The visit demonstrates the solidarity, traditional relations and close cooperation between VWU and LWU.

Under to the agreement, the two unions will strengthen the exchange of visits and information about Party and State policies and the situation of women from both countries.

The VWU will help LWU train female officials, share experiences and coordinate with its Lao counterpart to organize joint activities and cooperate at regional and international forums.

Earlier, the two unions held talks to discuss the situation of women in both countries and review the results of the cooperative agreement for the 2007-2010 period.

After the signing ceremony, State Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan conferred the Friendship Order on Chairwoman Sisay Leudethmounson.

Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, VWU Chairwoman, also presented insignias “For the development of Vietnamese women” to some leaders of the Lao Women’s Union.

Laos presented the Labour Order (second class) to the National School for Female Officials and insignias to some VWU officials.

source from: vov

When the five members of SHINee (pronounced SHY-nee) sat down for an interview with The Korea Times, Onew, Jonghyun, Key, Minho and Taemin sacrificed a much-need break before a live performance. But they wore their professional faces, eager to take their best shot at explaining the reason behind their success.

“We show something new with every release,” said Onew. “Initially, we can feel a bit awkward (in the new shoes), but then we fill them.”

“We don’t follow trends,” Jonghyun added. “That’s probably why.”

But that fails to rationalize how the four-year-old group upstaged agency mates such as Girls’ Generation and Super Junior with more experience under their belts, at SM Entertainment’s collective showcase in New York last October. Jon Caramanica of the New York Times summarized them as “the most ambitious” of the evening.

Their appeal could be deconstructed into several elements.

One is their colorful avant-garde style, put together by fashion designer Ha Sang-beg. Since day one, when they debuted with “Replay” in 2008, vivid Candy Land hues — especially on their trousers — garnered as much attention as their music. Even these days, as seen on the cover of the latest single “Sherlock,” released late March, SHINee are bursting with color.

“Much has evolved over the years,” said Ha in a phone interview, “since I change their styles to reflect their music.”

But he admits a sense of continuity: “The feel from their debut single still exists, mixing the overground (sic) with the underground, haute couture with street fashion … but it is very modern, like SHINee.”

Their boyish charm has also been an enormous factor in winning a considerable female following, young and adult. In particular the latter’s loyalty is a phenomenon most associated with the group, with newcomers trying to emulate the “adorable young man” formula with a mixed rate of success. At showcases, women in their late 20s and older scream their names in ecstasy.

Then, there are the musical creations by the world’s most sought-after producers, like Thomas Troelsen, Thomas Eriksen and Mikkel Remme Sigvardt to name a few. The predominantly Nordic teams feed the group with tracks that sound both impossibly polished and cutting-edge. Amplified through the members’ enviable voices, especially Jonghyun’s that packs the most punch of all boy bands in Korea, their music seems invincible.

But the members’ answer is quite simple: thirst for success.

“We work hard because we are driven by our fans’ expectations,” said Minho.

If their most important aim is to please, they can pat themselves on the back several times. In about four years, SHINee has established itself as one of the most popular groups in the Korean market. They have also been at the forefront of “hallyu,” or the Korean wave, recording various firsts. Last year they became the first Asian group to perform at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London, best known for its ties to the Beatles. Their 20-date Japanese tour, which started last week, is completely sold out.

The need to delight the audience is even stronger abroad, the band says.

“We can’t deny that we feel a sense of responsibility. We’re singing abroad in Korean,” said Jonghyun. “We’ve got to work hard as representatives.”

K-pop boy band SHINee, who are in their fourth year as professional singers, are gaining renewed popularity with their latest single “Sherlock.” They are, from left, Onew, Taemin, Jonghyun, Minho and Key. Photo: The Korea Times

The SM Entertainment artists are well-known for their composure, and the five members cut a similarly innocuous figure. Only when they started speaking about their individual aspirations did they peel off the “perfect” skin a little — in one case literally.

“I really want to study more. So I bought a textbook recently,” said Onew. Only after insisting did he reveal the subject, which was nowhere near expected: human anatomy.

Taemin, who has consistently been called the prettiest of the five, revealed that he was drawn to and would like to try hard to create the sounds of superstar DJ Skrillex and heavy metal band Korn.

Key, mum for most of the hour, said he wanted to study abroad, mingling with ordinary people.

“I actually joined the company while I was preparing to leave Korea,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be any subject in particular. I want to experience the school life.”

Minho and Taemin also agreed.

“I want a routine lifestyle, one that has a schedule; ours is irregularly regular,” said Minho, alluding to the fact that the recording and performing cycle repeats itself but that the daily life remains unpredictable to them.

Taemin wanted to go on a class trip, which he most probably gave up after becoming a trainee at a very early age.

Jonghyun was actually the first one to jump in and respond, which was simple and determined: “I’d like to live alone. I’ve never done that before.”

With a tour around the corner, it seemed that these wishes would have to be put on hold for a little longer, yet it was apparent from their voices, quiet but markedly unwavering, that they yearned to grow up and experience the world — and become great artists.

source from: tuoitrenews

Many northern and central areas have suffered from a blazing heat wave over the past several days, with temperatures of up to 43o C, and this weather pattern will enter its peak today and tomorrow, said the national weather forecaster.

Le Thanh Hai, deputy director of the Central Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Center, said a hot low pressure system from the west, combined with the hot and dry westerly wind (from Laos to Central Vietnam), have caused this heat wave.

This situation, which is expected to last until this weekend, will reach its peak today and tomorrow, May 3, he said.

At 1 pm yesterday, May 1, International Labor Day, the temperature measured in meteorological tents was 41.1o C in Ninh Binh Province’s Nho Quan District and Nghe An Province’s Quy Hop District.

In Son La Province’s Muong La District and Thanh Hoa Province’s Hoa Binh District, the temperatures in meteorological tents measured 40 o C and 40.5o C respectively. In Hanoi, the figure was 38.4oC.

“The temperature measured in meteorological tents is 3-4oC lower than that in the open air, so the actual temperature in many areas in northern Vietnam yesterday was 42-43oC,” Hai said.

During the last weekend and the two following holidays – Liberation Day (April 30) and May 1, while a great deal of people left the cities to take trips to beaches to escape the blazing heat, others flocked to zoos, gardens, cinemas, and even supermarkets to ease the pain of the hot weather.

Many people flocks to a park near the Huong River in central Hue city to escape the heat wave (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Due to the heat wave during the past several days, farmers in many provinces could not work until the late afternoon, when the heat had receded a bit.

In Lao Cai Province, where the temperature rose to 40.2oC yesterday, local authorities have used water trucks to spray water on streets to cool down the air.

Meanwhile, the number of child patients suffering from seasonal diseases has sharply increased in hospitals.

Yesterday Dr Phung Van Toan, head of the Thanh Hoa Province Pediatrics Hospital, said that in the past week the hospital received 30-40 child patients every day, much higher than those in previous periods.

The Hospital is now treating 400 child patients who are suffering common illnesses such as summer respiratory or digestive sicknesses.

The hot, dry weather also increases the risk of forest fires, the Central Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Center warned.

source from: tuoitrenews

A lot of Vietnamese parents nowadays believe that giving money to children is the best way to ask the children to do the things they want.

When asking the son, a 3rd grader, to go to the shop near his home to buy a pack of cigarettes, Kien in Hoai Duc district in Hanoi, said: “Go and buy. I will give you VND5,000.”

The boy immediately left for the cigarette shop, without any words. VND5,000 is the sum of money he always receives after fulfill a thing as requested by the parents. Therefore, he believes that paying money is a must when someone is served.

When asked why Kien promised to give the boy VND5,000, Kien smiled and said that if he had not offered the “award,” the boy would not have left for buying cigarettes for him. As such, Kien now can earn his money by providing services to his father.

Hue, a mother in Thanh Tri district, also thinks that it would be better to encourage children with money. Every time when her child cries or refuses meals, she would promise to give the child money.

“My child suffers from the anorexia. Therefore, I have to promise to give her VND2,000 to persuade him to eat meat,” she said. “Sometimes I have to give VND5,000”

When asked if this is a good way to use money to educate children, Vietnamese parents all have a common voice that this should not be an education method. Surprisingly, both Kien and Hue do not agree to the education method. However, they still use the way every day to seek their wishes fulfilled.

Educators have warned the parents who try to use money to educate children that the cash bonus would “harm” the children. They would always bargain with parents about the sums of money the parents need to give them when asking them to do something. Especially, they would not understand the value of the money, and that their parents can only earn money from sweated labor.

Ha, the man in Quoc Oai district in Hanoi, related that one day, she asked a niece to go buying a pack of cards for the guests to play after the family party. As the niece said she did not want to go under the sun, Ha gave VND2,000 to the girl, saying that this is the award for her.

However, to Ha’s surprise, the girl did not accept the “gift.” “You cannot buy anything with VND2,000 now,” the girl said. Finally, she only left for the pack of cards after Ha gave her a VND,5000 bank note.

“Instead of using money to stimulate children, why don’t parents think of bringing the kids to the parks or buying the toys they like?” Huong, a parent whose child goes to the Song Phuong Primary School questioned.

In the eyes of international labor managers, Vietnamese people keep a combination of odd features: they are both frugal and squandered.

While the students in 1990s were told that money would associate with crimes, the students in the 21st century believe that everything can be bought with money, while they would not go to school if the parents to not give them money.

Nowadays, in many families, money is given to children when they fulfill normal duties such as doing home exercises, cleaning rooms, washing dishes or taking care for younger brothers.

source from: dtinews

68% of surveyed people thought that the Government should take measures to stabilise the price of staple goods

The survey entitled Changing Attitudes towards Market and State (CAMS 2011) released on April 13, however also revealed that most Vietnamese supported a market economy model, privatisation of state-owned enterprises and transparency in management and operation.

The survey was jointly conducted by the World Bank (WB), the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and the Irish Embassy in Hanoi.

CAMS 2011 surveyed over 1,000 enterprises, 250 central State, Party and National Assembly agencies, 250 state officials at a local level, 100 journalists, along with officials from donors and international organisations.

According to senior economist Pham Chi Lan, who took part in conducting the survey, as many as 68% of surveyed people thought that the Government should take measures to stabilise the price of staple goods. Only a quarter of them said goods prices should change in accordance with market fluctuations.

The research group attributed the attitude to the fact that state-owned enterprises still hold monopoly in producing and trading of the majority of staple goods, including electricity, petroleum, gold, foreign currency and real estate as well as important service industries such as finance, aviation and railway.

The blame on speculation and the desire for the Government measures have resulted in the people and enterprises having increased expectations about the Government’s role in market management, the noted.

Economic difficulties, high inflation and price hikes in many industries in recent years also added to the attitude, Lan said.

Economist Dr. Le Dang Doanh said more attention should be paid to the public’s views.

Concerning programmes to stabilise goods prices, the majority of people said that such policies were ineffective. Only enterprises which joined the programmes supported the policies as they benefited from access to bank loans with free interest rates, Doanh said.

The survey also indicated that 87% of surveyed people supported a market economy while 69% advocated privatisation and 92% thought transparency was necessary.

source from: dtinews

The arrest was made thanks to another ambassador who took a picture of the act, the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper reported.

Ngo Hoa, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, told a press conference on Tuesday morning the victim of the robbery was Alberto Jaime Kaminker, Argentina’s ambassador to Vietnam.

According to Hoa, Kaminker and his wife were watching the carnival on Le Loi Street on Sunday afternoon when the thief, identified as Nguyen Uc, pickpocketed his mobile phone.

Uc stood between the ambassador and his wife, pretending to take pictures of the carnival with a camera in one hand while the other hand picked the phone, Hoa said.

He, however, was spotted by Jorge Rondon Uzcategui, Venezuela’s ambassador to Vietnam, who was standing on the opposite site.

Uzcategui, while taking pictures of the carnival, captured the moment the thief picked the pocket of the Argentine ambassador.

He then called Hoa to provide the photo, helping local police nab the thief.
source from: thanhniennews

Lieutenant Nguyen Manh Phan of the Ba Vi District traffic police division ordered Phung Hong Phuong, 37, who was driving a 39-seat bus, to pull over.

Phuong then refused to produce his papers, rushed back to the bus, and tried to drive away.

In an effort to stop him, Phan jumped on to the bus, and clutched the wipers. But this did not cause Phuong to stop and he continued to drive, as can be seen in the clip.

Phuong drove for more than a kilometer before he stopped, realizing that other officers and many bystanders were chasing after him.

He later told the police that he fled because he was afraid of being fined for encroaching on the wrong side of the road.

He confessed he was once convicted of fatally running over a person in the southern province of Dong Nai, and served a four-year jail term until 2010.

A Ba Vi District official was quoted as saying that people were incensed and tried to beat Phuong up, but were stopped by the officers.

Phan, despite his close shave with death, reportedly followed proper procedures.

Phuong could be charged with “acting against public officials,” VnExpress said.

source from: thanhniennews

The agreement was signed between Deputy Minister Le Dinh Tien and Nikolay Spassky, deputy director general of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom).

Quan said together with previous agreements on building Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant and a center for nuclear science and technology, the latest covenant highlighted the countries’ cooperation in the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes and security, and their commitment to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Vietnam started transferring HEU fuel in 2007 from the Dalat reactor, which was built by the US in 1963 and later upgraded by the former Soviet Union, to low-enriched uranium (LEU).

In September that year the country shipped back 35 HEU fuel sticks to Russia in exchange for 36 LEU sticks. The program continued in 2010 with the shipment of 66 LEU sticks from Russia.
Last year the Dalat reactor successfully started operating with the new fuel, VnExpress said.

According to the newswire, the program, which was initiated by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the US and Russia, aims to manage HEU fuel at reactors built by the two countries so that it is not used for non-peaceful purposes.
source from: thanhniennews

During the festival, there will be 20 to 30 balloons (ranging in height from 20-25m and diameters of 16-18m) which will be performed by pilots from many countries including France, German, Belgium, Japan and Indonesia.

The festival will not be limited to daytime activities, as a performances involving lanterns are scheduled for the evenings.

source from: thanhniennews

 Lawmakers yesterday agreed that universities should be given self control rights during a discussion on university education laws at the National Assembly’s Standing Committee.

“Universities should have the right to decide their enrolment scale and take responsibility for the quality of education,” said NA Vice Chairman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan.

Most participants agreed that self-control rights given to universities and open audits of education quality should be features of the law. The law should also regulate specific criterion, standards, classification of universities based on position, role and function.

NA Deputy Chairman Uong Chu Luu added that self-control rights would help universities by increasing their strong points and potential with an aim to increase the quality of education.

“However, a roadmap should be made when giving rights to universities and the law should have more sanctions for quality control and assessment,” said Luu.

Many said that the law should regulate the grading of universities as a necessary trend for development. Grading universities would motivate leading institutions by encouraging competition and development.

As for university teacher regulations, they must have a master’s degree or above. Minister of Education and Training Pham Vu Luan said that the sector did not have enough skilled teachers for universities. For this reason, the ministry must select teachers from top graduates and train them.

Chairman of the NA Law Committee Phan Trung Ly said that universities would not find enough teachers with the demanding regulation that all teachers possess a postgraduate degree.

Many deputies said that priorities should be given to develop the country’s two national universities. They also agreed to not change the names of the two national universities and the law should have specific criterion, functions and tasks for the two leading education centres of the country.

The draft law is expected to be submitted for the NA’s discussion and approval at its next meeting.

source from: tuoitrenews