Marathon effort as Khanh Hoa bags 11th title (22-03-2005) DA LAT — National team member Nguyen Dang Duc Bao won the men's 10km event and helped his Khanh Hoa team take the overall championship of the National Marathon in Da Lat on Sunday. Ha Tay, who have won the competition 10 times, took second while hosts Lam Dong came third. The win was the 11th for the Khanh Hoa team in the tournament, which has been organised by the Tien Phong (Vanguard) Newspaper since 1958. Bao clocked in at 32 minutes and 12.88 seconds, just three seconds faster than his teammate Pham Ngoc Hoang, who finished second. Ha Tay's Bui Van Giang came in third with a time of 33:25. In the women's 5km race, Saigonese Truong Thanh Hang defended her championship as she took first place with a time of 16:56, beating the runner-up Nguyen Thi Hoa of Quang Nam, who competed in the Greatest Race on Earth in Mumbai in February, and Truong Thi Mai of Thanh Hoa. Khanh Hoa's Le Canh Minh won the boy's youth 7km event with … [Read more...] about Marathon effort as Khanh Hoa bags 11th title
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Poverty alleviation for Brau ethnic minority
Domestic Press Highlights (30-10-2007) Poverty alleviation for Brau ethnic minority The Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) province of Kon Tum has launched a project to improve the lives of the Brau ethnic minority. The project, which costs VND5.5 billion (US$344,000), aims to help the Brau ethnic people escape poverty, and preserve and develop their ethnic cultural identity. The Brau ethnic minority now has a total of 390 people living in Dac Me Village in Ngoc Hoi District. It is among the six ethnic minority groups with the smallest populations in the country. Nhan Dan (The People) Roads for autos to be built in communes All communes nationwide by 2010 will have roads wide enough for autos, under a new road-building plan for rural areas, the National Institute of Transport Development and Strategy said last Sunday. The plan targets that 50-60 per cent of the communal-level roads will be asphalted by 2020, compared to 19 per cent this year. Some 280 communes do not have roads wide enough … [Read more...] about Poverty alleviation for Brau ethnic minority
HCM City needs more hotel rooms
Travellers' Notes (04-06-2005) HCM City needs more hotel rooms HCM City's tourism authority is seeking investment to build 10,000 more hotel rooms over the next five years. The city now has only 9,500 rooms and received about 1.58 million international tourists last year. The average occupancy of international standard hotels hovers around 80 to 90 per cent. The deputy director of the HCM City Tourism Department, Le Nhut Tan, said in the high season, when the city receives some 200,000 international guests per month, all four to five-star hotels are fully booked. Ancient Cham tower to be preserved The German government has donated 100,000 euros (US$126,000) to a project to restore a Cham tower in Binh Dinh province. Built in the 12th century, Canh Tien Tower's architectural style is typical of ancient Cham structures in the central province. Preservation is to start late this month. City to build port for cruise ships A VND92 billion (US$6 million) passenger terminal will enable HCM … [Read more...] about HCM City needs more hotel rooms
Striking it rich on Women’s Day
Kaleidoscope (04-03-2007) with Tran Dinh Thanh Lam Striking it rich on Women's Day Valentine's Day took a back seat to Tet this year. The annual Lunar New Year holiday period, which fell over Valentine's Day, cut into the profits of jewellers and souvenir shops, who generally make a killing on the special day and the days preceding it. International Women's Day on March 8, however, should compensate for any losses incurred by shopkeepers. "March 8 will be a golden opportunity for us," predicted Ngoc Cuc, deputy director of PNJ, a jewellery company based in Phu Nhuan District in HCM City. Cuc, who said the booming stock market had helped sales, also stated that her company was catering to every level of income and had introduced items made of gold, silver and other materials. Cosmetic companies like Pond's, Hazeline, Olay and Dove also consider International Women's Day a great day for business and have set up stands at the front of supermarkets promoting their skincare services with … [Read more...] about Striking it rich on Women’s Day
Poverty fails reporter’s big heart
A young reporter's heart is failing - mainly because she never had enough money to treat a chronic condition - and her family is struggling to scrounge up US$4,800 to pay for the operation needed to save her live. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Thom, 26, collapsed on her desk at Binh Dinh Province Radio and Television Station in the south central province last month. … [Read more...] about Poverty fails reporter’s big heart