Discovery Channel sends VN’s changes worldwide

Hanoi (VNA)- Four Vietnamese award-winning documentary films in the “First Time Filmmakers with Discovery Channel” competition will be broadcast on the Discovery channel from May 5.

At a press briefing in Hanoi on April 28, Vikram Channa, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific’s Deputy President of Content and Programming said that each film with its distinctive style features Vietnam’s changes during urbanisation as well as its cultural identities under the eyes of Vietnamese people themselves.

These films are “Jam Busters” by Director Phan Duy Linh, “Mr Long’s travelling cinema” by Hoang Manh Cuong, “A city of a thousand year” by Nguyen Manh Ha, and “Digging up the Death” by Dao Thanh Tung.

Each 30-minute film will be broadcast in succession on 20 PM every Thursday and repeated on 7 AM and 13 PM every Friday, Vietnam time.

Jointly organised by the Ford Foundation, the Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, the Asia Uproar and Vietnam’s Redbridge company, the competition was first launched in Vietnam in 2009 and helped offer international friends an insight into Vietnam’s country and people./.

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Hanoi’s life put in photo exhibition in Versailles

Paris (VNA) – Life in Hanoi in the past and at present is in the spotlight of an on-going photo exhibition in Versailles, France, as part of activities to mark the 36 th anniversary of Liberation of South Vietnam (April 30) and the May Day.

The exhibition “ Hanoi – now and then”, which forms the “ Versailles – a meeting with Vietnam ” programme, was jointly held by the Centre for Vietnamese Culture in France in coordination with relevant French agencies, from April 26-30.

Lively life in Hanoi in the old time as well as the capital city’s recent changes and developments during international integration are reflected vividly in exhibited black and white and colour photos taken by French and Vietnamese people.

Also there are snapshots featuring Vietnam ’s sites of interest, like Ha Long Bay, Phong Nha Ke Bang cave, Hue imperial city, Hoi An ancient town, and those delighting unique costumes of ethnic minority people in Vietnam ’s central region.

After exhibited in Versailles , the photos will be shown in several other cities in France in a bid to promote tourism in Vietnam , according to Le Hong Chuong, Director of the Centre for Vietnamese Culture in France .

Within the framework of the “ Versailles – a meeting with Vietnam ” programme, documentary films on UNESCO-recognised relics and landscapes in Vietnam will be screened, and an art performance and highlight of Vietnamese cuisines will be held on April 30./.

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Lai Chau rocked by 4.1 magnitude quake

Lai Chau (VNA) — An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale hit the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau 's Sin Ho district on April 28.

Residents at the epicentre might have felt slight vibrations, according to the vice president of the Geophysical Institute, Le Huy Minh.

It was the third tremor to hit Lai Chau in the past four days.

Lai Chau lies in a high risk earthquake area, Minh added.

He also said local authorities and residents should prepare for future earthquakes. /.

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Festival hails Truong Sa islands

Hanoi (VNA) - The Nha Trang Sea Festival 2011 that will be held on June 11-15 will include a one-day event for the Truong Sa (Spratlys) Archipelago.

Organisers said the event will offer mainland citizens the opportunity to show their love, respect and admiration for those living and working on Truong Sa islands.

A workshop on several issues related to the islands, film screenings, photo and painting exhibitions as well as art performances will mark the day, they added.

The Truong Sa Day is one of the most important parts of the festival, which also includes activities to support the International Environmental Day (June 5) and the International Ocean Day. The sea festival will have a total of around 50 events, organisers said./.

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Vietnamese storm to semi-finals at world boxing event

Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese boxers are through to the semi-finals of the ongoing AIBA Youth and Junior World Championships in Antalya , Turkey .

In the 54kg youth division, Liu Thi Duyen, who defeated Kazakhstan's Ilona Felonenkova 36-8 in the quarter-final, will face India's Basumatary Pwilao in the semi-final.

In the junior competition, Pham Thi Phuong in the 48kg division and Vuong Thi Vy in the 52kg division are already sure of at least a bronze medal after making the semi-finals in their respective categories.

Phuong eliminated Ireland 's Christine Gargan and Vy dismissed Russia 's Maria Sokolova in the quarter-finals to keep their medal hopes alive.

The tournament has provided a good opportunity for all of them to gain useful experience for the upcoming London 2012 Olympics. /.

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Green business competition launched

Hanoi (VNA) — The British Council has launched an eco-friendly business competition for entrepreneurs.

Up to six cash prizes worth 720 million VND will be awarded to those shortlisted. There are two prize categories – start-ups (worth 100 million VND (4,800 USD) each) and step-ups (for existing projects), worth 140 million VND each.

A similar competition has been launched in other Asia Pacific countries including Australia , mainland China , Japan , Indonesia , the Republic of Korea and Thailand .

Entries, which should be submitted by July 3, have to clearly address some of the biggest environmental challenges facing local urban communities, and solutions to those problems.

These include waste reduction and efficiency, environmental transport and travel, energy reduction, water efficiency and sustainable design./.

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Hue displays unique cuisines, flowers

Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) — Hue 's unique food and horticultural delights will be on display at the Traditional Craft Festival that opens in the central city on April 30.

Themed Vietnamese Kitchen in Hue-style Gardens , the festival is a tribute to artisans and craftsmen who have helped preserve traditional crafts, Nguyen Dang Thanh, deputy chairman of the city People's Committee, told a press conference on On April 27.

Gastronomy and horticulture play a major role in Hue 's traditional culture, he added.

The festival's cuisine section will be divided into three sections, with northern and southern being the others apart from Hue which will present its court, common, and vegetarian styles.

The vegetarian food will be made by Buddhist pagodas and societies in the city.

The other two will feature various cakes, sweet soups, rice dishes, and many other specialities.

A floating food market will be on show in the evenings, with guests enjoying food accompanied by court and folk music.

The horticultural exhibition on Nguyen Dinh Chieu, a pedestrians-only street, will feature more than 1,000 bonsai from 20 provinces and cities.

Artisans will also demonstrate their crafts to visitors.

There will be displays of acrylic paintings and photographs, pottery, and royal antiques.

Traditional folk arts like tai tu music and Khmer music from the south, ca tru (chamber music), quan ho (love duets), hat van (temple or entrance music), and hat xam (blind buskers' songs) from the north, and ca Hue (Hue-style folk singing) will be performed.

The festival will go on until next on May 4. /.

BUSINESS

Thai firms explore Vietnamese opportunities

HCM City (VNA) – A delegation of Thai companies met with executives of nearly 50 Vietnamese companies in HCM City on April 28 to seek trade and investment opportunities.

The visiting companies are engaged in banking, water treatment, food, coated-sand used in metal melting, industrial boilers and plastic film.

More and more Thai businesses are looking for opportunities in Vietnam, said Hirunya Suchinai, senior executive investment advisor of the Thailand Board of Investment, adding that the delegation had met with businesses in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Binh Duong provinces before working with HCM City firms./.

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Hi-tech testing company opens rep office

HCM City (VNA) – The US-based National Instruments, specialising in virtual instrumentation for tests, measurement and embedded systems, has opened its first Vietnam office in HCM City after a decade involved with local universities and research institutes.

The company forecasted an optimistic outlook for the Vietnamese market over the next five years, focusing on oil and gas, manufacturing, building, infrastructure, automotive, telecommunications and health care./.

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Vietnam sees booming 3D TV market

Hanoi (VNA) — The growth of the 3D television market in Vietnam has been 100 percent over recent years while the market in Malaysia , and Singapore has fallen off to 50-60 percent, says LG Electronics Vietnam managing director Yoen Tae Ko.

The executive expects growth in the 3D TV market in Vietnam to double.

LG would launch nine new 3D television series for the Vietnam market this year, he said.

Ko said the firm was trying develop new product lines to reduce costs for customers in order to take the lead in the 3D television segment.

It had already launched three new models with brighter images and wider viewing angles, he said. /.

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Saigon Paper sells stake to Japanese firms

HCM City (VNA) — Japan 's Daio Paper Corp and BridgeHead fund picked up a 38 percent stake in the joint-stock Saigon Paper Corporation (SGP) under a deal reached on April 27.

Their individual stakes and the share price have not been disclosed, but following the deal, which involved sale of both existing and new shares, the local company has a charter capital of 300 billion VND (14.5 million USD).

SGP chairman Cao Tien Vi said the Japanese partners were planning to make further investments in his company.

They would also provide technological, management, and training support.

SGP is the largest private paper producer in Vietnam with a 24 percent market share of the tissue-paper market. It is also one of the top five producers of industrial packaging paper.

Last year it reported a turnover of 725 billion VND, a 24 percent increase over 2009.

The company currently has an annual capacity of around 90,000 tonnes, but in June it will inaugurate a new factory with a capacity of 230,000 tonnes.

Daio is the third largest paper producer in Japan with sales of 5 billion USD last year.

Bridge Head is operated by the Development Bank of Japan , a leading State-owned lender with assets of 190 billion USD last year./.

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 Auto imports rebound in first quarter

 Hanoi (VNA) – Auto imports in April hit an estimated 5,500, worth 122 million USD, the General Statistics Office reported.

In the first four months of this year, imports reached 21,000 units valued at 400 million USD, marking a year-on-year increase of 60 percent in volume and 75.2 percent in value, the office said.

The rebound was partly attributed to a return to a stable foreign exchange market.

Most experts and traders had been optimistic about the market recovery this year after the sharp dip last year due to the global recession.

A report by the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers' Association said that last year 150,000units were sold in the country, a year-on-year decrease of 17 percent. /.

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Solo helicopter tours for Da Nang

Da Nang (VNAS) - Da Nang-based Vitours, the only travel agency in central city offering helicopter tours, has launched a promotion to attract individual travellers instead of giving priority to groups.

The promotion, launched to mark the International Fireworks Competition 2011 in Da Nang on April 29 and 30, offers a 10 percent discount to individual tourists. The tours, which will take off from Da Nang Airport , will provide tourists with a bird's eye view of the city's attractions, including its coastline.

The first tour, which costs 4.99 million VND (240 USD) per person, will land on Son Tra Mountain for tourist to explore attractions in the area by car.

The second tour, which costs 5.99 million VND (285 USD) per person will take tourists to Cham Island off Hoi An City in Quang Nam Province . It offers tourists the opportunity to go diving among coral reefs in Quang Nam waters./