The sky’s the limit for VietJet as Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao contends with business class company.
The founder of Vietnam’s rising budget carrier VietJet has joined German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May on the 2017 list of the 100 most powerful women in the world compiled by Forbes magazine.
Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao secured 55th spot in the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women 2017 ranking and was the only Vietnamese entry on the list.
Thao jumped seven spots from last year, when she was also the only Vietnamese woman on the list.
Forbes compiles the list based on assets, impact, spheres of influence and media presence.
According to the magazine, Thao, the richest woman in Vietnam, has an estimated net worth of $1.93 billion, eclipsing the figure of $1.2 billion it counted in March.
Thao launched VietJet in 2011. Her “bikini” airline, nicknamed after its unique yet controversial promotion scheme of putting female crew in bikinis on some flights, now offers 300 flights a day, or more than 40 percent of the country’s flights, with a fleet of 45 jets.
She also has investments in the banking and real estate sectors, including three beach resorts.
In May, Bloomberg reported that the Hanoi-based VietJet Aviation Joint Stock Co. was in talks to become the first Vietnamese company to list on an overseas stock exchange.
“We’ve been approached by some foreign stock exchanges including London, Hong Kong and Singapore, which expressed their interest in our stock,” Thao was quoted as saying in the report.
According to Bloomberg, VietJet reportedly received shareholder approval in April to boost its foreign ownership limit to 49 percent from 30 percent.
Thao studied the business models at other budget carriers such as Southwest, Ryan Air and AirAsia before launching her own airline, a year after a plan to open a joint venture with AirAsia fell through. Thao and her husband own a majority stake in VietJet through their firm, Sovico Holdings.
She told Bloomberg in an interview a year ago that she has plans to make VietJet a global airline. “We want to make VietJet the Emirates of Asia.”
Thao said the rapid ascent of her business has not been easy. “I studied and I did my research. It was a lot of hard work, and to be successful you need to be passionate about the business that you invest in,” she told CNBC.
Aside from Thao, two women from Singapore and one from Myanmar are the only others from Southeast Asia to make the Forbes list.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel retains the top spot for the seventh consecutive year. She is followed by U.K. Prime Theresa May and Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Besides improving the quality of education, Nguyen Tat Thanh University (NTTU) is aiming to provide a learning environment that meets both domestic and international standards, with millions of dollars set to be channeled into three separate projects.
The Ho Chi Minh City-based NTTU is determined to achieve the top rank amongst research universities in Vietnam, and to gain regional recognition among Southeast Asian countries by 2020, with a conducive learning environment that promotes creativity and innovation.
To do this, NTTU has made a US$88 million investment in three projects at Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP) in District 9, including the NTT Hi-Tech Development Center, NTT Hi-Tech Training Center, and Millennium Park.
SHTP is a quickly evolving science and engineering zone in suburban Ho Chi Minh City that includes R&D facilities and the manufacturing factories of large companies, corporations and startups.
State of the art
The NTT Hi-Tech Development Center covers 4.7 hectares of land at SHTP. Construction began in August 2015 with a budget of $48 million.
The property includes the Scientific Institute of Health, the Institute of Pharmacy Research, the Institute of Construction and Architecture, and the Institute of Environment and Biotechnology.
There is also the Institute of Computational Studies, the Institute of Society-Based Training, the Institute of Business-Student Relations, a database center and library, as well as several roof top gardens.
Upon completion, the Hi-Tech Development Center is meant to attract leading scientists and to devise applicable technological products, contributing to the scientific advancement of Vietnam.
The Hi-Tech Training Center, which has received $22 million in funding, is being established to cater for the training of over 3,000 students per year, incorporating immense lecture halls, classrooms, labs, libraries, canteens, and sports zones.
The center will also conform to international standards of technology education and other related areas.
Adopting a business-oriented approach, the Hi-Tech Training Center will help enhance the expertise and skills of technicians, specialists, and management officials.
The remaining funding will go to Millennium Park, whose construction began in 2015 and is expected to be completed this year.
The 23ha park includes a garden, a science park, a main square, a nature museum, and hi-tech agricultural greenhouses.
This pioneering community project is intended to connect SHTP and its neighboring residential areas, by disseminating scientific knowledge to locals and serving as a cultural and entertainment hub.
Five-star infrastructure
The three projects outlined above are in line with NTTU’s Education 4.0 approach. The university sets its sights on internationally standardized infrastructure, massive undergraduate education, empowering the workforce, and an active and practical learning environment.
From its beginning, NTTU has invested heavily in its facilities. According to QS-Stars (a UK-based rating system that provides rankings for universities around the globe), the school’s infrastructure earns five stars, solid proof of the university’s emphasis on its facilities.
Reports reveal that NTTU spends millions of dollars on investment and reinvestment every year. Currently the school has eight premises, costing more than $88 million and covering almost 100,000m² of ground.
NTTU has also just launched a new campus in An Phu Dong, District 12 on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City.
With $26 million in funding, the campus aims to accommodate the training of 15,000 students with equipment that meets global standards.
Amazon Web Services (AWS), a subsidiary of Amazon.com, is proceeding its ambitious business plan in Vietnam following Alibaba’s footsteps in the field of cloud computing services.
At the recent press conference in Hanoi, the firm’s spokesperson presented digital and web services specifically built for the Vietnamese market as well as walked delegates through the firm’s strategies to approach customers in the country.
Paul Chen, AWS’s head of solutions architect in the ASEAN, noted that the establishment of the new office in Vietnam could speed up the performance of projects which in turn benefits customer services.
Amazon.com was founded in 1995 with the intent of becoming a world-leading customer-oriented company, where anyone could browse and explore anything they wish to purchase online.
Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, founded the business only to create a digital space for books and reading material transactions.
According to newswire Forbes, Jeff is recently reported to be the wealthiest person in the world.
Since day one, technological innovations have been ensuring Amazon’s persistent growth in business performance, which enabled the firm to deliver products with greater diversity, maximum convenience, and at lower costs.
When Amazon diversified the firm’s portfolio of product categories, the targeted market segments also broadened.
AWS supplies cloud-based infrastructure services based on Amazon’s back-end technology platform.
Paul also highlighted that after years of fruitful investments in key regions such as the US, India, and China, AWS has set eyes on new up-and-coming markets in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam.
In particular, in the field of communications and media, AWS provides open-ended, highly reliable, and secure cloud-based computing services which allow media firms and publishers to cut down on expenses in information technology (IT), boost operating performance, and publish content on a global scale.
With transferring, storing, and publishing content on the virtual cloud, AWS enables cutbacks in IT investment for media firms as well as relocating human resources to content creation and customer support.
Besides, AWS also caters a streaming application and over-the-top media services (OTT) that allows streaming content providers to sell media services like audios and videos directly to consumers, which has great potential in Vietnam.
Huge businesses in Vietnam like Masan, Vietjet Air, and VTV Go as well as international giants like Samsung, Coca Cola, HTC, Vodafone, and LG have subscribed to AWS’ services. Vietnamese television station (VTV) utilises services supplied by AWS to broadcast nine television channels on the Internet.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Amazon has set up more than 20 representative offices in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Australia, Japan, Korea, and China with the objective of supporting the firm’s fast-growing clientele and system of partners all over the world.
Amazon Web Services is a subsidiary of Amazon.com that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms to individuals, companies, and governments.
The mid-tier smartphone market segment is dominated by Samsung and Oppo in Vietnam.
Reports show that models priced at VND3-7 million are bestsellers and bring high turnover to manufacturers.
According to The Gioi Di Dong (Mobile World), the largest smartphone distribution chain in Vietnam, the mid-range, not the high-end segment, is the major battlefield for smartphone manufacturers in 2017.
In the high-end market segment, there are two rivals – Samsung and Apple. The mid-end market has popular models from Samsung, Apple, Oppo, Sony, HTC, Mobiistar, Motorola and Nokia. To attract more buyers, mid-end phones have new features and high technologies such as dual cameras and fingerprint sensors.
Samsung and Oppo are the two biggest rivals in the market with Oppo focusing only on the mid-end segment.
Oppo’s F1s, A37 and A39 and Samsung’s J2, J3, J5 and J7 models are on the lists of bestsellers at FPT Shop and The Gioi Di Dong, the two largest distribution chains in Vietnam. Apple’s previous-generation models are also on the list at various times.
Samsung, Oppo and Apple still are the best known brands in Vietnam. However, analysts predict that the market structure may see big changes in the time to come.
Vivo, a new face, unexpectedly appeared on FPT Shop’s list of 10 bestsellers in the third quarter of 2017.
Huawei launched Nova 2i, a mid-tier model with four cameras and the latest features. The model has retail price of VND5.99 million, which analysts say is ‘surprisingly low’ compared with its configuration, features and associated gifts, which were offered only to high-end product buyers in the past.
Sources said 5,000 orders for Nova 2i have been placed at The Gioi Di Dong, an impressive figure usually achieved by the three big players Samsung, Oppo and Apple.
After Huawei introduced the model, Mobiistar cut the retail price of Prime X Max, the best model of the manufacturer, from VND6.789 million to VND5.99 million.
Vivo and Huawei are the first to sell models with infinity display screens in the mid-end market segment in Vietnam.
Oppo plans to launch F5, also with infinity display screen, on November 4. Analysts commented that it would have to consider the pricing strategy thoroughly once Nova 2i is priced at below VND6 million.
Analysts said Nokia and Vietnamese brands could also be a big rival to the big players.
Thousands of the youthful generation flocked to Bui Vien and De Tham Streets in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City for a Halloween celebration on October 30.
Bui Vien, Pham Ngu Lao, and De Tham Streets were packed with people on October 30 night.
Western streets (or streets of foreign visitors) in Ho Chi Minh City are decorated with skeletons and other peculiar things.
A baby cries, uneasy in the busy crowds.
A man tries to work his way through the crowds on Bui Vien Street to sell masks costing US$2.27-9.09 (VND50,000-200,000) each.
Many restaurants are decorated with pumpkins and ghostly figures.
A large number of youths spend time creating elaborate costumes.
Foreigners join the Halloween celebration on Bui Vien Street.
A girl dresses up as a devil, scaring passers-by.
On De Tham Street.
Youngsters get very excited about Halloween.
A girl wears an angel costume. She poses with anyone wishing to take photographs for US$0.45.
A young man lights a firework, attracting devils to the bustling street.
Customers dress up as devils to purchase goods in grocery stores and mini supermarkets.
Ngo Ba Ngoc and a group of painters offer face painting for guests on Bui Vien Street at US$1.36 (VND30,000) each.
A lot of young people prefer masks costing US$2.72-4.54 (VND60,000-100,000) each.
Coffee shops are packed full of visitors.
Apart from Bui Vien Street, youngsters gather in groups and descend upon Nguyen Hue Street, parks and commercial centres to surprise people.
Major train stations in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and the central city of Da Nang will pilot an automatic ticket system this month.
The new system has been installed, with ten automatic ticket gates at Hanoi station, three gates at Da Nang station, and five gates at Ho Chi Minh City station.
The move aims to upgrade train service quality, providing a more convenient and friendly service and ensuring security at the stations, according to the State-run Vietnam Railways, which manages the country’s north-to-south railway line. More new carriages will be added by the end of this year for the same goal, it said.
Train passengers can scan their printed or electronic tickets at these automatic ticket gates to enter platforms and board trains. To support passengers using the new technology, train staff will be on duty to provide help, especially to the elderly, the disabled, and pregnant women.
There are also some changes in ticket checks, with conductors no longer checking tickets before passengers board a carriage. At other railway stations, such as Lao Cai, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Dong Hoi, Hue, Nha Trang, and Dieu Tri, passengers now present their tickets before passing through the gate.
There will be waiting areas in front of gates for relatives, friends, or people coming to the stations to farewell or pick up passengers.
The new ticket system is expected to be introduced at other stations if the pilot proves successful.
The Vietnam Dong (VND) is among the most stable currencies in Asia this year, said the US-based Bloomberg News, echoed by similar views from Vietnamese economists who were confident that the stability would remain until the year end thanks to the economy’s positive signs.
The currency has been kept stable, weakening about 1 percent against the US Dollar since the start of this year. An increase in remittances was behind this, said Can Van Luc, a member of the National Financial and Monetary Advisory Council.
Remittances from Vietnamese living abroad were worth 13.4 billion USD in 2016, up 3 percent from the previous year, according to latest statistics by the World Bank. The remittances are forecast to grow 5-7 percent to exceed 14 billion USD this year, taking Vietnam to the top 15 countries with the biggest remittances, he noted.
The rising remittances have helped the country ensure enough dollar supply to meet the domestic demand and allowed the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to boost forex reserves. “Such a high level of foreign reserves will allow us to step in to stabilize the money market when needed”, said SBV deputy governor Nguyen Thi Hong on the sidelines of a meeting last month.
The central bank has adopted a more market-based management mechanism with reference exchange rates set on a daily basis since January 2016 in its effort to maintain the Vietnam Dong’s value.
Luc added that surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) has also helped stablise the currency. The Ministry of Planning and Investment’s Foreign Investment Agency reported that Vietnam drew in 28.24 billion USD in FDI in the first 10 months of this year, 12 percent higher than the country’s yearly target of 25 billion USD. The FDI disbursement was estimated at 14.2 billion USD during the period, up 11.8 percent year-on-year.
In addition, Vietnam has also witnessed a growth in foreign indirect investment over the past several years. Foreign investors have poured 4.2 billion USD into the local stock market in the first three quarters of the year, a 3-fold increase from 2016, according to Director of the Business Development Institute Le Xuan Nghia.
Ho Chi Minh City led the way in both FDI attractions and remittances. The southern economic hub lured around 5.03 billion USD in the first 10 months, doubling the year-on-year figure. In 2016, overseas remittances to the city reached 5 billion USD, accounting for 57-58 percent of the national total, a year-on-year rise of 11 percent. It aims a 10 percent growth to 5.5 billion USD this year.
More pressure will be likely on the Vietnam Dong at the end of the year due to the US Federal Reserve’s forecast benchmark interest rate rise and higher demand for foreign exchange from importers ahead the Lunar New Year holiday.
The 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Summit is a crucial opportunity for businesses throughout central Viet Nam to seek trade partners and export markets as representatives of foreign firms flock to the business forums at APEC from November 5-11, Da Nang business people and officials say.
Nearly 2,000 CEOs will attend the CEO Summit in the city. Vice chairman of the city’s Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Association (DANASME), Nguyen Van Ly, told Viet Nam News that this would represent a rare opportunity for local firms to show off their capacity.
The city has 21,000 businesses, of which 98 per cent are SMEs and super-small businesses with registered capital of VND90 trillion (US$3.9 billion). They contribute 43 per cent to the city’s Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), and employ 60 per cent of the city’s labour force. Eighty per cent of the city businesses operate in trade, service, hospitality, tourism property and retails, making international connections especially important.
Da Nang has been a leader in Provincial Competitiveness Index (PCI) for the past decade. It has 408 domestic projects worth $4.5 billion, and 525 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects worth $3 billion.
Tourism real estate remains an investment magnet in this central city, attracting 25 (FDI) projects worth US$1.8 billion. But the city’s business community faces challenges that the APEC Summit could help ameliorate.
“We have been struggling in seeking a larger export market and long-term strategic partners in service and tourism as well as property. For us, building connections with giant foreign partners is nearly impossible,” Ly said. “Our small and medium enterprise community faces limited funds and technology, as well as little international exposure. That’s why the APEC Summit is very important to the city’s business community.”
Ly said he hoped that local businesses would be able to share experiences with CEOs from some of the world’s top firms and join global production processes.
He said the association had received a list of top 100 enterprises in the APEC’s CEO Summit for business matching. Local businesses are particularly expected to connect with international firms operating in the fields of finance, hi-tech and human resources.
Tourism boon
The 2017 APEC Summit was a “diamond” chance for Da Nang’s tourism industry in hosting the world’s top economic leaders and CEOs, as well as officials from 21 member economies and partners, said the city’s tourism association, Huynh Tan Vinh.
Vinh said the city received an award for Asia’s Leading Festival and Event at the World Travel Awards ceremony for tourism last year. He said that hosting the APEC Summit would confirm the city’s tourism prowess.
He said Da Nang was also the first city in Viet Nam and the South-east Asian region to host a leg of the Clipper 2015-16 Round the World Yacht Race last year. Because of that event, the symbol of the Ngu Hanh Son Mountain (Marble Mountain) and the city’s tourism logo, Fantastic City, travelled around the globe.
“The APEC Summit is a great promotional opportunity for the city’s tourism industry,” Vinh said. “We’ll be able to offer international observers an introduction to the city through the first-hand experiences of 10,000 delegates, 2,000 CEOs and 3,000 journalists at the APEC Summit.”
He said the city had received huge investment from the central Government and private sectors in infrastructure projects, including airport expansion—a new terminal could host about 14 million tourists per year—convention halls, accommodations, human resource training and decoration projects.
“The city has developed 600 hotels and resorts to provide 26,000 rooms for hosting 15 million tourists per year in 2030,” Vinh said.
Yeon In Jung, the CEO and general director of South Korea’s Doosan Heavy Industries Viet Nam (Doosan Vina) said the APEC Summit was an excellent opportunity for Viet Nam to showcase its advantages and encourage firms to invest and open a branch or subsidiary in the country like Doosan did in 1995.
He said the APEC Summit would provide long-term benefit for Viet Nam, its people and businesses; the exposure that Viet Nam would receive is tremendous.
“If you think of Viet Nam in terms of a ‘brand’, hosting the APEC Summit will introduce key decision makers in Government and business people from all over the world to what is possible in Viet Nam, and that is priceless,” he added.
“The VIP’s that are coming will be able to see firsthand what companies like Doosan have done here and they’ll be able to easily see the possibilities for investment. Another side effect will be the millions of people in the leaders home nations who will also be shown what it is like to visit and do business in Viet Nam by their media, so the benefits from APEC will last long after the event and have a knock-on effect that will bring lasting value to Viet Nam for many years to come,” he said.
“I think all the factors for success are here and good businessmen are sure to recognize that,” he continued. “They will ‘Carpe Diem’ or seize the day and take a serious look at Viet Nam.”
Oxalis tour operator, the only travel company allowed to organise tours to the well-known Son Doong Cave, in the central province of Quang Binh, officially opened its ticket sales to explore the world’s largest cave for 2018, with a route of four days and three nights.
According to Oxalis General Director Nguyen Chau A, his company offered 460 slots in the first sale. This morning, about 250 guests already bought tickets.
In 2018, Quang Binh province will allow a maximum of 900 visitors to set foot in Son Doong cave. The expedition will be shortened to four days and three nights, helping visitors to cross the Great Wall of Vietnam for the first time, a stalagmite wall almost 100m high near the end of Son Doong.
Visitors will get out of the cave by the “back door”, instead of returning to the same entrance as in the previous exploitation plans. This option is supposed to be optimal, helping to ensure the rescue work if needed and also provides favourable conditions and new experiences for visitors.
During 2017, Oxalis has effectively operated its tours on conquering Son Doong, contributing to meeting the needs of visitors who want to explore the UNESCO-recognised World Natural Heritage Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park.
This year Son Doong has welcomed 740 visitors, with two routes, including five days/four nights and four days/three night packages. In particular, the latter was piloted in the three months since last May, with 19 tours serving 188 visitors.
Located in the Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, Son Doong was discovered by Ho Khanh, a local man, in 1991. The cave was recognised by the British Royal Caving Research Association as the largest cave in the world in 2009.
Son Doong has been open for visitors since 2013, four years after the British experts announced it as the world’s largest cave with its own inner ecology. Son Doong is 150m wide, 200m high and 9km long, formed about 2-5 million years ago and had no human traces when it was found.
A photo contest featuring Hanoians behaving in a civilized manner, and the 2017 Canon Photo Marathon in Saigon have recently announced their winners.
The photo contest, held by the Department of Culture and Sports in Hanoi and the Ha Noi Moi (New Hanoi) newspaper and having its winners announced on Tuesday, aimed to promote a code of conduct for public servants and citizens living in Hanoi.
According to the organizers, the contest received 1,000 entries including solo photos and photo sets from more than 90 journalists, public servants and students after launching five months ago.
The entries focused on good and bad behavior of both the ordinary people and public servants.
A pictured named “Civilized – Polite” taken by Tran Hai at the Hoan Kiem District People’s Committee office won the first prize in the solo category.
“Civilized – Polite” by Tran Hai – 1st prize in solo category
Seventy of the best photos from the contest have also been chosen to be part of an upcoming exhibition in the Guom Lake pedestrian area.
“The entries reflect the beauty of the city’s public servants’ behavior in public places as well as in their working environment,” Nguyen Hoang Long, editor-in-chief of Ha Noi Moi stated.
“We also have critical photos which show poor behavior, which can help to adjust people’s manners to create a civilized, elegant and modern Hanoi,” he added.
“A Flower in Ordinary Life” by Tran Thi Hao – 2nd prize in solo category
“Story of the Street” by Nguyen Dang Giang – 3rd in solo category
“On Trang Tien Street” by Pham Van Hung – 3rd in solo category
“When Law Enforcement Doesn’t Remember the Law” by Trinh Quang Hung – 3rd in solo category
Meanwhile, the winners of the annual Canon Photo Marathon were announced in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday.
Beating more than 6,000 contestants, Pham Ngo Dinh Luan won the top prize.
The winner of the “Saigon Smile” category went to Trinh Phuong Thao, while the “In the Middle” and “Condominium” categories were won by Truong Thi Kieu Tien and Nguyen Thanh Tuyen, respectively.
Trinh Phuong Thao’s photo which wins the “Saigon Smile” category of the 2017 Canon Photo Marathon in Ho Chi Minh City
Truong Thi Kieu Tien’s photo which wins the “In the Middle” category of the 2017 Canon Photo Marathon in Ho Chi Minh City
Nguyen Thanh Tuyen’s photo which wins the “Condominium” category of the 2017 Canon Photo Marathon in Ho Chi Minh City
Earlier this month, the winners of the 2017 Canon Photo Marathon were also publicized during its leg in Da Nang. Those of the Hanoi leg will be revealed on November 5.
Below are some of the winning photos at the Canon contest in Ho Chi Minh City:
Over 1,000 products made by premier Vietnamese silk brand Khaisilk have been taken by authorities following an inspection of the firm’s outlet in Ho Chi Minh City.
A unit from the municipal market surveillance agency, in coordination with local authorities, carried out an inspection of the Khaisilk store at 101 Dong Khoi Street in District 1 on Tuesday.
The inspection lasted three hours under the supervision of the store’s representatives.
At around 7:00 pm the same day, over 1,000 products including scarves, ties, shirts, and other silk merchandise were taken away by the inspection team.
A representative of the Ho Chi Minh City market watchdog said that the goods were kept so that officers could continue verifying potential violations committed by the company.
Records and documents related to the products will be reviewed, and their origin will also be checked, he added.
Earlier the same day, Deputy Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen ordered the Department of Industry and Trade and the city’s market surveillance agency to examine the operations of Khaisilk in the southern hub.
Local businesses displaying evidence of possible trade fraud will also come under scrutiny, Tuyen said.
‘Made in China’ vs. ‘Made in Vietnam’
Founded in the late 1990s, Khaisilk scarves are considered a premium product, popular amongst local luxury consumers and international tourists.
The brand was rocked by a scandal last week after one of the company’s scarves was found bearing both a ‘Made in China’ label and a ‘Made in Vietnam’ one.
Facebook user Dang Nhu Quynh reported that the scarf was part of a 60-item order his brother had placed with a Khaisilk store in Hanoi costing VND644,000 (US$28) per piece.
He added that some of the remaining 59 ‘Made-in-Vietnam’ scarves displayed signs that a ‘Made in China’ tag had been removed.
The brand owner, Hoang Khai, later confessed that 50 percent of his silk scarves were sourced from China and sold under the guise of being Vietnamese.
Khaisilk outlets in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have been shut down since last weekend.
Following a closed-door meeting on Monday, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that all information related to the case would be sent to police for further investigation.
A British tourist has been saved by doctors in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang after being involved in a serious traffic accident, which caused her right heart atrium to rupture.
The Da Nang General Hospital confirmed on Tuesday that Isabelle Garrett Peel, a 25-year-old traveler from the United Kingdom, is now recovering following emergency surgery.
According to doctors, Peel had a serious road accident while traveling from Da Nang to Hoi An, a popular tourist destination in Quang Nam Province to the south of the city, on the afternoon of October 27, and was brought to the hospital’s emergency ward at around 4:00 pm that day.
On her arrival, Peel was unconscious and had suffered multiple injuries including one to her heart, head and chest wounds, abdominal trauma, and a damaged right lung.
Given her serious condition, doctors decided to go ahead with a two-hour emergency surgery to save her life.
According to Phan Dinh Thao, a senior doctor from the hospital’s cardiovascular surgery department, Peel’s chest injury had resulted in a rupture to her right atrium, which could have been fatal had the surgery not been carried out.
After receiving Peel, doctors took 15 minutes to reach their decision on the operation, which was crucial to her survival, Dr. Thao assessed.
The defective airbag inflators have been linked to 19 deaths and more than 180 injuries worldwide.
Mitsubishi is recalling 2,519 of its Pajero models in Vietnam to replace potentially deadly defective airbag inflators.
All cars imported between 2007 and 2016 should be taken to the company’s showrooms to receive free replacement inflators, it said. The service can take more than two hours.
The cars were installed with parts from Japanese supplier Takata, which announced that there were faults with its products in April 2013.
Takata said that propellant chemicals were mishandled and improperly stored during assembly, which supposedly caused the metal airbag inflators to burst open due to excessive pressure inside. It also blamed humid weather for making the situation worse.
The announcement came in the wake of massive global recalls, including those made by Toyota in June and October.
The defective inflators have touched off the largest automotive recall in U.S. history, involving 42 million vehicles, the Los Angeles Times reported in July. The fault has been linked to 19 deaths and more than 180 injuries worldwide, it said.
Takata, which filed for bankruptcy protection in June, expects 125 million vehicles fitted with the faulty parts to be recalled worldwide by 2019, Reuters said.
GBS – Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Pham Binh Minh has been a prime mover of Viet Nam’s chairmanship of APEC in 2017. In an interview with the APEC Bulletin, he discussed the state of relations between APEC member economies in the fast-changing trading environment, efforts to address globalization challenges and his expectations for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Da Nang on 6-11 November.
Deputy Prime Minister Minh will Co-Chair the APEC Ministerial Meeting on 8 November as part of the proceedings, together with Viet Nam Industry and Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh.
APEC Bulletin: The year began with a lot of questions about globalization and trade, and the direction of regional cooperation on these issues. To what extent can the deliberations in APEC in Da Nang provide greater clarity?
Deputy Prime Minister Minh: We are meeting at a time when global and regional landscapes are undergoing complex and rapid transformation. It is true that there are many downside risks and uncertainties in the regional and global economies. However, we are encouraged to see stronger economic prospects and trade continues to be a key driver of regional and global growth and a main employment generator. The Asia-Pacific remains a bright spot, with higher growth rates than global levels.
Against such a backdrop, the question for APEC is to help maintain the momentum of growth by furthering Asia-Pacific economic integration and accelerating efforts to achieve the Bogor Goals of open and free trade and investment by 2020. This is also critical to enhancing APEC’s role as a driver for regional growth and connectivity.
Despite APEC’s different levels of development and domestic circumstances, the outcomes of the APEC meetings this year have been positive, reflecting a common desire for growth and prosperity. Linkages and connectivity have kept expanding the region. APEC economies are currently taking part in nearly 200 regional trade agreements and free trade agreements. APEC realizes the importance of redoubling efforts on capacity building and regulatory coherence to ensure free trade agreements benefit all segments of populations and business, big or small.
APEC Bulletin: What do you see as the next steps for addressing concerns about trade and economic fairness, and the effects of greater market competition and automation?
Deputy Prime Minister Minh: APEC economies agree that growth cannot be sustainable unless it is inclusive. We have discussed and reached a number of measures addressing concerns about trade fairness and market competition. First, we agreed on the need to develop an APEC Action Agenda on Economic, Financial and Social Inclusion to deliver prosperity to all communities and people.
Second, APEC economies endorsed this May the Framework on Human Resources Development in the Digital Age with the aim to assist APEC labor forces to seize the opportunities and cope with challenges. This framework also helps to realize the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Third, to reassert micro, small and medium enterprises’ role as a driving force of each APEC economy, we adopted many initiatives and policy actions to strengthen their competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship. As you know, these enterprises account for 97 per cent of APEC businesses and create 60 per cent of employment in the region.
Last but not least, you will share the view that better communications on the benefits of trade is needed to gain wider support from the people and businesses.
APEC Bulletin: What specific outcomes would Viet Nam like to see—both within APEC and on the sidelines—in terms of promoting trade and growth?
Deputy Prime Minister Minh: Our key message across all APEC 2017 activities is that member economies are determined and committed to taking action and delivering tangible results in terms of more open trade and investment; more inclusive, sustainable and innovative growth that benefits our people and businesses. Under the theme: “Creating New Dynamism, Fostering a Shared Future,” we expect that our meeting will generate further momentum for APEC’s economic growth and integration, and consolidate regional and global economic recovery.
To generate freer flows of trade, investment and labor, APEC cooperation this year has been focused on quality growth, ease of doing business, comprehensive and inclusive connectivity, e-commerce, women’s economic empowerment and public-private partnerships. We have been developing a flexible multi-dimensional and innovative approach to unleash APEC’s growth potential. In 2030, the region’s share of global GDP is to rise to nearly 70 per cent and two-thirds of the world’s middle class will be citizens of our region.
There is wide support that it is time to reflect on APEC’s post-2020 vision. This vision should help reassert APEC’s leadership in global economic governance and addressing common challenges. To that end, members should build on APEC’s spirit of voluntarism, consensus, non-binding mutual benefits and mutual respect. Entering its fourth decade of development, APEC should prove its adaptability and responsiveness, and foster coordination with other regional and international cooperation mechanisms.
APEC Bulletin: How optimistic are you about achieving these goals and building on them in today’s fast changing and challenging environment?
Deputy Prime Minister Minh: I am really optimistic. APEC has a good track record in dealing with past regional and global economic crises over the past 30 years and this forum has proven its resilience and vitality in all circumstances. The forum continues today to make great contribution to affirming the Asia Pacific’s role as a driver for growth and global economic integration.
The need for enhancing cooperation and economic linkages among APEC members grows stronger than ever. I am confident that the 2017 APEC Economic Leaders’ Week will bring concrete deliverables to realize a peaceful, stable, dynamic, interconnected and prosperous Asia-Pacific community.
It’s well known in the expat community of Saigon that there are several members who have a passion for wandering around and taking pictures of things they love about the city.
Philip Genochio from the UK and Swede Tanya Olander are two of them.
‘Authentic, real Saigon’
On a late July afternoon Philip Genochio sat down with a café sữa đá (Saigon’s iconic iced coffee with milk) at a small cafe in a tiny alley in Saigon, the former name of Ho Chi Minh City.
The Londoner excitedly shared his passion for discovering and capturing images that reflect the “real and authentic Saigon”, the one that Westerners are so fascinated about.
“To most Westerners, it’s very different from what we’re used to. The variety of life in Saigon doesn’t exist in the West as we don’t live our lives so openly on the street,” he began of his first impressions of the city.
Moving to Saigon in 2011 to be an English teacher, over the past several years, Philip has put a lot of effort into his life’s passion: @saigonpix.
The Instagram account is where Genochio diligently shares photos of life in Saigon to those who love the city like him.
Saigonpix started around four years ago as Genochio’s platform for posting interesting things he captures by chance, all shot and edited in-phone.
Over the last two years, he has tried to post photos more regularly, at a minimum frequency of at least 2 per day.
Looking at the Saigonpix account, it’s not hard to see the love that Genochio has dedicated to the alleys and markets of Saigon.
“There are so many things in the small space of a hẻm [alley],” Genochio explained. “It’s the sense of unknown, the feeling I get when enter a hẻm for the first time, wondering if I should turn left or right.”
“Once I went down a hẻm behind a market, and saw local people had making brooms with coconut leaves. It was just one of my very interesting experiences here”, he added.
Although he has lived in Saigon for nearly 6 years, Genochio said this city has never failed to surprise him with new things.
“I’ve lived in District 4 most of the time but there are still new things for me to discover there,” he laughed.
A photo of @saigonpix taken by Philip Genochio
During this time, Google Maps has become his friend.
Every time he has an appointment, Genochio researches the locations using the online mapping site, and tries to plot a walking trip in the surrounding area.
The founder of Saigonpix also marks spots in his map with different colors to distinguish where he has already visited and where he intends to explore.
Spending most of his spare time on wandering around Saigon, Genochio has provided people with images from downtown areas to non-touristy places like District 6 or Mien Tay Bus Station in Binh Tan District.
With more than 1,300 posts and 2,400 followers, Philip Genochio’s Saigonpix doesn’t dream of being viral, but rather a place where he can share his feelings about Saigon with others.
Some of the most positive reactions he has received were from Viet Kieu (overseas Vietnamese) who said seeing his pictures has made them homesick. Other foreigners have told him they wanted to visit Vietnam thanks to his photos.
‘Somewhere in Saigon’
To many expats in Saigon, Tanya Olander’s @somewheresaigon Instagram account and Somewhere in Saigon Facebook page won’t be familiar.
With more than 25,400 followers across the two platforms, Tanya Olander is one of the most-mentioned photographers when expats talk about street life photography in Saigon.
It’s quite hard to find a common thread in Olander’s pictures, as they sometimes depict people, sometimes capture places, food, pets or one of many other topics.
A photo taken by Tanya Olander for @somewheresaigon
One of the feelings that Olander’s photos bring to its viewers, is the sense of being connected to the photo’s subjects as captured through the lens of a photographer who loves Saigon in her heart.
The woman from Stockholm meticulously writes notes for every picture she posts, and describes herself ‘a photographer telling stories of Saigon.”
“This cheerful quartet stopped mid cheer, interrupting their ‘mot, hai, ba, dzo!’ to invite my friend and I to join them in celebrating the birthday of one of the men. We decline, but stop long enough to hear the birthday boy belt out a few verses. It’s not a party if there’s no karaoke, after all!,” Olander writes under one of her photo’s, proving her understanding of the lifestyle of the people of Saigon.
A photo taken by Tanya Olander for @somewheresaigon
Tanya still remembers her first impressions of the intensity of the city.
“I instantly fell in love with that intensity, and the feeling that life was being lived and expressed in every moment,” she expressed. “To me Saigon was like a vibrant colorful pot, boiling on an intensely hot burner.”
Olander revealed that she is planning to make a book about Saigon, after many people – including local Vietnamese, Viet Kieu and foreigners – have told her that they have been touched by the stories of Somewhere in Saigon.
A photo taken by Tanya Olander for @somewheresaigon
Currently, as Olander and her family have moved to Shanghai for her husband’s job, she maintains in her heart the memories of Saigon.
“I have so many memories, so many instances of the Saigonese being so open and welcoming to me. I’ve been invited to more coffees and street side beers than I can count. I’ve been welcomed into homes to share a meal. My heart fills with love and happiness when I think of myself squeezing through a bustling market in District 10 at 6:30am in the morning and being met with smiles and offers to drink coffee with the local ladies. The chatter, the questions, the comments. I’ve loved every minute of it,” she recalled.
Olander said it was not an easy decision for her and family to leave Saigon, as they “love Vietnam and have had so many amazing experiences during our 5 years in Saigon.”
Tanya Olander laughing with two local vendors in a photo taken by photographer Maria Graven while the two were shooting in District 3 – Photo provided by Tanya Olander
“As I scroll through my Instagram library, each and every picture holds a special memory and I feel so lucky to have such a treasure chest from my time there. Vietnam, and Saigon in particular, will always hold a very special place in my heart,” she expressed.
