Man's inhumanity to man, as 18th century Scottish poet Robert Burns put it, is no recent development. Scientists said on Wednesday they had found the oldest evidence of human warfare, fossils of a band of people massacred by a troop of attackers with weapons including arrows, clubs and stone blades on the shores of a lagoon in Kenya about 10,000 years ago. The remains of 27 people from a Stone Age hunter-gatherer culture were unearthed at a site called Nataruk roughly 20 miles (30 km) west of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya. One man's skeleton was found with a sharp blade made of a volcanic glass called obsidian still embedded in his skull. Another man had wounds from two blows to the head apparently with a club, crushing his skull. A woman in the last stages of pregnancy appeared to have been bound by her hands and feet. Victims also had projectile wounds to the neck and broken skulls, hands, knees and ribs. University of Cambridge paleoanthropologist Marta Mirazón Lahr … [Read more...]

In his message to the Russian President, which was read by Major General Tran Minh Son, head of the Vietnam Military Attaché Agency in Russia, at the funeral service for Gorbatko in Moscow on May 19, President Tran Dai Quang said that the passing away of Gorbatko is a great loss of both Russia and Vietnam. The Party, State and people of Vietnam highly value contributions that Gorbatko made to the development of the Vietnam-former Soviet Union ties in the past and the Vietnam-Russia strategic partnership recently. Astronaut Viktor Gorbatko passed away on May 17 at the age of 83 after an illness. He was born on December 3, 1934 and grew up in Northern Caucasus of Russia. He flew to the space three times in 1969, 1977 and 1980. In his last flight on July 23, 1980, he was accompanied by first Vietnamese cosmonaut Pham Tuan in the "Union-37" spaceship that was launched from Baikonur and returned to the ​Earth on July 31, 1980. The flight became a historical event of both countries, marking … [Read more...]

At the 73rd meeting of the standing board of the provincial Party Committee on May 19, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Truong Minh Hien said the authorities agreed to grant Vinamilk a 40-year lease for a farm covering an area of 150ha with 4,000 heads of cow, and another 500ha for grass and corn cultivation. A station will also be built to purchase fresh milk from local farmers. The province also ensures sufficient infrastructure for the project, offers vocational training support, and pledges to fulfill 10 commitments to investors. Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Dinh Khang asked relevant departments and agencies to complete administrative procedures, ensuring that the project meets schedule. … [Read more...]

Two years ago, Vietnamese ambassador to the Czech Republic Truong Manh Son and representatives of Vietnamese People’s Associations in the country sat down with Liberec Province’s leaders to discuss building a statue or stone monument to commemorate the President’s visit. Meanwhile, a Czech woman living in a small town of Dobris, only 50 km from the capital, is also thinking of President Ho. Twice being in Vietnam, she visited his birthplace. She is visiting Vietnam again this July to visit the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum as when she was last in Vietnam, the venue was undergoing maintenance. Vera Dinh said she visited Vietnam twice and went to President Ho Chi Minh’s hometown where he spent his entire childhood. "I have many Vietnamese friends who teach me lots of things about the late President. He visited our country in the past, Lidice war relic site in particular. As far as I know, most Vietnamese people love him," she said. … [Read more...]

As soon as this year, Vnexpress reports, visitors to Hue will be able buy tickets online – using a computer or mobile phone – and gain entry to sites carrying just the credit or debit card with which they paid. It’s great news as finally we have a city in Vietnam that understands the importance of modernizing its outdated manual ticket systems so that tourists are no longer reliant on the old paper format. City officials have held meetings to discuss how quickly staff can be trained and get up to speed on utilizing advanced technology that could be introduced across the country. Under the plans, visitors would be able to store their tickets on so-called contactless credit or debit cards or in the alternative purchase magnetic strip cards. Ticket barriers will be upgraded so they are like those used by advanced countries around the globe, where passengers can tap their cards to pay and gain entry to tourist destinations. It’s a fantastic idea that thrusts Vietnam … [Read more...]

His hard work paid off with the display area’s opening in 2000. The area features an Uncle Ho themed exhibiting room, statues of Vietnamese soldiers and heroic mothers, as well as a lotus-shaped fountain. Among 100 photos and items displayed here, the most noticeable is a large photo capturing the President’s moment of death which is inside a glass case in the centre of the room. Regardless of his old age, he still devotes time to the display area. He also plays the role of story teller to help visitors understand more about each item. He also takes care of the fruit tree garden and fish pond covering the exhibiting house whenever he has free time. At his age, Phuoc only wishes for health and financial resource to continue pursuing his passion and also to visit the late president’s native land. … [Read more...]

As one of the most prominent ministerial meetings in APEC’s framework, MRT 23 also saw the participation of ministers responsible for trade and senior officials from 21 APEC member economies as well as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Roberto Azevedo. In his opening remarks, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc said since its inception in 1989, APEC has always been an important economic driver and growth engine of the Asia-Pacific region and the world. APEC has a combined population of more than 2.8 billion people, approximately 40% of the world population. After nearly three decades, APEC member economies have strongly expanded, accounting for approximated 60% of the world GDP and 49 percent of the global trade. The regional average tariff has been reduced from 11% in 1996 to 5.5% in 2016. Income and living standards have been improved for a large proportion of the population in the region. These outcomes have provided testament to the efforts of the region for trade … [Read more...]

Dr Nguyen Duc Kien, deputy chairman of the National Assembly Economic Commission, told VIR’s Manh Bon that if Vietnam focuses on available solutions, and especially, the disbursement of investment capital, the 2017 GDP growth may be closer to the target of 6.7 per cent. Are you satisfied with Vietnam’s economic performance in the first four months of 2017? Based on the statistics of the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, the GDP increased by only 5.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2017, the lowest growth rate since the trough of 5.42 per cent in the second quarter of 2014. Thus, to reach the target of 6.7 per cent, for the three remaining quarters of 2017, an average of 7.1 per cent growth needs to be produced. This will be difficult to achieve. Of the three main pillars of the Vietnamese economy, although agriculture, forestry and fishery sectors significantly recovered in the first quarter of 2017, their overall growth rate was a meagre 2.03 per cent, a decrease of … [Read more...]

The Vietnam food sector is attractive to investors because of its annual growth rate of 12%. CJ, an investor from the Republic of Korea (ROK), has step by step been taking over Vietnamese food companies, one after the other. Korea Herald reported that CJ CheilJedang, a subsidiary of CJ Group, has spent US$13.44 million to acquire a 64.9% stake of Minh Dat Food, considered the biggest Vietnamese private meatball company with revenue of VND270 billion in 2016. The deal reportedly was made in secret in late 2016 and was only wrapped up officially in May 2017. The company has changed its name to Minh Dat CJ Food and it is recruiting workers for the new development stage. CJ buys Minh Dat because it believes that fish and meatballs are popular dishes in SE Asia in general and Vietnam in particular, and that Vietnam is a market with stable growth rate. The group plans to sell ready-made food, including meatballs in SE Asia through Minh Dat. A CJ representative said the policy on penetrating … [Read more...]

Travelling more than 300km to reach the site, Nguyen Thi Que from Hanoi said that despite her busy work, she and her husband took their children to Uncle Ho’s homeland to pay tribute to the leader on his birthday. Que held that the sacrifice and service that Uncle Ho rendered to the nation should be popularised among younger generations. At the same time, Dang Thi Thom from the northern province of Phu Tho said that offering incense to President Ho Chi Minh at his house has long been her dream. She was moved to visit the house in which the late leader grew up as well as his simple living style. Nguyen Bao Tuan, Director of the Kim Lien Relic Site’s Management Board, said that on the occasion of President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday every year, the site often welcomes up to 7,000 visitors each day, four times higher than normal. Along with strengthening personnel for security and order at the site, the board also restored the cultural space of Sen village and Hoang Tru … [Read more...]

He made the remark during an interview with Vietnam News Agency, noting that the future of APEC is an issue high on the agenda, as the deadline for the Bogor Goals realisation is nearing while scepticism about globalisation and free trade benefits is emerging in certain places around the world. The Bogor Goals were set two decades ago, and there are only three years left before the deadline for their realisation. At the freshly concluded second SOM (SOM 2), APEC member economies reiterated the resolve to promote regional economic connectivity and implement the set trade and investment liberalisation targets. They also agreed to speed up the liberalisation of services and investment, and reduce nontariff barriers – the fields in which there hasn’t been substantial progress to achieve the Bogor Goals. Son said cooperation in APEC is a long-term process with the common goal of development and prosperity in the region. At this SOM 2, member economies also discussed measures for … [Read more...]

The events are part of the 2017 Belarus Culture Days in Vietnam, which is jointly organised by the MCST, the Ministry of Culture of Belarus, and the Embassy of Belarus in Vietnam to mark the 25th anniversary of the two nations’ diplomatic ties. The photos will give an insight into Belarus’s 1,000-year history, its rich culture, beautiful landscapes and hospitable people through images of antique objects, maps, and documents. The painting exhibition will show 21 oil paintings of Vasily Yasyuk using the “alla prima” technique. In the framework of the exhibition, a short training section will be held on May 26 to train a number of students from the Vietnam University of Fine Arts on the “alla prima” technique. … [Read more...]

The first phase of the factory is scheduled to begin operation in February 2018, employing 2,000 workers, while the second phase of construction will begin in 2019. The factory has a design capacity of 25-30 million products per year, with estimated export turnover reaching US$90-100 million per year in the first years in operation. Tran Van Chuyen, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee said the new factory will create jobs for local residents and contribute to socio-economic development. The NBC is one of the leading businesses in Vietnam’s textile-garment sector, with 37 affiliated companies and nearly 30,000 workers. Export turnover of the NBC hit US$729 million in 2016 and expected to reach US$820 million this year. … [Read more...]

The project spans 16.69 hectares and is capable of accommodating over 9,100 people. It comprises of social housing units for sale or rent, a public service centre, a kindergarten, a clinic and green space. It is expected to address housing problems for workers and experts at the park and help them cut travel cost. According to Deputy Minister of Construction Bui Pham Khanh, around one million workers in 320 industrial parks nationwide have demand for accommodations. To serve that demand, 167 projects, with combined capacity of about 126,800 apartments, have been carried out. Of the total, 97 projects have become operational, offering 38,800 apartments. … [Read more...]

The ceremonies in celebration of President Ho Chi Minh's 127th birthday were also participated by representatives from the municipal leadership and local people from all walks of life. President Tran Dai Quang and other officials and people visited the ongoing exhibition themed "Ho Chi Minh - the most beautiful name," which showcases more than 150 images of and documents about Uncle Ho's life and career, especially during the time he left the country to seek the national salvation path and when he was side by side with local people and troops in the fight for national reunification. President Tran Dai Quang also toured the Nha Rong Wharf where Uncle Ho left the country to find the national salvation path, met with and encouraged local officials and children. He hoped local children study harder to get good academic records and to deserve to be the city's citizens and beloved Uncle Ho's good children. The fan of late President Ho Chi Minh presented to Hoang Dao Thuy in 1948 The … [Read more...]

Present at the awarding ceremony were General Ngo Xuan Lich, member of the Politburo, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense; Senior Lieutenant General Luong Cuong, member of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, permanent member of the Central Military Commission, and Director of the General Department of Politics (GDP) of the Vietnam People's Army; Lieutenant General Pham Hong Huong, Deputy Chief of the General Staff; Major General Le Hien Van, GDP's Deputy Director and the President of the Military Creative Youth Awards Council; among others. General Ngo Xuan Lich and delegates visit booths at the event. This year's movement attracted the participation of 741 groups and individuals from 33 units under the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense with 405 projects and initiatives. Many projects and initiatives have been effectively applied in training, combat … [Read more...]

Themed "Livable and Sustainable Cities: Embracing the Future through Innovation and Collaboration", the eighth edition sets to discuss urban planning and management, heritage and culture, sustainable environment and the balance between growth and livable elements. It aims to map out creative integrated urban solutions to a better and more sustainable future for local people and the private sector. Photo for illustration. Source: aude.sg  Speaking at the opening ceremony, Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development of Singapore, underlined the significance of formulating a long-term urban plan and management for a city's sustainable development. He called other foreign mayors to discuss measures to boost cooperation in the field. On the sidelines of the forum, Vietnamese municipal and provincial leaders met with several foreign mayors and partners to shore up collaboration. The meetings were between leaders of Thua Thien-Hue province, and Suzhou city (Jiangsu) and … [Read more...]

The Hanoitimes - Measures to mitigate impacts of natural disasters and climate change on children were discussed at a conference jointly held by the Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Hanoi on May 18. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong Participants also shared knowledge and experience in children-oriented disaster risk mitigation, while seeking ways to intensify cooperation in this field. Based on the outcomes of a national conference on children-oriented disaster risk mitigation held in the central province of Ninh Thuan in December 2016, this conference continued promoting cooperation within the framework of the Law on Disaster Prevention and Control, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Mitigation and sustainable development goals. Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, head of the central steering committee, said that Vietnam annually … [Read more...]

The Hanoitimes - Officials from Hanoi Fatherland Front, led by its President Vu Hong Khanh, have studied experience in rallying the mass and raising fund in Switzerland. President of the Hanoi Fatherland Front Vu Hong Khanh presented a gift to Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Pham Hai Bang They have also learnt the organization of care for the poor and lonely in the community in Bern as part of their recent working visit to Switzerland and Spain. In Spain, they sought to understand people’s role in managing urban planning, the environment, and cultural heritage as well as the administration’s management part in religious affairs. In the countries, Hanoi front officials had working sessions with the Embassy of Vietnam and met with Vietnamese expatriates. Tuan Minh (hanoi.gov.vn) … [Read more...]

The Hanoitimes - The National Agency for Science and Technology Information yesterday officailly opened a place providing free access to science and technology information at No.24, Ly Thuong Kiet street, in Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem district. At the sci-tech information access place at No.24, Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hanoi The establishment of the information access place aimed to encourage not only scientists and students but also all members of the public to search for and acquire science and technology information of the country and the world. The information sources include about 7,700 domestic and foreign magazines, 380,000 books and 17,000 monographs, as well as 23,000 research projects at the national, ministerial and provincial levels. People can also access 220,000 Vietnamese scientific reports and 40 million international documents over the world. Anh Kiet (Source: Kinhtedothi.vn) … [Read more...]