Lawyers for the family of the Hanoi schoolboy found dead in a school bus last month have petitioned district authorities for investigation details.
Lawyers Vu Gia Truong, Pham Huong Giang and Le Duc Thang, representing the family of six-year-old Le Hoang Long of the Gateway International School, have requested data collected from cameras situated near the school’s gate, corridors and classrooms; and for forensic analysis of school bus where Long was found dead to find possible traces of any elements left in the bus’s curtains.
They have also requested the collection of documents regarding responsibilities to pick up and drop off students of parties relevant to the case, including student monitors, teachers and communicators. They also want statements of Long’s fellow students on the bus clarified and for traces of any substance found on Long’s bag to be ascertained. A medical council should be formed to analyze Long’s health condition before his death, they said.
The lawyers’ requests have been received and are waiting to be processed, Dinh Minh Tao, head of the Cau Giay District prosecutors department said Thursday. While some details of the investigation have already been announced, some were not clear enough for the family, he added.
Camera footage shows that on the day Long died, he did not leave the school bus to go to his classroom. Autopsy results reveal that he died between 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. of respiratory failure and heat stroke, and not due to external forces, Tao said.
Additionally, bus monitor Quy had previously told the press that there was a balloon in the bus in the afternoon, when Long was found dead, but not on the morning of August 6. But the balloon was actually present on the bus since morning, according to statements of fellow students who traveled in it, said Tao.
Regarding the information that Long was wearing a gray shirt when he was found dead on the bus in the afternoon while he wore a red shirt in the morning, authorities have found the red shirt inside Long’s bag, Tao said. The red shirt has been sent for forensic analysis to look for traces, he added, without elaborating.
Long was put on the school bus on Trung Hoa Street, Hanoi’s Cau Giay District at around 7 a.m. on August 6. Teachers from the school have said that Long sat on the last row of the 16-seat car, which was carrying 13 students that morning.
At around 8 a.m., school bus monitor Nguyen Bich Quy and 12 students are believed to have left the bus, leaving Long alone in it. Driver Doan Quy Phien then drove the bus to a parking lot about a kilometer away from the school, according to police investigation.
At 3:45 p.m., when the bus was driven back to the school to take the students home, Long was found motionless on the bus floor behind the driver’s seat. He was rushed to hospital but the hospital said he was brought in dead.
Both Quy and Phien are being investigated for involuntary manslaughter.
Recently, Fujifilm has launched its flagship instant camera called Fujifilm Instax LiPlay in Vietnam. It is considered to be the most compact and modern instant camera in the current market. Take a look to see what it brings!
Design
LiPlay comes with 3 eye-catching colors: Stone White, Blush Gold and Elegant Black. The camera is pretty compact, its size is on a pair with a bar of soap. Though the surface of the camera is quite slippery, which isn’t totally optimal for holding it, especially if you happen to have wet hands at the time.
It has an audio recording button on the front of the camera. It is able to record 10 seconds while taking a photo. You just simply press on the button and start talking what you want, the camera will record your voice and turn it into a small QR code printed on the Instax photo.
Instax LiPlay Blush Gold
Like previous Instax hybrid instant cameras, LiPlay is also equipped a LCD display to help users easily preview and edit the image before printing.
There are also three shortcut buttons and a power button off towards the left side of the chassis. In any case, the shortcut buttons allow you to rapidly apply frames to your shots, and to see a preview of the shoot before you actually snap the photo. It’s also possible to apply a frame after you’ve taken the shots, or to add speech bubbles, color effects, and a variety of similar stuff right from the mobile app. These kinds of extras can be a bit of fun, and are likely to be entertaining to younger users.
Easy of use
Instax LiPlay Elegant Black
One of the cool things about the Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay is its integration into the digital world. You’re going to need to shoot a photo and then figure out if you want to print it later or not. You can use it as a classic compact camera if you wish and when you’re ready to print the photo, you can add a bunch of fun filters. In some ways, this is a response to Polaroid’s offerings. However, Fujifilm’s interface is far simpler. Despite the low-resolution LCD screen on the back, the interface of the Fujifilm Instax Mini LiPlay is still pretty simple.
Image Quality
Up to now, Instax LiPlay offers the best image quality. The camera has a glass lens and therefore produces sharper images when combined with the sensor resolution and the flash. It is capable of delivering some of the sharpest images one can get from an Instax Mini camera.
LiPlay can connect with your smartphone via Bluetooth and support printing from smartphone
Pros and cons
Pros:
It offers numerous filters and frames which allow you to freely edit the images
It features a unique recording function
It possesses luxury, elegant and compact design
Its price is pretty affordable in the hybrid instant camera line
Trade finance fintech Surecomp has entered into an agreement with Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) to implement Surecomp’s DOKA-NG and allNETT solutions for the bank.
DOKA-NG and allNETT will serve as end-to-end trade finance solutions, helping BIDV with its ongoing digitalization plans. IBS reports.
“We are delighted to partner with Surecomp for this important part of our digital transformation journey,” said Tran Phuong, BIDV Senior Executive Vice President.
“We undertook a very detailed review of potential solution providers and Surecomp was the winning bidder as a result of their rich solutions, their track record of success with similar projects and their commitment to working with BIDV,” Phuong said.
DOKA-NG is a configurable back-office trade finance solution for local and regional banks. It carries out daily processing on a transaction-type basis, automatically executing all necessary working steps within each transaction. It can handle the full range of trade finance transactions.
allNETTis a state-of-the-art Web-based trade finance front-end system. Designed for use by the bank’s corporate customers and branch offices, allNETTprovides complete trade cycle support.
“DOKA-NG and allNETT will enable BIDV to expand the trade finance market in Vietnam. Surecomp is committed to supporting BIDV in its efforts,” Eyal Hareuveny, Surecomp President commented.
Established in 1957, BIDV is among the top three credit institutions in Vietnam. It is headquartered in Hanoi.
Surecomp provides trade finance and supply chain finance solutions for banks and multinational corporates. It has a global network of regional development and support centres in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Germany, Israel, Singapore, the UK and the US.
Some of the most stunning scenic spots in Vietnam have been featured in a new advertisement campaign presented by the French luxury brand Louis Vuitton. NhandanOnline reports.
Entitled “Spirit of Travel”, the campaign unfolds as a travelogue where photographer Angelo Pennetta captured the models Rianne van Rompaey, Fei Fei Sun and Kit Butler in Ha Long Bay, Trang An, Hoi An and Sa Pa.
Ha Long Bay, Trang An and Hoi An are three of several UNESCO World Heritage sites in Vietnam.
Against these evocative backdrops, each shot expresses the serenity and magic of travel, embodied by Louis Vuitton’s iconic leather goods, the company said on its website.
Three Louis Vuitton models in Sa Pa @Louis Vuitton.
Two Louis Vuitton models in Ninh Binh @Louis Vuitton.
Three Louis Vuitton models in Hoi An @Louis Vuitton.
Three Louis Vuitton models in Ninh Binh @Louis Vuitton.
A Louis Vuitton model in Ha Long Bay @Louis Vuitton.
The social network “Lotus” – a social network centred around content developed and owned by Vietnamese people, will be officially introduced to users on September 16. NhandanOnline reports.
The social network ‘Lotus’ project was established, invested from capital of domestic businesses and individuals with the commitment and orientation to become a social network centred around content developed by Vietnamese people,” according to Nguyen The Tan, General Director VCCorp JSC – the developer of the social network.
According to General Director Tan, most social networks operating in Vietnam are not truly professional, with too much focus on news reading but not on users’ feelings, making them unfavorable. Therefore, ‘Lotus’ will overcome these drawbacks to meet the demands of many different users.
The project has been developed by over 200 technical engineers of VCCorp, who are working in various fields of mobile applications, artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data and Cloud Computing. When joining the social network ‘Lotus’, users will gain protected account and identity, and provided a specialized CMS (content management system). “Lotus does not directly compete with Facebook. If Facebook can be considered as a tool to connect people, Lotus is a place for users to track issues and interests that they care about”, explained the investor representative.
In order to obtain high-quality initial content, in this period, VCCorp cooperated with over 500 content creators in 20 different fields like education, economy, photography, story writing, blog and vlog writing, lifestyle, entertainment, music, marketing. It also makes good use of more than 30 sources of formal news.
In addition, the content management system of social network ‘Lotus’ helps content creators design and edit their products to reflect their unique styles and characteristics. The developer has built toolbars to help users can easily create more beautiful, new and vivid content.
Regarding bad and illegal content, Lotus has a mechanism to detect and use many convenient technologies and a censorship team to immediately handle issues, especially fake news. Particularly for information that has not been clearly verified, Lotus will prioritize displaying official news sources such as press agencies or insiders.
The beta version of Vietnamese social network Lotus is expected to be launched on September 16, lasting three to six months. Developers also allow users to use the web registration function to become one of the first to receive an invitation to download the application at www. lotus.vn. After this time, ‘Lotus’ will adjust minor mistakes and formally accept new users. It will also receive feedback from the public to add more necessary features or content.
Developing social networks of Vietnamese people, for Vietnamese is the orientation that was urged by the Ministry of Information and Communications, which called domestic technology enterprises to participate in the construction with the goal of 50 percent of Vietnamese social media customers to use domestic social networks by 2020 or no later than 2021.
The social network is a game that requires money investment and creative content to attract users. Social networks will hardly exist without users and content to share.
In recent years, several social networks have been launched by domestic businesses, including Hahalolo and Gapo.
According to Vu Hoang Lien, Chairman of the Vietnam Internet Association, the building social networks and search engines by Vietnamese people not only benefits the society and users, but also brings economic benefits from revenue of digital advertising, thereby creating many opportunities for domestic businesses.
Vietnam’s private consumption growth will remain strong, supported by improvements in the labour market as youth unemployment falls, minimum wages grow and lower inflation levels prevail, experts forecast. Vietnam+ reports.
Vietnam’s private consumption growth will remain strong, supported by improvements in the labour market as youth unemployment falls, minimum wages grow and lower inflation levels prevail, experts forecast.
Finance expert Nguyen Tri Hieu told Vietnam News that improvements in the country’s labour market would be the key force driving private consumption growth while lower levels of inflation would also boost spending.
According to reports from the General Statistics Office (GSO), labour market data for the second quarter of this year showed a decline in youth urban unemployment to 9.8 percent from 10.6 percent in the first quarter while overall urban unemployment remained stable at 3.1 percent.
Vietnam’s unemployment rate is forecast low, at 3.4 percent of the total labour force in 2019 for all demographic groups, remaining constant from 2018. This level is projected to be retained over medium terms to 2023.
The continued structural shift in manufacturing facilities from China to Vietnam, which is being expedited by uncertainty from the US-China trade war and the signing of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement on June 30 this year, has also provided a boost to the Vietnamese economy and improves the employment outlook.
Besides, further underpinning the positive consumer outlook is the fact that minimum wage growth continues to increase, albeit at a slower rate.
After a growth of 7.3 percent and 6.5 percent recorded in 2017 and 2018 respectively, the National Wage Council has continually increased the minimum wage by average of 5.3 percent in 2019. In 2019, minimum wages range from 2.92 million VND (125 USD) to 4.2 million VND, compared with 2.8 million VND and 4.0 million VND of 2018.
“Consumption of local people, especially the young, has been increasing significantly, given by the rising incomes and enhanced living standards,” Hieu said.
According to Euromonitor, per capita disposable income was at more than 40 million VND last year and expects an average growth of 5.9 percent annually in the 2019-30 period, leading to corresponding growth of consumer spending.
The middle-income class is also increasing rapidly and it was forecast that 49 percent of households will have an annual disposable income of between 5,000 USD and 15,000 USD, up from 33.8 percent in 2018.
Meanwhile, the country’s inflationary pressures remain under control, providing further stimulus for spending.
GSO data showed that the country’s inflation cooled to 2.57 percent in August 2019, down from 3.52 percent in August 2018. The rate was the lowest rise for the past three years.
In 2019, inflation is projected to average at 2.9 percent, buoyed by weak transport inflation due to a drop in average oil prices in the year.
The factors highlighted above are already having a positive impact on retail sales. In the GSO’s data release, retail sales grew by 11.6 percent in July 2019, up from 11.1 percent in July 2018.
Indicative of an improving outlook over 2019 is the broader uptick in retail sales, with growth of 11.9 percent average annually over the first seven months of 2019, up from the 10.2 percent over the same period in 2018.
Analysts from Fitch Solutions Macro Research recently also forecast although slightly cooling this year, private consumption growth in Vietnam would remain robust, expanding by 6.5 percent in 2019 and picking up further to 6.8 percent in 2020.
“Retail sales in Vietnam have recorded double-digit growth rates and we expect this to hold over 2019. We highlight Vietnam as one of the most promising consumer markets in Asia Pacific, along with Indonesia, the Philippines, India and China,” Fitch analysts noted.
According to Hieu, local consumption will continually support Vietnam’s economic growth, especially when the global market slows and is becoming volatile.
“Robust domestic consumption will be an important driver for the country’s growth and help reduce dependence on exports,” Hieu said.
A national drive in response to the “Clean up the world” campaign 2019 was launched in Do Son district in the northern port city of Hai Phong on September 12. Vietnamplus reports.
The event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) and the People’s Committee of Hai Phong city.
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Vo Tuan Nhan pointed out current environmental challenges, including a huge amount of plastic waste and nylon bags. Some 500 billion plastic bottles and over 500 billion nylon bags are used every year, he said.
As a developing nation, Vietnam is facing various difficulties such as environmental pollution, climate change, sea level rise and especially plastic waste, ranking 17th out of 109 countries with the highest level of plastic pollution in the world, Nhan stressed.
The Deputy Minister called for concerted efforts of all sectors, localities and people to reduce the use of disposable plastic products, towards the non-use of those products in the country in 2025.
VWU Vice President Nguyen Thi Tuyet underlined women’s role in all stages of plastic waste management. She urged VWU members nationwide to encourage others to switch from nylon bags and disposable plastic products to other environmentally-friendly and recyclable ones.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee of Hai Phong Le Khac Nam said Hai Phong always pays attention to green economic development in line with sustainable environmental protection as the city has prioritised high-tech investment projects.
A fan fiesta was organised in Ho Chi Minh city of Vietnam on Thursday to highlight Casio’s G-Shock watches and to celebrate dance, music, and sports. BNN reports.
“We do the Fan Fiesta event because we would like to have new G-Shock fans. So the new G-Shock fans can play the games and experience it. Also, there are new features with G-Shock, so they can go home and tell their friends and family,” said Do Quang Vinh CEO of Anh Khue Sai Gon Co. Ltd, a part of the Jewelry Stores Industry in Vietnam.
“G-Shock is very popular in Vietnam right now and it will become more popular because we have a very good relationship with Vietnam national soccer team and we will have a lot of event with them in the future,” added Do Quang Vinh.
The Fan Fiesta highlighted Casio’s G-Shock watches, which were reflected on display and for sale at the event.
To prove Casio’s G-Shock watches’ durability, visitors participated in multiple challenges, including finding a Casio watch in an icy water tank while being blindfolded, punching Casio’s G-Shock watch fixed on a punch cylinder 20 times and an obstacle course football game to shoot at another watch.
Participants who completed the challenges received a commemorative bracelet and a lucky draw coupon.
“This event is so interesting, and today I’m very happy when I attended here,” said an enthusiastic participant.
Many people spent their weekend at Fan Fiesta for entertainment that included a freestyle football show. Kids also participated after the show, learning the basics of football freestyling.
At night, the activities were replaced by a concert highlighting Vietnam’s pop stars.
“We are so happy to be here, and so honoured to be here. And after this, we have a night performance and we hope everyone will enjoy it,” said Lip B Band, a local Pop Group.
Việt Nam will take strong action to promote sustainable development, investing more in the workforce and advanced technologies, moving towards digital Government and digital society, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has said.
The Prime Minister was speaking at a conference on sustainable development in Hà Nội that he chaired alongside his deputy Vũ Đức Đam on Thursday.
The conference, held by the National Council for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Improvement, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), and the World Bank, was themed ‘For a Decade of More Sustainable Development’, gathering about 1,000 leaders of the Government, representatives of international organisations, experts, researchers and businesses.
Phúc asked ministries, sectors and localities nationwide to encourage businesses and people to be creative and innovative to help Việt Nam boost its competitiveness in global markets.
“We need to build policies to inspire businesses applying the circular economy model effectively, encouraging green production activities, helping the country reach the targets of the sustainable development plan in 2020-30,” Phúc said.
He also emphasised that the globalisation of technology will change thinking, but that Việt Nam must preserve its cultural values, making changes but still promoting sustainable development.
“I require ministries and sectors, especially ministers, to join with the Government to study and issue a decree on sustainable development soon, which must be renewable and practical, having concrete objectives and policies, and ensuring efficiency in the future,” the Prime Minister added.
At the event, Deputy Prime Minister Đam said the conference aimed to set cross-cutting objectives based on the development of the circular economy with scientific and technological innovations and the building of human resources towards sustainable development goals.
“It will be difficult to achieve the goals without the efforts and determination of the Government, all levels, sectors, the business community and all of society,” Đam said.
Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyễn Văn Trung said the Prime Minister issued a National Action Plan in 2017, responding to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including 17 common goals and 169 specific goals.
“One of the important tasks set out in the Action Plan is that all Việt Nam’s sustainable development goals will be integrated into the content of the Socio-Economic Development Strategy for 2021-30,” Dũng said.
He said in recent years, the perspective of sustainable development has been integrated throughout the Socio-Economic Development Strategy 2011-20, which has been concretised in many strategies, plans and policies.
Statistics show Việt Nam’s poverty rate decreased from 9.9 per cent in 2015 to less than 7 per cent in 2017, while health insurance coverage reached 86.4 per cent in 2017. More than 99 per cent of Vietnamese households had access to electricity in 2016. The country’s GDP growth in 2015, 2016 and 2017 reached 6.7 per cent, 6.2 per cent and 6.8 per cent, respectively.
“The Ministry of Planning and Investment is currently conducting research, analysis, evaluation and selection of appropriate sustainable development goals to integrate into the Socio-Economic Development Strategy 2021-30,” Dũng added.
At the conference, experts, domestic and foreign enterprises discussed research and experience in sustainable development, including production methods of the circular economy and technological breakthroughs. These are not only actions to protect the environment and to achieve sustainable development, but also to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises.
Daniel Dulitzky, WB Director for Human Resource Development in the East Asia-Pacific Region, said although Việt Nam is showing good performance in human capital index, it is still facing challenges in ensuring high-quality human resources, which are needed to narrow the gap among ethnic minority groups and strengthen the development of the workforce.
Dulitzky also recommended reforming national target programmes, renovating the university education system and drawing private investment in education-training.
Matt Wilson, Corporate Affairs Director of Heineken Vietnam, said sustainability is a core part of the company’s long-term vision.
He said almost all of Heineken Vietnam’s bottles are returned for reuse before eventually being recycled, while materials like cardboard, aluminum, plastic and paper are reused or recycled. The firm’s initiatives including powering four of its six breweries with renewable thermal energy from carbon neutral, biomass-generated steam and reducing 2,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions from its logistic operations alone in 2018.
“We hope this will encourage more businesses in Việt Nam to think of their own sustainable development journey and how they can apply circular economy strategies to reduce waste and preserve scarce natural resources,” Wilson said.
At the conference, Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vũ Tiến Lộc announced five initiatives of sustainable development that will be expanded in the future, including not-for-profit Packaging Recycling Organization Vietnam (PRO Vietnam) to support the growth of a strong, resilient domestic packaging collection and recycling ecosystem.
To promote the circular economy, Lộc proposed the National Assembly promulgate the Law on Promoting Circular Economy. Along with that, the National Assembly and the Government should soon have policies to encourage the development of circular economy models in the community and businesses, in which enterprises play a central role.
Vietnam has entered the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the first time, with three of its universities making it. VnExpress reports.
The Hanoi University of Science and Technology and the Vietnam National University-Hanoi are in the 801-1000 group in the annual global ranking compiled by the Times Higher Education (THE), a British provider of higher education data, and released on Thursday.
The Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City was placed in the 1001+ group.
This year the rankings measured 1,396 universities in 92 countries and territories based on 13 indicators that considered an institution’s performance across teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.
They are dominated by the U.S., with 170 universities, followed by Japan and the U.K.
For the fourth year in a row the University of Oxford in the U.K. is in first place. The California Institute of Technology in the U.S. has risen three places to second while the University of Cambridge is third.
Stanford, Yale, Harvard, and Imperial College London all appear in the top ten.
Brunei, Cuba, Malta, Montenegro, and Puerto Rico also saw their institutions entering the list for the first time.
Last year the Vietnam National University, Hanoi branch, and the Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City were among seven Vietnamese universities that broke into the list of 500 best universities in Asia compiled by Britain’s QS Quacquarelli Symonds.
Ton Duc Thang was in the 2019 Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings issued in April for achievements related to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
Vietnam is at risk of a 500,000 ton shortage of the meat most of its citizens rely on for daily protein between now and the Lunar New Year in January as African swine fever ravages the nation’s hog herd, according to Ipsos Business Consulting.
“The pork supply has become scarce,” said Nguyen Tat Thang, general secretary of the Vietnam Animal Husbandry Association. “Vietnam’s pork imports jumped 5- to 7-fold in the first half of the year and will rise more through the end of the year.”
It’s unclear, though, if pork producers from markets such as the U.S. and Europe will be able to plug a significant portion of the shortage, valued at about $1.29 billion, said Phong Quach, the country head of Ipsos Business Consulting. The Vietnamese prefer fresh meat, which is purchased at traditional wet markets, while most imported meat is frozen, he said. Facilities for storing, defrosting, cutting and packaging massive amounts of pork to meet daily consumption and buying habits, and a system to distribute the meat to local markets beyond large supermarkets in major cities, would be needed, Phong added.
The pork shortage is adding pressure to the government’s efforts to keepinflationbelow 4% this year. About 70% of all meat consumed last year in Vietnam was pork, according to the Agriculture Ministry.
So far about 5 million pigs have been culled across Vietnam — equal to 20% of the nation’s hog herd — since the disease was firstreportedin two northern provinces at the start of February, Thang said. Disease control efforts have so far failed to prevent the transmission of the virus, which has re-emerged in some provinces that previously had been declared free of swine fever, he said.
“I am very concerned about the looming lack of pork supply as all the sows in the affected farms were culled or sold due to the swine fever virus,” said Nguyen Kim Doan, deputy head of the animal husbandry association in Dong Nai province. The province, known as the country’s “pig capital,” has seen more than 30% of its pig pollution culled. “It is very dangerous to produce new pigs as the virus has emerged everywhere across Vietnam,” he said.
Consumers are likely to start experiencing the pork shortage at the end of October, according to Doan. Adding to the problem is the willingness of some buyers to acquire Vietnamese pigs at premium prices for exports to China, which is also experiencing aseverepork shortage, he said.
— By Mai Ngoc Chau, With assistance by Nguyen Dieu Tu Uyen @ Bloomberg
(CNN) — When Italian villages began selling houses for $1, it seemed too good to be true. But the latest offer from Italy is enough to make even that deal look like a ripoff.
The region of Molise, a wild, beautiful but overlooked area that lies east of Rome, has announced it will pay people more than $27,000 to settle in one of 106 underpopulated villages in an effort to prevent their communities from dying.
Anyone who takes up the offer will receive 700 euros a month (about $770) for up to three years to help them settle in an area known for its green pastures, olive groves and snowy mountaintops.
There’s a catch — they’ll also have to commit to starting a small business, in order to contribute to the local economy.
“I want my region to undergo a renaissance and avoid its authentic villages turning into ghost towns,” Antonio Tedeschi, a regional councilor who came up with the idea, tells CNN. “We need to safeguard our roots.”
Young people and couples with children are particularly encouraged to apply to the scheme, which is to be officially launched on September 16.
Tedeschi, who was born in the small Molise village of Filignano — home to barely 700 residents — says he knows what it means to see old traditions and historical places fall into oblivion and wants to stop the decline in its tracks.
Depopulation crisis
New residents will be expected to start up a business in Molise. @ Angelo Tullio
“The goal is to breathe new life and revamp the local economy,” he says. “Newcomers are free to kick-start anything they please in order to get our financial support: a small inn, restaurant, bar, B&B, a tiny rural farm, artisan boutique, library or shop selling local gourmet excellences.”
Thousands of people have left Molise in recent years. Official statistics say the number of people living there has fallen by almost 9,000 since 2014, pushing the region’s population to just 305,000.
Now one of Italy’s most depopulated regions, 106 of its 136 towns have fewer than 2,000 residents.
Many communities across Italy are at risk of being lost as younger people migrate to bigger towns and cities — or abroad — in search of work as Italy’s fragile economy struggles to support its more remote, rural areas.
Recently, there’s been a spate of villages from the northern Alps to the southern vineyards of Sicily, virtually giving away homes to anyone willing to spend the money on renovating them to move in.
Molise’s offer has the potential to be the most lucrative yet for anyone willing to take the plunge.
So what exactly can applicants expect if they take the plunge? Here’s a look at some of the most picturesque villages among those inviting people to move in.
Fornelli
The town of Fornelli is among those hoping to attract new residents. Courtesy Region Molise
Fornelli is known as the City of Oil because of the olive groves dotting a landscape that also harbors premium truffles and species of endangered legumes.
Nominated for the 2019’s Italy’s Most Beautiful Town contest, it has a medieval center that was once protected by a drawbridge and is now a web of narrow alleys and arched entrances.
Seven towers are incorporated in the town’s defensive walls, within which cars and even motorcycles are banned, making it peaceful and unpolluted.
Pesche
Pesche’s islolation has preserved it over the centuries. @ Courtesy Region Molise
Clinging to the rocky cliff side of Mount San Marco, this village takes its name from the Italian word pietre, meaning “rocks.”
The white-yellowish stone dwellings at the feet of a majestic castle contrast with the green-brownish stones covered in lush vegetation that cover the landscape.
Isolation has preserved the village from centuries of Barbarian raids and the doorways of homes and aristocratic buildings are adorned with weird stone images.
Riccia
Riccia hosts an annual grape festival. @ Courtesy Region Molise
One of the high spots of the year in Riccia is a picturesque grape festival that celebrates the end of the vendemmia or harvest and attracts wine lovers from across Italy.
The event sees floats decorated with grapes parade through the cobbled streets as actors hand out gourmet treats.
Riccia, clustered at the feet of a cylindrical tower, is part of an élite club uniting Italy’s “authentic villages” where traditions and ancient recipes survive.
Molise’s premium amaro liqueur is made with special herbs found in the nearby woods.
Capracotta and Campitello Matese
Campitello offers winter sports like snowboarding and skiing. @ Courtesy Region Molise
These villages are for ski lovers.
One of the attractions of Molise, Italy’s second smallest region, is that it has everything in one place: sea, lakes, forests and even the Apennine mountain range.
Capracotta and Campitello Matese are the region’s top winter sports resorts, pulling in snowboarders and cross-country amateurs.
Skiing pistes aren’t as long nor as steep as those found in the Alps, but there’s the added attraction of thick woodlands where wild animals still live, including bears.
Pietrabbondante and Sepino
Pietrabbondante has ruins to rival Rome. Courtesy Region Molise
It’s hard to believe, but Molise rivals Rome or Pompeii for ancient architecture and archeological attractions.
The two small villages of Pietrabbondante and Sepino both contain the secret, largely unknown ruins of once-glorious citadels.
A large chunk of Molise used to lie within the kingdom of the fiery Samnite tribes who refused to bend the knee to Ancient Rome but were eventually slaughtered.
Pietrabbondante’s archeological area, close to the town and set at an altitude of 1,000 meters, has a spellbinding view over Molise’s rugged hills and features a sanctuary and several temples.
Saepinum, or Sepino’s ruins, is incredibly well preserved with statues of imprisoned barbarians greeting visitors at the entrance.
San Giovanni in Galdo
San Giovanni in Galdo hosts ancient festivals. Antonio Mignogna
Grazing sheep, cows and buffalo dot the bucolic landscape here.
It’s still possible to spot forgotten dusty trails winding up the mountains and the ruins of a majestic Italic temple built in the third century BCE.
San Giovanni in Galdo is located near one of Molise’s main routes used by shepherds to move their livestock between low and high pastures.
The old town, dubbed Morrutto or “broken walls” in local dialect, is a maze of caves and underground chambers.
Old festivals survive such as the performances of the Zig-zaghini folklore group, which enacts something known as the “anti-jinx dance.”
Castel San Vincenzo
Castel San Vincenzo has long offered an escape for pilgrims. @ Angelo Tullio
The clear waters of its blue lake makes Castel San Vincenzo one of Molise’s most visited towns by day-trippers.
Set in the Alta Valle del Volturno, it’s known as the Valley of Faith, because monks and pilgrims have, for centuries, come here for meditation and prayer.
Today the nearby stunning abbey of San Vincenzo Al Volturno lures soul-searching travelers craving an unplugged stay and artists in need of inspiration.
Duronia
A huge stone cross stands in the center of Duronia. Courtesy Region Molise
The village, dating back to pre-Roman times, is a collection of pastel-coloured peasant houses connected by staircases and nestled at the feet of an overhanging fortress.
The town’s symbol is a huge stone cross. Its belvedere piazza offers a unique panorama of surrounding meadows dotted with the ruins of Samnite towers.
Duronia is popular for guided trekking tours along rural routes.
The foodie Scattone festival celebrates an iconic pasta dish made with red wine and pepper that’s said to offer strength and ward off influenza.
While Go-Viet is exuding confidence about shooting to the top of the food delivery sector only a year after starting operations, the coverage of drivers, the brand’s age, delivery time, and the satisfaction rate of customers tell a different story.
According to the latest report published by market research firm GCOMM, the six most popular online food delivery apps in Vietnam are GrabFood, Now.vn, Go-Food, Lala, Vietnammm, and Lixi.
In the context of the fierce competition, Lala had to throw in the towel, admitting that it cannot keep up with Grab’s super app. The company switched to supplying sales solutions for restaurants. Besides, Ahamove transferred into providing transport solutions for e-commerce platforms, promising the fastest delivery time on the market.
Lack of drivers breaking dreams
A company’s true standing in the market comes from real comparison and independent survey, rather than the company itself. Go-Viet issued statistics to shot its leading position in the food delivery market, including 6 million cups of bubble tea delivered, while the number of meals, orders, and restaurant partners also soaring throughout its first year. In fact, the coverage of Go-Viet’s drivers is still quite sparse on the street.
However, according to experts, the figures are not persuasive enough, as for instance Now is more of a household name thanks to their better driver coverage. A key to success could be delivery time, helping players determine their position in the market because the quality of the food mostly depends on its freshness. According to a recent survey by GCOMM, 65% of consumers agreed that time delivery is the most important factor to choose a food delivery service. In this regard, Grab easily beats competition while Ahamove has just a little smaller driver fleet of 60,000 who are always ready to lend a hand to apps lacking shippers.
Nguyen Thi Hoa, an office worker from Ho Chi Minh City, said that she is satisfied with the service quality of Grab and Now due to the suitable fees, short delivery time, and professional drivers.
“Friends kept recommending Go-Food to me because of their massive promotions and I decided to give them a whir, but I had to wait for a long time and the drivers kept calling me consecutively to confirm the address, which was inconvenient,” Hoa said.
Another survey of GCOMM that summarised responses from 600 customers in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in December 2018, showed that Grab ranks first in the food delivery market in customer satisfaction with service quality and delivery speed. The runners up are Now and Go-Food.
Position errors and poor treatment of drivers
According to customers, Go-Food cannot hold a candle to other players when it comes to service quality and delivery time due to the sparse coverage of its drivers. In addition, Go-Viet’s policy that allows customers to book more than one order at the same time also results in problem.
Working for Go-Viet from the first days, Nguyen Tan T. from Nha Be district said that working conditions and benefits to drivers were more attractive at the beginning. Now, Go-Viet has decreased massive incentive programmes for drivers and made the bonus policy stricter.
“The app often has errors in positioning, something drivers have been complaining about for so long, to no avail. Besides, in some cases, customers place the same order twice, and the driver arriving later is left hanging with the order in his hands,” T said.
Pham Minh T. from Ho Chi Minh City, who has been working for Go-Viet for two months, said, “The position error occurs very frequently and the real address is often 1-2 kilometres from the position located on the app. This forces drivers to keep calling customers to make sure of the address.
The war in the food delivery sector is becoming fiercer by the way as players are pouring money to get an edge and increase driver coverage – however, despite testaments and boasts by many, few can put a dent into Grab’s dominance.
Vietnamese shares were mixed on Wednesday as capital was directed into mid-cap and small-cap firms.
The benchmark VN-Index on the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange inched down 0.10 per cent to end at 969.31 points.
The VN-Index has lost a total 1.50 per cent since the start of September.
The HNX-Index on the Hà Nội Stock Exchange advanced 0.20 per cent to close at 100.17 points, ending its previous six-day losing streak of total 2.30 per cent.
Nearly 180 million shares were traded on the two local exchanges, worth VNĐ4.1 trillion (US$177 million).
All sub-component indices on both local exchanges increased on Wednesday, proving market sentiment was better.
Le large-cap VN30 and HNX30 were up 0.28 per cent each. Mid-cap and small-cap indices also advanced between 0.09 per cent and 0.59 per cent on the two bourses.
Stronger gains of mid-cap and small-cap indices compared to large-cap indices showed investors were seeking opportunities in smaller companies’ stocks.
The best-performing sector on the market was the building materials industry, whose index gained 2.5 per cent, data on vietstock.vn showed.
Steel stocks drove the sector up including Hòa Phát Group (HPG), Hoa Sen Group (HSG), Pomina (POM) and Tiến Lên Steel JSC (TLH).
Those companies saw share prices rise after each of them had supportive news.
Hoa Sen Group has announced it will buy back 16,500 shares as treasury shares. The firm’s shares rose 2.3 per cent.
Pomina is planning to issue more than 36.3 million shares to pay a dividend to shareholders. Its shares rose 2.4 per cent.
Meanwhile, Hòa Phát shares and Tiến Lên Steel shares were up 3.5 per cent and 2.7 per cent, respectively.
Local steel firms also benefited from the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s move to investigate the dumping of cheap Chinese steel products into Việt Nam.
Other sectors that also performed well included ancillary, rubber and plastics, wholesale and insurance.
On the negative side, agriculture, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, seafood processing and consumer staple and electrics weighed on the market.
The stock market struggled with the depletion of trading liquidity, Sài Gòn- Hà Nội Securities Co (SHS) said in its daily report.
Market breadth was positive, with total 221 gaining stocks against 187 decliners, showing capital has began spreading widely to other sectors, the company said.
There was still chance for the VN-Index to make technical recoveries in the next days, especially when net foreign selling of only VNĐ8 billion had hardly impacted market sentiment, SHS said.
But SHS noted the market would likely move sideways and struggle within the day as there was little supportive news coming to boost market demand, the company added.
Technology and equipment for cancer treatment in Vietnam are becoming more and more modernized, approaching the progress of the world medicine, heard a conference on advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment in Ho Chi Minh City on September 11.
According to Deputy Director of the National Radiotherapy Center, head of Chest Radiology, National Cancer Hospital (K Hospital) Nguyen Cong Hoang, among the three main pillars of cancer treatment – radiotherapy, surgery and medicine, the radiotherapy plays an important role because 60-70 percent of cancer patients are required to have radiation therapy.
Vietnam’s leading cancer treatment facilities are constantly armed with modern equipment, and applying new techniques to further improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy.
Notably, the K Hospital is using the Gamma Knife Icon radiosurgery system – the most modern radiotherapy machine generation in the world for radiotherapy. With this device, people with cancer in Vietnam have an additional modern treatment method for multimodal treatment of brain tumors without having to go overseas.
Sharing Hoang’s view, Doctor Pham Van Binh from the robotic endoscopic surgery centre of the K Hospital said advances in cancer surgical surgery, especially cancer surgery by robots, have become routine in Vietnam.
These helps surgeons work more and more effectively, reduce pain and recovery time, and improve the quality of life of patients after surgeries.
According to statistics by the World Health Organization, in 2018, the proportion of Vietnamese people with cancer was 151.4 /100,000 people, ranking 99 out of 185 countries and territories, 19th in Asia and 15th in Southeast Asia.
The number of new cancer cases in Vietnam has been constantly increasing, counting up to nearly 165,000 in 2018.
