Is leaving Facebook the only way to protect your data? How else can you protect your Facebook data? "The incentive Facebook will have to protect people more will only come if people start leaving. But in a world where Facebook information is shared more widely with third parties, making such a request gets harder. Data protection laws in Europe suggest that firms should only keep user data "as long as necessary" but the interpretation of this can be very flexible.
Wildlife trafficker gets 13 months in prisonThe People’s Court of Ha Dong district in Hanoi on March 20 handed down a jail sentence of 13 months on Nguyen Mau Chien for smuggling 36kg of rhino horn, according to the Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV). Chien was suspected to be the mastermind of a ring trafficking rhino horns, elephant tusks and products of wild animals from Africa to Vietnam. Bui Thi Ha, Director of Policy and Legislative Campaigns at ENV, acknowledged Vietnam’s breakthrough efforts in the fight against wildlife trafficking when Chien was brought to trial. The centre has expected a higher prison term to be issued for the defendant which will be a deterrent to wildlife traffickers, she said. Chien, who was arrested in April, 2017, was allegedly the head of a wild animal trafficking ring from Africa to Vietnam.
Billionaire: a 'national brand'VietNamNet Bridge - Today, the position of each nation does not only depend on the richness of its historical and cultural traditions. Forbes has just published the 2018 billionaire list, of which Vietnam has four billionaires included. Lawyer Duc shares his views on Vietnamese billionaires. Therefore, in my opinion, the true billionaire is not only a personal title, but also a national brand, and also a kind of talent which can be compared to national resources. For a rich country like the US, it does not want its billionaires to bring money to other places.
Designer Minh Hanh named Knight of the Order of the Star of ItalyOne of the Vietnamese leading fashion designers, Ms. Minh Hanh was conferred with the medal of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy at the celebrations of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Italia held by the Embassy of Italy in Vietnam on March 16 in Hanoi. Cecilia Piccioni pins the medal of Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy for designer Minh Hanh. The Order of the Star of Italy designated by Italian president Sergio Mattarella is awarded for individuals who promote Italian prestige, excellence, culture and good relations internationally. In 2006, fashion designer Minh Hanh was given the French honorary title “Knighthood of Arts and Literature” by the French Ministry of Culture and Communication. The award was conferred on designer Minh Hanh in recognition of her efforts to promote fashion industry between Viet Nam and France, especially in signing a contract with the French Fashion Design Institute.
VN’s Ambassador to RoK talks about VN-RoK relationsVietnamese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea (RoK) Nguyen Vu Tu granted an interview to a reporter from the Viet Nam News Agency about Viet Nam-RoK relations on the occasion of the RoK’s President Moon Jae-in’s State visit to Viet Nam from March 22-24. The RoK is the largest investor in Viet Nam with the total capital of US$57.6 billion (as of the end of 2017) and ranks second in trade relations (US$61.5 billion in 2017). In 2017, a total number of 2.4 million visitors from the RoK travelled to Viet Nam. The Ambassador highlighted that this is the first official visit made by President Moon Jae-in to Viet Nam and the second visit to Viet Nam after the APEC Economic Leaders' Week in November last year. He proposed creating favorable conditions for Vietnamese students to receive more scholarships to the RoK and more Korean students to study in Viet Nam.
Cold wave from China to grip northern VNCold air from China is approaching Viet Nam and is likely to have a direct impact on the northern and central provinces, the Central Hydro-Meteorological Forecast Centre has reported. According to the centre, the cold air will have relatively strong intensity, causing the weather to turn chilly with widespread rainfall. Influenced by the onset of the cold air, rainfall and thunderstorms occurred on Monday evening in the north. The cold air has also caused bad weather on the sea. The strong winds are expected to persist tonight.
Former NA official urges support of wealthy people who can help VN’s developmentVietNamNet Bridge – “Let’s support the rich who are talented and whole-hearted, who can help the country’s development,” said Dr. Nguyen Sy Dung, former vice chairman of the National Assembly Office, about Vingroup, the largest private economic group in Vietnam. We can also talk about infrastructure works developed by Vingroup like Royal City, Times City, Vinhomes Riverside, etc. For example, I can watch free music in Times City even though I own no apartment there. I think Vingroup has the right strategy because the middle class is developing very fast in Vietnam. Except for a free water music show in the Times City, I do not owe them any debt of gratitude.
State funeral held for former PM Phan Van KhaiThe funeral for former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai who passed away in Ho Chi Minh City on March 17 started at 8am on March 20 at the city’s Thong Nhat Hall. A similar ceremony was also held in Hanoi to pay last homage to former PM Phan Van Khai. Phan Van Khai was born on December 25, 1933 in Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City. Memorial services for former PM Khai in Laos, JapanVietnamese Embassy in Japan holds a memorial service for former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on March 20Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith led a high-level delegation to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai at the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos in Vientiane on March 20. The same day, the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan held a memorial service for former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and placed funeral books that will remain until March 22.
Sabeco rebuffs State Audit’s allegationSaigon Beer, Alcohol and Beverage Corporation (Sabeco) refuted the state audit’s allegations about its violations in the management of its operations and investing activities before it sold a stake for the foreign partner, while simultaneously affirming that its operation complies with regulations, according to newswire Vnexpress. Sabeco negates the state audit’s assessmentRecently, the State Audit Office proposed collecting VND2.5 trillion ($109.8 million) in tax arrears from Sabeco. Sabeco has issued a document explaining the state audit’s allegations, especially the more than VND2.8 trillion ($122.99 million) in profit after which it had not declared tax. Accordingly, Sabeco explained that the undeclared profit was one of the problems that Sabeco could not solve before conducting the equitisation. Besides, it affirmed that it published information relating to the state audit’s assessment before it sold the stake for the foreign partner.
Government okays Vietcombank stake sale to foreign investorsAfter the government green-lighted Vietcombank to sell the state-owned stake to foreign investors, the bank is expected to sell a total of 10 per cent, commensurate with over 350 million shares, in a separate issuance and/or through public auction to a limited number of foreign investors. Countless foreign investors expressed interest in a slice of VietcombankA representative of Vietcombank noted that the share auction would take place in the first half of 2018. Currently, the Japan-based retail and corporate bank seized a 15 per cent stake at Vietcombank, and is planning to further expand its ownership at the state-owned bank. Over the past eight months, Vietcombank's share price surged to VND72,000 ($3.18) per share, which in turn would heat up the upcoming bidding for the state-owned bank's stakes. However, thanks to the striking recovery in the bank's business performance, BIDV's share price skyrocketed by 50 per cent in the last two months, sending off inviting signals to potential foreign investors.
Poor mountainous villages struggle to pay debtsVietNamNet Bridge – Receiving billions of dong in compensation, several residents in Nuoc Trong water reservoir project area, Tay Tra District’s Tra Tho Commune, Quang Ngai Province, thought they’d be able to escape debts they had accrued through high interest loans. A resettlement area in Nuoc Biec Village in Tra Tho Commune.Cor ethnic people in Tra Tho Commune are now suffering usury’s consequences. — Photo baoquangngai.vnTre Village in Tra Tho Commune was home to many Cor ethnic people. In reality, however, the compensation of VND600 million ($26,352) was just enough to pay the old debt as Tap made an oral contract and was forced to pay high interest. Ho Tan Vu, head of Tra Tho Commune People’s Committee, said that although local authorities had warned against usury, Cor people could not resist the temptation of surprisingly generous lenders.
Vietnam wins bronze at Karate 1-Premier LeagueVietnamese athlete Nguyen Thi Ngoan bagged the bronze medal in the women’s 61kg category at the Karate 1-Premier League 2018 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Nguyen Thi Phuong ranked 7th while Nguyen Thi Hang was knocked out in the 1/8 rounds after being trounced 1-4 by Feracci Alexandra. Last year, Ngoan earned a gold medal at the Karate 1-Premier League in Halle/Leipzig, Germany. It it was the first gold medal in the history of Vietnamese karate at the world tournament. The Vietnamese female karate team had the misfortune to lose Malaysia by the close score of 2-3.
Parents send children to pre-school classesMany parents in big cities are rushing to send their children to nurseries opened by private schools, aiming to help them prepare for first grade. Newton Grammar School has launched two pre-first grade courses with the fees of VND4.4 million (USD200) each. For many schools, after the courses, children will be selected directly for the first grade without having to pass entrance tests. Parents bring their children to such classes because they are worried that their children may fall behind. Demand at some private primary schools is very high and the schools select their intake even at an early age through testing.
Hundreds of forest violation cases reported in Gia LaiVietNamNet Bridge – Authorities in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai are struggling to find solutions to address deforestation and development violations, which are rampant in many localities across the province. He acknowledged that local forest rangers lacked skills in forest management. The division would review the work of the individuals responsible for local forest protection at stations in the recent cases of deforestation, he said. The forest rangers in the locality said the struggle with illegal loggers involves bloodshed. To prevent deforestation, local authorities have prepared many plans for forest protection and have raised public awareness on the forest protection law.
RoK First Lady meets Vietnamese studentsFirst Lady of the Republic of Korea Kim Jung-sook has received 15 Vietnamese students in the presidential Blue House ahead of her husband President Moon Jae-in’s visit to Vietnam slated for March 22 – 24. First Lady of the Republic of Korea Kim Jung-sook and Vietnamese students in a group photoBeginning the conversation by saying hello in Vietnamese, Kim introduced the RoK’s writing script and major socio-economic development features to the students. The First Lady joyfully talked about the Vietnamese students’ interest in her country’s educational system and their decision to further their studies here. On behalf of the Vietnamese students, Ta Le Huyen, who is studying at the Kyung Hee University, briefed the First Lady on Vietnamese student communities in the RoK. Dung said she expects the RoK Government to further facilitate learning and post-graduate conditions for Vietnamese students, and the Vietnamese Government to come up with more policies to help students obtain suitable jobs upon returning home.-VNA
