VietNamNet Bridge – Van Don District in the northern province of Quang Ninh plans to carry out forceful removal of construction violators in the protected Bai Tu Long Bay national park. A view of Van Don District in Bai Tu Long Bay. — Photo: VNA/VNS The violators will also face penalties this month, the district authorities said. Bai Tu Long Bay, located near the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay, was deemed largely uninhabited until recent media reports surfaced regarding construction of beachside resort-like facilities in the area. Most of the violators illegally used forest land to build resorts, said a report submitted by the district authorities to the provincial Peopele’s Commitee earlier this month. From 2012 to 2016, in the area near Va Gieng Temple in Thang Loi Commune, a local named … [Read more...] about Resorts in protected bay of Bai Tu Long to be axed
Long point park
Parks should be accessible to everybody
Talk Around Town (11-12-2005) Parks should be accessible to everybody by Trung Hieu My cousin Bien, who lives close to Thong Nhat Park, was straight-faced when he told me the park had become his own private property. "I don't have to pay an entrance fee," he said. He was joking of course, but he was making an interesting point: park staff do not collect fees from familiar faces who come to the park regularly. Strangers, however, must pay to get in. As a result, Thong Nhat has effectively become a private park for nearby residents, creating an injustice for the people of the city. The Director of the Thong Nhat Park Company, Nguyen Trung Kien, said the municipality stipulates the park wardens must waive entrance fees for the elderly, disabled people and teenagers before 8am and from 4pm to 7pm. Everyone else must pay the fees - VND2,000 for an adult and VND1,000 for a child. Entrance fees, coupled with the park's high, iron fence, have made the park an "exclusive zone". According to … [Read more...] about Parks should be accessible to everybody
Valencia helps United go five points clear with win
Manchester United took a big step to retaining their Premier League title after in-form Antonio Valencia struck nine minutes from time to set up a typically patient 2-0 win at relegation-threatened Blackburn Rovers on Monday. Second-placed Manchester City's 3-3 home draw with Sunderland on Saturday had given United the chance to ram home their advantage and with seven games remaining they are five points ahead and now look odds-on for glory. Ecuador winger Valencia, a driving force all game, ended Blackburn's resistance after prolonged United pressure when he came inside and sent a swerving effort into the far corner although he acknowledged it was "50/50" a shot and a cross. Substitute Ashley Young grabbed the second in style on 86 minutes. "It was a long night wasn't it? We just had to persevere and persevere and we got our reward for it," United boss Alex Ferguson told Sky Sports. "We always had them under the cosh and we just had to be careful with the … [Read more...] about Valencia helps United go five points clear with win
Vietnam now the aiming point of clean energy investors
Lacking energy and wishing to develop clean energy sources, Vietnam has become the attractive destination for foreign clean energy investors. When announcing the project to build a solar panel factory in HCM City in March, the US First Solar group aims to make more profits with the low-cost solar cell technology, about 78 cent per watt. The project by First Solar to increase the capacity from 1.4GW to 2.7GW, which is expected to create 600 jobs in Vietnam, has the total investment capital of one billion dollars. IC Energy has also set up a solar panel factory in the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone with the investment capital of more than 390 million dollars. Meanwhile, German Roth&Rau has also invested 275 billion dong in a factory in the Hoa Lac High-Tech Park. A lot of other large-scaled wind power projects in Vietnam have also been kicked off. The 99MW wind power plant in Bac Lieu province has the total investment capital of 4500 billion dong. One of the biggest equipment … [Read more...] about Vietnam now the aiming point of clean energy investors
Taxi pick-up points invisible to passengers and drivers
Hanoi’s Transport Department has piloted taxi pick-up and drop-off stands on two streets for two months, but passengers and drivers remain unaware of them, Lao Động (Labour) newspaper reported. Pick-up signs and waiting areas have been set up for taxis at six locations on Lý Thường Kiệt and Trần Hưng Đạo streets. Each stand is large enough for two taxis to pick up and drop off passengers at the same time. Drivers have two minutes for passengers to embark or disembark from their taxis.These points are located in densely-populated areas in the centre of the capital city, where demand for transportation is high, aiming to reduce traffic congestion.Despite the signs, taxis still ply the streets to pick up passengers.Long rows of personal cars parked along the streets encroache on the pick-up zones of taxis.Nguyễn Văn Bình, a security guard for National Tobacco Corporation on Lý Thường Kiệt … [Read more...] about Taxi pick-up points invisible to passengers and drivers