Vietnamese man jailed 15 years for fatal stabbing in Taiwan

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High Court finds man guilty of murder of a compatriot and causing bodily harm to two others in June 2017

According to a report on Asia Times, a Vietnamese man was sentenced to 15 years jail for murder and causing bodily harm after killing a compatriot and injuring two other men in a restaurant in New Taipei City last year.

Bui Tien-dung had a quarrel with another Vietnamese man surnamed To in the toilet of a Vietnamese restaurant in Xinzhuang district in June 2017, Central News Agency reported, citing court documents. The two seemed to have resolved their conflict with a handshake but Bui remained unhappy about the incident.

Bui’s cousin went out to buy five knives as he was worried that To would seek revenge. When Bui and his cousin were about the leave the restaurant, Bui went to To’s booth and stabbed a man surnamed Pham to death with a knife. He also injured To and his friend, also surnamed Pham, on their arms and backs.

Bui was previously given a 16-and-a-half-year jail term by the New Taipei District Court for murder and an attempted murder. But he appealed the case to the Taiwan High Court.

On Tuesday, the Taiwan High Court said Bui’s intention to murder Pham was clear as he stabbed the victim in the chest. However, there was no evidence that Bui wanted to kill To and the other Pham as he was only waving the knife at them.

The High Court dropped the attempted murder charge against Bui and reduced his jail term to 15 years.

He is due to be deported once he has served his prison sentence.

Where to Fly Into Vietnam: Saigon or Hanoi — Which Is Best

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How to Find the Cheapest Flights to Vietnam and Decide Between Saigon and Hanoi

Start in the north or the south?

For travelers, choosing where to fly into Vietnam isn’t always straightforward. The opposite ends of the same country have completely different vibes. Flight prices vary. Even the climate differs by season.

Overall, you have three popular choices for flying into Vietnam: Saigon (south), Hanoi (north), and Da Nang (roughly in the middle). Flying into either Saigon or Hanoi are the most popular ways to begin exploring Vietnam. Greg Rodgers reported on Tripsavvy

Getting Your Visa for Vietnam

Before arriving at one of Vietnam’s three major international airports, you’ll need to have your tourist visa already taken care of or risk being denied entry. Fortunately, Vietnam’s new E-Visa system will eliminate a lot of the former hassle.

Your three choices for getting a visa for Vietnam:

The Old Way: Tourist visa stamp already in your passport (obtainable from a Vietnamese consulate outside of Vietnam)

Visa on Arrival: Use a third party to get a visa approval letter. You’ll then use this letter to purchase a visa on arrival at the airport in Vietnam. This was the most popular way until replaced by the E-Visa system.

E-Visa for Vietnam: On February 1, 2017, Vietnam implemented an E-Visa system. Travelers will be able to upload a scan of their passport, pay the US $25 fee online, then three business days later receive an E-Visa via email. The E-Visa is swapped upon arrival for a passport stamp granting entry.

Note: There are a lot of fake E-Visa for Vietnam websites. In fact, the real site barely makes the results in search engines! These middlemen sites simply want a fee for submitting your information to the real Vietnam E-Visa site.

Fly to Saigon or Hanoi — Which Is Best?

Obviously, your trip itinerary and aspirations for the trip may dictate where is the most logical port of entry. A majority of travelers seem to begin in the south by flying into Saigon. Flight prices are often cheaper for Saigon. Plus, according to some opinions, Saigon provides a slightly “softer” landing culturally for first-timers in Vietnam.

Because of volume and other factors, flying into Saigon (airport code: SGN) is almost always cheaper than flying into Hanoi (airport code: HAN).

In fact, Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat Airport (SGN) handles a bulk of all international traffic in and out of Vietnam. Strangely, Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) actually boasts a larger capacity but handles less passenger volume.

If you intend to see the entire country, consider starting in the south and then applying the difference in flight costs to take advantage of the scenic Reunification Express train.

The line runs from Saigon to places of interest in the north, including Hanoi. Overnight buses are another option for moving around, although train travel is certainly more enjoyable. Once in Hanoi, you could grab one of the low-cost domestic flights back to Saigon. International airfare to Western countries is usually cheaper from Saigon.

Finding Cheap Flights to Vietnam

If you’re already in Asia, the cheapest flights to Vietnam often originate from Bangkok, Singapore, and China. The state-run Vietnam Airlines handles international flights to Australia, Europe, and the United States. Check prices directly on their site before committing to a fare on a third-party booking site. Remember to check prices with private browsing turned on!

If flight prices directly from your home city aren’t favorable, consider hopping through one of the major hubs where passenger volume to Asia lowers prices. For instance, try flying LAX-BKK-SGN or JFK-BKK-SGN. Apply some flight-booking hacks to score the best price.

Vietnam Airlines is based in Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport. They are a member of the SkyTeam alliance; you’ll be rewarded with Delta SkyMiles when flying with them.

The Airport in Saigon

The airports in Saigon and Hanoi are both functional and very easy to navigate.

Because the Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Saigon is located within the city and cannot be easily expanded, construction on a new international airport (to be known as Long Thanh International Airport) is already underway. The new airport will be huge!

Vietnam’s new airport will be located around 31 miles northeast of Saigon and is expected to start handling flights in 2025. The airport will reach full capacity by 2050.

Saigon’s old SGN airport will be converted to service mostly domestic and regional Southeast Asia flights, much the way that Bangkok’s old Don Mueang International Airport was utilized after the completion of Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK).

Flying into Saigon

Many hotels provide airport pickup. If possible, go ahead and schedule a driver. Saigon taxi drivers have a long reputation of scamming new arrivals. Some will demand more money halfway to your destination. Others will try to take you to fake hotels.

If airport pickup isn’t an option, you’ll need to enter the taxi stand in front of the airport. If possible, hold out for or demand a VinaSun taxi — they are the most reputable taxi company in Saigon.

Regardless of which taxi company you choose, plan to pay a small airport fee directly to the driver in addition to whatever the meter says. This is a legitimate fee, not a scam.

Tip: If you have room, keep your luggage on the back seat rather than in the trunk of the taxi. If you need to get out of the taxi after a bad interaction, a dishonest driver may demand more money before releasing the trunk! Your luggage will be held hostage.

Flying into Hanoi

Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport (airport code: HAN) is actually the largest in the country but handles far less passengers than Saigon. Noi Bai International Airport is the hub for Vietnam Airlines as well as low-cost carriers Vietjet and Jetstar Pacific.

All international flights come through the Terminal 2, opened in January 2015. Hanoi’s airport is located approximately 21 miles (around 35 kilometers) northeast of the city. If your hotel provides airport pickup, take advantage! Taxis can be an expensive nuisance to negotiate after a long flight.

Flying into Da Nang

A third option for entering Vietnam is to fly into Da Nang International Airport (airport code: DAD) from another point in Asia. The airport mostly handles traffic from Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan.

The only real advantage of flying into Da Nang is to begin roughly in the middle of Vietnam, within striking distance of two very popular tourist stops in Vietnam: Hue and Hoi An.

If time is short and getting some clothing made in the charming riverside town of Hoi An is your primary objective, flying into Da Nang may be the best choice. AirAsia operates flights to Da Nang from Kuala Lumpur.

Exiting Vietnam Through Saigon

Save yourself some last-minute hassle by arranging airport transportation through your hotel.The rate is usually about the same as you would pay for a taxi. But having a scheduled driver eliminates potential shenanigans from drivers who know you’ll pay a little extra if an international flight is on the line.

International flights depart Saigon through Terminal 2. Your driver may ask.

Vietnam Departure Tax

An international departure tax of US $14 for adults and US $7 for children is levied when you fly out of Vietnam.

Most airlines build the tax into the price of your ticket; you’ll never notice. If for some administrative reason the departure tax is not included in your ticket price, you’ll need to go to a counter to pay before allowed to get to the departure gate.

A departure tax of around US $2 is also added to domestic departures.

Departure Tip: Spend all of your Vietnamese dong before exiting the country. Exchanging Vietnamese dong after leaving Vietnam is nearly impossible. The currency is not useful outside of Vietnam. The airport in Hanoi does not have money-changing facilities on the other side of immigration. You’ll be stuck with whatever currency you have left!

Getting Around Vietnam

Getting around Vietnam has its challenges, however, costs are surprisingly cheap given the distances covered.

Vietnam’s oblong shape means that you’ll need to cross a lot of rice-growing regions to reach tourist stops strung out along the north-south route between Saigon and Hanoi.

Aside from the most expensive option of hiring a private car with driver, you have three primary options for getting around Vietnam: flights, buses, and trains. Foreigners are typically not allowed to rent or drive cars.

Although driving cars isn’t really an option, foreigners can get usually away with driving scooters in Vietnam without a Vietnamese license (technically, you are supposed to have one).

Before hitting the streets on two wheels, make sure you’ve got what it takes to contend in the famously congested roundabouts of Saigon or Hanoi. Even crossing the street on foot can be a challenge. Scooters are a great way to reach the sights in smaller places such as the sand dunes in Mui Ne. Lots of intrepid travelers even opt to drive motorbikes between Saigon and Hanoi (you can sell it back to someone planning to drive the other way).

Driving in Asia can be challenging, but driving in Vietnam takes the “excitement” to a whole new level!

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Mercedes GLC recalled in Vietnam

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More than 760 luxury Mercedes GLC vehicles are being recalled in  Vietnam over faulty airbags after reports that they may be prematurely deploying in several certain conditions.

According to Vietnam Register (VR), the recall campaign applies for models GLC 250 4MATIC and GLC 300 4MATIC manufactured between June 2017 and September 2017. Vietnam News  – a local media reported.

The affected vehicles will be checked and fixed for free at all dealers of Mercedes-Benz Company Ltd nationwide.

The recall started from July 16 to December 31, 2020.

This is the 10th Mercedes-Benz recall of vehicles related to airbags in Vietnam. Most recently in May this year, the Vietnam Register issued a notice recalling 284 Mercedes-Benz vehicles due to a mass error that led to the automatic airbag activation.

Vietnam wildlife animal: Where are they now?

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Vietnam is in a national species extinction crisis and has been for as long time, according to 2014 research by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Elephants are down to about 60 animals, tigers are almost certainly extinct, the giant ibis might already be gone – Reported by Asian Sentinel

The IUCN journal CATnews said in 2014 that the Javan rhinoceros, kouprey, hog deer and Bengal florican were driven to extinction during the late 20th century of military and political upheaval, and the 21st. They were exterminated during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Other species perilously close to being gone include the Asian elephant, giant ibis, and tiger. Vietnam is located in what biologists refer to as the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot and has a high rate of endemism, of species unique to defined geographic locations

It wasn’t always like this. Near the middle of the 20th century, before the outbreak of wars that lasted over the next three decades, Vietnam was considered by many hunters one of the best places for big game in Asia. Colonel Charles Askins in 1959, on the eve of decades of destruction, called it “one of the best game lands on the face of the earth.” So vast and unexplored was Vietnam’s wilderness that wildlife sightings weren’t limited to the confirmed zoological realm.

Tales about the nguoi rung or “forest man” date back to the time when a young Frenchman named Thomas Caraman washed up in Saigon in 1865 seeking fortune and glory. In his book Colonial Cambodia’s ‘Bad Frenchmen’ (2006) author Gregor Muller describes how soon after Caraman arrived in Vietnam he was preparing for “an expedition to a remote jungle location where someone had apparently sighted a savage tribe living in tree tops, whose members—half humans, half apes—still sported a tiny tail.”

Fast forward a few more decades and American soldiers fighting in Vietnam were reporting encounters with orangutan-like giant apes, according to Kregg P.J. Jorgenson in his 2001 book Very Crazy G.I.: Strange but True Stories of the Vietnam War. Biologists Jeffrey A. McNeely and Paul Spencer Wachtel describe a meeting in Soul of the Tiger (1988) with a former U.S. Vietnam War veteran who claimed that two soldiers in his platoon “had had their heads torn off by the powerful beast.”

So many anecdotal reports about this creature were reaching Hanoi from North Vietnamese Army combatants that the North Vietnam government asked the noted environmentalist and Professor Vo Quy to investigate (incidentally, I had been corresponding with Professor Vo Quy before his death in 2017 about nguoi rung reports in Chu Mom Ray National Park, and he was still enthusiastic about trying to find them in this area by way of remote camera-trapping; sadly, our plans never materialized).

Was this creature some relic species that was never catalogued? Is it the last population of Gigantopithecus, stirred from its final holdouts by the dropping of U.S. ordnance and chemical defoliants during the war? Could it have been homo erectus itself? Or were these sightings all just a big coincidence or some kind of mass hallucination? (The Saola and the Large-antlered muntjac weren’t known to science until 1993 and 1994 respectively, and they are large mammals that hail from the same Vietnamese mountains where stories of the nguoi rung come from).

I am not so concerned about the answers to these questions. What interests me is that there was once a landscape, a boundless rainforest with limestone crags, waterfalls, swift rivers, high peaks, and deep caves that was so vast and remote that it could be filled with mystery and stories like these. Rhinos, tigers, and elephants once swarmed in this landscape of possibilities, but what are we left with today?

Tenacious, indigenous Vietnamese and even foreign game hunters were killing wildlife for commercial purposes and trophies well before the country’s war with the United States, but it was that devastating conflict that was really the beginning of the end for Vietnam’s natural heritage. Napalm, chemical defoliants like agent orange, carpet-bombing, and ordnance of all sorts turned swaths of once-lush country into moonscapes.

Specially modified Rome Plows were used to tear down jungle, and machine guns left over from the war replaced cross-bows and blow-pipes, which greatly increased a hunter’s chances of hitting his quarry in the forest.

In the decades following the war, the Vietnamese and Chinese economies opened to the world, and with rising wealth both countries fueled massive domestic demand for wildlife products, exotic pets, luxury timber that denuded forests, hydroelectric power that dammed rivers and flooded valleys to produce electricity, and minerals in the ground such as bauxite for the production of a myriad of products. Vietnam’s natural heritage, it seems, will never be the same.

There are no more tigers, kouprey, or rhinoceros in the wild Vietnam today, and just a handful of elephants hang on. Birder friends tell me to forget about the Giant Ibis in Vietnam. It’s history. I asked some Vietnamese friends from Kontum province about the nguoi rung and they replied without a moment’s hesitation: “30-40 years ago, they still existed in the mountains, but they’re gone now. Everyone from Kontum knew about them, and our elders spoke of them when we were children.”

One conservationist informed me that it took his team six years to camera-trap a single wild pig in his study area in the Annamite Mountains, and that sadly, entire mountains have been denuded of animal life. Farther afield, the Song Doong Cave, which is perhaps the world’s largest, is threatened by a planned cable car that would take tourists for a ride into the cave’s delicate ecosystem. Is all hope lost?

Maybe not. Last year a new “stone frog” species was discovered in the country, and a new species of tea plant was recently uncovered in central Vietnam. The country’s infamous bear bile farms may be closing, a new elephant protection area is being establish in Quang Nam province, while a “mysterious” and unknown herd of Asian elephants recently emerged from a forest in southern Vietnam. Efforts are also underway to save the Critically Endangered saola from extinction with the creation of a special breeding program, and NGOs such as PRCF Foundation are fighting hard to protect rare primates such as the Francois’ Langur, and the Douc Langur Foundation battles to save the beautiful doucs.

And after all, while Vietnam’s natural heritage has been heavily hammered by war, hunting, and economic development schemes, the rest of the planet isn’t doing that much better: it estimated that Earth is on track to lose two-thirds of its wild animals by 2020. That’s 18 months from now. Throughout history, the Vietnamese have proven time and again to be a resilient people, expelling the Chinese, Genghis Kahn, the French, and the Americans—and also deposing the Khmer Rouge’s Pol Pot in about two weeks flat. Perhaps their resilient and tough spirit can be a source of hope in protecting what remains of their amazing natural heritage.

Continue reading “Vietnam wildlife animal: Where are they now?”

Vietnam to feel the ripples of the Yuan rout

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China’s currency may have stabilized, but the pain is spreading.

Think the latest yuan rout is over? Tell that to Vietnam.

According to a report by Shuli Ren on Bloomberg, the slide in China’s currency paused this week after jawboning by the central bank, which told commercial lenders it has the tools to stabilize the market and urged them to avoid “herd behavior,” Bloomberg News reported Tuesday. But the ripples of the yuan’s 4.7 percent drop this year may be just starting to spread to the country’s neighbors.

The Vietnamese dong has been moving steadily closer to the edge of its 3 percent daily trading band against the dollar over the past two weeks, as traders bet on faster depreciation.

Under Pressure

Vietnam’s currency traders are pushing the dong close to its daily 3 percent trading band again

State Bank of Vietnam guided the official rate 1.1 percent lower this year, causing a 2.7 percent fall in the market rate. Like the yuan, the dong is loosely pegged to the dollar.

Currency traders are speculating on further declines, having seen how Vietnam has reacted in the past when the yuan has slumped. On Aug. 12, 2015, one day after China jolted global markets with a sudden yuan devaluation, Vietnam widened the dong’s trading band. The currency ended the year with 3 percent depreciation in the official exchange rate, and a 5.1 percent drop in the market rate.

The retreat in the dong’s market rate this year is little more than half the slump in the currency of its bigger neighbor, suggesting further depreciation is possible – particularly if the yuan resumes its decline.

It’s unclear how serious China is about stemming the yuan’s slide. Instead of deploying its $3 trillion of foreign-exchange reserves to sell the dollar, Beijing has largely been using onshore currency swaps to stabilize the spot rate. That’s a less effective tool because traders can simply place bearish bets offshore instead.

Vietnamese traders may also be skeptical of China’s rhetoric. On July 3, People’s Bank of China Governor Yi Gang said the country would “keep the yuan exchange rate basically stable at a reasonable and balanced level.” The currency fell more than 2.5 percent in the ensuing month. The yuan is the worst performer of 12 major Asian currencies against the dollar in the past month.

Near the Cliff

The yuan depreciated 3.1 percent against the dollar over the past month, the most among major Asian currencies

State Bank of Vietnam may be forced to yield. In just one week in July, it sold more than $2 billion to banks to meet demand for the dollar, the Saigon Times reported. It’s unclear how much the central bank has shelled out since to prop up the dong. At this rate, it will quickly erode the $12 billion of foreign reserves painstakingly built up last year.

Vietnam is more reluctant to countenance depreciation this time around. Unlike in 2015, inflation is now a problem, with the consumer price index blowing past the central bank’s 4 percent target rate for two months in a row.

Vietnam is Southeast Asia’s most open economy on some measures, with imports accounting for almost 100 percent of GDP. As a result, it’s more vulnerable to price pressures. A 1 percentage point fall in the dong could lead to a 0.25 percentage point increase in headline inflation, HSBC Holdings Plc estimates.

Vietnam’s inflation rate has edged above the central bank’s 4 percent target

Two years ago, it took a dovish Federal Reserve to release the pressure on the yuan. Vietnam can’t count on that now, with the U.S. central bank determined not to overheat an already strong economy.

If the market pressure persists, Vietnam will be forced into grudging rate increases, like its Southeast Asian peers Indonesia and the Philippines.

It had better hope the PBOC means what it says.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

To contact the author of this story: Shuli Ren at sren38@bloomberg.net

Vietnamese restaurant opens in Huntington, WV, USA

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A new Vietnamese restaurant opened in downtown Huntington on Wednesday.

According to a report on herald-dispatch.com, Pho U & Mi, located at 1451 3rd Ave. in the former Clean Eatz building, specializes in pho and banh mi and other specialty food and drinks. Pho is a Vietnamese soup that is a staple of Vietnamese cuisine and culture.

“Our bread is baked fresh daily,” said new owner Alex Phan. “At Pho U & Mi we offer quick lunch sandwiches with Vietnamese food, along with a few house specialty dishes, including pho (beef noodle soup) or chicken noodle soup. We also serve rice with curry chicken, as well as wok bang beef with rice. For those who like spicy food, and we have noodle beef stew.”

Phan said the restaurant also will feature appetizers, such as egg rolls, spring rolls and crab rangoon.

“We also offer boba tea of some of the famous flavors,” Phan said. “We also have fruit smoothies to cool you down during these hot summer days.”

The restaurant currently has five employees, but it is still hiring.

Pho U & Mi is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 11:30 a.m to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

A grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 18, with Hot Rod Grille being the DJ for the event.

“The DJ will be playing top 40 and some country music during lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m. during dinner,” Phan said.

For more information, call 681-888-5338 or 304-763-1763.

Not only in Vietnam, people also eating dog meat in the UK

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Call for a ban on people eating dog meat in the UK

Would you eat dog meat?

According to a report by Imran Rahman – Jones Newsbeat reporter on BBC, UK law says that you can’t buy or sell dog meat, but if you humanely kill a dog you own, you can eat it.

But there have been calls to make it illegal, including from SNP MP Dr Lisa Cameron who believes the public would be “right behind legislation calling for a ban”.

A spokesman for the prime minister says the UK has some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world and “we wish to maintain that”.

Dr Cameron is the chair of the All-party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group.

She told Newsbeat she wants a law banning eating dog meat to be passed quickly, adding: “I don’t imagine that there will be any party in parliament which would stand against that.”

This is one of eight dogs which was brought to the UK after being rescued from a farm in South Korea

A ban is also backed by Foreign Office minister and Conservative MP Sir Alan Duncan who told the Sun it is “absolutely right”.

Dr Cameron says there has been a rise in the consumption of dog meat in the UK, but two animal welfare organisations that Newsbeat spoke to say that they don’t have evidence for this.

The World Dog Alliance says it doesn’t know if there are people in the UK who eat dog meat – but still wants it to be made illegal.

Humane Society International told Newsbeat it has “never come across any evidence to suggest that dog meat is being consumed in the UK”.

Some countries in Asia eat dogs such as Vietnam, South Korea, and it is also said to happen in Switzerland, although it isn’t widespread.

Animal organisations claim that some dogs which are eaten in other countries are stolen pets, are kept in horrible conditions and are tortured before they’re killed.

Dr Lisa Cameron is an SNP MP for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow

Kike Yuen is project executive at the World Dog Alliance, based in Hong Kong, which campaigns to promote laws on banning dog meat consumption around the world.

The organisation has been lobbying for a similar law in the US. There have been few reported cases of people eating dog in the country.

Proposals for a law banning eating dog meat in America is currently working its way through US Congress.

“The reason why we did the legislation in the United States is because we found that there are some Asian immigrants eating dogs there,” Kike told Newsbeat.

He adds: “We are worried that it is going to happen in the UK.”

This dog was rescued from a farm in South Korea

Humane Society International runs campaigns to end the dog meat trade in countries including Indonesia, China and South Korea.

Spokesperson Wendy Higgins says she “wouldn’t want anyone to think that dog meat eating is rife in the UK or that it has anything to do with the number of people that we have living in this country from Asia”.

She added: “Most people across Asia are united in wanting to see an end to the dog meat trade and I don’t see numbers of people from Asia in the United Kingdom having any impact on that whatsoever.”

Despite there being no evidence that people in the UK eat dogs, Dr Cameron said “the government has to take action to nip it in the bud”.

She added: “I think it’s a concern if it is happening at all, no matter where it is happening. I’m not aware that it’s linked with any particular groups in terms of research outcome.”

Theresa May’s official spokesman said: “The commercial trade in dog meat in the UK is illegal, but we will look closely at the decision taken in the US.

“Britain is a nation of animal lovers and we continue to have some of the highest animal welfare standards in the world.

“We wish to maintain that.”

Banks won’t get higher credit limits

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The State Bank of Việt Nam (SBV) will not adjust upward credit growth limits for commercial banks, except in some special cases, for the rest of the year, SBV Governor Lê Minh Hưng said.

The special cases are banks that have been required by the SBV to support ailing credit institutions in their restructuring in 2018, Hưng said.

According to current regulations, SBV sets a credit growth limit for each commercial bank depending on the bank’s health at the beginning of the year. This is done to control credit growth for the entire banking system and to support Government targets.

Earlier, many banks said they were hoping for higher credit limits as they had already used up most, if not all, of their assigned quota for the year.

The central bank’s target this year was to expand lending by a maximum of 17 per cent, lower than the 18.17 per cent recorded last year.

Experts believed that the credit slowdown would allow banks to pay more attention to credit quality and credit risk management.

To control the credit quality, SBV also required banks to focus their lending on production, business and priority sectors such as agriculture businesses, firms producing goods for export, small- and medium-sized enterprises, enterprises operating in auxiliary industries and hi-tech enterprises including startups.

They must strictly control lending to sectors with high potential risks such as real estate, securities, consumption, build-operate-transfer (BOT) and build-transfer (BT) projects to promptly detect any problems. — VNS

Japan arrests three Vietnamese nationals after massive shoplifting haul

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A shopper (L) checks items inside a shoes shop in Tokyo, Japan. Photo by Reuters/Issei Kato

Japanese police have arrested three Vietnamese nationals after discovering 1,700 stolen items in a house in Saitama Prefecture.

The three arrested persons are all unemployed. One of them has been identified as Pham Trong Ha, 26, Japan’s Sankei newspaper reported on Monday.

Police from Ishikawa Prefecture busted the trio following the discovery of the 1,700 shoplifted items, about 300 of which were medicines and cosmetics, in Ha’s house in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture.

The goods are suspected to have been shoplifted by several Vietnamese groups before being stored in Ha’s house, from where they would be shipped to Vietnam for sale.

Ha’s criminal activities were uncovered following statements by another unnamed Vietnamese shoplifter that Ishikawa Prefecture Police had arrested in May, the Sankei report said.

Ha has confessed to knowing that the items stored in his house were most likely stolen goods.

Vietnamese expats in Japan have committed more crimes than any other foreign non-permanent residents living in the country last year, according to Kyodo News.

Police recorded 5,140 crimes committed by Vietnamese people in 2017, up from 3,177 the year before, accounting for 30.2 percent of the total number of crimes committed by foreign nationals.

Shoplifting was the dominant crime, with 2,037 cases, while burglary jumped to 325 in 2017 from just 12 the previous year.

Vietnamese have surpassed Brazilians to become the fourth biggest minority group in Japan after the number of non-permanent residents in the country grew more than six-fold between 2008 and 2017, when it reached about 260,000 – Vnexpress reported.

Little Saigon or Viet Town? Debate Over Naming Cultural District in Boston Neighborhood

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A group is trying to bring cultural district status to historic Fields Corner in Dorchester, hoping to rename it ‘Little Saigon’ or ‘Viet Town’ to reflect Vietnamese roots

Khang Nguyen, a major voice serving the Vietnamese in one of Boston’s largest neighborhoods, is part of a group trying to bring cultural district status to Dorchester, which means it could be officially called “Little Saigon” or “Viet Town.” Jonathan Choe and Kaitlin McKinley Becker reported on NECN.

There’s a name debate going on in one of Boston’s largest neighborhoods.

A group is trying to bring cultural district status to the historic Fields Corner, considered to be one of the most ethnically diverse areas in Dorchester.

Khang Nguyen is a major voice serving this emerging inter-generational community through his weekly online videos. He’s also vice president of the Vietnamese-American Civic Association of Massachusetts where he helps many refugees and immigrants who fled the tiny Southeast Asian country after the war.

By his organization’s estimates, there are now nearly 5,000 Vietnamese living in Dorchester alone, and more than 100 establishments, including restaurants, grocery stores, a senior center, and a cosmetology school, are all owned and operated by Vietnamese entrepreneurs.

Nguyen says it’s now time for the Fields Corner commercial district to reflect this majority.

“We want the name, that will prove it is current to this situation,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen is part of the working group trying to bring cultural district status to the area, which means it could officially be called “Little Saigon” or possibly “Viet Town” to reflect his people’s roots.

“Just to be clear, we are not renaming Fields Corner or everything that says Dorchester,” said Boston City Councilor at-large Michelle Wu, who is helping all the community stakeholders navigate through this process that is now getting a bit complicated. “We just saw it the year before in Jamaica Plain with a district now called Boston’s Latin Quarter.”

But not everyone agrees with the proposed name change to reflect Vietnamese roots.

Candice Gartley, who leads the All Dorchester Sports League, a non-profit serving the part of Fields Corner that isn’t of a Vietnamese majority, says, “Many of our kids come from Geneva Avenue. African Americans, Cape Verdeans.”

After flooding, Vietnamese diocese urges aid for victims

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In this photo taken on July 22, 2018, a village is submerged in flood water in the suburb of Hanoi, Vietnam. Flooding triggered by tropical storm Son Tinh has killed at least 20 people and left over a dozen missing in northern Vietnam.(Credit: Vietnam News Agency via AP.)

Heavy rains have caused flooding in northern and north-central Vietnam, and officials of the local Church are encouraging aid for those affected. The Crux reported.

Father Paul Nguyễn Quốc Anh, director of Caritas in the Diocese of Hưng Hóa, has challenged laity and religious to buy food, water, and medicine for the flood and landside victims, “for Catholics and non-Catholics,” AsiaNews reported.

Continuous rains from July 23 – Aug. 6 have led to flooding around Sơn Tây which has killed at least 28 people. Eleven people are missing, buildings, roads and bridges have collapsed, and agriculture has been severely affected.

Hà Văn Huyên, the leader of a village in the Yên Bái province, recalled the devastating moment of a flash flood.

“At first I saw that the flow of water was very small,” he told AsiaNews. “Then, the water started flowing in waves. Five minutes later, the water rose more and more. When I saw the danger, I screamed for people to escape. After only an hour, this huge flood appeared, about ten metres high and wiped out many houses.”

Also damaged in the flood was the Sùng Đô chapel in the Nghĩa Lộ District. The church’s pastor, Father Joseph Nguyễn Trọng Dưỡng, described the damages to his parishioners, which is largely made up of H’Mông people.

“About 20 families have lost their homes and their rice paddies. The family of Mr Cứ A Chu, who has 13 children, lost home, rice field and gardens. People have little rice left to eat and unclean spring water to drink.”

On July 27, Auxiliary Bishop Alsphonse Nguyễn Hữu Long of Hưng Hóa visited the small mountain community of Sùng and the missionary area in Tả Phời. The areas are notably poor and remote. The bishop encouraged the residents to persevere during this difficult time.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 prices leaked after getting listed in Vietnam

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It seems that the leaks of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 won’t end till before the launch. In the latest leak just hours before the Unpacked event that is taking place today, the company itself has spilt the beans and revealed the price of the phone.

According to a report on Firstpost.com, with most of the alleged specifications of the device being out due to the various leaks, we probably can expect what the phone would be like.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Image: Tech2

Also, the Galaxy Note 9 has been flaunted through teasers by the company itself.Galaxy Note 9 was spotted being listed for pre-order in Vietnam which showed off the device’s price as well as some gifts like a complementary pair of premium AKG N60NC wireless headphones that are bundled with it. But these pre-order gifts might differ from region to region.

Leaked prices of the Galaxy Note 9. Image: Phone Arena

The screenshots of the listings have been taken out by Phone Arena, but the pre-order page has vanished just before the launch. No surprises there!

These listings show the 128 GB and 512 GB variants of the smartphone as per the screenshots. Also,  Slashleaks has locked down the leak pre-order page, but still it hasn’t been completely taken off.

Leaked prices of the Galaxy Note 9. Image: Phone Arena

These screenshots reveal that the Galaxy Note 9 is priced at VND 2,50,00,000 which comes to roughly Rs 73,700 for the 128 GB internal storage variant. The 512 GB variant is priced at VND 2,94,90,000 which comes to about Rs 87,000.

The prices seem to fall in line with the previous rumours, even though prices in all the markets differ.

Leaked prices of the Galaxy Note 9. Image: Phone Arena

As per the report in PhoneArena, along with the all-new S Pen, the device is said to be packed with a free fast charge wireless charging stand, USB C to HDMI adapter for DeX support, clear view cover and a JBL Inspire 700 wireless sports headphones. But as mentioned before these might differ for different regions.

Now to get the official details you can check out the Unpacked event on Twitter, Facebook or visit the Samsung Newsroom.

Ten-digit phone numbers not affected by network code shift

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Cell phone subscribers with 10-digit phone numbers will reportedly not be affected by the coming two network code shifts in mid-September of this year and July of next year, officials said.

According to a report on  SGT, The Ministry of Information and Communications had previously launched a plan to switch mobile subscribers from 11-digit phone numbers to 10-digit ones, which will take effect on September 15. Subscribers with 11-digit phone numbers for human-to-human (H2H) communication will have their numbers converted to 10-digit ones, with new network codes dependent on the carrier they register with.

Meanwhile, current subscribers with 10-digit phone numbers will see no changes during the second network code shift and will continue using machine-to-machine (M2M) communication between July 1, 2019, and December 31, 2019.

In particular, users who insert 10-digit SIM cards into smart connecting devices, such as power meters and car black boxes, will shift to using the new M2M network code. In the second shift, mobile carriers will work with their customers to recall their 10-digit phone numbers and concurrently apply the prefix 1x for M2M subscribers.

The 10-digit mobile phone numbers beginning with 09x will be offered to H2H human users only, which means the numbers will be used by humans, not machines.

In the coming time, local mobile network carriers VinaPhone, MobiFone and Viettel will establish systems for managing M2M subscribers only, with the aim of helping customers take the initiative to supervise the operations of SIM cards inserted into M2M devices, including measurement and navigation devices.

According to the Telecom Department under the ministry, after local carriers switch 11-digit numbers to 10-digit ones, mobile phone numbers with the prefix 01x will then be applied to M2M subscribers.

M2M subscribers refer to devices used for transmitting and receiving data and text messages, while H2H subscribers are customers who register for mobile subscriptions for daily human communication.

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DHL eCommerce and DHL Express in Vietnam Advances Efforts to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade

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In order to help combat the shipping and transport of illegal wildlife products, TRAFFIC, through the USAID-funded Wildlife Trafficking Response, Assessment and Priority Setting (Wildlife TRAPS) Project, delivered a capacity building workshop today for staff at DHL eCommerce and DHL Express in Viet Nam to learn how they can play a key role in helping prevent the trafficking of wildlife – Reported by Traffic News.

The workshop covered the local and global implications of wildlife trafficking crimes, the role of the CITES convention in regulating the international wildlife trade, common wildlife trafficking trade routes, the modes and methods used by wildlife traffickers for shipping illegal products, and risks to the transport and logistics sector. During the workshop, participants discussed potential vulnerable points along their supply chains in Viet Nam and ways to strengthen their company’s operations, staff and customers’ awareness, and reporting mechanisms for wildlife trafficking. Last October, TRAFFIC and DHL convened another workshop for DHL staff in Ho Chi Minh.

It has become critically important for DHL to work together as a Group to identify the smuggling of live animals and their parts and derivatives through cargo, post and express channels, and to ascertain actions to reduce these risks. Our cohesive effort towards cutting off transportation links of these products to buyers is a small but important step towards ending illegal wildlife trade on a global scale

“This training is useful as we know that wildlife is transported [through courier companies]. We want our staff to know how to check shipments for animals. This is really important for our day to day work.” – Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, Central Hub Manager, North, DHL eCommerce Viet Nam

Following the workshop, staff were awarded certificates of participation along with informational resources for further learning. In the coming months, TRAFFIC will continue to provide technical guidance to DHL in Viet Nam to support the implementation of those action points identified during the event.

“Criminal networks take advantage of the connectivity and ease of online marketplaces and commercial transport supply chains to smuggle illegal wildlife and DHL in Viet Nam is setting in motion strategies to protect themselves from this to happen through their business. The Deutsche Post DHL Group is already a signatory of the United for Wildlife Transport Taskforce Buckingham Palace Declaration, so this workshop could be seen as another practical step in helping to implement those high-level commitments” said TRAFFIC’s Monica Zavagli, Wildlife TRAPS Senior Project Officer.

Viet Nam ranks fourth in wildlife trafficking instances through the air transport sector[1] globally, and is the second most common destination (after China) for the trafficking of rhino horns. In recent years, Viet Nam has been on the front lines of many large-scale illegal wildlife seizures, intercepting shipments of rhino horn, ivory, leopard skins, and pangolin scales, among other commonly traded wildlife products.

This was the second workshop in the past month between TRAFFIC and DHL around strengthening in-country supply chains against wildlife trafficking. The first was held with staff in Bangkok, Thailand in late July, and also focused on local capacity building.

Many in the transportation sector are recognising the need to take action against wildlife trafficking. Recently, Etihad developed a new 20-minute online module designed to inform its employees of the business risks associated with the illegal wildlife trade and ways to prevent them. In addition, the USAID Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered Species (ROUTES) Partnership has conducted trainings across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia to train airport and airline employees in key wildlife trafficking hubs.

Continue reading “DHL eCommerce and DHL Express in Vietnam Advances Efforts to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade”

Difficult question for VN Central Bank: Curbing interest, inflation rate

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The government of Vietnam wants to keep the interest rate low and stable in order to encourage economic sectors to expand business, thus helping economic growth.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) had to sell more than $2 billion last week. The move, as analysts commented, shows that foreign capital flow in the market is getting weaker.

Foreign portfolio investment is believed to be the major driving force which helped keep the dong/dollar exchange rate stable in 2017 and the first half of 2018.

However, US policies have prompted international investors to withdraw capital from emerging markets.

Analysts stressed that the rapid depreciation of the dong in recent days must not be entirely blamed on foreign capital flow or foreign currency supply-demand imbalance. This was mostly caused by the expectations of the national economy.

The expectations come from outside factors. The China-US trade war is likely to spread and turn into a currency war. The US FED continues its policy on raising the interest rate which may last to 2019 and even to 2020. As a result, many currencies have depreciated sharply against the greenback.

Vietnam’s businesses fear that the fluctuations would have a big impact on the value of the dong in the future. And they have every reason to worry, based on the dong valuation by SBV on a basket of eight currencies, including Euro, Japanese JPY, Chinese CNY, Thai THB, Taiwanese TWD, Korean KRW, Singaporean SGD and US dollar.

To protect themselves, businesses have been implementing hedging operations by buying foreign currencies forward in order to satisfy demand for payment obligations in the future.

Interest rate under pressure

The central bank’s sale of $2 billion means that VND46 trillion was withdrawn from the banking system last week. The interbank interest rate immediately soared by 2 percent over the week before.

In principle, the demand for cash in the national economy tends to increase rapidly toward the final months of the year. Therefore, dong withdrawal from circulation would affect banks’ liquidity.

Meanwhile, the CPI (consumer price index) is under pressure to increase in upcoming months.

The interbank interest rate hike, plus the pressure on inflation, will both force commercial banks to raise the deposit interest rates to mobilize more capital.

VP Bank and Eximbank were the first banks to lift their deposit interest rates, though the increases were not that high.

According to a report on Vietnamnet

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