Organisation is that death occurs less often as a result of aging than of physical and mental ailments, ignorance or lack of will.
Vietnamese and Chinese doctors seeking a recipe for longevity have discovered that illnesses have more external causes (80 per cent) than hereditary or internal causes (20 per cent).
The researchers, from both the Asian and Western schools, say that external causes are related to a person’s mode of life, which revolves around his or her dietary habits, physical activity and mental state.
In terms of food, they recommend more fish and less meat. Small fish (or small crustaceans) are better and should be eaten whole because the head and the belly contain most of the active elements. Goat meat is better than pork, chicken better than goat, fish better than chicken, crustaceans better than fish. The smaller the animals are, the better their proteins. Flea protein is the best in the world; it enables those tiny creatures to jump and clear a height of over 1m.
Leading in protein excellence is the soybean. The high life expectancy in Japan is attributed to a regular consumption of what is called striped seaweed, 8g of which can sustain life for 40 days. For the elderly, 200ml of fresh milk every day, preferably before sleep, is good protection against bone decalcification. For Asians, soy is more compatible, as the lactose existing in cow milk cannot always be assimilated into their bodies. None of these, however, is comparable to yogurt, which allows beneficent bacteria to multiply while inhibiting the growth of harmful ones.
Green tea (not black tea) is rich in fluorine, a good protection for teeth; it also has anti-cancer properties and prevents cerebral haemorrhage. A daily intake of 50cc or 100cc of red wine helps guard against hypertension and high cholesterol rates. The same effect can be obtained with whole red grapes (not white grapes). Bone soup and mushroom soup are very nourishing; the latter also improves immunity. A normal diet should consist of 500g of vegetables a day, preferably carrots (good for mucous membranes and guarding against cancers), pumpkins (beneficent to pancreatic cells and for preventing diabetes), tomatoes (cooked, not raw, to guard against prostate hypertrophy and various cancers and inflammations), garlic (polyvalent, best when raw, sliced and exposed to air for 15 minutes for oxidisation) and black mushrooms (for preventing heart problems). Maize and sorghum both have life-prolonging effects, as believed by the Indians and the Chinese.
Physical activity, in particular the Asian psycho-physical gymnastics, ensures a longer life. Walking (five times a week, each time over 3km, for 30 minutes) is good for guarding against heart problems and high cholesterol. Evening is a better time for exercises, as maximum blood pressure and body temperature in the morning might result in undesirable effects.
Finally, longevity would be impossible without mental equilibrium, which can be obtained by means of Asian psycho-corporal exercises. People with cardiovascular troubles should rid their minds of past unpleasantness, live in the present and look forward to the future optimistically. — VNS

Greek PM pays first visit to VN

HA NOI — Greek Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis is expected to arrive in Viet Nam today for a two day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
The visit, the first made by a prime minister of Greece since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1975, is aimed at cementing firmer ties with Viet Nam, a country that Greece views as a potentially lucrative market for its businesses and an increasingly important partner in the region.
Viet Nam and Greece signed a framework agreement on economic, industrial and technological co-operation in 1996. The agreement was followed by a trip to Greece by then Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam in 1998. His Greek counterpart, Petro Molyviatis visited Viet Nam in 2004 to attend the 5th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM5).
Marking the importance that Greece is attaching to forging broader interests with Viet Nam was the appointment of a permanent ambassador to the country in early 2007 and the vocal support that the Greek administration has given for its bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
However trade between the two has been modest, with total two-way trade valued at US$207 million for the 2001-2005 period. In 2006 Viet Nam exported footwear, garments, aquatic products and woodwork worth $84.2 million to Greece, a 22.5 per cent increase over 2004. Most experts predict that trade will increase as ties are strengthened and that trade revenues could exceed $100 million in 2007.
Viet Nam is eager to co-operate with Greece in its traditional strengths of shipbuilding, tourism, historical preservation and labour exports. — VNS

South African president talks investment at forum

HCM CITY — South Africa’s lack of investment in Viet Nam is not due to disinterest but a lack of knowledge of the market, according to President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, who visited HCM City yesterday.
Mbeki answered questions from business representatives at the South Africa-Viet Nam Business Forum, saying that South Africa needed to look at Viet Nam more closely to learn more about the country.
According to the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the first South African investment project in Viet Nam, a US$22.5 million brewery joint venture, was licensed by the local authority in early 2006.
The director of VCCI, Vo Tan Thanh, said South Africa was Viet Nam’s biggest market in Africa, with export turnover from Viet Nam to South Africa rising from $15.5 million in 2002 to $56.8 million in 2004, to $101 million last year. The latter figure accounts for 17 per cent of Viet Nam’s total export to the African continent.
Viet Nam exports rice, textile and garment products, footwear, coffee, rubber, electrical and electronic products, wood products and foodstuffs to Africa.
Thanh said the trade agreement signed by the two governments in 2000 and the co-operation agreement signed between the chambers of commerce and industry from the two countries four years later became tools to promote business and investment between Viet Nam and South Africa. Two-way trade between the two countries rose from $20 million in 1999 to $155 million last year.
Covering 1.2 million square kilometres with a population of 45 million, South Africa is the best-developed nation in Africa and has paved the way for the development of all 14 states in the South Africa Development Community (SADC).
Dr. Rob Davies, deputy minister for Trade and Industry of South Africa, said his country was calling for investment in the sectors of textiles and garments, footwear, mining and metallurgy, transportation, machinery and equipment manufacturing, and film production industry.
He said South Africa sells to Viet Nam steel, aluminum and aluminum products, fibres, boilers and machinery, tobacco and tobacco products, with total export of $48 million in 2006. "We expect that we shall import more agricultural products from Viet Nam," said Davies.
President Mbeki said there would also be possibilities in the tourism sector of Viet Nam and encouraged Viet Nam Airlines to open flights to South Africa.
Held by the South Africa Department of Trade and Industry, the South African Embassy in Viet Nam and VCCI, the forum was attended by representatives of 18 South African companies and some 100 Vietnamese enterprises. —VNS

Japan’s Nidec to expand operations in the north

HA NOI— The Nidec Corporation of Japan planned to expand operations in northern Viet Nam, said President of the group Shigenobu Nagamori while meeting President Nguyen Minh Triet yesterday.
Shigenobu said the group would build more plants in Ha Noi to supply electronic components for its customers who were already located in Viet Nam, including Cannon in the Thang Long industrial park in Ha Noi.
Viet Nam’s investment procedures had become clear in recent times and this has strongly encouraged foreign investors, said the Japanese guest.
The corporation had invested US$156 million in four projects in HCM City which were in operation and had helped make Viet Nam Nidec’s second largest investment destination in Asia, Shigenobu said.
President Triet said Viet Nam always welcomed foreign investors - Japanese investors in particular.
Triet said Viet Nam was still poor, lacked funds and management experience and therefore needed foreign investors’ assistance for development, Triet said.
The State and government of Viet Nam were improving the business environment aimed at making the country an attractive destination for foreign investors, he said.
Viet Nam always showed respect to foreign investors and was ready to facilitate their operation, thus making more contributions to socio-economic development throughout the country, the Vietnamese President said.
Nidec is one of the world’s leading producers of hard disk drives, optical disk drives and DC motors. The company has 89 factories with some 120,000 staff, not including those working at its two plants at the HCM City-based Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone. — VNS

Party leader starts Chile visit after Cuban stopover

HAVANA — General Secretary Nong Duc Manh and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation started their visit to Chile’s capital Santiago yesterday, after a brief stop-over in Havana.
The delegation includes Nguyen Sinh Hung, Politburo member of the Party Central Committee (PCC) and permanent deputy prime minister, Nguyen Van Son, member of the PCC and director of the PCC’s External Relation Commission, and Ngo Van Du, director of the PCC Office, and other senior government officials.
The ceremony to receive the Vietnamese visitors was organised solemnly at the Institution Square. The General Secretary was planned to meet with Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet Jeria yesterday.
The General Secretary’s tour to the Latin American countries of Chile, Brazil, Venezuela and Cuba, included a brief stop over in Havana, Cuba on Thursday.
Politburo member of the Cuban Communist Party and Council of State Vice President Esteban Lazo Hernandez welcomed the leader of the Communist Party of Viet Nam when he arrived in the Caribbean Island State.
Hernandez said that the General Secretary’s first official tour of Latin American countries would not only mark a new era of relations between Viet Nam and the Latin American countries, but would also aid in the development of relations with all countries in the region.
The host went on to relay the importance that the Cuban Party, State and public placed on the General Secretary’s visit. Hernandez said Cuba was eager to receive the General Secretary within the next several days when Manh officially begins his visit to Cuba.
General Secretary Manh said the Vietnamese Party, State and public would always be grateful to the Latin American people for their aid to Viet Nam during the current process of national construction and during Viet Nam’s struggle for independence, freedom and national unification.
The Party chief also stated Viet Nam’s desire to expand upon co-operation with Latin American countries through equal partnership and mutually beneficial frameworks. — VNS

FDI hits $4.3 billion in first five months

Ha Noi — Almost US$4.37 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) was pumped into the Vietnamese economy in the first five months of the year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment’s statement yesterday.
Over $3.7 billion was funnelled into an additional 372 new projects, while the remaining $577 million was used as additional investments in previously licensed or operating businesses.
FDI investment capital recorded a 25 per cent increase over the same period last year, while the number of newly licensed initiatives surged by 32 per cent.
Analysts at the ministry’s Foreign Investment Agency said the majority of the investments headed to the southern coastal Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, Thua Thien-Hue and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta’s Hau Giang Province.
Topping the list of major projects to get off the ground were a $527-million Indian steel mill in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, a $276-million resort in the Chan May economic zone in Thua Thien-Hue Province and a $220-million paper and pulp mill financed by Thailand’s Kraf Vina in southern Binh Duong Province. — VNS

Bird flu threats continue to haunt Mekong Delta region

HCM CITY — Viet Nam’s avian flu scare is far from over as the Animal Health Department officially confirmed the re-emergence of bird flu in the Mekong Delta Province of Dong Thap on Wednesday.
The province is the sixth locality in the country recently hit by bird flu, alongside Nghe An, Quang Ninh, Son La and Nam Dinh Provinces as well as Can Tho City.
Local veterinary workers said about 1,600 dead ducks had tested positive for the deadly H5N1 virus on May 22 at a farm in My Quy Commune, Thap Muoi District.
Veterinarians culled the flock immediately after the test and disinfected the area.
The 30-day old dead ducks had not been vaccinated before they died.
Animal Health Department representatives warned about the high risk of a more widespread bird flu outbreak in the Mekong Delta due to local farmers’ failure to implement the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s new regulations on hatching, breeding and vaccinating waterfowls.
In response to the six localities’ outbreaks, the department has culled thousands of birds and disinfected surrounding areas.
The department representatives said that generally, provinces and cities nationwide are implementing the 2007 vaccination programme.
By May 23, nearly 120 million poultry had been vaccinated by veterinary workers in Viet Nam.

Leader meets IMF, Angolan officials

HA NOI — Viet Nam is highly appreciative of the role the International Monetary Fund has played in aiding the country’s development. That was the message delivered by National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong to visiting IMF Deputy Managing Director Takatoshi Kato in Ha Noi yesterday.
The National Assembly chief went on to thank the IMF for its help in providing consultancy on policy-making and technical support, particularly regarding financial systems.
Chairman Trong informed the visiting IMF leader of Viet Nam’s commitment to continuing implementation of its market reforms in order to integrate even deeper into the global economy. He stressed that during the country’s renovation period, the National Assembly has actively promoted reforms in law making and was a key player in supervising and deciding issues of importance.
Kato was of the opinion that the National Assembly was instrumental to the country’s socio-economic development, proven by the increasing participation of the public in successful events such as the recently concluded 12th National Assembly elections.
The IMF leader said he wanted to study the NA’s future law-making work, particularly those relating to the equitisation of the State-owned commercial banks.
He stressed however that reforms would have to continue to create a more advantageous environment for Viet Nam’s development.

Deputy PM stresses Japan ties, Asian unity

TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday expressed his wish that Japan and Viet Nam accelerate the process of negotiation on an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
While meeting with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem in Tokyo, who is on an official visit, Prime Minister Abe said Japan is considering three construction projects on which he and his Vietnamese counterpart had agreed, namely an express railway and a highway linking the northern and southern regions and the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park.
Khiem informed the Japanese prime minister of the result of the first session of the Viet Nam-Japan Cooperation Committee.
He also said Japanese politicians and entrepreneurs in various meetings showed strong support for developing relations with Viet Nam, particularly in the implementation of the above-mentioned three projects.
Khiem conveyed President Nguyen Minh Triet’s invitation to visit Viet Nam to the Japanese Emperor and Queen and members of the Royal family.
The same day, the deputy prime minister met with Minister of Finance Koji Omi, Minister for Administrative Reform Sato Genichiro, and Senior Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Katsuhito Asano.
He also received Nikkei President Rykio Sugita and representatives from other big groups.
In other meetings, Khiem met with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso on Wednesday.
The two ministers signed a Memorandum of Understanding for establishment of the Viet Nam-Japan Co-operation Committee.
The committee was established according to the initiative of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung during his visit to Japan last October.
After the signing ceremony, the two ministers chaired the first meeting of the committee, where they agreed that relations between the two sides were headed to a new stage in strategic partnership relations for peace and prosperity in Asia.

VN, South Africa pledge to boost tradition of co-operation

HA NOI — President Nguyen Minh Triet said the State and people of Viet Nam warmly welcomed the first President of South Africa to visit Viet Nam, lauding it a milestone in the two countries’ traditional friendship and co-operation.
Triet made the statement at a meeting with South African President Thabo Mbeki yesterday.
Triet said he appreciated the great achievements the South African people have gained in the last 10 years under the leadership of African National Congress and President Thabo Mbeki as well as South Africa’s contributions to peace, stability and development in Africa and the world.
Earlier, the two leaders held a signing ceremony to mark a joint declaration between Viet Nam and South Africa.
The two leaders on the same day also witnessed the signing of three co-operative documents including a co-operative agreement between the two governments, an agreement to exempt visas for people with diplomatic passports and official passports; and minutes of a partnership forum of Viet Nam and South Africa.
Triet said Vietnamese and South African peoples had a traditional friendship, and the two countries had supported each other in the previous national struggles for independence as well as in current national development.
He said the two countries’ leaders share points of view on matters of mutual concern in addition to regional and international issues. He said the two sides had expressed their wish to strengthen relations in every aspect, especially to lift political relations to a higher level, further boosting co-operation in economy, culture, science, technology, education and health care.
President Thabo Mbeki had supported Viet Nam in becoming a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2008-09 and recognised Viet Nam as having a market economy. This special sentiment meant a great deal to the State and people of Viet Nam, Triet said.
He said Viet Nam was ready to share with South Africa experiences in hunger eradication, poverty alleviation, and agricultural development. With its strengths, South Africa can help Viet Nam as a member of the WTO.
Triet applauded South Africa for joining with Viet Nam and the island of Guinea Conakry’s co-operation agreements in agriculture.
In turn, President Thabo Mbeki said he admired Viet Nam’s previous struggles for national independence and said he appreciated Viet Nam’s achievements in the renewal cause, national development, hunger eradication and poverty alleviation.
He congratulated Viet Nam for its achievements in successfully organising the 10th National Party Congress, organising Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting, elections for the 12th National Assembly and for becoming the 150th member of the WTO.
He also said South Africa wanted to strengthen and develop traditional friendship and multifaceted co-operation with Viet Nam, and highly valued Viet Nam’s role and position in the region, in the Non-Aligned Movement and in the world.
He said Viet Nam was becoming an important destination for foreign investment in Asia, and its experience in socio-economic development and attracting foreign investment would help South Africa in development of the country.
Though South Africa was Viet Nam’s largest partner in Africa, the two countries still had much co-operative potential that remained untapped, he said.
The two countries should work out concrete steps to boost economic, trade and investment relations, as well as expand co-operation in other fields, he said.
At their meeting, the two leaders agreed to ask ministries and sectors to boost co-operation in trade, investment, science and technology, education, tourism, national defence, security and other potential aspects.
Meeting with PM
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung also met with President Thabo Mbeki yesterday to discuss boosting co-operation between the two countries in all aspects.
The two discussed ways to use the countries’ strong bilateral ties to boost development in economics, trade, investment, education, science and technology.
The Prime Minister asked the South African president to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese enterprises to invest in South Africa in agricultural production and to grant scholarships to Vietnamese students to study in the country.
He affirmed that the Government of Viet Nam would do its best to implement agreements on which the two countries’ presidents had agreed.
President Thabo Mbeki said co-operation scopes between the two nations are very large, especially in economy, trade and investment.
He then affirmed his desire to consolidate co-operation with Viet Nam in all aspects.
Home visit for General Giap
On the same day, President Thabo Mbeki visited General Vo Nguyen Giap at his house.
The president said he was happy to meet the general, a man he’d admired since his youth alongside President Ho Chi Minh.
In its struggle for national independence, South Africa gleaned many experiences from Viet Nam, he said.
In return, General Giap said the friendship between Viet Nam and South Africa had a historical length, adding that Viet Nam was happy to see the great achievements made by the South African people in national development, which have rendered South Africa an important role model in economic development for the African continent.
He said he hoped friendship between the two nations would be boosted in the future in every aspect, especially relations between the two countries’ younger populations.
Yesterday, President Thabo Mbeki’s wife, Zanele Mbeki, visited the Viet Nam Women’s Union. — VNS

PM: Viet Nam will facilitate more investment from RoK

HA NOI — Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday affirmed that the Vietnamese Government would create favourable conditions for businesses from the Republic of Korea to invest in Viet Nam.
While receiving Yeon June-Churl, special envoy of the president and chairman of the RoK’s Board of Audit and Inspection, Prime Minister Dung said he hoped that in 2010, when Viet Nam and the RoK celebrate their 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties, the RoK would rank first among foreign countries and territories in Viet Nam in terms of the number of investors.
He also expressed his pleasure that after 15 years of establishing diplomatic ties, the Viet Nam-RoK relations had developed in all areas.
At present, the RoK ranks third in the number of large-scale investments in Viet Nam. RoK investors have poured around US$8 billion into more than 1,000 projects.
The special envoy conveyed a letter to the Prime Minister from the RoK president, in which the president proposed that Viet Nam support the RoK in hosting the 2012 International Exhibition, themed "Sea and Ocean".
Yeon June-Churl thanked the Vietnamese Government for its assistance to more than 1,000 RoK businesses in Viet Nam and expressed his wish that Viet Nam would provide further support for them to operate efficiently. — VNS

Veteran violinist to take city stage

Viet Nam’s leading violinist Ta Bon, former deputy director of the Ha Noi Music Conservatory, is returning to the stage with an upcoming performance in HCM City.
Bon will appear with the HCM City Ballet and Symphony Orchestra, presenting Mozart’s Concerto No 3 in G major KV 216. Conductor Tran Vuong Thach will direct the 30-minute performance.
To open the one-hour concert, Bon will perform romantic solo pieces by Tartini. He will later perform with the support of pianist Ly Giai Hoa.
Later, Bon will perform Bach’s Concerto in D minor with his oldest son, violinist Ta Ton, a graduate of the San Francisco Music Conservatory and Houston University.
Bon’s daughter, dancer Ta Thuy Chi will also highlight the concert with a performance of Chinese dance. After completing three years of study in China, Chi became a teacher and choreographer for the HCM City Dance School.
The opportunity to perform with his family was Bon’s major motivation for the performance.
"I decided to perform in HCM City, where my family lives and works together," said the 65-year-old musician, a native of Ha Noi.
Bon’s love for violin originated in childhood, when his father, musician Ta Phuoc, the first headmaster of the Viet Nam Music School (now the Ha Noi Music Conservatory), began teaching him.
At the age of 12, he studied music in China. In 1958, he continued his study of music in Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Conservatory, later receiving the equivalent of an undergraduate degree.
He worked as a teacher and a manager for the Ha Noi Music Conservatory for years. In 1978, Bon’s reputation in the music world earned him his first invitation to serve as a judge at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, which was followed by two other invitations in 1982 and 1986. He also joined judged the JS Bach Competition in Germany in 1980 and 1984.
In 1994 he moved to live in HCM City and began working for the city’s orchestra, performing in many concerts at home and overseas.
For his contribution to the nation’s arts, Bon received the honourable title of People’s Artist from the Government.
The concert will be held on Monday at 8pm at the HCM City Opera House, 7 Lam Son Square. Tickets range from VND80,000 (US$5) to VND100,000 ($6) apiece and are available at the theatre’s box office. —VNS

Italian rocker Pelu to join forces with singer Lap for Ha Noi show

Viet Nam is getting ready to rock as Italian musician Piero Pelu prepares to perform in the capital this Saturday.
The Italian will join Vietnamese rock singer Tran Lap on stage as part of the Italian Rainbow festival, currently taking place in Viet Nam (from April to October). Lap is former singer-songwriter of the band The Wall.
"I’m very happy to be here to perform with the Vietnamese rockers. We are going to try to sing a duet at the concert," Pelu said at a press conference yesterday. He has just arrived in Viet Nam after a performance tour in France and Switzerland promoting his latest album, In Faccia.
Throughout his life, Pelu has been fuelled by his passion for rock. It began in his native Florence when he fronted the schoolboy band Wave Scholastic.
Driven by a need to explore the rock scene abroad, the Italian travelled to London, home of punk. Inspired, the musician returned to Florence but by now he was interested in a new avenue of the rock genre: Med-rock. With this style in mind, he founded his current band Lifiba and in 2000 they released their debut album Ne buoni ne cattivi.
Med-Rock is a mixture of rock and blues blended with traditional music from South America and the Mediterranean.
"I want to make rock music more popular through Med-Rock. But most important is that the singer can express how he feels about life through his music," the musician said at the press conference.
The singer also revealed that he and his five member band will perform six songs from In Faccia at Saturday’s concert.
Faccia is about communication, Pelu said: "Communication means sharing, talking, looking, taking action or staying silent."
And what better way to show it than a duet between two friends from different countries and cultures, united by rock.
Other Vietnamese rock bands at the concert include Ha Noi-based Red Tide, Microwave and HCM City’s Unlimited. The performance will take place at the Giang Vo Exhibition Centre at 8pm.
A part of ticket sales will be donated to the HIV/AIDS Orphan Village in Ha Tay Province. Tickets will be sold at VND50,000; 100,000 and 150,000 at 162 Phuong Liet Street and 17/167 Tay Son Street. — VNS

VN’s film season promises to enthral

Love triangles, ghosts, hair-raising action scenes, betrayal and loss are just some of the themes of Viet Nam’s first summer movie season. Vietnamese movie-makers are rolling out their best work – with many films expected to become blockbusters.
At the forefront of Vietnamese film-making, Giai Phong Film Studio has brought out Gia Mua Mot Thuong De (The Cost of a God) and Vu Dieu Tu Than (The Deadly Dance) – both partly sponsored by the Government.
The films tackle social issues, such as drugs and vice. The Cost of a God is a humorous story of a woman’s struggle to protect the Ben Tre Coconut Candy brand name from being stolen. The film stars many celebrated Vietnamese actors such as Viet Trinh and Minh Tiep, and was first screened last weekend.
Deadly Dance is a tale of dancing-girls and drugs and will be screened at the end of next month.
Private studios are also bringing out a number of major film this summer. Chanh Phuong Film Studio has just finished making the two-episode 45-minute horror movies Ngoi Nha Bi An (The Mysterious House) and Suoi Oan Hon (Haunted River) – both sure to make your hair stand on end.
The studio’s productions are influenced by British film director Alfred Hitchcock, a pioneering figure in the thriller genre. The two films will be screened towards the end of next month.
Last but not least, Muoi (Ten), the first joint-production by Viet Nam’s Phuoc Sang Film Studio and Billy Pictures from South Korea. The film depicts the life of a South Korean female writer who comes to Viet Nam. While in Viet Nam she hears of a poltergeist – a broken-hearted woman – who haunts the home of her former boyfriend. She nightly rips up newspapers, moves pictures and drips blood. With investment climbing to around US$3 million, the filmmakers promise the horror flick will keep audiences glued to their seats. Muoi will hit screens at the end of the summer movie season on July 7.
Dong Mau Anh Hung (The Rebel), which was released last April, is set in the early 20th Century during the Vietnamese struggle against invading French forces. The film, acclaimed for its magnificent action scenes, was an instant hit with Vietnamese audiences – in the first two weeks of screening, the film was watched by more than 50,000 moviegoers.
Sai Gon Eclipse is also set in the past. Adapted from the Vietnamese literary masterpiece Nguyen Du’s Kieu Tale, the film was directed by Othello Khanh, who lives in France, and stars Truong Ngoc Anh and Nhu Quynh. The movie opened in theatres last Tuesday. — VNS

Police get 1,200 convictions in major narcotics crackdown

HA NOI — Authorities discovered over 800 drug-related crimes and punished nearly 1,200 people between April 15 and May 18.
In total the anti-drug force, police, border guards and air security seized 20kg of heroin, 2,100 heroin doses, 4.5kg of opium and 3,500 amphetamine tablets from drug smugglers and dealers during the period.
The Security Ministry’s anti-drug force, in co-operation with the police and border guards of Nghe An and Ha Tinh central provinces, arrested Lao citizens smuggling 19 heroin batches weighing 6.65kg in Son Kim Commune, Ha Tinh Province’s Huong Son District. Furthermore police and border guards of Quang Ninh southern province caught another two people and seized 7.15kg heroin in 21 batches, .
In another development, the HCM City Police Department arrested Nguyen Tuan Khanh, 48, and another seven people in District 2 with 3,016 stimulant tablets and 63.61gr of Ice.
As part of the operation, the Hai Ba Trung District’s police of Ha Noi caught eight people red-handed with 200 stimulant tablets and the Noi Bai Airport security force arrested one person attempting to smuggle 200 amphetamine tablets.— VNS

Top leaders meet Kuwaiti PM to boost economic ties

HA NOI — State President Nguyen Minh Triet and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong yesterday met visiting Kuwaiti Prime Minister Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah to discuss the two countries’ economic ties.
In his meeting with Triet, Al-Sabah reaffirmed Kuwait’s policy of supporting Viet Nam’s candidacy for a non-permanent membership on the UN Security Council.
He added that Kuwait planned to open its embassy in Ha Noi within the year and a general consulate in HCM City soon.
Al-Sabah also outlined a list of projects to boost economic ties, including inviting Vietnamese businesses to participate in four Kuwaiti infrastructure projects with investment amounting to US$480 million in total.
"In pursuing an open-skies policy, Kuwait expects to soon conclude negotiations on an agreement on civil aviation services with Viet Nam," Al-Sabah said, in addition to noting, "Viet Nam is the 39th country in the world to which Kuwait will apply the granting of visas at the airports."
In reply, President Triet pledged that Viet Nam would do its utmost to maintain and further develop friendship and solidarity with Kuwait.
"The two countries have a great potential for mutual development, and Kuwait’s economic potential will broaden our bilateral co-operation in the near future," the State leader said.
Their views on strong bilateral relations were echoed by Trong in another meeting also in Ha Noi. Trong expressed his expectation for an early deployment of the accords signed recently by the two countries.
"The two legislative bodies should further promote bilateral ties, especially in the exchange of experience in law-making," the host leader concluded.
Al-Sabah underscored the fact that the selection of Viet Nam as the first step of his Asia tour showed the importance of bilateral co-operation between his country and Viet Nam.
Talks with PM Dung
In his talks with Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung yesterday in Ha Noi, Prime Minister Al-Sabah affirmed Kuwait’s desire to boost long-term co-operation with Viet Nam, particularly in investment, trade and labour. Dung said the two countries had developed a fine rapport, held great potential to further develop their relations and should turn this potential into reality. He also thanked Al-Sabah for the substantial assistance that Kuwait had recently given to Viet Nam.
The two prime ministers discussed ways to expand bilateral co-operation, stating their beliefs that with the efforts of both sides, the bilateral relationship will begin a new stage of development.
After the talks, the two prime ministers witnessed the signing of a treaty on investment protection; a protocol on forming a joint committee for economic, scientific and technological co-operation; and an agreement on co-operation between the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and its Kuwaiti counterpart KCCI.
In the evening, Dung held a banquet in honour of Al-Sabah and his entourage, who are on a three-day visit to Viet Nam that began yesterday. — VNS

Remembering Jackie Robinson

April 15 is a special day in the history of baseball. It was on this day in 1947 that Jackie Robinson became the first black person to play in the top professional league in the United States.African-American players had to play in their own league - called the Negro League - until that time.Now, 60 years later, the Dodgers, the team Robinson played for, are honoring their former player with Jackie Robinson Day. Other teams are also honoring Robinson with special ceremonies.The number on Robinson's uniform was 42. In honor of Robinson, no other professional player is allowed to wear the number 42 on his uniform. Robinson is also remembered for his excellent skills as a player. He died in 1972.

New York Taxis Will 'Go Green'

New York City will start using taxicabs that are better for the environment. The city's famous yellow cabs will be hybrids - that is, they are cars which run on both gasoline and electricity. Hybrid cars are more expensive than regular cars. However, they save a lot more money on gasoline.

Steroids and Sports

There are two big stories in the United States these days that are related to the use of steroids in sports. The first involves Floyd Landis, the 2006 winner of the Tour de France bicycle race. This week Landis is being asked by a court in California why he tested positive for steroid use after the race Steroids can help an athlete perform better at sports. Meanwhile, Barry Bonds, a baseball player for the San Francisco Giants, is close to breaking one of baseball's biggest records - the home run record. (A home run is when a baseball is hit over the fence in a stadium.) Bonds has also used steroids in the past.

A Telephone Call From The Top Of Mt. Everest

There are few places in the world where you will not find someone speaking into a mobile phone. And if you thought you could climb to the top of Mount Everest to escape cell phones, you would be wrong. Rod Baber, a British climber, called home from the world's highest point on Monday morning, thanks to some help from China Telecom. "It's cold, it's fantastic … I can't feel my toes," Baber said. The peak of Mount Everest is 8,848 meters high.

Kuwaiti PM to arrive today

Ha Noi — Prime Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah will pay an official visit to Viet Nam from May 23-25, at the invitation of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
The Kuwaiti Prime Minister’s trip to Viet Nam will be the first by a high ranking delegation from the oil rich state to the country and is aimed at boosting bilateral co-operation in the fields of economics, investment, trade and labour.
Viet Nam and Kuwait first established diplomatic relations on January 10, 1976 and in October of 2003, Viet Nam officially opened its embassy in the Arabian country.
To date Kuwait has played an important role in providing development aid for Viet Nam. Through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the geographically tiny state has so far provided loans worth over US$100 million to fund infrastructure projects.
he two countries’ agencies are working towards agreements on investment promotion and protection and mechanisms to avoid double taxation.
wo-way trade reached $380 million last year, a three-fold increase over 2002.
Viet Nam mainly exported garment and textile products, seafood, wooden furniture, computers, electronic equipment, pepper, footwear, ceramics and pottery to Kuwait, while importing oil, urea fertiliser and fabric.
The Persian Gulf country also plans to pour around $500 million into the Nghi Son oil refinery in Viet Nam’s central Thanh Hoa Province. — VNS

General Secretary greets visiting German leader

HA NOI — Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh said German President Horst Koehler’s visit to Viet Nam and the smooth implementation of high-level agreements between the two countries marked a new milestone in the friendly and co-operative ties between Viet Nam and Germany.
Receiving Koehler in Ha Noi yesterday, Manh stressed the importance that the Vietnamese Party, State and people have attached to relations with Germany.
"Viet Nam will do its utmost to promote friendly co-operation between the two countries," said Manh.
Koehler affirmed that multifaceted co-operation with Viet Nam, especially in trade, culture and education, were among the priorities in Germany’s foreign policy.
Equal partners
"Drastic economic reforms have turned Viet Nam from merely a receiver of aid from developed countries to a full economic partner with which Germany is eager to do business," said Willibold Frehner, German country representative in Viet Nam and a member of Koehler’s delegation.
Frehner made the comment to a dialogue in Ha Noi yesterday entitled, Education, Economy and Law – Initiatives for the Viet Nam-Germany Partnership.
"Viet Nam has carried out far-reaching economic reforms, and there is no need for our help in that area," Frehner told a Vietnam News Agency reporter on the sidelines of the dialogue.
In addressing the dialogue, Frehner said that grassroots communities and urban areas should be empowered with greater authority and the judiciary should be given greater scope to resolve economic and financial disputes that arise in the burgeoning Vietnamese economy.
German State Secretary Dieter Ernst, who is also CEO of Berlinwasser International, a water supply and wastewater treatment company based in Berlin, attended the dialogue to learn more about Viet Nam’s economic reforms.
"We are very impressed with Viet Nam’s commitments to opening up its markets as well as Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s determination to develop infrastructure," Ernst said.
According to former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan, special envoy of the Vietnamese Prime Minister for foreign affairs, President Koehler pledged to aid German small- and medium-sized enterprises in gaining a foothold in the Viet Nam market.
Germany is now Viet Nam’s largest EU trading partner. Two-way trade between the two countries reached $2.3 billion in 2006, with Vietnamese exports to Germany topping $1.4 billion.
Germany ranks 5th among EU investors in Viet Nam, having 85 projects with a combined investment of nearly $380 million. It is also the third largest provider of official development assistance to Viet Nam, after Japan and France, granting Viet Nam 640 million euros ($867.2 million) so far since the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Women’s Union projects
German first lady Eva Luise Koehler meanwhile toured the headquarters of the Viet Nam Women’s Union in Ha Noi yesterday.
Women’s Union president Ha Thi Khiet briefed Mrs Koehler on the history of the union and its focus on raising the living standards of women throughout the country, as well as current joint initiatives between the union and German donor groups.
The German Savings Bank Foundation for International Co-operation, for instance, has provided 220,000 euros ($298,100) to the Viet Nam Women’s Union to expand a social welfare fund called the TYM during 2005-08.
The Marie Schlei – MSA organisation was helping the Women’s Union conduct six projects on vocational training and microcredit targeting poor women in the northern provinces of Quang Ninh, Son La, Lai Chau, Hai Phong, Hung Yen and Ha Tay, with funding of $110,000.
Leftist parties link up
Nguyen Van Son, head of the Communist Party of Viet Nam’s Commission for External Relations also met yesterday in Ha Noi with Dietmar Bartsch, national secretary of the German Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), who is accompanying the German President on his state visit to Viet Nam.
The PDS and the CPV were making solid contributions to building ties between the two countries, according to Son.
Bartsch said he would convey greetings from the CPV leadership to PDS leaders in Germany. — VNS

Former Keidanren chief Hiraiwa, 92

The Asahi Shimbun
Gaishi Hiraiwa, who headed Keidanren (Japan Federation of Economic Organizations), forerunner of Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), in the 1990s, died Tuesday morning at a Tokyo hospital, family sources said. He was 92.
Hiraiwa was also president and later chairman of Tokyo Electric Power Co. Born in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Hiraiwa graduated from the University of Tokyo's law department. In 1993, Hiraiwa ended Keidanren's tradition of mediating companies' political donations. In World War II, he fought in New Guinea and later described his near-death experiences.

Giant bridge over Lake Constance as memorial to Swiss children

Friedrichshafen. German, Austrians and Swiss formed a gigantic swimming bridge accross Lake Constance on Sunday afternoon as a memorial to the Conferation for Post-War Children of 60 years ago. 2 5000 ships formed a line between Friedrichshafen und Romanshorn (Switzerland)

Demonstration against G8 raids

Karlsruhe. Hundreds of opponents against globalisation have demonstrated against the Federal Public Prosecuting Offices raids before the G8 summit in Heilgedamm. The police estimated that there about 450 demonstrators, the organisors claimed that there were up to 800.

The Cutty Sark Caught Fire

One of London's most popular tourist attractions was burning on Monday. The Cutty Sark, built in 1869, was a ship that could sail quickly to China in order to bring tea back to England. It was named after a character in a poem by the Scottish poet Robert Burns. The fire took place while the ship was being restored. It is believed that much of the damage to the ship can be repaired.

The Invasion of the Cicadas

The central United States is preparing for the arrival of billions of cicadas. Cicadas are insects. They live underground and come out once every 17 years. While they do not bite or sting humans, everyone knows they are there. The noise made by cicadas can be louder than telephones and lawn mowers. A concert in Chicago has been cancelled because of the cicadas.

A Politician Earned $55,000 For A Speech About Poverty

John Edwards made a lot of money recently to speak to university students about how to help the poor. Edwards, who is campaigning to be the president of the United States in 2008, received $55,000 for an evening's work. In his speech, Edwards said he believes that every American should be able to go to college - no matter how poor.

Container ports face handling charges

HA NOI — Viet Nam may have to implement a new terminal handling charge (THC) earlier than the nation’s exporters had hoped for, following the rejection of a call to delay the charge by the Intra-Asia Discussion Agreement (IADA)’s secretariat.
The IADA disagreed with Vietnamese exporters on a delay for the implementation of the new THC until January 1 of next year, said the Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice president Hoang Van Dung.
The IADA has yet to accept proposed THC starting levels suggested by a Vietnamese council set up to negotiate the terms of the charge.
Dung said the TCH charge was proposed by the Vietnamese chamber to be US$20 per 20-foot container and $30 per 40-foot container, while the IADA has already introduced initial levels of $50 per 20-foot container and $75 per 40-foot container.
The charge to be collected in Viet Nam starting from the beginning of next year would be $60 per 20-foot container and $90 per 40-foot container, according to a recent letter from the IADA to the chamber, said Dung.
At a meeting between IADA and the Vietnamese council held last Thursday in Ha Noi, the two sides reached agreement on separating THC, the costs of loading and discharging containers at container ports, from transportation or freight charges.
An official from the IADA’s secretariat said the THC application in Viet Nam was aimed at creating a more transparent pricing structure for freight rates to and from Viet Nam as well as bringing the nation’s shipping business practices in line with norms applied in all other Asian countries.
The council, which included seven export associations representing the sectors of textiles and garments, leather and footwear, electronics, seafood, coffee and cocoa, cashews and tea, along with the Government Office, the Civil Maritime Administration and representatives from the chamber and ministries of Trade, Finance, and Transport, petitioned the IADA to postpone the THC collection until next year. The council argued that application should be delayed as annual contracts had already been signed and it took Vietnamese associations and enterprises some time to get used to carrying out collection effectively.
The council also noted that domestic firms should take the initiative in negotiations with foreign shipping companies, linked to the IADA, as they have started collecting THC charges. Local firms should also specify THC payment in contracts with foreign counterparts. — VNS

German president’s visit helps mould ties

Ha Noi — The current visit by German President Horst Kohler was an important event marking a new milestone in bilateral relationship between Viet Nam and Germany, said President Nguyen Minh Triet during a meeting between the two leaders yesterday.
In the meeting, Triet briefed his German counterpart on Viet Nam’s socio-economic development and directions set by the Party, State and Government to further develop achievements gained during the 20-years of doi moi (renewal).
Viet Nam would resolutely pursue industrial-oriented renewal with an aim to make Viet Nam a developed country by 2020, Triet told his guest.
Triet also informed Kohler that Viet Nam’s foreign policy was based on the principle of diversification and multilateral relations.
He then thanked Kohler for Germany’s assistance during the renewal process.
He hailed Germany’s policy on enhancing multi-faceted co-operation and joint projects in areas of hunger elimination and poverty reduction, economic reform, sustainable protection and use of natural resources, health care and education.
Triet also applauded Germany’s role in the European Union and all over the world.
"Viet Nam and Germany have favoured conditions and great potentials to broaden the co-operation for the sake of the two countries’ interests and peace, co-operation and development in the region and all over the world," Triet stressed.
Kohler applauded great achievements gained by Vietnamese people and the Government’s open-door policy.
He highly appreciated Viet Nam’s regional integration policies and World Trade Organisation membership.
"Germany desires to enhance multi-faceted ties with Viet Nam," Mr Kohler emphasised.
The two presidents discussed the positive development of the two countries’ friendly and co-operative relations in recent years and agreed on promoting bilateral ties in the future to match potential and interests.
The two presidents also covered regional and global matters, sustainable development, and protection for the environment and natural resources.
After the meeting, the leaders witnessed the signing ceremony of a bilateral agreement on teaching German as a second foreign language, behind English, in selected secondary schools. The agreement was organised between Viet Nam’s Ministry of Education and Training and Germany’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Also signed by the MoET and Germany’s Ministry of University, Research and Arts of Hassen State was another agreement on establishing a Viet Nam-Germany University in Viet Nam.
On the same day, the German President had a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.
In the meeting, Dung told his guest that "Viet Nam-Germany relations have developed in all aspects, especially in economic co-operation, trade, investment, culture, education and training."
The Prime Minister wished the two countries would further tap potentials in areas of trade and investment, infrastructure construction and environmental protection.
He said the two governments would create favourable investment conditions for businesses, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises.
"Germany’s economy totally depends on small- and medium-sized enterprises," M Kohler said. "So the German government always pays attention to businesses."
There are presently more than 85 projects with total capital of US$380 million invested by German businesses in Viet Nam. Two-way turnover has reached $2 billion. — VNS

A Spaniard Has Won The Great Wall Marathon

Running 42 kilometers is difficult enough. Imagine if you had to climb 3,800 stone steps as well. Welcome to the Great Wall of China Marathon, one of the most difficult sporting contests in the world. A winning time in most marathons is a little over two hours. Salvador Calvo, who won this year's Great Wall Marathon on Saturday, finished in 3 hours and 23 minutes. Calvo, who is a computer programmer in Spain, signed up for the race just three days before the deadline. Calvo said this may have been his best performance in a marathon. This year the 450 competitors also had the challenge of running in temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius.

Gordon Brown Will Probably Succeed Tony Blair

It is almost certain that Gordon Brown will be the next prime minister of Britain. Brown, who is from Scotland, has been finance minister for the past ten years. Tony Blair has given his support to Brown.Like Blair, Brown is a member of the Labour Party. However, he is not as strongly in favor of the war in Iraq as Blair. Blair will leave office on June 27.

Carter and Bush Criticize Each Other

Earlier, we wrote about the good friendship that has developed between Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush. Today we have a completely different story. Jimmy Carter, a former president, and George W. Bush, the current president, have been criticizing each other. This weekend Carter said Bush was the worst president in the history of the United States. Bush responded by saying that Carter's opinions were irrelevant.

All aboard! Nation’s rails plan modernisation

HA NOI — The Viet Nam Railway Corporation will be modernised substantially between now and 2010, under a plan recently approve by the Prime Minister.
Under the plan, the corporation would coordinate with domestic and foreign investors to build rail connections to seaports, mines, industrial parks and key economic zones around the country.
It expects to spend VND14.6 trillion (US$912.5 million) on construction alone during 2007-10, not including management costs and maintenance of railway infrastructure and railway development projects.
The plan for railway modernisation calls for investment to be focused on building strategic routes, including high-speed lines from Ha Noi to HCM City, and Lao Cai to Ha Noi and Hai Phong, as well as on upgrading the Dong Dang-Ha Noi route.
Domestic and foreign resources would be drawn upon to train rail technicians and managers.
The new plan also sets forth parametres for a redesign of the Yen Vien-Ngoc Hoi elevated urban railway in Ha Noi to include more transfer points to connect with other means of public transport in the city, as well as a multi-functional service centre.
The Viet Nam Railway Corporation has projected that it will transport 20.7 million passengers and 14.1 million tonnes of goods per year by 2010. — VNS

Campaign encourages public to live by moral standards set by Uncle Ho

President Ho Chi Minh always cared for others. For him, the struggle for independence came first. People remember his kindness and classical Oriental approach to life. He pinned his hopes on each individual. His simple life and exemplary morals still guide Viet Nam’s future, as Nguyen Thanh Ha reports.
Major General Phan Van Xoan, the former chief of President Ho Chi Minh’s bodyguard for many years, said that a Politburo campaign to promote Uncle Ho’s exemplary morals would be welcomed by all Vietnamese.
"The campaign is needed to encourage people in our modern society, particularly the younger generations, to improve their ethics and responsibilities to the country," Xoan said.
Xoan called for a long-term movement to promote the campaign so all Vietnamese would be inspired by the President’s upright life and turn against any wrongdoing or corruption.
"Party members and Government employees should be the first to become President Ho’s good followers, setting an example for other citizens," Xoan said.
He said he not only appreciated the campaign, but that it should have been launched much earlier.
Asked how he himself had followed President Ho’s exemplary standards, Xoan said although he was retired in 1992, he remembered his words: "If you are still strong at heart and healthy, you should contribute further effort for the country."
Xoan set up the Long Hai Company to provide guard services.
"We aim to help the State protect Viet Nam’s security by providing professional bodyguard forces at factories, high-rise buildings, banks, schools and other public and private establishments.
"Apart from this, I often run a monthly course to educate staff on how to provide good safeguards for the people. I tell them many stories I learned from President Ho during my time as his bodyguard.
"Most of my 3,000 staff members are now good followers of President Ho and have a high responsibility for their job," Xoan said.
One employee, Nguyen Van Tin, bravely rescued 20 people during a devasting fire at the International Trade Centre in HCM City last year.
Former Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet said Long Hai workers were always ready to serve the people, setting an example for others.
Tran Duc Trung, who lives in HCM City’s 92 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, told how administration reform in Tan Phu Ward had led to less conflict over road development. He said more than 100 roads and cross-roads in Tan Phu had been opened because of the speed at which the area had been cleared of houses and buildings, generally a tricky problem because it involves shifting so many people.
"Urbanisation is an urgent task for Tan Phu’s socio-economic development, but if based only on State budgets alone, infrastructure projects would run slowly," said Huynh Van Hanh, the district chairman.
"To solve the problem, we mobilise local people to join in. Government officials have to set a good example. Everything relating to the projects must be discussed with local people and carried out with their help.
Uncle to all: Uncle Ho visits ethnic minority children in the northwestern region in 1960.
Getting his feet wet: President Ho Chi Minh tries out a rice-planting machine at the Ha Noi Department of Agriculture and Forestry in July 1960.
Future-minded: President Ho visits Tuan Chau island in 1965. The island is now a key tourist destination in the Ha Long Bay area.
The Tan Phu experience followed the ideology of President Ho. "We asked ourselves how we could learn to live closely with local people, share their hardships and improve their living standards," Hanh said. "It’s a pity that many places do not follow this guide very well."
Nguyen Duc Long at 34 Tue Tinh Street, Ha Noi, recalled how revolutionary artist Huynh Van Thuan twice did not hesitate to deliver the rights to his house and car to the Government. (Thuan was the man who painted the portrait of President Ho used on Viet Nam’s first currencies.)
The first time Thuan gave up his home was after the South’s liberation in 1975. Thuan returned to Sai Gon after 30 years away and was elected chief of the Southern Department of Fine Arts.
He was allocated a villa in the city centre as a home, but returned the use of the building and a car to the Government when assigned to work in the north. His family leased a much smaller home in Ha Noi.
The second move was from his house at 237 Tay Son Street, Ha Noi, to a smaller flat in Thang Long International Village. This was to create a favourable atmosphere for ground clearance for an overhead bridge at the busy Nga Tu So intersection.
Thuan said he was deeply impressed by President Ho’s attitude and he was sad when he saw other Party members and Government officials try to switch houses they leased from the State into their own name.
There are many ways to follow President Ho’s example. According to Tran Thi Phuong in O Cho Dua Ward in Ha Noi’s Dong Da District, every Vietnamese should do one good thing a day.
For example, every staff member at her office are asked to strictly follow office rules, such as no smoking in public places, appearing at work on time, and not having too many private conversations during working hours.
"The campaign becomes more significant if every staff member obeys the rules," Phuong said.
Nguyen Ngoc Tuyen at 12 Quang Trung Ward in Ha Dong City in Ha Tay Province recalls a story about planting trees by President Ho at Dong Vang Hill in Ba Vi District.
In 1969, Uncle Ho, who had launched a campaign to plant trees during the annual Tet festival, went to the home of an elderly man called Kinh, who lives at Dong Vang Hill in Vat Lai Village.
"The President was rather weak at the time. After planting a tree, local people gave him a watering pot with little water in it because they thought he would not be able to handle a full container," Kinh said. "President Ho was unhappy about that, saying the tree would die if it was given little to drink."
The story has been handed down from generation to generation and locals still ask each other to plant trees when spring comes.
"Thanks to Uncle Ho, our village is now in a beautiful setting. It is surrounded by trees and tourists often visit it," Kinh said.
The campaign to follow President Ho’s example was launched by the Politburo late last year. It is aimed at reviving traditional moral values, ethics and lifestyles, driving back corruption, red tape and waste. It it also aimed at formulating and developing a socialist-oriented attitude among Vietnamese and creating a progressive society.
A steering board has been set up to conduct the campaign over four years, starting on the anniversary of the Party’s founding on February 3.
The 14-member steering board is under the leadership of the General Secretary of the Party, Nong Duc Manh. A support section has also been established to help the steering board. — VNS