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Youth ship to arrive in HCM City
HCM City (VNA)- The 37th Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Programme (SSEAYP) will take place from December 5-8 in HCM City , according to the municipal Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Committee.
At a press briefing on Nov.25, the Youth union committee said this year’s programme will draw 329 delegates from 11 countries including 10 Southeast Asian nations and Japan .
The ship will leave the Japan ’s Yokohama Port on November 4 for Malaysia , Thailand , Indonesia , Singapore and Vietnam and it is scheduled to return to Tokyo on December 8.
During their four-day stay in Ho Chi Minh City, the young delegates will take part in cultural exchanges with local youths, go sightseeing and visit several press agencies in the city as well as join a homestay programme to learn about local culture, manners and customs.
The SSEAYP is an initiative of the Japanese Government and receives cooperative assistance from the governments of ASEAN nations. It aims to strengthen friendship and mutual understanding between young people from Japan and Southeast Asian countries, and to provide a chance for them to expand their view of the world, develop their creativeness, and get to know about each other’s culture on board.-Enditem
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Book on President Ho Chi Minh published in China
Beijing (VNA) – China ’s World Knowledge Publishing House has published a book on President Ho Chi Minh on the occasion of the 60 th founding anniversary of the China-Vietnam diplomatic ties.
The 296-page book titled “Ho Chi Minh – a legendary life” is authored by former Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Li Jia Zhong. It is divided into four chapters following the president’s life since his young days until he wrote the famous testament: his journey abroad to seek the way to liberate the country, his leadership in the August Revolution and the struggles against the French colonialists and the US aggressors as well as stories about Ho Chi Minh with many photos.
In the foreword of the book, the head of the China Diplomatic Writers Association Wang Chou praised President Ho Chi Minh as a great leader of the Vietnamese people and a close friend of the Chinese people.
Wang said the President had devoted all his life to national liberation and independence and stood side by side with the Chinese people in the most difficult time of its revolution.
With a revolutionary spirit and an upright life, Ho Chi Minh is forever a bright example for us to follow, he said.
He said he hoped the book would enhance the friendship and mutual understanding between the two Parties, States and peoples.-Enditem
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Congress of God’s People in Vietnam closes
HCM City (VNA) – The Congress of God’s People in Vietnam closed in Ho Chi Minh City on Nov. 25 with the announcement of the congress’s message, emphasising the need for the Church to contribute more to the national construction in all fields from the socio-cultural to politic and economic aspects.
The message also stressed the Church’s integration in the national culture and history in the spirit of “a good Catholic is a good citizen.”
Prominent among those at the closing ceremony were Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Huynh Dam, Cardinal Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man, who is Chairman of the Jubilee Year 2010 Committee and Head of the Congress of God’s People organising board, and President of Vietnam Episcopal Council Archbishop Pierre Nguyen Van Nhon.
In addition to 334 delegates representing bishops, priests and Catholic followers from 26 dioceses nationwide, and about 12,000 followers from the HCM City diocese, the ceremony drew representatives from diplomatic missions and bishops, priests from France , the United States , Canada , Japan , Malaysia , Thailand and Taiwan .
VFF President Huynh Dam congratulated the congress’s success, affirming the State and VFF always pay attention and create condition for the Catholic Church and Catholic follower to exercise their right to freedom of religion and make practical contributions to the national construction and defence, raising the Catholic Church of Vietnam’s position among other churches in the region and the world.
The Congress is among the three major activities celebrating the Jubilee Year 2010 among the Vietnamese Catholic community. The activities include the opening ceremony of the Jubilee Year held on Nov. 24, 2009 in So Kien parish church in the northern province of Ha Nam, the Congress of God’s People taking place in HCM City from Nov. 21-25, and the closing ceremony of the Jubilee Year and the 29th La Vang pilgrim congress scheduled for January 4-6, 2011 at the La Vang Church in the central province of Quang Tri.
During the five-day sitting, the congress focused discussions on the Church of Christ in the heart of Vietnam, the Church as instrument and sign of communion, Catholic Church in Vietnam and the Evangelization.-Enditem
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Mexican Labour Party delegation visits Vietnam
Hanoi (VNA) – A delegation of the Mexican Labour Party (MLP), led by Pedro Vazquez Gonzalez, Politburo member and head of the MLP parliamentarians’ group at the Chamber of Deputies, is on a visit to Vietnam.
The delegation was received by Pham Quang Nghi, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Political Bureau and secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, in Hanoi on Nov. 25.
On behalf of the MLP, Gonzalez, who is also president of the Mexican parliamentarians’ group for friendship with Vietnam, announced the MLP’s decision to present Hanoi with a statue of President Ho, as a symbol of the deep sentiment and respect of the MLP and Mexican people to the Vietnamese great leader.
Nghi appreciated the achievements made by the MLP over the recent time, especially the party’s contributions to the recent success of the Latin American left-wing force. He expressed his confidence in further successes of the MLP in its struggle for justice, and affirmed determination to boost the cooperation between the two parties and peoples.
Later the same day, the statue of President Ho was handed over to Hanoi in a solemn ceremony held at the headquarter of the Hanoi People’s Committee.
On Nov. 24, the MLP delegation held talks with a CPV delegation led by Hoang Binh Quan, member of CPV CC and Chairman of the CPV CC’s External Relations Commission.
The two sides briefed each other on the situation of their own parties and countries, and exchanged view on regional and international issues of common concern. Especially, they focused discussion on measures to expand the relations between the two parties and peoples.
During their stay in Vietnam, the Mexican delegation also met with the Parliamentarians’ Group for Friendship between Vietnam and Cuba and the Latin American, and the Party Committee of Bac Ninh province.-Enditem
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Hanoi donates 100,000 USD to Cambodia’s stampede victims
Hanoi (VNA) – Hanoi has donated 2 billion VND (100,000 USD) to Cambodia to assist victims of an accident at the recent water festival in Cambodia’s Phnom Penh capital city.
The city’s delegation, led by Ngo Thi Thanh Hang, member of the Hanoi Party Committee and Vice Head of the Hanoi People’s Committee, visited the Cambodian Embassy in Hanoi on Nov. 25 to hand over the money. They also conveyed a condolence message from the Hanoi Party Committee’s secretary, Pham Quang Nghi, over the Nov. 22 tragedy.
The accident happened on a 12m-wide bridge connecting the city with the Koh Pich (diamond) island, which has became the centre of celebrations, as there are rumours that the overcrowded bridge was unstable. Hundreds of thousands of people jostled out to flee over the island while a number of them fell over the bridge into the water.
The death toll in the stampede was confirmed at 347, including 221 women, said the Cambodian Social Affairs Ministry and the investigation committee on Nov. 25.
Nine Vietnamese were among the dead victims and one remained missing.-Enditem
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Air link from Da Nang to Japan
Da Nang (VNA) -- On December 15 Vietnam Airlines will launch a new route from the central city of Da Nang to Narita on the outskirts of the Japanese capital Tokyo .
Seven flights per week will fly the route which will go through HCM City to Japan , departing Da Nang at 2.55am and arriving in Narita at 1.20pm.
After March 31, Vietnam Airlines will begin flying directly between Da Nang and Narita.
The carrier also begins direct flights between the central city and Hong Kong on Nov. 26.-Enditem
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Vietnam tops travel polls
Hanoi (VNA) -- Vietnam has emerged as one of the top destinations for travellers from Thailand , Australia , Japan , and Singapore , a recent survey compiled by Visa and the Pacific Asia Travel Association found.
The survey polled 6,714 respondents in 13 countries and territories and found that among travellers most likely to visit Vietnam in the next two years, 17 percent are from Thailand , 16 percent are from Australia , and 11 percent are from Japan and Singapore .
Most of the potential tourists listed natural scenery, new places, and affordability as their main motivation for visiting Vietnam .
They plan to budget more than 1,200 USD for their next vacation and pay more for good food and opportunities to experience a new culture.-Enditem
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Publishing house obtains rights to publish Fidel Castro's memoirs
HCM City (VNA) -- Cuba 's History Office, that represents former president Fidel Castro, has agreed to give the HCM City-based Tre (Youth) Publishing House the rights to publish the President's memoirs in Vietnamese, according to the director of Tre Publishing House.
The books, titled La Victoria Estrategica (The Strategic Victory), released in Cuba in August this year, and La Contraofensiva Estrategica (The Strategic Offence), released in September, will be translated into Vietnamese by Le Xuan Quynh, vice chairman of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association from the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau.
The books are scheduled to hit bookstores across the country next year.-Enditem
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FDI disbursement rises in 11 months
Hanoi (VNA) -- Disbursement of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the first 11 months of this year increased by 9.9 percent over to the same period last year to reach 9.95 billion USD, according to the Foreign Investment Agency (FIA).
74 new foreign-invested projects were licensed in November, worth a combined 512 million USD.
During the 11-month period, the nation attracted 13.3 billion USD in FDI, down 40 percent against the same period last year. The country has set a target of drawing 22-25 billion USD in FDI this year.
However, there was no change in additional investment to existing this month compared to the previous month which saw 420 million USD invested in 57 ongoing projects, the FIA noted.
The Netherlands remained the leading source of foreign investment in Vietnam with 2.32 billion USD, followed by the Republic of Korea with 2.28 billion USD and the US with 1.92 billion USD.
Over the 11 month period, the processing and manufacturing sector attracted the largest share of FDI, accounting for 4.37 billion USD. Production, air-conditioning, electricity and water distribution contributed 2.94 billion USD, while the real estate sector ranked third, hitting 2.85 billion USD.-Enditem
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Steel stocks help revive markets
Hanoi (VNA) -- Stocks rose on the HCM Stock Exchange for a third straight day on Nov. 25, with the VN-Index gaining 1.24 percent to close at 439.85 points.
The value of trades totalled 688.4 billion VND (32.8 million USD ) as volume rose from 30.3 million shares on Nov. 24 to 33.8 million shares.
The number of gainers was twice that of the previous day's session, with 231 codes advancing and around 80 hitting their ceiling prices, including Hoa Sen Group (HSG), Sao Vang Rubber (SRC), Vietnam Mechanisation Electrification & Construction (MCG) and Transport Engineering Construction and Business Investment Co No 584 (NTB).
On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index soared by an even more impressive 3.08 percent to end the session back above the basis level at 102.07 points.
The volume of trades actually outpaced HCM City's, with 40.6 million shares changing hands, but the value of trades was just a shade behind that on the southern bourse, totalling 672.7 billion VND (32 million USD).
PetroVietnam Construction (PVX) was the nation's most-active share, with 3.1 million traded.
Analysts of financial services provider Stoxplus Corporation said that stocks in the constructing materials industry saw the highest increases in price on Nov. 25, rising 3.6 percent overall, with steel stocks becoming a particular favourite of investors.
Eight out of 21 steel stocks matched their ceiling prices on Nov. 25, and all offered shares were bought up, noted analyst Le Cong.
"Many steel stocks fell sharply before, with some at nearly face-value prices. But they have returned as a favourite on the stock markets, with supportive news in both steel consumption and prices," Cong said.
Steel demand in November was estimated by the Vietnam Steel Association as 40,000 tonnes higher than in October. Meanwhile, steel price continued rising in November, even hitting the peak of 600,000 VND per tonne at mid-month, due to the rising costs of pig iron, a major material used in producing steel.-Enditem
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17mln USD to be spent on education for minority groups
Hanoi (VNA) -- The Prime Minister has approved a 341 billion VND (17 million USD) project to improve educational facilities and training standards for students from nine minority groups with low populations from 2010-15.
The investment would help students to work their way out of poverty while preserving their own traditional identity, said Mong Ky Slay, head of the Ethnic Minority Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training.
A ministry report showed that the nine groups live in poor disadvantaged areas, where literacy levels are between just 30-40 percent and only 15 percent of the people can speak the national language. Most children from the groups drop out of school after second or third grade and few make it to high school or higher education.
The project will focus on upgrading infrastructure and equipping schools with more teaching materials.
It will also pay for training to give teachers a better understanding of the minority groups they teach.
Each poor pre-school student will be entitled to 30 percent of the government minimum salary per month, which currently stands at 730,000 VND (37.5 USD).
Pupils enrolled in primary schools will receive assistance of 40-60 percent, students in secondary boarding schools will receive 60 percent while students at boarding high schools will receive 100 percent of the minimum salary.
All the students will be encouraged to follow further education and high school graduates wishing to attend colleges, universities or vocational schools will be given priority depending on their abilities and desires.
Van Trong Luu, deputy head of Kon Tum province's Minority Group Education Management Division said that students from the Brau and Bo Mam ethnic groups have been given care and support under Government and provincial policies including scholarships and meals.
However, those students are included in a socio-economic development programme for remote disadvantaged areas whereas this project is the first of its kind aimed at minority groups with low populations.
The project will support the O Du, Pu Peo, Si La, Ro Nam, Cong, B'rau, Bo Y, Mang and Co Lao groups from the provinces of Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, central Nghe An and the Central Highland province of Kon Tum; each has a population of 300-2,000 people.-Enditem
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Aid for thousands in four poor provinces
Hanoi (VNA) -- Nearly 5,000 poor households in four provinces will be given a helping hand to increase income and job opportunities during the next two years.
This is one of the main targets of a joint programme on green production and trade in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho provinces.
The 4.1 million USD scheme has been organised by the Trade Promotion Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade and five United Nations organisations.
More than 40 percent of the beneficiaries have a monthly income of less than 200,000 VND (10 USD).
"The four provinces were selected due to the high incidence of poverty, especially among ethnic minorities, the concentration of raw materials and local production of craft," said Do Kim Lang, deputy director of the department.
The programme will focus on boosting five crafts based on bamboo ware, producing and weaving silk, sea grass, lacquer ware and handmade paper.
"We want to help poor growers, collectors and producers to improve their products and link them to more profitable markets," said Lang.
Under the programme, raw bamboo and rattan material will be managed, exploited and developed in a sustainable way.
"Green here means that we will ensure environmental protection when exploiting raw materials, and ensure safe working condition for farmers," said Lang.
A total of 400ha of bamboo belonging to 150 households have been zoned in Chau Thang district in central Nghe An province.
More than 460ha of rattan have also been planted in the four provinces. Local farmers have received training on planting, harvesting and processing.
More than 500 people in the four provinces have already received basic training in making bamboo products. And more than 740 others have received advanced training to enable them to make complicated and fine art bamboo products. They have been provided with splitting machines and storage facilities.
The export value of bamboo and rattan products in the targeted provinces is expected to rise significantly if there is a well developed understanding of markets, marketing and design.
Service providers will also help run advanced training in business development and invite foreign designers to develop new product ranges for bamboo and rattan.
Handicraft enterprises will be invited on study tours in Vietnam , China and the Philippines . They will also be involved in domestic and international trade fairs. -Enditem
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Oil and Gas Group tops best businesses
HCM City (VNA) -- The Vietnam Report Joint-Stock Company on Nov. 25 issued its fourth annual list of the top 500 Vietnamese companies, with Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group heading the list.
Nearly half of the companies in the VNR500 are State-owned enterprises. Foreign-invested and private companies account for 23.8 percent and 31.2 percent, respectively.
The proportion of private companies in the VNR500 has increased yearly, making up 24 percent in 2008 and 30 percent in 2009.
The Vietnam Report ranks companies according to independent criteria, such as enterprises with the biggest benefits; enterprises with the biggest total assets; and enterprises with the biggest number of employees.
Besides the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group, the top 10 included the Vietnam National Petroleum Corporation, Electricity of Vietnam, Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group, Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries Group, Saigon Jewelry Company Limited, Viettel Group, Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam Southern Food Corporation and Petro Vietnam Exploration Production Corporation.
VNR500 is the result of an independent survey conducted by Vietnam Report with the support and consultancy of domestic and foreign experts, headed by US Professor John Quelch, Associate Dean of Harvard Business School .
The organising board said it based the ranking on the Forbes 500 model and on international standards.
The database was sourced from figures on total assets, turnover, profit, growth rate and number of labourers compiled by the General Statistics Office (GSO), and surveys and prospectuses provided by enterprises.
The top 500 are companies that have prominent production and business results and made great contributions to the development of Vietnam 's economy.-Enditem
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Binh Thuan delays yacht festival
Binh Thuan (VNA) -- The first international sailing festival in Binh Thuan central province, scheduled to be held from December 8 to 11, has been pushed back to January 15 – 18 due to bad weather.
Le Thi Thanh Lien, deputy director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the organisers fear the weather will affect the yachts' performance.
Binh Thuan will host the race together with the Vietnam National Administration for Tourism , Vietnam Airlines, and XT AsiaINC.
It will feature around 200 yachts cruising from Mui Ne to Cape Ke Ga and Hoa Thang Beach.-Enditem
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