Viet Nam News It can also be great to celebrate those holidays which are foreign to the country one has taken up residence, but near and dear to our hearts, just to have a different experience of them. We learn to make amends and try to ’feel’ the holiday as best we can. Andy Hill reports. Living abroad carries with it so many opportunities to live the way other people do, to eat the way they do, to experience the world a little more like they do, and to celebrate holidays and festivities that you may have known nothing about when living in your home country. It can also be great to celebrate those holidays which are foreign to the country one has taken up residence, but near and dear to our hearts, just to have a different experience of them. We learn to make amends and try to ’feel’ the holiday as best we can. Coming from middle America, a big part of the Christmas experience was the paralyzing cold and the icy streets lined with towering snow banks; but … [Read more...] about On the hunt for Christmas dinner in Hà Nội
Hill report
Robb Report names Laguna Lang Co among top four luxury resorts
Laguna Lang Co Resort has recently been named by Robb Report among the top four luxury resorts in Vietnam, affirming its prestige as an ideal second home destination in Central Vietnam. The aerial view of Laguna Lang Co Earlier, Laguna Lang Co Resort also received the Golf Digest Editor’s Choice Award 2018 for the best golf resort in Asia, Vietnam for the second consecutive year. Being recognised for its quality by such a prestigious journal is testament to Banyan Tree Group’s commitment to deliver Vietnam’s most desired golf experience. The complex is comprised of Banyan Tree Hotel, the beachfront Angsana Hotel, two Banyan Tree and Angsana branded spas, and luxury residences, including Banyan Tree Residences and Laguna Park residences which decorate an 18-hole championship golf course, designed by Sir Nick Faldo. Wherever you stay, you are always within walking distance of the golf course, making it a truly luxurious golf lifestyle. All rooms at Banyan Tree … [Read more...] about Robb Report names Laguna Lang Co among top four luxury resorts
1 dead, 12 injured in hot air balloon crash on South Korea’s Jeju Island: Report
The pilot of a hot air balloon was killed and 12 tourists onboard injured on Thursday (Apr 12) after it crashed on an island in South Korea. A policeman stands at the scene of a hot air balloon crash in South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju on Apr 12, 2018. (Photo: AFP/Yonhap) The accident occurred at around 8am when the hot air balloon crashed into a hill in the city of Seogwipo on Jeju Island, reported Yonhap News Agency. Firefighters were alerted to the incident by a witness who was collecting edible wild plants at the time of the crash, said the report. The pilot, who suffered a cardiac arrest, was rushed to a hospital but was later pronounced dead, said firefighters. The 12 passengers were also taken to hospitals. The hot air balloon, which was operated by Oreum Hot Air Tour, were heading to a ranch in the city, reported Yonhap. While investigations are underway to find the cause of the accident, authorities believe that the aircraft collided with a tree … [Read more...] about 1 dead, 12 injured in hot air balloon crash on South Korea’s Jeju Island: Report
BUSINESS IN BRIEF 28/1
One more project in the red for VinachemA Laos-based potassium salt mining and processing project is the fifth million-dollar loss-making project of Vietnam National Chemical Group (Vinachem) and the thirteenth of the Trade and Industry sector.The total investment of this Vinachem project is $522 million, including $105 million from Vinachem, $113 million from Vietnam Development Bank (VDB), $161 million from Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam JSC (BIDV), and $143 million from VietinBank.The project’s scope of exploration is 10 square metres. It is expected to be built within five years and start exploration from 2020, producing 320,000 tonnes annually. However, after two years of construction, the project has stalled in 2017.In 2017, the 20 subsidiaries of Vinachem recorded a total profit of nearly VND2.2 trillion ($100 million), but four projects had a negative revenue of VND2.115 trillion ($93.2 million). Earlier, in the first days of 2018, Deputy Prime … [Read more...] about BUSINESS IN BRIEF 28/1
HRW is “singing out of tune” again
Despite efforts of the State of Vietnam, there are still several people and organizations holding hostile views against Vietnam, misinforming other people and even purposefully distorting, for their own ends, information about the situation of human rights in Vietnam. They have done that intentionally, aiming at undermining the image of Vietnam in the international arena. This is in turn hinders Vietnam in protecting and promoting human rights in the country. 1. Among those “singing out of tune” is the US-based Human Right Watch (HRW). In its World Report 2018, HRW concocted the story that Vietnam practiced human right abuse in 2017. The report falsified the information, claiming that about 119 “human right and religious activists” were jailed and at least 24 bloggers were sentenced for their writings that called for democracy. In the same tune, HRW said that in the last 14 months, the police of Vietnam arrested at least 28 people accusing them of … [Read more...] about HRW is “singing out of tune” again
Orange trees yield unexpected results for ethnic groups in Yen Bai
Orange trees, which are planted in Van Chan district of the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai, have been the main source of income for the locals. Thanks to planting orange trees, many of the locals, some are ethnic minority people, have become billionaires. This also sets examples for fellow minorities’ people to follow and to improve their livelihood. Mr Phung Xuan Loi, a Dao minority, was the pioneer to experiment plantingorange tree to see if the land here was suitable for growing orange. Upon realizing how profitable the cultivation of orange was, MrLoi continued to grow more orange species. The area for growing orange has increased to 4 hectares, earning him more than half a billion VND a year. He told the reporters: "I had some experience in growing orange trees, those can withstand draught season can be planted on top of the hill, those cannot then I move them down the hill. I mainly plant King Orange, and then we diversify the crop by planting … [Read more...] about Orange trees yield unexpected results for ethnic groups in Yen Bai
US defense secretary heads to Asia to draw a contrast with assertive China
By AFP  January 22, 2018 | 08:35 am GMT+7 U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis walks from a meeting with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill in Washington, January 9, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Joshua Roberts In Vietnam, Jim Mattis and his counterparts are set to discuss freedom of movement in the East Sea. U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Sunday began a one-week trip to Asia, hoping to strengthen defense cooperation with Indonesia and Vietnam as regional Chinese military power looms ever larger. "We share the Pacific - it's an ocean named for peace - we would like to see it remain peaceful, so all the nations that use it and live here are prosperous," Mattis told reporters accompanying him on a military plane headed to the region. In Jakarta, where he is to arrive Monday evening, Mattis is to meet on Tuesday with President Joko Widodo and Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu for talks on maritime cooperation. The vast Indonesian archipelago reaches from … [Read more...] about US defense secretary heads to Asia to draw a contrast with assertive China
Who Is Investing in Cù Lao Xanh?
Located 24 km to the south-east of Quy Nhơn, the small island of Cù Lao Xanh has an area of around 5 sq.km, which is 4km in length and the largest part of which is just 1.2km. Despite its impressively blue charm as its name and picturesque landscapes, the island has long been an unrecognized destination on Việt Nam's tourism map, and is now still considered "the island of the old and the children." Although the island is surrounded by the sea on all sides, its people are not able to make their living from the sea. According to the People's Committee of Nhơn Châu Commune, the highest annual fishery production in Cù Lao Xanh is less than 1,000 tons and that is plummeting, once reported less than 400 tons. The average monthly income of people could not even reach VNĐ1 million (US$45) and the average population once dropped to only 2,000 people. Expect the prosperity There have been marked signs of change since 2016. Along with the impressive growth of … [Read more...] about Who Is Investing in Cù Lao Xanh?
Top Vietnamese adventure destinations for travelling lovers
The Hanoitimes - Many travellers choose to venture off the beaten path as they make adventurous trips to conquer Mount Pha Luong, Datanla Waterfall, or trek through Mui Doi (the East Pole of Vietnam) to enjoy spectacular sunset. Followings are the most popular places for adventure tourists Pha Luong Mountain in Tan Xuan Commune, Chieng Xuan District Pha Luong Mountain in Tan Xuan Commune, Chieng Xuan District. Pha Luong mountain peak is considered the roof of Moc Chau – Son La. The most special thing here is not located at an altitude of more than 2,000 that are swathes of hectares all over the mountain like another world, separate from everything around. The steep cliffs with numerous tectonic fissures making it so spectacular and unique. Pha Luong is also a natural boundary between Vietnam and Laos. Located in the full of obstacles and difficulty Pha Luong still people here such as “silk road” to transport drugs. This makes the journey to conquer this mountain … [Read more...] about Top Vietnamese adventure destinations for travelling lovers
FBI investigating Clinton Foundation: reports
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing the foundation of former president Bill Clinton amid pressure from President Donald Trump and allegations of corruption by Republican lawmakers, US media reported Friday. The Hill, a news website covering Congress, CNN and the New York Times all confirmed that Justice Department investigators are looking into issues involving donations to the Clinton Foundation in exchange for political favors while the ex-president's wife, Hillary Clinton, was secretary of state from 2009-2013. The Justice Department would not confirm the probe, but in November it informed House Judiciary Committee chairman Robert Goodlatte that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was evaluating the need for a probe into a controversial uranium deal that involved a major donor to the foundation. The Clinton Foundation said it had already repeatedly proven such allegations wrong. "Time after time, the Clinton Foundation has been subjected to politically motivated … [Read more...] about FBI investigating Clinton Foundation: reports