VTC declines invitation to be honored by YouTube
VTC declines invitation to be honored by YouTubeVietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnam Multimedia Corporation (VTC) earlier this year unexpectedly refused to attend an event honoring content creators held in HCM City. YouTube dominates the OTT market of streaming videoAnalysts can see the strong rise of local apps which also have long reach in the market. They include Zing, FPT Play, VTVCab On, VTVGo and V Live, four-fifths of which are apps that provide OTT TV services. After merging with the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), VTC has focused on digital content development, especially on social network platforms.VTC has been effectively developing content on YouTube with many channels. RELATED NEWSYouTubers to be affected as Youtube advert rules tightenedYouTube removes "toxic" videosChi Nam
Source:VietNamNet News
May 04, 2018 00:56 UTC
Hanoi authorities request illegally-built palace be dismantled
Hanoi authorities request illegally-built palace be dismantledAuthorities in Hanoi’s outlying district of Ba Vi have requested a local family to dismantle a so-called palace illegally built on forest land. The “princess palace”The “princess palace” is located at Yen Bai Commune is being built by Le Viet Long’s family. The family built the work without permission from local authorities. The authorities have urged Long’s family to dismantle the work in some days to come or they will have drastic measures to deal with this, Chien noted. The palace covers around 100 square metresThe palace covers around 100 square metres and has two floors.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 04, 2018 00:56 UTC
Many villages in Vietnam's central region sinking
Many villages in Vietnam's central region sinkingVietNamNet Bridge - The central coastal region is facing more and more landslides, with many villages in danger of disappearing, though hundreds of billions of dong from the state budget have been used to save them. The central coastal region is facing gradual landslidesBamboo stakes were piled, sandbags were laden, and solid concrete embankments were built, but these did not improve the situation. Becoming homelessThe sea village of Thanh Minh in Quang Vinh commune in Sam Son City has been struggling to survive for many years. The central coastal region is facing more and more landslides, with many villages in danger of disappearing, though hundreds of billions of dong from the state budget have been used to save them. The efforts to save villages and houses were just ‘grains of salt in the sea’.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 04, 2018 00:22 UTC
Honey collectors sweeten the deal
Honey collectors sweeten the dealVietNamNet Bridge – In U Minh District in the southernmost province of Ca Mau, there is a popular job called “gac keo ong” which literally means ’the guard of honey bees hives’. The honey guards consider factors including wind direction, sunlight, and honey bees’ flight paths to select the best place to put the keo ong. Before collecting honey, the honey guards burn tinder wood next to the hives, which causes the bees to flee, he said. “Domestically-raised bees drink sugar water, forest honey bees don’t, even if people put sugar water near their hives for months,” Nhi said. Sweet dreams: Men carry a keo ong after harvesting bee honey from cajuput forest in southernmost province of Ca Mau.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 23:37 UTC
Twitter tells 330 million users to change their passwords
Twitter tells 330 million users to change their passwordsTwitter has warned its 330 million users to change their passwords after a glitch exposed some in plain text on its internal network. The social network said an internal investigation had found no indication passwords were stolen or misused by insiders. However, it still urged all users to consider changing their passwords "out of an abundance of caution". A bug caused the passwords to be stored on an internal computer log before the hashing process was completed. As well as changing passwords, users have been advised to turn on two-factor authentication service to help stop accounts being hacked.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 22:30 UTC
Renowned violinist Stephane Tran Ngoc to return Vietnam for HCMC concert
Renowned violinist Stephane Tran Ngoc to return Vietnam for HCMC concertThe celebrated Vietnamese-French violin soloist Stephane Tran Ngoc will return to Vietnam to perform a concert at the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House on May 9. Vietnamese-French violin soloist Stephane Tran NgocBorn in Paris, France, Stephane Tran Ngoc has toured more than 30 countries around the world and has performed as soloist with some of Europe’s finest orchestras. At the May 9 concert, Ngoc will take to the stage with performances of Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. The concert will take place under the baton of music director of the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera, Tran Vuong Thach. The show's curtains will be raised at 8 pm, May 9, at the Ho Chi Minh City Opera House, 7 Cong Truong Lam Son Street, Ben Nghe ward, District 1.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 14:26 UTC
Award-winning high-schooler denied US visa for science fair
Award-winning high-schooler denied US visa for science fairA Vietnamese pupil may miss the opportunity to participate in an international science fair in the US after his visa application was rejected twice. "Currently, Mai Nhat Anh is the only rejected contestant, the other rejected members are teachers," Thanh said. I'm confused and hope that my visa will be approved to attend the fair." Last year, another high school pupil, Pham Huy from Quang Tri Province, was also rejected after being chosen as the Vietnam representative to an international science fair in the US. After getting help from the authorities, he was able to attend the fair and won third prize.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 11:03 UTC
Finance Ministry to reduce, simplify 193 business conditions
Finance Ministry to reduce, simplify 193 business conditionsThe Ministry of Finance has proposed reducing and simplifying 193 business condition lines in seven areas of insurance, stocks, price, customs, auditing, finance-banking and tax. The ministry has planned to eliminate 99 conditions and simplify 94 conditions as followed:No. This is the third time the Minister has inked a Decision to reduce and eliminate administrative procedures to facilitate enterprises. Other sectors consist of safety technology (five ones), wine business (two ones), energy (three ones) and electricity (one). Earlier, in December 2016, as many as 123 administrative procedures were simplified and eliminated among 443 administrative procedures under the charge of the ministry.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 10:12 UTC
VN reviews foreign-funded projects in 2017-2018
VN reviews foreign-funded projects in 2017-2018Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh asked for reviewing approved 26 projects using foreign loans in period 2017-2018 which are not listed in the mid-term public investment plan so that these projects could be carried out soon after the signing of credit agreements to optimize the effectiveness of foreign loans. Foreign-funded projects in 2017-2018 focus on such necessary areas as infrastructure development, improvement of higher education quality, urban and rural development, fundamental health network development, water supply for localities affected by droughts. As Viet Nam graduated from the International Development Association (IDA) capital sources since July, 2017, the nation will not be provided with preferential loans from the IDA. Since 2018, Viet Nam will only access to loans with higher interest rates from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) loans and non-preferential IDA loans. He assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to report to the Government on orientations to mobilize loans in the upcoming time, especially non-preferential loans in the context that Viet Nam has graduated the IDA.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 10:07 UTC
VN beat Chinese Taipei at AFC futsal event
VN beat Chinese Taipei at AFC futsal eventVietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam beat Chinese Taipei 1-0 in the first match of Group B of the AFC Women’s Futsal Championship on May 2. Vietnam vs Chinese Taipei in the first match of Group B of the AFC Women’s Futsal Championship on May 2. However, they had to wait until the 29th minute to score an opening goal, thanks to Nguyen Thi Thanh. In another match of Group B, Malaysia crushed Bangladesh 7-1 to top the rankings. I hope they will play well in the next match against Bangladesh on May 4,” said head coach Truong Quoc Tuan.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 09:56 UTC
28 legal documents issued in Vietnam in March
28 legal documents issued in Vietnam in MarchThe Government and the PM issued 28 legal documents, including 19 Decrees and nine Decisions in March 2018. 37/2018/NĐ-CP details the implementation of monitoring and education measures for under-18-year criminals exempted for criminal responsibility. 38/2018 / NĐ-CP of the Government regulates detailed investment in small and medium enterprises. 41/2018/NĐ-CP regulates the sanctioning of administrative violations in the domain of accounting and independent audit. The PM issued Decision No.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 09:45 UTC
Dust storms kill dozens in India
Dust storms kill dozens in IndiaAt least 76 people have died and scores more were injured in fierce dust storms that hit the northern Indian states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The storm affected three districts in Rajasthan, as well as parts of Uttar Pradesh -- Photo: PTIThe storms on Wednesday disrupted electricity, uprooted trees, destroyed houses and killed livestock. Dust storms are common in this part of India during summer but loss of life on this scale is unusual. The storms largely affected three districts in Rajasthan - Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur - where at least 31 people were killed. The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, said officials were heading to affected areas to start relief work.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 09:45 UTC
Ministry proposes cut in corporate tax, but hikes for other taxes
Ministry proposes cut in corporate tax, but hikes for other taxesVietNamNet Bridge - The Ministry of Finance’s (MOF) recent proposals on raising many kinds of taxes and fees have been facing strong opposition from the public. In August 2017, MOF stirred up the public when proposing to raise the VAT (value added tax) from 10 percent to 12 percent and cut the number of products subject to the preferential VAT rate of 5 percent, because the 10 percent tax rate ‘isn’t in line with international practice’ and ‘cannot ensure the nation’s financial security’. According to OECD (The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), the tax brings 4 percent of revenue in Canada, 3 percent in the US, and 0.6 percent in developed countries.However, Vietnam’s annual income per capita is very modest, just around $2,000.“Raising the tax on workers with low living standards may turn the near-poor into the poor, and turn low-income earners into near-poor,” said Bui Duc Thu, a National Assembly deputy.The real reason behind MOF’s decision to propose a tax hike is to increase the source of revenue for the state budget. However, as Ngo Tri Long, a renowned economist, said, the high public debt and prolonged budget deficit must not be blamed on low tax collections but on embezzlement, inappropriate investments, and loose financial discipline.“If the problems aren’t settled, the budget deficit will still occur even if MOF raises taxes many times,” he said. RELATED NEWSInvestors happy about new cut in corporate income taxIgnoring protests, Finance Ministry raises environmental tax on petrol productsM. Ha
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 09:45 UTC
Charts: Vietnam's exports-imports figures in first four months of 2018 released
Charts: Vietnam's exports-imports figures in first four months of 2018 releasedTotal import-export revenue in the first four months of 2018 is estimated at US$144.13 billion, up 14.4% year on year, according to the General Department of Viet Nam Customs. Of the figure, Viet Nam’s export value is likely to reach US$73.76 billion, a rise of 19% over the same period last year, while import value is calculated at US$70.37 billion, an increase of 10.1%.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 09:33 UTC
Clarity needed to lure investors in BOT projects
Clarity needed to lure investors in BOT projectsVietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Danh Huy, general director of the transport ministry’s Public-Private Partnership Investment Project Management Department, speaks to Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper about measures to attract investors to participate in BOT projects. However, it still must follow a legal framework so we propose to use the average benefit rate of BOT projects that have already been implemented. In fact, with 67 BOT projects that the ministry has implemented over the past time, the average benefit was 11.77 per cent. But it is also likely that investors may submit a tender with a benefit rate lower than we estimate. After a series of public reactions against BOT projects, some people worry that investors are not interested in BOT projects.
Source:VietNamNet News
May 03, 2018 09:11 UTC