HCM City (VNA) - The Diwali Fest 2017, the annual Indian light festival, is expected to attract more than 1,200 people in HCM City on October 14, according to the Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam (Incham). The event will take place at the GEM Centre at 8 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street in District 1 from 5:30pm until late.  Attending the event will be expats and Vietnamese, including officials from government departments, foreign missions, the Indian Embassy, the Consulate General of India and corporations and businesses.           Diwali Fest 2017, hosted by the Indian Business Chamber in Vietnam (Incham), will take place at the GEM Centre in HCM City’s District 1 on October 14 (Photo: VNA)  Diwali, known as The Festival of Lights, signifies triumph of goodness over evil, light over darkness, the spirit of kindness, and the … [Read more...]

Truong Thi Kim Tuyen (right) during competition at the World Taekwondo Championships in South Korea in June(Photo courtesy of Truong Thi Kim Tuyen) Hanoi (VNA) - Truong Thi Kim Tuyen will be Vietnam’s sole representative competing at the 2017 World Taekwondo Grand Prix to be held in Rabat, Morocco on September 22-24. The 20-year-old martial artist will compete in the women’s U49kg category against 32 rivals from around the world. She is now ranked world No 26. A maximum of 32 athletes are invited in each of the eight Olympic weight categories of the event. There can be no more than two athletes from each country in each category. However, host Morocco is allowed one extra athlete. “I will make every effort in each match to win a medal,” Tuyen said. Coach Vu Anh Tuan will accompany her to the event. Tuyen, who was born in the Mekong Delta … [Read more...]

Vietnam’s midfielder Hoang Van Thong vies for a ball against Cambodian striker Sri Piseth during their AFC U16 Championship qualification match on September 20 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (Photo: the-afc.com) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Ten-man Vietnam kicked off their campaign to qualify for the AFC U16 Championship with a comprehensive 5-2 victory over Cambodia on September 20 at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The Vietnamese quickly took the lead in the ninth minute with Quoc Hoang opening the scoring. However, the Cambodian players let coach Vu Hong Viet and his side savour their success for only four minutes. Captain Ky Rina equalised the score with a finish that hit the post before finding the back of Vietnamese goalkeeper Nguyen Duy Dung’s net. From the 20th-minute mark, Vietnam played with 10 men when captain Vu Tien Long was sent off for his … [Read more...]

Thought-provoking: "The Burrow" will be performed by Isabelle Schad. (Photo Vietnamfriendship.vn​) Hanoi (VNA) - An annual contemporary dance festival featuring artists from Europe and Asia opens today with a dance titled “The Burrow” by German artists. "Europe Meets Asia in Contemporary Dance" includes a number of productions by artists who collaborated across national boundaries, including Germany, Belgium, Vietnam, France, Canada, and Spain. The festival has run every year since 2011. The medium of dance, organisers said, can offer new insight on familiar themes. "Dance is an artistic language which tells stories, expresses mental and emotional conditions in our lives and gives us new perspective," said Wilfried Eckstein, director of the Goethe Institute in Vietnam and chief organiser of "Europe Meets Asia in Contemporary … [Read more...]

The workshop on ASEAN-generated opportunities for rural industry products takes place in Hanoi on September 19 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The Department of Local Industry and Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade held a workshop in Hanoi on September 19 to look into ASEAN-generated opportunities for rural industry products. The workshop was part of events to honour Vietnam’s outstanding rural industry products. ASEAN has 622 million consumers and combined GDP of about 2.6 trillion USD and is the seventh and the third biggest economy in the world and Asia, respectively, boasting huge potential for businesses. Foreign direct investment in ASEAN has grown well, reaching 120 billion USD in 2015, with Vietnam the fifth largest investment destination in the region. Meanwhile, ASEAN is the second biggest trade partner of Vietnam, accounting for 13 percent … [Read more...]

A house had its roof blown away by storm Doksuri (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Doksuri, the 10th storm arising in the East Sea and the strongest one hitting Vietnam in many years, claimed nine lives, leaving four missing and 112 injured, according to reports from affected localities by 10pm on September 16. The storm swept though the central region on late September 15. According to the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, the typhoon destroyed 1,185 houses, blew away roofs of 152,599 houses, and submerged 10,923 others. Seven fishing vessels and 183 small boats were sunk, while 29 sea dykes along the coasts of the northern and central regions and 10 small irrigational dams were damaged. Storm Doksuri also inundated 4,473ha of rice and 8,277ha of other crops, affected 16,108ha of aquatic farming, and ruined 10km of … [Read more...]

Thirty three Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air flights from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, Vinh, Dong Hoi and Thanh Hoa were cancelled due to storm Doksuri. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith on September 17 sent a message to his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc, expressing his sympathy over the loss of human lives and property damage caused by storm Doksuri. The Lao government leader said he believes that under the leadership of the Vietnamese Party and Government, residents’ lives in the storm-hit areas would soon be stabilised. Doksuri, the 10th storm arising in the East Sea so far this year, swept through central Vietnam on September 15, killing nine and causing hundreds of injuries. The typhoon, said to be the strongest in a decade, brought heavy rains to central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Ngai with rainfall of 100-200mm … [Read more...]