VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam News reporter Hoang Anh talks to Chuck Searcy, Vice President of Project RENEW and Co-chair of the Agent Orange Working Group. Chuck Searcy, Vice President of Project RENEW and Co-chair of the Agent Orange Working Group. — Photo pbs.org When did you come to Viet Nam and what motivated your decision? The first time I came to Viet Nam was in 1967, as a 20-year-old soldier in the US Army. The year I spent in the war had a profound impact on me. That experience made me hate war. I saw the lies used by the US government to win support from the American people to continue the war, and I saw the death and destruction, the pain and the sorrow being caused to American families, but especially the terrible and tragic costs to the Vietnamese people. When I left the war zone in 1968, I knew that … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam News reporter Hoang Anh talks to Chuck Searcy, Vice President of Project RENEW and Co-chair of the Agent Orange Working Group. Chuck Searcy, Vice President of Project RENEW and Co-chair of the Agent Orange Working Group. — Photo pbs.org When did you come to Viet Nam and what motivated your decision? The first time I came to Viet Nam was in 1967, as a 20-year-old soldier in the US Army. The year I spent in the war had a profound impact on me. That experience made me hate war. I saw the lies used by the US government to win support from the American people to continue the war, and I saw the death and destruction, the pain and the sorrow being caused to American families, but especially the terrible and tragic costs to the Vietnamese people. When I left the war zone in 1968, I knew that … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – In the hot mid-day sun, a boy walking with a big school bag on the street in front of his shop showed signs of suffering from a heat stroke. Moving gesture: Poor students with bikes they received from Le Van Thai. Photo tienphong.vn Le Van Thai, who saw the boy almost everyday, told him to get out of the sun and rest in his small bicycle repair shop for a while. The boy told Thai that he walked a long way to school and back because his parents did not have enough money to buy a bicycle for him. He said his parents had encouraged him to learn, saying they would save enough money to buy him a new bike one day. The boy’s story took Thai on a trip down memory lane. He was born in 1975 in the central province of Quang Ngai. Like many children in the countryside, apart from his studies, Thai had to … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – In the hot mid-day sun, a boy walking with a big school bag on the street in front of his shop showed signs of suffering from a heat stroke. Moving gesture: Poor students with bikes they received from Le Van Thai. Photo tienphong.vn Le Van Thai, who saw the boy almost everyday, told him to get out of the sun and rest in his small bicycle repair shop for a while. The boy told Thai that he walked a long way to school and back because his parents did not have enough money to buy a bicycle for him. He said his parents had encouraged him to learn, saying they would save enough money to buy him a new bike one day. The boy’s story took Thai on a trip down memory lane. He was born in 1975 in the central province of Quang Ngai. Like many children in the countryside, apart from his studies, Thai had to … [Read more...]

A court of appeals in Hanoi on Friday upheld the death sentences against two executives from the corruption-hit shipping industry after convicting them of pocketing nearly $12 million in deals made between 2006 and 2008, the latest punishment meted out as the ongoing crackdown on the public sector is widening. At the first trial in February, Giang Kim Dat, the former sales manager of the troubled shipbuilder Vinashinlines, and Tran Van Liem, the company's former CEO, were sentenced to death for stealing more than VND260 billion ($11.65 million) from the company between 2006 and 2008. In February, the firm’s former accountant, Tran Van Khuong, also got a life sentence for abetting the embezzlement, while Dat’s father Giang Van Hien received 12 years in prison for money laundering. Friday's appellate court upheld all these sentences. Dat, Liem and Khuong at the court of appeals on Friday. Hien was absent on health grounds. … [Read more...]

A court of appeals in Hanoi on Friday upheld the death sentences against two executives from the corruption-hit shipping industry after convicting them of pocketing nearly $12 million in deals made between 2006 and 2008, the latest punishment meted out as the ongoing crackdown on the public sector is widening. At the first trial in February, Giang Kim Dat, the former sales manager of the troubled shipbuilder Vinashinlines, and Tran Van Liem, the company's former CEO, were sentenced to death for stealing more than VND260 billion ($11.65 million) from the company between 2006 and 2008. In February, the firm’s former accountant, Tran Van Khuong, also got a life sentence for abetting the embezzlement, while Dat’s father Giang Van Hien received 12 years in prison for money laundering. Friday's appellate court upheld all these sentences. Dat, Liem and Khuong at the court of appeals on Friday. Hien was absent on health grounds. … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – Residents of Van Cu Village in the central province city of Hue have been making rice noodles for some 400 years. But while their livelihoods fared well, their health did not. Rice noodle makers in Van Cu Village in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue have built tanks to filter untreated wastewater from the production process. – Photo baotainguyenmoitruong.vn Although when served on a plate, bun - also known as vermicelli - usually smells delicious, the production process in Van Cu smelled bad for years, the result of wastewater being discharged untreated into ditches along the roads, ponds and fields. Water in the ditches and ponds turned black, and families had to keep their doors and windows shut to keep out the stink. With households investing in advanced machinery for rice noodle … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – Residents of Van Cu Village in the central province city of Hue have been making rice noodles for some 400 years. But while their livelihoods fared well, their health did not. Rice noodle makers in Van Cu Village in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue have built tanks to filter untreated wastewater from the production process. – Photo baotainguyenmoitruong.vn Although when served on a plate, bun - also known as vermicelli - usually smells delicious, the production process in Van Cu smelled bad for years, the result of wastewater being discharged untreated into ditches along the roads, ponds and fields. Water in the ditches and ponds turned black, and families had to keep their doors and windows shut to keep out the stink. With households investing in advanced machinery for rice noodle … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam has a long-standing tradition of venerating teachers as people who provide knowledge and mould future leaders and quality citizens. At a recent meeting held to review the 2016-2017 academic year and set tasks for the 2017-2018 academic year, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha admitted that many teachers had failed to meet demands of education reform.   So it was shocking to learn that a position held in the highest esteem in society requires the lowest pass marks in a university entrance exam. As per the latest announcement of cutoff marks released by many pedagogical institutions, high school students virtually failing the entrance exams qualify for admission to become teachers, at just nine out of 30. To say this is shocking would be to put it mildly. Vietnamese … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam has a long-standing tradition of venerating teachers as people who provide knowledge and mould future leaders and quality citizens. At a recent meeting held to review the 2016-2017 academic year and set tasks for the 2017-2018 academic year, Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha admitted that many teachers had failed to meet demands of education reform.   So it was shocking to learn that a position held in the highest esteem in society requires the lowest pass marks in a university entrance exam. As per the latest announcement of cutoff marks released by many pedagogical institutions, high school students virtually failing the entrance exams qualify for admission to become teachers, at just nine out of 30. To say this is shocking would be to put it mildly. Vietnamese … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – Visitors to Hoc Mo, a wild and charming beach located in the central province of Quang Ngai, can enjoy all sorts of activities, from fishing, to enjoying beautiful views or learning about the culture of the local fishing village. Paradise: Hoc Mo Beach has tranquil and untouched beauty. — Photo thanhnien.vn The beach is part of Sa Huỳnh tourism complex, about four kilometres east of the People’s Committee of Pho Thach Commune; however, it is relatively unknown among tourists, meaning its still has its untouched beauty. To reach Hoc Mo, visitors have to pass through Thanh Duc Bridge and walk on the small village path shaded with bamboo trees, before a wide space suddenly opens at the end of the path. Adventure: … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – Visitors to Hoc Mo, a wild and charming beach located in the central province of Quang Ngai, can enjoy all sorts of activities, from fishing, to enjoying beautiful views or learning about the culture of the local fishing village. Paradise: Hoc Mo Beach has tranquil and untouched beauty. — Photo thanhnien.vn The beach is part of Sa Huỳnh tourism complex, about four kilometres east of the People’s Committee of Pho Thach Commune; however, it is relatively unknown among tourists, meaning its still has its untouched beauty. To reach Hoc Mo, visitors have to pass through Thanh Duc Bridge and walk on the small village path shaded with bamboo trees, before a wide space suddenly opens at the end of the path. Adventure: … [Read more...]

A peaceful corner of Tien Yen town Tien Yen town on a summer afternoon. The roads and ancient houses had just been washed by a rain shower.  The town contains two types of ancient houses: those built by the Chinese in the early 20th century and those with French architecture. The streets are laid out in a grid pattern, like a chessboard. There are no sidewalks.  The 2-story tube houses are covered with clay roof tiles. The 40-centimeter-thick walls are made of rocks or of bricks made with lime, red soil, and sand, while the ceilings are made of wood.  Each house has a small wooden staircase, a balcony, and a backyard, making the house cool in summer and warm in winter.  Tien Yen’s residents are Kinh - the majority people of Vietnam –as well as Chinese and people of … [Read more...]

A peaceful corner of Tien Yen town Tien Yen town on a summer afternoon. The roads and ancient houses had just been washed by a rain shower.  The town contains two types of ancient houses: those built by the Chinese in the early 20th century and those with French architecture. The streets are laid out in a grid pattern, like a chessboard. There are no sidewalks.  The 2-story tube houses are covered with clay roof tiles. The 40-centimeter-thick walls are made of rocks or of bricks made with lime, red soil, and sand, while the ceilings are made of wood.  Each house has a small wooden staircase, a balcony, and a backyard, making the house cool in summer and warm in winter.  Tien Yen’s residents are Kinh - the majority people of Vietnam –as well as Chinese and people of … [Read more...]

Investors at the Vietcombank Securities Ltd. office in Ha Noi. — VNA/VNS Tuan Anh Bank stocks strengthened during Friday’s afternoon trade which rescued the VN-Index from another fall as investor sentiment remained fragile. The benchmark VN-Index on the HCM Stock Exchange edged up 0.18 per cent to close Friday’s session at 768.97 points. It decreased 0.8 per cent on Thursday. Banks led the market rebound with five of seven listed lenders on the southern market advancing. Eximbank (EIB) rose by the daily maximum rate of 7 per cent, settling at 6.6 per cent to VND12,050 a share. BIDV (BID), the third largest listed bank by market value, increased 2.9 per cent, while the two biggest lenders – Vietcombank (VCB) and Vietinbank (CTG) – picked up by less than 1 per cent each. VPBank (VPB) which debuted on Thursday with 1.33 million shares dropped 4.6 per cent at VND37,200 a … [Read more...]

Investors at the Vietcombank Securities Ltd. office in Ha Noi. — VNA/VNS Tuan Anh Bank stocks strengthened during Friday’s afternoon trade which rescued the VN-Index from another fall as investor sentiment remained fragile. The benchmark VN-Index on the HCM Stock Exchange edged up 0.18 per cent to close Friday’s session at 768.97 points. It decreased 0.8 per cent on Thursday. Banks led the market rebound with five of seven listed lenders on the southern market advancing. Eximbank (EIB) rose by the daily maximum rate of 7 per cent, settling at 6.6 per cent to VND12,050 a share. BIDV (BID), the third largest listed bank by market value, increased 2.9 per cent, while the two biggest lenders – Vietcombank (VCB) and Vietinbank (CTG) – picked up by less than 1 per cent each. VPBank (VPB) which debuted on Thursday with 1.33 million shares dropped 4.6 per cent at VND37,200 a … [Read more...]

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc addresses the “Viet Nam – Thailand Economic Cooperation Forum” held in Bangkok on Friday. — VNA Photo Thong Nhat Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his hope that Thai businesses would make the most of co-operation and investment opportunities in Viet Nam, especially in the context of Viet Nam promoting mergers and acquisitions along with the equitisation of State-owned enterprises (SOEs). He made the remarks while addressing the “Viet Nam – Thailand Economic Co-operation Forum” held in Bangkok on Friday. PM Phuc was attending the event as part of his three-day visit to Thailand from August 17-19 at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The forum, hosted by the Thai Business Association in Viet Nam, Thailand’s Kasikornbank (KBank) in co-operation with the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Viet Nam and the Vietnamese … [Read more...]

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc addresses the “Viet Nam – Thailand Economic Cooperation Forum” held in Bangkok on Friday. — VNA Photo Thong Nhat Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed his hope that Thai businesses would make the most of co-operation and investment opportunities in Viet Nam, especially in the context of Viet Nam promoting mergers and acquisitions along with the equitisation of State-owned enterprises (SOEs). He made the remarks while addressing the “Viet Nam – Thailand Economic Co-operation Forum” held in Bangkok on Friday. PM Phuc was attending the event as part of his three-day visit to Thailand from August 17-19 at the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The forum, hosted by the Thai Business Association in Viet Nam, Thailand’s Kasikornbank (KBank) in co-operation with the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Viet Nam and the Vietnamese … [Read more...]

SOM3, which opened on August 18 and runs until the end of this month in Ho Chi Minh City, was attended by 2,100 delegates representing 21 APEC member economies.  This year the number of participants at APEC meetings will be 10 times higher than in 2006, when Vietnam hosted the Forum for the first time.  As part of the meeting, a Food Security Week has opened with a Policy Dialogue on Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in Response to Climate Change. Climate resilient sustainable agriculture The Asia Pacific region has a population of 3 billion people, 40% of the global population. Thanks to advanced technologies and economic growth, many countries have ensured food self-sufficiency.   But poverty and child malnutrition remain. Asia Pacific, which suffers the most from natural disasters, is addressing the issue of food security and … [Read more...]

SOM3, which opened on August 18 and runs until the end of this month in Ho Chi Minh City, was attended by 2,100 delegates representing 21 APEC member economies.  This year the number of participants at APEC meetings will be 10 times higher than in 2006, when Vietnam hosted the Forum for the first time.  As part of the meeting, a Food Security Week has opened with a Policy Dialogue on Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture in Response to Climate Change. Climate resilient sustainable agriculture The Asia Pacific region has a population of 3 billion people, 40% of the global population. Thanks to advanced technologies and economic growth, many countries have ensured food self-sufficiency.   But poverty and child malnutrition remain. Asia Pacific, which suffers the most from natural disasters, is addressing the issue of food security and … [Read more...]