The “Profile of International Activity in US Residential Real Estate” report published by the National Association of Realtors in June 2017 showed that foreign buyers spent a total of $153 billion on purchasing residential property in the US between April 2016 and March 2017. Foreign buyers purchased a total of 284,455 residential properties in the US, an increase of 32.4 per cent from the previous year. The number of units purchased made up 5 per cent of existing home sales. According to the report, the average purchase price of foreign buyers in 2017 was $536,852, up 12 per cent from 2016. The median purchase price of foreign buyers was $302,290 in 2017, up 9 per cent. For the first time since 2007, Vietnamese buyers reached 2 per cent of the total purchases, equal to approximately 5,689 properties. This put Vietnam on the list of the top ten foreign buyers of residential properties in the US, … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA - Speaker of the Parliament of Bangladesh Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury left Hanoi on July 24, successfully concluding her five-day official visit to Vietnam, made at the invitation of National Assembly Chairwoman, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. During her stay, she held talks with NA Chairwoman Ngan, and paid courtesy visits to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Tran Dai Quang. She also paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and laid wreaths at the Monument to War Heroes and Martyrs. During her discussions, both sides agreed that the two countries’ traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation have developed continuously since they first established their diplomatic ties 44 years ago. The political relations between the two countries have been tightened through regular visits and meetings. The two countries have always supported each other in their national building and … [Read more...]

NDO - A Nhan Dan Online selection of notable events that made headlines over the past week. 1. Party General Secretary pays State visit to Cambodia Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and a delegation of high-ranking Vietnamese officials paid a State visit to Cambodia from July 20-22 at the invitation of Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni. During his stay in Cambodia, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held talks with Cambodian King Nodorom Sihamoni, meetings with Vice President of the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and President of the Senate of Cambodia Samdech Say Chhum, Honorary President of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) and President of the National Assembly Heng Samrin, and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen. He also attended an inauguration ceremony of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monument in Preah Sihanouk province. 2. Laos Vice President visits Vietnam General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) … [Read more...]

NDO – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, on July 23, talked with local residents in Tuong Son commune, Thach Ha district in the central province of Ha Tinh. Tuong Son is one of three communes in Thanh Ha district and one of 82 communes in the province to be recognised as a new-style rural area in Ha Tinh. Talking with local residents, PM Phuc spoke highly of the people’s prompt application of advanced technology in production as well as their strong will to overcome difficulties and poverty. He also asked the local authorities to maintain social order, consolidate the political system, and encourage more positive participation from local people in production. The PM paid a visit to a consultative group on policies related to preferential loans, organic agriculture, and ‘one-stop shop’ procedures at the Tuong Son commune Administrative Centre. PM Phuc appreciated the effectiveness of these models and asked district leaders to maintain the … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has hailed the ongoing visit by Speaker of the Parliament of Bangladesh Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury as a significant contribution to bilateral ties. At a reception for the top Bangladeshi legislator on July 23, the Party chief expressed his hope that the relationship between the two countries would thrive, meeting the practical needs of both countries and their people. “The Communist Party of Vietnam and Vietnamese people always attach much importance to the traditional friendship and cooperation with Bangladesh,” he stressed. “On the basis of such a fine relationship and other similarities, both sides should take concrete measures to implement more effectively our signed agreements, especially strengthening economic cooperation to bring it in line with sound political ties,” he suggested. Applauding Bangladesh’s achievements, General Secretary Trong said he was convinced that the … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has hailed the ongoing visit by Speaker of the Parliament of Bangladesh Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury as a significant contribution to bilateral ties. At a reception for the top Bangladeshi legislator on July 23, the Party chief expressed his hope that the relationship between the two countries would thrive, meeting the practical needs of both countries and their people. “The Communist Party of Vietnam and Vietnamese people always attach much importance to the traditional friendship and cooperation with Bangladesh,” he stressed. “On the basis of such a fine relationship and other similarities, both sides should take concrete measures to implement more effectively our signed agreements, especially strengthening economic cooperation to bring it in line with sound political ties,” he suggested. Applauding Bangladesh’s achievements, General Secretary Trong said he was convinced that the … [Read more...]

Progress in beating back the AIDS epidemic risks being eroded by a funding shortfall set to grow under Donald Trump's proposed cuts to global health projects, experts and campaigners warned ahead of a major HIV conference. If adopted by Congress, the 2018 Trump budget could deprive some 830,000 people, mostly in Africa, from life-saving anti-AIDS drugs, according to calculations by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a California-based health policy NGO. "We will see lives needlessly being lost," said Linda-Gail Bekker, president of the International AIDS Society (IAS) hosting some 6,000 experts in Paris from Sunday to take stock of advances in HIV science. "We're not talking about maybe a slowing down... if these (US) cuts come about we could very well see a real turnaround in terms of the progress that has been made," she told AFP. A Trump budget could lead to nearly 200,000 new HIV infections, according to the KFF. It could also leave as many as 25 million couples … [Read more...]

The event started off the first Vietnam-Laos Border Friendship Exchange in 2017, hosted by the Vietnam Border Guard Command on July 22 and 23. An art performance at the program  The special exchange program witnessed the participation of Senior Lieutenant General Be Xuan Truong, Deputy Defense Minister; Major General Le Hien Van, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army; Lieutenant General Onsy Senesouk, Lao Deputy Defense Minister; military attachés of Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar to Vietnam; and representatives of relevant ministries and sectors. The event was held in a series of activities in celebration of 40 years of the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation and the 55th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties. It is also to honor the two countries’ border guard forces, day and night safeguarding and building … [Read more...]

Check out the news you should not miss today, January 25, the 28th day of the last month of the lunar calendar, or three days away from the Tet, or Lunar New Year holiday. Check out the news you should not miss today, January 25, the 28th day of the last month of the lunar calendar, or three days away from the Tet, or Lunar New Year holiday. Politics -- Vietnam consistently wants to develop its strategic partnership with Singapore, State President Tran Dai Quang asserted when receiving Singaporean Ambassador to Vietnam Catherine Wong in Hanoi on Tuesday. -- Vietnam and Belarus celebrated the 25th founding anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relationship on Tuesday, with Vietnamese State President Tran Dai Quang extending a congratulatory message to his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on the occasion. Society -- The request was made by Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held at a working session with the Mobile Police High Command in Hanoi … [Read more...]

Check out the news you should not miss today, January 21, the 24th day of the last month of the lunar calendar, or ten days away from the Tet, or Lunar New Year holiday. Check out the news you should not miss today, January 21, the 24th day of the last month of the lunar calendar, or ten days away from the Tet, or Lunar New Year holiday. Politics -- Vietnam is ready to send more officers to UN peacekeeping operations, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army Pham Ngoc Minh asserted at talks with a delegation of the UK army medical services in Hanoi on Friday -- Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc wrapped up his participation at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Friday, having engaged in a continuous series of sessions and meetings with world and business leaders as part of his sideline activities. Society -- Vietnam's State President Tran Dai Quang met 50 overseas Vietnamese delegates in Hanoi on Friday, hailing … [Read more...]

Good morning from Vietnam! Good morning from Vietnam! Politics -- U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius has praised recent remarkable advancement in Vietnam-U.S. ties and shared his vision on the further enhancement of bilateral relations in an open letter written exclusively for Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Society -- The second diphtheria outbreak in three years has been confirmed in central Vietnam’s Quang Nam Province, where two high school students have been reported dead from the disease so far, according to Tran Khac Phu, director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine. -- Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex in Ho Chi Minh City’s Binh Chanh District, which in September was found responsible for the foul smell that had been wafting through the city’s southern end, has announced its plan to gradually employ the incineration method in place of burial to curb the unpleasant odor. Lifestyle -- A VND120 billion (US$5.27 million) aerospace museum will be … [Read more...]

Check out what is in the news today, January 18 Check out what is in the news today, January 18 Politics -- Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will lead a delegation to the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland from Wednesday to Friday, a local diplomat has confirmed. Society -- Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday jointly organized a charity program at a pediatric hospital in the central city of Da Nang where disadvantaged child patients were treated to music and variety performances and received Tet (Lunar New Year) gifts. -- Vietnam is now empowered to demand removal of or directly block inappropriate, anti-state information, according to a circular on via-border provision of public information recently released by the Ministry of Information and Communications. -- The People’s Court of the south-central province of Binh Thuan announced on Tuesday that they had reached negotiations on a compensation sum of VND10 billion (US$ 438,385) with a … [Read more...]

But they are unavoidable. Thinking back to before I arrived in Hanoi, after hearing of the fabled Xe Om from weary travellers, I worried how and where I would find one. How will he know where to take me? How much will it be? Bargain!? How the hell do I do that? However, after only a few weeks in Vietnam hearing ‘Xe Om, moto!’, or even the more polite ‘Hallo sir, moto?’ instantly received a look of disdain from me. I said no, I avoided them, I ignored them. But my crippling inability to balance, and thus my complete inability to ride a motorbike, has left me completely reliant on these two-wheeled street dwellers. My reliance has meant I have built up quite a roster of acquainted and trusted Xe Oms – my Xe Om’s. And of course, they are not all that bad. I met Giang the Xe Om about two weeks into my stay. I was walking along my street to the corner where I knew they would be plentiful, when he popped out of nowhere – ‘Moto?’, … [Read more...]

Hanoi, as we all know, is the capital of Vietnam and the country’s second largest city. It’s a “jewel box” full of lovely places where you can breathe the real Vietnam of yesterday, of today and of tomorrow…but it’s also a largely crowded city where an unbelievable number of motorcycles swarming the streets…could also be seen typing an SMS message or talking on their mobile phones while driving…but...”come ‘on, don’t be so western minded!” Well today I want to say a few words about crossing a street in Hanoi… Clearly, compared with many other cities, the situation is not so bad …I mean if you think about India… (in Hanoi there are not cows in the streets!) In any case, if you are planning to come to Hanoi, I suggest you bear in mind some things, very simple, but extremely important. Knowing mathematical rules… I remember that when I studied mathematics, they explained to me that: … [Read more...]

The weather in Vietnam is unsettled sometimes and no one is quite sure when it allows, even in summer. Some days you might have to tweak it a little bit to say ‘it’s going to be so hot that you will feel like you are in the pit of hell for five days’, and then it will rain - heavily - and then for the next few days it will be a bit cooler (with a chance of rain). But overall I imagine the weather forecaster has it pretty sweet. Last week I was glued to weather forecasts, poured over them and bored my friend with exactly how hot (not very), windy (very) or wet (extremely) it was going to be. It was almost certainly the first time I had even thought of looking at one for around 5 months. We were greeted at Hue train station, at the start of a three day trip, with horrendous rain. By the time we were whisked from the train station to our hotel the water had already reached the level of the pavement. Post breakfast it had rose another few inches, post lunch it was knee … [Read more...]

Fireworks display to welcome Int’l Vovinam Festival At a large martial arts club in the Sports Club on Hồ Xuân Hương Street in HCM City's District 3, an elderly woman wearing an Aikido uniform patiently guides her young disabled students through each movement. Nguyễn Thanh Loan, 65, is the founder of the “Aikido – World is Love” club” for handicapped children, including those with Downs Syndrome and others who are vision or hearing impaired. The club currently has about 70 students. “One of the guidelines in Aikido is to consider love and peace as ways to enter society,” she says. Some children are afraid to step out to the practise mat at first, but Loan keeps encouraging them with her smile and gentle attitude, so they begin to imitate her movements. Loan says she is very delighted to see the rapid progress of the disabled children who can now somersault and wrestle like ordinary children. "Initially, I only wanted to help my learners improve their health and find joy in … [Read more...]

Foreign tourists impressed by Hanoi nightlife An Easter Touch The main reason is living cost in this Asian country is much lower than in many other countries. And it's relatively easy to find a job elsewhere. “I like working and experiencing new food here. Vietnamese people are usually very friendly, I have the chance to make friends with many Vietnamese and other foreigners,” said Noel, an English teacher from Ireland. Of course, there remain certain differences, either interesting or not. For instance, “visas and work permits” in Vietnam are expensive and difficult to get. It is very noisy here. Sometimes it's also difficult to get a straight answer from employers,” Noel said. Jeffreyson Liu, (36) who is from China said “I find Vietnamese people very hardworking; the food is good and suitable for my taste. Some staff members can speak fluent English and other foreign languages.” Having run a travel agency for 5 years, he agreed that … [Read more...]

Coffee culture in Hanoi Drinks are prepared on the first floor to serve customers and readers on the second and third floors. All along the stairs and the walls of the upper floors are bookshelves full of different kinds of books, including literature, politics, science, martial arts and foreign language books that give the café the appearance of a library. My friend Quỳnh Hương says she is really interested in the cafe's space and design. "I like the way it is decorated, with buffers and books along the walls, making it a cozy place to read." The café owner, Nguyễn Đình Tùng, greets us with a warm smile and tells us the café has about 10,000 books, which is only a part of his family's entire collection. “I have a treasure stash of books weighing about 20 tonnes at home. The books are of interest to many customers”, he says. Most of the books are fairly old, (printed in the 70s and 80s) including a number of valuable books, such as a collection of different Kiều editions as … [Read more...]

Foreign tourists impressed by Hanoi nightlife Bún đậu mắm tôm: it's worth a try A trip to Mai Chau When most foreign tourists go to the stunning countryside areas of Vietnam such as Mai Chau in the northern province of Hoa Binh - the place from which I have just returned - we see a romantic landscape of verdant, terraced rice fields stretching into the distance up the misty valley, surrounded by steep mountains partially enshrouded in clouds. Among those fields are set small villages upon copses of trees and bamboo. And, in the fields work the farmers at their own steady pace, a pace dictated not by the clock, but rather by the season, the weather, and the rice. Of course, I know those people there, people whom we have romanticized so often, toiling all day with the heat of the sun beating upon their backs mercilessly; battling the soil, insects, lack of drinking water; and struggling with the local politics and national policies that lead to the endless uncertainties shared by … [Read more...]

As a newcomer to Hanoi I find myself in daily awe of many people gathering around the sidewalk food stands, of the throngs of motorbikes winding and weaving their way up Hue street and down Ba Trieu street, and of the intrepid tourists who confront – however timidly or courageously – the sensory overload that is the Old Quarter. Sometimes, however, every city dweller needs to escape the sound and the fury of downtown activity. If a city break is what you are after, the artisan village of Bat Trang, which lies about an hour’s leisurely drive from central Hanoi, is well worth trying - crossing over Chuong Duong Bridge and heading south on TL 195 to get out of the motorbike melee and into the fresh air with housing developments on the left and grazing cattle on the right coming into focus. After what feels like a little too long following road markings for Bat Trang, a large sign appears on the right with the name of this lovely village, which specialises in hand-made, … [Read more...]