Petrol prices raises Travel Tours

LookAtVietnam - The petroleum price increase, which coincides with the high inbound and domestic travel season, has made travel firms worried stiff.

In the last few days, since the decision on raising the petrol price to 2900 dong per liter was released on February 24, travel firms have been holding many internal meetings to consider raising tour fees. The petrol price increase has raised the expenses of travel firms, especially the expenses for domestic tours which use coaches to carry tourists.
Now in Vietnam it is the first month of the new lunar year of the Cat - the “festival season”, when travelers like booking short tours to different places in the country. The petroleum price increase has made the expenses for tourist transportation increase by at least five percent for each tour. Besides, the expenses on meals and accommodation have also increased in the “price storm” caused by the petroleum price increase.
Travel firms say that the biggest problem for them now is that they still cannot foresee price changes in the tourism service market in order to adjust the tour fees. Meanwhile, they cannot adjust tour fees every day, because the regular changes will affect the feelings of tourists.
Luu Duc Ke, Director of Hanoitourist, said on February 26 that the team of coaches of the company asked for a five percent fee increase. Ke said that the firm cannot delay the increases any longer because the transportation expenses have increased too sharply. The partners of Hanoitourist, including hotels, have also warned that they will increase the hotel room rates and other services, starting from March 1. However, it is still unclear how high the hotel room rates will be.
“I’m afraid that the tour fees will increase by 10-15 percent, because not only the petrol price, but the electricity price will also increase, thus bringing about the price increases of other goods and services. Even the salary for laborers will also increase,” Ke said.
He went on to say that Hanoitourist is thoroughly considering increasing tour fees and plans to set up the tour fees at reasonable levels in order to avoid shocks to tourists. “We are going to negotiate with partners in order to share difficulties,” he said.
Regarding the inbound tours, Ke said, Hanoitourist will try to negotiate with clients on the tour fee adjustment. However, he admitted that it will be very difficult to adjust the tour fees, because clients booked tours a long time ago after the travel firm committed not to raise tour fees.
To Phuong Anh, the director of a construction company in Hanoi, said that one week ago, she decided to book a domestic tour for the company’s staff. Anh read on the official website of a travel firm that the tour fee for the Hanoi – Yen Tu – Ha Long – Cua Ong was 585,000 dong. However, on the next day, when Anh went to the travel firm to book tour, she was told that the fee has increased to 650,000 dong, because the petrol price has increased, thus making the expenses higher.
Meanwhile, some companies that provide tourism services have still kept the service fees unchanged. The hotels in Nam Cuong Group’s chain, for example, still keep the hotel room rates unchanged. Representative of the group said that the price increases, if any, will be decided after March 1.
Dinh Huong Thao from Tam Nhin A Chau travel firm also has affirmed that the tour fee remains unchanged because the partners of the firm have not announced any price increases. “If the 2008’s scenario repeats, the tour fee increases will only take place one month after the petroleum price increase. Meanwhile, we are still keeping a close watch over the market in order to make reasonable adjustments,” Thao said.
Big travel firms such as Vietravel or Saigontourist still have not taken any actions. Nguyen Minh Man, Head of the Communication Division of Vietravel said that Vietravel still has not raised the tour fee because it fears the tour fee increases will affect the feelings of tourists in the high tourism season. Man said that the petrol price increases have badly affected the travel firm’s operation, but the difficulties are not too big for Vietravel, because it has a coach team of its own and partners have promised to share risks.
However, Man has anticipated that the domestic and outbound tours will see the tour fees increasing in accordance with the airfare, petroleum and accommodation fee increases. Meanwhile, the inbound tour fees will not increase in 2011 as per commitments with clients.
Loan Nguyen

On Revolutions

Chris Guillebeau

February 24, 2011

On Revolutions by Chris Guillebeau

On my first overseas trip in several months, I made it to Libya, Afghanistan, and even (briefly) Kish Island, Iran.

It was a tiring trip, as one might expect, but also a timely one. When I booked my flights, I didn't exactly plan on revolution breaking out across the region; apparently revolutions are not scheduled in advance.

Let's start with a story.

During an extended interview with the Iranian immigration authorities ("Please have seat, sir") I was more nervous than usual in such settings. My two interrogators kept asking the same questions over and over. "Which company you work for?" I tried to tell them about the Travel Hacking Cartel -- "Have you guys heard of Frequent Flyer Miles?" -- but they just looked blankly at me.

The officials took my fingerprints multiple times. ("Right thumb, mister. Left finger, mister. Right thumb again, mister.") One of them did lots of database typing while speaking about me in Farsi to the other. Meanwhile, I was sweating it out in my plastic chair. I thought about the American hikers, imprisoned for eighteen months and counting due to allegedly trespassing across the border. (Many reports say they were kidnapped by Iranian guards while still in Iraq.) What if something like that happened to me? I had prepared nothing in the event of such a contingency.

Finally, my Iranian immigration friends determined that a real spy would have a better cover story than I did, so they set me free to explore the island before flying back to Dubai. ("Please do not miss your flight," they said before I left the airport. "Oh, don't worry about that," I said. This was one flight I wasn't going to miss.)

So while I was momentarily fearful and struggling to explain my occupation without using the word writer, I was also aware of the obvious: if this is what I have to worry about, privileged Western traveler that I am, with my U.S. passport and American Express credit cards, how does it feel to actually live in a place where the state rules by fear? This, sadly, is the reality for most people in Iran, in Libya, and plenty of other countries around the world.

***

People sometimes make comparisons between the struggle for freedom in places like Egypt or Tunisia with various protests in the democratic world. We certainly have our share of problems where I come from, but these comparisons are quite a stretch. If you don't like your leaders in the U.S. or any other democracy, well, just give it time and they'll change. I didn't like George W. Bush very much, but I had no fear that he would fight to hold onto power and stick around after his time was up. If you don't like Obama, the same holds true -- the clock is always ticking down to a determined end date. You know exactly how many days our leaders have to go, and no one worries about anything different happening at the end.

Besides, presidents in America don't really affect our individual lives that much. I'm free to do and say what I want most of the time. We can all use the tools of modern technology to communicate with people without censorship. If you want to publicly protest something in America, you can do that too, and the government will even send out police to protect both you and any demonstrators who oppose your views. I don't think they would send mercenaries with sniper rifles to kill people, which is happening in Libya this week.

In terms of my travel quest, it was good to get these countries off my list -- Libya, Afghanistan, and Iran all being more difficult to travel to than Switzerland. I jokingly called it an "Axis of Evil" trip, and I enjoy the disorienting nature of traveling in such places. I could write long posts about getting an Afghan visa, having my flight out of Kabul canceled for three days, sleeping on the floor of Sharjah airport, and so on. Perhaps I'll do that at some point, but these things seem trivial at the moment.

One of the rules of careful traveling in dictator-controlled states is to avoid discussing politics. But under the surface, you'll find that people discuss politics all the time -- you just have to know how to listen. Until recently, it wasn't wise to show up in Egypt and ask, for example, "Hey, what do you guys think of the man who has ruled your country for 30 years?"

But if you ask, "So how are things going here?" the response will likely be some form of complaint about the government. You'll hear about how half the population makes $2 a day despite billions of dollars in grants from the U.S. and Europe. You'll hear, when you listen carefully, how everyone knows the state is corrupt, but no one feels any power to create change.

Of course, people complain about the government pretty much anywhere in the world, but again, the difference is that in "our" part of the world, the government doesn't engage in hunting down its own citizens, murdering them in the streets in an attempt to retain absolute power. I think that's a pretty important difference.

Therefore, if you had asked me six weeks ago whether anything would change in the Middle East and North Africa, I would have said "Not anytime soon. This is just how it goes." But look and see what's happening! The whole story is yet to be written, but at least in some places, I was obviously proved wrong by thousands of brave people.

***

We use the word revolution too flippantly, because real revolutions involve great sacrifice. Those who dare to express themselves are placed at real risk -- not only the risk of violence and intimidation, but also the likely possibility of failure. Last year there was a "green" revolution in Iran, where everyone on the outside cheered on the protestors and dutifully changed their Twitter avatars in a show of digital support. Yet the revolution was ultimately unsuccessful, and the same people are still in charge.

The recent cases of political uprising appear to be different, at least in some places like Tunisia and Egypt thus far. I hope there will be others. But just remember, this kind of uprising involves uncertainty for everyone, and clear consequences for some of the brave people who participate.

To anyone around the world involved in creating real change in the face of violent opposition, I'm sure you have better things to do than read my blog. But I'm also fairly sure you have more courage than me. So if you're out there, I haven't changed my avatar, but I'm awed at your willingness to risk so much for something your country desperately needs. Peace be upon you.

Putting the north on the tourism map | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Putting the north on the tourism map | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update:
VietNamNet Bridge - Northern provinces are accelerating efforts to woo investors into tourism development.

Deputy chairwoman of Yen Bai People’s Committee Pham Thi Thanh Tra said in the past six years the ‘Back to the Origin’ tourism programmed in three northern provinces of Yen Bai, Phu Tho and Lao Cai has captured visitors’ special attention while stimulating investment into local tourism infrastructure development.
The statement was made during the launching of ‘Back to the Origin’ tourism programmed 2011 which was jointly held by the three northern locations. Tra was also the head of these locations’ tourism cooperation board.
There are nearly 1,000 tourism residences, 500 hotels, 260 big restaurants and over 20 ecological and entertainment sites in these three locations currently. However, tourism infrastructure in these areas is backward.
Despite an abundance of state classified historical relics, biodiversity and picturesque landscapes, the tourism sector’s revenue in these areas is low due to the lack of quality tourism accommodations.
As with Yen Bai, the province licenced 277 investment projects in the past five years, however the tourism sector only lured in several dozens of projects. The province’s leadership hopes the ‘Back to the Origin’ tourism programmed 2011 would help bring more visitors to the province.
“Yen Bai is accelerating the construction of major tourism venues and strives to turn Thac Ba into a national standard resort,” Tra said.
Similar to Yen Bai, Phu Tho also remains unknown to many local and foreign visitors due to poor infrastructure. The province is concentrating efforts into bringing about a face-lifting to provincial hotel and restaurant system and popularizing the home stay model to catch up visitors’ needs.
Deputy chairwoman of Phu Tho People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Kim Hai said the province would prioritise investment into tourism growth in the coming period.
Hai said tourism investment figures were upbeat. Particularly, the Viet Han Real Estate Company has joined hands with South Korea-based Samsung Group to engage in a big $5 billion resort which covers 2,500 hectares in Tam Nong district’s six communes. Site clearance will start from the second quarter of 2011 and the project will be put into use from 2018.
Besides, Xuan Truong Company Limited has worked on a building a road running from Hung Kings Temple to Xuan Son National Park and upgrading five stilt-houses of local people into tourism residences.
Phu Tho is calling investment for some major tourism projects such as those associated with Ao Chau resort or Thanh Thuy hot spring resort.
Of the three above locations, Lao Cai scores best in luring visitors. The province authorities recently licenced 11 projects by domestic investors worth more than $17 million.
Accommodating Sa Pa, a famous tourism site for its splendid beauty and special cultural diversity, Lao Cai is attracting many investors, including foreign ones.
Some effective foreign direct investment projects in the province currently are the Victoria Sa Pa hotel, a hotel and foreigner-oriented electronic gaming project by Lao Cai International Hotel Joint Venture Company, or the Topas Ecolodge Sa Pa resort.
Source: VIR

Saving of Hoan Kiem Lake Turtle

VietNamNet Bridge - The Emergency Committee for the Saving of the Hoan Kiem Lake Turtle decided yesterday to treat the injured turtle at Thap Rua (Turtle Tower) in the middle of the lake.

Committee Deputy Director Le Xuan Rao said methods of capturing the turtle were decided yesterday and a council comprised of veterinarians, biologists and other experts would soon be set up to help cure the turtle.
This will be the first attempt to approach the soft-shelled turtle, which has been lacerated by fish hooks and forced to survive in highly polluted water while suffering attacks from aggressive red-ear turtles that have been released by local people who grew tired of keeping the animals as pets.
Rao said scientists would have to wait until the turtle crawls onto the tower to capture and treat it. If that does not work, the committee plans to capture the turtle by placing a net in the areas it typically swims.
An underwater tank containing a turtle-friendly environment will also be built to house the turtle.
Turtle Tower used to be a preferred resting spot of the turtle until the construction of a solid embankment blocked the turtle from reaching the tower.
According to turtle expert Ha Dinh Duc, there are two sand banks underneath the foot of the tower, each 6-square metre wide and about 40-cm deep. Rao said the committee plans to immediately make the tower accessible again.
Earlier, Duc said the injuries found on the turtle were probably the most severe injuries the turtle had suffered in the last two decades.
“They are getting worse and the turtle’s health is at an alarming level,” he told Viet Nam News.
Originally, Nguyen Ngoc Khoi, who has been studying the Hoan Kiem lake turtle for over 20 years, proposed using a motorboat or a helicopter to bring the turtle ashore. Duc rejected the proposal as well as those calling for automatic traps to catch red-ear turtles.
A series of proposals had also been put forth at meetings before the final decision was made by the Emergency Committee for the Saving of Hoan Kiem Lake turtle yesterday.
By the time the committee finished its meeting at around 10.00am, Hanoians had seen the turtle floating for about one or two minutes opposite the King Ly Thai To statue on the other side of Dinh Tien Hoang Street.
Hanoians believe that spotting the turtle is an omen.
The turtle belongs to an extremely rare species. Only four of its kind are left in the world. One resides in a lake outside Ha Noi and the other two are in a zoo in China.
Turtles are a cultural symbol in Viet Nam, especially the one in Hoan Kiem Lake, which is believed to be hundreds of years old.
Source: VNS

Fierce battles at spring buffalo fighting festival | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

LookAtVietnam - In the warm weather, thousands of visitors flocked to the stadium in Hai Luu commune in the northern province of Vinh Phuc on February 19 to witness the finals of the buffalo fighting festival.

The stadium is packed with tens of thousands of spectators.

The Hai Luu buffalo fighting festival is the oldest of its kind in Vietnam. It is said that

the festival appeared in the 2^nd century B.C, when the Han dynasty invaded

Nam Viet (Vietnam today) of the Trieu Dynasty.

After the Trieu Dynasty collapse, General Lu Gia pulled his troops to Hai Luu.

After each victory, Lu Gia organized buffalo fights as amusement for his soldiers.

After the battles the fighting buffaloes were killed to give a feast to the soldiers.

After Lu Gia died, Hai Luu people worshiped him as the village god and since

then the buffalo fighting festival has been organized in Hai Luu.

The festival is held annually on the 16^th and 17^th of the first lunar month.

Battles are very fierce.

The owner of this buffalo has to cover his eyes to ease the rage of the winner.

Both the winners and the losers are killed for sale on the spot, and sold

for VND500,000 to VND700,000 ($25-35) a kilo.

Source: VNE

Sparkling Hoi An in Lantern Festival | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Residents of the ancient city of Hoi An are always eager to welcome the Nguyen Tieu festival. At night, locals walk on dazzling bright streets, rush into pagodas or temples and participate in the festival. They light lanterns in front of their homes to signify the cozy atmosphere of the family reunion, and eat che troi nuoc, sticky rice dumplings with caramel ginger syrup, marking family reunion and luck. Foreign tourists are amazed at the festivities and join the traditional games happening throughout the city.

In the night of Nguyen Tieu (Lantern) Festival (15^th day of the first lunar month),

thousands of lanterns are lit. People walk along the Hoai river square.

Iselin DiBaj from Norway said: “I’m very happy to visit Vietnam on the occasion of the

Nguyen Tieu Festival. The Hoai River is so romantic. It is like in a fairy tale”.

Lantern of different shapes are hung up along the river.

Tran Cong Duc, a tourist from HCM City, takes photos of special lanterns.

“It is peaceful and dreamlike to sit on a boat and drift away on the Hoai River,” Duc said.

An Australian
couple.

This is the second
time Hoi An authorities organized a new year lantern festival.

Apart from
releasing lanterns to wish for good lucks on the Hoai River,
tourists

have a chance to enjoy many traditional games and music.

Source: VNE/VNN

Dollar hits new high in Vietnam | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Dollar hits new high in Vietnam | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "The dollar has gained around VND1,000 over the past week

The US dollar surged to a record high of VND22,200 on the unofficial market on Friday, one week after the central bank devalued the dong by 9.3 percent.

News website VnExpress reported that even though market activity remained almost the same without any significant changes in supply and demand, the greenback continued its climb against the local currency. The dollar has gained around VND1,000 over the past week.

The central bank’s devaluation last week aimed to narrow the gap between official and unofficial rates.

The official rates at commercial banks on Friday, however, were still far behind the black market rate of VND22,200. Vietcombank, for instance, quoted the dollar at VND20,885.

Le Duc Thuy, Chairman of the National Financial Supervisory Commission, was quoted in a Lao Dong (Labor) newspaper report as saying that the recent devaluation may be the only adjustment in 2011.

Thuy said he saw no reason for another devaluation of the dong through the end of the year.
Source: Thanh Nien

Singapore, French scientists discover antibodies to chikungunya virus | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Singapore, French scientists discover antibodies to chikungunya virus | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "A team of scientists from
Singapore and France have discovered two antibodies that could neutralize
several chikungunya strains, a breakthrough that may have brought scientists one
step closer to developing a treatment for the disease.

The two monoclonal antibodies, which
were developed from single cells, could neutralize several strains of the virus
in a laboratory setting, the Straits Times reported on Wednesday.

The disease spread by the Aedes
mosquito affected more than 1, 000 people over the past two years in Singapore.
It causes symptoms similar to those of dengue such as fever, joint pains, chills
and nausea. The symptoms typically last up to 10 days or even longer before
going away on its own.

There is no specific treatment for
the disease at present.

The international team of 12
scientists from the Singapore Immunology Network and French biopharmaceutical
company Vivalis, led by Lucile Warter, started research in August 2009 using B
cells — the white blood cells that play a key role in immunity.

The cells were taken from a donor
infected with chikungunya and given the ability to proliferate indefinitely,
amplified and cloned.

The scientists then used the cells
to identify and generate the antibodies using a specific technique of Vivalis.

The technology was the only one that
enabled the scientists to identify and generate human monoclonal antibodies,
which are more efficient and have less side effects than conventional polyclonal
drugs developed from multiple cells, Warter said.

The antibodies work by binding more
efficiently with antigens, foreign particles that enter the body, as they target
only certain kinds of antigens.

Warter said the treatment would not
be a vaccine but a passive immunotherapy, adding that the treatment could be in
the market in perhaps 10 years.

The finding was published in the
Journal of Immunology last month.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Nair Spreaders invade Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge - Thu Duc District and District 9 have become the first two districts in HCM City to allocate police in each ward to deal with the recent series of incidents involving nails being scattered onto streets.

The city has experienced scam puncture repairers strewing nails across major streets in order to charge exorbitant prices to fix flat tires, especially during the recent Lunar New Year holiday. (LookAtVietnam posted a ).

The scammers often charge VND75,000-80,000 (US$3.7-4) for the repairs, well over the normal price of VND10,000-15,000 (US$0.5-0.75) for puncture patching.

People’s committees in each ward were responsible for the upkeep and management of the streets in the wards, and chairmen would be blamed for the issue, said the deputy chairman of the Thu Duc People’s Committee Huynh Thanh Nhan.

In related news, Binh Duong Province’s police have raided three motorbike repair shops, seizing many handmade pointed steel objects meant to be scattered on streets as a scam to charge people exorbitant prices to fix their flat tires.

The police detained 5 people involved in the scam and seized nearly 300 such home-made steel nails.

On the morning of February 13 local police followed up a suspect who rode a motorbike around many streets after leaving a motorbike repair shop on Binh Duong highway. Police found more than 200 star-shaped steel pieces hidden under the motorbike seat of the driver, named Pham Van Canh.

Examining the suspect’s motorbike repair shop, police seized 65 such metal objects. His wife attempted to throw away two metal cutting pliers used to make such steel pieces but the police busted her and confiscated the pincers.

At another shop nearby, also owned by Canh, police seized two more metal cutting pliers and a number of motorbike tires and tubes pierced by steel pieces. The police detained the man who was entrusted by Canh to manage the shop.

Raiding another motorbike repair shop, the police detained the owner after catching him attempting to flush nails down the toilet.

Shortly after the three shops were raided, some other motorbike repairers in the area have closed their shops.

To encourage the public to take part in eliminating crime, the local authorities have offered reward for any individual who detects those involved in making or scattering nailse roads.

India, Vietnam spar over feed quality, prices may jump | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

India, Vietnam spar over feed quality, prices may jump | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "India, Vietnam spar over feed quality, prices may jump

February 15, 2011 about Business, News

LookAtVietnam - India has stopped corn and soymeal exports to Vietnam after Hanoi rejected cargoes totaling 50,000 tons over fumigation issues, threatening to stoke food and feedstock prices in Asia.

Traders from both countries have said Vietnam could be forced to turn to more expensive South American supplies, pushing up prices in Asia when leading economies there are battling inflation.

Vietnam is one of the biggest buyers of corn and soymeal from India, a leading supplier to Southeast Asia.

On Tuesday, China joined India, South Korea and Thailand in raising interest rates to keep a lid on rising prices, a major worry for a number of governments trying to boost rapid growth.

Hanoi had rejected 50,000 tons of corn and soymeal after insects were found in the cargoes from India, a Vietnamese government source said.

The cargoes had been infected with the Khapra beetle, a native of India and identified by the Hanoi-based Plant Protection Department as ’Trogoderma granarium everts’, in a letter sent to the Indian counterpart and seen by Reuters.

Traders in India said Vietnam had adopted a new fumigation procedure, leading to the cancellations. Exporters are hoping to be allowed to re-fumigate, something that Vietnam has allowed in the past.

A diplomatic source in Hanoi said the Indian embassy had been in close contact with the Vietnamese side.

“The shipments are very much in Vietnam and they have not been re-exported,” the diplomatic source in Hanoi said. The embassy “hoped to have it resolved in a couple of days”.

He declined to speculate on the likely outcome.

“The volume of corn and soymeal found with insects were on two vessels and we have ordered them to be re-exported,” said a source at the government-run Plant Protection Department in Hanoi.

“I have a few containers of soymeal booked for Vietnam but I am not going to send it. No point in getting shipments rejected at Vietnamese ports,” a Mumbai-based trader, who did not wish to be identified, said.

Corn prices in Vietnam were around VND6.5-6.8 million (US$333-349) per ton, nearly 27 percent up from a year earlier, and the problems with imports could fuel prices further.

Most Asian governments are struggling to contain soaring food inflation as bad weather hits crops from as far afield as Australia and Brazil.

Hanoi plans to keep annual inflation below 7 percent after consumer prices jumped to a 22-month high last December. Traders in India said it was a little early to gauge the impact of Vietnam’s move on Indian export prices.

Expensive supplies

Traders and analysts said Vietnam may turn to South America for both corn and soymeal but the Southeast Asian nation will have to pay about $40 per ton more for the grain and feedstock.

But cargoes from Brazil or Argentina may take 30 days to reach Vietnam against an average 13 days from India.

“Apart from the fact that they will have to pay more and wait longer, Vietnam will not be able to source American corn and soymeal in small containers. Vietnam will have to depend on large Panamax vessels from America,” a New-Delhi-based trader said.

Vietnam spent an estimated $200 million to import feed and raw material such as corn and soymeal for feed production in January, up 24.2 percent from the same month last year, government data show.

Source: Tuoi Tre

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Bob Dylan to perform in Trinh Cong Son tribute | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Anti-war and folk-rock icon Bob Dylan

Legendary American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is due to fly to Vietnam in April for a performance as part of his Asian tour, the Saigon Tiep Thi newspaper said Saturday.
The 70-year-old folk-rock icon will perform at HCMC-based Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT) on April 10 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the death of Trinh Cong Son, Vietnam’s most popular composer.
The show, titled “Bob Dylan tribute to Trinh Cong Son”, is expected to attract around 10,000 fans.
Son, widely considered one of the most salient figures of modern Vietnamese music with more than 600 compositions, has been dubbed the “Vietnamese Bob Dylan” for his anti-war songs.
Bob Dylan, with talents ranging from singing and songwriting to playing the guitar and piano, has won numerous awards including Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Awards.
His “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’” became anthems for the civil rights and anti-war movements.
Dylan was named among the 100 most influential people of the 20th century by the Time Magazine in 1999.

Source: Thanh Nien

Fisherman Frees rare sea turtle

Fisherman frees rare sea turtle in central Vietnam 

February 12, 2011  about Sci-Tech

Vo Ngoc Thanh is about to release the green sea turtle into the sea

A fisherman in the central province of Binh Dinh Thursday released a rare green sea turtle weighing more than 70 kilograms back into the wild.
Vo Ngoc Thanh, 45, said he caught the animal, officially known as Chelonia mydas, while fishing for shrimp off the coast of Quy Nhon Town.
He said a trader then asked him to sell the turtle at VND1.8 million (US$92) to kill for meat but he refused and phoned Binh Dinh Province’s Department of Aquatic Resources Protection.
After being told that the green sea turtle is listed as an endangered species by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and is protected from exploitation in Vietnam, Thanh returned the animal back to the sea.

Reported by Phi Hung 

Asi poised to become world's leading travel region

Abacus: Asia poised to become world's leading travel region




Asia is growing to become the top travel region in the world, as soon as 2015 in some travel categories, an Abacus International update forecasts.



Robert Bailey, Abacus International president and CEO, said Asia today “is an astounding force in the travel industry”.



“It has weathered the storm of the past few years and emerged at an all-time high, well poised to take over as the leading travel region.”



After a strong showing in 2010, Asia is on target to take its spot as the largest region in terms of air transport, travel destination, business travel, utilisation of ancillary revenue models and mobile usage.



According to Abacus data, the number of booking transactions for 2010 ended on a record high, even higher than the pre-recession period in 2007.



The booking numbers were up +11 percent year-on-year from 2009. This coincides with international arrivals into Asia, which were up by almost 13 percent in Asia.



Globally, international tourist arrivals were up seven percent after a four percent decline in 2009. Growth is expected to continue in 2011, but at a slower pace of 4 – 6 percent.



“Despite rising fuel costs and the recent recession, the Asian travel industry has shown its resilience in its quick recovery and strong growth years in both 2009 and 2010," said Bailey.



“I foresee that 2011 will continue to be a high growth year for Asia, albeit at a slightly slower pace."



by Ian Jarrett

VietNamNet - East China wheat basket braces for worst drought in 200 years | East China wheat basket braces for worst drought in 200 years

East China's Shandong Province, one of the country's major grain producers, is bracing for its worst drought in 200 years.

Farmers water a wheat field at Yangzhuang Village in Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 8, 2011. According to Shandong's drought control authorities, the province has seen an average rainfall of only 12 millimeters since last September and more than 30 million mu of wheat has been suffering from a prolonged drought. (Xinhua/Fan Changguo)

Liu Wei, deputy Party chief of Shandong, Monday told a meeting on drought relief mobilization that Party and local government agriculture officials of all levels should go to farms to ensure drought alleviation measures were being implemented.

"Provincial authorities should hold officials accountable if drought relief work is not well done," said Liu, deputy secretary of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Data from the provincial meteorological bureau showed the drought would be Shandong's worst in 200 years if there were no substantial precipitation by the end of this month.

The province has received only 12 millimeters of rain since September last year.

The central government Friday initiated a grade II emergency response in eight drought-ravaged provinces, including Shandong, under which the provinces began 24-hour weather monitoring and daily damage reports, and sent experts and relief materials to wheat growing areas.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet

Mubarak cabinet meets as ‘Nile Revolution’ digs in | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Mubarak cabinet meets as ‘Nile Revolution’ digs in | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Vietnam has 470,000 foreign arrivals in January | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Daily Bread-Photo Chuck Kuhn

Vietnam has 470,000 foreign arrivals in January | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "LookAtVietnam - According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the number of international arrivals in Vietnam in January 2011 is 470,000, up 8.9% year on year.

Accordingly, 270,000 arrived for tourism and relaxation purposes, a 4.3 percent increase compared to the same period in 2010 while arrivals for business purposes hit 90,000, a 13% year-on-year increase.
376,000 arrived by air, accounting for 80 percent, up 9.2 percent year on year and 90,000 by road, up 9.6 percent.
The highest increase in foreign tourists this month comes from Cambodia with a 41.2 percent rise, followed by France, China and Japan.
Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City records 310,000 tourist arrivals in January, up 10 percent year on year.
Of that, 240,000 arrived by air, up 12 percent.
An estimated 150,000 are Viet Kieu or those of Vietnamese origins but bearing foreign nationalities, mostly from the US, Australia and France.

Source: Tuoi Tre

Stem cell research promising | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Stem cell research promising | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "After seeing the fastest development worldwide in stem cell research during the past 10 years, China is “on the verge of achieving a breakthrough”, says a top scientist in the field.

Zhou Qi, chief scientist with the stem cell research project at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), spoke after the academy chose his area of expertise for significant attention.

He said Chinese scientists are expecting a major scientific breakthrough to be made within the next decade.

“We are now close to the day when we will be able to hail a breakthrough in this important technology,” Zhou told China Daily during an exclusive interview.

He said China has already succeeded in creating a “stem cell line up to clinical standards”, which signifies a major stride toward clinical treatment.

“China needs five to 10 years to shift from basic research to clinical application and another 10 years to realize large-scale clinical application,” he said.

“If there are any science projects that could win China a Nobel Prize during the next 10 years, the most likely candidate is its stem cell research.”

Going forward, the priority will be to focus on stem cell regulation, core mechanisms for stem-cell therapies and standardized applications of stem cells, Zhou said.

Scientists believe various kinds of stem cells - so-called because they are the foundation of all human cells - will eventually be used to treat deadly and debilitating ailments such as heart attacks, strokes, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, liver failure and even blindness.

Zhou described China’s progress after the CAS designated stem cell and regenerative medicine research as one of the country’s eight “strategic trailblazing research projects”. Others among the eight include research projects into nuclear fission, space science and clean energy.

At the annual national meeting of the CAS, which ended on Thursday, the academy’s vice-president, Bai Chunli, said the priority now will be to remove bottlenecks holding back China’s stem cell research.

Bai said the CAS will establish a world-class research platform and base for stem cell and regenerative medicine research.

The platform will incorporate the four core research centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Kunming and the resources of 17 research institutions around the country.

The research center in Beijing is responsible for project materials and organ construction; the Shanghai-based center focuses on establishing stem-cell regulation; the Guangzhou-based center focuses on biology and medicine and the center in Kunming is devoted to clinical animal experiments.

Zhou said China has achieved the fastest development in stem cell research of any country during the past 10 years. The number of research papers published by Chinese scientists about stem cell research is the fifth largest worldwide.

“But our international influence has not ranked among the first level and we are facing international concern about our lack of stem cell research regulations,” he said.

Despite the fact that scientists such as Zhou are at the pre-clinical stage of their research, that has not stopped some institutions from offering untried treatments to desperate patients, despite the fact that such treatments are supposed to be unavailable.

Patients with incurable conditions have been visiting the country to receive experimental stem cell treatments not available in countries such as the United States.

Stem cell treatments are currently available in China for the treatment of such ailments as spinal cord injuries, leukemia and Parkinson’s disease.

Many of the treatments are being offered thanks to a legal loophole and are available even though experts have warned they have not been proven to be either effective or safe.

Deng Haihua, a spokesman for the Ministry of Health, said the influx of foreigners traveling to China for such treatments will be slowed with new regulations.

Currently, “it’s kind of a gray area and not well regulated,” he conceded.

Luc Noel, an expert with the World Health Organization in Switzerland, said the WHO is discouraging such medical tourism.

“Given the high potential risks, the World Health Organization does not recommend medical tourists travel abroad to receive stem cell therapy,” he said.

Internationally, regenerative medicine and stem cell therapies are deemed to be at the pre-clinical stage and, in limited cases, are the subject of clinical research, Noel said.

Zhou said research into stem cell treatments is important in China because “classical medical treatments based on medicine and surgery cannot meet soaring clinical needs”.

The number of Chinese people suffering from organ defects caused by trauma, inherited problems, disease and aging is the largest in the world, he said.

Zhou said China would like to cooperate with international qualified repositories of stem cell material in the near future.

“The United States is once again pioneering basic research and the clinical application of stem cells,” he said.

The US had, under the George W. Bush administration, banned the use of federal funding for new lines of embryonic stem cell research but President Barack Obama reversed that decision.

The US Food and Drug Administration has not yet approved the commercial use of any treatments using embryonic or fetal stem cells.

Source: Xinhuanet

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Crazy photographer captures Da Lat | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Crazy photographer captures Da Lat | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "LookAtVietnam - The
reporter of Viet Nam News sits down with one of the country’s most famous nature
photographers, Nguyen Van Phuoc, to talk about art, people, nature and his work.
Artist: Nguyen Van Phuoc
Twenty-seven years ago when he began to earn a living by taking wedding photos,
Phuoc “Khung” (”Crazy” Phuoc) never dreamed there would be a day he would start
to create artistic photos.
In more
than 20 years as a photographer, Phuoc “Khung” has created around 20
collections. Most of his photos depict the beauty of everyday life in the
Central Highlands city of Da Lat, such as flowers, landscapes and insects.
People
often think deeply to find the special meaning within his photos. Some try to
impose their own ideas since his pictures provoke many feelings and images.
First days
His real
name is Nguyen Van Phuoc but almost everyone calls him Phuoc “Khung” because he
chose to be different by living and creating in his own way.
Phuoc’s
style of living is simple and even a bit slovenly. To him, photography is like a
game which allows him to create anything he likes. He pays no attention to
comments from other people.
When
talking with him, it’s hard to believe that he is over 50 years old. He talks
like a child who has never faced any troubles in his life.
Phuoc
says people began calling him “Khung” because they often see him simply
wandering along the streets of romantic Da Lat City.
“When
other adults are busy earning a living, I walk around. I go out to capture the
close and simple things of life in my own city. Because of this, they started
calling me ‘crazy’ and it became my nick name,” he said.
Phuoc
says he’ll never forget the first day he had the idea of taking photos.
“In
1983, I was poor and hungry. It was quite serious. I only earned VND32 per day
at my job loading goods. On such a small wage, I could not afford to eat
properly,” he remembers.
“One
day, I walked around and saw people taking pictures. They earned double the
amount of money as I did. I went home and collected all of my money to buy a
camera,” he says, adding that it was a Japanese Peene camera. It was as small as
a package of cigarettes.
Since
that day, he has earned his living by taking photos.
“At
first, the people who helped me print my photos insulted me because I did not
know how to take a good picture. I learned a lot from these insults,” Phuoc
says.
The idea
of taking artistic pictures came to Phuoc one day when he realised he was bored
with his life. All he did was eat and drink.
“I will
become big and fat if I sit around doing nothing,” he remembers thinking, as he
laughs loudly.
“So I
raised my hand to the sky and took a picture. Surprisingly, the picture was
really good and many people liked it. The most special thing, however, is that I
recognised I could take artistic pictures,” Phuoc recalls.
I asked
myself why not earn money and raise people’s spirits
With
this in mind, Phuoc started taking more photos
Some of
his collections have been exhibited in major cities such as Ha Noi, HCM City and
Da Nang. One of his most acclaimed collections is the one about Ha Noi.
Deep love:
Views of the romantic city of Da Lat
“The
first time I went to Ha Noi was in 1997. For 10 days I walked along many streets
to take pictures of the capital’s flying leaves,” he says.
“My
second trip to the capital was 10 years later. Everything had changed rapidly. I
could not find any old people or old landscapes. I felt sad and lost,” he says.
However,
he was found again when he had the chance to go to the To Lich River.
“Many
people think the To Lich River is dirty, but to me, everything is different
there,” he says. “On the surface of the dirty black river, I saw the reflections
of many houses.”
“Suddenly, these houses seemed more splendid than ever. They looked like the
subjects of a lacquer painting. I stopped everything immediately to take
photos,” he remembers.
Phuoc
likes to take photos of Ha Noi because he wants to prove his abilities.
“Many
people have said that I take beautiful photos because I live in Da Lat, which is
a romantic and beautiful city. This kind of talk has forced me to find beauty in
other cities,” he says.
Phuoc’s
collections are all focused on nature, animals and flowers. He likes to tell the
romantic stories of flowers, leaves, sky, wind, sun and insects.
“I don’t
dare to take pictures of people. People talk too much. They make so many
requests that they become crazy. Meanwhile, nature doesn’t say anything. It is
silent. It doesn’t ask for anything, it just gives,” he explains.
Just by
walking he says he can snap photos of the simple features of normal life in the
city. To do this, modern technologies are not necessary, he adds.
Although
Phuoc’s photos have been highly praised, he cannot afford to organise as many as
he would like.
Phuoc
still earns a living by taking wedding photos and shots for advertising.
His
collections can be viewed on his website at www.mpkdalat.com.
VietNamNet/Viet
Nam News

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US Solar maker to build $300 million factory in HCMC

VietNamNet Bridge - Arizona-based First Solar is to build a solar panel factory in Ho Chi Minh City.

A US solar panel maker Wednesday said it will build a $300 million factory in Vietnam, boosting the country’s efforts to reinvent itself as a hub for high-tech manufacturing.

Arizona-based First Solar said Vietnamese authorities had approved the investment in Ho Chi Minh City’s Cu Chi district, in the south of the country.

The facility will employ around 600 people and production is expected to begin in the second half of next year, a company spokeswoman told AFP.

Vietnam is still a rural-based society that has relied on natural resources and unskilled labor to achieve growth. But the country’s leaders now speak of moving to a more technologically advanced system of production.

“You’re seeing more and more high-tech firms come into Vietnam,” outgoing United States ambassador Michael Michalak said at his farewell press conference this month. He cited First Solar’s plans as an example.

In October the US-based chip maker Intel opened a billion-dollar plant in Ho Chi Minh City.

Source: AFP