Insufficient protection from sun is major cause of skin cancer

SINGAPORE : The National Cancer Centre said doctors in Singapore are seeing more cases of skin cancer. Skin cancer is the seventh most frequent cancer for men, and for women, it ranks eighth. The top cancer for men is colorectal and for women, it's breast cancer. Inadequate protection against the sun is one major cause of skin cancer. 41-year-old Vincent Lam is a professional tennis and kite boarding instructor. And being under the sun often made his skin peel and red. "Prior to kite boarding, we used to be wind surfing. I had a very close friend... and we used to do a lot of outdoor activities as well. She passed away from skin cancer," said Lam. And that was a wake-up call for him. But Lam said not many take protecting their skin seriously. So, he makes it a point to remind his charges. "We get kids from 4 years old onwards. We play tennis at about 12 in the afternoon. The sun gets pretty hot. Even with hats and sunglasses, it doesn't really help that much, so I would advise them to put sunblock as well," said Lam. And there are many to choose from. Experts advise outdoor sports enthusiasts to choose a sunscreen that provides a broad spectrum protection - that means a sunscreen that blocks both ultra-violet 'A' (UVA) and ultra-violet 'B' (UVB) rays. "Particularly important in Asian communities are skin lightness, and fairness is really important. The UVA gives a lot of pigmenting effect on the skin and unless you provide the protection against both the UVB and the UVA part of the spectrum, the skin can get dark with even in small sunlight exposure," advised Dr Curtis Cole, a photobiologist. Besides using sunscreen, doctors said wearing protective clothing when outdoors can also reduce the risk of developing skin cancer. -CNA /ls

Father of Vietnam telecommunications: Le Hiep Tuyen

In 1984, Prof. Tuyen led a group of overseas Vietnamese to hold the first seminar introducing semi-conductor laser technology in telecommunication in Vietnam. Two years later a trial optical fiber network transmitting multimedia data made its debut
Prof. Tuyen was also in charge of setting up the first digital telecommunications operation, marking a milestone in Vietnam’s telecommunication history.

“Setting up digital telecommunication is a big deal, as Vietnam was suffering from an embargo at that time,” he said, adding that Western technology developers were not allowed to transfer their technologies or sell machines to Vietnam.

He returned to West Germany and managed to ship material to Vietnam.

Prof. Tuyen teamed up with the Hanoi and HCM City Technology University to create the very first sample for the project.

“I completed the project thanks to encouragement from the late deputy Prime Minister, To Huu, and former deputy Prime Minister Dong Si Nguyen, as well great cooperation with Professor Vu Dinh Cu,” Prof. Tuyen recounted.

Earlier, Tuyen was also assigned by the government to set up a network, which could transmit data from abroad to Vietnam News Agency.

He designed and produced the first digital telephone in Vietnam, as well as helping Sai Gon Giai Phong to modernize its publishing.

In 1988, his company in Berlin, VIBA GmbH, cooperated with Vietnam General Post Office to found Vietnam Telecommunications Company in HCM City, which became a leading telecommunications firm.

He has been a vice-principal of the Saigon Technology University since 2004.

Prof. Le Hiep Tuyen was born in 1950 in Da Nang City. He went to West Germany to study in 1968. He was among a few Vietnamese engineers carrying out research on optical cables and semi-conductor laser technologies for the telecommunication sector at Berlin Technology University. He became a manager of optical information research department of West Germany’s Krone. He was awarded his PhD at the age of 33.


VietNamNet/SGGP

Discovering charming Phu Yen

Phu Yen is naturally endowed with a nearly 200km coastline and a great many gulfs, lagoons, beaches and islets. The province also has rivers, mountains, lakes, hot spa areas and valuable tangible and intangible cultural heritage sites.
Da Bia Mountain, a tourist site in Phu Yen Province.
These are ideal conditions for the province’s tourism industry to take off. Coming to the province, visitors will have a chance to get close to nature and discover the distinctive culture of the people of Phu Yen.
With its enormous potential, Phu Yen has become the first option for many domestic and foreign investors. The province has thus far attracted many big tourism investment projects.
Since 2005, the Phu Yen province People’s Committee has licenced 35 tourism investment projects that cover more than 1,640ha and cost some VND5.1 trillion and US$5 billion, some of which have become operational.
There is the La Perla Tashun Company’s US$10 million Bai Tram Hideaway Resort in Song Cau district that covers more than 89ha.
Located on a sand hill and backed by a mountain range looking out onto the open sea, Bai Tram has an arc-shaped beach that is very romantic. By 2010 the resort is to have 167 available five-star rooms with infrastructure facilities to international standards.
When it is completed, Bai Tram Hideaway Resort will become an entertainment chain of beach facilities, hillside villas, French-style villas, entertainment and sports areas and a convention centre. The first phase of construction has been completed and some deluxe suites are being used under test conditions.
The chairman of the Phu Yen province People’s Committee, Pham Ngoc Chi, said that after Bai Tram Hideaway Resort is completed, a number of other top-of-the-line resort projects are to get underway.
In Tuy An district, in the city of Tuy Hoa, a US$4.3 billion Phu Yen hi-end tourism chain will be built that is to cover 565ha. This will be the biggest tourism project in Vietnam.
Other significant projects are ’Mini City’, a top-of the-line resort costing US$550 million that covers 300ha, the US$35 million Long Beach Resort on 8ha, the US$30 million Sao Viet Ecological Resort on over 68.4ha, US$31 million Phuong Phu Gia compound chain on 8ha, and the more than US$10 million Thuan Thao Resort on over 10ha.
In Song Cau district will be the US$5.6 million Bai Nom Ecological Resort on over 30ha, and another associated with Long Hai Resort costing US$3 million over 8.2ha.
Phu Hoa and Dong Xuan districts have attracted the US$50 million Green Resort on over 125ha and the Triem Duc hot spa site costing US$30 million over 50ha.
To effectively exploit its potential for tourism development, the Phu Yen Communist Party Committee enacted Resolution 77-KL/TU dated April 28, 2008 to confirm its determination to develop tourism. Accordingly, tourism will be turned into a spearhead economic sector with rapid and sustainable growth.
The number of visitors coming to the province is expected to increase 35 percent per year from 2006-2010 and by 2010 the province is to receive around 360,000 visitors, the number of foreign visitors increasing 53 percent per year.
On August 29, 2008, the Prime Minister enacted Decision 122/2008/QD-TTg to approve Phu Yen province’s socio-economic development master plan until 2020.
By 2020 the province will need VND238 trillion in investment capital to turn it into a major tourism and service centre in the region and the country, a new eastern gateway to ignite development in the Central Highlands and inter-regional development between the Central Highlands and central coastal areas.
Phu Yen tourism is expected to take off with the big money investment projects. If travel agencies join hands to offer combined tour packages to destinations in Phu Yen and some outlying locations like Khanh Hoa province and Ho Chi Minh City where picturesque landscapes that are associated with romantic legends exist, Phu Yen would become a magnet for visitors in the near future.
With close cooperation with other central coastal provinces and Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Yen could be part of the program ’The world heritage road over the central region’.
The province’s tourism industry will have a bright future once these big investment projects get underway.
(Source: VNE)

US-Vietnam education forum opens in HCMC

two-day forum to discuss partnerships between the US and Vietnam in higher education kicked off on January 15 in Ho Chi Minh City.
The Higher Education in Vietnam: American-Vietnamese Partnerships conference aims to further boost cooperation between universities, NGOs and other institutions engaged in higher education, and map out strategies for more linkages and joint educational programs.
Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Thien Nhan told the ceremony via a videotaped clip that he hoped the forum, with the participation of more than 400 representatives from the educational institutions and businesses of both nations will come up with practical and achievable plans for further cooperation in the field.
Addressing the conference’s opening ceremony, US Ambassador to Vietnam, Michael Michalak, said the forum will improve the understanding between American and Vietnamese educational institutions and agencies, and facilitate the implementation of ongoing programs and initiatives.
The conference includes a presentation of preliminary recommendations by the US-Vietnam Education Task Force established during the trip by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to the US last year.
Currently, around 80 American universities have formed partnerships in Vietnam and about 10,000 Vietnamese students are studying in the US, according to Nhan.
Over the past years, the US government has launched many higher education projects in Vietnam including the Fulbright Program and the Vietnam Education Foundation which have helped hundreds of Vietnamese students gain advanced degrees in the US.
The conference is organized by the US Embassy in Hanoi, the Ministry of Education and Training and the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City.
Reported by Tuong Nhi

India culls thousands of birds after flu outbreak - CNN.com

By Harmeet Shah Singh
NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- India has culled more than 4,000 birds in Sikkim since the outbreak of avian influenza in the remote northeastern state last week, federal authorities said Thursday.
Health officials also detected dozens of cases of upper respiratory infection among humans, but none of the patients had any history of handling sick poultry, a government statement said.
Sikkim, which borders Nepal and China, declared a bird flu outbreak on January 19.
"So far, 4,129 birds have been culled," the federal health ministry said, announcing that operations were now over.
Sikkim is the third Indian state to report a bird-flu outbreak recently after Assam and West Bengal.
There has been no case of human infection so far, according to health authorities.
Since the end of 2003, the H5N1 virus has infected numerous species of birds in more than 60 countries in Asia, Europe and Africa. It has not been found in birds in North or South America or the Caribbean, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization.
Human-to-human transmission of avian flu is rare, but in some cases the virus has passed from poultry to humans. It has killed more than 200 people since 2003

Single mum and son make it big in perfume business

PETALING JAYA, MALAYSIA: After three decades working as a factory production worker in Penang, Saffar Noor quit her job and started a perfume business with her only son.
The single mother and her son Josafri Johari, 31 pooled all their money and opened a perfume factory in Glugor, Penang, in April 2007.
Josafri quit his job as a senior executive handling foreign exchange and country reserve in Bank Negara.
The pair buy fine fragrances from Egypt and bottle them in Malaysia under their own label One Drop.
A collection of eight bottles is sold at RM40. And in just nine years, they have come a long way.
Their company One Drop Sdn Bhd has over 2,000 dealers, with businesses in Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Vietnam, Australia and - since December last year - Britain.
They employed a perfumer, who formerly worked at the houses of Escada and Armani, and is now in Paris creating a new range of perfume for them. And the products are sold through dealers and distributors with more than 500,000 users in Malaysia.
Saffar, 50, said she worked 12-hour shifts and did overtime to make extra money at the factory.
'There's nothing like working for yourself and being your own boss,' she said.
Saffar started working as a production worker in 1978 when Josafri was only 10 months old and had to fend for him and her ailing father when her husband left her a few years later.
Her introduction to sales started in the mid-1990s when a friend asked if she was interested in selling tudung material to her colleagues and earn a commission.
Saffar reluctantly accepted as she did not know how to sell anything but would leave the material in her locker and invite her colleagues to check out the tudung during their tea break.
She managed to sell them and received RM150 in commission at the end of the first month.
Saffar then started selling other products like cosmetics and perfume.
Meanwhile, Josafri was doing a triple degree in economics, accounting and finance in Britain under a Bank Negara scholarship and brought home an Egyptian college-mate who was the son of a fine fragrance manufacturer.
Saffar liked the perfume Josafri's friend was using and asked for some of it for her to sell.
The perfume sold so well that she appointed 'agents' at other factories, hotels and hospitals to sell it. Now, success smells so sweet. -The Star/ Asia News Network

The Settling of Payments Outside the Banking Systems in Cambodia Amounts to Up to US$800,000,000 - Tuesday, 27.1.2009 « The Mirror

Phnom Penh: A report produced by the Australian & New Zealand Banking Group – ANZ – said that the settling of payments oustide of the banking systems in Cambodia amounts to up to US$800,000,000.
“A report published during the inauguration of the Wing Company [mobile phone banking – there is also a video explanation here] early this wekk said that at present, among more than 14 million Cambodian citizens, only 500,000 have bank accounts. The report added that so far, most citizens are settling their payments outside of the banking systems, with an annual amount of up to US$800,000,000.
“The director of the Sthapana Company, Mr. Bun Mony, said on the telephone on 24 January 2009 that he has never surveyed this field, but he is aware that so far the settling of payments outside of the banking systems is the usual habit of most Cambodian people.
“He went on to say, ‘I do not dare to confirm this number to be correct, but I think that the settling of payments outside of the banking systems is the culture of settling money affairs for most Cambodian citizens.’
“He added that this habit or culture should be changed, and people should start to think about settling payments through the banking systems, a public system, because this can bring a lot of benefits to the national economy.
“He continued to say, ‘If all citizens stop to hide their money under their mattresses and put it into the banks, the money will be gathered in one place; therefore, it is easy for transferring and using it for different commercial activities, and our state does not have always to think about printing new paper money.’
“He said also that keeping money under the mattress does not bring any benefit, and it might even face many hazards, but if one puts money into the bank, it is safe and brings benefit in the form of interest, and banks can use that money as loan capital to people who need it.” Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.17, #4805, 27.1.2009

Blowfish poisoning sends 7 to hospital in Japan

Seven diners in northern Japan fell ill and three remained hospitalized today after eating blowfish testicles prepared in a restaurant not authorized to serve the poisonous delicacy.

read more | digg story

National Park, Vietnam tourists

Between Soc Trang Province and Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta, attractive Hau Giang Province is a relative newcomer to tourism.
For people ready to take the detour away from the usual destinations, Nga Bay Floating Market, Tay Do Ecotourism Park, and Lung Ngoc Hoang Nature Reserve in Hau Giang will make the trip worthwhile.
Nga Bay Floating Market, also called Phung Hiep Floating Market, is in the heart of Phung Hiep District’s Phung Hiep Town, about 30 kilometers south of Can Tho. The trading post is located at the meeting point of seven small rivers. Operations at this market begin early in the morning, with hundreds of boats arriving with farm produce from every direction. Visitors can catch a boat and take in the early Mekong morning, shopping for fresh fruit and produce.
Lung Ngoc Hoang Nature Reserve, which is also located in the district, has more than 500 species of plants and animals including many rare ones. Covering nearly 300,000 hectares and extending from the western bank of the Hau River to U Minh National Park in Kien Giang Province, the reserve is considered the “green lung” of the Mekong Delta.
Tourists can explore the forest by boat, climb up the “watch tower” to see birds and animals or sit in the shade of trees to fish. Cooks are ready to make dishes from the fish they catch.
Tay Do Ecotourist Park, also in Phung Hiep, covers 20 hectares of land and offers accommodation. There are live shows of southern traditional music in the shade of fruit trees, fishing, and a bonsai garden. It deserves an overnight stay for visitors to Hau Giang.
Other places of interest include Vi Thuy Cajuput Forest Ecotourism Park, and Tam Vu Ecotourist Park.
With its tourism potential, Hau Giang is expected to become a popular destination in the delta.
Reported by Diem Thu

Passenger Opened exit door as airplance takes-off

A Jetstar Pacific Airlines flight from central Khanh Hoa Province to Hanoi on Tuesday was delayed for three hours after a passenger opened the exit door as the airplane readied for take-off.
Passenger Tran Thang was not allowed to board when flight BL-8402 finally took off from Cam Ranh Airport at 1:30 PM.
A report by airport authorities said Thang, 28, was originally seated near the exit door. Flight attendants had warned Thang once when they saw him hold the exit door handle.
However, some minutes later, Thang opened the door for no reason. The attendants alerted the captain who decided to cancel the flight for a technical check.
Cam Ranh Airport authorities said Thang could be fined up to VND35 million for violating air travel safety codes.
Earlier this month, the Transport Ministry’s Inspectorate fined a South Korean passenger VND15 million (US$840) for the same violation on a Vietnam Airlines flight from Hanoi to Seam Reap, Cambodia.
Another Vietnamese passenger was fined VND25 million for opening the exit door on a Vietnam Airlines flight from Taiwan’s Taipei to Hanoi in August 2008.
Reported by Thanh Nien staff

Central airport set to become international gateway

Cam Ranh Airport in the central province of Khanh Hoa will develop rapidly once it becomes an international gateway this year, the Vietnam Airlines chief said Friday.
The carrier plans to put Cam Ranh on its international map by launching flights to North Asian destinations, general director Pham Ngoc Minh said.
Some South Korean tour operators have promised the airlines they would bring passengers to Cam Ranh and Russian carrier Aeroflot also wants to begin services to this coastal airport, Tien Phong newspaper reported.
The airport is expected to receive 1.5 million passengers in 2010 and up to four million by 2015, Minh said. Last year, the 750-hectare airport handled 683,000 passengers.
By next June, its new international terminal is expected to receive 1.5-2 million passengers a year.
Last year, the government permitted Vietnam Airlines and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam, or BIDV, to invite foreign investors to form the Cam Ranh Airport Construction and Investment Joint Stock Company.
Reported by Vinh Bao

Festival schedule

Festival schedule (long list)

Vietnam latest news - Thanh Nien Daily

Tet Festivals 2009 (long list)

HANOI – Spring Exhibition 2009 (Vietnam Exhibition Center, through Friday)
Tran Van Tan, director of the Vietnam Exhibition Center, says this year’s Spring Exhibition will be the largest in its 17-year history, with 500 businesses showcasing products from around the national at some 800 stalls.
Visitors to the Hanoi event can try various specialty products from several provinces, including ruou can Hoa Binh (local rice wine from Hoa Binh Province in the north), Nam Roi grapefruits from the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long, as well as products from craft villages in Hanoi and Ha Tay Province.
A new section displaying flowers and ornamental plants has been added to this year’s festival, which will also feature both traditional and modern theater performances as well as rock and hip hop dance and music shows.
HANOI – Hanoi-Thang Long Spring Festival 2009 (from January 29 to February 1)
Hanoi will open its Hanoi-Thang Long Spring Festival in Ly Thai To Park and the Hoan Kiem Lake area with a celebration of the capital’s 999th birthday on January 29.
On the same day in Thanh Tri District, a festival commemorating the 220th anniversary of the battle of Ngoc Hoi-Dong Da, in which General Nguyen Hue crushed a Chinese invasion, will be launched.
At the intersection of Dinh Tien Hoang and Hang Khay streets, an exhibition titled “Images of Hanoi 2009” will feature photographs of the historic capital.
The exhibition’s opening ceremony will include traditional musical shows and a lantern ceremony at Thien Quang Lake in which lit lotus-shaped lanterns – the symbol of Hanoi – are placed in the lake.
BA RIA-VUNG TAU – Flower Festival (Bai Truoc Park in the town of Vung Tau from January 22 to February 4)

Vietnamese Poet receives French Medal

Vietnamese poet and translator Tran Duong Tuong Friday received the prestigious French “Officier des Arts et des Lettres” order (Order of Arts and Literature) for his contributions to French culture and literature.
France’s Ambassador to Vietnam Hervé Bolot held a grand ceremony in Hanoi to present Tuong with the prize.
Tuong has translated into Vietnamese many French books by such authors as Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre and Raymond Queneau.
The 77-year-old has also translated many Vietnamese books into French to introduce Vietnam to international friends.
Tuong is also a reporter and critic.
France’s Order of Arts and Literature is awarded to artists to recognize their contributions to arts and literature.
Reported by Huu Tho

Vietnam halts boat rescue mission

Vietnamese officials have postponed the search for survivors from a crowded ferry that sank on Sunday, to allow New Year celebrations to go ahead.
Forty people died when the vessel sank in strong currents about 20m (65ft) from the bank of the Gianh river, in central Quang Binh province.
Two people are still missing, and officials said the rescue mission would continue on Tuesday.
Local police said the small ferry had been overloaded with passengers.
Quang Binh police chief Phan Thanh Ha told the Associated Press there had been 80 people on board, even though it had a capacity of only 12.

One of the survivors, Cao Thi Huong, told the VnExpress website that the accident happened when passengers stood up in a rush to get off the boat as it approached a pier at about 0800 (0100 GMT).
Officials said many of those who drowned were women and children.
They had been crossing the river from the village of Quang Hai to go shopping ahead of the start of the Lunar New Year holiday.
The boat's captain and owner have been detained for questioning.
The BBC's Nga Pham, in Hanoi, says safety standards on Vietnam's rivers are poor, and boats are often overcrowded.

Economic slowdown curtails Tet spending

With relish, Lu Thu Trang filled her shopping cart with Lunar New Year treats.
Reaching for some imported Belgian chocolates, she did a double take and took cheaper locally-made candies instead.
“I have no Tet bonus this year as the global economic recession has slashed sales at the company I work for,” said Trang, who was shopping at the Big C supermarket in Hanoi.
“So, I’m buying only the essential Tet foods this New Year,” said the 32-year-old personnel clerk from a Thai-invested company in the capital.
Trang is only one of many whose holiday spending has been cut by the economic slowdown. A number of firms, especially in textiles, garment, footwear and farm products, have lowered Tet bonuses for their employees. Others have even instituted lay-offs or cut salaries due to the difficult financial situation.
Decreasing purchasing power, slower economic development growth and an increasing unemployment rate are all expected to lead to only modest retail market turnovers during the holiday shopping season this year.
Traditionally, both prices and sales surge during Tet season as consumers stock up on new items for the New Year.
But this year might be different.
Deputy General Director of Big C in Hanoi Nguyen Thai Dung said, “Our turnover growth this Tet will not be high; an estimated 10 percent compared to 25-30 percent during previous Tets.”
Some supermarkets might not even make small revenue growths over the holidays as local consumers have tightened their belts in the face of economic difficulties.
“The market this year is gloomy due to decreasing purchasing power. During the current economic downturn, it’s difficult for supermarkets to post turnover growth,” said Tran Manh Canh, deputy general director of the Hanoi Trading Corp. (Hapro).
“We’re hoping sales grow as Tet [which falls on January 26] approaches.”
Essential products such as grain have been the bestsellers so far, Dung said, adding that locally-made products are selling while imported items are moving much slower.
Hapro’s Canh said the price of most products had not yet increased and sales of standard items such as candies, beverages and tobacco have remained unchanged against the previous Tet.
The somber commercial atmosphere has hit not only supermarkets and upscale department stores, but also street-side shops selling locally-made items to low- and medium-income earners.
“Business has been difficult this year. We’ve seen a remarkable drop in customers and our selling volume has dropped by 30 percent this Tet,” said Nguyen Thu Vinh, owner of a wholesale candy shop on Bach Mai
Street, as he sadly pointed to piles of goods overflowing out the front door.
To fight the down-beat atmosphere, supermarkets and shops are offering big discounts, gifts and lucky draws. Big C has offered discounts of 10-30 percent on over 700 items while Hapro Mart has implemented 5-30 percent sales on hundreds of products.
Meanwhile, a wide range of local candy producers such as Kinh Do, Bibica, Hai Ha and Vinabico have offered discounts of 5-10 percent on their products.
Still expecting Tet sales to swell despite the gloomy economic forecast, most supermarkets have stocked up on extra goods and have thus far left prices unchanged.
“We’ve set aside VND570 billion (US$33.53 million) to increase our goods supply this season. Our supply is estimated to be 15 percent higher than last Tet,” said Hapro’s Canh.
“This is a good time to buy as everything’s on sale and the shelves are packed,” said 25-year-old Nguyen Le Huong, an accountant at a state-owned commercial bank, as she squeezed out of the narrow Metro Supermarket doorway with a cart full of fruits, vegetables, rice and clothes.
However, the sales and promotions are not enough to attract many poorer locals, especially those working for small producers. Prices are still too high compared to their incomes, which have gotten smaller since the economic crisis began.
“My income is not enough for daily meals, let alone Tet. Everything, despite the sales, is still too expensive,” Nguyen Kim Thu, a seamstress at a private garment company said as she selected some pork at an open-air market along a crowded and dusty street.
Reported by Ngan

Boat capsizes, 40 die in central Vietnam

An estimated 40 people drowned when an overloaded boat capsized on Gianh River in central Vietnam early Sunday morning. Thirty-five other passengers were rescued or managed to swim to safety.
Witnesses said the small boat could have been carrying over 80 people, mostly women and children. Authorities of Quang Hai and Quang Thach communes of Quang Binh Province, where the accident happened, are searching the river for more victims.
The Tuoi Tre newspaper quoted Colonel Nguyen Quoc Tri, head of the Quang Binh Military Command, as saying the boat’s capacity was about 40 people.
The boat’s owner, Nguyen Xuan Qui of Quang Hai, has been summoned by the local police for interrogation, VnExpress newswire reports.
Witnesses told Thanh Nien many passengers were going shopping for the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival from Quang Hai, on the south side of the river, to a market in Quang Thach. The Lunar New Year falls on January 26 this year.
Tuoi Tre quoted a witness as saying the boat also carried many bicycles, goods and a cow.
The boat capsized in the middle of the 50-meters wide river where it is 15 – 20 meters deep. None of its six lifebuoys were used, possibly because the accident happened very fast.
VnExpress quoted Cao Thi Huong, a 39-year-old survivor, as saying there were strong waves in the middle of the river.
Tran Cong Thuat, Vice chairman of the Quang Binh People’s Committee, told Tuoi Tre the province has canceled the fireworks display planned to welcome the Lunar New Year, adding the accident was “too great a loss.”
Reported by Thanh Nien staff

Cambodia opposition seeks Obama's help in murder probe

PHNOM PENH (AFP) - Cambodia's opposition leader Thursday urged US President Barack Obama to help find the killers of a prominent union boss, as hundreds of people gathered to mark five years since his murder.
Chea Vichea, who headed the country's largest labour union and was a vocal critic of Prime Minister Hun Sen's government, was gunned down at a Phnom Penh newsstand on January 22, 2004.
The daylight murder shocked Cambodia and badly fractured the country's nascent workers' movement. It was condemned by rights groups as a brutal attempt to silence opposition-linked unions.
"I beg US President Barack Obama to help Cambodian people find the criminals to bring them to justice," opposition leader Sam Rainsy told a crowd Thursday at the spot where Chea Vichea was shot.
The politician marched through Phnom Penh with some 300 garment workers and unionists to place wreaths and light incense sticks at the newsstand.
Sam Rainsy criticised authorities for failing to arrest the real culprits, but said he hoped that a "push from outside" would bring "change" in the case of Chea Vichea's murder over the next year.
Cambodia's highest court late last month provisionally released two men convicted of killing Chea Vichea and ordered the case to be re-tried, citing unclear evidence.
The two men, Born Samnang and Sok Sam Oeun, had been arrested just days after the union chief's 2004 death, convicted of murder and quickly sentenced to 20 years each in prison.
The United States and UN welcomed the decision by the court to order a retrial. International and local rights watchdogs had called the conviction and trial deeply flawed and said the true perpetrators remained at large.
But two other labour leaders have also been murdered since Chea Vichea's killing, in an escalation of attacks against workers' rights advocates.
Their deaths cast a pall over Cambodia's key garment industry, with several major clothing labels warning the government that swift justice was needed for their continued presence in the country.

Vietnam to let banks set rates on consumer loans

HANOI, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Vietnam will allow banks to establish interest rates on consumer loans on a negotiable basis from next month, the central bank said.
The new rule, effective from Feb. 1, will allow banks to set interest rates on consumer loans outside the ceiling rate, which is equivalent to 150 percent of the base rate regulated by the central bank, bankers said.
"Banks are allowed to apply negotiable interest rates for consumer loans and credit card loans according to the central bank's lending regulation, the supply and demand of funds and borrowers' creditworthiness," the central bank said in a statement seen on Saturday.
On Friday, the central bank said it would also cut the benchmark base rate to 7 percent from Feb. 1, effectively lowering the ceiling rates to 10.5 percent, from 12.75 percent now as it moved to boost corporate borrowing to stave off an economic slowdown. (Reporting by Nguyen Nhat Lam

Vietnam: Serviced Apartments Survive Real-estate Market Collapse | My Sinchew

HO CHI MINH City, VIETNAM: The serviced apartments segment remains untouched by the property market's woes, with demand for rental apartments in major cities high despite the economic recession, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.
A representative of Ascott International Management Vietnam said his company managed more than 800 luxury apartments in Hanoi and HCM City and most of them were occupied.
They were popular among foreigners who had been living and working in Vietnam for three to five years, he said.
Though the Government has allowed foreigners to buy houses with effect from 1 Jan, many of them are disinclined to do so, according to him.
They were used to living in places with good infrastructure and amenities, he explained, while most new houses came up in localities without those factors.
Those situated in developed areas were too expensive, he added.
Do Quan, vice chairman of the TSQ Vietnam Company, also said foreigners preferred to rent rather than buy apartments.
Few had a real need as well as the financial means to buy a house in Vietnam, he added.
Lam Van Chuc, chairman of the Phuc Duc property company, said most foreigners were not ready to pay their own cash to buy a house unlike Vietnamese.
Besides, they would only take out mortgages for houses if the interest rates were extremely low, he added.
Property consultant CBRE Vietnam said with the global economy at a low ebb, foreigners in Hanoi and HCM City would be happy to rent an apartment at 1,000-1,500 USD a month rather than sink US$200,000 into buying it. (Bernama

Hong Kong & Taipei Travel Deals

China Airlines (tel. 800/227-5118; http://www.china-airlines.com/) has a couple of great web deals up at the moment. First up, Los Angeles to Hong Kong is $600 round-trip, or $689 with taxes. This offer is good for outbound weekday travel between January 24 and April 30, and must be purchased by February 28.
Also from China Airlines, Los Angeles to Taipei is $689 round-trip, or $755 with taxes. This fare is good for outbound travel between January 24 and May 20, and must be purchased by February 6.
Los Angeles to Hong Kong $676, including all taxes
Los Angeles to Taipei $755, including all taxes

Will Airlines continue to Shrink?

Will Airlines Continue to Shrink, then Merge?
United Airlines (tel. 800/241-6522; http://www.united.com/) lost $1.3 billion in the last quarter, and announced 1000 further salaried and management job cuts in addition to the 2500 job losses announced in Q2 2008. In addition, the nation's third largest carrier (after American and Delta) will further downsize, parking aircraft and reducing seat capacity. Airline ticket purchases continue to decline, despite some really amazingly low fares, as the economy deteriorates.
Some industry watchers suggest that further downsizing and consolidation is inevitable. One thing that's preventing future consolidation is that the remaining players are still too big to get government approval for a merger (e.g., if United and US Air were to combine at their present sizes, the new entity would have too large a market share to suit antitrust regulators and Congress). But what if those carriers continue to cut personnel, seat capacity, and routes? Then they might "right size" to the point where a merger would be possible. Anyway, that's the thinking of some in the industry. No predictions here about whether that will come to pass.
But airline shrinkage is a fact of life. American Airlines also reported dismal financial results for the quarter just ended, with a $340 million loss. American plans to cut total seats flown by 7 percent this year compared to last, while United plans to eliminate up to 12.5 percent of capacity in North America in 2009 and 5 to 6 percent internationally, for a total full year reduction systemwide of 7 to 8 per cent.

BOC seizes P15M worth of cigarettes to be smuggled to Vietnam, Thailand - Nation - Official Website of GMA News and Public Affairs - Latest Philippine News - BETA

.MANILA, Philippines - Customs officials on Thursday morning seized illegal shipments of cigarettes worth some P15 million that were about to be shipped abroad, a radio report said. Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales said customs agents were able to thwart the scheduled exportation of the shipments of cigarettes – stored in two 20-foot container vans – to Vietnam and Thailand. Morales said the shipments were discovered in the Manila International Container Port (MICT) terminal at the Port of Manila.Morales said the shipments were considered illegal as the contents of the container vans were initially declared as home appliances and grocery items that would only be sold locally, the official said. Also, the shipments' owner had failed to secure an export commodity clearance certificate from the Bureau of Customs, as required by the National Tobacco Authority. The Customs chief said the illegal cargo was supposed to be brought to the two Asian neighbors and be sold to Filipinos there, who prefer Philippine-made tobacco over strong-tasting foreign-made cigarettes. The shipments’ owner – a certain Antonio Sy – will be facing charges of misdeclaration and illegal export, Morales added. The two container vans are currently under the custody of Customs, pending further investigation, the report added. - Mark Merueñas, GMANews.TV

Tet Vietnam

When: Mon, Jan 26th 8:00 am to Thu, Jan 29th 6:00 pmWhere: throughout Vietnam,
VN Holiday. Offices closed.
Click here …
... to learn more about TET customs in Vietnam.“Tet is the festival which epitomizes the identity of Vietnamese culture. Although the Lunar New Year is observed in all of East Asia influenced by Chinese civilisation, each country celebrates it in a way peculiar to that country by making it conform to its psyche and historico-geographical conditions. Many rites, festivities and practices of Vietnamese TET are quite distant variants of the Chinese model, and are even original creations which hark back to myths and legends of the pre-Chinese period which prevailed in an authentically Viet culture of the Bronze Age (first millenium B.C.) called the Red River Culture.”
... Symbols of TET in Vietnam.Kumquat trees about two or three feet tall are carefully selected and prominently displayed during Tet. To carefully choose a kumquat bush, the buyer must pay attention to the symmetrical shape, to the leaves and to the color and shape of the fruit. The bushes have been precisely pruned to display ripe deep orange fruits with smooth clear thin skin shining like little suns or gold coins on the first day of the lunar new year. Other fruits must still be green to ripen later. This represents the wish that wealth will come to you now and in the future. The leaves must be thick and dark green with some light green sprouts. The fruits represent the grandparents, the flowers represent parents, the buds represent children and the light green leaves represent grandchildren. The tree thus symbolizes many generations. Guests will caress the light green leaves about to sprout and compliment the discerning host who chose so carefully.
... for a list of Vietnamese and U.S. holidays
... to download Moon Menu, a small program to keep track of the phases of the moon.
... to learn about how the Lunar New Year is calculated from Ancient Worlds.
And here is a list of dates for future TET Lunar New Year’s day up to 2020.
Year of the…
Gregorian Calendar
Water Buffalo
Jan 26, 2009
Tiger
Feb 10, 2010
Cat
Feb 03, 2011
Dragon
Jan 23, 2012
Snake
Feb 10, 2013
Horse
Jan 31, 2014
Goat
Feb 19, 2015
Monkey
Feb 09, 2016
Rooster
Jan 28, 2017
Dog
Feb 16, 2018
Pig
Feb 05, 2019
Rat
Jan 25, 2020

Central China province reports human infection of bird flu_English_Xinhua

CHANGSHA, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A 16-year-old male student had been confirmed as infected with bird flu in central China's Hunan Province, the fourth case of human bird flu found in China in 2009, said a provincial government official on Monday.
The student, surnamed Wu, fell ill on Jan. 8 in Guizhou, the provincial capital, said the official from the provincial health bureau.
Wu was transferred to a hospital in Huaihua City on Jan. 16 when his condition worsened.
The patient is still in a critical condition, the official said.
According to the test result on Monday from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wu tested positive for the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.
The patient had had contact with poultry, the official said. But no more details had been revealed.
The people who had close contact with the patient are under medical observation. No one has been found ill so far.
In the northern Shanxi Province, a two-year-old girl surnamed Peng was confirmed to be infected with the same virus on Saturday.
The toddler had been in critical condition and doctors had been trying to bring the virus under control, local health officials said on Sunday.
The 67 people who had close contact with the girl had been under observation but no one was found infected.
A 27-year-old woman surnamed Zhang died of bird flu in east China's Shandong Province on Saturday, which was the second death caused by avian influenza in the country in the new year.
The first death this year from bird flu was a 19-year-old woman named Huang Yanqing who died in Beijing on Jan. 5.
Editor: Deng Shasha

Vietnam To Introduce 3G Technology In 2009

HANOI, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- Telecommunications industry insiders are predicting that 3G (third generation) technology will be introduced in Vietnam this year, the Vietnam news agency (VNA) reported.With 3G technology, mobile providers in Vietnam will be able to provide more value-added services for their mobile users such as videophone, on-line video streaming and high-speed internet and music download."Vietnam 's telecom market expects to reach a turnover of between US$ 6 to US$7 billion in 2010, which promises a huge market for mobile service providers," said a member of the management board of VNPT Group - which operates mobile service providers Mobifone and Vinaphone.VNPT spokesman Bui Quoc Viet said that Mobifone and Vinaphone were prepared to introduce 3G soon.Vietnam currently has nearly 80 million mobile subscribers, of which Viettel accounts for 26 million, Mobifone 26 million and Vinaphone 20 million.The industry has seen 30 percent annual growth in recent years.In the Ho Chi Minh City, the city's Mobile Co's senior technician Tran Lam Thinh said the company was preparing to introduce a metropolitan area network (MAN), linking the city with high-speed connections using fibre-optic cable and other digital media to meet increasing customer demand for high-speed internet service.Thinh said the MAN would help serve industrial and hi-tech zones, major commercial centres, and new urban areas with high-speed connections. It would also connect State administrative agencies, facilitating the provision of e-Government services as well as promoting the growth of e-commerce.The city's Department of Information and Communication, HCM City People's Committee, Dong A Bank and HCM City Water Supply Co were all preparing to utilise the MAN, Thinh said.Mobifone has a Call Me service for subscribers who have their incoming and outgoing calls barred. It enables them to send SMS to other domestic subscribers to call them back.Subscribers can send five free domestic messages in one week.-- BERNAMA

Vietnam’s int’l call charges are region’s lowest

Thanks to the 50 percent discount offered by the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) last September, international call charges from Vietnam are lower than any other country in the region.


The group’s 2008 revenue increased 19 percent against over 2007, at more than 55 trillion VND (3.2 billion USD), even in the face of the current financial difficulties that are affecting the economy.

These figures were announced on Jan. 16 during a press conference in Hanoi by Bui Quoc Viet, director of the VNPT’s Information Centre.

During 2008, VNPT added 22 million subscribers to its list of phone users, increasing the number of its subscribers to 49 million.

The launch of Viet Nam ’s first satellite, Vinasat-1, into orbit in April 2008 was a breakthrough improvement in telecommunications infrastructure, helping local service providers, including VNPT, to expand their networks and services.

The telecommunications sector is expected to experience even tougher competition in 2009 when Vietnam opens the industry to foreign service providers, in line with its WTO commitments.

However, VNPT plans to increase its revenue during 2009 to around 60 trillion VND whilst making further reductions to call charges.

(Source: VNA)

Kidnappers demand 5 million dollars for kidnapped ICRC staff | TopNews Law

Manila - Islamist militants holding captive three staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are planning to demand at least 5 million dollars in ransom for their hostages' freedom, military sources said Sunday.
According to military intelligence sources, Swiss Andreas Notter, Italian Eugenio Vagni and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba are being held in the jungles of Indanan town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila.
The kidnappers, estimated to number 25, are led by rebel commander Albader Parad and Akmad Jumdail alias Dr. Abu Pula of the Islamist Abu Sayyaf group.
The sources said "Parad is planning to demand 5 million dollars while Dr. Abu is reportedly planning a still unknown political demand" for the safe release of the ICRC team, who were abducted on January 15.
The Philippine military officially declined to comment on the information or give updates about efforts to rescue the three abducted ICRC staff.
"We are suspending operational updates on the military's efforts on the kidnapping," said military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres.
"This is being done to avoid the possibility of compromising our operations and unnecessarily risking the safety of the victims," he added.
Abdusakur Tan, governor of the Sulu province, which includes Jolo island, said he was heading a coordinating centre that was overseeing the hostage situation.
But he also refused to give out updates on the kidnapping.
"I cannot say at the moment because we have many plans and we don't want to reveal our actions," he said, when asked if the kidnappers have made contact or issued any demands.
Tan urged the ICRC not to negotiate directly with the kidnappers, saying this would be "costly."
On Saturday, the ICRC said the three staff had been able to call their office and told colleagues that they were unharmed.
The agency has declined to say if ransom has been demanded for the ICRC staff, who were in Jolo to oversee a water and sanitation project in the provincial jail when they were abducted.
Jean-Daniel Tauxe, head of the ICRC delegation in Manila, said the agency had no additional information about the whereabouts of the abducted staff or who is holding them.
"We are not in a position to comment further, since our main priority is ensuring that nothing jeopardizes their safety, but it goes without saying that their families, as well as their colleagues, are hoping for their safe and swift return," he said.
The al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf rebel group has been responsible for deadly terrorist attacks in the Philippines.
It is also notorious for high-profile kidnapping-for-ransom cases, including the abduction of 21 European tourists and Asian workers from a Malaysian resort island in 2000. The hostages were ransomed off for millions of dollars before they were freed months later. dpa

Thailand agrees to repatriate 5,000 Hmong refugees to Laos

Thailand has agreed to repatriate 5,000 members of the Hmong ethnic minority to Laos from Thai refugee camps, a foreign ministry spokesman told AFP Saturday.
Thousands of Lao Hmong live in the camps in north east Thailand and are seeking political asylum.
They say they fear persecution because many Hmong once fought alongside US forces during the Vietnam war.
"There is coordination between the government and Laos to send Hmong refugees back to Laos according to the minister," foreign ministry spokesman Tharit Charungvat told AFP.
"The process to return the refugees includes screening them to ensure that those who return will not be in danger," he added.
Thailand Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya made a visit to Laos on Friday but the ministry said the issue had not been discussed during talks.
Thailand claims the Hmong refugees are economic migrants seeking work, and has already been slowly shipping the Hmong back to Laos, to the horror of human rights groups who say that some may genuinely be in danger of persecution.
New York-based Human Rights Watch has accused Lao security forces of arrests, torture, sexual abuse and extrajudicial killings of Hmong in the past and has demanded both countries allow UN monitoring of any repatriations.
The resettlements have slowed amid Thailand's recent political turmoil but Laos appears eager to wrap up the process before it takes the regional spotlight when it hosts the 25th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in December.
Thailand has lately been cultivating Laos as a key regional ally, with energy-hungry Thais buying increasing amounts of electricity from their communist neighbour to the north.

Exporting products to depressed markets

Major Vietnamese export markets like the US, Japan and the EU are falling into depression.
One of the areas in which the Government will stimulate investment this year is products of high export value. However, the World Bank has forecast that the volume of goods transacted in the market this year will decrease by 2.1 percent. In developing countries, export growth will shrink to 3 percent, a sharp contrast to the average growth rate of 15 percent over the past five years.
At present, cassava starch exported to China is sitting idle at northern border gates. Some Vietnamese products such as watermelon, fresh areca nuts, litchi and rubber have faced the same problem over the past years as Vietnamese businesses continue operating inefficiently due to lack of transparency in terms of market.
Businesses need to master information sharing on their capacity for production and supply as well as their ability to deliver products in each period. Unfortunately, such information is too sketchy for businesses to make sound decision regarding a number of agricultural products in stock.
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung related at a recent agriculture and rural development conference that when he asked about the shrimp and rice cultivation in one province, for instance, local party and administration leaders gave different answers. They seemed unclear as to when and how much products would be sold to earn record profits.
This typical example of poor information forecasting is a common occurrence in Vietnam. When a plan to develop tra and basa catfish in the Mekong delta region was launched in October, 2008 the fisheries association in An Giang province – the nation’s leading catfish producers they found that much important data for 2009 and 2010 was either outdated or contradicted.
This year the National Assembly set an export growth target of 13 percent, instead of 19 percent. However, market experts said that the target is still too demanding for Vietnam to achieve as the World Bank forecast the export growth rate in developing countries at 3 percent.
National export activities are being seriously affected by the world economic slowdown. A private business in northern Hai Duong province, which exported thousands of tonnes of roast suckling pigs to Hong Kong, Taiwan and some other markets reported that its export volume has fallen steeply in recent months because these markets simultaneously stopped importing such meat. Consequently, a number of farmers who supply suckling pigs to the business also fared no better.
Some seafood export businesses said that many importers cancelled their orders this year due to a declining demand. Therefore, many processing factories in the south have to narrow their production and many workers have lost jobs. This is a manifestation of the impact of the global financial meltdown on the domestic market.
In the international integration process, tariff barriers are to be removed across the board while non-tariff barriers will become more complicated. It means that the world market is more open for Vietnamese products but much more demanding in terms of meeting requirements concerning quality and branding. For example in the European markets, fruit, which meets certain specification for both size and colour can be sold in the supermarket.
Nguyen Ngoc Son, Vietnamese ambassador to Switzerland, said that although mangoes imported from Thailand and Pakistan are not as delicious as the Vietnamese mango, they are available in the market.
According to Swiss importers, Vietnamese mango tastes better but the quality is too variable so it does not meet the requirement for bulk orders. The first batch of fruit is good but the following batches come up short because some Vietnamese businesses do not deal in good faith and break contracts with clients, badly affecting the whole Vietnamese business community.
For example, last year, Vietnamese cashew nut businesses refused to deliver goods to clients under signed contracts in order to avoid initial losses and consequently they had to pay a high price for this by selling them dirt cheap when importers refused to import anymore.
Major Vietnamese export markets such as the US, Japan and the EU are falling into depression. Meanwhile Vietnamese footwear imported to the EU won’t enjoy the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) tax any longer while Chinese garment products imported to the US have had their tariffs removed. However, these demanding requirements provide an opportunity for businesses and entrepreneurs to show the world what they can do.
Despite the decline in the export market due to the impact of the global economic downturn and the strict requirements of traditional markets, many enterprises are still actively finding markets and accelerating exports. For example, Vietnamese businesses are focusing on low-income customers in the US who are looking for cheap products. Businesses share their experience that demand for goods in the African market is high.
In addition it is an easy market to enter and imposes few technical barriers and tariffs. However, businesses are hard-pressed to find suitable payment methods. Many small products have high export value and potential products include suitcases, bags, umbrellas, rubber products, iron, and electric wires and cables.
A number of support policies have been devised for export businesses, including helping them access preferential loans from banks, cutting loan rates, giving credit guarantees for some agricultural products and creating favourable conditions for them to reduce prices and improve their competitive edge.
The more difficult the world market is the more risks businesses will face. Therefore, businesses should be very careful in their operations. In addition to Government support, associations should play key role in providing information for businesses.
Another important information channel that businesses ignore is the Vietnamese trade office overseas, which can provide accurate information about foreign partners, helping domestic ones minimize risk when signing contracts. Further, businesses should know how to find new markets for old products.
(Source: VOV)

The 100 top stock millionaires in 2008

Chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group Doan Nguyen Duc has been announced as the richest person on the stock market. The total assets the members of the group have reach nearly $2.6bil.
Chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group Doan Nguyen Duc (left)Surpassing some 4,000 candidates for the position of champion, Chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group Doan Nguyen Duc became the richest stock millionaire in 2008 as he is holding VND6,160bil worth of HAG shares.

Starting business as a small workshop in Gia Lai province which specialised in making desks and chairs for students, Duc and his colleagues gradually developed the workshop into a company and then a multi-field group, from specialising in afforestation, woodwork processing, construction materials to real estate development, tourism and football business.

In 2006, Hoang Anh Gia Lai’s chartered capital was VND296bil. Two years ago, the group began listing its shares on the HCM City bourse, and its capital increased by six-fold compared to 2006, to VND1,798bil. The total market capitalisation of Hoang Anh Gia Lai by December 31, 2008 had reached VND11,328bil, or 2.5% of the market’s total scale.

Besides Duc, two other members of Hoang Anh Gia Lai are also named in the top 100 list. His brother ranks 50th with VND143bil worth of HAG, while the deputy general director of the group ranks 100th with assets worth VND54.2bil.

In 2008, one more member of the Saigon Investment Group entered the bourse, SGT, a telecom company, which helped the group’s chairman Dang Thanh Tam have even more listed shares.

However, as the stock market has been falling, the huge volume of shares of Tam (45mil KBC, 7.4mil ITA and 13.86mil SGT) are valued at VND3,280bil only. As the asset value is half as much as in 2007, Tam has yielded the No 1 position to Doan Nguyen Duc, and now ranks third.

Pham Nhat Vuong, a young entrepreneur, still keeps his second position. Vinpearl, the brother of Vincom, has listed 100mil shares on HCM City bourse. With 49mil VIC and 20mil VPL, Vuong now has VND5,225bil worth of shares, an increase of VND1,500bil compared to 2007.

According to local newspaper VnExpress, which initiated the listing of 100 top millionaires, the 2008 list was compiled from information of 310 of the 345 listed companies.


Nearly 4,000 individuals are named in the prospectuses of the above companies; they have the total assets in shares of VND44,359bil, or 3% of GDP. 85% of the assets belong to 100 stock millionaires. Of these, 66 men are holding VND28tril worth of shares, while the remaining assets belong to 34 women.

The top 100 list in 2008 welcomes 16 new members, mostly coming from newly listed companies like Vinpearl, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, Hoa Sen. There are two names from two companies listed before 2008, but have just joined the top 100 list. Only 15 VIP’s have had their assets increase in comparison with 2007. The assets of the other 85 persons have decreased by VND40tril, mostly because of the stock price decreases.

(Source: VNE)

Coke suffers brand backlash

KUALA LUMPUR - Coca-Cola needs to raise its local relevance following a wave of boycotts in Malaysia over US support for Israel's attacks on Gaza. The brand, say industry sources, has not done enough to present itself as a local operation. Ismael Ibnoulouafi, CEO of The Brand Union’s Southeast Asia Hub, said Coke required a longer-term approach than it has so far adopted, pointing to action taken by McDonald’s including partnering with schools and other CSR activity. “As evident from this episode, brands these days have to do more to be a part of a country’s social, cultural and economic climate.” Another regional PR agency CEO argued that Coke should start leveraging on local communities and meetings, such as “local mosque heads and Malay-language publications and blogs” to do damage control. Over 2,000 Muslim restaurants in Malaysia have pledged to remove Coca-Cola from their menus as part of a boycott of US products. The nationwide boycott is led by the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association with support from the Muslim Restaurant Operators Association. Besides Coke, 100 other US brands including Starbucks, Colgate and McDonald’s could be caught up in the action, which has been encouraged via social media.Coke’s PR strategy has to date focused on emphasising its political neutrality and its role in the local economy. “Given the local nature of our business, we believe that calls for boycotts of our products are not the appropriate way to further any causes, as they primarily hurt the local economy, local businesses and local citizens,” said Kadri Taib, public affairs and communications director for Coke Malaysia. Jorg Dietzel, principal of Jorg Dietzel Brand Consultants Singapore, said Coke is the latest brand to be targeted due to US foreign policy. He said stressing the local nature of its business is the right approach. “When people realise how important these brands are to their economy, the boycotts will stop.”

Vietnam Earmarks $115 Million For Global Warming | My Sinchew

HANOI, VIETNAM: Vietnam will spend $115 million over the next six years to prepare for the impact of global warming, which international studies have shown could severely damage the country's long coast and low-lying river deltas.
The money will be used to "assess the impact of global warming on Vietnam and map out a plan of action," Tuesday's (13 Jan) Youth newspaper quoted Nguyen Van Duc, the vice minister of natural resources and environment, as saying.
Authorities will use the money to devise plans aimed at protecting Vietnam's economy from potential environmental damage.
The World Bank estimated that 10.8% of Vietnam's 86 million people could be displaced if global warming caused just a 3-foot (1-meter) rise in sea levels, which could cause severe damage in the southern Mekong Delta and the Red River Delta in the north.
A report by the bank last year said Vietnam was one of 10 countries that could experience the most serious damage from global warming, along with Egypt, Mauritania, Suriname, Guyana, French Guiana, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, the Bahamas and Benin.
A recent report from Oxfam warned global climate change could reverse the remarkable economic gains made by Vietnam over the last two decades.
Rising sea-levels, more intense typhoons, higher temperatures and increased flooding and drought unleashed by global warming threaten to drag millions of Vietnamese people back into poverty, said Oxfam, which has started initiatives to help Vietnam's poor deal with the possible impacts. (AP)
MySinchew 2009.01.14

Ground handler Swissport pulls out of Changi Airport

SINGAPORE: Swissport International is pulling out of the baggage and ground handling services business in Singapore's Changi Airport by the end of March. It is also cutting 300 jobs in the process. The company cited poor business climate for its decision. It said it will now focus on its other Asian markets, such as Japan and South Korea. Swissport was awarded Changi Airport's third ground handling licence in 2005. Since then, it is believed to have booked losses of more than S$50 million. The company currently provides services to four airlines - Swissair, Northwest Airlines, Air Asia and Tiger Airways. In a statement, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said these airlines will now have new agreements with either one of the two other ground handlers at Changi Airport.

Adoption heartbreak - Parenting

Saturday January 10 2009
Foreign babies have brought joy to many families, including Brad and Angelina, but new regulations are set to close doors for Irish couples.
Despite the credit crunch, Irish couples desperate to have children of their own are still queuing up and spending tens of thousands of euros to adopt babies from abroad.
New figures published by the Adoption Authority this week show a dramatic rise in the number of people adopting babies from countries such as Russia and Vietnam, where adoption laws are loose and international treaties on child protection are not binding.
In 2007, 130 babies, the majority of them girls, were adopted from Vietnam by Irish couples compared to 68 the previous year. It costs a minimum of $11,000 to arrange an adoption from that country.
The number of children coming from Russia also increased, from 143 in 2006 to 160 the following year.
However, new adoption legislation to be published shortly could greatly limit the choices of aspiring adoptive parents. The new bill will give legal force to the Hague Convention, a multilateral agreement designed to protect children, birth parents and adoptive parents from dubious adoption practices.
From that time, adoptions will only be authorised from countries that are signatories to the convention or which have a bilateral adoption agreement with Ireland.
The overwhelming majority of children adopted to Ireland from abroad come from Russia or Vietnam, neither of which is a party to the Hague Convention. A bilateral adoption agreement exists between Ireland and Vietnam but no such so pact is in place with Russia, which will be closed off for adoptions once the Convention comes into force.
This is expected to bring about a further increase in adoptions from Vietnam, despite deepening international concerns about the adoption process in that country.
In recent months, the US has ended its adoption pact with Vietnam following reports that children were being kidnapped from their parents and sold to families in the West, including Ireland.
Almost 2,000 American couples who had applied to adopt children from the south-east Asian state have had their applications cancelled and have been told to look elsewhere. The decision follows a disturbing investigation by the US embassy in Hanoi which claimed that children had allegedly been sold and families pressured to give up their babies.
The report was commissioned after US officials noticed a surge in the number of "abandoned" babies offered for adoption. It found that unlicensed, unregulated facilities were operating across the country providing free room and board to pregnant women in return for a commitment to relinquish their children upon birth.
The report, which was dismissed by Vietnamese authorities as groundless, said that babies had been sent to orphanages by grandparents without the consent of their parents and that hospitals had passed newborns onto adoption agencies when their parents proved unable to pay medical bills. Fraudulent documents would then record that the baby was "deserted".
The report said that young Vietnamese mothers "more commonly" face pressure from health officials to place their babies in orphanages in exchange for a payment of around €200. They are told they can visit the child regularly and that it will be returned to them after a few years.
Two years ago, it was revealed that the sole facilitator for Vietnamese adoptions into Ireland was a convicted fraudster. A former lawyer described as a one-stop-shop for Vietnamese babies, My Linh Soland, who made more than €1 million finding babies for Irish people, had served three years in a US prison for forgery, conspiracy and intimidation of witnesses.
The Irish Adoption Board failed to pick up on her criminal past and identified her as "the person best suited for the role".
The 150 Vietnamese babies who ended up in Ireland as a result of her activities were not returned to their home country, following a decision by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, who was Minister for Children at the time.
However, many of their histories remain unclear and it is still not known if their parents agreed to their adoption or if they know the whereabouts of their children today.
When contacted by the Irish Independent this week, a spokeswoman for the Viet-Irish support group, which helps families who have adopted children from Vietnam, said the group has a ban on media interviews.
However, concerns have been raised by representatives of adopted people who believe adoptions from Vietnam should be stopped immediately.
"We feel strongly that there may well be children coming into Ireland who have not been orphaned but have been taken from their parents without their consent," says Brian Cantwell of the Cork-based Know My Own organisation, a support group for adopted people and their families.
"Even if it is just one child that has been removed from their country of origin inappropriately, or one Vietnamese mother who has been left sitting in a jungle wondering where her baby is, that is unacceptable for us. There is no greater sadness than the loss of one's child.
"We are not against foreign adoptions per se and we understand how desperate many childless couples are, but these adoptions should not be taking place from countries that have not ratified the Hague Convention. There are no guarantees or sufficient safety nets in place in countries like Vietnam to ensure that there children have actually been abandoned."
Organisations like Know My Own are frequently contacted by adopted people searching for their roots in Ireland but believe it is only a matter of time before foreign children start knocking on their doors.
"I am convinced the day will come, as it usually does, when we have Vietnamese children turning up at meetings, asking questions about where they came from. The current group growing up in Ireland are still too young, but it is only a matter of time before they become curious. The vast majority of adopted people want to know about their roots. It is hard enough trying to do traces for people who have been in Irish orphanages but we would not know where to start looking in a country like Vietnam and that would leave those children with so many unanswered questions."
Compared to countries such as China which has clamped down on foreign adoptions, the process in Vietnam can take as little as one month once background checks are carried out. In 2007, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt adopted a child from Vietnam but there is no suggestion of impropriety in their case.
One factor which will also limit Irish couples' chances of adopting from Vietnam is a planned crackdown by the government there to stop couples having more than two children.
In a country of 86 million, two-thirds of whom are under 35, there are fears of a population explosion putting strain on health and education services.
Last year, a 10pc spike in the birth rate to couples who already have two children caused alarm and the government proposed a reintroduction of a two-child policy, which was first applied in the 1960s but scrapped in 2003.
In the last five years, more than 700 Russian children have been adopted by Irish people, thanks to straightforward adoption procedures which mean children can be adopted within months.
Further adoptions from Russia will be greatly hampered by the introduction of new legislation but also an ongoing crackdown by authorities there on foreign adoptions.
The recent case of a toddler who died of heatstroke in Washington DC after his father left him in a parked vehicle for nine hours has made headlines in Moscow, from where the child was adopted by American parents.
In December, the boy's father was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in the US on the grounds that he had been "plainly negligent" but had "not shown callous disregard for human life", the legal standard for such a conviction.
The verdict led for calls in the Russian Parliament to restrict foreign adoptions and revived public outrage provoked in 2005 when two Russian-born children died after severe abuse at the hands of adoptive parents in Maryland and North Carolina.
Domestic adoptions have grown in Russia in recent years as the stigma that once existed towards orphaned children is eroded. The government also provides payments to relatives who care for abandoned youngsters, thousands of whom would have otherwise ended up in orphanages.
For Irish couples who cannot imagine life without children of their own, the choices will become more and more limited in the years to come as restrictions tighten. Challenges await the thousands more who have found the baby of their dreams in a foreign country, as their children face into adulthood and start to wonder who their birth parents were and why they felt compelled to give them away.
- Gemma O'Doherty

2008 witnessed biggest ever car sales

Sixteen member companies of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (VAMA) reportedly sold 110,186 cars in 2008. Many manufacturers had the impressive growth rate in the year in comparison with 2007.


After the gloomy month of November, when only 5,174 cars were sold, local automobile manufacturers had a better month in December, while the sixteen companies sold 9,239 cars.

Toyota Vietnam, for example, sold 2,605 cars in December, which is an increase of 1,140 cars over November 2008. Honda Vietnam sold 568 cars, an increase of 467 cars over November, while Ford Vietnam 600 cars, up 302, and GM Daewoo 917 cars, up 228.

The car model which saw the highest sales increase in the month was the Innova by Toyota with 1,712 cars sold, representing the increase of approximately 1,000 cars over November 2008. Other models like Capita from GM Daewoo, the 4WD Everest, and Honda Civic also had the sales up two to four times more than in November.

Domestically owned manufacturers like Truong Hai, Vinamotor, and Vinaxuki also saw a sharp increase in sales in December. Truong Hai, for example, sold 1,448 cars, which was double that in November, while Vinaxuki 526 cars, up by 200 and Vinamotor with 1,351, up by 400.

Big price discounts and promotion program have been cited to explain the sales increase in the month. Some models had the price reductions of up to US $4,000 which helped attract more clients.

Customers rushed to purchase cars in December as they fear that the new tax policies changes will lead to the car price increases. They tried to purchase cars in order to avoid the tax increases while they have cars to drive on Tet days.

2008 proved to be the year which witnessed the highest car sales ever with the sales of several manufacturers this year higher by far than the previous year. GM Daewoo had 11,036, up from 7,580, Ford Vietnam with 6,494, up from 5,975, Honda Vietnam had 5,909, up from 4,260, Vinaxuki with 8,070, up from 7,358, Truong Hai had 16,373, up from 11,534 and Vinamotor with 20,887, up from 5,476.

However, some other manufacturers had the sales decrease in 2008 in comparison with 2007, including Mercedes Benz, Vinastar and Isuzu.

Vinastar proved to be the enterprise which saw the sharpest car sales decrease from 4,595 cars in 2007 to 2,925 in 2008, followed by Isuzu from 4,229 cars in 2007 to 3,385 in 2008.

In general, 2008 was a good year for automobile manufacturers, when most of them enjoyed business prosperity and the output increased by approximately 30,000 cars compared to 2007.

The big car sales were obtained mostly in the first half of the last year. According to VAMA, in the first half of 2008, the member companies sold 68,609 cars or 85% of total sales in 2007. The automobile manufacturers only really met difficulties in October and November 2008.

Imported cars saw sharp increase in 2008. According to the General Statistics Office, in 2008, enterprises imported 50,400 cars of different kinds worth over US $1 billion, a two-fold increase over 2007 when only 22,400 cars were imported.

In 2008, though the import tax on complete built unit (CBU) increased two times in March and April, from 60% to 83%, the volume of imported cars still skyrocketed at that time. Importers tried to import many cars to sell in order to avoid the foretold tax increases.

To date, 15,000 imported cars have reportedly left unsold. However, even if not counting on the 15,000 cars, the number of sold cars exceeded the 140,000 unit threshold in 2008, which made 2008 become the year with the highest ever consumption.

Tran Thuy

Vietnam to attract 5 million foreign tourists in 2009

Vietnamese officials have introduced a host of solutions to attract more tourists to the country amidst the global economic slowdown.
At a press conference in Hanoi on January 10, the officials said that Vietnam plans to welcome 5 million foreign and 21.5 million local tourists this year and the figures are expected to increase to 6 million and 23.5 million in 2010, respectively.
To reach this target, Vietnam will reduce prices of air tickets, hotel services and souvenirs, with the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines being the pioneer in lowering airfares.
The country will host a series of festivities, including the Year of Tourism in the Central Highlands that features celebrations of Da Lat city as well as flower, gong, coffee and wine festivals.
The year 2009 will also see an international fireworks competition in the central city of Da Nang, the Nha Trang Sea Festival in central Khanh Hoa province, days of Mekong-Japan culture and tourism in Can Tho city, the third Asia Indoor Games, a food and hotel fair in Ho Chi Minh City, and a joint programme to promote tourism in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in HCM City.
In 2010, visitors will have the opportunity to join in the 1,000th anniversary of Hanoi, the Hue Festival, and the Miss World pageant in Khanh Hoa province, as well as international film, puppetry and circus festivals.
During the press briefing that was held within the framework of the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2009, Singapore and Myanmar also introduced measures to promote tourism development in their respective countries.
(Source: VOV)

Indonesian ferry with 250 people sinks - Asia-Pacific

An Indonesian ferry carrying 250 passengers sank in bad weather in the country's east on Sunday and it was unclear how many people had survived, Indonesia's transport minister said.
The ferry sank in a storm after being battered by seven-foot waves, officials and witnesses said, according to The Associated Press.
Jusman Syafi'i Djamal told Reuters that 150 people had been taken off the ferry, but added he did not know if they were dead or alive.

"There's a tropical cyclone now which caused tides of five to six meters," Djamal told Reuters by telephone.
He said the ferry had 250 passengers and cargo on board. A transport agency spokesman earlier said 18 people were known to have survived, but did not give details.
The ferry left Pare-pare on the island of Sulawesi on Saturday and was heading for Samarinda, in East Kalimantan, but got into difficulties and sank at around 4 a.m. on Sunday morning, Taufik Bulu, head of maritime safety at Pare-pare port administration, told Reuters.
He said the ferry was carrying 250 passengers and 17 crew.
Relying on ferry servicesIndonesia relies heavily on ferry services to connect the main islands in the archipelago, the world's largest.

But accidents are common, largely because of years of under-investment in the country's infrastructure and a tendency to overload ferries.
Officials said a rescue was under way.
"Our people there are trying to save people now," said Bambang Ervan, spokesman for the Transport Ministry

Nervous China tightens grip on internet - World News

CHINA'S Communist Party has significantly tightened propaganda controls by shutting down the country's most vibrant and influential intellectual discussion platform.
The move to shut down the website Bullog follows a prominent warning by the country's propaganda chief, Li Changchun, last week that the party would tighten internet controls over "vulgar" content.
The Bullog founder Luo Yonghao received official confirmation of the site's closure on Friday in an email from the Beijing Communications Administration, which accused the website of containing "harmful comments on current affairs".
Bullog has recently grown to become the most important platform for Chinese intellectuals and commentators to debate policy and political developments, with the number of daily viewers exceeding 1 million last April.
Increased propaganda restrictions are being interpreted as a sign of leadership panic about the social ramifications of China's sudden economic slowdown and a series of politically fraught anniversaries that could act as a lightning rod for dissent this year.
Data this week is likely to reveal a decline in exports and industrial production last month, which may signal an outright contraction in an economy that has averaged an annual growth rate of 10 per cent for the past 30 years.
Chinese estimates of the number of manufacturing, construction and other workers who have already lost their jobs range from 6 million to 20 million.
The economic turmoil will coincide with a year of political milestones, including the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square "incident", the 50th anniversary of the "liberation" of Tibet and the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.
Websites are important social and political discussion forums in China because they generally allow a greater range of debate than the tightly controlled mainstream media.
"China lacks freedom of speech, but the blog is like a private media for intellectuals," said a Chinese media researcher, Michael Anti.
"If you shut down all the liberal platforms for bloggers that means the liberal voices cannot be heard in the public sphere, and that will be a real problem for civil society."
Bullog was the leading domestic source of information about "Charter 08", a democratic manifesto signed by hundreds of leading Chinese intellectuals last month.
Liu Xiaobo, an intellectual behind the charter, was detained at the time of the charter's publication, and dozens of other signatories have been interrogated.
But Mr Luo told the Herald : "We will definitely open again. If it can't be in China, then we will open our website overseas."




Page:
1
2
single page

China shuts down 91 websites

SHANGHAI -- China shut down 50 additional websites over the weekend as authorities crack down on online porn, ordering Internet giants such as Google to cut links with such material, state-run media said Sunday.
A total of 91 sites have been shut down or blocked since Thursday as part of a month-long campaign that the government says is aimed at stamping out online pornography, the Xinhua news agency said.
Distributing pornography is illegal in China and authorities urged law-breakers to turn themselves in to police, warning that tougher measures would come in the following days, the report said.
The report gave few details on which sites were shut down.
China's Ministry of Public Security and six other government agencies launched the drive against sites that post or link to content that "harms public morality" and corrupts the nation's youth, Xinhua said.
They have included Google, MSN and Baidu, the most popular Chinese search engine.
Companies that ignore government warnings to remove obscene content or links to such material have been threatened with closure.Google, Baidu and other Internet portals have since issued apologies and moved against online porn.
Google said Wednesday it had deleted all links to vulgar material from its search indexes and would go all-out to prevent such material re-appearing.
"Google is willing to be a law-abiding citizen in China," it said in a statement.
China has launched Internet crackdowns on pornography, con artists and political activists in the past but officials have warned the latest campaign would include tougher measures, without giving specifics.China has the world's largest online population at more that 250 million, according to official figures, and it is growing rapidly as computer use rises along with income levels.
China's communist rulers generally exercise strict control over the Internet, blocking sites linked to many politically sensitive subjects.

China will definitely change, says Dalai Lama

Sarnath, January 11: Changes will definitely take place in China and that the issue of Tibet will prevail in the long run, exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama said Sunday.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks at a special audience to some 4000 non-Tibetan Buddhist followers from the Himalayan region of India, Nepal and Bhutan in Sarnath, India; January 11, 2009. The Tibetan spiritual leader is giving week-long teachings at one of the most sacred Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world. (Photo: Tenzin Choejor/OHHDL)“The Communist system of one-party rule started in the world in 20th century. In many parts of the world, the communist system of governance ended or collapsed in the 20th century itself due to many factors,” the Dalai Lama said.“In China also changes will certainly take place. It is clear that it will not remain unchaged," he added.“So ultimately the Tibet’s issue will have to be resolved as it is not going to die out,” he said.The exiled Tibetan leader was speaking here this morning at a special audience for some 4000 non-Tibetan Buddhist followers, who equally revere him as their supreme spiritual leader and have come to Sarnath to attend a week-long teaching by him.Buddhists from Himalayan regions of Nepal, Bhutan and India, including Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and, Lahaul and Spiti; were seen listening with deep reverence to an almost hour-long talk by the Tibetan leader.“For thousands of years people from Himalayan belt have lived and existed side by side as neighbours with people of Tibet and have shared a unique relation through common cultural and spiritual traditions of Tibetan Buddhism,” the Dalai Lama told the gathering before carrying on with the third day of the week-long teachings, which began on Thursday here. Saying Tibet has been facing great tragedy in recent times, the revered Buddhist leader urged the “free people” of the Himalayan region to make renewed and collective efforts to preserve and maintain the centuries-old shared and rich traditions of Buddha Dharma.“People all along the Himalayan region have also played equally significant role in preserving and maintaining the centuries-old rich traditional and religious heritage of Buddha Dharma. Even at a time of crisis in Tibet, we found new support from our Dharma friends from the Himalayan regions in saving our unique and rich cultural and spiritual heritage from facing complete destruction,” the Dalai Lama said.“Even now, Tibet’s situation in general is very grave; identity of its people and cultural heritage is almost resting on the verge of extinction under the Chinese rule,” the Dalai Lama told the audience.“But like the changing scenario of the world, changes are also already taking place in China,” he said. “And there is an unwavering courage and unity of Tibetan people. More and more peace-loving people and advocates of non-violence around the world are also showing growing solidarity to the just and peaceful struggle of the Tibetan people,” he said.“Also lately after learning the truths about Tibet, there have been more and more Chinese people who have been sincerely expressing their solidarity with the Tibetan people,” Dalai Lama said, adding “Especially after March unrest, there has been a growing number of Chinese intellectuals openly expressing solidarity to the Tibetan cause through writings and postings on internet.”“However, we need to make all our necessary efforts accordingly without losing our hope and courage,” he said, adding “Even if are to face the worst; we must remain prepared with a clear plan and foresight to carry on with our struggle for the next few generations if necessary.”“Since coming into exile in 1959, we have achieved many of our planned strategies, and there are still many more to improve, he said.“But we are confident that our sustained struggle over the last fifty years in exile is the legacy of its survival in the long run,” the Dalai Lama said

Thailand bouncing back

There are thousands of hotels in Thailand and it’s hard to generalize about them but overall it seems that great deals are more scarce than some foreign visitors might have hoped a few weeks ago after the airport closures in Bangkok. The general trend seems to be that business hotels in Bangkok have had trouble bouncing back but that beach resorts are doing OK. Here’s an article from today’s IHT on the topic:
In the closing weeks of 2008 it looked like Thailand might be beckoning visitors for an opportunity of a lifetime: cheap luxury hotel rooms and empty beaches. The global economic downturn combined with the seizure of Bangkok’s two main airports by protesters in late November brought the travel industry to its knees. In early December staff at Bangkok’s top five-star hotels greatly outnumbered the dwindling number of guests.
But as has happened many times in recent years when tourism suffered from disasters natural and human-made - the tsunami of 2004 and military coup of 2006 among them - the foreigners have returned to Thailand.
“It’s started to bounce back,” said Pornthip Hiranyakij, secretary general of the Tourism Council of Thailand, a travel industry association. She estimates that beach resorts in southern Thailand were about 80 to 85 percent full during the holiday season compared with about 90 percent last year.
A staff member at the high-end Four Seasons hotel in the northern city of Chiang Mai said the hotel would be “crowded” for the rest of January; on the resort islands of Samui and Phuket the beach chairs filled up for the holidays.
The Thai central bank reported this week that the weeklong closure of Bangkok’s airports by protesters cost the country 290 billion baht, or $8.3 billion, in lost income, about 3 percent of the country’s total gross domestic product.
Thailand remains a relatively cheap place to visit. Hotel Web sites are offering off-season rates for what would normally be peak season, even around Chinese New Year, when visitors from Hong Kong, Singapore and mainland China normally flood the country. The Year of the Ox starts Jan. 26.
Some luxury hotels are discounting more than others. Hotels that cater to business travelers were worst affected by the cumulative effect of the business downturn, Thailand’s political crisis and the airport closure. The Conrad Hotel, which caters to business travelers and diplomats, is offering rooms for $150. By contrast the riverside Mandarin Oriental Hotel, popular with well-to-do tourists, showed no discounted rates in early January on its Web site and was offering rooms upwards of $389.
The early months of the year are traditionally considered the high season in Thailand because it rains less frequently and temperatures are generally cooler. But travel industry executives say they are most concerned about the political climate.
Thailand’s three years of political turbulence climaxed Nov. 25 with the seizure of both of Bangkok’s airports by anti-government protestors. The airports reopened eight days later, but only after hundreds of thousands of foreigners were left stranded.
Now with a new government in power and the protesters strutting victoriously - the new foreign minister was one of the anti-government protesters who shut down the airport - the tables are turned.
Supporters of the previous government are out on the street protesting. Thailand’s political crisis looks likely to drag on.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva announced that an upcoming summit of regional leaders would be moved from Bangkok to the beach resort town of Hua Hin because of fears protesters could disrupt the event. The summit by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which will begin Feb. 27, was initially scheduled to take place in December but was postponed because of the country’s political crisis.

TripAdvisor And The Big Business Of Fake Reviews, Part 2

ED NOTE: Please read review below this one, Part I, tks
Chuck Kuhn

As I wrote about yesterday, the problem of review fraud is two-fold:
Intense competition in the travel industry, greatly exacerbated by the state of our economy, has caused hotels and other travel providers to artificially manipulate review rankings in order to achieve increased bookings and revenue.
Inherent conflict of interest exists between travel marketing (via advertising) and a user review site like TripAdvisor. Reducing the number of reviews and site visitors in order to curtail fake reviews will negatively impact marketing revenue.
Reviews absolutely influence where people stay.
The notion of writing good reviews about your business and bad reviews about your competitor is not the least bit far-fetched. The reason is simply that the difference in bookings (revenue) between a property highly rated on TripAdvisor and one poorly rated is huge. I cannot stress this enough.
PR firms and fake reviews. I’ve long suspected that public relations companies have been involved in writing fraudulent reviews on behalf of their clients’ properties.
A comment to an article on the website PR Squared confirmed my suspicion. Written by the VP of a major PR firm, it stated: “Posting on TripAdvisor, for example, is the most basic of tactics in the PR 2.0 world.”
Hotels and restaurants incenting their employees to write reviews.
The positive review you’re reading may have been written by a paid employee. How objective is that?
TripAdvisor’s point of view.
TripAdvisor reports becoming more vigilant and hi-tech in detecting fake reviews, and that their readers are savvy enough to ignore those that are bogus. On the other hand, if TripAdvisor really did something to control fake reviews, why would users need to be savvy about them?
Furthermore, the issues are adequately complex that it doesn’t seem reasonable to expect most site visitors to understand them.
Perhaps TripAdvisor’s motto, “get the truth, then go,” needs to be changed to, “try to find the truth, and go.”
The company claims to do the following in order to protect the integrity of reviews:
Employs sophisticated algorithms for fraud detection including language and usage pattern analysis
Carries out spot checks
Investigates reports of abuse
Moderates all reviews
What should/could TripAdvisor do?
I suggest that in addition to taking the issue of fraudulent reviews far more seriously than they appear to do, Expedia should be more transparent and forthcoming with its readers regarding this all-important issue. When your stock in trade is reviews, it’s essential that consumers of the reviews have confidence in them. Otherwise, isn’t this like going to the ATM and being unsure whether the cash you receive is counterfeit?
My three suggestions for consumers using Trip Advisor.
Check each reviewer’s profile you’re basing a travel decision on, in order to see how many he/she has written. When I see a profile with only one or two reviews, I normally look the other way. If the reviewer writes often on multiple properties in various locations, and I see objectivity, I’m more likely to believe what is written.
Disregard the very worst and very best reviews (unless you trust the writer) and go with what’s in the middle. It’s most likely accurate and least likely fraudulent (in either a positive or negative direction).
Do your own research. Find things by professional reviewers (Frommers, Fodors, or Lonely Planet, for example) that corroborate TripAdvisor reviews on which you are basing your travel decisions.

TripAdvisor And The Big Business Of Fake Reviews, Part 1

On reflection, TripAdvisor may at first appear to be a benevolent site where regular people share their honest travel opinions. Dig beneath the surface, however, and you will find something quite the opposite is happening at TripAdvisor. This is big business and the going is rough in today’s economic climate.
There are over twenty million reviews on TripAdvisor. I believe that a fast-growing percentage of them (perhaps now as many as one-third) are fake.
What’s a fake review? A review written by someone connected with a hotel (or other business) to boost its appeal, or a negative review written by a competitor (or a disgruntled party) to lower a hotels’ standing.
To prove this point, The London Times wrote and submitted six glowing reviews, all fake, on hotels considered among the worst in London. TripAdvisor posted all six reviews without ever commenting on the discrepancy.
It just goes to show you have to be careful who you trust and not take anything at face value. The fast-growth of fraudulent reviews makes it imperative that we come to a site like TripAdvisor with a fairly high level of skepticism in order to come away with the honest information we desire.
Trust and TripAdvisor may no longer go together. Here’s why:
Surveys have shown that the vast majority of us have come to trust user reviews. Lack of review credibility, however, has started to seriously erode trust at TripAdvisor and at other review sites.
TripAdvisor, a unit of Expedia, obviously serves first and foremost to further their global travel marketing business. TripAdvisor makes money through their affiliate (link click) program and through advertisements. The value of that marketing business is in no small part based on the number of reviews as well as the number of visitors to the site. Reducing the number of visitors and reviews in order to limit the amount of fraud will likely also have significant negative financial impact on their marketing.
The travel industry is in most serious financial trouble. Competition in order to stay in business is cut-throat. The need to achieve top ranking in user-generated reviews such as on TripAdvisor is intense.
In part two tomorrow, I’ll cover:
Exactly how important TripAdvisor reviews are in the travel industry.
The role of public relations firms in fake reviews.
TripAdvisor’s point of view.
Suggestions for how to make TripAdvisor and other review sites continue to work for you.
SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "TripAdvisor And The Big Business Of Fake Reviews, Part 1", url: "http://beatofhawaii.com/tripadvisor-is-big-business/" });
ShareThis