Nine people were hurt, one seriously, when a man deliberately ploughed his car into crowds celebrating New Year's Eve along a famous Tokyo street, police and media said Tuesday (Jan 1). The incident happened as people were celebrating the New Year in Tokyo AFP/JIJI PRESS With an "intent to murder", a man identified as 21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe drove a small vehicle into Takeshita Street in Tokyo's fashion district of Harajuku at 10 minutes past midnight, a police spokesman said. According to national broadcaster NHK, Kusakabe told police he was acting in "retribution for the death penalty" without giving more precise details. NHK footage showed a small box vehicle with a smashed front and paramedics carrying people on stretchers into ambulances. Local media said a container with kerosine inside was found in the rental car, where the attack occurred. The attacker reportedly drove the vehicle from the western region of Osaka. One witness told NHK it was a "ghastly scene". … [Read more...] about 9 hurt as car rams into crowd at famed Tokyo street on New Year
Who celebrates new years first
HDBank launches New Year promotion
Customers at an HDBank transaction office in HCM City. Individual customers who deposits at the bank from December 3 to February 28 will have a chance to win prizes, including one kilogramme of gold. — Photo Courtesy of HDBank Individual customers making deposits at HDBank between December 3 and February 28 have the chance to win one kilogramme of SJC gold and many other gifts under a promotion programme called “Your wishes get fulfilled in the New Year, Win a kilo of gold, Wealth and honour throughout the year.” People depositing at least VND60 million (US$2,579) for at least one month will receive codes for a lucky draw, whose prizes consisting of one special prize of one kilogramme of SJC gold, five first prizes of one tael (37.5gm) of SJC gold each, eight second prizes of 0.5 tael, and 10 third prizes of 0.2 tael. They will get scratch cards with gifts on offer being Japanese Iwaki glass bottles, Happy Cook hotpot cookware sets, Happy Cook steamers, and … [Read more...] about HDBank launches New Year promotion
‘Happy New Year!’, with a bittersweet smile
As the Lunar New Year approaches, the old ABBA song “Happy New Year!” is played again and again, almost in a loop, by radio stations and city shops in and around Hanoi. Elsewhere in the world the Swedish band ABBA has become a distant memory, vaguely remembered as a cheerful and slightly tacky group whose music was very successful… but not particularly inspiring. However, Hanoians of all ages know the song. And most of them love it! In fact, ABBA’s “Happy New Year!” is probably the most spirited and revered song of Vietnam after "Tiến Quân Ca", the epic national anthem written and composed by Văn Cao in 1944. How it came to be seen that way is very telling about the history of Hanoi. Back in the 1980s, in the middle of the subsidy period, Vietnam was mostly closed to the outside world. The only links with foreign countries were with brotherly nations in the Soviet Bloc. Foreigners were rare in Hanoi. There were just a few Russians … [Read more...] about ‘Happy New Year!’, with a bittersweet smile
The battle on the first night of Lunar New Year 1968
The first victory of the armed forces of Cho Lach district, Ben Tre province, made great contributions to the success of the Mau Than General Offensive and Uprising in spring 1968 (Spring Mau Than 1968). At the second regional conference on guerrilla warfare after the Spring Mau Than 1968, the district’s armed forces were lauded for their great feats of arms, especially the victory on the first day of Lunar New Year 1968. After 30 minutes, a team of five commandos occupied Cai Mit post, making contributions to liberating more than 80% of the district. In Cho Lach district, the enemy built 3-4 strategic hamlets in each commune which were guarded by 1,000 troops. Some of them were cruel commanders who had owed local people and revolution a blood debt. The situation challenged the Vietnamese force as the enemy reinforced their forces to control the areas and spread misinformation about the Vietnamese people’s revolution, the Vietnamese forces did not receive support … [Read more...] about The battle on the first night of Lunar New Year 1968
People nationwide ready for lunar New Year 2018 celebrations
After hard working days, the last day of the lunar year is time for us to relax and reflect on what have been done during the year. "I’ve bought a lot of flowers for my family, like chrysanthemums and orchids. I also found a lovely aquarium to display at home. I think the people’s living standards have improved significantly thanks to the Party and State. Everybody is happy to welcome the new lunar year of 2018, the year of the Dog", said Nguyen Thanh Nhan who lives in Da Nang city. Vietnamese can visit the former imperial city of Hue for free during the first 3 days of the lunar New Year, according to Hue Relics Preservation Center. The center has organized various activities for visitors to celebrate the New Year in the royal style with enactments of many folk games, art and calligraphy performances. "People are busy preparing for Tet celebrations. Fruits, food and flowers are offered onto the altars to invite our ancestors to return home for the lunar New … [Read more...] about People nationwide ready for lunar New Year 2018 celebrations
Baby taken from wartime orphanage returns home for first Vietnamese New Year
A woman in her late 60s walked slowly towards the door as a guest arrived. “Hello mom,” he said in the simple English that she could understand. It was the first “mom” that Le Thi Anh, 67, had heard from her son in nearly half a century, and it was enough to make her burst into tears. Her son was among 100 babies rescued from an orphanage in Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 during Operation Mercy Airlift, organized by the Daily Mail. "I didn't want to abandon you," Anh told her son via an interpreter. Anh, who lives in Quy Nhon in central Vietnam, said she had an accident in 1975 and was hospitalized for more than two months. Her family brought her baby to the hospital to be breastfed every day, until her parents died and her husband left. With the general chaos that ensued at the end of the war, other relatives put the baby into an orphanage and the nuns later moved him to Saigon without telling Anh. When Anh finally arrived in the southern … [Read more...] about Baby taken from wartime orphanage returns home for first Vietnamese New Year
Vietnam’s Hmong people celebrate traditional New Year
Tet – the national new year celebration of the Vietnamese – is still nearly three weeks away but the Hmong people in Son La, a mountainous province in northwestern Vietnam, have already celebrated their traditional version of this special occasion. Plum blossoms can be seen covering the hillsides of Son La as people take a break from their farming work, donning colorfully embroidered clothes and enjoying a variety of different activities to celebrate Tet, a way to refer to the Lunar New Year, which begins on February 16. The Hmong, one of the 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups, welcome the New Year during the first three days of the last lunar calendar month, as opposed to the national Tet, which is held a month later. For the last four years, four villages in Chieng Lao Commune, Muong La District, Son La have organized a banh giay pounding competition. Banh giay is a round Vietnamese traditional glutinous rice cake. It is typically used as offerings to ancestors and deities … [Read more...] about Vietnam’s Hmong people celebrate traditional New Year
New Year gifts dispatched to offshore naval soldiers
In addition to essential goods, Dong leaves for making Chung cakes are delivered to the DK1 platform for soldiers to prepare for the traditional Lunar New Year. (Photo: Doan Manh Duong/VNA) Private Nguyen Quoc Dat, who will be stationed at the DK1 platform, said: “This will be my first Lunar New Year celebration at the DK1 platform. I’m happy to be with my companions in arms who are to defending our national sovereignty. I want to tell my parents not to worry. I will be fine on the platform. I wish the people on the mainland a happy New Year. We will do our best to defend our fatherland’s sea and island sovereignty.” … [Read more...] about New Year gifts dispatched to offshore naval soldiers
Saigoneers OK plan to expand Bui Vien walking street before Lunar New Year
Plans are afoot to expand a weekend pedestrian area in Ho Chi Minh City's backpacker precinct and keep it open for an extra day during the week. As proposed by the city’s District 1, the current walking zone on a section Bui Vien Street will be expanded to cover the entire street and part of Nguyen Quang Dau Street. An extra day has also been suggested for the walking zone, which is currently open from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. In a letter sent to Ho Chi Minh City’s People's Committee, District 1 said it would like to open the expanded zone by February 10 to provide a bigger venue for the Lunar New Year celebrations in mid-February as the current walking zone is already overcrowded. The plan has already been approved by local residents who agree with the idea of making more streets in the backpacker area pedestrian-friendly. The backpacker area pulls in around 2,000 tourists on its best days and earns more than VND37 billion ($1.63 million) a year. In … [Read more...] about Saigoneers OK plan to expand Bui Vien walking street before Lunar New Year
Golden Globes celebrate the year of the genre movie
In a year of devastating hurricanes, ubiquitous sex assault scandals and a strikingly candid presidential Twitter account, it is little wonder that cinemagoers are turning to escapist fantasy. With fairy tale romance "The Shape of Water" leading the nominations for the Golden Globes, dark farce "Get Out" topping critics' lists and horror movies making $1 billion at the box office, 2017 may come to be seen as the year of the genre movie. Jordan Peele's "Get Out," which satirizes suburban white guilt over racial inequality in the United States, is emblematic of the rise of genre films in this year's awards season. It has been almost a year since its release, and most movies brought out that far ahead of Hollywood's various prize-giving ceremonies are long forgotten by the time the trophies are being polished. Yet "Get Out" is up for two Globes on Sunday and entertainment website Eonline.com has been extolling its virtues as a genuine contender. Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape of Water," … [Read more...] about Golden Globes celebrate the year of the genre movie