Danh sách Blog của Tôi

Thứ Năm, 28 tháng 4, 2011

Policeman dies of rabies from domestic dog

For illustration purposes only

TUOITRE
A policeman in central Phu Yen Province’s Son Hoa District died Monday from rabies spread to him by his rabid dog more than three months ago, according to Cao Minh Hoa, chairman of the local people’s committee.
Lieutenant-colonel Nguyen Van Truong, 49, who had been bitten in the thumb by the dog on January 26, was admitted to Phu Yen hospital last Sunday with typical symptoms of rabies: insecure feelings and dread of wind, said Chau Khac Toan, a hospital doctor.
He was then transferred to the hospital’s infection control department and gone shortly after his family took him to another hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.
The dog also bit other people like his wife and some neighbors so local medical officers are now monitoring their health, Hoa said.
A local doctor confirmed those who ate the dog which was given to them for slaughtering after it had bitten so many people will not develop the disease since the rabies virus could definitely not survive the cooking.
Read more at www.tuoitrenews.vn

Rice exports top 2.2 mln tons


TUOITRE
Vietnam, the world’s second largest rice exporter, has shipped 2.2 million metric tons of rice in the first four months of this year for more than US$1 billion.

The Vietnam Food Association (VFA), releasing the figures, said they represent a rise of 26 percent in volume and 28 percent in value year on year. 

The Philippines, one of Vietnam’s largest importers, has reduced orders by 20 percent to 200,000 tons since it to cut imports by more than half this year. 

However, demand has increased in other markets like Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Africa.

China has bought 200,000 tons of the grain from Vietnam. 

Export contracts have so far been signed for 3.7 million tons, meaning another 1.5 million tons will be shipped in May and June.

Vietnamese rice exporters have bought 1 million tons of this, the VFA said.

Danang to light up with firework tonight


TUOITRE

Five firework shows from the UK, South Korea, Italy, China and Vietnam will light up Danang’s sky tonight in the fourth annual Danang International Fireworks Competition.

Three teams, Jubilee Fireworks from the UK, Hanwha from South Korea, and Vietnam’s Danang Fireworks, will perform in the opening night. 

The second and last day of the festival will feature performances of Parente Fireworks A&C SNC from Italy and Panda Fireworks from China as well as an award and closing ceremony.

Two grandstands have been built along the Han River to accommodate about 25,000 visitors. Tickets cost VND200,000.

A series of art performances, exhibitions, and sport games will also be held during the two-day competition.
 

Read more at www.tuoitrenews.vn

Earthquake hits Lai Chau province again


TUOITRE
A 4.1-magnitude earthquake shook Lai Chau mountainous province in northern Vietnam at 9:01 a.m. (local time) today, according to Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST).
The quake occurred off the East Sea at a depth of 12km.
VAST said it was not able to cause any material damage.
This is the third time within just four days that Lai Chau has experienced earthquakes.
Specifically, on April 15, a 3.8-magnitude earthquake off the East Sea at the depth of 10km hit Sin Ho district also in Lai Chau at 5:30 p.m (local time).
On April 26, one more earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale hit Lai Chau at 03:37:09 (GMT) (10:37:09 local time). The earthquake occurred off the East Sea at a depth of 4km, with the epicenter 14km northeast of Lai Chau town or 26km away from Muong Lay’s People’s Committee.
VAST has warned the local government and people to be on the alert against the quake and possible damages.
According to VAST, the epicenters of these quakes occurred at fault lines at Ma River, Da River, and northern provinces of Son La and Lai Chau.
According to VAST, earthquakes can reach up to 6.6-6.7 on the Richter scale and can strike fault lines at Ma River and Son La, and 6.1-6.5 quakes can occur at Hong River, Chay River, Ca River, and Lai Chau province.

Vietnamese actress returns from Hollywood sojourn

Angelina Jolie and Ngo Thanh Van
Photo: vnExpress


VNEXPRESS

Vietnamese model and actress Ngo Thanh Van is back home after attending the premiere of the 3D “Kungfu Panda 2” in California, the US, where she met her idol, actress Angelina Jolie.
“On getting an invitation from MegaStar and DreamWorks Animation, I accepted immediately,” she says. 

“I was happy to have a chance to meet and talk to Jack Black [who is the voice of the hero Po in the movie] and Angelina Jolie, someone I have always admired.”

She presented Black a red T-shirt with a yellow star representing the Vietnamese national flag and a conical hat with the message "To Jack Black with love from Vietnam."

She was taken in by Jack’s humor and informality, and he complimented her looks in her red ao dai.

“I was nervous about meeting Angelina Jolie and Jack Black. On seeing Angelina, I could understand why she is the most attractive woman on the planet and one of the most influential people.”

Van gave Jolie a book with pictures of beautiful Vietnamese landscapes as a gift for Pax Thien, her adopted son, to remember his roots. 

“Angelina Jolie’s eyes sparkled as she received the book. She turned each page over and thanked me.”

“Pax will like it, I believe. He often finds and collects photos about Vietnam,” Jolie said.

Van also watched 65 minutes of the film with them and took a tour around DreamWorks studio.

“Kungfu Panda 2” is a sequel to the smash 2008 hit “Kungfu Panda” about a panda named Po who becomes a kungfu master. 

The movie hits Vietnamese screens on June 1, International Children’s Day.
 

Read more at www.tuoitrenews.vn

Thứ Tư, 27 tháng 4, 2011

Vietnamese are overeating meat: research

TUOITRE

A 10-year research conducted by the National Nutrition Institute reveals what health experts say is a disturbing trend: Vietnamese eat more meat now than they did ten years ago.
Le Danh Tuyen, deputy head of the institute, talked to Tuoitre about this study, which analyzed eating habits of 7,600 households countrywide from 2001 to 2010.
What are some of the things this research reveals?
Vietnamese now eat more meat, fish and eggs than before.
Consumption of food of animal origin increases and consumption of vegetables goes down considerably.
Do these trends explain increasing health problems in Vietnam such as metabolic disorder, cardiovascular disease and diabetes?
Changes in daily food consumption have greatly affected Vietnam’s disease and death demography.
As pandemic infection has been reduced thanks to effective prevention, the numbers of patients and deaths of chronic diseases tend to rise rapidly.
This is a common trend for developing countries when they enter a new economic phase.
The living standards of a part of our population have been improved, and so have their diet’s nutritional quality.
Consumption of meat and other sources of lipid has caused an increasing number of cases of diabetes and obesity.
How should we change our diet?
Vietnamese eat more meat than needed while consumption of fish and other seafood and vegetables remains very low.
An average person needs only 50 to 60 grams of meat and meat products per day. 
He or she needs 100 to 150 grams of fish and seafood and 200 to 300 grams of fruits and vegetables per day.
A daily amount of 20 grams of oil and fat products and 10 grams of salt is enough.
Although meat provides necessary animal protein and micronutrients, too much meat consumption can lead to dangerous health problems such as cancers, loss of calcium, cardiovascular diseases and rheumatism.
Children under 6 month-old should be breastfed and can continue to be so until 2 year-old, besides taking other meals.
Too much protein, even from formula milk will cause kidney problems.
How should Vietnam change its health and nutrition policies?
Besides a rising number of chronic diseases, Vietnam still has 29.3 percent of children under 5 who suffer from malnutrition, which leads to low height in adults.
The main reason is a lack of multi-micronutrients in women before, during and after pregnancy and during and after breastfeeding.
A National Nutrition Strategy for 2011-2020 tackling these nutritional and related health problems will be submitted to the government this year.
We are suggesting detailing nutrient composition on all marketed food products’ labels. 
We should also develop specific nutritional guidelines for specific population groups based on their energy consumption.
The role of the media is also important to promote a healthy lifestyle of balanced diet and frequent exercising.

WB lends $330 mln for northern hydropower project


TUOITRENEWS
The World Bank (WB) Board of Executive Directors has approved a new loan of $330 million for Vietnam to support the Trung Son Hydropower Project (TSHPP) in northern Thanh Hoa Province.
The mid-sized multipurpose hydropower project will help meet growing domestic demand for electricity and bring flood control and irrigation benefits to rural and poor communities in the northern province.
Electricity consumption in Vietnam has been growing at 15 percent annually for the past several years and Trung Son’s 260 Megawatts project will help meet the increased demand.
Through the project, the World Bank will also provide technical support to Vietnam Electricity (EVN) in improving the performance of its hydropower projects in dam safety and operations as well as in adopting international standards in social and environmental practices.
“Trung Son will contribute to Vietnam’s energy mix and energy security as part of the least cost solution in meeting the country’s energy needs. Furthermore, it will also contribute to the climate change agenda by avoiding an estimated 1 million tons of CO2 emissions per year,” said Victoria Kwakwa, World Bank Country Director for Vietnam.
“The World Bank’s engagement in hydropower is an integral part of its approach to development. With 1.4 billion people without access to electricity globally and the impact of climate change increasingly evident, hydropower –when done well—offers a clean, affordable and reliable source of electricity to help drive growth, poverty reduction and sustainable development,” Kwakwa said.
The TSHPP includes a robust development program to address the social impact from Trung Son’s construction and provide support to people living in the project area.
This includes the construction of infrastructure: roads, power supply, water service for households, irrigation, schools and housing in the resettlement areas.
In addition, an environmental management plan has been put in place to address the preservation and mitigation measures of three natural reserves of high biodiversity surrounding the project site.
“Trung Son will be developed with the highest social and environmental standards to ensure the benefits flow to the people. Development of hydropower could have an important impact on Vietnam’s future emissions path, since the construction of Trung Son means it will avoid building new coal fired plants,” said Richard Spencer, Project Team Leader.
Hydropower is a vital source of renewable energy for many countries and Vietnam is no exception. TSHPP is the first hydropower project the World Bank has financed in the country. The financing is being provided through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) lending window - with 27 years maturity and 6 years of grace period for loan repayment.
The World Bank’s IBRD ending window provides development financing for eligible middle-income countries.

Thứ Ba, 26 tháng 4, 2011

Ho Chi Minh City telephone cable victim dies

A worker fixes the bundle of cables from which one fell on the road below on April 19 and caused an accident in which 83-year-old Ly Van was killed.
Photo: Tuoi Tre


TUOITRE

An 83-year-old man in Ho Chi Minh City who fell off his bicycle and was injured when his wheel got caught in a falling telephone cable has died of his injuries but no telecom company has accepted responsibility.

Ly Van, a resident of District 8, passed away Tuesday due to progressive cerebral hemorrhage at Cho Ray hospital a week after he was admitted. 

The same afternoon a representative of the Cho Lon Electricity Company (EVN Cho Lon) handed over the exhibits of the accident to the District 5 Investigation Police in the presence of representatives of four telecom service providers: Viettel, CMC, FPT and VNPT.

The hand-over was made in a report, which would be sent to the District 5 People’s Procuracy.

EVN Cho Lon, VNPT, and Viettel have said the cable belonged to FPT but the latter has denied it and demanded a fresh investigation.

The District 5 police said it would reinvestigate and collect testimonies from everyone involved to identify the cause of the accident and who is accountable for Van’s death.

If no firm takes responsibility or if investigators are unable to come to a firm conclusion, the local police will re-create the scene of the incident.

Van’s body remains in the hospital morgue pending an autopsy, Ly Khai Tan, his son, said.

The accident occurred on the morning of April 19 when Van was riding along the junction of Tran Phu and Nguyen Tri Phuong Streets in District 5. The cable suddenly fell on his bicycle and got entangled with the wheels. Van fell on the road and suffered a severe head injury.

Local residents took him to Cho Ray Hospital.


Read more at www.tuoitrenews.vn

HCMC to cut down on firework to save


VNEXPRESS
The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee will also have only 2 firework shows for its Reunification Day (April 30) celebration instead of 6 like last year in an effort to save.

One will be held at Thu Thiem Tunnel in Thu Thiem Ward, District 2 and the other at Dam Sen Theme Park in District 11.
Both shows will take place from 9pm to 9.15 pm on April 30.
 

Read Trinh Cong Son's love letter in two languages


TUOITRENEWS
Hi guys,
Welcome to our new section, ‘Bilingual Library,’ in which we will bring you bilingual materials that are all intended to help you somewhat with your English study.
The materials will be published in both English and Vietnamese in a table with parallel paragraphs for your reference.
We hope you will enjoy this ‘library’ and keep checking back for our constant updates.
Here is the first material, a love letter from celebrated composer Trinh Cong Son to Ngo Vu Dao Anh, the love of his life and the inspiration for many of his works. 

This is probably the first time the letter has been released in English.

New beauty pageant rules draw fire


NLD

Vietnam’s most recent draft for a new art and performance law is being criticized for allowing girls who have criminal records or plastic surgery to sign up for beauty pageants.
Explaining the rationale for opening beauty pageants to ex-convicts, Vuong Duy Bien, a senior official from the Ministry of Culture, Information and Tourism which is responsible for drawing up the draft, said the new rules want to give ex-convicts a chance to rebuild their lives.
“If they reform well and change into better persons, they deserve to be treated like others,” Bien said.
For many, this isn’t realistic.
Duong Xuan Nam, a chief organizer of Miss Vietnam for many years, said beauty queens are expected to have clean records.
“If we crown a girl who was expelled from school, imagine the public’s outrage,” Nam said.
As for allowing girls who have gone through plastic or transgender surgery to take part, Quang Tu, head of New Talent Model Agency which has churned out two beauty queens, Miss Vietnam 2006 Mai Phuong Thuy and Miss Vietnam 2010 Ngoc Han, said this was simply not fair for natural beauties.
Tu said if surgeries were accepted at all, only minor ones should be allowed.
Nam is more critical. He said the new draft law actually encourages young women to turn to surgery to be more beautiful.
“This means beauty pageants in Vietnam would be accessible only to the rich”, Nam said.

What did BBC say about Vietnam?



BBC/LONELY PLANET
Dense jungles, brooding mountains, endless waterways, towering cliffs, hairpin bends: the potential for adrenaline-fuelled adventure is limitless in Vietnam.
Whether you prefer to scale the heights of jagged peaks or plumb the depths of coral reefs, Vietnam will deliver something special. Heck, just being here is one long adventure, but these experiences will take it to a whole new level.
Kayak Halong Bay
Use paddle power to explore this incredible forest of karsts that jut out of the South China Sea like stone sentinels. Kayaks go where other boats cannot, such as into hidden caves and secret lagoons, and will reveal to you the very best of the bay.
Conquer Mount Fansipan
OK, so it is not Mt Everest, but at 3,143m, it is the highest peak in the country. Meet some of the people on the trek before tackling the elements to arrive on the roof of Vietnam.
Motorbike through the deep north
Saddle up for the ride of a lifetime in the mountains of Vietnam's deep north. The roads are absolute rollercoasters, the scenery is simply stunning.
Cycle the Mekong Delta
Forget about those newfangled engines and pedal through the back roads of the Mekong Delta - a patchwork of emerald greens. Stick to the roads less travelled or jump on the odd boat or two for the full Mekong experience.
Dive beneath
See Vietnam from a different angle by scuba diving off its curvaceous coast. Tank up, buddy down and explore the reefs off Nha Trang. Other options are Phu Quoc Island or, the final frontier, Con Dao.
Kitesurf above
If all that underwater stuff sounds too deep, then float above it all with something more carefree like kitesurfing. Mui Ne is the unashamed kitesurfing capital, but the sport is (literally) taking off, up and down the coast.
Explore Vietnam's national parks
Vietnam's jungle is massive - well at least in some of the protected areas. Track shy wildlife, hike to hidden waterfalls or mountain-bike down paths less travelled in one of the country's remote national parks, such as magnificent Cat Tien.

Thứ Hai, 18 tháng 4, 2011

Radiation levels in Vietnam drop



TUOITRE

The radiation levels of the radioactive clouds from Japan’s quake-hit Fukushima I nuclear power plant that have covered Vietnam for several days have dropped, the Ministry of Science and Technology said.
Dr. Trinh Van Giap, Director of the Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology said in a meeting this morning that if there was no new nuclear problem in Japan, radiation levels in the air in Vietnam would continue to drop as radioactive particles would be diluted in air and rainwater. 

As of 15 p.m. yesterday, radioactive isotopes Be-7, K-40, Th-232 and U-238 were recorded at very low levels in Da Lat City by the Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute’s radiation observation stations. 

The institute said the levels of these radioactive materials would continue to drop sharply in days to come. 

Meanwhile, the stations no longer found Cs-134 and Cs-137 in the air in Da Lat. 
On April 16, the concentration of I-131 in the air in Hanoi also went down significantly, according to the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute. 

Radioactive isotope I-131 in rainwater samples taken in various locations on April 15 was also recorded at very low levels that could not be harmful to human health, the Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety reported.


Read more at www.tuoitrenews.vn

Street racing roars back into Ho Chi Minh City




TUOITRE

Illegal motorbike street racing has started again in Ho Chi Minh City after a brief lull due to police crackdowns.

“Night storm,” as the young night racers call it, has become widespread and poses grave danger to other road users.

Hoang Hoa Tham Bridge off Tran Quang Khai Street in District 1, which is 103.3 meters long and 10.5 m wide, has recently become the most popular racing spot.

Hundreds of riders gathered the night of April 10, terrifying other street users. As if racing at high speed is not thrilling enough, the racers also try to catch the attention of others, and scare them, by scraping their bikes’ metal stands on the asphalt to set off sparks.

The atmosphere gets further supercharged by the shouting and wolf whistles from hundreds of their friends on the sidewalks. 

After the stunts on the bikes, they continue to blare their horns, race their engines, and dance to the loud music of two cafes nearby.

Street racing at night is not only scaring residents in urban areas but also in outlying places. 

Cong Nuoc Street connecting Hoc Mon District and Tay Ninh Province has become a nightmare for people living there. 

Nguyen Van Luy, a local, said: “The number of racers here sometimes reaches hundreds. Some of them even put obstacles at intersections to prevent other people from using the street.”
 

Read more at www.tuoitrenews.vn

Dreadful car wreck kills 3, hurts 20


TUOITRENEWS
A terrible road accident happened at 2:00 am today when a  truck collided with a passenger car in Ha Tinh northern province, killing three and injuring more than 20 people.
According to preliminary investigation, the truck bearing number plate 72L-0433 driven by 34-year-old Nguyen Gia Thu heading to the north crashed into a passenger car with number plate 49X-2199 driven by 31-year-old Nguyen Van Vang traveling on the opposite direction on National Highway 1A located at Ky Long Commune, Ky Anh District.
The accident has left three dead and over 20 people injured including four in very critical condition, who were later taken to Ky Anh General Hospital for emergency care.
The perished victims are Trinh Thi Van, 22, Tran Thanh Xuan, 57, and Tran Van Luong, 32, all of them hailing from Thanh Hoa northern central province’s Tho Xuan district.
The incident occurred when both drivers, who were allegedly driving at high speed, lost their control due to heavy rain, said police.
Read more at www.tuoitrenews.vn

Thứ Sáu, 15 tháng 4, 2011

VN's cosmonaut shares experience


VNA

The first Asian cosmonaut in space, General Pham Tuan, shared his experience with language students at the Russian Science and Culture Centre in Ha Noi yesterday.
The event was to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Russian astronaut Yury Gagarin's flight into space, man's first, in 1961. It is also to celebrate April 12, the inaugural International Day of Space Flight, as designated by the United Nations.
Tuan said he was lucky enough to be selected, along with Russian cosmonaut Viktor Vassilyevich Gorbatko, to ride in the Soyuz 37 space shuttle in 1980. He graduated from the Gagarin Military Academy in Russia in 1979.
"That trip had a very important political meaning at that time. Viet Nam had just unified North and South and the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics had helped us a lot in gaining our reunification," Tuan said.
His trip into space was a milestone for the development of Vietnamese space science and technology, he said.
Speaking at the event, organised by the Russian Embassy in Viet Nam, Minister Bezdetko Gennady said Russia was the leading country in the field of space science and technology as well as the rocket manufacturing industry.
Tuan's journey into space with Russian colleagues was evidence of the great Viet Nam-Russia relationship and the Russians hoped they would collaborate more in the field, he said.

Men confesses to posting girl’s assault clip online


LAO DONG
Hanoi police yesterday tracked down two young men who posted on YouTube a clip of an assault and humiliation by four girls on a masseuse over a love triangle last month.

They are Hoang Van Kha, 22, of Hanoi’s Quoc Oai District, and Nguyen Van Truong, his friend. 

Kha, a trader of mobile phones, declared to the police that he was given the clip by Thao, one of his acquaintances.

Thao was one of the four girls who beat and humiliated the masseuse.

After watching the clip, Kha named it as “A fight among teens” and posted it on YouTube using Truong’s account. Truong later changed the clip’s title into “Quoc Oai schoolgirls,” which he thought would be more attractive to YouTube viewers.

Kha told the police that he wanted to post the clip on YouTube with a view to calling on the public to criticize violent behaviors among young people.

However, Kha recognized that the content of the clip violates Vietnam’s habits and customs.

Earlier, on April 13, the four girls, including Nguyen Thi Ngoc Khanh, 23, Nguyen Thi Hong Nhung, 19, Nguyen Thi Khanh Ly, 14, at and Nguyen Thi Thao, 14, were detained by Hanoi police for “humiliating others”.

All the four reside in Quoc Oai District. Ly is an 8th grader at a local high school; Thao is a former high school student; and Khanh is a hairdresser.

All the four pleaded guilty to cruelly beating Ha Thi Huyen Trang, a 19 year old masseuse, of northern Phu Tho Province. 

One day last month, Khanh caught Trang being with her de facto husband, Cuong, 25, at a hotel room. Trang told Khanh that she wanted to live with Cuong.

Next morning, Khanh, Thao, Ly and Nhung came to the hotel room, where they beat Trang, stripped off her shirt, cut her hair and discharged her from the room.
When Trang left the hotel, the four girls continued to beat her violently and stripped her shirt again. The attackers forced Trang to kneel and apologize to Khanh.
Nhung used Khanh’s mobile phone to record a 7-minute video clip of the assault.

German author of Ho Chi Minh book visits Vietnam


TUOI TRE

Hellmut Kapfenberger, a German journalist and author of “Ho Chi Minh – a chronicle,” a book published in Vietnam last year, was in Hanoi Thursday for a book signing.
The book starts with the question “Who is Ho Chi Minh?” and tries to answer it in 25 chapters. The author concludes that “Ho Chi Minh” has become a concept of ideology, epoch, culture, and morality.

The 77-year-old said at the signing: “I have known about Vietnam since 1960 through the war between America and Vietnam. It was obvious I would know about Ho Chi Minh along with this country. However, many Germans do not know Ho Chi Minh. I decide no one should forget him.”

Kapfenberger lived and worked in Vietnam as a correspondent for the News Agency of the German Democratic Republic from 1970 to 1973 and again from 1980-to 1984.

He spent two years writing “Ho Chi Minh - A chronicle” which was published by Verlag Neues Leben publishing house in Berlin in 2009. It was translated into Vietnamese and published by the The Gioi (World) Publishing House last May.
 

http://tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuoitrenews/lifestyle/german-author-of-ho-chi-minh-book-visits-vietnam-1.27804

Businessman threatened with fire bomb


TUOI TRE

Yesterday morning, two unknown men threw a small fire bomb into the house of Nguyen Dinh Trung, chairman and general director of Ho Chi Minh City-based An Thinh Investment and Construction Joint Stock Company.

Trung’s house is located in an alley on Ba Van Street, Ward 14, Tan Binh District.

The fire bomb exploded but was soon put out by two security guards, who failed to catch the terrorists. 

The guards were burnt in the legs during the incident.

As recorded by the security camera, the two men who wore masks came on a motorbike. 

The man who sat behind got off the bike and threw the fire bomb into the house through the fence. 

They fled away from the scene as soon as the guards rushed out. 

Trung said he had received many bomb threat messages in his cell phone for the past two months. 

Unidentified people had also thrown paint into his house three times.

To protect himself and his family of 6, Trung had to send the two security guards who were working for his company to keep a close watch of his house.

He also installed a security camera system in the front of the house.


http://tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuoitrenews/society/businessman-threatened-with-fire-bomb-1.27797