Jaiho Blog

Search for cheap flights

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 14:54:00 +0000

Where to fly? When are plane tickets cheaper?

Aviasales - the largest search engine tickets in Russia. We compare all the available flight options for your request, and then we direct you to buy on the official websites of airlines and agencies.
The cost of the ticket that you see on Aviasales is final. We have removed all hidden services and ticks.

FLIGHT SEARCH BY DEPARTURE CITIES

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 14:44:00 +0000

Departure Cities

Baku, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dubai, EWR, Istanbul, Kiev, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Minsk, Moscow, New York, Prague, San Francisco, Seattle, St Petersburg, Tbilisi, Tel Aviv

SEARCH NOW !

Cheap flights on OneTwoTrip

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Sat, 02 Mar 2019 14:04:00 +0000

OneTwoTrip enables travellers to compare flights offered by over 800 carriers, worldwide, and to book the most economical flights. Travellers can sort and select flights by price, airline, airline rating, travel time and even number of connections. Through an easy-to-use interface travellers can review detailed airplane seat maps and select the most suitable seats. Using the price calendar, travellers can compare flight prices by date.

Keep Reading ...

Popular Airlines

BRITISH AIRWAYS

EMIRATES

RYANAIR

LIST OF AIRLINES

Today's 11 Hottest Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 21:57:00 +0000

Situated in Seminyak, C151 Smart Villas Seminyak is a short drive from Kuta and provides a rooftop terrace, a sauna and a Jacuzzi. It features a spa and wellness centre, as well as a butler service, a swimming pool and free Wi-Fi.

The property provides a garden to unwind in, as well as free public parking on site. In fine weather, the local region can be explored by renting a bike. A well-equipped gym is also provided.

The villas at C151 Smart Villas Seminyak have direct pool access and all the necessities for an enjoyable stay. They are air conditioned and offer a coffee maker, slippers and a kitchenette.

The property provides room service and serves a continental or an American breakfast each day. A variety of dining options can also be found in the surrounding area.

Seminyak's well-known tourist spots are within close proximity to the property, with Seminyak Beach just a brief walk away. Guests can also easily visit The Spa at The Ulin Villas and Seminyak Square.

Keep Reading ...

HotelsCombined, a reputation website of Hotel booking price comparison

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 21:21:00 +0000

HotelsCombined is a hotel metasearch engine founded in 2005, with headquarters in Sydney, Australia.

The site operates in over 42 languages, handles 130 different currencies and aggregates more than 2 million deals from hundreds of travel sites and hotel chains. The company employs over 200 staff.

In 2005, Yury Shar, Brendon McQueen and Michael Doubinski partnered to create an all-encompassing hotel site where users could access the best rates from a variety of top travel sites all in the same place. All three founders previously worked for HotelClub, now part of Orbitz worldwide.

Initially working out of their homes and without having raised any financial capital, the HotelsCombined founders launched the site following nine months of development. The website steadily earned an organic consumer base[clarification needed]; within a year, the co-founders were able to hire their first employee. Today, HotelsCombined has nearly 200 employees and 17 million users monthly. The site is available in more than 220 countries and in over 42 different languages

HotelsCombined is a hotel metasearch engine. Through partnerships with numerous online travel agencies and hotel chains, HotelsCombined allows users to search and compare hotel rates in one search. It also provides an aggregated summary of hotel reviews and ratings from external sites.
HotelsCombined's Hotel Affiliate Program allows businesses to earn revenue by offering the hotel price comparison service on their website. Hotel content is available in over 42 languages and the interface can be fully customised to allow businesses to retain their brand.

In April 2012, the company began a partnership with low-cost airline Ryanair to power their hotel price comparison service, RyanairHotels.com. HotelsCombined also powers the hotel search for the European flight comparison site momondo.com, as well as Travelsupermarket (part of Moneysupermarket), and many others across Europe, Middle East and the rest of the world.

In 2010, HotelsCombined won TRAVELtech "Website of the Year" and was named a finalist in the Telstra 2010 Business Awards. In the same year, it was awarded ninth place in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 Asia Pacific Ranking,[8] was named “Website of the Week” by the Daily Mail, and was declared one of the top 10 travel websites by guidebook author Arthur Frommer (of Frommers.com). In 2011, HotelsCombined was once more named one of the top 10 ranking Australian businesses in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 Program. Also in 2011, the UK’s The Independent named HotelsCombined one of the best money-saving websites while Pauline Frommer named it a “terrific resource”.

On 30 November 2013, at the World Travel Awards, HotelsCombined won the "World's Leading Hotel Comparison Website 2013". In 2014, HotelsCombined was named as the "World's Leading Hotel Price Comparison Site" for the second consecutive year at the World Travel Awards.

The company's Hotel Price Trend reports, which show hotel price trends aggregated across major travel sites and hotel chains, have been covered in publications around the world including the L.A. Times,the Gulf Daily News and The Australian.

Treatment of myocardial ischaemia

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 19:43:00 +0000

Question

I am 50 years old. Two months ago I had a pain in my left chest severely. After examination and electrocardiogram test, the Doctor diagnosed with imyocardial ischaemia. I am currently taking medication as directed by a Doctor. I would like to question Doctor my myocardial ischaemia can be cured completely? and if so, how to treat it with which method of Doctor?

Answer:

How to identify myocardial ischemia.The most common symptom of myocardial ischemia is chest pain. However, not all cases of chest pain is because of myocardial ischemia. Chest pain may be caused by pain in the chest due to injury, intercostal neuritis, arthritis rib cartilage ... chest pain can also be caused by pain in the lungs or pleura, pain in the esophagus and gastric pain due to aortic dissection ...

In the case of myocardial ischaemia, also known as angina, the patient usually experiences pain in the middle of the chest behind the sternum, which spreads to the jaw, shoulders, and left arm. Pain often occurs when physical exertion or when touched. The pain usually lasts about 5-10 minutes.

The pain will decrease when you rest or shut coronary vasodilator. In pain, patients often feel very tired, may be accompanied by sweating, feeling nausea ... If the pain lasts more than 20 minutes, the risk of myocardial infarction is very high. In some atypical cases , patients may feel tired bout without pain or little pain.

The Doctor's advice

The diagnosis of myocardial ischemia requires a variety of tests and examinations, such as: electrocardiogram, stress test, myocardial perfusion, coronary angiography ... Therefore, When there is any suspicion of ischemic heart disease,need to visit a cardiologist for being diagnosed correctly, absolutely, not guessing the disease and to take medicine at home without a Doctor's prescription.

➤ NEED A DOCTOR'S SUPPORT NOW !

Website of Safer Virtual Private Network

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 16:39:00 +0000

SaferVPN is a leading, premium VPN service providing complete Internet freedom and privacy to hundreds of thousands of users worldwide. With our state-of-the art technology, effortless interface and dedicated 24/7 customer support, anyone can easily access their favorite geo-restricted content and browse the web swiftly, safely and anonymously. Unlike other VPN providers, we manage our extensive, global VPN server network in-house to deliver unparalleled speed, stability and security.

At SaferVPN, we aim to provide secure, private and uncensored internet to anyone, anywhere. As Internet freedom fighters, we've successfully established ground-breaking collaborations with global NGOs and free speech activists living in highly censored countries.

We offer apps and desktop clients for a variety of devices including Windows, Mac, iOS , Android, Chrome Extension and, Routers. With just one click, our users can instantly connect to our servers across the world. Once a user selects their desired location, they receive an alternate IP address so they can browse the web as if they were in their country of choice.
☛ Plz Go to Website to learn more !

Search your next hotel on Agoda

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:20:00 +0000

Book faster. Book smarter. Book Agoda
Driven by our passion for travel, the Agoda team works hard to bring you the cheapest prices on hotels, resorts, unique homes, vacation rentals, and more. Our huge selection of accommodations will let you plan the perfect trip. From adventure travel and backpacking to honeymoons and family vacations, we've got you covered.
Agoda announces winners of the 2016 Gold Circle Awards
Agoda, one of Asia’s leading hotel booking sites and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has announced the winners of its prestigious 2016 Gold Circle Awards, given to accommodation partners around the world that embody the best qualities of the online booking travel experience.
This Gold Circle Award marks the 8th year in recognizing accommodation partners who work closely with agoda to go above and beyond the standard internet offering. The selection ...

Read more »

Website of Online Booking

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:59:00 +0000

I would like to introduce you a website of online search flights, Hotels, Packages Buses Trains from India travel company. That is website has title " Cleartrip".
If you are a tourist and like to go around the World then according to me, you should book flight, hotel or bus, train for your travel plan on this webiste.

♱ About Cleartrip
Headquartered in Mumbai, India, and now in Middle east Cleartrip Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian online travel company providing online booking services for flights and train tickets, hotel reservations, and domestic and international holiday packages. It is amongst the top Online Travel agencies in India. Apart from India, Cleartrip is also featured as a leading Online Travel Agency in the Gulf Region.Cleartrip offers services of searching and booking tickets for both one-way and roundtrip flights across all major domestic and international airlines. In addition, train reservation services for all major trains in India are available, wherein users are able to search for the seat availability across all classes and connect Cleartrip and IRCTC accounts. The portal assists users to search for trains between stations, retrieve train schedules, check PNR status, and verify Waiting List or RAC reservation.

Go to the website to learn more ➤

OneTwoTrip Website of Tickets sales & Reservation

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 07:47:00 +0000

I'm a tourist around the World for my new ideas on my travel blog and I would like to Introduce OneTwoTrip Website of Tickets sales & Reservation to you, who likes to discover new scenes in a strange country on convenience of Tickets Booking & Reservation for your plan of destination.

About OneTwoTrip Website

OneTwoTrip Website has been helping its customers book their travel in a convenient and reliable manner using the OneTwoTrip smart technology since 2011. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a planned trip or a spontaneous weekend getaway as OneTwoTrip will find you the best travel deal. Should you run into any problem, we’ll always be there to help you out 24/7. Our customers earn Bonus Points with every purchase which can be redeemed as payment towards their future bookings. That’s why more than 2.5 million travelers use our website and mobile apps for iOS and Android to book their travel.

Flights
Over 800 airlines and 100 low-cost carriers. All classes of travel, the fastest or the cheapest flights: you will always be able to get your best deal and even connect to flights on different airlines.

Hotels, Hostels and Apartments
Over 1,500,000 properties in 200 countries. Sort hotels by price, star rating, guest review, location, or payment method, and make your choice; your perfect room is just a few clicks away.

Optional Services
We can make your trip even more comfortable and secure with our optional services: travel insurance, flight check-in, advance seat selection on the plane, 90% refund even on a non-refundable fare, and many more options.

OneTwoTrip Countries of Operation
OneTwoTrip as an online travel agency operates in Great Britain, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia, USA, Turkey and Ukraine.

Services and 24/7 customer support are provided in local languages in all these countries; payments can be made in the local currency.

Travel to Hoi an, VN

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 06:29:00 +0000

Hội An (Vietnamese, formerly known as Fai-Fo or Faifoo, is a city with a population of approximately 120,000 in Vietnam's Quảng Nam Province and noted since 1999 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Old Town Hội An, the city's historic district, is recognized as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a South-East Asian trading port dating from the 15th to the 19th century, its buildings and street plan reflecting a unique blend of influences, indigenous and foreign. Prominent in the city's old town, is its covered "Japanese Bridge," dating to the 16th-17th century.

Hội An (會安) translates as "peaceful meeting place". In English and other European languages, the town was known historically as Faifo. This word is derived from Vietnamese Hội An phố (the town of Hội An), which was shortened to "Hoi-pho", and then to "Faifo".

Between the seventh and 10th centuries, the Cham (people of Champa) controlled the strategic spice trade and with this came tremendous wealth. The former harbour town of the Cham at the estuary of the Thu Bồn River was an important Vietnamese trading centre in the 16th and 17th centuries, where Chinese from various provinces as well as Portuguese, Japanese, Dutch and Indians settled. During this period of the China trade, the town was called Hai Pho(Seaside Town) in Vietnamese.

Originally, Hai Pho was a divided town with the Japanese settlement across the "Japanese Bridge" (16th-17th century). The bridge (Chùa cầu) is a unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist temple attached to one side.

The early history of Hội An is that of the Cham. These Austronesian-speaking Malayo-Polynesian peoples created the Champa Empire which occupied much of what is now central and lower Vietnam, from Huế to beyond Nha Trang.[citation needed] Various linguistic connections between Cham and the related Jarai language and the Austronesian languages of Indonesia (particularly Acehnese), Malaysia, and Hainan has been documented. In the early years, Mỹ Sơn was the spiritual capital, Trà Kiệu was the political capital and Hội An was the commercial capital of the Champa Empire - later, by the 14th century, the Cham moved further down towards Nha Trang. The river system was used for the transport of goods between the highlands, inland countries of Laos and Thailand and the low lands.

In 1535 Portuguese explorer and sea captain António de Faria, coming from Da Nang, tried to establish a major trading centre at the port village of Faifo. Hội An was founded as a trading port by the Nguyễn Lord Nguyễn Hoàng sometime around 1595. The Nguyễn lords were far more interested in commercial activity than the Trịnh lords who ruled the north. As a result, Hội An flourished as a trading port and became the most important trade port on the East Vietnam Sea. Captain William Adams, the English sailor and confidant of Tokugawa Ieyasu, is known to have made one trading mission to Hội An in 1617 on a red seal ship (朱印船 Shuinsen). The early Portuguese Jesuits also had one of their two residences at Hội An.

In the 18th century, Hội An was considered by Chinese and Japanese merchants to be the best destination for trading in all of south-east Asia, even Asia. The Japanese believed the heart of all of Asia (the dragon) lay beneath the earth of Hội An.The city also rose to prominence as a powerful and exclusive trade conduit between Europe, China, India, and Japan, especially for the ceramic industry. Shipwreck discoveries have shown that Vietnamese and Asian ceramics were transported from Hội An to as far as Sinai, Egypt.

Hội An port in 18th century

Hội An's importance waned sharply at the end of the 18th century because of the collapse of Nguyễn rule (thanks to the Tây Sơn Rebellion - which was opposed to foreign trade). Then, with the triumph of Emperor Gia Long, he repaid the French for their aid by giving them exclusive trade rights to the nearby port town of Đà Nẵng. Đà Nẵng became the new centre of trade (and later French influence) in central Vietnam while Hội An was a forgotten backwater. Local historians also say that Hội An lost its status as a desirable trade port due to silting up of the river mouth. The result was that Hội An remained almost untouched by the changes to Vietnam over the next 200 years.

Today, the town is a tourist attraction because of its history, traditional architecture and crafts such as textiles and ceramics. Many bars, hotels, and resorts have been constructed both in Hội An and the surrounding area. The port mouth and boats are still used for both fishing and tourism.

Calm mild weather is now limited to the season of May/June - end of August when the seas are calm and wind changes direction and comes from the South. The remainder of the year the weather is intermittent between rain & cold and hot & mild. Popular activities such as visiting offshore Cù lao Chàm islands are only guaranteed to be likely during the short season of end of May to end of August, which is the high season for domestic tourism.

Heritage and tourism

In 1999, the old town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as a well-preserved example of a south-east Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, with buildings that display a unique blend of local and foreign influences. According to the UNESCO Impact Report 2008 on Hội An, tourism has brought changes to the area which are not sustainable without mitigation.

Due to the increased number of tourists visiting Hoi An a variety of activities are emerging which allow guests to get out of the old quarter and explore by motorbike, bicycle, Kayak or motorboat. The Thu Bon River is still essential to the region more than 500 years after António de Faria first navigated it and it remains an essential form of food production and transport. As such kayak and motorboat rides are becoming an increasingly popular tourist activity.

This longtime trading port city offers a distinctive regional cuisine that blends centuries of cultural influences from East and Southeast Asia. Hoi An hosts a number of cooking classes where tourists can learn to make cao lầu or braised spiced pork noodle, a signature dish of the city. This culinary experience has become an increasingly popular activity for visitors.

The Hoi An wreck, a shipwreck from the mid-to-late fifteenth century, was discovered off the coast of the city in the 1990s. A few years later, it was excavated; thousands of ceramics were discovered.

The city has four museums highlighting the history of the region. These museums are managed by the Hoi An Center for Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation. Entrance to the museum is permitted with a Hoi An Entrance Ticket.

The Museum of History and Culture, at 13 Nguyen Hue St, was originally a pagoda, built in the 17th century by Minh Huong villagers to worship the Guanyin, and is adjacent to the Guan Yu temple. It contains original relics from the Sa Huynh, Champa, Dai Viet and Dai Nam periods, tracing the history of Hoi An's inhabitants from its earliest settlers through to French colonial times.

The Hoi An Folklore Museum, at 33 Nguyen Thai Hoc St, was opened in 2005, and is the largest two-storey wooden building in the old town, at 57m long and 9m wide, with fronts at Nguyen Thai Hoc St and Bach Dang St. On the second floor, there are 490 artifacts, organised into four areas: plastic folk arts, performing folk arts, traditional occupations and artifacts related to the daily life of Hoi An residents.

The Museum of Trade Ceramics is located at 80 Tran Phu St, and was established in 1995, in a restored wooden building, originally built around 1858. The items originating from Persia, China, Thailand, India and other countries are proof of the importance of Hội An as a major trading port in South East Asia.

The Museum of Sa Huỳnh Culture, is located at 149 Tran Phu St. Established in 1994, this museum displays a collection of over 200 artifacts from the Sa Huỳnh culture - considered to be the original settlers on the Hội An site - dating to over 2000 years ago. This museum is considered to be the most unusual collection of Sa Huỳnh artefacts in Vietnam.

The Precious Heritage Museum is located at 26 Phan Boi Chau. It includes a 250m2 display of photos and artifacts collected by Réhahn during the past 5 years of the French photographer's explorations of Vietnam.

Night life in Hoi An

Trademark: Website of Banggood Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 16:51:00 +0000

Shop All Categories

Vietnam’s cave kingdom

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 11:37:00 +0000

Vietnam’s cave kingdom reveals dozens of new subterranean worlds

A wall deep inside Son Doong Cave in Vietnam's kingdom of cave. Photo by Ryan Deboodt

The discovery has been announced at a time when plans to build a cable car in a UNESCO-listed park continue to trigger heated debates.

Explorers have uncovered 58 new caves in Vietnam’s world-renowned cave kingdom, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. The discovery has been announced at a time when plans to build a cable car in the UNESCO-listed park are continuing to pit local authorities against environmental activists.

Le Thanh Tinh, director of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, said Wednesday that some of the newfound caves lie deep in the park and take a two-to-three day trek through the forest to reach.

Many of the caves have mist or cold streams gushing out of them which has kept locals away and left them hidden until now.

“Some are large and have significant geographical value,” he said.

Photos of the new caves have not been made public yet.

Staff at the park have conducted preliminary studies of the caves and will continue to do so, Tinh said. But after that, the park will have to transfer the list of the new caves and what it has learned about them to the British Cave Research Association for further research, because the association is more professional, he added.

UNESCO Heritage Site Phong Nha – Ke Bang is home to over 300 caves and grottoes that date back 400 million years. Around 30 caves are now open to visitors, which has created a tourism boom in the poor, war-torn province.

Among them are Son Doong and En, currently the world’s largest and third largest caves respectively.

Three more caves are likely to be opened to travelers following a decision made in November to allow a local firm to run pilot tours.

Howard Limbert of the British Cave Research Association said there are many more caves yet to be discovered in Phong Nha-Ke Bang.

But meanwhile, Quang Binh has been caught up in a cable car controversy that has put local authorities on a collision course with environmental activists.

In 2014, the province announced plans to build a $212-million cable car into Son Doong, sparking a heated online debate. Widespread opposition, including an online petition signed by thousands and concerns raised by UNESCO, eventually prompted the government to ask the province to scrap the project.

But last August, the province sought the government's approval to build another cable car that is set to run 5.2 kilometers (3.2 miles) from a section of the Ho Chi Minh Highway to En Cave.

Last month, Tran Cong Thuan, the deputy chief of Quang Binh's Communist Party unit, said failure to build a cable car in the park would be tantamount to a "waste of natural resources", hampering local tourism and economic growth.

Son Doong, En and many more beautiful caves in the park have made Quang Binh famous, helping it become the fourth most popular tourist destination in Vietnam, after Hanoi, Saigon and Hoi An, according to rankings released by travel site TripAdvisor in August.

Supporters of the cable car say it will make it easier for tourists to explore the cave, giving local tourism a much-needed boost that would increase revenues and create jobs. They also say it will afford opportunities for the elderly and disabled, and not just able-bodied people, to visit more remote beauty spots.

But those in the opposing camp say that the proposal's much-touted benefits could pale in comparison to its possible drawbacks.

Foreign visitors to Quang Binh surged 75 percent from a year ago to 60,000 in the first nine months of the year, according to the province’s tourism department.

The Road to Berlin

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 09:59:00 +0000

On the road to Berlin (2015) obviously has a rather meager budget compared to modern, even Russian, war movies, which necessarily isn't a bad thing but hinders some of the effect of this film.

Plot is rather run-of-the-mill tale of friendship, chaos of war and bravery - and it is hardly surprising that the film is based on a short story/previous Soviet war film. Especially Lt. Ogarkov as a character seems a bit implausible in his actions. Also the love story-bit seems slightly inserted, to the point of being a trope. Despite this, the interplay between two main characters - the condemned and his Kazakh guard - works. Especially Amir Abdykalov as somber private does a fine performance. And I have to say I haven't seen many central Asian roles cast in any war films portraying the European Eastern front despite the fact that the Red Army fielded plenty of soldiers from there, often in quite subordinate roles.

Visually speaking low budget unfortunately shows in the two grand battle scenes which come out as unintentionally comical - a better solution would've been simply shoot them so that the viewer doesn't see so much of the awkward props from the smoke and chaos.

Fortunately the film makers don't dwell on combat, but emphasize the strong points of cinematography - beautiful sense of "being there" when it comes to Russian summer. Lush forests, fields, misty riverbanks and small villages of the countryside translate marvelously to the film.

We're in a road movie to Berlin
Can't drive out the way we drove in
So sneak out this glass of bourbon
And we'll go

We were once so close to heaven
Peter came out and gave us medals
Declaring us the nicest of the damned

Time won't find find the lost
It'll sweep up our skeleton bones
So take the wheel and I will take the pedals

We're in a road movie to Berlin
Can't drive out the way we drove in
So sneak out this glass of bourbon
And we'll go.

Fly to Berlin ➤

Tour to Sigapore 5 days 4 nights

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 14:37:00 +0000

Located in the southern part of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore is the most modest country in Southeast Asia but the "Lion National Island" has made whole world favoring its own unique architecture from man's creative talent. Travel to Singapore to see firsthand the century works and also to explore the rich cultural diversity of West and East combination.

Airfare to Singapore from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City of Vietnam Airlines

From	To	Departure time	Arrival time	Airfare(US$)
Ha noi, VN	Singapore	08:10 10:00	12:25 19:25	100 100
HCMC., VN	Singapore	09:15 14:25	12:15 17:25	70 70

Airfare to Singapore from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City of Singapore Airlines

From	To	Departure time	Arrival time	Airfare(US$)
Ha noi, VN	Singapore	18:20	22:35	72
HCMC., VN	Singapore	12:15	15:15	72

Airfare to Singapore from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City of Thai Airways

From	To	Departure time	Arrival time	Airfare(US$)
Ha noi, VN	Singapore	10:30	17:10	850
HCMC., VN	Singapore	10:20 20:55	17:10 11:15	197 197

Choose cheap air ticket to Singapore here

20 killed in clashes...

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 18:27:00 +0000

20 killed in clashes at Libya's main international airport

A plane, that was damaged during clashes, is seen
at Mitiga airport in Tripoli, Libya, January 15, 2018

20 people were killed and 63 wounded in the clashes.

Fighting at the Libyan capital's only working international airport killed at least 20 people Monday, officials said, after militiamen attacked it in an attempt to free colleagues held at a jail there.

Mitiga airport, a former military air base on the eastern outskirts of the capital, was evacuated when the clashes erupted and roads to the facility were closed.

Six Libyan aircraft on the tarmac were hit by gunfire, an airport source said.

In an updated casualty toll, the health ministry of Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) said 20 people were killed and 63 wounded in the clashes.

It did not specify if the casualties were civilians or fighters.

Several assailants were arrested, according to Tripoli security services run by the interior ministry.

"All the infrastructure of the military base and the airport are under control and undamaged," it said, although a resumption of flights had yet to be announced several hours later.

The airport source and a local resident said the assailants were repelled and that fighting moved to their headquarters around 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) to the east of the facility and had eased by late Monday.

Mitiga has been a civilian airport since the city's main international airport was badly damaged in fighting between rival militias in mid-2014.

The North African country has been wracked by chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival authorities and militias battling for control of its oil riches.

The airport's closure was announced after Al-Radaa, a force loyal to the GNA and tasked with keeping the facility secure, said it had come under attack.

An armed group "attacked Mitiga international airport... which is home to a prison where more than 2,500 people are detained for various" reasons, Al-Radaa said on its Facebook page.

Unidentified gunmen launched the attack in a bid "to free" some of their colleagues detained there, it said.

The GNA, in a statement, condemned "the premeditated attack on the perimeter of Mitiga International Airport...endangering the lives of passengers and the safety of civil aviation."

"This attack was aimed at the release of terrorists belonging to the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda organizations and other groups from the detention center" run by Al-Radaa, it said.

Al-Ridaa said more than 2,500 people are detained at the center for a variety of offences.

A Libyan pilot said earlier that the airport, the scene of frequent clashes between rival militias, was evacuated once the fighting broke out.

"All the staff and passengers who were at the airport were evacuated," the pilot said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We saw tanks in the airport's perimeter."

With all roads to Mitiga closed, artillery fire could be heard as far away as Tajura 30 kilometers (18 miles) east of Tripoli, AFP reporters said.

Only domestic airlines operate in the country, serving domestic routes and flights to Tunis, Egypt's Alexandria, Amman, Istanbul and Khartoum. The EU has banned Libyan airlines for security reasons.

Since the 2011 revolution, Libya has descended into political and military chaos, with militias who had fought to topple Kadhafi often turning against each other.

Libya has rival administrations, with the authorities in the east not recognizing the GNA based in the capital.

Al-Radaa is loyal to the GNA and also serves as a police force in Tripoli, as well as tracking suspected jihadists and drug and alcohol smugglers.

(By AFP/Rim Taher )

UN concerned over bodies dumped

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 18:18:00 +0000

UN concerned over bodies dumped in east Libyan cities

TUNIS (Reuters) - The United Nations has said it is "appalled" by apparent retaliatory killings in Libya following reports of eight bodies found in the eastern cities of Benghazi and Derna.

Five bodies were found in Benghazi's Laithi neighbourhood on Friday, residents told Reuters. Pictures posted on social media appeared to show the bodies, bloodied and mutilated, lying in the dirt.

The pictures could not be independently verified, and security officials in Benghazi declined to comment.

In Derna, 250 kilometres (155 miles) east of Benghazi, the bodies of three people who appeared to have been summarily killed were found dumped in the city on Thursday, medical sources said.

"UNSMIL is appalled by new reports of retribution killings in Libya," the U.N.'s Libya mission, UNSMIL, said on its Twitter account.

"The brutal pattern of violence must end. Those in effective control of fighters and those ordering, committing such crimes are liable under international law."

The reports came after a twin car bombing in Benghazi left 35 people dead and dozens injured on Tuesday, and on Wednesday pictures and video emerged purporting to show the summary execution of 10 prisoners outside the mosque where the bombing took place.

Benghazi is controlled by the Libyan National Army (LNA), the dominant force in eastern Libya. It is led by Khalifa Haftar and fought Islamists and other opponents in Benghazi from 2014 until late last year as part of a wider conflict that developed in Libya after a 2011 uprising.

Notes had been left with the bodies found in Benghazi accusing the victims of militant Islamist loyalties, said residents, who did not want to be named for security reasons.

There have been a number of cases of bodies with gunshot wounds and showing signs of abuse found in Benghazi in areas under LNA control.

In Derna, the LNA has long been battling the Derna Mujahideen Shura Council (DMSC), an armed alliance that controls the city.

The DMSC said it had arrested three people earlier this week for allegedly plotting attacks on behalf of the LNA. A Derna resident said the three were the same men whose bodies were found on Thursday.

The DMSC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Ayman al-Warfalli and Aidan Lewis, editing by Louise Heavens)

Vietnam’s Da Lat, Sa Pa...

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 18:03:00 +0000

Vietnam’s Da Lat, Sa Pa named among best new destinations

Da Lat in a foggy morning

The highland towns are loved for their cool weather, green scenes and ethnic culture.

Still don’t know where your next vacation should be?

Vietnam’s charming towns Da Lat and Sa Pa have entered a new list of the top 10 rising destinations in Asia by popular travel booking site TripAdvisor, which said the places should be best vacation .

The Travelers’ Choice awards for Destinations on the Rise, released on Wednesday, recognized 43 destinations around the world selected based on travelers’ review ratings for accommodations, restaurants and attractions, and increase in booking interest.

Da Lat, situated 1,500 meters above sea level in the Central Highlands, came at number four in the top 10 list of rising destinations in Asia and Sa Pa in the northern highlands at number six.

Given various nicknames such as the city of eternal spring, the city of flowers and the city of love, Da Lat is recommended for providing a cool respite from Vietnam’s year-round hot weather. The former colonial resort town is full of beautiful French-era buildings and surrounded by pine trees, flowers and vegetables farms.

In January, the New York Times also recommended Da Lat among 52 places to go in 2016, describing it as “an agricultural El Dorado” with unique scenes of pine forests, locally grown avocados, and artichoke tea.Tourists are recommended to visit Linh Phuoc Pagoda, an intricate structure built in 1950 with ceilings, walls and installations made from millions of pieces of broken glass, terracotta and beer bottles, Truc Lam Zen Buddhist temple, and the roaring Elephant Falls, where they can take adventures with rafting, mountain biking and canyoning.

Favorite places among tourists are Muong Hoa Valley, which offers spectacular views of cascading rice terraces, peaks and forests, the Indochina’s peak Fansipan, and local terraced rice fields, which have been considered one of the most magnificent scenes on earth.

Rice terraces around Sa Pa

Around 2,000 kilometers to the north is Sa Pa, known for its trekking trails. The colorful town is recognized as a perfect oasis for travelers in strenuous mountain trek or rice paddy tour. Tourists can visit the Saturday night “love market,” the Gothic stone church at the town center which is the reminder of the French missionary influence, and many downtown Vietnamese and European restaurants.

Other favorite destinations in Asia are in Malaysia, which have three entries, Azerbaijan, India, Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan. Visitors can also learn about interesting culture by traveling through hill tribe villages.

“These destinations are fast gaining interest and popularity amongst our community of travelers all over the world,” Janice Lee Fang, communications director for TripAdvisor, Asia Pacific, said as cited by the Pacific Asia Travel Association.

“We hope these winning lists will inspire those planning trips in 2017 to consider booking their holidays with some of these rising destinations, be it Baku, Da Lat or Kuching.”

Foreign tourists to Vietnam hit a record high of nine million in the first 11 months this year, up 25.4 percent from a year ago.

French man arrested...

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 17:15:00 +0000

French man arrested for street robbery in Vietnam’s 'Little Paris'

The young foreigner allegedly snatched gadgets and cash from a 73-year-old man in Da Lat.

Police in the Central Highlands resort town of Da Lat have detained a French man accused of robbing a local on the street last week.

Matthieu Simon , 21, was arrested on Friday night last week as he was attempting to flee the scene, Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper reported.

The victim was a 73-year-old Vietnamese man who had his smart phone, tablet and cash worth $27 snatched.

Simon said he had arrived in Vietnam from neighboring Cambodia.

Da Lat, the tourist center of Lam Dong Province, is one of the most popular destinations in Vietnam.

Standing 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) above sea level, Da Lat provides a cool respite from Vietnam’s year-round heat. The former colonial resort town has been given various nicknames such as the City of Eternal Spring, the City of Flowers, the City of Love and Little Paris.

Popular travel booking site TripAdvisor named it among the top 10 rising destinations in Asia for 2017.

The New York Times also recommended Da Lat among its 52 places to visit in 2016, describing it as “an agricultural El Dorado” with unique scenes of pine forests, locally grown avocados and artichoke tea.

Da Lat received more than 270,000 foreign visitors in 2016. Arrivals in the first six months of this year increased 44.3 percent on-year to more than 204,000.

Armed robbers seize jewels

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 16:36:00 +0000

Armed robbers seize jewels worth '4 million euros' from Paris Ritz

A picture shows the facade of the Ritz luxury hotel in Paris on January 10, 2018, after an armed robbery. Armed robbers made off with millions of euros worth of jewellery after smashing the windows of the world-famous Ritz hotel in Paris on January 10, police said, adding that three suspects had been detained. Photo by AFP/Thomas Samson

Paris's most high-profile recent jeweler theft was carried out in October 2016 against U.S. reality television star Kim Kardashian.

Armed robbers launched a spectacular raid on the world-famous Ritz hotel in Paris Wednesday, making off with an estimated four million euros worth of jewels, the latest in a string of high-profile heists in the French capital.

The gang of five men armed with hatchets smashed display windows on the ground floor of the hotel in Paris' luxurious Place Vendome around 6:30 p.m. (1730 GMT), making off with the jewels.

Three of the gang were detained while fleeing the scene and an AFP journalist said some roads around the hotel were sealed off by security forces following the incident. Two people were still being sought by authorities on Thursday evening.

"We heard a loud noise and lots of racket in the street," one hotel employee told AFP. "Passers-by took refuge in the hotel. We didn't know what was going on until someone told us there had been a robbery."

Another employee said he saw a motorbike speed along a road at the back of the hotel after the break-in.

Several luxury brands display their jewels in the street-front windows of the Ritz.
A judicial source put the value of the jewels seized at "more than four million euros" ($4.75 million).
Interior minister Gerard Collomb praised officers' "professionalism", saying they had "done our police force credit".

Paris prosecutors have opened a probe into the robbery, according to a judicial source.

Riches and robbers
Place Vendome, with its opulent window displays of jewelers and high-end watchmakers, has been the scene of several audacious daytime raids.
Security had been boosted in the area, which also houses France's justice ministry, in 2014 after several daring armed raids on Place Vendome in which jewels worth between 420,000 and two million euros were seized.
But thieves struck again in March 2016, when an estimated six million euros worth of jewels were stolen from luxury fashion brand Chopard by robbers who threatened employees with a gun and grenade. Three men were charged in connection with that heist.
The French capital's most high-profile recent jeweler theft was carried out in October 2016 against U.S. reality television star Kim Kardashian.
Five men, some wearing jackets with police insignia, held Kardashian at gunpoint, making off with several pieces of gold and diamond jewelry as well as a ring -- a total estimated worth of nine million euros.

One of the robbers, fleeing the scene on a bicycle, dropped a diamond-encrusted cross worth 30,000 euros, which was found by a passer-by a few hours later.
It remains the only piece to be recovered from the heist.
The landmark Paris Ritz hotel re-opened its palatial doors to guests in 2016 after nearly four years of renovations and a major fire.
The hotel founded by Swiss entrepreneur Cesar Ritz in 1898 is storied as the lodging of choice of Charlie Chaplin, Coco Chanel and Ernest Hemingway, who has a small bar named after him.

In more recent history however, the Ritz has become known as the place where Britain's Princess Diana spent her last hours before a car accident in a tunnel in the French capital while being pursued by paparazzi.

Mystical caves in VN

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 13:10:00 +0000

Adventurers can now explore the world’s fourth largest cave, but it's not for the faint-hearted.

Sunlight penetrates the depths of the cave allowing ferns to grow. Pygmy Cave is a neighbor of Son Doong and En, the world’s biggest and third biggest caves that have received lots of international attention in recent years.

Last November, Quang Binh gave the go-ahead for a local firm to launch pilot tours into Dai Ai, Over and Pygmy caves. The three-day/two-night tour to Pygmy Cave also takes visitors to Over Cave, as seen in this photo, and another cave in the system called Ho (Tiger) Cave

Over Cave, 90 meters high and 3.2 kilometers long, boasts a rich system of stalactites and terraced emerald lakes.

The entire tour to Over, Tiger and Pygmy caves costs from VND10 million ($440) per person and runs every day. As a UNESCO Heritage Site, Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park is home to over 300 caves and grottoes that date back 400 million years. Around 30 caves are now open to visitors, which has created a tourism boom and helped the poor, war-torn province.

Tours to Pygmy Cave deep in Vietnam’s world-renowned cave kingdom in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province, have been opened to visitors.

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...But so what?

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 16:51:00 +0000

In Vietnam, corruption can mean death. But so what?

Former PetroVietnam chairman Nguyen Xuan Son (R) is escorted by police as he leaves the court after the verdict session in Hanoi, on September 29, 2017. Son received the death penalty for appropriating VND246 billion ($13.6 million) from the OceanBank. Photo by Reuters/Kham

Unless the day-to-day corruption that affects the masses is rooted out, any anti-graft drive would be just cosmetic, analysts say.

Mac Thi Hao seems unperturbed by the news coverage of Vietnam’s corruption crackdown blaring from screens all around her. A retired accountant in Hanoi, Hao has a much more pragmatic, no-nonsense stance on what corruption means to her.

“I just don’t care about a bigwig being punished,” Hao told VnExpress International. “I know there is an ongoing crackdown on corruption, but that really has nothing to do with me,” she said.

“Whenever I think of corruption, I always recall the bribes I had to pay for my children’s school admissions or for better hospital services. To me, that’s the corruption that affects my life the most.”

Hao’s account offers a small glimpse into what most Vietnamese people make of corruption and what it means to them. It was revealed against the backdrop of Vietnam’s sweeping corruption crackdown that has grabbed both international and local headlines.

Just last Friday in Hanoi, a former chairman of the state energy giant PetroVietnam was sentenced to death and a former CEO of a scandal-hit bank got a life sentence in what has been considered the biggest fraud trial in Vietnam’s history. The OceanBank trial, as referred to by local media, also saw a slew of officials and bankers receive jail terms of up to 22 years.

Given that Vietnam's top echelons have repeatedly tried to assuage people's fears of rampant graft, the sentences apparently exhibit the political will to repair shattered public confidence. In late 2013, two former bosses of the state-run Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines) also received death sentences for embezzling $476,000 each in a high-profile corruption scam that riveted the nation.

But unless the day-to-day corruption that exacts a heavy toll on the most average people is rooted out, any so-called anti-graft movement would amount to little more than window dressing, analysts say.

“Harsh prison sentences and even the death penalty will only have a marginal impact on curbing grand corruption,” Carl Thayer, an Australia-based veteran Vietnam analyst, said. “Resorting to hard sentences is like a medical booster shot, it wears off over time,” he told VnExpress International.

“The masses encounter everyday low-level corruption in their dealings with government officials, traffic police and so on,” Thayer said. “They would like to see this ended as their first priority.”

People eat Vietnamese chicken noodle soup (Pho) at a restaurant in Hanoi. Unless the low-level corruption that affects the masses is rooted out, any anti-graft drive would be just window dressing, analysts say. Photo by Reuters/Kham

In Vietnam, the practice of passing money under the table is so common that many insiders do not even consider it bribery, but an inevitable part of getting things done.

In a survey in March, Transparency International ranked Vietnam as the second most corrupt country in Asia after India in terms of bribery. In its Corruption Perception Index 2016, the Berlin-based advocacy group also ranked Vietnam 113th out of 176 countries and territories.

According to the most recent Governance and Public Administration Performance Index, which interviewed around 14,000 residents in all 63 Vietnamese provinces and cities, there were “noticeable spikes” in reports of extra money being paid for everything from civil service positions to good grades.

Many analysts blame the problem on Vietnam’s failure to complete market reforms that began in the late 1980s. They say there is still too much state control over the economy, which allows connected insiders to profit.

According to the analysts, individuals who have access to centrally planned or government-controlled assets like land or capital are getting very rich, but individual entrepreneurs who have to compete without subsidized land, capital, fast-tracked approval or tax breaks are having a much harder time.

This has fueled an entrenched bribe-for-approval system.

“It is just too accepted as ‘the Vietnamese way of doing business’,” Dennis McCornac, a professor of economics at Loyola University in Baltimore (Maryland), said.

“Right now, the attitude about corruption is still ‘this is Vietnam’. Until there is a change in the mentality of the population and all levels commit to reducing corruption, the problem will persist,” he said.

But apparently, the status quo has already perpetuated widespread public distrust in the government’s determination to fight corruption.

In its March survey, over half of the Transparency International's Vietnamese respondents reported their government was doing a poor job of fighting corruption. Questions about public faith in provincial leaders drew rock bottom responses in the Governance and Public Administration Performance Index, but only 3 percent of respondents said they would blow the whistle on corrupt officials.

But still, the death penalty handed down last week to Nguyen Xuan Son, the former PetroVietnam chairman, and the life sentence for Ha Van Tham, the former chairman of OceanBank, will send a powerful message to the general public that the current leadership is serious about its anti-corruption drive, Thayer said.

“To be effective the anti-corruption campaign must be never-ending. There are undoubtedly other corruption scandals waiting to be exposed,” he said.

State oil and gas giant PetroVietnam and the banking sector have been at the center of the crackdown that has netted scores of officials. Chief among them is Dinh La Thang, who was ousted from the Politburo, the Communist Party’s decision-making body, last May and fired as the top leader of Ho Chi Minh City soon after.

But the bottom line is going after high-profile individuals is not going to restore public trust in any significant way, analysts say. They say the fight against deep-rooted graft in Vietnam requires a political sledgehammer to fix a badly broken system, leaving no room for the “kill the chicken to scare the monkeys" approach.

“Corruption is like Hydra, a nine-headed serpent-like snake in Greek Mythology in which it was said that if you cut off one hydra head, two more grew back,” McCornac, the American analyst, said. “Perhaps the new heads are not as large or powerful as the one cut off, but they emerge nevertheless,” he said.

“The only way is to address the issue at all levels.”

Having lived abroad for years, a retired Vietnamese researcher still keeps close tabs on what is happening back home. Unsurprisingly, the corruption crackdown has been high on her radar.

“If the top officials are squeaky clean, no traffic policeman or doctor would dare to extract bribes from the public,” she said, declining to be named, citing the sensitivity of the issue.

If, as Vietnam’s leaders have repeatedly warned, corruption threatens the survival of the system, addressing it will require the overhaul of the system itself, she said.

“And that only happens when the powers that be have the political will to do so.”

(https://e.vnexpress.net/news)

...social downfall in Vietnam

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 16:40:00 +0000

Death penalty still the public's answer to solving social downfall in Vietnam

Policemen stand guard as inmates wait before being released from Hoang Tien prison, about 100km (62 miles) outside Hanoi August 30, 2013. Photo by Reuters

News of Vietnam's decision to abolish the death penalty for five different crimes may have had less of an effect on the public's opinion of criminals than planned. The general reaction has all but corroborated how capital punishment is still widely viewed by the masses as the answer to Vietnam’s entrenched social problems.

Under the new Penal Code, which will take effect in January 2018, robbery, vandalizing equipment and projects vital to national security, opposing order, surrendering to the enemy, and the production and trade of fake food will be removed from Vietnam’s list of capital offenses. That will take the country’s number of capital crimes down from 22 to 17.

But what appears to be more telling is how the public has reacted to this news. An article about the abolition of the death penalty for those crimes published by the Vietnamese-language edition of VnExpress attracted over 80 comments, mostly by outraged readers. The main finger of accusation has been pointed at people convicted of robberies or producing and trading fake food, with readers saying only the death penalty would help to stop these crimes.

“I protest,” Hanh Tong, a reader, wrote. “Scrapping the death penalty will only make life easier for robbers and unscrupulous food dealers.”

Binh, another reader, was even more forthright, essentially demanding an eye for an eye when it came to fatal assaults and robberies. “So it means that robbers don’t have to face death after killing people,” Binh wrote. “These people won't stop robbing unless they face the death penalty.”

Experts say it may be true that the public, frustrated by how growing robberies and rampant unsafe food have taken their toll, are demanding immediate action against the culprits.

The government said in a June report to the National Assembly that 86 percent of Vietnamese people were concerned about food safety. More than a fifth of the three million businesses involved in the food market had committed safety violations, with more than 1,700 food poisoning cases killing 164 people in the past five years, it said.

Phung Quoc Hien, vice chairman of the assembly and head of the unit in charge of supervising food safety, said that “unsafe food is giving Vietnamese people a long, slow death.” Lawmakers have also blamed the government for failing to curb violations and rein in the problem.

Meanwhile, the media have continued to carry story after story of grisly robberies, pointing to a tear in the moral fabric of the country.

But this is the context in which experts say to tackle the root causes of these problems, there is no point in simply killing a person while leaving a broken system untouched.

As the debate on the death penalty has become increasingly heated in Vietnam, experts and sociologists have started asking vexing questions: Does the death penalty tackle the root of the problem? What is the root of the problem? How has Vietnamese society got to the point where such problems continue to go unpunished?

Most experts concur that even though Vietnam has surged economically, the rich-poor gap has continued to widen, along with growing resentment.

"A rising number of people have mysteriously made a windfall and this has done nothing but to add salt to the gaping wounds of the poor,” said Pham Bich San, a Hanoi-based sociologist.

"It is those nouveau riches emerging with no cultural and intellectual base that have fueled jealousy and the desire to have the same from the have-nots," San said.

The widespread disparity has become serious enough even for the Vietnamese leadership to take notice and warn about its repercussions. Several years ago, Communist Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong said that the rich-poor divide had even emerged inside the ruling Party.

“Some members have got rich quickly, leading a lavish life that is miles away from that of the workers,” Trong said in 2012.

Vietnam, which switched to lethal injection from firing squad in 2011, was one of 55 countries around the world to still impose the death sentence in 2016, according to Amnesty International. Official figures from Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security showed that 429 prisoners were executed between August 2013 to June 2016.

Globally, opponents of capital punishment point out that decades of scientific research have never been able to prove that the death penalty has been a deterrent.

They say it has long been observed that crime rates do not correlate with the death penalty. In a report published in 2012, the U.S.-based National Research Council looked at three decades of studies on the deterrent effect of the death penalty for homicide, and concluded that they were all methodologically flawed.

“So it's clear that the deterrence argument cannot and should not be relied upon as the basis for retaining capital punishment,” Delphine Lourtau, a lead researcher at the Cornell University Law School-run website Death Penalty Worldwide, said.

But a Vietnamese law professor in Ho Chi Minh City said whether the death penalty helps deter crime depends very much on the agenda of the researchers.

“Those who want to oppose capital punishment will tailor their research to substantiate their argument,” she said, declining to be named. “Those who are for it will publish research proving otherwise.”

The bottom line is that “a society free of capital punishment is one that has developed to a certain high level in tandem with its citizens’ awareness of the law,” she said.

“Vietnam's current socio-economic conditions don't allow for [abolishing the death penalty].”

(https://e.vnexpress.net/news)

...property embezzlement

noreply@blogger.com (Ad Designer) — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 16:12:00 +0000

Vietnam scraps life sentence for bribery, property embezzlement

The crimes will be punishable by up to 20 years in jail when the new law takes effect in 2018.

Revisions to Vietnam’s Penal Code will abolish the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for a number of serious crimes including bribery and property embezzlement from next year.

Giving bribes worth over VND300 million ($13,200) used to carry death penalty until revisions were made in 2009 that commuted the top punishment to life in jail.

But according to the latest revisions approved by the legislative National Assembly, that sentence will be reduced to a maximum of 20 years in jail for cases that involve bribes of VND1 billion ($44,000) or more.

Bribery is common in Vietnam. The Governance and Public Administration Performance Index released in April, which interviewed around 14,000 residents in all 63 Vietnamese provinces and cities, highlighted “noticeable spikes” in reports of extra money being paid for everything from civil service positions to good grades. For example, around 54 percent of respondents claimed bribes were required to get government jobs, up from 51 percent in 2015 and 46 percent in 2011.

The Vietnam Provincial Competitiveness Index also pointed out that in 2016, around 66 percent of Vietnamese businesses said they had to offer bribes or make informal payments to public officials.

In March, the Berlin-based Transparency International identified India and Vietnam as having the highest bribery rates (69 percent and 67 percent respectively) in the region. Many respondents said they had to pay bribes to access basic services like public education and healthcare.

Bribery is one of 10 crimes that will have its punishment commuted from life imprisonment to 20 years in jail from next year.

Embezzling property, a crime committed when one abuses their position or power to appropriate property under their management, is another crime on the list.

Vietnam hands down scores of embezzlement charges every year. The most recent life sentence for embezzlement was given to banking tycoon Ha Van Tham on September 29. Tham, former chairman of OceanBank, was accused of approving an unsecured loan and offering excessive deposit interest rates that caused losses of around $94 million at the bank between 2010 and 2014.

Tham has filed an appeal asking a higher court to lift the embezzlement charge or at least reduce his sentence.

Sentences will also be reduced for smuggling, stealing, openly appropriating property, destroying or deliberately damaging property, and using computer networks, telecommunications networks, the internet or digital devices to appropriate property.

Crimes against the government such as fleeing abroad or defecting to stay overseas to oppose the government, passing information to or voluntarily working for the enemy as a prisoner of war and abandoning combat positions will also receive more lenient sentences.

The 2015 Penal Code had been scheduled to take effect in July 2016 but was shelved due to multiple errors and loopholes. The National Assembly, Vietnam’s top legislature, approved the revised law at a month-long meeting in June.

Vietnam’s new Penal Code is going to treat many crimes more lightly. It will allow those convicted of corruption or taking bribes to escape death by returning at least 75 percent of their illegal earnings.

The new law also spares convicts over 75 years old from the death penalty, as well as those convicted of robbery, vandalizing equipment and works significant to national security, opposing order, surrendering to the enemy, drug possession and appropriation, and the production and trade of fake food.