What you need to know when building a house

Int’l volunteers build stability through shelter for Vietnamese families The Saigon Times Daily Japanese volunteers build a new house for a low-income Vietnamese family during the 2019 Habitat Young Leaders Build campaign - PHOTO: COURTESY OF HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HCMC - Vietnamese youths and those from other countries such as Japan, Korea, Australia and the U.S. have taken part in the Habitat for Humanity’s Young Leaders Build campaign by coming to Vietnam to build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter. Throughout April and May, supporters will join home building and fund raising activities in Vietnam and some other Asia-Pacific countries. “The power of youth is pivotal in building homes and communities in a diverse region like Asia-Pacific. As a result of their dynamism and creativity, we have heard amazing stories of transformed lives. Thanks to the youth, our leaders of today and the future, Habitat is energized and inspired to continue building … [Read more...] about Int’l volunteers build stability through shelter for Vietnamese families

A wooden ladder used by residents living on the top of the royal wall system in Huế. — VNS Photo Phước Bửu Viet Nam News Phước Bửu THỪA THIÊN-HUẾ — A little girl wearing a school uniform parked her electric bicycle on the street beside the royal wall in the city of Huế and shouted, her eyes cast upward. Seconds later, a man came down from the top of the wall to grab the bicycle. He quickly stepped back up to the area from which he had come. The little girl was returning home from secondary school and her father helped her take the heavy bicycle back to their home, which is located on the top of the wall, said a nearby vendor. They acted more quickly today to avoid the lens of the reporter. They didn’t want to be quoted — and neither did the vendor. They avoided press because they were living illegally on the wall’s top and they did not want other students to know about their children’s secret living situation. The wall, which was built by the Nguyễn Dynasty … [Read more...] about Walltop residents build informal community in Huế

MPs seek real-estate law that is fair to all (12-11-2005) Ha Noi — Most real estate transactions were illegal and untaxable, the National Assembly was told yesterday. The judgement was delivered by deputy Luong Thi Hoa as parliament discussed the draft Real Estate Law and how it could contribute to economic development. The north-central Thanh Hoa Province deputy was arguing for the National Assembly to promulgate the Real Estate Law as soon as possible. The debate showed that most deputies agreed that all organisations and individuals – regardless of nationality – were entitled to enter the market. Tran Hong Viet, southern An Giang Province said: "The participation of foreigners and overseas Vietnamese will make the market more healthy." Such people may help stabilise the market and make it more realistic, he said. But Tran Thanh Khiem, from southernmost Ca Mau Province, said: "The law should conform to the Land Law, particularly the provisions that … [Read more...] about MPs seek real-estate law that is fair to all

Voters voice opinions to NA deputies (05-05-2005) Voters meet with candidates for the Ba Be District People’s Council in Bac Kan Province during the 2004-09 term. — VNA/ VNS Photo HCM CITY — Voters across the country have begun voicing their opinions to National Assembly deputies as lawmakers prepare for legislative meetings. Measures against corruption, wage reform, health insurance and low-income housing programmes are the main concerns of HCM City voters, according to a National Assembly delegation. Before the opening of the seventh meeting of the eleventh session of the National Assembly today, the HCM City NA delegates talked to voters in 24 city districts to determine their primary concerns. The voters interviewed late last month suggested that in order to prevent corruption, the NA should refine the regulations requiring leading State officials to publicly declare their assets. Voters in District 12 and Hoc Mon and Cu Chi districts said … [Read more...] about Voters voice opinions to NA deputies

PM Dung’s online session a major draw (10-02-2007) Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung answers questions from citizens live.—VNA/VNS Photo Duc Tam Ha Noi — Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung spent two-and-a-half hours chatting with the public in a forum on the Viet Nam Communist Party website yesterday morning. The event was also broadcast on Viet Nam Television and the VietnamNet. In total, more than 20,000 questions divided into nine topics were submitted by residents and foreigners. The nine discussion topics were: Viet Nam’s 2006 socio-economic achievements; anti-corruption; administrative reform; science and technology development; employment; social policies; socio-economic solutions for 2007 and the future; housing and land policies; education policies, culture and health and disaster relief and epidemic prevention. The following is an excerpt of the dialogue: Nguyen Van Sac, HCM City, Nguyen Van Tuan, Ha Noi; Do Van Binh, Phu Tho Province; Nguyen Chi … [Read more...] about PM Dung’s online session a major draw

India, nation plan to boost strong strategic partnership (07-07-2007) Prime Minsiter Nguyen Tan Dung is welcomed by his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh. — VNA/VNS Photo Duc Tam New Delhi — Vietnamese and Indian Prime Ministers agreed to officially establish a strategic partnership between the two countries at their talks in New Delhi yesterday. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh noted that the strategic partnership marked a new breakthrough in bilateral relations and pave the way for the two countries’ all-faceted co-operation to expand further. The strategic partnership will support each country’s durable growth and prosperity and work for the sake of peace, stability, co-operation and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world, the two PM said. To promote this new strategic partnership, the two government leaders agreed to further bolster the two countries’ political ties in addition to … [Read more...] about India, nation plan to boost strong strategic partnership

Professor Carlyle A. Thayer. — VNA/VNS Photo Viet Nam News * Carl Thayer The unexpected breakdown of the second summit meeting between President Donald Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un may be explained by two main factors. First, it illustrates the limitations of Donald Trump’s top-down transactional approach to foreign policy. Second, it illustrates that advanced preparations by both sides were inadequate and led to unrealistic expectations on the US side. Ever since President Trump embarked on high-level summitry with North Korea, he has continually touted his “very special relationship” with his counterpart, Chairman Kim. Both the first and second summit meetings were carefully choreographed to highlight the bonding between these two leaders, walks together on stately grounds and private one-on-one face-to-face meetings. But can we seriously believe that in the space of a few hours of meetings that the two overcame linguistic and cultural barriers and really came … [Read more...] about The Breakdown of the Second Trump-Kim Summit: First Take

HCM City seeks more green space amid rapid urbanisation Efforts needed to preserve wetlands Unconventional entrepreneur develops Việt Nam’s best-known co-working space Southern goodness, till the last bite, the last drop A comedian who made people cry Working hard: A man sorts and processes scraps in front of his house in the “scrap village” on Hoàng Cầu Street. — VNS Photo Khánh Dương By Khánh Dương HÀ NỘI — In a narrow alley on Hoàng Cầu Street in Đống Đa District, among a residential complex and multi-storey buildings, there is a row of shabby one-storey houses without address plaques. About 10 houses here were carelessly erected of wood. Pieces of canvas cover the low roofs and doors, making the houses more scruffy-looking. Passing these dark houses, nothing attracts more attention than big sacks filled with scraps, piled on the ground and stacked to the roof. This is where migrant scrap dealers have stayed and earned a living for more than 10 … [Read more...] about “Scrap villages” might explode in Hà Nội

Optimisic outlook: Secretary General of ASEAN-Korea Centre, Kim Young-sun. Viet Nam News by Kim Young-sun (*) During Korean Thanksgiving holidays in October, the airport was flooded with people leaving the country. So where were these people going? In fact, the number one travel destination for the South Korean people was once again, ASEAN. More than 600 thousand people travelled to ASEAN during the holiday. To South Korea, ASEAN is a close partner and neighbour, and the two sides have close co-operation and exchanges in a variety of areas. ASEAN and South Korea became dialogue partners in 1989. From then, for almost three decades, there has been remarkable development in this partnership, with significant milestones achieved. ASEAN is now South Korea’s second largest trading partner and destination for investment. South Korea is ASEAN’s fifth largest trading and investment partner. While the trade volume between the two sides in 1989 was US$8.2 billion, in 2016 it … [Read more...] about South Korean-ASEAN links glow

Migrants build temporary houses on the isolated land. — Photo danviet.vn Viet Nam News ĐẮK LẮK  — Half a year ago, the couple Lý Seo Xì and Tráng Thị Tòng moved to a temporarily iron-sheet house on barren land in which there remain tree roots. Their 18-month-old baby, Lý Thị Hoa, who had her hand burned by boiled water four days ago, is playing on the ground, and occasionally crying out in pain. Xì said that he bought medicine for his young daughter. “The pain will wear off after a few days. My house is too far from the hospital so I cannot take my daughter there,” he told Nông Thôn Ngày Nay (Countryside Today) newspaper. His house is one of thoses located in an isolated area in t he middle of a forest in Ea Súp District in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk, where there is an without electricity, clean water, schools or clinics. The area is called Zone 286 of Cư M’Lan Commune, and is some 15km from Yok Đôn National Park. The commune … [Read more...] about Migrants dream of establishing village