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The Hanoitimes - Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien has recently signed a decision announcing 17 new national intangible cultural heritages. First Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day draws massive audiences 13 national special heritages on display to observe Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day Hanoi to host exhibition on Vietnam cultural heritage The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it has added two cultural heritages of Hanoi to the national intangible cultural heritage list.   “Com” (young sticky rice flakes) making in Me Tri ward, Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi. Photo: baotintuc.vn They are Trieu Khuc village’s festival in Tan Trieu commune, Thanh Tri district; and “Com” (young sticky rice flakes) making in Me Tri ward, Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi. Other 15 other intangible cultural heritages, include among others, “Luon Coi” – traditional singing of Tay ethnic minority group in Pac Nam … [Read more...] about Hanoi has two more national intangible cultural heritages

EU countries agree on copyright reforms, deal in sight next weekThe Saigon Times Daily European Union flags are seen at half-mast in tribute to the victims of the attack in Strasbourg, outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, December 12, 2018 – PHOTO: REUTERS BRUSSELS (REUTERS) - The European Union’s effort to rewrite two-decade old copyright rules to take into account online platforms such as Alphabet Inc’s Google moved a step forward on Friday when EU countries agreed on a common position for talks with lawmakers next week. Negotiations stalled last month after EU countries failed to bridge their differences, among them whether small companies should be subjected to the rules, which critics blamed on lobbying by Google and others. Ambassadors from the 28 EU countries had several hours of talks stretching into Friday evening and will now have to reconcile their stand with those of the European Commission and the European … [Read more...] about EU countries agree on copyright reforms, deal in sight next week

French parliament passes law to curb violent protests Protesters wearing yellow vests stand behind a barricade as they face off with police during clashes as part of a national day of protest by the "yellow vests" movement in Paris, France, December 8, 2018 – PHOTO: REUTERS PARIS (REUTERS) - France’s parliament on Tuesday passed a bill aimed at curbing violent protests in response to three months of anti-government demonstrations by the grassroots “yellow vests” movement. Despite criticism that the law could curb civil liberties, it passed the lower house, the national assembly, by 387 votes to 92 thanks to the comfortable majority enjoyed by President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist LREM party. It will now be discussed in the upper house, but the assembly has the last word. The “anti-casseurs” (anti-hooligan) law bans protesters from hiding their faces, gives police greater powers to extract potential trouble-makers from demonstrations, … [Read more...] about French parliament passes law to curb violent protests

The Hanoitimes - Tet, or Lunar New Year, is the most important festival in Vietnam. This event is the time for family reunion, so people visit their family, prepare and enjoy holiday together. Hanoi’s spring fair offers numerous specialties Five places to visit in Hanoi during Tet holiday Hanoi to welcome Lunar New Year with 30 fireworks displays Here are the most important things to do on Tet holiday in Vietnam Cleaning the house   Cleaning the house. Lunar New Year is the time for new things, so Vietnamese usually spend half of the month before Tet holiday to prepare for it. Cleaning the house before Lunar New Year is one of the most important cultural features in Vietnam. House cleaning before Lunar New Year helps to organize the old year, removing old things to avoid bad luck and welcome New Year’s fortunes. Cleaning the house, washing mattress and pillow, trimming trees neatly, can make the house look refreshed and nice. Accordingly, lucky fortune … [Read more...] about Traditional things to do in Vietnam during Tet

Nearly half WTO members agree to talks on new e-commerce rulesThe Saigon Times Daily An Afghan shopkeeper works on his laptop at his online shop in Kabul, Afghanistan June 4, 2018 – PHOTO: REUTERS DAVOS (REUTERS) - Impatient with a lack of World Trade Organization rules to cover the explosive growth of e-commerce, 76 countries and regions including the United States, the EU and Japan agreed on Friday to start negotiating a set of open and predictable regulations. China, which is locked in a trade war with the United States, signaled conditional support for the initiative but said it should also take into account the needs of developing countries, in comments likely to rile Washington. E-commerce, or online trade in goods and services, has become a huge component of the global economy. A WTO report put the total value of e-commerce in 2016 at US$27.7 trillion, of which nearly US$24 trillion was business-to-business transactions. On the sidelines of the World Economic … [Read more...] about Nearly half WTO members agree to talks on new e-commerce rules