Vietnam’s retail market is forecast to explode over the next two or three years, with the appearance on high streets of many foreign retail companies, including shopping centers and large sized supermarkets, said Fabrice Carrasco, general director of TNS WorldPanel Vietnam on October 30.
Speaking at a retail and distribution conference held in Ho Chi Minh City, Mr. Carrasco said Vietnam’s retail market is smaller than that of other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Malaysia and Philippine, however, Vietnam’s consumer habits are changing sharply.
According to RNCOS, a global market research company based in the US, retail turnover in Vietnam will top US$85 billion in 2012.
Vietnam’s retail turnover was $23.7 billion in 2008 and is expected to rise to $39 billion by the end of this year.
Bui Ngoc Hong, a law consultant at Indochina Counsel, said foreign firms have been eyeing retail and distribution business in Vietnam.
Indochina Counsel has alone supported seven foreign retail companies, which will appear on Vietnam’s high streets in the next two years, Mr. Hong said.
2009 is considered an important milestone year for trading and distribution sectors in Vietnam. Distribution in Vietnam is set for a shake up, as foreign companies move in following the country's commitment to open the market in 2009, on the back of World Trade Organization accession in 2007.
As a result, firms from abroad have been setting up shop here since early this year, particularly firms from Japan, though no official statistics are currently available.
Japanese sewing machine manufacturer Brother International recently won a license to set up a distribution company with an initial investment of $2 million.
Stainless steel and construction material producer Sojitz opened an import, export and distribution branch in March.
Car manufacturer Nissan and electronics producer Sharp have both started distributing their own products.
According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam's annual retail turnover has increased by 20 percent, on average, over the last few years and is forecast to maintain the same growth for the near future.
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Saturday, October 31, 2009
Cambodia & Vietnam open two routes Air travel
Vietnam and Cambodia are planning to open two routes linking the coastal city of Sihanoukville in Cambodia with Phu Quoc Island and Can Tho city in the south of Vietnam.
Experts said that the new air routes will help create an attractive tourism triangle, facilitating the promising service sector of the two countries.
According to Undersecretary of the State at the Secretariat of Civil Aviation of Cambodia (SSCA), Soy Sokhan, SSCA and Vietnam Airlines are conducting a feasibility study for the two new routes.
Chairman of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents Ho Vandy said both Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang province and Can Tho city are attractive tourism centres in Vietnam.
Once launched, the weekly flights will help transport a large number of foreign tourists to Cambodia, he added.
Experts said that the new air routes will help create an attractive tourism triangle, facilitating the promising service sector of the two countries.
According to Undersecretary of the State at the Secretariat of Civil Aviation of Cambodia (SSCA), Soy Sokhan, SSCA and Vietnam Airlines are conducting a feasibility study for the two new routes.
Chairman of the Cambodian Association of Travel Agents Ho Vandy said both Phu Quoc island in Kien Giang province and Can Tho city are attractive tourism centres in Vietnam.
Once launched, the weekly flights will help transport a large number of foreign tourists to Cambodia, he added.
Thailand's islands & beaches - Asia, Travel - The Independent
For laid-back living, white-sand shores and delicious food all at an affordable price you can't do better than these stunning hotspots, says Lucy Ridout
Sun-kissed: the beach at the Indigo Pearl resort on Hat Nai Yang
Why should I fly 6,000 miles to find a beach?
For the whitest sands and the most turquoise of seas, for a Buddhist culture that is both gentle and fun, for a winter-sun break that won't ruin your bank balance. Even the Post Office thinks you should go: in its recent Holiday Costs Barometer survey, Thailand came in ahead of South Africa and Malaysia as the best-value long-haul destination.
Thailand has about 2,000 miles of tropical coastline, so there are hundreds of beaches and islands to choose from. The tourist industry is well developed so transport links are efficient, there is accommodation for every budget bamboo huts for the equivalent of 4, five-star indulgence for 100 and the food is exceptionally delicious, from chilli-laced seafood curries to make your eyes water to juicy fresh mangoes straight from the tree.
The big beach resorts on the islands of Koh Samui and Phuket, in Pattaya, and along the Krabi coastline offer the works. You have a huge choice of restaurants and nightlife, a phenomenal range of shopping, and plenty of chances to ride elephants, trek through the jungle or go fishing. There is spectacular snorkelling and diving too, particularly around the Andaman Coast reefs.
It's not all about spas and golf courses, though: Thailand still offers the chance to get away from it all, on quiet island hideaways like Koh Kood off the Eastern Seaboard, Ang Thong National Marine Park off the Gulf Coast, or the Tarutao Islands in the Andaman Sea.
I'm flying to Bangkok get me to the nearest beach
Just a couple of hours by bus from Suvarnabhumi airport, Pattaya is Bangkok's nearest beach resort and the most visited in Thailand. But its biggest fans are Russian package tourists and single men drawn to the tacky apartment hotels and seedy swarm of hostess bars, go-go clubs and gay massage parlours.
Head half an hour further along the Eastern Seaboard, though, and the island of Koh Samet makes a better introduction to Thailand's stunning coastline. Fringed by white sand so soft that it squeaks underfoot, Samet is a tiny, forested drop in the Gulf of Thailand, partly under the jurisdiction of the National Park authorities. Despite the protection there is a lot of development some would say too much though it's small-scale bungalows and nothing high-rise.
Once a backpackers' favourite, the trend is now "flashpacker" and up, with hip young Bangkokians weekending at the minimalist whitewashed huts of Vongduern Villa (00 66 38 644260; vongduernvilla.com ; doubles from 1,200 baht/£23, excluding breakfast) and the handsome wooden chalets of Tub Tim Resort (00 66 38 644025; tubtimresort.com ; doubles from 1,000 baht/£19, excluding breakfast). At night, everyone dines on barbecued seafood at the candlelit tables set out on the sands: Ploy Talay is the most popular; it stages fire-juggling shows, too.
more info--->>>Traveller's Guide: Thailand's islands & beaches - Asia, Travel - The Independent
Sun-kissed: the beach at the Indigo Pearl resort on Hat Nai Yang
Why should I fly 6,000 miles to find a beach?
For the whitest sands and the most turquoise of seas, for a Buddhist culture that is both gentle and fun, for a winter-sun break that won't ruin your bank balance. Even the Post Office thinks you should go: in its recent Holiday Costs Barometer survey, Thailand came in ahead of South Africa and Malaysia as the best-value long-haul destination.
Thailand has about 2,000 miles of tropical coastline, so there are hundreds of beaches and islands to choose from. The tourist industry is well developed so transport links are efficient, there is accommodation for every budget bamboo huts for the equivalent of 4, five-star indulgence for 100 and the food is exceptionally delicious, from chilli-laced seafood curries to make your eyes water to juicy fresh mangoes straight from the tree.
The big beach resorts on the islands of Koh Samui and Phuket, in Pattaya, and along the Krabi coastline offer the works. You have a huge choice of restaurants and nightlife, a phenomenal range of shopping, and plenty of chances to ride elephants, trek through the jungle or go fishing. There is spectacular snorkelling and diving too, particularly around the Andaman Coast reefs.
It's not all about spas and golf courses, though: Thailand still offers the chance to get away from it all, on quiet island hideaways like Koh Kood off the Eastern Seaboard, Ang Thong National Marine Park off the Gulf Coast, or the Tarutao Islands in the Andaman Sea.
I'm flying to Bangkok get me to the nearest beach
Just a couple of hours by bus from Suvarnabhumi airport, Pattaya is Bangkok's nearest beach resort and the most visited in Thailand. But its biggest fans are Russian package tourists and single men drawn to the tacky apartment hotels and seedy swarm of hostess bars, go-go clubs and gay massage parlours.
Head half an hour further along the Eastern Seaboard, though, and the island of Koh Samet makes a better introduction to Thailand's stunning coastline. Fringed by white sand so soft that it squeaks underfoot, Samet is a tiny, forested drop in the Gulf of Thailand, partly under the jurisdiction of the National Park authorities. Despite the protection there is a lot of development some would say too much though it's small-scale bungalows and nothing high-rise.
Once a backpackers' favourite, the trend is now "flashpacker" and up, with hip young Bangkokians weekending at the minimalist whitewashed huts of Vongduern Villa (00 66 38 644260; vongduernvilla.com ; doubles from 1,200 baht/£23, excluding breakfast) and the handsome wooden chalets of Tub Tim Resort (00 66 38 644025; tubtimresort.com ; doubles from 1,000 baht/£19, excluding breakfast). At night, everyone dines on barbecued seafood at the candlelit tables set out on the sands: Ploy Talay is the most popular; it stages fire-juggling shows, too.
more info--->>>Traveller's Guide: Thailand's islands & beaches - Asia, Travel - The Independent
India whip Thailand in women's Asia Cup hockey
Rani Ramphal led the charge with six goals as India thrashed hosts Thailand 15-0 and inched closer to the semi-finals of the women's Asia Cup hockey tournament at the Queen Sikrit Sports Centre in Bangkok on Friday.
India led 6-0 at the break.
With six points from two matches, India are now a win away from cementing a place in the knock-out stage. They have to beat either Malysia or China in the next group outings to advance.
India had earlier steamrolled Singapore 13-0 in their campaign-opener on Thursday.
Ramphal won the hearts of the sparse but appreciative crowd at the ground with a dazzling display of deft stick work. After finding the back of the net twice in first half, she sounded the board four more times in the second session.
Veterans Mamta Kharab and Saba Anjum accounted for three goals each, while captain Surinder Kaur, Ritu Rani and Monika Bardan also joined the party with a goal each.
India's chief coach M K Kaushik introduced fresh legs in the second half and gave a chance to the younger players, like S Sunila Kiro, Mukta Barla, Vartika and Moika Bardan.
"Fielding youngsters is worth doing. We would have liked to score 20 goals and thus put the Chinese under pressure. But, overall, I am happy with the performance," Kaushik said after the match.
After two days' rest, India plays China on Tuesday and Malaysia the next day.
Surinder's team is expected to sail through along with Malaysia, who are 10 rungs below in the world rankings to India's 14th.
Meanwhile, defending champions Japan [ Images ] crushed Sri Lanka [ Images ] 20-0, while Korea defeated Hong Kong 10-0.
China opened their campaign in the tournament with a 13-0 victory over Singapore.
India led 6-0 at the break.
With six points from two matches, India are now a win away from cementing a place in the knock-out stage. They have to beat either Malysia or China in the next group outings to advance.
India had earlier steamrolled Singapore 13-0 in their campaign-opener on Thursday.
Ramphal won the hearts of the sparse but appreciative crowd at the ground with a dazzling display of deft stick work. After finding the back of the net twice in first half, she sounded the board four more times in the second session.
Veterans Mamta Kharab and Saba Anjum accounted for three goals each, while captain Surinder Kaur, Ritu Rani and Monika Bardan also joined the party with a goal each.
India's chief coach M K Kaushik introduced fresh legs in the second half and gave a chance to the younger players, like S Sunila Kiro, Mukta Barla, Vartika and Moika Bardan.
"Fielding youngsters is worth doing. We would have liked to score 20 goals and thus put the Chinese under pressure. But, overall, I am happy with the performance," Kaushik said after the match.
After two days' rest, India plays China on Tuesday and Malaysia the next day.
Surinder's team is expected to sail through along with Malaysia, who are 10 rungs below in the world rankings to India's 14th.
Meanwhile, defending champions Japan [ Images ] crushed Sri Lanka [ Images ] 20-0, while Korea defeated Hong Kong 10-0.
China opened their campaign in the tournament with a 13-0 victory over Singapore.
Friday, October 30, 2009
the tax slug that canes long haul travellers-30 October, 2009
SYDNEY - The British government has a nasty little surprise waiting – it’s called the Air Passenger Duty (APD) and from this Sunday, November 1, it will rise substantially.
APD will now fall into four bands – with passengers being charged according to how far they fly. The increases are planned for November this year and November 2010
The tax on the longest flights over 6,000 miles – including UK to Australia - is more than doubling from £40 now to £85 next year.
Passengers in premium-economy seats flying long haul to Australia or New Zealand will be hit hardest. The duty on these seats, which offer a little more legroom for a modest fee, will rise to £110 on November 1 to £170 in November 2010.
Premium economy passengers will pay the same APD as passengers in Business and First Class.
A family of four flying from London to Sydney or Auckland will pay £220 from November 1 and £340 from November next year.
The tax rise threatens to curb travel from the UK to long haul markets.
International long haul visitors will pay the tax when they fly out of the UK on their return journeys.
"APD is now a significant part of the overall price of the air fare and the planned increases in long-haul APD rates over the next year are a genuine threat to the commercial viability of premium economy," said Dermot Blastland, chief executive of TUI UK
When APD was introduced, the UK Government said the money raised would be used to offset environmentally damaging carbon emissions.
"There is no evidence to date of any environmental benefit, and it is ridiculous to think that holidaymakers travelling in premium seats on one of our charter flights will have to pay the same APD fee as those flying in first class on a scheduled flight," said a spokeswoman for Thomas Cook.
"When they should be doing all they can to lessen the strain on hard-working families, they are yet again making the consumer pay."
APD will now fall into four bands – with passengers being charged according to how far they fly. The increases are planned for November this year and November 2010
The tax on the longest flights over 6,000 miles – including UK to Australia - is more than doubling from £40 now to £85 next year.
Passengers in premium-economy seats flying long haul to Australia or New Zealand will be hit hardest. The duty on these seats, which offer a little more legroom for a modest fee, will rise to £110 on November 1 to £170 in November 2010.
Premium economy passengers will pay the same APD as passengers in Business and First Class.
A family of four flying from London to Sydney or Auckland will pay £220 from November 1 and £340 from November next year.
The tax rise threatens to curb travel from the UK to long haul markets.
International long haul visitors will pay the tax when they fly out of the UK on their return journeys.
"APD is now a significant part of the overall price of the air fare and the planned increases in long-haul APD rates over the next year are a genuine threat to the commercial viability of premium economy," said Dermot Blastland, chief executive of TUI UK
When APD was introduced, the UK Government said the money raised would be used to offset environmentally damaging carbon emissions.
"There is no evidence to date of any environmental benefit, and it is ridiculous to think that holidaymakers travelling in premium seats on one of our charter flights will have to pay the same APD fee as those flying in first class on a scheduled flight," said a spokeswoman for Thomas Cook.
"When they should be doing all they can to lessen the strain on hard-working families, they are yet again making the consumer pay."
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Vietnam ranks 4th in consumer confidence: survey |
Consumer confidence in Vietnam has increased for the first time since March 2007 as sentiment around the globe rebounds, according to survey results announced Thursday.
With the increase, Vietnam is now the fourth most confident country in the world, up five places since March this year, according to asurvey by the Nielsen company, conducted between September 28 and October 16.
“If consumers have shifted gears across the globe from recession to recovery, Vietnam is truly at the head of the pack with an increase of 28 points and ranking fourth most confident country globally,� said Darin Williams, Managing Director at The Nielsen Company Vietnam. The global average has jumped 9 points.
“A nine-point surge in consumer confidence signifies a welcome return to positive territory,� said James Russo, Vice President, Global Consumer Insights at Nielsen. “It really demonstrates that in the last six months, a majority of consumer sentiment acrossthe globe has shifted gears from recession to recovery – the tide has turned.�
Confidence was highest in India, followed by Indonesia and Norway, while the most pessimistic countries were Latvia and Japan, thesurvey said. Consumer confidence rose in 45 out of the 52 countries compared to six months ago.
According to the survey, 69 percent of Vietnamese said their nation is currently in a recession compared to 76 percent in April 2009. More than half of the Vietnamese surveyed believe they will be out of the recession and job prospects will be good to excellent in the next 12 months.
Despite the new sense of optimism around the world, spending is still restrained, the survey said.
Vietnamese consumers, for instance, remain relatively cautious. According to the survey, 46 percent of Vietnamese consumers stated that timing is “not so good� to buy the things they want and need while 51 percent said they will put their money into savings after covering essential living costs.
Source: Thanh Nien
With the increase, Vietnam is now the fourth most confident country in the world, up five places since March this year, according to asurvey by the Nielsen company, conducted between September 28 and October 16.
“If consumers have shifted gears across the globe from recession to recovery, Vietnam is truly at the head of the pack with an increase of 28 points and ranking fourth most confident country globally,� said Darin Williams, Managing Director at The Nielsen Company Vietnam. The global average has jumped 9 points.
“A nine-point surge in consumer confidence signifies a welcome return to positive territory,� said James Russo, Vice President, Global Consumer Insights at Nielsen. “It really demonstrates that in the last six months, a majority of consumer sentiment acrossthe globe has shifted gears from recession to recovery – the tide has turned.�
Confidence was highest in India, followed by Indonesia and Norway, while the most pessimistic countries were Latvia and Japan, thesurvey said. Consumer confidence rose in 45 out of the 52 countries compared to six months ago.
According to the survey, 69 percent of Vietnamese said their nation is currently in a recession compared to 76 percent in April 2009. More than half of the Vietnamese surveyed believe they will be out of the recession and job prospects will be good to excellent in the next 12 months.
Despite the new sense of optimism around the world, spending is still restrained, the survey said.
Vietnamese consumers, for instance, remain relatively cautious. According to the survey, 46 percent of Vietnamese consumers stated that timing is “not so good� to buy the things they want and need while 51 percent said they will put their money into savings after covering essential living costs.
Source: Thanh Nien
Mekong Delta hosts annual Khmer culture fest
Ok Om Bok, the largest festival of the year of the Khmer people in the Mekong Delta, is taking place from October 26 to November 1.
Soc Trang Province is hosting various activities including a traditional boat race seen as the most exciting event during the festive days.
The festival features many cultural activities including an exhibition of the socio-economic achievements and cultural developments of Soc Trang Province, information about Vietnamese ethnic groups, and artistic performances.
During the festival, there is also a trade fair organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and local authorities to attract more than 180 enterprises with over 430 booths displaying handicrafts, farm and garden equipment, textiles and more.
This year’s traditional boat race will take place in Soc Trang on November 1-2 with participation of 49 Khmer teams from Mekong Delta provinces.
The Ok Om Bok celebrations, also known as the Khmer Moon Thanksgiving Ceremony, fall on October 15 of the lunar calendar. It is a time for the Khmer to show their gratitude to the Moon Goddess for giving them a bumper harvest and rich aquatic sources.
VietNamNet/SGGP
Soc Trang Province is hosting various activities including a traditional boat race seen as the most exciting event during the festive days.
The festival features many cultural activities including an exhibition of the socio-economic achievements and cultural developments of Soc Trang Province, information about Vietnamese ethnic groups, and artistic performances.
During the festival, there is also a trade fair organized by the Ministry of Industry and Trade and local authorities to attract more than 180 enterprises with over 430 booths displaying handicrafts, farm and garden equipment, textiles and more.
This year’s traditional boat race will take place in Soc Trang on November 1-2 with participation of 49 Khmer teams from Mekong Delta provinces.
The Ok Om Bok celebrations, also known as the Khmer Moon Thanksgiving Ceremony, fall on October 15 of the lunar calendar. It is a time for the Khmer to show their gratitude to the Moon Goddess for giving them a bumper harvest and rich aquatic sources.
VietNamNet/SGGP
Vietnam : Viet Tien Garment opens retail outlet in Cambodia -
An outlet to sell Vietnam-branded products has been opened on 26th October in Cambodia by the Viet Tien Garment Joint Stock Corporation. The Corporation has built its first ever overseas outlet in association with Cambodia’s Caja Top Company.
The outlet established in an area of 120 sq. m. displays a wide range of garments including shirts, trousers, shorts, jeans, and coats of various kinds of materials such as khaki, elastic, and cotton.
A series of trade fairs organized to promote high-quality Vietnamese produces to Cambodian consumers helped the Vietnamese goods to gain a firm stand in the Cambodian market.
With gradually improving product quality, the country has acquired a competitive stand against the products from countries such as Thailand and China, which already have a firm footing in the market, said experts.
Viet Tien will open more showrooms and sales outlets across Cambodia, in association with Caja Top.
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
The outlet established in an area of 120 sq. m. displays a wide range of garments including shirts, trousers, shorts, jeans, and coats of various kinds of materials such as khaki, elastic, and cotton.
A series of trade fairs organized to promote high-quality Vietnamese produces to Cambodian consumers helped the Vietnamese goods to gain a firm stand in the Cambodian market.
With gradually improving product quality, the country has acquired a competitive stand against the products from countries such as Thailand and China, which already have a firm footing in the market, said experts.
Viet Tien will open more showrooms and sales outlets across Cambodia, in association with Caja Top.
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
A hotel costing 20 cents-29 October, 2009
Would you believe a hotel room for as low as 20 cents? The new low-cost Tune Hotel near Kuala Lumpur’s airport is the brain child of AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes.
“The no-frills hotel, one of a slew popping up across Asia, is the definition of budget digs and anything above the basics will cost you,” say wire services.
Despite having a no-star rating, a standard room comes with a 5-star queen bed, a hot "power shower" and a ceiling fan.
Average prices are more like US$3 but there are rooms for less than a dollar as packages.
But the room is small - to say the least - albeit clean and modern, according to several reports.
Tune hotels, similar to low-cost airlines, employ a self-service online booking system and the rates are kept low by offering limited service.
The rooms are also available for three-hour stopovers, which the hotel calls its refresher pack.
There is no television or refrigerator. Want a towel? There’s a cost. Ditto for air conditioning.
It can get steamy and hot in Malasia but Fernandes thinks bargain-hunters will pass up creature comforts.
By David Wilkening
“The no-frills hotel, one of a slew popping up across Asia, is the definition of budget digs and anything above the basics will cost you,” say wire services.
Despite having a no-star rating, a standard room comes with a 5-star queen bed, a hot "power shower" and a ceiling fan.
Average prices are more like US$3 but there are rooms for less than a dollar as packages.
But the room is small - to say the least - albeit clean and modern, according to several reports.
Tune hotels, similar to low-cost airlines, employ a self-service online booking system and the rates are kept low by offering limited service.
The rooms are also available for three-hour stopovers, which the hotel calls its refresher pack.
There is no television or refrigerator. Want a towel? There’s a cost. Ditto for air conditioning.
It can get steamy and hot in Malasia but Fernandes thinks bargain-hunters will pass up creature comforts.
By David Wilkening
Experts: Tigers fast dying out despite campaigns
KATMANDU, Nepal — The world's tiger population is declining fast despite efforts to save them, and new strategies are urgently needed to keep the species from dying out, international wildlife experts said Tuesday.
"We are assembled here to save tigers that are at the verge of extinction," Nepal's secretary of forest and soil conservation, Yuvaraj Bhusal, told a conference of tiger experts from 20 countries, including the 13 where wild tigers are still found.
An estimated 3,500 to 4,000 tigers now roam the world's forests, down from the more than 100,000 estimated at the beginning of the 20th century. All the remaining tigers are in Asia.
Participants at the conference, which also includes the World Bank, the World Wildlife Fund and other groups, plan to discuss strategies for tiger conservation, as well as challenges such as poaching, the trade of tiger parts and conflicts between tigers and local populations.
In a recent case, a Sumatran tiger died after being caught in a pig snare last week in Indonesia, the country's news agency, Antara, reported Monday. The report said the tiger died as it was being prepared for surgery Monday. Only about 250 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild.
"Despite our efforts in the last three decades, tigers still face threats of survival. The primary threat is from poaching and habitat loss," Nepal's prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal told the conference.
He said extreme poverty has also challenged efforts.
"Global and regional solidarity and corrective measures are more necessary now than ever to face these challenges," the prime minister said.
Bhusal, the forest secretary, said participants hope to make high-level policy makers in their countries more aware of the animal's possible extinction.
The 13 countries where wild tigers are still found include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The conference continues through Friday.
"We are assembled here to save tigers that are at the verge of extinction," Nepal's secretary of forest and soil conservation, Yuvaraj Bhusal, told a conference of tiger experts from 20 countries, including the 13 where wild tigers are still found.
An estimated 3,500 to 4,000 tigers now roam the world's forests, down from the more than 100,000 estimated at the beginning of the 20th century. All the remaining tigers are in Asia.
Participants at the conference, which also includes the World Bank, the World Wildlife Fund and other groups, plan to discuss strategies for tiger conservation, as well as challenges such as poaching, the trade of tiger parts and conflicts between tigers and local populations.
In a recent case, a Sumatran tiger died after being caught in a pig snare last week in Indonesia, the country's news agency, Antara, reported Monday. The report said the tiger died as it was being prepared for surgery Monday. Only about 250 Sumatran tigers remain in the wild.
"Despite our efforts in the last three decades, tigers still face threats of survival. The primary threat is from poaching and habitat loss," Nepal's prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal told the conference.
He said extreme poverty has also challenged efforts.
"Global and regional solidarity and corrective measures are more necessary now than ever to face these challenges," the prime minister said.
Bhusal, the forest secretary, said participants hope to make high-level policy makers in their countries more aware of the animal's possible extinction.
The 13 countries where wild tigers are still found include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The conference continues through Friday.
PM attends opening ceremony of Samsung mobile phone factory - PM attends opening ceremony of Samsung mobile phone factory
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has attended the opening of a Samsung mobile phone factory in Yen Phong industrial park in the northern province of Bac Ninh.
At the opening ceremony on October 28, the PM praised the Samsung electronics company and the province of Bac Ninh for working together to put a mobile phone factory into operation. He expressed his belief that the factory will contribute to the socioeconomic development of Bac Ninh in particular and the country in general.
Mr. Dung said the government will create good conditions for the company in their business operations in Vietnam. He also asked the company to increase the proportion of local content in their products as they had previously committed.
The mobile factory in Yen Phong is one of Samsung’s seven most modern factories in the world with a capacity to produce 1.5 million products per month. There are now 2.500 employees working at the factory.
It plans to raise its monthly capacity to six million products by 2010 and to nine million by 2011, creating 8,000 – 12,000 jobs for local people.
At the opening ceremony on October 28, the PM praised the Samsung electronics company and the province of Bac Ninh for working together to put a mobile phone factory into operation. He expressed his belief that the factory will contribute to the socioeconomic development of Bac Ninh in particular and the country in general.
Mr. Dung said the government will create good conditions for the company in their business operations in Vietnam. He also asked the company to increase the proportion of local content in their products as they had previously committed.
The mobile factory in Yen Phong is one of Samsung’s seven most modern factories in the world with a capacity to produce 1.5 million products per month. There are now 2.500 employees working at the factory.
It plans to raise its monthly capacity to six million products by 2010 and to nine million by 2011, creating 8,000 – 12,000 jobs for local people.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Drought in India, Typhoons in Philippines/damaged crops
CEBU, Philippines (AP) - A drought in India and typhoons in the Philippines have damaged large tracts of rice paddies, threatening to upset the fragile food market amid fears of shortages and riots, experts said Wednesday.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap of the Philippines, the world's biggest rice importer, told an international rice conference the impact of the next "perfect storm" will be greatest on vulnerable countries like his, and the world's poor.
He proposed an international food reserve that will safeguard against wild fluctuations in food prices. When prices are down, producers can build stocks to halt further decreases, while consumers can turn to the reserves when prices are rocketing, Yap said.
"We are not very far off from possibly another rerun of 2008," he said. Last year's record-high price of rice and other staples led to riots in at least 30 countries, according to the World Food Program.
The biggest rice producers, Thailand and Vietnam, had curbed exports to protect domestic supply. In the Philippines, people formed long lines to buy low-quality rice at subsidized prices while traders were suspected of hoarding.
Rice is a staple for half of the world's population, a big chunk of them poor, Yap said.
India and Philippines are the two main drivers of the market, and rice traders are waiting to see if and how much they will import.
"I can tell you any panic reaction by any of the countries can easily flare up this market which is already in a very tight situation," said Samarendu Mohanty, a senior economist at the Philippine-based International Rice Research Institute. The institute has been trying to breed high-yielding rice varieties that can survive extreme weather.
The Philippines — which imports rice every year to cover a 10-percent domestic production shortfall — says it has lost at least 925,000 tons (840,000 metric tons) due to recent back-to-back storms.
Officials earlier said there will unlikely be need for more imports this year, but on Wednesday Yap refused to rule it out, saying the government will do "what we have to do to protect our people's food security."
While there is no official estimate yet of losses due to low rainfall in India, a drought of similar magnitude in 2002 lowered rice production in that country by 23.5 million tons (21 million metric tons), Mohanty said.
"So it is very likely the crop yield will be 20 million less than what we had last year," he added.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
8-year-old boy has "sex change" | Look At Vietnam
8-year-old boy has "sex change" | Look At Vietnam
She was born into a boy’s body in Arizona, U.S., but now her sex has been legally changed and, with the help of drugs and surgery, she will grow up to be a woman.
She used to wrap up her army figures and rock them like a baby when she was a toddler, and she only wore colours like orange which were nearest to girly pink.
When she started to talk, she always said “I’m a girl.” Whenever someone called her a boy, she would correct them. At the age of four, she insisted: “No, I really am a girl.”
The little girl’s favourite game was to wrap her mother’s scarf around her waist to make a skirt, according to the mother.
By the time she reached six, Josie had been diagnosed as transgender and was beginning her transition to becoming a female. VietNamNet/Xinhuanet
Just like any other little girls, 8-year-old Josie Romero loves wearing skirts and playing with dolls.
 |
Josie Romero of Arizona, the United States.(Photo: xinhuane.com) |
She used to wrap up her army figures and rock them like a baby when she was a toddler, and she only wore colours like orange which were nearest to girly pink.
When she started to talk, she always said “I’m a girl.” Whenever someone called her a boy, she would correct them. At the age of four, she insisted: “No, I really am a girl.”
The little girl’s favourite game was to wrap her mother’s scarf around her waist to make a skirt, according to the mother.
By the time she reached six, Josie had been diagnosed as transgender and was beginning her transition to becoming a female. VietNamNet/Xinhuanet
Documentary about Michael Jackson to arrive late in Vietnam | Look At Vietnam
The posthumous documentary about “King of Pop” Michael Jackson “This Is It” will show in Vietnamese cinema theatres from November 11.
“This Is It” will come out in 15 cities in the world on October 28.
It means Vietnamese audience will watch the documentary two weeks later than audiences in many countries in the world.
Though cinemas in Hanoi and HCM City aren’t yet selling tickets, many Vietnamese Jacko fans have already been in touch requesting details of its arrival.
In North America, This Is It is expected to become one of the best selling films of the year when it opens in 3500 theatres from October 28. The documentary will be also screened in 75 other countries by Sony Pictures.
Drawing on more than 100 hours of footage of Michael Jackson, producers say This Is It brings together the best images of Jackson’s performances and behind-the-scenes shots. Fans will also get to see a new 3-D version of “Thriller.”
“The world will see what we were lucky enough to witness and experience: the effort, the passion and the creativity that Michael Jackson invested in this project,” said Kenny Ortega, the director of the musical movie, “High School Musical,” and the director and choreographer for Jackson’s “This Is It” tour, and documentary.
“This Is It” will come out in 15 cities in the world on October 28.
It means Vietnamese audience will watch the documentary two weeks later than audiences in many countries in the world.
Though cinemas in Hanoi and HCM City aren’t yet selling tickets, many Vietnamese Jacko fans have already been in touch requesting details of its arrival.
In North America, This Is It is expected to become one of the best selling films of the year when it opens in 3500 theatres from October 28. The documentary will be also screened in 75 other countries by Sony Pictures.
Drawing on more than 100 hours of footage of Michael Jackson, producers say This Is It brings together the best images of Jackson’s performances and behind-the-scenes shots. Fans will also get to see a new 3-D version of “Thriller.”
“The world will see what we were lucky enough to witness and experience: the effort, the passion and the creativity that Michael Jackson invested in this project,” said Kenny Ortega, the director of the musical movie, “High School Musical,” and the director and choreographer for Jackson’s “This Is It” tour, and documentary.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Why 2010 Will Be the Year of the Travel Deal
If you thought the travel bargains were unbelievable this year, just wait until 2010.
I'm fully aware that this prediction flies in the face of conventional wisdom. I mean, how many travel experts have you seen on TV lately, warning that the deals are going, going, gone?
They're everywhere. But they're probably wrong.
Consider:
A recent forecast by Mintel, an international market and consumer research firm, predicts travel sales will basically remain flat in 2010 (they fell a projected 2.2 percent, to $123 billion, this year). However, air travel and hotel sales will drop by roughly 2 percent each, it says.
Research by Deloitte & Touche paints an equally bright outlook for bargain-hunters. "Leisure travelers will continue to seek out specials in 2010," says analyst Adam Weissenberg. "With hotels fighting to hold their rates as much as possible, they may offer an additional free night, complimentary spa treatment or discounted meals. For its part, the airline industry is also boosting incentives for leisure travelers by offering such things as a monthly pass."
In case you're wondering why the deals will probably continue through next year, industry guru Peter Yesawich of Y Partnership has an answer: According to his research, just over half of all active travelers say they plan to "stay fewer nights" on an upcoming vacation than they did this year. The implications are of "considerable concern" to the travel industry, he says, because they could push prices lower.
I realize nobody knows the future, and predicting travel prices is a fool's game. Still, it seems to me the real question isn't whether there will be more deals, but where they'll be.
Here are 10 places to find them during the Year of the Deal.
1. Bargains Are (Almost) Everywhere
If you come across a hotel or cruise line that insists it "never" discounts, don't believe it. In 2010, everyone will discount. It's just a question of how much. Amanda Sundt, the chief marketing officer at the adventure travel site iExplore (www.iexplore.com), says upscale resorts will continue to offer spa and dining credit credits and two-for-ones. Worse, hotel capacity is expected to grow as major chains like Hyatt and Four Seasons open new properties. "Look for good introductory deals as the hoteliers want to start seeing an immediate return and build buzz about the new properties," she says.
2. Yes, Even Airlines
The travel industry's soothsayers want you to believe that airfares are on the verge of taking off again. They may be right. But they probably aren't. Chris Lopinto, the president and co-founder of ExpertFlyer.com (www.expertflyer.com), says lackluster demand from leisure travelers will continue to keep fares low. In fact, he predicts fares will stay depressed until business travelers jump back into the game. "I think once business and business travel picks up again, we'll see air prices go significantly higher," he says. When? Maybe by the fall of 2010. Then again, maybe not.
3. Forget Blackout Dates
Resorts offer so-called "value" season during off-peak times to lure guests. Guess what? Those value prices could last all of 2010, according to hoteliers like Steve Heydt, president of Elite Island Resorts, one of the largest independent Caribbean hotel groups. "Resort business is not showing any measurable increase," he told me.
"We've responded to this trend by ensuring that we allow our current value pricing to roll over and be available next spring, summer and fall. This is the only way we believe we can stimulate advance vacation bookings."
4. Catch the Wave
"Wave" period, which happens early in the year, is the time when most cruises are booked. In 2010, they'll be giving them away, from the sounds of it. "Cruise lines are putting the brakes on new ship builds, and those under construction are still being built, but most of those on the drawing board are on hold," says Danny Borg, a partner for the discount travel site Undercover Tourist. "The cruise lines will continue to lower prices until their ships sail at capacity." He and other experts recommend booking early in 2010, which is when all the sales are likely to happen.
5. Get Social
Here's a tip from an airline insider: If you're looking for deals in 2010, it pays to participate in social media, like Twitter or Facebook.
"Social media has quickly become a new sales and loyalty channel for airlines," says Lufthansa spokeswoman Jennifer Urbaniak. Her airline sees social media as a way to offer special Internet-only discounts on tickets next year -- and she expects other airlines to do the same.
6. Go Where the Crowds Don't
"The problem we are battling now is perception," says Robert Tuchman, an executive vice president at New York-based event planner Premiere Corporate. "Companies don't want to seem like they are being extravagant, so they are making employees fly coach and not business or first." That's translating into bargains just where you wouldn't expect them: in business- and first-class fares and at upscale resorts.
7. Log on For Deeper Discounts
How much deeper? A lot. I asked Clem Bason, president of Hotwire, and he's looking for "sharply discounted deals" -- both on the kind of opaque deals his site offers (those are ones where the name of the resort isn't revealed until you book) and vacation packages. Archrival Priceline.com also offers opaque deals, but most of the major online agencies, including Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity, have aggressively discounted packages that promise to be even more aggressively discounted in coming months.
8. Look for an All-Inclusive Rate
Many travel companies plan to make up for lost revenue by "unbundling" their rates -- meaning they'll separate the base fares and rates from "extras" like the ability to make a confirmed seat reservation or get a newspaper delivered to your room in the morning. "The trend towards a la carte pricing will definitely continue in 2010," says Todd Dirks, a vice president at WNS, a business process outsourcing company. "Airlines have found this to be a material and sustainable source of revenue."
Just one problem: The reservations systems can't handle these fees, so customers don't find out about them until it's too late. Lesson? Look for a rate that includes everything (Southwest Airlines is one of the few carriers that doesn't nickel and dime customers).
9. Zig When Everyone Else Zags
A bargain-hunter's natural instinct is to look for a deal where the deals are known to be. In 2010, they'll be there -- and elsewhere, predicts Elie Seidman, the chief executive of Oyster Hotel Reviews. Take New York City, for example. "Rooms at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas would cost $500 a night if it were in Midtown Manhattan, but these days, they're often going for less than $100 a night," he says. "Prices in Las Vegas will go even lower when City Centre opens at the end of the year. And if the Fontainebleau in Vegas is able to get out of its current problems, Las Vegas will get even cheaper for tourists." People don't normally associate these destinations with bargain rooms. But that's the thing about 2010 -- whether you follow the crowd or not, you can't lose.
10. You Don't Even Need to Spend Real Money for these Deals
Some of the most attractive offers in 2010 may be related to your award miles, according to Chris Barnard, president of Points.com. That's because travel companies are trying to unload as many miles as possible. "In order to increase their value to travelers, program operators are adding new and different redemption options -- everything from restaurant and retail gift cards to program-sanctioned mileage trades," he says.
Next time someone tells you to hurry up and book now, ask yourself: Why are they pressuring you to make a purchase this second? What do they have to gain from it?
Remember, next year will be filled with travel bargains, if these industry-watchers are right.
And I think they are.
Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and the host of "What You Get For The Money: Vacations" on the Fine Living Network. E-mail him at celliott@ngs.org.
Read more: http://www.frommers.com/articles/6378.html#ixzz0UVBglgK7
I'm fully aware that this prediction flies in the face of conventional wisdom. I mean, how many travel experts have you seen on TV lately, warning that the deals are going, going, gone?
They're everywhere. But they're probably wrong.
Consider:
A recent forecast by Mintel, an international market and consumer research firm, predicts travel sales will basically remain flat in 2010 (they fell a projected 2.2 percent, to $123 billion, this year). However, air travel and hotel sales will drop by roughly 2 percent each, it says.
Research by Deloitte & Touche paints an equally bright outlook for bargain-hunters. "Leisure travelers will continue to seek out specials in 2010," says analyst Adam Weissenberg. "With hotels fighting to hold their rates as much as possible, they may offer an additional free night, complimentary spa treatment or discounted meals. For its part, the airline industry is also boosting incentives for leisure travelers by offering such things as a monthly pass."
In case you're wondering why the deals will probably continue through next year, industry guru Peter Yesawich of Y Partnership has an answer: According to his research, just over half of all active travelers say they plan to "stay fewer nights" on an upcoming vacation than they did this year. The implications are of "considerable concern" to the travel industry, he says, because they could push prices lower.
I realize nobody knows the future, and predicting travel prices is a fool's game. Still, it seems to me the real question isn't whether there will be more deals, but where they'll be.
Here are 10 places to find them during the Year of the Deal.
1. Bargains Are (Almost) Everywhere
If you come across a hotel or cruise line that insists it "never" discounts, don't believe it. In 2010, everyone will discount. It's just a question of how much. Amanda Sundt, the chief marketing officer at the adventure travel site iExplore (www.iexplore.com), says upscale resorts will continue to offer spa and dining credit credits and two-for-ones. Worse, hotel capacity is expected to grow as major chains like Hyatt and Four Seasons open new properties. "Look for good introductory deals as the hoteliers want to start seeing an immediate return and build buzz about the new properties," she says.
2. Yes, Even Airlines
The travel industry's soothsayers want you to believe that airfares are on the verge of taking off again. They may be right. But they probably aren't. Chris Lopinto, the president and co-founder of ExpertFlyer.com (www.expertflyer.com), says lackluster demand from leisure travelers will continue to keep fares low. In fact, he predicts fares will stay depressed until business travelers jump back into the game. "I think once business and business travel picks up again, we'll see air prices go significantly higher," he says. When? Maybe by the fall of 2010. Then again, maybe not.
3. Forget Blackout Dates
Resorts offer so-called "value" season during off-peak times to lure guests. Guess what? Those value prices could last all of 2010, according to hoteliers like Steve Heydt, president of Elite Island Resorts, one of the largest independent Caribbean hotel groups. "Resort business is not showing any measurable increase," he told me.
"We've responded to this trend by ensuring that we allow our current value pricing to roll over and be available next spring, summer and fall. This is the only way we believe we can stimulate advance vacation bookings."
4. Catch the Wave
"Wave" period, which happens early in the year, is the time when most cruises are booked. In 2010, they'll be giving them away, from the sounds of it. "Cruise lines are putting the brakes on new ship builds, and those under construction are still being built, but most of those on the drawing board are on hold," says Danny Borg, a partner for the discount travel site Undercover Tourist. "The cruise lines will continue to lower prices until their ships sail at capacity." He and other experts recommend booking early in 2010, which is when all the sales are likely to happen.
5. Get Social
Here's a tip from an airline insider: If you're looking for deals in 2010, it pays to participate in social media, like Twitter or Facebook.
"Social media has quickly become a new sales and loyalty channel for airlines," says Lufthansa spokeswoman Jennifer Urbaniak. Her airline sees social media as a way to offer special Internet-only discounts on tickets next year -- and she expects other airlines to do the same.
6. Go Where the Crowds Don't
"The problem we are battling now is perception," says Robert Tuchman, an executive vice president at New York-based event planner Premiere Corporate. "Companies don't want to seem like they are being extravagant, so they are making employees fly coach and not business or first." That's translating into bargains just where you wouldn't expect them: in business- and first-class fares and at upscale resorts.
7. Log on For Deeper Discounts
How much deeper? A lot. I asked Clem Bason, president of Hotwire, and he's looking for "sharply discounted deals" -- both on the kind of opaque deals his site offers (those are ones where the name of the resort isn't revealed until you book) and vacation packages. Archrival Priceline.com also offers opaque deals, but most of the major online agencies, including Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity, have aggressively discounted packages that promise to be even more aggressively discounted in coming months.
8. Look for an All-Inclusive Rate
Many travel companies plan to make up for lost revenue by "unbundling" their rates -- meaning they'll separate the base fares and rates from "extras" like the ability to make a confirmed seat reservation or get a newspaper delivered to your room in the morning. "The trend towards a la carte pricing will definitely continue in 2010," says Todd Dirks, a vice president at WNS, a business process outsourcing company. "Airlines have found this to be a material and sustainable source of revenue."
Just one problem: The reservations systems can't handle these fees, so customers don't find out about them until it's too late. Lesson? Look for a rate that includes everything (Southwest Airlines is one of the few carriers that doesn't nickel and dime customers).
9. Zig When Everyone Else Zags
A bargain-hunter's natural instinct is to look for a deal where the deals are known to be. In 2010, they'll be there -- and elsewhere, predicts Elie Seidman, the chief executive of Oyster Hotel Reviews. Take New York City, for example. "Rooms at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas would cost $500 a night if it were in Midtown Manhattan, but these days, they're often going for less than $100 a night," he says. "Prices in Las Vegas will go even lower when City Centre opens at the end of the year. And if the Fontainebleau in Vegas is able to get out of its current problems, Las Vegas will get even cheaper for tourists." People don't normally associate these destinations with bargain rooms. But that's the thing about 2010 -- whether you follow the crowd or not, you can't lose.
10. You Don't Even Need to Spend Real Money for these Deals
Some of the most attractive offers in 2010 may be related to your award miles, according to Chris Barnard, president of Points.com. That's because travel companies are trying to unload as many miles as possible. "In order to increase their value to travelers, program operators are adding new and different redemption options -- everything from restaurant and retail gift cards to program-sanctioned mileage trades," he says.
Next time someone tells you to hurry up and book now, ask yourself: Why are they pressuring you to make a purchase this second? What do they have to gain from it?
Remember, next year will be filled with travel bargains, if these industry-watchers are right.
And I think they are.
Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine and the host of "What You Get For The Money: Vacations" on the Fine Living Network. E-mail him at celliott@ngs.org.
Read more: http://www.frommers.com/articles/6378.html#ixzz0UVBglgK7
Golf Courses Now Grow in Vietnam’s Rice Fields - NYTimes.com
PHAN THIET, Vietnam — It may be the most capitalist enterprise in Communist Vietnam — by the rich and for the rich: a proliferation of golf courses that is displacing thousands of farmers and devouring the rice fields the country depends on.
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Justin Mott for The New York Times
The Sea Links Golf and Country Club, which is built on sand dunes, pipes in water from a source nearly two miles away. More Photos »
Multimedia
In Vietnam, a Backlash Against Golf CoursesSlide Show
In Vietnam, a Backlash Against Golf Courses
Enlarge This Image
Justin Mott for The New York Times
Groundskeepers at the Ocean Dunes Golf Club, 125 miles northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. More Photos >
The New York Times
The Dai Lai golf course drove thousands off their farmland. More Photos >
Until last year, according to experts who have done the calculations, licenses for new courses were being issued at an average of one a week, for a total of more than 140 projects around the country.
Promoters created the idea of a “Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail,” a series of eight courses whose label is as good a sign as any of where Vietnam seems to be headed — its heroic wartime past redefined as a sales pitch.
If all those projects were completed, the number of courses would approach that of golf-mad South Korea, where there are close to 200. It would still fall well short of China, which has more than 300, and would be nowhere near the number in the United States, which has about 16,000 courses, or even Florida, with 1,260.
For a country that had only two courses at the end of the war in 1975 and that according to some estimates has only 5,000 golfers today, however, the increase in projects over the past four years has been explosive.
But a backlash emerged within the news media and among academics and government officials over the social and environmental costs.
In summer 2008, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung ordered a halt to new construction pending a review, and last June the government ordered the cancellation of 50 of the projects. But most of the others are well under way, to add to the country’s 13 established golf courses.
“Developers and foreign investors are saying they want to make the country a tourist destination, and to do that you need to offer more amenities like golf,” said Kurt Greve, the American general manager of the Ocean Dunes Golf Club and the Dalat Palace Golf Club. Most of those tourists would come from elsewhere in Asia, especially South Korea and Japan, where golf courses are hugely overcrowded.
“They’re all wanting to grow golf,” he said, referring to the developers and investors, “but the government is saying, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!’”
In its drive to industrialize, Vietnam has already lost large amounts of farmland to factories and other developments. According to the Agriculture Ministry, land devoted to rice, the national staple and a leading source of export revenue, shrank to 10.1 million acres from 11.1 million acres, just from 2000 to 2006.
Many of the new projects seem to have to do more with capitalism than with sport. Taxes on golf courses are lower than those on other forms of development, and many of the projects appear to be disguised real estate ventures.
Only 65 percent of the land involved in the current projects has been set aside for golf courses, Ton Gia Huyen, an official with the Vietnam Land Science Association, said at a conference on golf courses in May. The rest of the land is reserved for hotels, resorts, villas, eco-tourism areas, parks and recreational projects.
One solution is to change the tax structure, said Nguyen Dang Vang, vice chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for Science, Technology and Environment.
“Golf courses are for rich people, account for vast areas of land, cause pollution and affect food security, so taxes should be appropriately high,” he told the newspaper Tuoi Tre in July.
And when rich people play, it appears that farmers and villagers pay the price.
Development of a single course can cost the land of hundreds of farms, displacing as many as 3,000 people, sometimes devouring an entire commune, Nguyen Duc Truyen, an official of the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Sociology, said at the recent conference. Only a small number of them find jobs on the new golf courses.
For example, the Dai Lai golf course in Vinh Phuc Province drove thousands of people from their land but provided jobs for only 30 local residents, according to a report in July on the Vietnam News Service. Farmers are typically compensated at a rate of $2 to $3 a square meter, the news service said, about the cost of a sack of rice.
Along with land, golf courses also put a strain on water resources, said Le Anh Tuan from the Can Tho University Environmental Technology Center. In a widely quoted estimate, he said an 18-hole course could consume 177,000 cubic feet of water a day, enough for 20,000 households.
“The dry season is critical,” said Kiet Tuan Le, the chief groundskeeper here at Ocean Dunes, 125 miles northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. “I’ve got to continually ask the water department, almost fight them, because there’s not enough water for the city people.”
Mr. Greve said that the resort was working to minimize its environmental impact, with a new strain of grass that was more salt-tolerant and would require less fresh water.
The nearby Sea Links Golf and Country Club, which is built on sand dunes, pipes in water from a source nearly two miles away, said one of the resort’s directors, Tran Quang Trung. Automatic sprinklers switch on every 15 minutes and individual hoses provide a continuing drip at the base of each tree.
The sumptuous, rolling 18-hole course is only one part of the ambitious, 420-acre development, he said.
Rows of villas, 315 of them, stand behind the course like soldiers on parade, with many sold before they were built. A five-star hotel overlooking the course has almost been completed.
Just beyond the development area, the red earth is already being turned for the construction of six ocean-view apartment buildings with 550 units.
In the future, Mr. Trung said, it will all be known as “Sea Links City.”
Skip to next paragraph
Enlarge This Image
Justin Mott for The New York Times
The Sea Links Golf and Country Club, which is built on sand dunes, pipes in water from a source nearly two miles away. More Photos »
Multimedia
In Vietnam, a Backlash Against Golf CoursesSlide Show
In Vietnam, a Backlash Against Golf Courses
Enlarge This Image
Justin Mott for The New York Times
Groundskeepers at the Ocean Dunes Golf Club, 125 miles northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. More Photos >
The New York Times
The Dai Lai golf course drove thousands off their farmland. More Photos >
Until last year, according to experts who have done the calculations, licenses for new courses were being issued at an average of one a week, for a total of more than 140 projects around the country.
Promoters created the idea of a “Ho Chi Minh Golf Trail,” a series of eight courses whose label is as good a sign as any of where Vietnam seems to be headed — its heroic wartime past redefined as a sales pitch.
If all those projects were completed, the number of courses would approach that of golf-mad South Korea, where there are close to 200. It would still fall well short of China, which has more than 300, and would be nowhere near the number in the United States, which has about 16,000 courses, or even Florida, with 1,260.
For a country that had only two courses at the end of the war in 1975 and that according to some estimates has only 5,000 golfers today, however, the increase in projects over the past four years has been explosive.
But a backlash emerged within the news media and among academics and government officials over the social and environmental costs.
In summer 2008, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung ordered a halt to new construction pending a review, and last June the government ordered the cancellation of 50 of the projects. But most of the others are well under way, to add to the country’s 13 established golf courses.
“Developers and foreign investors are saying they want to make the country a tourist destination, and to do that you need to offer more amenities like golf,” said Kurt Greve, the American general manager of the Ocean Dunes Golf Club and the Dalat Palace Golf Club. Most of those tourists would come from elsewhere in Asia, especially South Korea and Japan, where golf courses are hugely overcrowded.
“They’re all wanting to grow golf,” he said, referring to the developers and investors, “but the government is saying, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute!’”
In its drive to industrialize, Vietnam has already lost large amounts of farmland to factories and other developments. According to the Agriculture Ministry, land devoted to rice, the national staple and a leading source of export revenue, shrank to 10.1 million acres from 11.1 million acres, just from 2000 to 2006.
Many of the new projects seem to have to do more with capitalism than with sport. Taxes on golf courses are lower than those on other forms of development, and many of the projects appear to be disguised real estate ventures.
Only 65 percent of the land involved in the current projects has been set aside for golf courses, Ton Gia Huyen, an official with the Vietnam Land Science Association, said at a conference on golf courses in May. The rest of the land is reserved for hotels, resorts, villas, eco-tourism areas, parks and recreational projects.
One solution is to change the tax structure, said Nguyen Dang Vang, vice chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee for Science, Technology and Environment.
“Golf courses are for rich people, account for vast areas of land, cause pollution and affect food security, so taxes should be appropriately high,” he told the newspaper Tuoi Tre in July.
And when rich people play, it appears that farmers and villagers pay the price.
Development of a single course can cost the land of hundreds of farms, displacing as many as 3,000 people, sometimes devouring an entire commune, Nguyen Duc Truyen, an official of the Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Sociology, said at the recent conference. Only a small number of them find jobs on the new golf courses.
For example, the Dai Lai golf course in Vinh Phuc Province drove thousands of people from their land but provided jobs for only 30 local residents, according to a report in July on the Vietnam News Service. Farmers are typically compensated at a rate of $2 to $3 a square meter, the news service said, about the cost of a sack of rice.
Along with land, golf courses also put a strain on water resources, said Le Anh Tuan from the Can Tho University Environmental Technology Center. In a widely quoted estimate, he said an 18-hole course could consume 177,000 cubic feet of water a day, enough for 20,000 households.
“The dry season is critical,” said Kiet Tuan Le, the chief groundskeeper here at Ocean Dunes, 125 miles northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. “I’ve got to continually ask the water department, almost fight them, because there’s not enough water for the city people.”
Mr. Greve said that the resort was working to minimize its environmental impact, with a new strain of grass that was more salt-tolerant and would require less fresh water.
The nearby Sea Links Golf and Country Club, which is built on sand dunes, pipes in water from a source nearly two miles away, said one of the resort’s directors, Tran Quang Trung. Automatic sprinklers switch on every 15 minutes and individual hoses provide a continuing drip at the base of each tree.
The sumptuous, rolling 18-hole course is only one part of the ambitious, 420-acre development, he said.
Rows of villas, 315 of them, stand behind the course like soldiers on parade, with many sold before they were built. A five-star hotel overlooking the course has almost been completed.
Just beyond the development area, the red earth is already being turned for the construction of six ocean-view apartment buildings with 550 units.
In the future, Mr. Trung said, it will all be known as “Sea Links City.”
Sunday, October 18, 2009
NY Philharmonic at Hanoi Opera House
VietNamNet Bridge – Members of the New York Philharmonic will be performing at Ha Noi Opera House tonight and tomorrow.
Photo: VOV
Tonight, October 16, famed pianist Emanuel Ax will present Beethoven's Concert No 4, while under the baton of the symphony orchestra's music director Alan Gilbert, the orchestra will perform Symphony No 7.
Tomorrow night, violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, accompanied by the orchestra, will perform Brahms's Violin Concerto, while the immortal melody of Symphony No 7 will once again embrace the Opera House audience.
The concerts in Ha Noi are part of the orchestra's Asia tour, which runs from October 8-28 and takes in Tokyo, Seoul, Ha Noi, Singapore and Abu Dhabi.
"Music has an unlimited power of connecting people. That's why our mission is not just to perform, but to be a cultural bridge between countries," Gilbert said.
Two large screens will be set up outside the venue "to offer more and more audiences in Ha Noi the chance to enjoy the concerts", said Zarim Mehta, the orchestra's president and executive director.
To strengthen cultural and educational exchanges between American and Vietnamese musicians, Gilbert gave a lecture to students at the National Academy of Music yesterday.
Some key members of the orchestra, including violinist and concertmaster Glenn Dicterow, violist Cynthia Phelps, cellist Carter Brey, flautist Robert Langevin, oboist Liang Wang, clarinettist Mark Nuccio, trumpeter Philip Smith and trombonist Joseph Alessi will give a lecture at the music academy tomorrow.
The concerts will start at 8pm at Ha Noi Opera House.
The performance tomorrow night will be broadcast live on VTV2.
Founded in 1842 by a group of local musicians led by American-born Ureli Corelli Hill, the New York Philharmonic is by far the oldest symphony orchestra in the US, and one of the oldest in the world. The orchestra is also the most travelled US orchestra. It has performed in 422 cities in 59 countries on five continents.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam News
Photo: VOV
Tonight, October 16, famed pianist Emanuel Ax will present Beethoven's Concert No 4, while under the baton of the symphony orchestra's music director Alan Gilbert, the orchestra will perform Symphony No 7.
Tomorrow night, violinist Frank Peter Zimmermann, accompanied by the orchestra, will perform Brahms's Violin Concerto, while the immortal melody of Symphony No 7 will once again embrace the Opera House audience.
The concerts in Ha Noi are part of the orchestra's Asia tour, which runs from October 8-28 and takes in Tokyo, Seoul, Ha Noi, Singapore and Abu Dhabi.
"Music has an unlimited power of connecting people. That's why our mission is not just to perform, but to be a cultural bridge between countries," Gilbert said.
Two large screens will be set up outside the venue "to offer more and more audiences in Ha Noi the chance to enjoy the concerts", said Zarim Mehta, the orchestra's president and executive director.
To strengthen cultural and educational exchanges between American and Vietnamese musicians, Gilbert gave a lecture to students at the National Academy of Music yesterday.
Some key members of the orchestra, including violinist and concertmaster Glenn Dicterow, violist Cynthia Phelps, cellist Carter Brey, flautist Robert Langevin, oboist Liang Wang, clarinettist Mark Nuccio, trumpeter Philip Smith and trombonist Joseph Alessi will give a lecture at the music academy tomorrow.
The concerts will start at 8pm at Ha Noi Opera House.
The performance tomorrow night will be broadcast live on VTV2.
Founded in 1842 by a group of local musicians led by American-born Ureli Corelli Hill, the New York Philharmonic is by far the oldest symphony orchestra in the US, and one of the oldest in the world. The orchestra is also the most travelled US orchestra. It has performed in 422 cities in 59 countries on five continents.
VietNamNet/Viet Nam News
Friday, October 16, 2009
Can Airlines Possibly Charge for Anything Else?
Piling on may draw a penalty on a football field, but apparently the airlines think they're immune when it comes to piling fees on hapless travelers. Hardly a week goes by without the announcement of new fees and extra charges. Although the airlines are careful to keep their fees optional, many travelers are wondering, "Will it ever end?" I'm afraid the answer is, "Don't hold your breath until it stops," at least in the shorter term. The longer term is anyone's guess.
The latest outrage to hit the travel headlines is from British Airways: fees for seat assignments more than 24 hours in advance of departure. British Airways isn't the only airline to assess such charges, but it's the only big line to charge for ordinary seats. Current charges for economy are about $16 for a flight within Europe and about $32 for a long-haul flight. Fees on many expensive business-class tickets are even higher—about $32 within Europe or a whopping $80 for long-haul. And those prices won't even get you into a coveted exit-row seat in economy, where you'll have to pay $80 to $120 for the extra legroom.
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As usual, travelers on any first-class or any full-fare ticket are exempt, as are those at exalted frequent flyer levels. Also exempt are travelers with special needs. Interestingly, British Airways seems a bit embarrassed about these charges, at least to the extent that it doesn't post prices on its website.
The real surprise here is the fee on many business and premium economy tickets, fare levels that are typically immune to the nickel-and-dime (or maybe sixpence-and-shilling) charges so prevalent in ordinary economy. All I can guess is that British Airways' financial situation is dire enough—and the trade press seems to think it is—to warrant offending even its high-paying customers.
British Airways' main transatlantic competitors haven't matched, at least so far. But as I've often said about airlines, never underestimate the power of a bad idea.
To my knowledge, only three U.S.-based airlines charge for advance seat assignment anywhere in the economy cabin: AirTran charges $6 per trip for travelers on discount and sale fares, I suspect that's most of us; Allegiant charges $6 to $15, depending on location; and Spirit charges $7 to $20. US Airways charges for a few preferred seats in the front of its coach cabins. Elsewhere, Air Canada charges travelers on its lowest-fare Tango tickets $C15 for an advance seat assignment. And many low-fare and charter lines outside the United States charge for advance seat assignments—some for any seat, others just for an exit-row seat.
Of course, fees aren't just about seating. By now you're accustomed to paying extra on most lines for meals, snacks, and even soft drinks in addition to paying for checked baggage, pillows and blankets, phone reservations, paper tickets, and more. In fact, on many lines, you pay for just about anything the airline can separate as an option. For the most part, the new fees cover service elements that used to be included within the base fare. The main value-added extras are entertainment and in-flight Internet access, where you at least get something new for your money.
Can airlines charge us for anything else? The head of Ryanair was quoted last year about considering charging for the use of the onboard lavatory, but even the top Ryanair-watchers aren't sure whether he was serious.
To me, the end of piling on will come—if it ever comes—when the few airlines that buck the fee trends start to gain enough market traction to worry the competitors. Right now, the two main mavericks are Southwest, with is no-charge baggage checking, and Continental, which still offers meals in coach. Are these strategies working? I can't tell yet, but Southwest is sure pushing its no-charge baggage thing. Let's hope it works.
The latest outrage to hit the travel headlines is from British Airways: fees for seat assignments more than 24 hours in advance of departure. British Airways isn't the only airline to assess such charges, but it's the only big line to charge for ordinary seats. Current charges for economy are about $16 for a flight within Europe and about $32 for a long-haul flight. Fees on many expensive business-class tickets are even higher—about $32 within Europe or a whopping $80 for long-haul. And those prices won't even get you into a coveted exit-row seat in economy, where you'll have to pay $80 to $120 for the extra legroom.
Advertisement
As usual, travelers on any first-class or any full-fare ticket are exempt, as are those at exalted frequent flyer levels. Also exempt are travelers with special needs. Interestingly, British Airways seems a bit embarrassed about these charges, at least to the extent that it doesn't post prices on its website.
The real surprise here is the fee on many business and premium economy tickets, fare levels that are typically immune to the nickel-and-dime (or maybe sixpence-and-shilling) charges so prevalent in ordinary economy. All I can guess is that British Airways' financial situation is dire enough—and the trade press seems to think it is—to warrant offending even its high-paying customers.
British Airways' main transatlantic competitors haven't matched, at least so far. But as I've often said about airlines, never underestimate the power of a bad idea.
To my knowledge, only three U.S.-based airlines charge for advance seat assignment anywhere in the economy cabin: AirTran charges $6 per trip for travelers on discount and sale fares, I suspect that's most of us; Allegiant charges $6 to $15, depending on location; and Spirit charges $7 to $20. US Airways charges for a few preferred seats in the front of its coach cabins. Elsewhere, Air Canada charges travelers on its lowest-fare Tango tickets $C15 for an advance seat assignment. And many low-fare and charter lines outside the United States charge for advance seat assignments—some for any seat, others just for an exit-row seat.
Of course, fees aren't just about seating. By now you're accustomed to paying extra on most lines for meals, snacks, and even soft drinks in addition to paying for checked baggage, pillows and blankets, phone reservations, paper tickets, and more. In fact, on many lines, you pay for just about anything the airline can separate as an option. For the most part, the new fees cover service elements that used to be included within the base fare. The main value-added extras are entertainment and in-flight Internet access, where you at least get something new for your money.
Can airlines charge us for anything else? The head of Ryanair was quoted last year about considering charging for the use of the onboard lavatory, but even the top Ryanair-watchers aren't sure whether he was serious.
To me, the end of piling on will come—if it ever comes—when the few airlines that buck the fee trends start to gain enough market traction to worry the competitors. Right now, the two main mavericks are Southwest, with is no-charge baggage checking, and Continental, which still offers meals in coach. Are these strategies working? I can't tell yet, but Southwest is sure pushing its no-charge baggage thing. Let's hope it works.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Vietnam newspapers - Oct 16 | Industries | Technology, Media & Telecommunications
HANOI, Oct 16 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Friday. Reuters has not verified these stories.
FINANCIAL NEWS:
THOI BAO KINH TE VIET NAM
-- The business confidence index conducted by World Vest Base Financial Information Service Co and PetroVietnam Finance PVF.HM Invest Co in the third quarter of 2009 was 136 points, up six points from Aug and 36 points from the same period last year.
-- Hanoi's exports in 2009 will be $6.5-6.58 billion, declining 6.5 percent from last year, said a Hanoi Industry and Trade Department official.
-- FPT Corp. FPT.HM has raised 1.8 trillion dong ($100.9 million) via three-year bonds at an annual coupon of 7 percent.
-- Kinh Bac City Development Co KBC.HN applied to transfer the listing of 199 million shares to the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
-- PetroVietnam Finance Co PVF.HM said its gross profit in the first nine months of 2009 reached 762 billion dong ($42.7 million), or 191 percent of the annual target.
THANH NIEN
-- Stock trading value on the two stock markets set a new record of 8.3 trillion dong ($465.2 million) on Thursday.
ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:
VIETNAM NEWS
-- The agriculture ministry has granted import quotas for 10,000 tonnes of sugar for deliveries between now and November 15 to help companies bridge a current shortfall.
NHAN DAN
-- The Ministry of Health has granted permission to three companies to produce Tamiflu locally to solve a shortage of the medicines in the face of fast-spreading H1N1 flu outbreak.
TUOI TRE Continued...
FINANCIAL NEWS:
THOI BAO KINH TE VIET NAM
-- The business confidence index conducted by World Vest Base Financial Information Service Co and PetroVietnam Finance PVF.HM Invest Co in the third quarter of 2009 was 136 points, up six points from Aug and 36 points from the same period last year.
-- Hanoi's exports in 2009 will be $6.5-6.58 billion, declining 6.5 percent from last year, said a Hanoi Industry and Trade Department official.
-- FPT Corp. FPT.HM has raised 1.8 trillion dong ($100.9 million) via three-year bonds at an annual coupon of 7 percent.
-- Kinh Bac City Development Co KBC.HN applied to transfer the listing of 199 million shares to the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
-- PetroVietnam Finance Co PVF.HM said its gross profit in the first nine months of 2009 reached 762 billion dong ($42.7 million), or 191 percent of the annual target.
THANH NIEN
-- Stock trading value on the two stock markets set a new record of 8.3 trillion dong ($465.2 million) on Thursday.
ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:
VIETNAM NEWS
-- The agriculture ministry has granted import quotas for 10,000 tonnes of sugar for deliveries between now and November 15 to help companies bridge a current shortfall.
NHAN DAN
-- The Ministry of Health has granted permission to three companies to produce Tamiflu locally to solve a shortage of the medicines in the face of fast-spreading H1N1 flu outbreak.
TUOI TRE Continued...
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
European Union to Lift Liquid Ban by 2014
European Union to Lift Liquid Ban by 2014
Don't Forget the 3-1-1 Rule Of course, make sure those toiletries and liquid travel products are three ounces or less, as mandated by the Transportation Security Administration, and are packed in a clear plastic one-quart bag. This rule applies only to carry-on bags. If you're checking your bag, you can transport toiletries of any size in whatever type of case you wish. (Photo: Molly Feltner)
The European Union (E.U.) plans to phase out its ban on liquids in stages over the next few years, with the ban expected to be fully lifted by 2014. But while that sounds like good news for travelers, the proposal presents a host of logistical issues and has received a fair amount of criticism.
The Daily Mail says the ban will vanish in 2012, and actually characterizes this as a delay: "The ban on taking liquids of more than 100ml on board a plane was due to end in April, but European transport ministers are set to rule today that it should stay in place until at least 2012."
The Guardian says different airports will lift the ban at different times, depending on how many travelers they serve, and that chaos is sure to ensue: "A ban on carrying liquids in hand luggage will be lifted in 2012 for airports handling more than 10 million passengers a year, with smaller airports waiting until 2014, according to sources close to European security officials. That would mean a family travelling from Stansted to Barcelona-Girona in Spain from 2012 would be able to carry as much drink, shampoo and perfume as they wanted on the outbound journey, but would have to dump or check in the liquids on the return leg."
The Telegraph worries Britain may be left out if its government rejects the plans, as it seems poised to do: "The Government is to oppose plans to ease the 100 ml limit when European transport ministers meet in Luxembourg on Friday. However, while Britain can object to the plans and opt out, the Government cannot block them outright."
Lastly, many here in the states are wondering why the E.U. gets its ban lifted while we don't.
Clearly this last point is closest to home, but saying the E.U. will have its ban lifted while we keep cramming our liquids and gels into tiny bottles isn't exactly true. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is in the process of rolling out new technology that would make the liquid ban unnecessary, and has been for some time. And even though the TSA announced last month (to much heavy sighing) that it would be at least another year before the ban could be eased here in the U.S., that still puts it at least on pace with the E.U., if not ahead. It's quite possible that we'll see the ban lifted before Europe does.
As for the issues in Europe, it should surprise no one that a large-scale security overhaul is a tedious process fraught with difficulties, and that pronouncements of target dates and plans would be met by skepticism. Behind all this is frustration with the inconvenience of the ban, but also a sense that the ban is overzealous and no longer necessary. In short, it's time for the ban to go; and all the target dates, plans, and platitudes in the world mean nothing while the ban is in place.
Don't Forget the 3-1-1 Rule Of course, make sure those toiletries and liquid travel products are three ounces or less, as mandated by the Transportation Security Administration, and are packed in a clear plastic one-quart bag. This rule applies only to carry-on bags. If you're checking your bag, you can transport toiletries of any size in whatever type of case you wish. (Photo: Molly Feltner)
The European Union (E.U.) plans to phase out its ban on liquids in stages over the next few years, with the ban expected to be fully lifted by 2014. But while that sounds like good news for travelers, the proposal presents a host of logistical issues and has received a fair amount of criticism.
The Daily Mail says the ban will vanish in 2012, and actually characterizes this as a delay: "The ban on taking liquids of more than 100ml on board a plane was due to end in April, but European transport ministers are set to rule today that it should stay in place until at least 2012."
The Guardian says different airports will lift the ban at different times, depending on how many travelers they serve, and that chaos is sure to ensue: "A ban on carrying liquids in hand luggage will be lifted in 2012 for airports handling more than 10 million passengers a year, with smaller airports waiting until 2014, according to sources close to European security officials. That would mean a family travelling from Stansted to Barcelona-Girona in Spain from 2012 would be able to carry as much drink, shampoo and perfume as they wanted on the outbound journey, but would have to dump or check in the liquids on the return leg."
The Telegraph worries Britain may be left out if its government rejects the plans, as it seems poised to do: "The Government is to oppose plans to ease the 100 ml limit when European transport ministers meet in Luxembourg on Friday. However, while Britain can object to the plans and opt out, the Government cannot block them outright."
Lastly, many here in the states are wondering why the E.U. gets its ban lifted while we don't.
Clearly this last point is closest to home, but saying the E.U. will have its ban lifted while we keep cramming our liquids and gels into tiny bottles isn't exactly true. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is in the process of rolling out new technology that would make the liquid ban unnecessary, and has been for some time. And even though the TSA announced last month (to much heavy sighing) that it would be at least another year before the ban could be eased here in the U.S., that still puts it at least on pace with the E.U., if not ahead. It's quite possible that we'll see the ban lifted before Europe does.
As for the issues in Europe, it should surprise no one that a large-scale security overhaul is a tedious process fraught with difficulties, and that pronouncements of target dates and plans would be met by skepticism. Behind all this is frustration with the inconvenience of the ban, but also a sense that the ban is overzealous and no longer necessary. In short, it's time for the ban to go; and all the target dates, plans, and platitudes in the world mean nothing while the ban is in place.
Indonesian ocean nations conduct mass tsunami drill
ULEE LHEUE, Indonesia - Sirens wailed and crowds fled across Indian Ocean nations today in a mass drill simulating a giant tsunami similar to the 2004 disaster that killed about 220,000 people.
The UN-backed drill, dubbed "Exercise Indian Ocean Wave 09", saw the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the Japan Meteorological Agency send out bulletins for a 9.2-magnitude quake and tsunami, UNESCO said.
The exercise was aimed at testing warning systems and preparedness in nations in Asia, Australasia, the Middle East and Africa.
Hundreds of people including school children fled from the coast as ambulance crews stood watch in the Indonesian province of Aceh, the area worst hit by the 2004 tsunami with 168,000 dead.
"This sort of exercise is useful for letting me know if a tsunami strikes," local resident Bachtiar told AFP.
"But the sirens and crowds make me panic, they remind me of the 2004 tsunami," he said.
Another resident, 20-year-old Risnawati, said Acehnese needed no reminding of a tsunami's destructive power.
"Acehnese already know how to save their life if a tsunami strikes. They will automatically run to higher ground if there are signs of a tsunami-like receding water," she said.
"It's impossible to survive from tsunami if we take refuge in that building since it's too close to the sea," she said, referring to a shelter designated by local authorities.
In Sri Lanka, which lost about 31,000 people to the December 2004 disaster, around 200 residents on the southern and eastern coasts carried out a mock evacuation after receiving warnings via mobile phones and loud-hailers.
"The exercise took nearly three hours this morning when the Pacific Tsunami warning centre first alerted us (to kick off the exercise)," said disaster management head Gamini Hettiarachchi.
"The test went off very well," he said.
In India, national tsunami warning head Srinivasa Kumar said the public was not involved in the exercise, with authorities concentrating instead on coordination between government agencies.
Countries participating in the drill are Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and East Timor.
The UN-backed drill, dubbed "Exercise Indian Ocean Wave 09", saw the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the Japan Meteorological Agency send out bulletins for a 9.2-magnitude quake and tsunami, UNESCO said.
The exercise was aimed at testing warning systems and preparedness in nations in Asia, Australasia, the Middle East and Africa.
Hundreds of people including school children fled from the coast as ambulance crews stood watch in the Indonesian province of Aceh, the area worst hit by the 2004 tsunami with 168,000 dead.
"This sort of exercise is useful for letting me know if a tsunami strikes," local resident Bachtiar told AFP.
"But the sirens and crowds make me panic, they remind me of the 2004 tsunami," he said.
Another resident, 20-year-old Risnawati, said Acehnese needed no reminding of a tsunami's destructive power.
"Acehnese already know how to save their life if a tsunami strikes. They will automatically run to higher ground if there are signs of a tsunami-like receding water," she said.
"It's impossible to survive from tsunami if we take refuge in that building since it's too close to the sea," she said, referring to a shelter designated by local authorities.
In Sri Lanka, which lost about 31,000 people to the December 2004 disaster, around 200 residents on the southern and eastern coasts carried out a mock evacuation after receiving warnings via mobile phones and loud-hailers.
"The exercise took nearly three hours this morning when the Pacific Tsunami warning centre first alerted us (to kick off the exercise)," said disaster management head Gamini Hettiarachchi.
"The test went off very well," he said.
In India, national tsunami warning head Srinivasa Kumar said the public was not involved in the exercise, with authorities concentrating instead on coordination between government agencies.
Countries participating in the drill are Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and East Timor.
Typhoon Parma forcast to pass south of Hanoi
Storm warnings were in effect all along Vietnam’s northern coast on the morning of October 14 as Storm #10 (also known as Typhoon Parma) churned offshore, gathering strength.
Disaster management agencies, well aware of the chaos wrought by #10’s two passes over northern Luzon (Philippines), were taking no chances. Over 20,000 fishing boats had been ordered into port and people in some low-lying areas in the provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Nam Dinh had been warned to move to higher ground, according to newspaper reports.
The typhoon, which has followed an erratic track for the past two weeks, was expected to weaken as it neared Vietnam but instead has slowed and gathered strength. The center of the storm is forecast to pass south of Hanoi during the afternoon of October 14, bringing torrential rains to all of Vietnam’s northern region.
VietNamNet/TT
Disaster management agencies, well aware of the chaos wrought by #10’s two passes over northern Luzon (Philippines), were taking no chances. Over 20,000 fishing boats had been ordered into port and people in some low-lying areas in the provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Nam Dinh had been warned to move to higher ground, according to newspaper reports.
The typhoon, which has followed an erratic track for the past two weeks, was expected to weaken as it neared Vietnam but instead has slowed and gathered strength. The center of the storm is forecast to pass south of Hanoi during the afternoon of October 14, bringing torrential rains to all of Vietnam’s northern region.
VietNamNet/TT
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Vietnam prepares for Parma as storm to make landfall | Look At Vietnam
Vietnam banned all boats along the northern coast from heading to sea as Tropical Storm Parma moved over the Gulf of Tonkin and headed for the country after leaving more than 300 people dead in the Philippines and China.
Vietnam’s National Committee for Flood and Storm Control said on its website the storm is bringing winds as high as 88 kilometers (55 miles) per hour along with heavy rain as it approaches the coast.
These conditions are forecast to remain in effect until about midday on Wednesday, it said.
The committee ordered local authorities to evacuate people in areas that may be affected by tidal surge from the northern province of Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh by 7 p.m. local time as the storm is moving toward the coast line at high speed, according to an update posted on the committee’s website Tuesday. All rescue forces will have to be on stand-by for immediate action when required, the statement said.
Parma’s center may be located about 130 kilometers east of the coast near Hanoi by 7 p.m. local time, according to another statement on the government’s website Tuesday. Parma is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression after crossing the coast.
The system is threatening to make its fifth landfall in a third country, after crossing the Philippines island of Luzon three times last week, leaving at least 311 people dead. Parma hit China’s southern island of Hainan Monday, killing at least three people.
The storm is forecast to cross the Vietnamese coast south of Hanoi later Tuesday or early Wednesday, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest advisory.
Capsized boat
Three people died in China after their boat was capsized in the storm off Wanning city, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Hainan Provincial Emergency Response Office.
In the Philippines, forty-eight people remain missing in Luzon while 80,262 are in evacuation centers, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said in a report Tuesday.
Vietnam was hit by Typhoon Ketsana on Sept. 29, leaving 163 people dead and 11 missing, according to the Vietnamese government.
Ketsana left 337 people dead and 37 missing in the Philippines when it crossed Luzon as a tropical storm three days earlier.
Source: Bloomberg
Vietnam’s National Committee for Flood and Storm Control said on its website the storm is bringing winds as high as 88 kilometers (55 miles) per hour along with heavy rain as it approaches the coast.
These conditions are forecast to remain in effect until about midday on Wednesday, it said.
The committee ordered local authorities to evacuate people in areas that may be affected by tidal surge from the northern province of Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh by 7 p.m. local time as the storm is moving toward the coast line at high speed, according to an update posted on the committee’s website Tuesday. All rescue forces will have to be on stand-by for immediate action when required, the statement said.
Parma’s center may be located about 130 kilometers east of the coast near Hanoi by 7 p.m. local time, according to another statement on the government’s website Tuesday. Parma is forecast to weaken to a tropical depression after crossing the coast.
The system is threatening to make its fifth landfall in a third country, after crossing the Philippines island of Luzon three times last week, leaving at least 311 people dead. Parma hit China’s southern island of Hainan Monday, killing at least three people.
The storm is forecast to cross the Vietnamese coast south of Hanoi later Tuesday or early Wednesday, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest advisory.
Capsized boat
Three people died in China after their boat was capsized in the storm off Wanning city, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Hainan Provincial Emergency Response Office.
In the Philippines, forty-eight people remain missing in Luzon while 80,262 are in evacuation centers, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said in a report Tuesday.
Vietnam was hit by Typhoon Ketsana on Sept. 29, leaving 163 people dead and 11 missing, according to the Vietnamese government.
Ketsana left 337 people dead and 37 missing in the Philippines when it crossed Luzon as a tropical storm three days earlier.
Source: Bloomberg
Vietnamese people now eat many kinds of dirty food | Look At Vietnam
Doctor Nguyen Thi Huynh Mai, Head of the Inspection Team of the HCM City Health Department, announced on October 12 that the department found the bacteria in the sample of SuVi bottled drink water (21 litre bottle, manufacturing date September 28, 2009 and expiry date September 28,, 2010) manufactured by Suoi Viet Purified Water Company headquartered in Binh Hung Commune in Binh Chanh district.
Mai said that no microorganism is allowed to contain in any bottled drink water. The noteworthy thing here is that this is for the second time the product of the company is found as having bacteria. This means that the company did not do anything to improve the quality of its products
The HCM City health inspectors have released a decision to temporarily halt the production and business of Suoi Viet Company and forced the company to call back all under-quality products and destroy them.
The HCM City Health Department has also released the decision on halting the production of nearly ten bottled drink water workshops.
On the same day, Vietnamese consumers started when they read from newspapers that the US and Malaysian food control agencies have warned consumers not to eat candied and salty dried fruits originated from China and Taiwan as the products have high lead content which many cause diseases to human.
Tuoi tre newspaper’s reporters, who took a trip around HCM City, found out that foreign made salty and candied dried fruits are selling at many markets in the city, including Ben Thanh in district 1, An Dong and Kim Bien in district 5 and Binh Tay Market in district 6.
A saleswoman at Binh Tay Market said that the dried fruits have been carried from the north. “No one care where they are from, they just buy them because they like them,” she said
Saigon tiep thi’s reporters have also made a quick survey on the market. They said that it is unclear if the products of the 15 companies mentioned in the warnings of the US and Malaysian agencies are available on Vietnam’s market or not. All the products of this kind now available at the markets in the city do not have labels which show the origins and producers.
According to Doctor Pham Xuan Dung, Deputy Director of the HCM City Tumour Hospital, the long use of lead contaminated food will cause chronic kidney, blood and lung diseases and may cause fatality.
The Ministry of Health stipulates that the maximum allowed lead content in food is 2mg per every kilo of food.
On October 1, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released the warning that consumers should not eat dried fruits imports from 15 producers and distributors, mainly from China, because of the overly high content of lead in the products.
After that, the Government of Malaysia on October 8 also announced it prohibits the import and sale of dried fruits imported from the 15 companies.
Meanwhile, on the Ministry of Health’s website, one can only see the regulations on the allowed lead content in drink water.
Mai said that no microorganism is allowed to contain in any bottled drink water. The noteworthy thing here is that this is for the second time the product of the company is found as having bacteria. This means that the company did not do anything to improve the quality of its products
The HCM City health inspectors have released a decision to temporarily halt the production and business of Suoi Viet Company and forced the company to call back all under-quality products and destroy them.
The HCM City Health Department has also released the decision on halting the production of nearly ten bottled drink water workshops.
On the same day, Vietnamese consumers started when they read from newspapers that the US and Malaysian food control agencies have warned consumers not to eat candied and salty dried fruits originated from China and Taiwan as the products have high lead content which many cause diseases to human.
Tuoi tre newspaper’s reporters, who took a trip around HCM City, found out that foreign made salty and candied dried fruits are selling at many markets in the city, including Ben Thanh in district 1, An Dong and Kim Bien in district 5 and Binh Tay Market in district 6.
A saleswoman at Binh Tay Market said that the dried fruits have been carried from the north. “No one care where they are from, they just buy them because they like them,” she said
Saigon tiep thi’s reporters have also made a quick survey on the market. They said that it is unclear if the products of the 15 companies mentioned in the warnings of the US and Malaysian agencies are available on Vietnam’s market or not. All the products of this kind now available at the markets in the city do not have labels which show the origins and producers.
According to Doctor Pham Xuan Dung, Deputy Director of the HCM City Tumour Hospital, the long use of lead contaminated food will cause chronic kidney, blood and lung diseases and may cause fatality.
The Ministry of Health stipulates that the maximum allowed lead content in food is 2mg per every kilo of food.
On October 1, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released the warning that consumers should not eat dried fruits imports from 15 producers and distributors, mainly from China, because of the overly high content of lead in the products.
After that, the Government of Malaysia on October 8 also announced it prohibits the import and sale of dried fruits imported from the 15 companies.
Meanwhile, on the Ministry of Health’s website, one can only see the regulations on the allowed lead content in drink water.
Air Supply concert stirs up local audiences |
Hoa Binh Theater on Friday night was gradually heated up by each song delivered by the band Air Supply. Russell Hitchcock and Graham Russell sang and performed enthusiastically
Air Supply performs at Hoa Binh Theatre in HCMC over the weekend.
The two 60 year old gentlemen did not betray the audience’s love. Their voices seem not to be damaged by time. Hitchcock’s voice was melodious, strong and vibrant. Russell improved solo after solo on guitar. Audiences had a chance to see the familiar image of the two members of the well known band live on stage instead of on screen or video.
“I have been a fan of Air Supply since I was a child in the 80s. That’s why when the band comes to Vietnam, I have to come here to see them by all means,” said musician Quang Huy.
Many in the audience stood and shouted for joy and sang passionately with the band on some famous songs such as Goodbye, The Power of Love and Making Love out of Nothing at All. There was just an interesting music atmosphere between the audience and the band that erased all the space.
The band carefully explained the contents of each song before playing it to help the audience prepare. After the third song, Russell said “Hello Vietnam” and invited people to move closer to the stage. Members of the band even shook some hands with fans. “I come here to see and stay close to all of you. My dream now comes true to be standing here,” said Air Supply. The band’s friendliness contributed so much to the success of the concert.
VietNamNet/SGT
Air Supply performs at Hoa Binh Theatre in HCMC over the weekend.
The two 60 year old gentlemen did not betray the audience’s love. Their voices seem not to be damaged by time. Hitchcock’s voice was melodious, strong and vibrant. Russell improved solo after solo on guitar. Audiences had a chance to see the familiar image of the two members of the well known band live on stage instead of on screen or video.
“I have been a fan of Air Supply since I was a child in the 80s. That’s why when the band comes to Vietnam, I have to come here to see them by all means,” said musician Quang Huy.
Many in the audience stood and shouted for joy and sang passionately with the band on some famous songs such as Goodbye, The Power of Love and Making Love out of Nothing at All. There was just an interesting music atmosphere between the audience and the band that erased all the space.
The band carefully explained the contents of each song before playing it to help the audience prepare. After the third song, Russell said “Hello Vietnam” and invited people to move closer to the stage. Members of the band even shook some hands with fans. “I come here to see and stay close to all of you. My dream now comes true to be standing here,” said Air Supply. The band’s friendliness contributed so much to the success of the concert.
VietNamNet/SGT
Vietnam newspapers - Oct 13 | Latest News
HANOI, Oct 13 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in the official Vietnamese press on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories.
FINANCIAL NEWS:
THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM -- The Industry and Trade Ministry has suggested that the government extend interest rate subsidies for farmers' loans until June 30, 2010.
ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:
NHAN DAN
-- Heavy rains are expected, and could cause flash floods in northern and north-central provinces from Tuesday due to the impact of an approaching storm, state forecasters said.
QUAN DOI NHAN DAN
-- Jetstar Airways, run by Qantas Airways (QAN.AX), said it would raise its stake in Vietnam's low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific to 30 percent next year.
TUOI TRE
-- Financial difficulties at Vinashin's subsidiaries have caused delays to the company's major ship building projects.
THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM
-- The flow of foreign direct investment into Vietnam this year could fall 22 percent from last year to $8.8 billion, the Planning and Investment Ministry said. (Reporting by Hanoi Newsroom)
FINANCIAL NEWS:
THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM -- The Industry and Trade Ministry has suggested that the government extend interest rate subsidies for farmers' loans until June 30, 2010.
ECONOMIC AND GENERAL NEWS:
NHAN DAN
-- Heavy rains are expected, and could cause flash floods in northern and north-central provinces from Tuesday due to the impact of an approaching storm, state forecasters said.
QUAN DOI NHAN DAN
-- Jetstar Airways, run by Qantas Airways (QAN.AX), said it would raise its stake in Vietnam's low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific to 30 percent next year.
TUOI TRE
-- Financial difficulties at Vinashin's subsidiaries have caused delays to the company's major ship building projects.
THOI BAO KINH TE VIETNAM
-- The flow of foreign direct investment into Vietnam this year could fall 22 percent from last year to $8.8 billion, the Planning and Investment Ministry said. (Reporting by Hanoi Newsroom)
Tropical Storm Heads for Vietnam; Three Die in China (Update2)
Oct. 13 (Bloomberg) -- Tropical Storm Parma moved over the Gulf of Tonkin and headed for Vietnam after leaving three people dead on the southern Chinese island of Hainan.
The storm was 298 kilometers (185 miles) east-southeast of Hanoi at 7 a.m. Vietnam time with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour, the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest advisory. It was moving west-northwest at 7 kph.
The storm is forecast to cross the Vietnamese coast south of Hanoi later today or early tomorrow. Authorities in Vietnam issued alerts for heavy rains and a tidal surge as high as 4 meters (13 feet). Local authorities were ordered to consider evacuating people in low-lying areas, according to the Web site of the National Committee for Flood and Storm Control.
Three people died in China after their boat was capsized in the storm off Wanning city, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Hainan Provincial Emergency Response Office.
Parma left at least 311 people dead in the Philippines, where it made landfall three times. Forty-eight people remain missing in Luzon while 80,262 are in evacuation centers, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said in a report.
Vietnam was hit by Typhoon Ketsana on Sept. 29, leaving 163 people dead and 11 missing as of 9 p.m. on Oct. 5, according to the Vietnamese government.
Ketsana left 337 people dead and 37 missing in the Philippines when it crossed Luzon as a tropical storm three days earlier.
To contact the reporters on this story: Ryan Flinn in San Francisco at rflinn@bloomberg.net; Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo at asheldrick@bloomberg.net.
The storm was 298 kilometers (185 miles) east-southeast of Hanoi at 7 a.m. Vietnam time with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometers per hour, the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest advisory. It was moving west-northwest at 7 kph.
The storm is forecast to cross the Vietnamese coast south of Hanoi later today or early tomorrow. Authorities in Vietnam issued alerts for heavy rains and a tidal surge as high as 4 meters (13 feet). Local authorities were ordered to consider evacuating people in low-lying areas, according to the Web site of the National Committee for Flood and Storm Control.
Three people died in China after their boat was capsized in the storm off Wanning city, the state-run Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Hainan Provincial Emergency Response Office.
Parma left at least 311 people dead in the Philippines, where it made landfall three times. Forty-eight people remain missing in Luzon while 80,262 are in evacuation centers, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said in a report.
Vietnam was hit by Typhoon Ketsana on Sept. 29, leaving 163 people dead and 11 missing as of 9 p.m. on Oct. 5, according to the Vietnamese government.
Ketsana left 337 people dead and 37 missing in the Philippines when it crossed Luzon as a tropical storm three days earlier.
To contact the reporters on this story: Ryan Flinn in San Francisco at rflinn@bloomberg.net; Aaron Sheldrick in Tokyo at asheldrick@bloomberg.net.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Caravelle publishes book about its 50-year history
The history of the Caravelle Hotel in HCM City has come to light in a new book recounting a half-century of war and peace in Vietnam.
LookAtVietnam - The history of the Caravelle Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City has come to light in a new book recounting a half-century of war and peace in Vietnam, as seen through the eyes as one of the city’s landmark institutions.
The English-language “Caravelle Saigon-A History,” published last week, unfolds as a straight narrative interspersed with fascinating stories from an array of diverse individuals whose lives intersected with the hotel.
While its most compelling sections detail the tumult of the 1960s and early 1970s, the book provides a fascinating glimpse into the development of the hospitality industry in Saigon and concludes with the hotel’s extensive refurbishment in 1998.
Built to be the country’s most luxurious hotel when opened in 1959, the five-star Caravelle became inseparable from both the journalistic luminaries who covered the Vietnam War and a new and progressive brand of war correspondents.
As Saigon’s unofficial press club, the Caravelle was frequented by policy makers and such media icons as Peter Arnett, Neil Sheehan, David Halberstam and Walter Cronkite.
It also housed the offices of a number of international press organizations during the war period such as the CBS News, the ABC News and The New York Times.
A Vietnamese edition will be published by the end of the year, according to a Caravelle statement.
VietNamNet/Thanh Nien
LookAtVietnam - The history of the Caravelle Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City has come to light in a new book recounting a half-century of war and peace in Vietnam, as seen through the eyes as one of the city’s landmark institutions.
The English-language “Caravelle Saigon-A History,” published last week, unfolds as a straight narrative interspersed with fascinating stories from an array of diverse individuals whose lives intersected with the hotel.
While its most compelling sections detail the tumult of the 1960s and early 1970s, the book provides a fascinating glimpse into the development of the hospitality industry in Saigon and concludes with the hotel’s extensive refurbishment in 1998.
Built to be the country’s most luxurious hotel when opened in 1959, the five-star Caravelle became inseparable from both the journalistic luminaries who covered the Vietnam War and a new and progressive brand of war correspondents.
As Saigon’s unofficial press club, the Caravelle was frequented by policy makers and such media icons as Peter Arnett, Neil Sheehan, David Halberstam and Walter Cronkite.
It also housed the offices of a number of international press organizations during the war period such as the CBS News, the ABC News and The New York Times.
A Vietnamese edition will be published by the end of the year, according to a Caravelle statement.
VietNamNet/Thanh Nien
Hanoi to build 18 overpasses
Hanoi is to invest 350 billion dong in building 18 pedestrian overpasses for busy roads including Giang Vo, Thai Ha and Nguyen Trai.
An overpass on Giai Phong road.
Nguyen Sy Bao, director of the management board of Key Construction Projects in Hanoi, says the project includes two stages both funded by the Hanoi urban traffic facility development project, which is in turn funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The first stage will see ten overpasses in the streets of Chua Boc, Tay Son, Nguyen Trai, Tran Khat Chan, Giai Phong, Thai Ha and Ngoc Hoi.
The remaining eight overpasses will be built in the second stage in Lang Ha, Giang Vo, Tran Duy Hung, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Lieu Giai, Hoang Quoc Viet and Xuan Thuy.
Bao says the overpasses will be steel structures, which if needed, can be disassembled and installed elsewhere.
Hanoi currently has four overpasses on Nguyen Van Cu, Giai Phong, Nguyen Chi Thanh and Cau Giay roads. However, there are questions as to how frequently they are used by pedestrians.
VietNamNet/VNE
An overpass on Giai Phong road.
Nguyen Sy Bao, director of the management board of Key Construction Projects in Hanoi, says the project includes two stages both funded by the Hanoi urban traffic facility development project, which is in turn funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The first stage will see ten overpasses in the streets of Chua Boc, Tay Son, Nguyen Trai, Tran Khat Chan, Giai Phong, Thai Ha and Ngoc Hoi.
The remaining eight overpasses will be built in the second stage in Lang Ha, Giang Vo, Tran Duy Hung, Nguyen Chi Thanh, Lieu Giai, Hoang Quoc Viet and Xuan Thuy.
Bao says the overpasses will be steel structures, which if needed, can be disassembled and installed elsewhere.
Hanoi currently has four overpasses on Nguyen Van Cu, Giai Phong, Nguyen Chi Thanh and Cau Giay roads. However, there are questions as to how frequently they are used by pedestrians.
VietNamNet/VNE
The trend in travel: value-08 October, 2009
here’s a new norm in travel pricing: rock bottom, travel experts say.
“The rock-bottom room rates of the past year are expected to continue until hotels see a solid pickup in demand next year. Even then, prices won't skyrocket overnight because they were slashed so deeply, and no one knows what the new norm is going to be for travelers,” says The Arizona Republic.
"For the consumer, a buyer's market will persist into 2011," said Mark Woodworth, president of PKF Hospitality Research.
That's why there are summer-like prices and perks extended into the normally busier fall season in popular tourist areas such as Las Vegas.
Buy-a- night-or- two-and-get-one-free offers are abounding around the country, with discounts for dining, the spa and even the gift shop.
"We're at the mercy of the consumer right now," Roger Bloss, president and CEO of Vantage Hospitality Group. “Today, value is trendy.”
Some hotels have even added pick-up-your room service where guests order items but pick them up to save on tipping. Free poolside activities are also popular. And luxury hotels are expanding their menus in their casual eateries.
"The discounting is going to (continue to) be an issue," said David Kong, president and CEO of Phoenix-based Best Western International.
By David Wilkening
“The rock-bottom room rates of the past year are expected to continue until hotels see a solid pickup in demand next year. Even then, prices won't skyrocket overnight because they were slashed so deeply, and no one knows what the new norm is going to be for travelers,” says The Arizona Republic.
"For the consumer, a buyer's market will persist into 2011," said Mark Woodworth, president of PKF Hospitality Research.
That's why there are summer-like prices and perks extended into the normally busier fall season in popular tourist areas such as Las Vegas.
Buy-a- night-or- two-and-get-one-free offers are abounding around the country, with discounts for dining, the spa and even the gift shop.
"We're at the mercy of the consumer right now," Roger Bloss, president and CEO of Vantage Hospitality Group. “Today, value is trendy.”
Some hotels have even added pick-up-your room service where guests order items but pick them up to save on tipping. Free poolside activities are also popular. And luxury hotels are expanding their menus in their casual eateries.
"The discounting is going to (continue to) be an issue," said David Kong, president and CEO of Phoenix-based Best Western International.
By David Wilkening
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The U.S. And Vietnam
Once enemies and now partners, The United States and Vietnam have built ties with each other through trade and educational exchange, and leaders of our 2 nations have pledged to develop them further.
Meeting in Washington with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem on October first, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. is committed to strengthening ties with Vietnam and working more closely on vital security issues. "This is a region vital to global progress, prosperity and peace and we are fully engaged on a wide range of issues," Secretary Clinton said.
Our 2 countries agreed to normal diplomatic relations in 1995 and since then have developed strong economic ties. Last year, 2-way trade between the U.S. and Vietnam was more than $15 billion, an increase of 1,000 percent since 2001 when a formal trade agreement took effect.
In their discussion, the Secretary and Foreign Minister said they will work to develop greater cooperation on education, science and technology, and security. Already more than 10,000 Vietnamese students are studying at U.S. colleges and universities, and they would like that number to increase.
As Vietnam intensified efforts to help citizens suffering in the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana, which ravaged coastal areas of Central Vietnam last week, Secretary Clinton also offered assistance for victims of the storm, the worst to hit the region in many years.
Meeting in Washington with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem on October first, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. is committed to strengthening ties with Vietnam and working more closely on vital security issues. "This is a region vital to global progress, prosperity and peace and we are fully engaged on a wide range of issues," Secretary Clinton said.
Our 2 countries agreed to normal diplomatic relations in 1995 and since then have developed strong economic ties. Last year, 2-way trade between the U.S. and Vietnam was more than $15 billion, an increase of 1,000 percent since 2001 when a formal trade agreement took effect.
In their discussion, the Secretary and Foreign Minister said they will work to develop greater cooperation on education, science and technology, and security. Already more than 10,000 Vietnamese students are studying at U.S. colleges and universities, and they would like that number to increase.
As Vietnam intensified efforts to help citizens suffering in the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana, which ravaged coastal areas of Central Vietnam last week, Secretary Clinton also offered assistance for victims of the storm, the worst to hit the region in many years.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Business travel climate described as “brutal”-06 October, 2009
American Express Global Travel Services president Charles Petruccelli described a "brutal" operating environment for the travel industry with some companies putting total freezes” on travel spending and others reducing budgets by almost two-thirds.
Such conditions threaten "globalness" but also provide "an opportunity to provoke the status quo with clients" and advocate "complete outsourcing."
Petruccelli in a speech said "there is no rational explanation in continuing to manage travel internally with fixed expenses. Companies have outsourced technology management to technology companies. It exists in human resources. So why not in travel?"
Does he see the recession as over? He answered:
"We are seeing some pick up in some areas of the business. Systematically, we have been beating our forecasts in transaction volumes," but "my sense is we are not going to see serious pick up before the end of 2010."
Petruccelli also noted that US and Chinese travel are showing signs of improvement, while Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore are not.
Such conditions threaten "globalness" but also provide "an opportunity to provoke the status quo with clients" and advocate "complete outsourcing."
Petruccelli in a speech said "there is no rational explanation in continuing to manage travel internally with fixed expenses. Companies have outsourced technology management to technology companies. It exists in human resources. So why not in travel?"
Does he see the recession as over? He answered:
"We are seeing some pick up in some areas of the business. Systematically, we have been beating our forecasts in transaction volumes," but "my sense is we are not going to see serious pick up before the end of 2010."
Petruccelli also noted that US and Chinese travel are showing signs of improvement, while Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore are not.
Monday, October 5, 2009
AirAsia delays delivery of eight more A320s-
This means the low-cost carrier will now defer a third or 16 of 48 aircraft deliveries scheduled for 2010 and 2011, after making a similar move in July when it deferred the delivery of eight aircraft for 2010.
The budget carrier is also unwinding all its leases with GE Commercial Aviation Services and other lessors for early return of 13 B737s.
It will also sell two of its own B737 aircraft to hasten its move towards using one aircraft type for greater efficiency.
The Malaysian Insider reported that AirAsia boss Tony, Fernandes also attributed the aircraft deferment in 2011 to doubts over the completion of the new Kuala Lumpur low-cost carrier terminal.
This is despite assurance from Malaysia Airports Holdings the new terminal will be completed on time by the third quarter of 2011.
AirAsia became the largest customer for the Airbus A320-200 in December 2007 after it placed a firm order for a total 175 aircraft, with an option for 50 more.
The budget carrier has so far taken delivery of 63 A320s, which are used for its services in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
The budget carrier is also unwinding all its leases with GE Commercial Aviation Services and other lessors for early return of 13 B737s.
It will also sell two of its own B737 aircraft to hasten its move towards using one aircraft type for greater efficiency.
The Malaysian Insider reported that AirAsia boss Tony, Fernandes also attributed the aircraft deferment in 2011 to doubts over the completion of the new Kuala Lumpur low-cost carrier terminal.
This is despite assurance from Malaysia Airports Holdings the new terminal will be completed on time by the third quarter of 2011.
AirAsia became the largest customer for the Airbus A320-200 in December 2007 after it placed a firm order for a total 175 aircraft, with an option for 50 more.
The budget carrier has so far taken delivery of 63 A320s, which are used for its services in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Vietnam typhoon claims livelihoods as well as lives
HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) – Flooded rice fields, dead cattle and smashed fishing boats will mean economic hardship for Vietnam's typhoon survivors long after they clean the mud from their houses, aid workers say.
Typhoon Ketsana, one of the worst disasters to strike Vietnam in years, claimed the lives of 162 people and has also taken away the livelihoods of many more.
"The harvest for this season is probably lost," said Ugo Blanco, who is coordinating disaster response for the United Nations.
Less than one week after the typhoon affected 14 provinces last Tuesday, aid agencies are still in the emergency phase where the priority is distributing fresh water, food, and basic household supplies including blankets and mosquito nets. Related article: Asian armies to the rescue
But Blanco says there is also a need to start thinking about the medium and longer-term impact of the disaster and how to help people in this largely rural country get back to work.
Ketsana caused devastation across Southeast Asia, killing at least 293 people in the Philippines before striking Vietnam. It also claimed 17 lives in Cambodia and 24 in Laos.
Vietnam is the world's second-largest rice exporter but initial government estimates say more than 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of paddy have been flooded or damaged. About half of that loss came in one province, Binh Dinh.
Almost 60,000 hectares of other crops were also damaged.
Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces suffered the heaviest livestock losses, of almost 150,000 poultry, about 1,600 cows and buffalo, and 2,800 pigs, the government report said.
The storm also damaged more than 500 boats and ships, mostly in the fishing province of Quang Ngai, it said.
About 2,300 hectares of aquaculture areas were inundated, but for Pham Chau and other seafood producers the extent of the losses is still unclear.
"We will only know really how much we lost in terms of fish and shrimp in the next few days," said Chau, 47, of Tong Chanh village in Thua Thien-Hue.
For the moment, he knows that big waves during the storm damaged about half the enclosure where he raises the sea creatures.
Chau was busy trying to fix a damaged net. Others had been swept away and he expects "considerable" losses.
His wife usually sells the fish he produces at the market but since the storm damaged his enclosure they have not sold anything, forcing them to live off their savings, he said.
"I don't have much in my savings now," said Chau, who invested 50 million dong (2,800 dollars) in his business, partly through a bank loan that is not paid off and prevents his getting more help from the bank.
He said he might have to turn to loan sharks to rebuild his business.
For the most vulnerable, the Red Cross aims to help 21,000 obtain a viable source of income by early next year.
That initiative is among the aims of an international appeal for 4.75 million dollars launched by the Red Cross on Friday.
It could include the supply of fertiliser to two or three provinces, said Doan Van Thai, secretary general of the Vietnam Red Cross Society.
State-run Vietnam News on Saturday said the government planned to give 460 billion dong -- about 25.6 million dollars -- to affected areas, partly to buy seedlings to restart production but also for rebuilding, disease control and other measures.
Local governments in the typhoon-hit central region have asked Hanoi for far more. They want close to 40 million dollars as well as 600 tonnes of rice seed, 20 tonnes of vegetable seed and 30 tonnes of maize seed.
Blanco said the UN had sent people to the disaster zone to try to assess the need for livelihood recovery assistance.
"Probably this will be one of the main sectors which the international community will try to support," he said.
Related Searches:
* rice fields
* binh dinh
* vietnam
Typhoon Ketsana, one of the worst disasters to strike Vietnam in years, claimed the lives of 162 people and has also taken away the livelihoods of many more.
"The harvest for this season is probably lost," said Ugo Blanco, who is coordinating disaster response for the United Nations.
Less than one week after the typhoon affected 14 provinces last Tuesday, aid agencies are still in the emergency phase where the priority is distributing fresh water, food, and basic household supplies including blankets and mosquito nets. Related article: Asian armies to the rescue
But Blanco says there is also a need to start thinking about the medium and longer-term impact of the disaster and how to help people in this largely rural country get back to work.
Ketsana caused devastation across Southeast Asia, killing at least 293 people in the Philippines before striking Vietnam. It also claimed 17 lives in Cambodia and 24 in Laos.
Vietnam is the world's second-largest rice exporter but initial government estimates say more than 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of paddy have been flooded or damaged. About half of that loss came in one province, Binh Dinh.
Almost 60,000 hectares of other crops were also damaged.
Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces suffered the heaviest livestock losses, of almost 150,000 poultry, about 1,600 cows and buffalo, and 2,800 pigs, the government report said.
The storm also damaged more than 500 boats and ships, mostly in the fishing province of Quang Ngai, it said.
About 2,300 hectares of aquaculture areas were inundated, but for Pham Chau and other seafood producers the extent of the losses is still unclear.
"We will only know really how much we lost in terms of fish and shrimp in the next few days," said Chau, 47, of Tong Chanh village in Thua Thien-Hue.
For the moment, he knows that big waves during the storm damaged about half the enclosure where he raises the sea creatures.
Chau was busy trying to fix a damaged net. Others had been swept away and he expects "considerable" losses.
His wife usually sells the fish he produces at the market but since the storm damaged his enclosure they have not sold anything, forcing them to live off their savings, he said.
"I don't have much in my savings now," said Chau, who invested 50 million dong (2,800 dollars) in his business, partly through a bank loan that is not paid off and prevents his getting more help from the bank.
He said he might have to turn to loan sharks to rebuild his business.
For the most vulnerable, the Red Cross aims to help 21,000 obtain a viable source of income by early next year.
That initiative is among the aims of an international appeal for 4.75 million dollars launched by the Red Cross on Friday.
It could include the supply of fertiliser to two or three provinces, said Doan Van Thai, secretary general of the Vietnam Red Cross Society.
State-run Vietnam News on Saturday said the government planned to give 460 billion dong -- about 25.6 million dollars -- to affected areas, partly to buy seedlings to restart production but also for rebuilding, disease control and other measures.
Local governments in the typhoon-hit central region have asked Hanoi for far more. They want close to 40 million dollars as well as 600 tonnes of rice seed, 20 tonnes of vegetable seed and 30 tonnes of maize seed.
Blanco said the UN had sent people to the disaster zone to try to assess the need for livelihood recovery assistance.
"Probably this will be one of the main sectors which the international community will try to support," he said.
Related Searches:
* rice fields
* binh dinh
* vietnam
Inside Sumatra's devastated villages
The closer you get to the earthquake's epicentre the worse the damage gets.
First the road becomes blocked to vehicles. Then even motorbikes cannot get through, and soon you can only walk and clamber over the landslides to reach the communities perhaps hardest hit by this disaster.
Homes were just swallowed up here as the quake shook the land from the hillsides, tearing down everything, destroying houses and crushing hundreds of people below tonnes of earth.
The size of the landslides is astonishing - massive tears in the jungle where soil and trees have been ripped from the slopes and dumped into the valleys.
Map
Dawianis Ardo is digging. Others are helping him - smashing concrete beams with the back of an axe, pulling at debris with wire cables and shifting bucket-loads of soil from the hole.
The patch of earth, trees and concrete is what is left of three homes. One was empty, but the two crushed into each other and buried with earth from the mountain were not.
Inside were nine adults and seven children - some of them playing marbles just outside the house when the earthquake struck.
"We found two bodies yesterday - they had been crushed to death - we expect to find the other 14 bodies today," he said.
They were his cousins.
"If we don't find them today I will dig for another five days - that will be a week - and then I will leave them to God."
Crushed to death
A path has been trodden across the face of the landslide where the road used to be and people were carefully making their way across.
I just sat here and prayed
Zaimar
Earthquake survivor
The situation just worsened further along the track - more houses flattened, more landslides scarring the hillside and wider cracks in the road.
Zaimar sat outside her collapsed home as the men dug at the crushed wooden beams to get out their food supplies and possessions.
She described what it was like when the quake hit, kneeling down and showing us how she sat to stop herself falling as the shockwave threw everything and everybody around.
She began to cry - to sob - as she remembered those terrifying moments when she was convinced the world was going to end.
"I just sat here and prayed," she said, still crying uncontrollably.
Her family were all unhurt, but the shock has affected her deeply and her neighbours lost relatives in the rubble.
Waiting for help
At another landslide an ornately tiled porch stands now like a platform overlooking the valley below.
The home which was behind it is crushed and buried, along with a family of 10 people.
Further along, the route is blocked by a house teetering on the edge of another gaping scar - the only way forward to the villages and communities ahead is through someone's front room.
One village is packed with people - all asking when the aid will come. A police helicopter circled overhead, suggesting they have not been forgotten about.
But they feel abandoned and alone. They have rice and basic supplies, but with no electricity and a road it will take many weeks to repair, they are afraid of their new-found isolation, hoping help will come to them soon.
Three-thousand dead is what the government has estimated.
Here amid the destroyed homes, with so many stories of relatives being buried alive, it seems as though it could be even more.
First the road becomes blocked to vehicles. Then even motorbikes cannot get through, and soon you can only walk and clamber over the landslides to reach the communities perhaps hardest hit by this disaster.
Homes were just swallowed up here as the quake shook the land from the hillsides, tearing down everything, destroying houses and crushing hundreds of people below tonnes of earth.
The size of the landslides is astonishing - massive tears in the jungle where soil and trees have been ripped from the slopes and dumped into the valleys.
Map
Dawianis Ardo is digging. Others are helping him - smashing concrete beams with the back of an axe, pulling at debris with wire cables and shifting bucket-loads of soil from the hole.
The patch of earth, trees and concrete is what is left of three homes. One was empty, but the two crushed into each other and buried with earth from the mountain were not.
Inside were nine adults and seven children - some of them playing marbles just outside the house when the earthquake struck.
"We found two bodies yesterday - they had been crushed to death - we expect to find the other 14 bodies today," he said.
They were his cousins.
"If we don't find them today I will dig for another five days - that will be a week - and then I will leave them to God."
Crushed to death
A path has been trodden across the face of the landslide where the road used to be and people were carefully making their way across.
I just sat here and prayed
Zaimar
Earthquake survivor
The situation just worsened further along the track - more houses flattened, more landslides scarring the hillside and wider cracks in the road.
Zaimar sat outside her collapsed home as the men dug at the crushed wooden beams to get out their food supplies and possessions.
She described what it was like when the quake hit, kneeling down and showing us how she sat to stop herself falling as the shockwave threw everything and everybody around.
She began to cry - to sob - as she remembered those terrifying moments when she was convinced the world was going to end.
"I just sat here and prayed," she said, still crying uncontrollably.
Her family were all unhurt, but the shock has affected her deeply and her neighbours lost relatives in the rubble.
Waiting for help
At another landslide an ornately tiled porch stands now like a platform overlooking the valley below.
The home which was behind it is crushed and buried, along with a family of 10 people.
Further along, the route is blocked by a house teetering on the edge of another gaping scar - the only way forward to the villages and communities ahead is through someone's front room.
One village is packed with people - all asking when the aid will come. A police helicopter circled overhead, suggesting they have not been forgotten about.
But they feel abandoned and alone. They have rice and basic supplies, but with no electricity and a road it will take many weeks to repair, they are afraid of their new-found isolation, hoping help will come to them soon.
Three-thousand dead is what the government has estimated.
Here amid the destroyed homes, with so many stories of relatives being buried alive, it seems as though it could be even more.
Prince Andrew to visit Vietnam
ANOI — Prince Andrew is to arrive in Vietnam on Monday to give a royal boost to his country's trade and investment profile, authorities said.
During his two-day trip, the prince is to meet Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and other officials, and visit Vietnamese and British businesses including Rolls-Royce and HSBC, UK Trade and Investment said in a statement.
His visit "aims to raise the UK's profile as a major trading and investment partner for Vietnam, highlight further investment opportunities for British companies in Vietnam, and encourage Vietnam to regard the UK as a main business gateway into Europe," it said.
Britain is communist Vietnam's third-largest European Union investor, with total projects worth 2.1 billion dollars, the agency said. Bilateral trade was worth more than 1.9 billion dollars last year.
Prince Andrew, Britiain's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, has made three previous visits to Vietnam over the past decade.
During his two-day trip, the prince is to meet Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and other officials, and visit Vietnamese and British businesses including Rolls-Royce and HSBC, UK Trade and Investment said in a statement.
His visit "aims to raise the UK's profile as a major trading and investment partner for Vietnam, highlight further investment opportunities for British companies in Vietnam, and encourage Vietnam to regard the UK as a main business gateway into Europe," it said.
Britain is communist Vietnam's third-largest European Union investor, with total projects worth 2.1 billion dollars, the agency said. Bilateral trade was worth more than 1.9 billion dollars last year.
Prince Andrew, Britiain's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, has made three previous visits to Vietnam over the past decade.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Death Toll Rises in Pacific Islands, Families Cope with Losses from Tsunami
Filifaiesea Vailolo carries suitcase through debris left in wake of the tsunami in the town of Pago Pago in American Samoa, 02 Oct 2009
Filifaiesea Vailolo carries suitcase through debris left in wake of the tsunami in the town of Pago Pago in American Samoa, 02 Oct 2009
Relief efforts are continuing in the Pacific islands of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, where the death toll is approaching 200 from Tuesday's earthquake and tsunami. Seaside communities are burying their dead and coming to grips with their losses.
The people of American Samoa are starting to clean up as they cope with their vivid memories. Mormon Church official Stu Uiagalelei was teaching a children's class when the earthquake struck.
"It was one of the mornings I'll never forget," he said.
Uiagalelei and his students fled to higher ground as the tsunami overturned cars and buses and sent a yacht skimming over a football field. A yacht lies wedged in front of his church. He says he watched people die, and rescued a Korean immigrant, but later discovered that bodies had washed up behind his church.
"As soon as we got up there, that's when the tsunami came. I was out there watching the whole thing passing by my eyes," he recalled.
In some hard-hit coastal regions, whole families were killed by the crushing tsunami. Juliette Foster knew one family - a shopkeeper, his wife and children. All of them, she thinks, were killed in the tsunami.
She says every family has a story.
"I lost my aunt down on the other end of the island. They found her the same day, but we're still looking for my 12-year-old niece. We haven't found her yet, and I'm hoping we will soon," she said.
Sales clerk Tamuli Farami escaped with her eight children, but says the losses in these islands touch everyone.
"Some are relatives. Some are friends and neighbors. Some people they found in the road, and also in the streams, some on the side of the stores, so I feel sorry for those people," said Farami.
Rescue and recovery workers have come from around the world, and in American Samoa, people like Ben Raju of the U.S. Small Business Administration are preparing to make low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and business people.
"When the long-term recovery aspect of it is reached, that's when individuals will be focusing on long-term recovery such as rebuilding and re-establishing themselves to the way that they were prior to the disaster," he said.
Juliette Foster assesses the damage to her truck and home, as she tries to comfort her children.
""They're always asking me every night, mommy, are we going to die? Is it going to come again? Is this the end of the world?" she asked.
Commerce and everyday life are slowly getting back to normal on these peaceful Pacific islands, but people say the wounds will take time to heal.
Filifaiesea Vailolo carries suitcase through debris left in wake of the tsunami in the town of Pago Pago in American Samoa, 02 Oct 2009
Relief efforts are continuing in the Pacific islands of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, where the death toll is approaching 200 from Tuesday's earthquake and tsunami. Seaside communities are burying their dead and coming to grips with their losses.
The people of American Samoa are starting to clean up as they cope with their vivid memories. Mormon Church official Stu Uiagalelei was teaching a children's class when the earthquake struck.
"It was one of the mornings I'll never forget," he said.
Uiagalelei and his students fled to higher ground as the tsunami overturned cars and buses and sent a yacht skimming over a football field. A yacht lies wedged in front of his church. He says he watched people die, and rescued a Korean immigrant, but later discovered that bodies had washed up behind his church.
"As soon as we got up there, that's when the tsunami came. I was out there watching the whole thing passing by my eyes," he recalled.
In some hard-hit coastal regions, whole families were killed by the crushing tsunami. Juliette Foster knew one family - a shopkeeper, his wife and children. All of them, she thinks, were killed in the tsunami.
She says every family has a story.
"I lost my aunt down on the other end of the island. They found her the same day, but we're still looking for my 12-year-old niece. We haven't found her yet, and I'm hoping we will soon," she said.
Sales clerk Tamuli Farami escaped with her eight children, but says the losses in these islands touch everyone.
"Some are relatives. Some are friends and neighbors. Some people they found in the road, and also in the streams, some on the side of the stores, so I feel sorry for those people," said Farami.
Rescue and recovery workers have come from around the world, and in American Samoa, people like Ben Raju of the U.S. Small Business Administration are preparing to make low-interest loans to homeowners, renters and business people.
"When the long-term recovery aspect of it is reached, that's when individuals will be focusing on long-term recovery such as rebuilding and re-establishing themselves to the way that they were prior to the disaster," he said.
Juliette Foster assesses the damage to her truck and home, as she tries to comfort her children.
""They're always asking me every night, mommy, are we going to die? Is it going to come again? Is this the end of the world?" she asked.
Commerce and everyday life are slowly getting back to normal on these peaceful Pacific islands, but people say the wounds will take time to heal.
Friday, October 2, 2009
36 dead, villages 'wiped out' in Samoa quake, tsunami
A huge 8.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit the remote Pacific islands of Samoa and American Samoa, killing at least 36 and wiping out entire villages, officials and witnesses said.
Buildings were toppled and thousands of people fled to higher ground after the offshore quake struck in the early morning, followed by giant waves, sweeping cars out to sea.
At least 14 people were reported to have died in American Samoa and another 14 in Samoa, the Red Cross said, warning the death toll was expected to rise.
One witness said the wall of water was up to 30 feet (nine metres) high, and a local journalist told AFP entire villages had been wiped out on Samoa's south and southwest coasts where thousands of people live.
Apia, capital of the independent state of Samoa, was evacuated as officials scrambled to get thousands of residents to higher ground.
Witnesses said cars were swept out to sea in American Samoa, where buildings were destroyed in what the US territory's Congress delegate said was a scene of "devastation". Related article: US scrambles response
The US Geological Survey said an 8.0-magnitude quake struck at 6:48 am (1748 GMT) at a depth of 18 kilometres (11 miles), 195 kilometres south of Apia.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said waves of up to 1.57 metres (over five feet) had smashed into American Samoa. It issued a tsunami alert over a vast swathe of the Pacific, as far as Hawaii, which was later cancelled.
Two South Koreans were among the dead while another was missing, Seoul officials said, while Australia and New Zealand both made preparations to send emergency help. Related article: Australia aid
Mike Reynolds, superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa which is headquartered in the territory's capital Pago Pago, told colleagues in California there had been widescale destruction.
National Park Service spokeswoman Holly Bundock said she had spoken to Reynolds, who was sheltering under a coconut tree.
"Park staff when they are able to make cell phone calls are calling in to our offices," she said.
"They said five tsunami waves have hit the park visitor centre in Pago Pago. It would appear park offices and the visitor centre there have been destroyed. "One of the waves was about 30 feet high."
Samoan journalist Jona Tuiletufuga told AFP there was widespread destruction with possibly thousands of people left homeless on the island.
"We are getting reports of missing people in areas were damage is extensive on the south and southeast coasts," he told AFP. "Entire villages have been wiped out."
Tuiletufuga said there were up to 70 villages in the worst-hit area and each housed from 300-800 people.
A New Zealand tourist who called Radio New Zealand to appeal for help said he was looking over an area of destruction from high ground near Apia. Related article: New Zealand aid
"We clambered up a hill and one of the party has a broken leg. We just need help. There will be people in a great lot of need around here, it's flattened."
While information from the islands was patchy, New Zealand deputy high commissioner to Apia, David Dolphin, said most of the damage appeared to be centred on the southern coast where waves of six to eight metres were recorded.
"There are reports of some quite serious damage, at least five fatalities and quite a few reports of people missing," said Dolphin, who was on the north coast at the time.
"It was pretty scary but the house didn't appear to be falling apart so we just took what precautions we could and hunkered down," Dolphin said.
"There were windows rattling, light fittings swaying, a number of light things fell off tables and shelves," he added.
A series of powerful aftershocks rattled the South Pacific in the hours after the initial quake, which prompted Japan to issue a tsunami alert over 50 centimetre (20-inch) waves expected to hit the southern Ogasawara islands.
Several of the Earth's tectonic plates meet in South Pacific and violent geological activity is common. Large quakes with an under-ocean epicentre can trigger tsunamis that can have devastating effects.
In December 2004 an undersea earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra set off a tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people around the Indian Ocean and laid waste to huge areas of coastline.
Buildings were toppled and thousands of people fled to higher ground after the offshore quake struck in the early morning, followed by giant waves, sweeping cars out to sea.
At least 14 people were reported to have died in American Samoa and another 14 in Samoa, the Red Cross said, warning the death toll was expected to rise.
One witness said the wall of water was up to 30 feet (nine metres) high, and a local journalist told AFP entire villages had been wiped out on Samoa's south and southwest coasts where thousands of people live.
Apia, capital of the independent state of Samoa, was evacuated as officials scrambled to get thousands of residents to higher ground.
Witnesses said cars were swept out to sea in American Samoa, where buildings were destroyed in what the US territory's Congress delegate said was a scene of "devastation". Related article: US scrambles response
The US Geological Survey said an 8.0-magnitude quake struck at 6:48 am (1748 GMT) at a depth of 18 kilometres (11 miles), 195 kilometres south of Apia.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said waves of up to 1.57 metres (over five feet) had smashed into American Samoa. It issued a tsunami alert over a vast swathe of the Pacific, as far as Hawaii, which was later cancelled.
Two South Koreans were among the dead while another was missing, Seoul officials said, while Australia and New Zealand both made preparations to send emergency help. Related article: Australia aid
Mike Reynolds, superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa which is headquartered in the territory's capital Pago Pago, told colleagues in California there had been widescale destruction.
National Park Service spokeswoman Holly Bundock said she had spoken to Reynolds, who was sheltering under a coconut tree.
"Park staff when they are able to make cell phone calls are calling in to our offices," she said.
"They said five tsunami waves have hit the park visitor centre in Pago Pago. It would appear park offices and the visitor centre there have been destroyed. "One of the waves was about 30 feet high."
Samoan journalist Jona Tuiletufuga told AFP there was widespread destruction with possibly thousands of people left homeless on the island.
"We are getting reports of missing people in areas were damage is extensive on the south and southeast coasts," he told AFP. "Entire villages have been wiped out."
Tuiletufuga said there were up to 70 villages in the worst-hit area and each housed from 300-800 people.
A New Zealand tourist who called Radio New Zealand to appeal for help said he was looking over an area of destruction from high ground near Apia. Related article: New Zealand aid
"We clambered up a hill and one of the party has a broken leg. We just need help. There will be people in a great lot of need around here, it's flattened."
While information from the islands was patchy, New Zealand deputy high commissioner to Apia, David Dolphin, said most of the damage appeared to be centred on the southern coast where waves of six to eight metres were recorded.
"There are reports of some quite serious damage, at least five fatalities and quite a few reports of people missing," said Dolphin, who was on the north coast at the time.
"It was pretty scary but the house didn't appear to be falling apart so we just took what precautions we could and hunkered down," Dolphin said.
"There were windows rattling, light fittings swaying, a number of light things fell off tables and shelves," he added.
A series of powerful aftershocks rattled the South Pacific in the hours after the initial quake, which prompted Japan to issue a tsunami alert over 50 centimetre (20-inch) waves expected to hit the southern Ogasawara islands.
Several of the Earth's tectonic plates meet in South Pacific and violent geological activity is common. Large quakes with an under-ocean epicentre can trigger tsunamis that can have devastating effects.
In December 2004 an undersea earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra set off a tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people around the Indian Ocean and laid waste to huge areas of coastline.
Tens of thousands in Philippines flee new typhoon
MANILA, Philippines Filipinos braced Friday to be whipped by powerful winds and pelted with rain from a second typhoon in eight days, fleeing by the tens of thousands from low-lying areas and suspending cleanup operations in the flooded capital.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a nationwide "state of calamity" and ordered mass evacuations of six provinces in the path of Typhoon Parma, which was expected to hit the main island of Luzon midafternoon Saturday.
Parma threatened to expand more than a week of destruction in the Asia-Pacific region that has claimed more than 1,500 lives so far: an earthquake Wednesday in Indonesia; a tsunami Tuesday in the Samoan islands; and Typhoon Ketsana across Southeast Asia.
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photo gallery Thousands evacuated ahead of Philippine storm
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23 dead as Typhoon Ketsana roars into Vietnam
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Flood kills 246 in Philippines, survivors seek aid
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Flood kills 246 in Philippines, survivors seek aid
Cedric Daep, a top disaster official in the Philippines' Albay province, said officials there had evacuated almost 50,000 people to shelters on higher ground.
Police and the military were helping people to leave flood- or landslide-prone areas across the north and east, where heavy rain fell on Friday.
"Our objective is zero casualties," Daep told The Associated Press.
Parts of the capital, Manila, were still awash from the worst floods in 40 years caused by Ketsana on Sept. 26. Almost 300 people were killed and more than 2 million had swamped homes.
In Quezon City, where muddy brown water was still chest-deep, residents turned from cleaning up after Ketsana to trying to secure their belongings from the risk of more flooding.
"We do not know what to do or where we can go," said resident Bebang De Los Santos. "We don't have a way out and this is the only place that is safe, but we don't have any shelter."
In Albay, laundry worker Mely Malate fled with her husband and six children to an evacuation center, spurred by memories of a storm three years ago.
"During the last typhoon, we were trapped inside the house by the flood waters and we had to climb to the roof," she said. "We are scared whenever there is a storm. When we left this morning, the river was already higher than normal."
Arroyo's "state of calamity" declaration of frees up government funds to respond to emergencies.
Parma was forecast to cross the coast of the main island of Luzon north of Manila, packing sustained winds of up to 120 mph (195 kph), gusting up to 140 mph (230 kph). If the sustained winds reach 133 mph (215 kph) Parma will get the official designation "super-typhoon," the government's weather bureau said.
It was expected to continue east into the South China Sea by Sunday, though it's direction from there was uncertain. As many as 20 major storms buffet the region each year.
In southern Taiwan, the county where about 700 died when Typhoon Morakot hit in August plans to evacuate several villages prone to flooding and mudslides if a warning for Parma is issued, said county chief Yang Chiu-hsing.
Earlier this week, the storm that flooded the Philippines, Ketsana, then hit Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos; 293 died in the Philippines, 99 in Vietnam, 14 in Cambodia and 16 in Laos.
Lake Laguna on the edge of the capital rose by more than 3.3 feet (one meter) as Ketsana passed and was in danger of spilling over into districts near Manila housing some 100,000 people, said Ed Manda, general manager of the Laguna Lake Development Authority.
At a briefing Friday evening, weather bureau administrator Frisco Nilo said a high-pressure system near Hong Kong had caused Parma to slow slightly and might cause it to change direction, though it was still likely to hit the main northern Philippine island of Luzon.
Associated Press writers Teresa Cerejano and Oliver Teves in Manila, Annie Huang in Taipei, Taiwan, Minh Van Tran in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Ambika Ahuja in Bangkok contributed to this report.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo declared a nationwide "state of calamity" and ordered mass evacuations of six provinces in the path of Typhoon Parma, which was expected to hit the main island of Luzon midafternoon Saturday.
Parma threatened to expand more than a week of destruction in the Asia-Pacific region that has claimed more than 1,500 lives so far: an earthquake Wednesday in Indonesia; a tsunami Tuesday in the Samoan islands; and Typhoon Ketsana across Southeast Asia.
*
photo gallery Thousands evacuated ahead of Philippine storm
*
23 dead as Typhoon Ketsana roars into Vietnam
*
Flood kills 246 in Philippines, survivors seek aid
*
Flood kills 246 in Philippines, survivors seek aid
Cedric Daep, a top disaster official in the Philippines' Albay province, said officials there had evacuated almost 50,000 people to shelters on higher ground.
Police and the military were helping people to leave flood- or landslide-prone areas across the north and east, where heavy rain fell on Friday.
"Our objective is zero casualties," Daep told The Associated Press.
Parts of the capital, Manila, were still awash from the worst floods in 40 years caused by Ketsana on Sept. 26. Almost 300 people were killed and more than 2 million had swamped homes.
In Quezon City, where muddy brown water was still chest-deep, residents turned from cleaning up after Ketsana to trying to secure their belongings from the risk of more flooding.
"We do not know what to do or where we can go," said resident Bebang De Los Santos. "We don't have a way out and this is the only place that is safe, but we don't have any shelter."
In Albay, laundry worker Mely Malate fled with her husband and six children to an evacuation center, spurred by memories of a storm three years ago.
"During the last typhoon, we were trapped inside the house by the flood waters and we had to climb to the roof," she said. "We are scared whenever there is a storm. When we left this morning, the river was already higher than normal."
Arroyo's "state of calamity" declaration of frees up government funds to respond to emergencies.
Parma was forecast to cross the coast of the main island of Luzon north of Manila, packing sustained winds of up to 120 mph (195 kph), gusting up to 140 mph (230 kph). If the sustained winds reach 133 mph (215 kph) Parma will get the official designation "super-typhoon," the government's weather bureau said.
It was expected to continue east into the South China Sea by Sunday, though it's direction from there was uncertain. As many as 20 major storms buffet the region each year.
In southern Taiwan, the county where about 700 died when Typhoon Morakot hit in August plans to evacuate several villages prone to flooding and mudslides if a warning for Parma is issued, said county chief Yang Chiu-hsing.
Earlier this week, the storm that flooded the Philippines, Ketsana, then hit Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos; 293 died in the Philippines, 99 in Vietnam, 14 in Cambodia and 16 in Laos.
Lake Laguna on the edge of the capital rose by more than 3.3 feet (one meter) as Ketsana passed and was in danger of spilling over into districts near Manila housing some 100,000 people, said Ed Manda, general manager of the Laguna Lake Development Authority.
At a briefing Friday evening, weather bureau administrator Frisco Nilo said a high-pressure system near Hong Kong had caused Parma to slow slightly and might cause it to change direction, though it was still likely to hit the main northern Philippine island of Luzon.
Associated Press writers Teresa Cerejano and Oliver Teves in Manila, Annie Huang in Taipei, Taiwan, Minh Van Tran in Hanoi, Vietnam, and Ambika Ahuja in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Indian businesses seek opportunities in Vietnam - Indian businesses seek opportunities in Vietnam
Indian businesses seek opportunities in Vietnam - Indian businesses seek opportunities in Vietnam "A delegation comprising 50 members from the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will conduct a market survey on October 3 to seek business opportunity in Vietnam.
The delegation will attend investment and trade forums in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and take part in the Hanoi International Trade Fair.
The delegation members are leading Indian producers, traders and investors in electricity, steel, gold, jewelry, construction materials, garments, electronics, food processing, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and maritime transportation.
Trade relations between Vietnam and India have made significant progress in the 40 years of establishing diplomatic ties. Two-way trade grows by 20 percent annually. Vietnam mainly exports iron, coal, pepper, footwear, rubber and tea and imports machinery, mobile phones, pharmaceuticals, building materials, fuel and garments.
In 2008, Vietnam’s exports to India reached nearly US$387 million, up 46 percent compared to the previous year. However, due to the global downturn, in the first eight months of this year, the value reached only US$222 million, down 14 percent compared to the same period last year.
So far this year, India has invested in 35 projects in Vietnam, with a combined registered"
The delegation will attend investment and trade forums in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and take part in the Hanoi International Trade Fair.
The delegation members are leading Indian producers, traders and investors in electricity, steel, gold, jewelry, construction materials, garments, electronics, food processing, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and maritime transportation.
Trade relations between Vietnam and India have made significant progress in the 40 years of establishing diplomatic ties. Two-way trade grows by 20 percent annually. Vietnam mainly exports iron, coal, pepper, footwear, rubber and tea and imports machinery, mobile phones, pharmaceuticals, building materials, fuel and garments.
In 2008, Vietnam’s exports to India reached nearly US$387 million, up 46 percent compared to the previous year. However, due to the global downturn, in the first eight months of this year, the value reached only US$222 million, down 14 percent compared to the same period last year.
So far this year, India has invested in 35 projects in Vietnam, with a combined registered"
Tourists in Vietnam Venture Out Again -
Tourists in Vietnam Venture Out Again
Julian Abram Wainwright/European Pressphoto Agency
Floodwater remained in the town of Hoi An in the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana on Thursday. More Photos >
Published: October 1, 2009
HOI AN, Vietnam — The chest-high waters in this carefully preserved little town are receding, and as the roads dry they are filling up again with tourists who had been trapped in their hotels.
Multimedia
Typhoon Ketsana Batters VietnamSlide Show
Typhoon Ketsana Batters Vietnam
Related
Typhoon Kills at Least 41 in Vietnam (October 1, 2009)
Enlarge This Image
Julian Abram Wainwright/European Pressphoto Agency
A woman walked onto a flooded road in Hoi An on Thursday. More Photos »
“We were in our room for three days,” said Sandra Hudspith, 62, a sociologist from Australia. “All we had to eat was noodles, and if I never see another noodle again, I’ll be happy.”
Tony Boyle, also from Australia, peered into shops where people were using brooms and mops to sweep out the muck the flood left behind. “You feel ghoulish, like you shouldn’t be here,” he said. “But they need the money. They’re lovely, lovely people.”
This old trading town, which is now one of the country’s premier tourist attractions, was one of the hardest hit areas in the typhoon that battered central Vietnam two days ago, killing 92 people by the latest count.
The storm, Typhoon Ketsana, also killed 277 people in the Philippines and 14 in Cambodia, and more storms were forecast for the Philippines. Typhoon Parma, with winds gusting up to 130 miles per hour, was expected to make landfall on Saturday north of Manila, and heavy rains had already begun in some parts of the country on Thursday evening. The authorities warned of mudslides and heavy flooding, and said the strength of the storm could surpass that of Ketsana, which last week caused Manila’s worst flooding in four decades.
Low-lying parts of Hoi An’s old town, with its mustard yellow walls and curved tile roofs, remained flooded Thursday, and some people were still trapped on upper floors.
Small wood skiffs piled high with produce delivered food and water to them. Some boatmen engaged in what the people of Hoi An have learned to excel at — tourism — ferrying visitors up and down the flooded streets for a look.
“Come visit our gallery!” called Hoang Thi Thao from the flooded Thanh Lich Gallery to a passing skiff as she washed down her muddied walls. “Maybe tomorrow.”
In the To To Boutique, on slightly higher ground, the bottom shelves were empty where bolts of cloth had been removed up to the flood’s high-water mark. A male mannequin stood at the front of the shop, naked from the chest down. Its trousers had been removed and its shirt had been tied at the chest, where the rising water stopped. Le Thi Ngoc Anh, 35, the shop owner, said she would probably put its pants back on tomorrow.
Around the corner in another clothing shop, the owner, Do Thi Nga, 47, argued with a tour guide who had come to pick up clothing ordered by her clients. The flood had stopped the work of the tailors, and the tourists were leaving now after making a two-thirds down payment. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said the tour guide, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, as she climbed back onto her bicycle.
Another shop nearby was a shambles, with broken crockery and soaked piles of clothing lying around. “We’ve lost everything, a hundred percent,” cried the owner, Ha Thi De, 55, her lips quivering, as she collected muddy bits of broken crockery and dumped them into a bucket. Her husband sat on a plastic stool at the open shop front, staring into the street. “He’s helping me to clean up,” Ms. De said.
Bit by bit, Hoi An was returning to life as it has come to know it. The sun was shining, and groups of tourists ambled down the streets with cameras and shopping bags.
A former trading town that was one of the country’s main ports in precolonial times, and then a ruin during and after the Vietnam War, Hoi An has been turned into a tourism showpiece. It was designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1999, and local officials project that 1.2 million tourists will visit it this year and that the number will more than double over the next six years. Provincial officials have begun to worry that it is all happening too fast. The Quang Nam Provincial Peoples Committee issued a report recently saying development was threatening to overwhelm the character of the town.
In the Milan fabric shop, which also sells the richly filled moon cakes of the harvest festival, Vuong Huu Khoi, 55, said his family had retreated with its merchandise to the second floor, eating some of the cakes to get through the flood.
The slow pace of business gave him a chance to light a cigarette and consider what his town had become. “They used to call it the forgotten town,” said Mr. Khoi, who was born here and left only to fight in the 1970s as a soldier for South Vietnam.
Now, this is the place visitors come to see the real unspoiled Vietnam.
Julian Abram Wainwright/European Pressphoto Agency
Floodwater remained in the town of Hoi An in the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana on Thursday. More Photos >
Published: October 1, 2009
HOI AN, Vietnam — The chest-high waters in this carefully preserved little town are receding, and as the roads dry they are filling up again with tourists who had been trapped in their hotels.
Multimedia
Typhoon Ketsana Batters VietnamSlide Show
Typhoon Ketsana Batters Vietnam
Related
Typhoon Kills at Least 41 in Vietnam (October 1, 2009)
Enlarge This Image
Julian Abram Wainwright/European Pressphoto Agency
A woman walked onto a flooded road in Hoi An on Thursday. More Photos »
“We were in our room for three days,” said Sandra Hudspith, 62, a sociologist from Australia. “All we had to eat was noodles, and if I never see another noodle again, I’ll be happy.”
Tony Boyle, also from Australia, peered into shops where people were using brooms and mops to sweep out the muck the flood left behind. “You feel ghoulish, like you shouldn’t be here,” he said. “But they need the money. They’re lovely, lovely people.”
This old trading town, which is now one of the country’s premier tourist attractions, was one of the hardest hit areas in the typhoon that battered central Vietnam two days ago, killing 92 people by the latest count.
The storm, Typhoon Ketsana, also killed 277 people in the Philippines and 14 in Cambodia, and more storms were forecast for the Philippines. Typhoon Parma, with winds gusting up to 130 miles per hour, was expected to make landfall on Saturday north of Manila, and heavy rains had already begun in some parts of the country on Thursday evening. The authorities warned of mudslides and heavy flooding, and said the strength of the storm could surpass that of Ketsana, which last week caused Manila’s worst flooding in four decades.
Low-lying parts of Hoi An’s old town, with its mustard yellow walls and curved tile roofs, remained flooded Thursday, and some people were still trapped on upper floors.
Small wood skiffs piled high with produce delivered food and water to them. Some boatmen engaged in what the people of Hoi An have learned to excel at — tourism — ferrying visitors up and down the flooded streets for a look.
“Come visit our gallery!” called Hoang Thi Thao from the flooded Thanh Lich Gallery to a passing skiff as she washed down her muddied walls. “Maybe tomorrow.”
In the To To Boutique, on slightly higher ground, the bottom shelves were empty where bolts of cloth had been removed up to the flood’s high-water mark. A male mannequin stood at the front of the shop, naked from the chest down. Its trousers had been removed and its shirt had been tied at the chest, where the rising water stopped. Le Thi Ngoc Anh, 35, the shop owner, said she would probably put its pants back on tomorrow.
Around the corner in another clothing shop, the owner, Do Thi Nga, 47, argued with a tour guide who had come to pick up clothing ordered by her clients. The flood had stopped the work of the tailors, and the tourists were leaving now after making a two-thirds down payment. “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said the tour guide, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, as she climbed back onto her bicycle.
Another shop nearby was a shambles, with broken crockery and soaked piles of clothing lying around. “We’ve lost everything, a hundred percent,” cried the owner, Ha Thi De, 55, her lips quivering, as she collected muddy bits of broken crockery and dumped them into a bucket. Her husband sat on a plastic stool at the open shop front, staring into the street. “He’s helping me to clean up,” Ms. De said.
Bit by bit, Hoi An was returning to life as it has come to know it. The sun was shining, and groups of tourists ambled down the streets with cameras and shopping bags.
A former trading town that was one of the country’s main ports in precolonial times, and then a ruin during and after the Vietnam War, Hoi An has been turned into a tourism showpiece. It was designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1999, and local officials project that 1.2 million tourists will visit it this year and that the number will more than double over the next six years. Provincial officials have begun to worry that it is all happening too fast. The Quang Nam Provincial Peoples Committee issued a report recently saying development was threatening to overwhelm the character of the town.
In the Milan fabric shop, which also sells the richly filled moon cakes of the harvest festival, Vuong Huu Khoi, 55, said his family had retreated with its merchandise to the second floor, eating some of the cakes to get through the flood.
The slow pace of business gave him a chance to light a cigarette and consider what his town had become. “They used to call it the forgotten town,” said Mr. Khoi, who was born here and left only to fight in the 1970s as a soldier for South Vietnam.
Now, this is the place visitors come to see the real unspoiled Vietnam.
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