Vietnam Breaking News

All taxis in Hanoi to be installed with GPS

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>All taxis in Hanoi to be installed with GPS Hanoi’s Department of Transport has decided to raise the rate of city taxis installed with global positioning system (GPS) devices to 100 percent by 2015 in a bid to more strictly manage taxi enterprises operating in the capital. <div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 310px' id='attachment_1449491'><a href="http://bit.ly/1eDAzIt"><img alt="Illustrative image (Source: VNA)" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="200" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1eDAzIt" width="300"/> </a> Illustrative image (Source: VNA) </div> The municipal People’s Committee has approved a project to manage taxi firms in the 2015-2030 period. The project will also adjust the number of taxis to match the city’s development planning. The installation of GPS devices will help municipal authorities, taxi firms and passengers better understand the operational areas of taxi firms, the rate of fuel consumption and the accuracy of taximeters. In addition, Hanoi’s transport sector will also pay attention to developing parking areas for taxis in the coming time. As many as 109 transport firms in Hanoi have been so far granted business licences to supply transportation services by taxis.-VNA All taxis in Hanoi to be installed with GPS Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1eDAzIt" width="200"/> </div>

All taxis in Hanoi to be installed with GPS

All taxis in Hanoi to be installed with GPS Hanoi’s Department of Transport has decided to raise the rate of city taxis installed with globa...

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Major educational system assessment spots areas for improvement

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Major educational system assessment spots areas for improvement The Ministry of Education and Training is committed to increasing the quality of education by improving assessments of students’ knowledge and learning capacity, Deputy Minister Nguyen Vinh Hien has stated. <div class='wp-caption aligncenter' style='width: 310px' id='attachment_1449494'><a href="http://bit.ly/1hnTjRk"><img alt="Illustrative image (Photo: VNA)" class="attachment-medium aligncenter" height="225" rel="lightbox" src="http://bit.ly/1hnTjRk" width="300"/> </a> Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) </div> At a February 27 conference to sum up the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and deploy the 2015 PISA in Vietnam, Hien said that through the assessment, the ministry can put forward more appropriate and beneficial policies. Initiated by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, PISA is a triennial international survey which aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students. The test is also designed to measure whether students can apply what they’ve learned in school to real-life problems. Vietnam will look into the results in order to seek measures for education quality improvement and study how to apply PISA techniques and methods in national education quality assessment, he added. Vietnam was ranked eighth in science, 17th in mathematics and 19th in reading among 65 countries and territories participating in the 2012 survey. It was the first time the country, which has the lowest per capita income among participating economies, had joined in the survey.-VNA Major educational system assessment spots areas for improvement Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://bit.ly/1hnTjRk" width="200"/> </div>

Major educational system assessment spots areas for improvement

Major educational system assessment spots areas for improvement The Ministry of Education and Training is committed to increasing the qualit...

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Tan Son Nhat international airport to be expanded

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Tan Son Nhat international airport to be expanded (VOV) – Tan Son Nhat international airport is poised to undergo its most radical change and extensive construction since the main <a href="http://bit.ly/1hnTjAX">terminal</a> was opened officials have announced. <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDAzIk">General Director of Airports Corporation of Viet Nam</a> (ACV) <a href="http://bit.ly/1hnTjRa">Le Manh Hung</a> also made public a ten-year renovation project is planned for the Long Thanh airport. The international airport will increase the number of its left and right terminals to allow for 40 more check-in stalls and the domestic terminal will be extended to have additional floor of space of 3,900 square metres. In the years leading up to 2014, Tan Son Nhat airport has served serving 20 million passengers, operating up to 550 flights per day during peak hours. <a href="http://bit.ly/1hMVIHY">Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang</a> in turn asked the ACV to mobilize social capital sources to invest in upgraded building parking lots. Tan Son Nhat international airport to be expanded Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

Tan Son Nhat international airport to be expanded

Tan Son Nhat international airport to be expanded (VOV) – Tan Son Nhat international airport is poised to undergo its most radical change an...

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IFC supports building houses for average income earners

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>IFC supports building houses for average income earners (VOV) – <a href="http://bit.ly/1chV4ub">International Finance Corporation</a> (IFC) is infusing US$7.5 million into Nam Long Investment Joint Stock Company to build 8,000 houses in HCM city for <a href="http://bit.ly/1hnTiNf">average income earners</a>. <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDABAa">Nam Long Investment Joint Stock Company General Director Nguyen Vinh Tran</a>, said that IFC has invested heavily to gain a competitive advantage in supplying houses at average prices, especially in the context of current difficulties in the capital market. Apart from financial investment, IFC has also assisted the company in improving the quality standards for the environment and society as well as implementing international norms on using energy efficiently in property projects. Nam Long is currently conducting a pilot project for a more environmentally friendly model house design that will reduce energy costs and greenhouse emissions. The new building is expected to reduce consumption of energy by 20%. <a href="http://bit.ly/1hnTjAP">Simon Andrews</a>, IFC’s Regional Manager for Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDABQp">Myanmar and Thailand</a> said that despite the recent slump in the Vietnamese real estate market, housing demand for average income earners remain high due to rapid urbanization. With the assistance of Nam Long, IFC wants to help average income earners realize their dream of owning a home. IFC supports building houses for average income earners Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

IFC supports building houses for average income earners

IFC supports building houses for average income earners (VOV) – International Finance Corporation (IFC) is infusing US$7.5 million into Nam...

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Vietnam loses to Pakistan in Junior Davis Cup

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Vietnam loses to Pakistan in Junior Davis Cup (VOV) -Vietnam’s U16 tennis team on February 27 missed out on a first-place finish in the <a href="http://bit.ly/1cmmXBm">Junior Davis Cup</a> after losing 0-2 to Pakistan in the semi-finals qualifying round of the tourney. <ul> <li><a href="http://bit.ly/1bQy0bh">Youngsters make good start in U16 tennis tournament</a> </li> <li><a href="http://bit.ly/1bQy0rz">Vietnam to host tennis play-off matches versus Sri Lanka</a> </li> </ul> In the initial singles match of the tournament in <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDuI5P">Kuala Lumpur</a>, Malaysia, Minh Tri succumbed quickly and lost to Mudassar Murtaza 0-2. Tri’s teammate <a href="http://bit.ly/1cmmXBo">Dac Tien</a> made a strong showing winning out overrival <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDuI5U">Muhammed Muzahid</a> in the first set but then lost 2-6 in the second. Vietnam will face off againstKazakhstan in the semi-final match for the third place on February 28. Previously, the team received a reward worth US$1,000 from the <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDuI5W">Vietnam Tennis Federation</a> for their good performance in the first four matches. Vietnam loses to Pakistan in Junior Davis Cup Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

Vietnam loses to Pakistan in Junior Davis Cup

Vietnam loses to Pakistan in Junior Davis Cup (VOV) -Vietnam’s U16 tennis team on February 27 missed out on a first-place finish in the Juni...

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Renzi under pressure as city of Rome risks bankruptcy

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Renzi under pressure as city of Rome risks bankruptcy ROME — <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDuHPj">Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi</a> has come under pressure as the city of Rome verged towards bankruptcy after parliament threw out a bill that would have injected fresh funding. Rome mayor <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDuKuu">Ignazio Marino</a> said on Thursday city services like public transport would come to a halt and that he would not be a “Nero” – the Roman emperor who, legend has it, strummed his lyre as the city burnt to the ground. Marino said that Renzi, a centre-left leader and former mayor of Florence who was only confirmed by parliament this week, had promised to adopt urgent measures to help the Italian capital at a cabinet meeting on Friday. The newly-elected mayor faces a budget deficit of 816 million euros (US$1.1 billion) and the city could be placed under administration if he does not manage to close the gap with measures such as cutting public services. “Rome has wasted money for decades. I don’t want to spend another euro that is not budgeted,” Marino said, following criticism from the <a href="http://bit.ly/1bQy0b7">Northern League</a> opposition party which helped shoot down the bill for Rome in parliament. The draft law would have included funding for Rome from the central government budget as a compensation for the extra costs it faces because of its role as the capital including tourism traffic and national demonstrations. Other cash-strapped cities complained it was unfair. <a href="http://bit.ly/1bQy0bb">But Marino</a> warned there could be dire consequences. “We’re not going to block the city but the city will come to a standstill. It will block itself if I do not have the tools for making budget decisions and right now I cannot allocate any money,” he told the SkyTG24 news channel. Marino said that buses may have to stop running as soon as Sunday because he only had 10 per cent of the money required to pay for fuel in March. He added: “With the money that we have in the budget right now, I can do repairs on each road in Rome every 52 years. That’s not really maintenance.” AFP Renzi under pressure as city of Rome risks bankruptcy Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

Renzi under pressure as city of Rome risks bankruptcy

Renzi under pressure as city of Rome risks bankruptcy ROME — Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi has come under pressure as the city of Rom...

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Crimea airport operating normally:

<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Crimea airport operating normally: <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDuHyJ">SIMFEROPOL</a>, <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDuEDf">Ukraine – The</a> airport of Crimea’s capital Simferopol was operating normally on Friday despite earlier reports that it had been seized overnight by some 50 unknown armed assailants. Access to the airport was open and passengers were checking in for flights, a journalist reported, but about a dozen unidentified armed men could be seen outside the airport perimeter. Some 50 armed men on Friday seized the airport of Crimea’s capital Simferopol, a day after pro-Russian gunmen took over government buildings in the city, <a href="http://bit.ly/1bQxZUy">Interfax-Ukraine</a> news agency reported, citing witnesses. After dozens of pro-Russian gunmen seized government buildings in the volatile peninsula – raising fears of a full-blown regional conflict – NATO leader <a href="http://bit.ly/1jakdvW">Anders Fogh Rasmussen</a> tweeted his concern and pleaded forein countries “not to take any action that can escalate tension or create misunderstanding.” Rasmussen later told a meeting of the <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDuEDl">NATO-Ukraine Commission</a> that developments in Crimea were “dangerous and irresponsible,” and pleaded for “all parties to step back from confrontation.” Russia said it would abide by treaties governing the fleet. <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDuHyL">President Vladimir Putin</a> ordered snap military drills near the Ukrainian border. <a href="http://bit.ly/1bQy36L">But US Secretary of State John Kerry</a> said he had received assurances from his counterpart <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDuETz">Sergei Lavrov</a>. He “reaffirmed President Putin’s statement that Russia will respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine and we believe that everybody now needs to step back and avoid any kind of provocations.” <a href="http://bit.ly/1bQxZUF">The Organization</a> for <a href="http://bit.ly/1eDuETB">Security and Cooperation in Europe</a> expressed “serious concern” over the situation in Crimea and said it would be sending two envoys to the region in the coming days. AFP Crimea airport operating normally: Related image(s) <img height="200" src="http://ift.tt/1eWmqbm" width="200"/> </div>

Crimea airport operating normally:

Crimea airport operating normally: SIMFEROPOL , Ukraine – The airport of Crimea’s capital Simferopol was operating normally on Friday despi...

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