At the talks (Photo: moj.gov.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Justice of Cuba Oscar Manuel Silveira Martinez is paying a working visit to Vietnam from December 11-14 at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Le Thanh Long. At talks with the Cuban minister on December 12, Long said the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice is ready to share with the Cuban counterpart experiences in building, improving and enforcing laws. The Cuban justice minister said Cuba has just adopted a new Constitution and will continue to revise its legal documents to make them consistent with the Constitution. Therefore, Cuba hopes to learn from Vietnam’s experience in law making work, he said. The two ministers agreed on cooperation contents in the building, promulgation and organization of enforcement of laws, judicial reform, law popularization, professional training for those who work in the legal field, digitalization of legal documents, and the provision of legal consultation for … [Read more...] about Justice ministries of Vietnam, Cuba foster partnership
Combat related disability severance pay
Proposal to scrap ranks in university degrees receives mixed response
The Ministry of Education and Training has recommended that degree certificates should no longer show students' ranks. Universities now have five ranks: excellent, very good, good, average, and acceptable. Truong Nguyen Thanh, vice principal of Ho Chi Minh City's private Van Lang University, said not indicating the level of distinction is now a global trend. Most schools in the U.S. do not include them in the degree certificate but attach the school records along with it. A few years after graduation, not many students would worry about the rank they had got, only the value they bring to their current employer, he said. "Academic ranks can only reflect one aspect of the student: the ability to grasp knowledge. What businesses really need are the skills to solve problems and application of their knowledge in different contexts." Ho Thanh Phong, principal of Hong Bang International University, said he endorsed the new proposal. But it also worried him since it could make things difficult … [Read more...] about Proposal to scrap ranks in university degrees receives mixed response
Obamas visit Vietnamese restaurant in Saigon
The couple left their hotel at around 6 p.m. on Wednesday and visited a place on Dong Khoi Street before heading for Cuc Gach restaurant on Dang Tat Street. Obama walks out of Cuc Gach restaurant after an hour-long dinner. Photo by Ngoc Duong. Barack and Michelle Obama sat on the first floor and ate stir-fried Tonkin jasmine flowers with garlic, stewed pork, spring rolls, and Vietnamese sour soup. They asked to pay by card after the meal, but the restaurant manager refused to accept money from them. Hai, the manager, said they refused to accept it when he said the meal was on the house. "We explained that all the ingredients are grown on our farm, and so we did not spend much on them. Moreover, we wanted to welcome him as a family guest. He then agreed." He had been told Tuesday afternoon to be ready to "welcome some politicians." The visitors posed for a photo with Hong, a senior cook at the restaurant, before leaving. Obama had arrived in HCMC on Sunday during what was … [Read more...] about Obamas visit Vietnamese restaurant in Saigon
In Brief (30-09-2005)
In Brief (30-09-2005) Fatherland Front presents computers HAVANA — The Viet Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) presented 50 computers worth VND750 million (US$47,000) to Cuba’s Committee for the Defence of the Revolution. The donation was announced during a recent visit to the country by a VFF delegation. The two committees held talks on their efforts in the cause of "defending the revolutions" and consolidating national unity. International march for AO victims PARIS — The France-Viet Nam Friendship Association (FVFA) and the Peace Movement and the Association for Economic Development and Progress are expected to organise marches in six French cities to support the lawsuit by Vietnamese Agent Orange victims against several US chemical companies. The marches will take place on October 1 in Paris, La Rochelle, Nimes, Toulouse, Beziers and Albertville, a day after a brief is to be filed on behalf of Vietnamese AO victims at the US Court of Appeals. The FVFA is calling for … [Read more...] about In Brief (30-09-2005)
Violations impose 13-year-delay, escalate costs for Saigon safari park
The $500 million Sai Gon Safari Park in Cu Chi District, 50 kilometers from the city center, was planned to span over 456 hectares as Vietnam's largest ecotourism park that can be on par with Southeast Asian destinations in terms of wildlife perservation. But the project has been on papers for more than 13 years. The Government Inspectorate said on Friday that violations by various agencies were responsible for the situation. It said the HCMC People’s Committee did not follow legal procedures when appointing the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden Company the main investor for the project, and that the company was incompetent. It held members of the city's Department of Planning and Investment during the 2001 and 2006 terms mainly responsible. Inspectors found the city's administration in 2004 did not follow legal procedures when transfering the project land to the Saigon Zoo firm. The company also violated regulations when it did not summit a detailed procurement plan for … [Read more...] about Violations impose 13-year-delay, escalate costs for Saigon safari park