Unexpected success of online appeal for Agent Orange victims

Tue, 08/31/2004 - 21:51

Nearly 323,000 people worldwide added their names to an online petition to support Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange as of August 24.
This is an unexpected success for the creator of the initiative, who at the beginning only aimed for 300,000 signatures by December.

On average, the petition has received 20,000 signatures every day, said Mr. Len Aldis, Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society (BVFS) and also the creator of the online petition, in a recent interview with the BBC. He now hopes the number of signatures will reach 1 million by the end of the year.

Industrial production up for second trimester

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 16:30

Econet - State-owned enterprises increased industrial production by 11.8%. A year-on-year industrial production value increase of 15.4 % was seen over the January – August period, according to the Ministry of Industry.

State-owned enterprises increased production by 11.8%, private enterprises 21.6%, and foreign-invested firms 14.9%.

High growth was reported in coal, seafood processing, cotton, crude oil and knitwear production, despite the rising prices on petrol and other input materials.

Construction of new Tan Son Nhat airport starts

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 16:28

VietNamNet – Construction of the new Tan Son Nhat Airport began this morning, August 27, in HCM City.

The new airport is planned to open by the end of 2006, equipped with equipment that meets international standards, including 10 luggage conveyor belts, eight sky bridges, 20 escalators, 18 elevators, flight information boards and security equipment.

Vietnam to lay optical cable in 2008

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 16:27

VietNamNet – An 80Gbps optical cable route linking north and south should be operational by March 2008, according to the Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Corporation (VNPT).

The corporation also plans to install two optical cables linking Vietnam – Hong Kong – Singapore, and Vietnam – Hong Kong.

Govt plans to put a kindergarten in every commune

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 16:15

HA NOI — The education and training sector aims to open kindergartens in the 13 remaining communes without the schools during the 2004-05 school year, said Prof Dr Le Thi Anh Tuyet.

Dr Tuyet, director of the Education and Training Ministry’s Department of Kindergarten Education, spoke at a conference to review the last kindergarten year and to plan for the new academic season.

President vows to fight spread, discrimination of HIV/AIDS

Fri, 08/27/2004 - 16:15

HA NOI — Viet Nam will make every effort to control the spread of HIV/AIDS and fight discrimination against people having this fatal disease, said President Tran Duc Luong on Wednesday.

He was speaking after visiting HIV/AIDS patients at Bach Mai Hospital in Ha Noi.

Controlling HIV/AIDS was a critical task facing the people and the country, and it required the efforts of each individual and the community as a whole.

Overseas Vietnamese appeal to support for Agent Orange victims

Fri, 08/20/2004 - 11:21

Ha Noi, Aug. 9 (VNA) - Overseas Vietnamese have been called upon by the Overseas Vietnamese Liaison Association (OVLA) to increase their actions in supporting the lawsuit filed by Vietnamese Agent Orange victims against US chemical firms.

Vietnam's Socio-Political Stability Keeps Foreign Investors

Thu, 08/19/2004 - 14:29

HANOI, Aug 19 Asia Pulse - One of the concerns of foreign investors in Vietnam is the socio-political situation, which Vietnam has kept stable over the past years, said Low Sin Leng, Chairman of the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park.

Low spoke with reporters about the success of Vietnam-Singapore cooperation on the sidelines of the two-day forum, "Investing in Vietnam: Insights, Strategies and Prospects" which opened in Hanoi on Tuesday.

She said Vietnamese leaders are supportive of foreign investors and are determined to solve their problems.

VN Contemplates Raising Foreign Ownership Ratio at Local Business

Sun, 08/15/2004 - 19:13

The Vietnamese government should expand foreign investors' ownership ratios from the current 30% at local businesses in sectors and industries where full foreign direct investment (FDI) has been made, a financial expert said at a recent investment workshop.

The event was co-organized by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the National Assembly Committee for Economy and Budget, and the Vietnamese Association of Financial Investors (VAFI), on August 12 in Hanoi.

Vietnam Adopts Int'l Copyright Laws

Sun, 08/15/2004 - 19:12

Vietnam on October 26 will officially become a member of the international treaty on copyright law, otherwise known as the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works.

Vietnam will become the 156th full-member of the treaty, according to an announcement made by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Under the treaty, Vietnam will grant copyright protection in the fields of literature, arts and science to citizens of countries that are signatories to the treaty. Vietnamese authors will also be protected.

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