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Home  Vietnam Daily Brief Vietnam Daily Brief, 2011 Mar, 31 |
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Vietnam Daily Brief, 2011 Mar, 31 |
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Thursday, 31 March 2011 |
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VN welcomes 1.15 million foreign visitors in Q1
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam received more than 1.15 million foreign visitors in the first quarter of the year, representing a year-on-year increase of 12 percent, reported the General Statistic Office (GSO).
In March only, as many as 475,000 holidaymakers came to Vietnam , up 5 percent over the same period last year.
China , the Republic of Korea , Japan , the US , Taiwan ( China ), Australia , Cambodia , France , Malaysia and the UK remained Vietnam ’s biggest tourism markets.
In particular, the number of Japanese visitors travelling to Vietnam in March reduced slightly, despite the adverse impacts of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in the country.
Around 43,500 Japanese tourists arrived in Vietnam , down just 8 percent from the previous month, but up 10 percent over the same period last year.
In the January-March period, Ho Chi Minh City welcomed approximately 900,000 foreign visitors, up 6 percent over the same period of 2010./.
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Press Highlights Mar. 30
Hanoi (VNA) -
Current events
· 12 th National Assembly’s final session wraps up successfully (All dailies, page 1).
· Vietnam-Netherlands Inter-governmental Committee meeting on climate change adaptability and water management (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 1).
· D elegation of Cambodian citizens visits Vietnam (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 1).
· UN Independent Expert: Strengthening people’s participation in development (Lao dong, page 1). Concluding his Vietnam visit, UN Independent Expert on foreign debts and human rights Cephas Lumina praises the Vietnamese government for its socio-economic development efforts and implementation of MDGs.
Socio-economic Affairs
· Farm produce exports reach 3.4 billion USD in first quarter (Nhan dan, page 1).
· Hanoi records moderate economic growth in Q1 (Nhan dan, page 1).
· Petrol prices up by 2,000-2,800 VND per litre (Nhan dan, page 1).
· Additional 53 Vietnamese seafood businesses allowed to export to the EU (Nhan dan, page 8).
· ADB approves 293 million USD loan for building railways in Hanoi (Nhan dan, page 8).
· Prof. Dr . Ivo Vasiliev: coming back to Vietnam like returning home (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 5). Prof. Dr . Ivo Vasiliev has received the Phan Chau Trinh Award 2010.
· Ho Chi Minh City presents nearly 9 billion VND to Truong Sa island district (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 8).
· Radioactive amount 500,000 times lower than permissible level (Lao dong, page 1). Radioactive cloud flying to Vietnam does not pose a threat to the environment and human health.
· Massive in flows of luxury goods imports (Lao dong, page 3). While the government is determined to curb inflation, imports of commodities which are the government’s control target increase in both volume and value.
· Japanese ambassador Yasuki Tanizaki said he is moved by Vietnamese’s hearts (Lao dong, page 6).
· Vietnam welcomes more than 1.5 million international visitors in Q1 (Saigon Giai phong, page 1).
· GDP up 5.43 percent in Q1 (Saigon Giai phong, page 7).
· Vietnam ’s economy sees positive growth three years after joining the WTO (Saigon Giai phong, page 3).
· Vietnamese goods climb to second place in Cambodia (Saigon Giai phong, page 3). In 2010, Vietnamese commodities for the first time outstripped China to second place in Cambodia , only after Thailand .
· Vietnamese business restructuring trends (Thoi bao Kinh te Viet Nam [Vietnam Economic Times], No. 75, page 4). The Business Development Institute released the Vietnam Business Annual Report 2010 which focuses on business restructuring trends.
· Trade deficit in farm produce at alarming rate (Nong thon Ngay nay [Countryside Today], No. 75, page 12). According to statistics, in the first quarter of this year, the total import value of agricultural products remained high, remarkably contributing to the economy’s trade deficit. This is a paradox as Vietnam is an agricultural country.
· Low-cost services not attractive enough to lure visitors (Saigon Tiep thi [Saigon Marketing], No. 32, page 22). Vietnam ’s tourism is prospering but its development is unsustainable. Despite being home to numerous world cultural and natural heritages, Vietnam is still inferior to regional countries in tapping tourism potentials.
· Shinhan to buy Vietcombank stake (Thanh nien [Young People], No. 88, page 7). Shinhan, the RoK’s largest financial group, decided to buy Vietcombank’s stake in the Shinhan Vina Bank joint venture.
International Affairs
· Japan makes efforts to surmount nuclear problem (Nhan dan, page 8).
· Two Koreas jointly study volcano operations (Nhan dan, page 8).
· Fierce and spreading fire exchange in Libya (Nhan dan, page 8). Nearly 40 countries and organizations meet in London to discuss on Libya .
· Thailand agrees to convene meeting of the Joint Border Committee with Cambodia in Indonesia (Quan doi Nhan dan, page 8)./.
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Artists, entrepreneurs understand the heart
HCM City (VNA) — A charity founded by artists and entrepreneurs plans to fund heart surgery for 1,500 poor children, build 50 homes for flood victims and help children and teachers in remote areas attend school this year.
The charity will fulfill it aims by spreading a message of love, understanding and happiness through several programmes that will also raise funds, including a TV talk show, a "behind the scenes" TV show featuring famous people, an outreach programme for high schools and a short-film-making contest.
Called Understanding the Heart, the charity will also raise funds by selling copies of a book released last year that carries its name. The book tells 50 moving daily-life stories of people struggling against adversity.
They will spread the message the book among many more youth and their parents, and mobilise money to fund heart surgeries for around 1,500 poor children this year, the charity's representatives said on March 29, launching their programme for the second year.
Tran Huu Tam, permanent deputy chairman of the Sponsoring Association for Poor Patients, said last year the organisation had collaborated with Heart Beat Vietnam run by the VinaCapital Foundation to carry out heart surgeries for 100 children.
The organisation expects to support 1,500 such surgeries this year, he said.
They plan to sell 100,000 copies of the book by the end of this year and use the proceeds for the free heart surgeries, said actor Pham Gia Chi Bao, director of the programme.
The charity will also continue to co-ordinate with Dat Trading JSC and VTC Intecom to produce the Ngau Hung Cung Sao (Sudden Inspiration with Star) TV programme that will have stars and their families talk about life behind the scenes.
During the programme, the audience will be asked to send the message "TT" to 1404 to make their donations. Each message donates 8,000 VND to the charity.
"After beginning in February, we have, as of March 25, received more than 80,000 messages, raising 642 million VND (32,000 USD)," said Mai Quyen Linh, actor and MC of the programme.
"We expect to raise 8 billion VND (about 400,000 USD) for the fund by the end of this year," Linh added.
The charity has also coordinated with the Vietnam Data Communication Company and the video advertising platform and video ad network YuMe to carry out a campaign named Trieu Loi Yeu Thuong (Million Words of Love), calling on the public to access website www.vnn.vn/hieuvetraitim from May to the end of December and send messages to disadvantaged Vietnamese children.
"Each message means you donate 300 VND for the fund," Bao said.
A 52 episode talk show series, also called Understanding the Heart, will be broadcast on StyleTV every Saturday night, helping both young people and their parents learn the value of life through moving and inspiring true-life stories, he added.
Yet another programme called Understanding the Heart, to Live in Love and Happiness will be organised at six high schools in the provinces of Khanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Kien Giang, An Giang, Long An and Binh Dinh.
"The programme is expected to help pupils recognise and appreciate what they have and to live happily," Bao said.
To spread the message of "love and happiness" further, a short-film-making contest will invite interested youth to script and shoot films based on the 50 stories carried in the book Understanding the Heart.
The charity will collaborate with the Duong Minh Foreign Language School to build 50 houses for people in the flood-stricken regions in Quang Binh, Ha Tinh and several provinces in the Mekong Delta.
It also plans to create "essential conditions" for 500 pupils and 200 teachers in remote and mountainous areas to go to school, Bao said. /.
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Local events raise funds for Japan
Hanoi (VNA) — Artists throughout the nation are showing their sympathy for people suffering from the recent catastrophes in Japan through a variety of activities.
A music fashion show titled Be Strong Japan! will be held at the Hanoi Drama Theatre on March 31. The show will gather around 50 singers, musicians and models, who will showcase the latest collections by designers Duc Hung from Hanoi and Viet Hung from HCM City . The outfits will then be auctioned off and the proceeds will go to a charity for Japanese victims.
An art exhibition titled Chan Dung Hanoi (Hanoi Portrait) will be held at the Maison des Arts, 31A Van Mieu street on April 1. The 10-day exhibition will feature works by 50 domestic and foreign artists, who will also sketch visitors' portraits. Most of the proceeds will go towards those in need in Japan
On April 5, the Nhacvietplus music information website will hold a charity music show at the Students Cultural House, 37 Tran Binh Trong Street , with popular singers such as Thanh Lam, Ngoc Anh, Khanh Linh and Bang Cuong as well as noted models and football players on stage. A charity auction will also be held, and lots can be viewed at www.mattroimoc.info.
The proceeds will also be sent to Japan .
Earlier this month, musician Do Hong Quan, chairman of the Vietnam Musicians Association, composed a song expressing his sympathy for Japan .
Titled Gui Loi Yeu Thuong (Message of Compassion), the song was written in just five days, and singer Ho Quynh Huong has been chosen as the first to sing the song. Quan said he would record the song to the background of images of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan on March 11.
He also said he hoped the song would encourage Vietnamese people to pull together in an effort to help the Japanese people. /.
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Grandmaster Liem to compete in Cuba
Hanoi (VNA) -Vietnamese chess Grandmaster Le Quang Liem will compete in an invitation only event in Cuba from May 10-21 to commemorate late chess legend Jose Raul Capablanca.
The event's organisers invited Liem to take part in the event following his victory at the Aeroflot Open in Moscow in February.
Liem will also be competing for foreign teams from Germany , France and China in the first half of this year, with his eye on the World Chess Championships in Russia this autumn, and the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia in November. /.
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VFF seals national football sponsorship deal with Panasonic
Hanoi (VNA) - A two-year sponsorship deal was signed between Panasonic and the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) on March 28.
As part of the deal, Panasonic will sponsor the national men's and women's football teams and Olympic team in preparation for upcoming events such as the qualifying rounds of the 2014 World Cup, the 2012 London Olympics and the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia this November.
The value of the deal was not revealed, but according to VFF Chairman Nguyen Trong Hy, it was the highest ever.
Shinichi Wakita, general director of Panasonic in Vietnam , said the deal was aimed at developing Vietnamese football to a new level./.
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VN cyclists to compete in Tour of Thailand
Hanoi (VNA) - The Vinh Long Television–ADC team will compete in the Tour of Thailand that starts on March 30, according to the Vietnam Cycling Federation.
The team consists of Bui Minh Thuy, Ho Van Phuc, Ho Van Loc, Tang Chi Hung, Ho Hoang Son.
Delegation leader Vo Viet Thanh said apart from race experience, the team would get the opportunity to learn from foreign cyclists and their tactics.
The event is part of a series of tours organised by the International Cycling Union./.
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Laos congratulated for successful Party congress
Hanoi (VNA) — Politburo member and HCM City Party Committee Secretary Le Thanh Hai congratulated Laos on the successful completion of the 9th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), during a meeting with visiting Lao Deputy Prime Minister Thoongloun Sisoulith here on March 29.
Hai said he believed that the success will help the Party and Lao people attain greater achievements in national construction and development, as well as contribute to the special friendship between the two Parties, Governments and peoples.
Sisoulith, who is also head of the LPRP Central Committee's Commission for External Relations and Foreign Minister of Laos, said he believed that the special Vietnam-Laos friendship and comprehensive co-operation will be continuously nurtured and developed by generations of Vietnamese and Lao people.
He said that Laos hoped to continue attracting investment from Vietnam in the future. /.
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Highlands spa displays wood sculptures
Dac Lac (VNA) — Thirty sculptures are on display on Tam Linh (Spiritual) Hill at the Ban Don Eco Resort and Spa in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak .
They are the works of 16 international and national sculptors from the Central Highlands wood sculpture camp, one of the activities of the recent third Buon Ma Thuot Coffee Festival.
The pieces were carved from precious wood and completed in a short time. With the theme of Thien (Zen), the sculptors have found new ways of expressing the cultural values of the region.
Inspired by Buddhist philosophy of human life, a professor at the Hue Fine Arts College , Phan The Binh, created a statue in the “nha mo” style, which is when ethnic groups build a house on a tomb to hold the belongings of the deceased so that they may be used in heaven.
The statue has an empty trunk and four sides facing four different directions. A hollowed-out canoe is decorated with designs characteristic of the Central Highland, such as “nha rong” (communal houses on stilts) and “che ruou can” (jars containing wine drunk through pipes).
The role of women is very important because families in the region have kept matriarchy alive. Thien 1 (Zen 1) and Thien 2 (Zen 2), two works by Vuong Hoc Bao of Hanoi , symbolise a Central Highland woman wearing a traditional hat.
Artist Pham Hong of Da Nang conveys to his viewers the consequences of deforestation through his work entitled Ngam (Thinking). Sculptor Vo Xuan of HCM City, inspired by seeing the region's forests ravaged during the American War, created Tai Sinh (Reborn) to express a tree sprout.
Philip Nisette and his wife, both Australian sculptors, were attracted to the Central Highlands instantly. When they first arrived, they spent hours wandering the ethnic villages. Inspired by the desolate area, they lost themselves in their work. Their three works express the Zen of Tay Thien, a Buddhist area. /.
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Japanese nuclear plant offers lessons
Hanoi (VNA) — Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan admitted that Vietnam is determined to go ahead with the building of the nuclear power plants in the central coastal province of Ninh Thuan .
Nhan told the National Assembly deputies on March 29 that the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear plant was a precious lesson for Vietnam .
He said that since the adoption of Resolution No 41 by the National Assembly in 2009 on guidelines to build the nuclear power plant in Ninh Thuan, the Government had issued five legal documents guiding the implementation of the Law on Nuclear Power.
The Prime Minister has decided to establish the Ninh Thuan Nuclear Power Project Steering Committee with a Deputy Prime Minister as the director and representatives from various ministries, sectors and Ninh Thuan province as project members.
An inter-governmental joint committee on the building of the Ninh Thuan nuclear plant No 1 between Vietnam and the Russian Federation was signed on October 31, 2010. Preparations for the construction of the plant had been ongoing since then, including a credit agreement with Russia .
For the second nuclear plant, negotiations between Vietnam and Japan are underway, including a credit agreement to build the plant from Japan .
The construction sites of the two plants had been approved by the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
A feasibility report on the construction of the Ninh Thuan No.1 Reactor is currently being drafted.
For the second plant, the Japanese Government had agreed to provide 25 million USD in the form of non-refundable aid to compile project documentation.
Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) was confirmed as the project owner of the two nuclear plants.
The EVN had consulted with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the safety of the plants.
Vietnam had also sent students and abroad to study nuclear energy in Russia , Japan , the Republic of Korea and France .
Construction on the first nuclear plant will begin in December 2014 and the first nuclear reactor will generate electricity in 2020, with the second going online the following year.
For the second nuclear plant, construction was slated for May 2015 and the first nuclear reactor will generate electricity in 2021, with the second reactor going into commission in 2022.
"Site selection for the nuclear plants and the technology have been and will thoroughly be considered, including the case of extreme weather conditions as earthquakes, tsunamis or plane crashes," said Nhan. /.
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Hypertension control programme to go nationwide
HCM City (VNA) — The national hypertension prevention and control programme is being extended this year to all 63 cities and provinces to educate the public that the condition could cause cardiovascular diseases, health officials said.
The 32-billion-VND (1.53 million USD) programme seeks to screen 70 percent of people aged 25 and above for high blood pressure (BP), Nguyen Lan Viet, Head of the Vietnam Heart Institute, said.
At least 50 percent of hypertension patients will be given proper treatment, Viet, who is also head of the programme steering committee, told a meeting held on March 29 to discuss implementation of the programme in the south.
It will also provide training to 10,000 health workers, he added.
Last year the programme screened nearly one million people in 16 cities and provinces.
Nearly 72,000 people were found to have high BP, half of them newly diagnosed.
Nearly 80 percent of them have been treated, with 19 percent managing to bring down their BP to normal levels.
A 2008 survey by the Vietnam Heart Institute in eight provinces and cities found the prevalence rate among people aged 25 and above to be 25.1 percent. /.
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Unilever wins green award
Hanoi (VNA) — Unilever Vietnam has been awarded a certificate by the Prime Minister for its outstanding achievements in environmental protection from 2005-10.
The prestigious award was presented to JV Raman, chairman of Unilever Vietnam , in Hanoi on March 29.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Dang Huy Dong said Unilever Viet Nam is the first to have received the award so far.
The company's environmental activities include its efficient energy use to save natural resources, such as its solar energy system to heat water. Unilever's office is designed to maximise natural light, reducing the need for office lights, Raman said.
"All waste water is treated by a state-of-the-art treatment plant before discharge. Solid waste is collected and treated separately. Noise is limited to ease the impact on the surrounding area," he said.
Biological sludge from waste water treatment plants are collected separately to make fertiliser, treated waste water that reaches standard type B is used to irrigate the grass, and all packaging materials are returned to the supplier for recycling, Raman said. /.
Nation must prepare for earthquakes
Hanoi (VNA) — Vietnam must better prepare for earthquakes, a conference in Hanoi heard on March 29.
According to scientists at the event organised by the Institute of Geophysics, the country could be severely affected by earthquakes and tsunamis.
Geophysics Institute associate professor Cao Dinh Trieu, who is second vice president of the Asian Seismological Committee, said a 5.3 magnitude earthquake on the Vietnam-Laos border in 2001 damaged 98 percent of offices and schools and injured two people in Dien Bien city.
"The earthquake was average in terms of magnitude and occurred 10km away from Dien Bien but its devastation was huge," he said.
Earthquakes of similar size in countries such as Japan or Indonesia by contrast had a nominal effect, he said.
The scientist blamed low quality building work in Vietnam and inadequate public awareness.
Professor Bui Cong Que, Director of the Geophysics Institute shared the opinion.
"Raising public awareness and issuing stricter earthquake and tsunami-proof construction regulations is an urgent task," he said.
Deputy Director of Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Centre Nguyen Hong Phuong also said readiness is the most important factor as no country in the world so far could forecast exactly when an earthquake would occur.
Important lessons had been learned internationally. The magnitude 8.8 Chilean earthquake last year was much stronger than the one that hit Haiti, but the number of casualties and damage was far less. Experts also said Japan's preparedness had saved a lot of lives.
A recent report released by the United Nations shows Vietnam is much less vulnerable to earthquakes than other countries in the region as it is not located on the edge of any tectonic plate.
But in the northern region, fault systems such as the Red River, the Ma River and the Lai Chau-Dien Bien area could have lengths of several hundred kilometres and slip rates in the range of 0.5-2mm a year, which potentially generate earthquakes from 5.7 to 7 magnitude.
Associate professor Trieu said earthquakes in Vietnam usually had epicentres close to the surface, resulting in higher intensity shaking at ground level.
Deputy Director of the Geophysics Institute Le Huy Minh said the geological foundation of many places in Vietnam was quite weak, which would add to the shaking produced by earthquakes.
Trieu said strong earthquakes had been recorded by seismographs in Vietnam since 1924.
The most recent magnitude 6.8 and 6.7 earthquakes had occurred in Dien Bien Phu and Tuan Giao, both in the northern province of Dien Bien, in 1935 and 1986.
The quakes killed and injured dozens of people, destroyed houses and caused cracks of up to 20km long on the ground.
Two earthquakes with magnitude 5.6-6.0, 13 with magnitude 5.1-5.5 and more than 100 others with magnitude 4.6-5.0 have also occurred in Vietnam in the last 90 years.
Another 108 strong earthquakes have been recorded in the country since 114AD with up to 18 recorded in Hanoi, according to Trieu.
The scientist said there were signs of seismic quietness, or a temporary quiet period after a strong seismic activation span, in the capital city.
"Earthquakes in Hanoi historically were not weak at all but over a prolonged period, not a single sign of seismic activity has been recorded. It's worrying!" he said.
The signs of an active period after a seismic pause in the southern centre and the south of Vietnam with more and more frequent earthquakes of over magnitude 3.0 since 2000 also needed attention, said Trieu.
Meanwhile, scientists said the central coast from Quang Tri Province to Ninh Thuan Province could potentially be the most affected by tsunamis although the probability of a tsunami in Vietnam was low.
In case of an 8.6 magnitude earthquake at Manila Trench in the East Sea, west of the Philippines, this area could suffer tsunamis of 8-10m after about two hours.
If a 9 magnitude earthquake occured in the zone, central Nha Trang City will be 6-7m under the water and more than 19,000 people may be killed, according to the latest research conducted by the Geophysics Institute.
Professor Que said two other likely sources of earthquakes that could trigger tsunamis reaching the Vietnamese coast included faults in the northern area of the East Sea and along the central coast.
"Therefore, the possibility of earthquakes and tsunamis must be taken into account before erecting any plants and buildings along the coast," he said. /.
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Waste treatment plant begins construction in Binh Duong
Binh Duong (VNA) — A groundbreaking ceremony was held on March 29 for a 95 million USD waste water treatment plant in southern Binh Duong Province that will benefit 50,000 residents in the town of Thu Dau Mot.
Located across an 11-ha area, the plant will include a facility capable of treating 17,650 cubic metres of water per day.
The plant will help to protect the environment in the area as well as the Sai Gon River which serves as a major water source for HCM City.
Under the framework of Japanese ODA, the Southern Binh Duong Water Environment Improvement project is scheduled for completion in mid 2013.
An expert from Japan's International Co-operation Agency said that the project would help protect the environment in the area by treating waste water that was previously disposed of directly into rivers. /.
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Cost of disasters tripled in 2010, says Swiss Re
Hanoi (VNA) - The global cost of natural and man-made disasters more than tripled in 2010 to 218 billion USD, reinsurer Swiss Re said on March 29, with the human toll the highest for decades.
2010 was not only characterised by severe earthquakes that ranked among the deadliest, costliest and most powerful in history, but also by a series of extreme weather events, such as major floods, said Thomas Hess, chief economist of Swiss Re.
Such "severe catastrophes" claimed 304,000 lives last year, the highest level since 1976, compared to 15,000 in 2009, the report added.
These disasters cost the global insurance industry over 43 billion USD in 2010, up by more than 60 percent from the previous year.
Earthquake losses - in particular those in Chile and New Zealand - accounted for almost one-third of all disaster losses in 2010, and high claims from seismic activity are expected to continue in 2011.
Incidentally, earthquake losses for 2011 will also be above average as the total insured claims for the February 22 earthquake in Christchurch , New Zealand , are estimated to be between 6 billion USD and 12 billion USD, said the reinsurer.
The massive Tohoku earthquake that struck Sendai, Japan, on March 11 is also expected to trigger significant insured losses, it added.
Swiss Re estimated last week that Japan 's earthquake and tsunami have cost the company some 1.2 billion USD, but warned that this figure could be revised upwards./.
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Cuba president meets former US president
Havana (VNA) - Cuban President Raul Castro met the visiting former US President, Jimmy Carter, on March 29, exchanging views on important issues related to bilateral ties and regional and international affairs.
Castro affirmed Cuba 's readiness for dialogue with the US on any issue in order to improve bilateral relations, adding that the dialogue must be based on the principle of equality and mutual respect for each other’s independence and sovereignty.
The meeting was also attended by Carter's wife Rosalynn and the Cuban Foreign Minister, Bruno Rodriguez.
Talking with the press while visiting Belen Church in downtown Havana , Carter said he hoped that his trip could help improve US-Cuba relations. The trip was aimed at meeting with the Cuban people, government officials and citizens.
The former US president noted that the visit was not intended to request Cuba release US citizen Alain Gross, who was sentenced to 15 years in jail for acting as a spy./.
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Gov’t approves atomic energy security project
Hanoi (VNA) – The Government has approved a project on carrying out measures to ensure security in the atomic energy area.
According to a recent decision signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, the project will focus on the prevention work and protection of people’s lives and health and the environment.
The project will be carried out in all localities in the country and will concern all application of atomic energy for peaceful purpose, with priorities being given to ensuring security at border gates, key nuclear establishments and radiation projects and establishments.
The project is aimed at ensuring political security and social safety and order in the atomic energy area, and contributing to protecting national security, the Party guidelines and State policies and laws on application of atomic energy for peaceful purpose and socio-economic development.
The decision stipulates that it is responsibility of all people, sectors and organisations and individuals operating in the field to ensure atomic energy security, with police being the key force.
It gave out synchronous measures, including raising public awareness, accelerating State management, boosting international cooperation in fighting crime in the field as well as working out plans to prevent, discover and cope with any nuclear and radiation problems./.
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Vietnam urged to adopt strong talent strategy
Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has been called on to promptly map out a national strategy on talent, in order to optimise the utility of this valuable resource for speeding up its national industrialisation and modernisation.
Accordingly, a project aimed at establishing theoretical and realistic foundations for the creation of a national talent strategy was launched in Hanoi on March 30.
The project was led by Ho Duc Viet, former Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) and former Chairman of the CPVCC’s Organisation Commission.
According to the official, since its founding Vietnam has recognised the importance of talent to the country’s multi-dimensional growth and its Party and State have paid constant attention to finding, training and utilising talented people, especially for the current renewal process.
He said Party and State have adopted various training projects to enable excellent university students and competent State officials to study abroad, in an effort to prepare a contingent of proficient personnel for the nation’s sustainable development.
Viet also referred to policies and guidelines aimed at attracting talented people working in different fields inside and outside the country, as well as conditions to make the best utility of their gifted capacity.
However, the official pointed out that the lack of strategic programmes and plans hindered the early detection of the talented from schools and universities and that insufficient preference given to talented people failed to lure them to work in the political system.
The project focused on studying talented people involving in leadership and management, science and technology, production and business/.
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Military officer meets with Cambodian citizens
Hanoi (VNA) – A senior Vietnamese military officer affirmed that the Vietnamese army and people have always placed importance on promoting its solidarity and friendship with the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and the Cambodian people.
Lieutenant General Nguyen Song Phi, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, made the affirmation in Hanoi on March 30 during his meeting with the visiting delegation of Cambodian citizens led by Khun Chhy, former Cambodian Transport Minister.
He affirmed that since the Vietnamese and Cambodian defence ministries signed the protocol on their annual cooperation in 2005, the two countries’ military and defence cooperation has been carried out effectively, helping strengthen the friendship between the two people and armies.
On the occasion, Khun Chhy expressed his thanks to the Vietnam People's Army for helping the Cambodian people escape from genocide.
He attributed the achievements that the Cambodian people and the RCAF attained in the past time to the friendship, solidarity and effective assistance offered by the Vietnamese people and army./.
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World Bank finances VN’s development efforts
Hanoi (VNA)- The World Bank (WB) will provide 570 million USD to support Vietnam’s development efforts in the fields of energy, transport, healthcare and urban environment.
The financial institution announced its approval of the financing on March 30.
Of the sum, the loan worth 180 million USD from WB’s International Bank for Restructuring and Development (IRBD) aims to scale up the development of Vietnam’s electricity transmission system.
The three remaining credits will be provided by the WB’s International Development Association (IDA), including the sum of 65 million USD as additional financing for an environmental sanitation project that will help to improve the lives of 600,000 people in the southern coastal cities of Dong Hoi, Quy Nhon and Nha Trang and ensure the sustainable development of tourism bases of these cities.
The credit worth 175 million USD will go to the Hai Phong urban transport project which is to improve urban accessibility and strengthen capacity for urban transport management and planning in the city.
The remaining 150 million USD will be provided for the hospital waste management support project which will strengthen healthcare waste management policies nationwide and support at least 150 central and provincial hospitals in improving infection control and occupational safety for patients and health workers./.
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Cross-straits trade forum to be held in May
Beijing (VNA)- The seventh Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum (CSETCF-7) will take place in Sichuan province’s Chengdu city on May 6-8.
Wu Poh-hsiung, Honorary Chairman of the Kuomintang Party (KMT) will lead the Taiwanese delegation to the forum, according to Fan Liqing, spokesperson for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office.
High on the forum’s agenda will be mainland China's development blueprint for the 12th five-year period and Taiwan's "Golden Decade" plan.
The delegates will also discuss the implementation of the Cross-Straits Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, educational and cultural cooperation as well as youth exchanges in the near future.
Organised for the first time by the KMT and the Communist Party of China in 2006, this annual event will draw the participation of experts from both sides in industrial and commercial circles along with representatives working in the fields of culture and education./.
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Dutch Prince visits HCM City
HCM City (VNA) – Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima met with Ho Chi Minh City’s authorities on March 30 during their five-day official visit to Vietnam.
Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan thanked the Netherlands for its assistance and support to Vietnam and HCM City, particularly in water resources management and coping with climate change and sea level rise.
The cooperation fields are practical issues for Vietnam and HCM City, affirmed Quan.
Prince Willem-Alexander said almost 100 Dutch business people who are accompanying the delegation want to seek investment opportunities in Vietnam, particularly in HCM City.
He said he hoped the city would facilitate Dutch business investment and cooperation, especially in water, agriculture, transport, logistics, maritime and oil and gas.
The Netherlands is willing to cooperate with Vietnamese partners through governmental, business and private-public channels, he said.
The Prince affirmed the Netherlands boasts time-honoured experience in water management which will be a key field where the Netherlands will boost cooperation and assist Vietnam, including HCM City.
Prince Willem-Alexander, Princess Maxima and Chairman Quan witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in adaptation to climate change between HCM City and Rotterdam and a MoU between the Vietnamese Exporters Association (VEXA) and the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) to assist HCM City businesses in exports to Europe.
On the same day, Prince Willem-Alexander and his Dutch economic mission explored the city’s investment environment and the connectivity between the Dutch businesses and Vietnamese partners.
Princess Maxima and Minister of Agriculture and Foreign Trade Henk Bleker visited FrieslandCampina Vietnam training centre in the southern province of Binh Duong where thousands of Vietnamese farmers have been trained in cow raising techniques and also met children at Vo Thi Sau primary school which was built in southern Binh Phuoc province under Friesland’s educational promotion programme./.
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Dutch diplomat awarded friendship medal
Hanoi (VNA) – The former head of the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Vietnam, Kitty van der Heijden, was awarded the Friendship Medal for her contribution to Vietnam’s socioeconomic development.
On behalf of the Vietnamese Government, Vietnamese Ambassador to Netherlands Huynh Minh Chinh handed over the award at a ceremony on March 29.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Chinh praised Kitty van der Heijden’s contribution to promote the “One UN” initiative in Vietnam and align the organisations of the United Nations (UN) in supporting Vietnam during her four-year term of service in the country from 2006-2010.
For her part, Kitty van der Heijden, now a sustainable development ambassador and Director of Department of Climate, Environment, Energy and Water under the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed her thanks for the distinction and showed her belief in Vietnam’s development prospects in the future.
She also affirmed her intention to continue contributing to boosting bilateral cooperative ties between the two nations./.
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Japan to scrap four reactors at Fukushima
Tokyo (VNA) – The Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) has said it will scrap four reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant No.1 that was devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
''We have no choice but to scrap reactors 1, 2, 3 and 4 if we look at their
conditions objectively,” TEPCO Chairman Tsunehisa Katsumata told reporters on March 30.
The four reactors at the nuclear power plant northeast of Tokyo have lost their cooling functions and are leaking radioactive materials into the air and sea following the twin disasters.
Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano suggested that all of the six reactors at the troubled Fukushima nuclear plant should be scrapped.
The government and nuclear experts are considering the feasibility of new steps such as covering reactors with special cloth to reduce the amount of radioactive particles flying away from the facility and using a large tanker to collect the contaminated water.
Also the same day, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) instructed power companies to take urgent safety measures at all nuclear power plants to cope with possible incidents in case of tsunami.
The Nuclear and Industry Safety Agency (NISA) of Japan detected radioactive iodine-131 at a concentration of 3,355 times the maximum level permitted under law in a seawater sample near the Fukushima plant.
However, NISA spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama affirmed that the contaminated water will not have any direct harmful affects on human health as the government has banned all fishing activities within a 20km radius from the plant.
By March 30, the casualties from the 9.0 magnitude earthquake causing a 10m-high tsunami had climbed to over 11,230, more than 16,360 others are still missing, according to Japan ’s national police agency.
On the same day, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit offshore Honshu Island , east of Japan . No information on casualties or injuries has been reported./.
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HCM City, Sachsen state boost cooperation
HCMC (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City and the German State of Sachsen both want to lift bilateral cooperation to a new height that matches their potential.
This statement was made by both Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan and Sachsen Governor Stanislaw Tillich during their meeting in HCM City on March 30.
They said environment and education are two areas where the two localities have opportunities, potential and demand for cooperation.
The HCM City official spoke highly of Sachsen’s strengths in industry, education, science-technology, hi-tech and tourism, saying the German state is home for many leading German groups, universities and research institutes, with potential for investment expansion and cooperation with Vietnam , including HCM City .
He stressed the efficiency of Germany ’s cooperation projects and investment in recent years, especially in industry, education and infrastructure development.
Quan affirmed environment is top priority in the city’s socio-economic development and he said he wants the two sides to cooperate in waste water treatment.
Governor Stanislaw Tillich affirmed his state’s willingness to help Vietnam as well as HCM City in development, particularly in areas of the State’s strength.
He saw concrete cooperation between the two localities being implemented in the future, including Leipzig University ’s masters degree course on business management for the city’s small and medium-sized enterprises, and waste treatment research.
The Governor said during his current visit, many Sachsen environmental companies have offered their advanced technology and sought opportunities for cooperation and business with partners in HCM City .
During the Sachsen Governor’s visit to the city, Saigon University and Germany ’s international association on environmental protection and technology (Saxutec) signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation to study and apply solid waste treatment technology.
Under the MoU, Saxutec will help train Vietnamese environmental lecturers in Germany, transfer technology, cooperate in scientific research and invest in research labs and treatment of solid waste./.
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Veterans recall Cambodian experiences
Hanoi (VNA)- The reunion between Vietnamese experts and soldiers, who had once voluntarily served in Cambodia , and their best Cambodian friends in Hanoi on March 30 was full of unforgettable experiences.
Former head of the Vietnamese expert mission Nguyen Van Xe recalled his experiences in restoring roads for traffic in Cambodia after the Angkor Wat country was liberated, as well as in preparing for the provision of material and human resources for the transport and communication sector in Cambodia .
“Vietnamese experts and the first Cambodian post and communications workers, including former Minister Khun Chhy, had shared numerous difficulties and hardships, including the lingering threat of death, to fulfil their tasks,” said Xe, who was also a former Deputy Minister of Transport.
At the age of 75, former Minister of Transport and Communication Khun Chhy of Cambodia was still in good voice, trying to speak Vietnamese with his “Vietnamese brothers who were far away for a long time” to cement close fraternity.
“Vietnamese experts and Cambodian cadres had only river water to drink and were suffering huge hardships in making temporary bridges from banana or coconut trunks during their field trips,” he recalled.
He expressed thanks for Vietnamese assistance in training generations of transport and communication personnel for Cambodia since the early 1970s.
Many alumni from Vietnamese universities have been contributing to the national construction in Cambodia and more and more will follow suit, he said.
Tran Dac Su, rector of the Transport University which hosted the meeting, described the event as full of unforgettable experiences and a momentum to boost friendship between the two countries to a new height.
The Cambodian delegation consisted of 11 people who had once sheltered and provided huge assistance for Vietnamese experts and soldiers in Cambodia. /.
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