For Thien, the official visit to Vietnam by U.S. President Joe Biden earlier this month was not only an important event between Vietnam and the U.S., but a memorable milestone in his life. At the National Assembly Building on September 11, Thien received his war diary lost during a battle in Tay Ninh that borders HCMC in 1967, as witnessed by Biden and National Assembly chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. "I couldn’t have imagined ever receiving my lost diary from the war around 60 years ago. It was truly surprising and moving. For me, it was an invaluable relic," said Thien, 75. Thien was born in northern Thai Binh Province and joined the army in 1965, at the age of 17. He brought with him a diary to recount what happened during his march into the southeastern Vietnam battlefield. "I want my descendants to know how their forefathers used to face dangers and hardship," he said. He would often sit down and write in his diary one or two days into the march, or when emotions ran … [Read more...] about How a Vietnam War diary found its way home after 56 years
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Hoi An hotels hauled up inflating star ratings
Nguyen Thanh Hong, director of the Quang Nam Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said an inspection was done of tourist accommodation establishments in Hoi An on September 11 and a number of hotels were found proclaiming four- and five-star status without designation as such by authorities. They were also found using misleading advertising, he said. They included Le Pavillon Luxury Hoi An Resort & Spa, Allegro Hoi An Little Luxury Hotel & Spa, Koi Resort & Spa Hoi An and Bellerive Hoi An Hotel & Spa. Quang Nam authorities said Le Pavillon Luxury Hoi An Resort & Spa has not received any star rating but claimed to be a four-star establishment on signboards outside, its official website and travel sites. It has since removed the signs at the gate. Inspectors also found these hotels have been advertised as four-star or five-star rating on online room booking platforms, such as Agoda and Booking. Pham Hong Phuoc, marketing manager of … [Read more...] about Hoi An hotels hauled up inflating star ratings
6 Vietnam companies with exemplary technology environments in 2023
This is the first year the CTO Summit Technology Leadership Conference has been organized at the annual AI event to honor enterprises with a technology-rich working environment. WD, Heineken, VNPT, FPT's representatives receive the award as the best technology environment enterprises at Vietnam Artificial Intelligence Day 2023 on September 22, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran Launched in mid-July, the award received more than 50 nominations and 17 were shortlisted for the next round. FPT FPT is one of the pioneering enterprises in technology and digital transformation in Vietnam. The company has representative offices in 29 countries and territories. The group has invested trillions of dong to create comfortable office complexes and offices with utility ecosystems to meet employees' demand for working, entertainment, studying, and accommodation. One of FPT's unique cultures is the core staff training program, which helps young talents enhance their skills … [Read more...] about 6 Vietnam companies with exemplary technology environments in 2023
Singapore cracks down money laundering case worth over 1.76 billion USD
Vehicles that Singaporean police seize in raids against a suspected international money laundering ring last month. (Photo: SDF) Hanoi (VNA) – Singaporean media on September 20 reported local police have seized or frozen more than 1.76 billion USD worth of assets in one of the biggest money laundering cases ever uncovered in the city-state. In sweeping raids against a suspected international money laundering ring last month, Singaporean authorities seized assets worth nearly 750 million USD including bank accounts, cash, real estate, vehicles, and luxury goods. Police also arrested 10 foreign nationals who are members of a group suspected to be laundering proceeds from overseas criminal activity including scams and online gambling. Police on September 20 confirmed that they conducted additional operations and seized additional assets, bringing the total amount involved to more than 2.4 billion Singapore an dollars (1.76 billion USD). The seized assets now includes … [Read more...] about Singapore cracks down money laundering case worth over 1.76 billion USD