International

A racket involving sham marriages to help Vietnamese women stay on in Singapore has been busted, Singaporean authorities have announced. Of the 17 people involved, 12, including five Vietnamese women have been sentenced to varying terms in prison, Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said at a press conference on Tuesday, Channel NewsAsia reported. Two members of the syndicate have fled the country, one has been freed on health considerations and another two are currently on trial, the ICA said. Members of a sham marriage syndicate busted in Singapore, with Jeremy Tan (top left) being the mastermind. Photo courtesy of Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority The ICA began investigating the case in March 2017 and identified the syndicate members, including mastermind Jeremy Tan, by July the same year. The Singaporean men, aged 23-45, received sums raging from SGD800 to SGD4,500 ($600-3,300) for entering the sham marriages. The seven women they … [Read more...] about Honeymoon ends for Vietnamese women in sham marriages

Almost unnoticed, ASEAN is emerging as big market with big potential for Vietnamese seafood, industry insiders say. Vietnam exported $612 million worth of seafood last year to ASEAN countries, 9.2 times the $66 million in 1998, two decades ago. Local media reports have cited the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) as saying that last year, Vietnam exported seafood to all nine countries in the regional bloc. Of these, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore were the largest importers. Thailand bought $248 million worth of seafood from Vietnam last year, accounting for 40 percent of total export value to ASEAN countries. Seafood export to Thailand reflected the regional intake, multiplying nine times in the last 20 years. Philippines, in the second place, imported seafood worth $132 million, a 2,000-fold increase over the paltry $63,000 in 1999. Export of sea fish to ASEAN countries reached $289 million last year, making it Vietnam’s main seafood export … [Read more...] about ASEAN the next big fish for Vietnam’s seafood industry

The death toll from an Indonesian ferry disaster could top 180, as authorities raised an estimate of the number of people missing two days after the wooden tourist boat sank in a lake formed in the crater of an ancient volcano. Divers and an underwater drone joined the search of Lake Toba on Sumatra island on Wednesday as tearful relatives of gathered at the small port in Tigaras, awaiting any news. The new estimate on the number missing is three times the ferry’s capacity and up from around 130 estimated previously, including many children. Eighteen survivors were picked up soon after the overcrowded ferry sank early Monday evening, as the wind picked up and waters turned rough on the lake. Dozens of desperate family members crowded around as a third body was brought ashore at Tigaras on Wednesday morning. Searchers expect to find many more victims trapped in the doomed vessel once they locate where it came to rest in the 450-meter (1,500 feet) deep lake. “We have the … [Read more...] about Indonesia lists 180 missing on doomed ferry, launches underwater search

Beaches in the country are being trashed at an alarming rate, and Vietnam should seriously consider banning the use of styrofoam and single use plastic, a hospitality expert says. Trilok Narain, who has decades of international experience in senior positions in the hospitality industry, particularly in Southeast Asia, told VnExpress International that talk about bans on substances harmful to the environment had gained urgency in recent years. For instance, he said, many hotel brands in Thailand, a leading tourism destination in Southeast Asia, have stopped using plastic drinking straws, single use plastic shampoo, conditioner and bath gel miniature bottles. “Beach tourism is a big draw for tourism worldwide. Hotel and tourism operators need to make environmental sustainability part of their daily routine and raise awareness among all stakeholders, including owners, management, staff, vendors and customers,” Narain said. Environmentally-friendly steps are also good for … [Read more...] about Vietnam needs to clean up its act, pronto

The Philippines wants Vietnam and China to sign a fishing agreement at Scarborough Shoal after a U.N. tribunal ruled the region was a traditional fishing ground for Filipino, Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen. In July 2016, a U.N. tribunal had not been able to reach a conclusion on the territorial issue, which decides the ownership of the shoal. However, it was able to decide on the maritime issue of fishing. The Philippines’s Acting Chief Justice, Antonio Carpio, told The Philippine Star that China had refused to acknowledge that decision. In an interview with CNN Philippines, Carpio said: "We should maintain our position, because otherwise China will later on say, 'You have been fishing there and you have accepted that you're fishing there because we have allowed you out of the goodness of our heart.'" The judge also added that if the fishing agreement is signed, it will be regulated to protect the area’s marine life. Philippines could also sign a boundary agreement with … [Read more...] about Let’s share, Philippines tells Vietnam, China

By AFP  &nbspJune 20, 2018 | 09:01 am GMT+7 U.S. President Donald Trump (R) meets with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un at the start of their historic summit in Singapore on June 12, 2018. Photo by AFP The U.S. and North Korean leaders agreed to the repatriations during their historic June 12 summit in Singapore. North Korea may soon return a first out of 200 sets of remains of American soldiers who died during the Korean War, after an agreement reached last week by Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump, a U.S. official said Tuesday. "Preparations continue" to receive the remains, the U.S. official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "It could happen in the next few days." The U.S. and North Korean leaders agreed to the repatriations during their historic June 12 summit in Singapore. "On several occasions in the past, DPRK officials have indicated they possess as many as 200 sets of remains they had recovered over the years," the Pentagon said in factsheet updated … [Read more...] about Pyongyang may soon return US soldier remains

President Donald Trump told Republican lawmakers on Tuesday he would back either of the immigration bills making their way through the House of Representatives, as the outcry grew over his administration’s separation of immigrant parents and children at the U.S.-Mexico border. Representative Mark Meadows said Trump told Republican members of the House at a meeting on Capitol Hill that they needed to get something done on immigration “right away.” In the meeting, Trump said separating families was “certainly not an attractive thing and does look bad,” added Representative Tom Cole. Congressional Republicans have been scrambling to craft legislation as videos of youngsters in cages and an audiotape of wailing children have sparked anger at home from groups ranging from clergy to influential business leaders, as well as condemnation abroad. A Reuters/Ipsos national opinion poll released on Tuesday showed fewer than one in three American adults supporting the … [Read more...] about Trump says he would back both US House immigration bills as separation crisis grows

The United States withdrew from the United Nations Human Rights Council on Tuesday, condemning the "hypocrisy" of its members and its alleged "unrelenting bias" against Israel. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, came to Washington to announce the decision alongside President Donald Trump's top diplomat, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Both insisted the United States would remain a leading champion of human rights but, for many, the decision will reflect Trump's general hostility to the world body and to multilateral diplomacy in general. The announcement came after the top U.N. human rights official criticized Washington for separating migrant children from their parents who are seeking asylum after crossing into the country from Mexico. But Haley and Pompeo stressed the decision had been made after a long year of efforts to shame the council into reform and to remove member states that themselves commit abuses. "These reforms were needed in order to make the … [Read more...] about US withdraws from ‘cesspool’ UN rights body

The dollar gained against the Vietnamese dong on Tuesday as the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates last week. As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, dollar selling prices reached 22,810 at some currency exchange points in Ho Chi Minh City. At Vietcombank, BIDV and Eximbank, the dollar was being sold for VND22,880, 22,885, and 22,890, respectively. Buying prices also rose to VND22,800-22,815 per dollar at local banks by 3 p.m. Tuesday. The USD/VND exchange rate has increased by VND40-45 from June 13 when the Fed upped dollar interest rates for the second time this year to between 1.75 and 2.00 percent, ending the pledge to keep rates low enough to bolster the economy for “some time.” It signalled it would tolerate above-target inflation at least through 2020, Reuters reported. High dollar prices will create difficulties for Vietnamese import businesses, economist Nguyen Tri Hieu told VnExpress International. Viet Steel is a company which imports 1.5 million tons of raw materials … [Read more...] about Vietnamese importers fret over dollar rate

Shortly after his Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his plan to stop "provocative, inappropriate and expensive" war games with the South, which Pyongyang has decried as an invasion rehearsal. "Following close cooperation, South Korea and the U.S. decided to suspend all planning activities for the UFG, the defensive exercise slated for August," Seoul's defense ministry said in a text message sent to reporters. "The South and the U.S. plan to continue consultations over additional measures," it added. The ministry also said that there is no decision yet regarding other allied training exercises. The U.S. Department of Defense also made the same announcement. "Consistent with President Trump's commitment and in concert with our Republic of Korea ally, the United States military has suspended all planning for this August's defensive 'wargame' (Freedom Guardian)," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement. The … [Read more...] about S. Korea, U.S. suspend major military exercise