The Ministry said that it would assign a specialized agency to check Thuy’s photos before making the final decision.

The Ministry said that the photo shoot featuring Mai Phuong Thuy in ao dai are controversial works. Many people said that the Vietnamese traditional ao dai was abused to inappropriately show off the beauty of woman body. However, many photographers said that the photo shoot is “sexy,” not “erotic” and “it is unnecessary to restrict the creativeness of artists.”

The Ministry seems to be sympathetic with the Miss Vietnam 2006 because she took the photo shoot when she was only 20. However, the MoCST’s spokesperson, Mr. To Van Dong, said that the beauty queen should not make public these photos.

According to the Ministry, the “scandal” is a valuable lesson for beauty queens in using ao dai in photo shoots.

Mai Phuong Thuy’s ao dai photo shoots, which were taken four years ago, appeared on an online newspaper on February 3. The photo collection captured Thuy donning a sleek and transparent white ao dai in different sexy poses.

The shoot, 10 black and white photos of Thuy, accessorized with Vietnamese “non la” (cone hat) and symbolic lotus flowers, was done by photographer Quoc Huy.

A number of netizens have strongly criticized the photos, saying Thuy’s too erotic poses damaged the traditional and beautiful image of ao dai. Some said she only used the dress to show off her body’s curves.

However, another group of commentators praise Thuy’s body, arguing that the photos have captured the delicate, gentle and fragile image of Vietnamese women.

Thuy on February 8 sent an official apology to her fans for the controversial photo shoot. Thuy, in her apology letter, wrote that she was too young when she modeled for the shoot and her lack of modeling skills have probably sent the wrong message about the purpose of the photos.

“The whole team and I only aimed for aesthetic values in the photos. If we failed to deliver the message, we should really learn from the experience and improve ourselves.

“We certainly do not intend to tarnish the image of traditional ao dai and Vietnamese women. I apologized for all the inconveniences caused when you see these photos. I hope to have your sympathy and another chance to contribute to the community,” she wrote.

Mai Phuong Thuy in the controversial photo shoot:

source from: vietnamnet

“It is said that men look less manly if they wear mask but for me, protecting health is more important,” Viet, 27, a banking employee, said.

Living in Hanoi’s inner area, Viet suffers from cough, stinging eyes, dry throat and rhinitis very often. He said whenever he got out of Hanoi, he felt better.

Nguyen Viet Phu, 25, from Dong Da district, Hanoi, said whenever he passed roads where have construction sites, his eyelashes turned into brown even though he wore sun glasses and mask.

“After rains, when roads are dry, dirt was dense on the road,” Phuc said. He added that once he drove a motorbike behind a bus. Suddenly, the bus spouted black smoke onto his face. “At that time, I could not breathe. I almost fainted.”

The two men’s feeling of air pollution in Hanoi has been proved by scientific research.

Vietnam is listed amongst the top ten countries with the worst air pollution in the world, according to the 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), which was released during the World Economic Forum 2012 in Davos, Switzerland.

The annual study uses satellite data to measure air pollution concentrations and has been produced by researchers at Yale and Columbia universities.

Of 132 countries whose environments were surveyed in relation to effects on human health, Vietnam places 123rd in the air category, 80th in the water category and 79th in addressing pollution control and natural resource management challenges.

Air pollution at Vietnam’s cities has been warned by scientists for a long time.

Professor Pham Ngoc Dang, chairman of the Vietnam Environment Construction Association said air in most urban areas was filled with dust, especially in traffic junctions, construction sites and industrial parks.

According to the national environment report 2010, the major source of air pollution is transport, construction and industrial activities. Transport activities, particularly, contribute 70 percent to air pollution.

The Vietnam Environment Observing Centre estimated that transport activities make up 85 percent of CO (carbon oxide), 95 percent of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and other toxic gases to the environment.

The clearest sign of air pollution is the dust density in the air. The density of dirt at big cities’ transport centers always exceed nationals standard. This kind of super-small dirt easily penetrate lungs, blood vessels and cause fatal diseases like heart diseases, lung cancer, asthma and respiratory contamination.

According to experts, air pollution will seriously affect people’s health, causing diseases related to the respiratory system, eyes, ears and skin.

Prof. Dang, who has researched Vietnam’s air environment for a half of century, confirmed that the 2012 EPI result is accurate for Vietnam’s big cities.

The professor did not reject Vietnam’s efforts in protecting the environment in recent years. Thanks to the government’s efforts, air pollution in Vietnam increased only 20-30 percent in the last 20 years, he said.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen admitted that the quality of air in many big cities in Vietnam is declining. However, the conclusion of EPI 2012 needs to be verified.

Big cities in Vietnam have high percentage of lung disease patients. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s statistics in 2008, the ratio of tuberculosis patients in HCM City was five times higher than that of mountainous provinces like Dien Bien or Bac Kan. Notably, up to 62 percent of HCM City’s traffic police officers suffered from ear-nose-throat diseases, compared to 36 percent on average.

Tuyen said that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will develop a national air quality control plan, focusing on Hanoi, HCM City and big cities.

Prof. Dang said that Vietnam is only interested in dealing with water pollution rather than air pollution because it is easier to recognize water pollution.

Understanding the sufferings of ear-nose-throat diseases, banking employee Hoang Viet told his friends that air pollution would erode man’s health. “It erodes your health gradually so you will not see the consequences immediately. I think air pollution is as harmful as cigarette,” Viet said.

While waiting for plans to clean the air, Viet said he would continue wearing mask, though it may makes him less manly.

source from: vietnamnet

The construction, part of the “Annamites Carbon Sinks and Biodiversity” project funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety through World Wild Fund, is aimed at protecting the Tay Saola and A Tep nature reserves which are home to the Saola.

Deputy Chairman of Thua Thien – Hue People’s Committee Le Truong Luu said the stations would act as bases for officials and rangers who worked in the reserves.

They are expected to improve conservation capacity and recover forest diversification in the province.

Localities in the project area have been actively implementing conservation measures, such as preventing hunting and community-based forest management.

The Saola is a forest-dwelling bovine found only in the Annamite ranges of Vietnam and Laos. It is reported that there are about 200 living in the mountains and forests of Thua Thien – Hue and Quang Nam.

source from: dtinews

Many female students are seduced into easy money through the sex industry

Student prostitutes

According to the Ministry of Public Security, recently Hanoi and HCM City have detected several cases where many girl students have acted as sex workers to earn money.

Sex buyers are often well-to-do men who are keen in racking up as many sex partners as possible.

The ministry cited a recent case in Hanoi where police detected hundreds of female students sheltered in a hotel basement to serve clients. Many of them were high school students, with some still studying at secondary schools. Most of them fell into the work not due to economic difficulties but due to their pursuit of a more glamorous lifestyle.

The most prominent case involved a student named Nguyen Thuy Linh from the northern province of Quang Ninh. Linh was the second-year student at a private university in Hanoi’s Dong Da District.

When she was arrested, Linh confessed that she started a life of gross self-indulgence after she entered university. Born into a well-to-do family, Linh was provided with a large amount of money to cover her living costs.

Instead of focusing on her study, Linh spent most of her money on fashion and cosmetics, becoming an outstanding girl in her class in terms of appearance.

At the invitation of her friends, Linh often went to nightclubs where she was eventually introduced to a female sex broker.

Linh made friend with the woman who then invited her to act as a waitress at a bar to earn money.

After several attempts, the woman succeeded in convincing Linh.

Initially, she was asked to toast drinks with rich men, one of whom eventually bought her an apartment and lived with her. She gradually paid less attention to her studies.

A short time later, she broke up with her companion and became depressed and spent increasing amounts of time out at nightclubs.

She was then forced by her madam to act as a prostitute. The madam threatened that she would inform Linh’s family about her debauchery if she refused.

Linh’s family only became aware of her tragic lifestyle when she was arrested for second time for prostitution in just over a year.

source from: dtinews

Vietnam highly valued UNICEF’s help in social and cultural development in the country, National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said.

Vice Chairwoman Ngan made the appraisal while receiving UNICEF Chief Representative in Vietnam Lotta Sylwander in Hanoi on Jan.

Ngan thanked UNICEF for its cooperation in implementing policies on protection and care for Vietnamese children, stressing that the cooperation effectively met Vietnam ’s demand for socio-economic development in each period.

Ngan asked the two sides to expand cooperation in the future to contribute more to Vietnam ’s development and raise the role of the UN organisation.

The legislator expressed her wish that UNICEF will assist Vietnam to build laws and examine the protection and implementation of child rights.

Lotta Sylwander recognised Vietnam ’s efforts in protection and care of children in Vietnam over the past years and said that in the circumstance of decreased capital for development in the world, UNICEF and other UN organisations will focus on policy consultancy and raising capacity for Vietnamese partners, including Party, parliamentary and governmental agencies and mass organisations.

She stressed that UNICEF will actively contribute to reducing the child poverty rate and increase access to essential social services like healthcare, safe water and education, especially in rural areas and areas of ethnic minority people.

She also said that UNICEF will help Vietnam to complete a system to research and examine activities to protect and care for children.

source form: tuoitrenews

The Soc Trang City Party inspector who has been detained for playing Chinese chess games through which he won VND2.5 billion (US$119,000) has earlier been conferred an “outstanding performance” certificate but has not yet received it, said Nguyen Thanh Binh, deputy secretary of the Soc Trang Province Party Committee.

The committee has received the certificate that the Soc Trang Province People’s Committee conferred on Dinh Van Muoi, deputy chairman of the city Party Committee’s Commission for Inspection, but he was arrested before we handed it to him, Binh told VnExpress newswire.

Muoi has been suspended from his post and his Party member ship put on hold pending investigation from police, Binh said.

After the police seized Nguyen Thanh Leo, former deputy director of the provincial Department of Transport, and Tran Van Tan, former director of a local drivers’ training center, for playing Chinese chess for high stakes — VND1-5 billion ($47,600-238,000) per game, investigators worked with the committee to clarify Leo’s testimonies that he had also played Chinese chess with Muoi for money.

Leo had told the police that he had lost VND2.5 billion to Muoi and had paid him VND1.9 billion.

“We later asked Muoi about this issue, but Muoi said he had played chess with Leo for decades just for fun, not for money,” Binh said.

In his report submitted to the provincial Party secretary, Muoi insisted he was not engaged in gambling, but the police later seized Muoi after they confronted him with Leo.

Muoi, with a police rank of Major, was head of Ward 1 Police in Soc Trang City before being appointed chairman of the People’s Committee of that ward. He was then transferred to Ward 4 as Party secretary and later promoted to the position of deputy chairman of the city Party Committee’s Commission for Inspection, Binh said.

Muoi is frank and reticent, and behaves properly towards his colleagues, he added.
Talking with Tuoi Tre, Le Van Can, Soc Trang Province secretary, said he felt sad to know that Muoi had been arrested for gambling.

“Muoi and Leo have associated with each other for a long time. We once witnessed them playing Chinese chess, but nobody could believe that they played for money – huge amounts of money,” Can said.

He, however, said the Government’s regulations on declaration of assets by civil servants have been carried out in the province annually and no abnormal signs related to Muoi’s properties were found.

When asked about a nice villa owned by Muoi on Le Duan Street, Can said in 2007 Muoi sold his house for VND7.5 billion (US$357,000) and then bought the villa at a favored rate because it had been owned by the State.

The police must have legitimate reasons to seize him and the committee would meet their requirements related to their investigation, he said.

“Through this case, we will request the leaders of all Party units to strengthen their control over their staff in terms of Party members’ morality and lifestyle,” Tan said.

source form: tuoitrenews

Many businesses, agencies and domestic and foreign social organizations have joined charitable activities to help the poor and disadvantaged in the central and southern provinces prepare for the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

In the central province of Binh Thuan, the Lawrence S.Ting Community Support Fund in Ho Chi Minh City, in cooperation with the provincial Red Cross donated 165 wheelchairs to people with disabilities. Several overseas Vietnamese, who returned to welcome Tet in the island district of Phu Quy provided 171 poor families in the district with more than 4 tons of rice and almost VND20 million.

The VinGroup’s fund and Vietnam Journalist Association gave 870 gifts, each worth VND500,000 to ethnic people in My Thanh and Ham Can communes of Ham Thuan Nam district and two scholarships to students who excel in their studies in the locality.

The “For Victims of Agent Orange” Fund of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin and Binh Thuan province’s Red Cross also presented gifts and provided free check-up to poor families and AO victims in Ham Thuan Nam, Ham Tan, Tuy Phong and Tanh Linh districts.

COCOA , a non-governmental organisation of Australia handed over two houses and gifts worth a total VND160 million to the poor in three communes of Dong Phu district of the southern province of Binh Phuoc.

Branches of the Vietnam Bank for Investment and Development (BIDV) in the southern province of Binh Duong have launched the bank’s fourth “Tet Gift for the Poor” programme in the province. The bank’s staff will visit care centres for orphans and the elderly as well as remote areas in the province to deliver Tet gifts worth over VND300 million.

Tan Hiep Phat Group in Binh Duong province presented 700 Tet gifts worth VND230 million to families of soldiers and invalids and the poor in Thuan An town.

source form: tuoitrenews

With the Sundance Film Festival starting next Thursday and the Oscars not too far off, the movie buffs at online travel adviser Cheapflights (http:///www.cheapflights.com) have compiled a top 10 list of their favorite film festivals across the globe.

1. Sundance Film Festival – Park City, Utah, United States

Sundance Film Festival started out in 1978 as an event designed to attract more filmmakers to Utah while staying away from the overpowering Hollywood scene. Thirty-four years later, Sundance is the largest independent film festival in the United States, exhibiting feature-length films, documentaries, shorts, and animation while fostering dialogues among film enthusiasts. This year, the festival will run from Jan 19-29 in Park City, Utah, showcasing 200 films whittled down from nearly 9,000 submissions. Can’t make it to the big event? On Jan 26, nine movie theaters across the United States will be hosting a filmmaker and his or her work as part of Sundance Film Festival USA, so you may be able to participate in the festivities wherever you are.

2. International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Netherlands

Though it receives less tourist traffic than its neighboring city, Amsterdam, Rotterdam is a modern representation of Dutch culture, and its annual film festival is constantly paving the way for all genres of innovative and thought-provoking cinema. This year’s event will run from Jan 25 to Feb 5, and will encompass 19 screening venues – upwards of 350,000 viewers are expected to attend. Rotterdam attendees are passionate movie-goers, so program directors make a point of stripping down the superfluous aspects of film, like commercials and trailers, for an untarnished viewing experience.

3. Cannes International Film Festival – Cannes, France

The highly esteemed Cannes Film Festival sets the trend for up-and-coming cinema every year while boosting the film industry’s caliber worldwide. As one of the most prominent film events recognized internationally, Cannes is the place for big names in cinema to show their latest work. Set along the pristine beaches of the French Riviera, warm temperatures and bright sunshine only add to the exciting atmosphere of the event. This year’s star-studded festival will run from May 16-27. Attending the festival is by invitation only, but we suggest heading to the Tourist Office and getting passes to the Beach Cinema for free nightly screenings.

4. Guadalajara Film Festival – Guadalajara, Mexico

Considered the most significant film affair in Latin America, Guadalajara Film Festival is an important cultural event, showcasing Mexican and Latino talent alongside other international works of cinematic art. Thanks to Guadalajara Film Festival, Latin American film has become a competitor in the global film industry. From March 2-12, over 100,000 film lovers are expected to flood the streets and theaters of Guadalajara, viewing close to 200 films. While not as chaotic as Mexico City, Guadalajara is a destination perfect for exploring colonial history, enjoying the Mexican culture, shopping street markets and savoring traditional regional cuisine.

5. Rooftop Films – New York, New York, United States

New York City is known for filmmaking, and great festivals like The New York Film Festival and Tribeca are constantly at the forefront when it comes to showcasing the talent of filmmakers from around the world. But veer slightly off the beaten path to the skyline of the Big Apple, and check out our favorite New York festival known as Rooftop Films. What started out in 1997 as film screenings on the roof of a newly graduated film student’s apartment has now expanded across Manhattan and Brooklyn. The festival runs on weekends from May to September.

6. Toronto International Film Festival – Toronto, Canada

The Toronto International Film Festival, which premiered in 1976 as an independent film festival, has grown to become one of the most important and influential festivals in North America, and is the leading public film festival in the world. Year after year, works from the Toronto festival have gone on to become Academy Award winners. This exciting and extensive festival takes place in the beginning of September (this year from Sept 6 to 16), and close to 350,000 attendees head to Canada’s largest metropolis in the hopes of viewing what will be the next classic piece of cinematic art. Aside from putting Canada on the map as a competitor in the global film industry, Toronto’s festival has become a launching pad for the success of new films released every fall.

7. Venice International Film Festival – Venice, Italy

The Venice Film Festival started in 1932, making it the oldest film festival in the world. Every year, this expansive event is held on the island of Lido in the fascinating city of Venice. Unlike similarly large film festivals such as Cannes, public attendees are able to purchase passes in advance to the screenings. This year’s festival will run from Aug 29 until Sept 8 and screen more than 275 projects, 75 of which will be national and international premieres. And, if the film scene isn’t enticing enough, Venice ranks high among travelers as a destination, encompassing history, culture and romantic charm.

8. Hong Kong International Film Festival – Hong Kong, China

The perfect blend of East Asian culture and a thriving global market, Hong Kong is a popular destination for tourists from all over the world. It’s no wonder that the Hong Kong International Film Festival has become one of the largest in the world, and has bridged the gap between Asian cinema and the global film industry. This year’s event will take place from March 21 to April 5, showcasing more than 330 titles from 50 countries to an expected 600,000 viewers. Spread among more than 11 venues all around Hong Kong, including the Space Museum and City Hall, visitors get the chance to witness the latest works while exploring the vibrant city.

9. Berlin International Film Festival- Berlin, Germany

One of the most renowned film festivals in the world, the Berlin International Film Festival (also known as Berlinale) combines the glamour of filmmaking – parties, red carpet, high fashion – with the appreciation of cinematic art in a variety of genres. Divided into 10 separate sections, highlighting areas like experimental and avant-garde works, shorts geared towards younger generations, films focused around culinary themes and several others, there’s a place for all film admirers at Berlinale. This year’s festival will kick off on Feb 9 and last 10 days. It is expected that visitors from more than 115 countries will be in attendance to screen and discuss a variety of international films.

10. East End Film Festival – East London, United Kingdom

As one of the largest film festivals in London, East End continues to grow in the industry as a high-profile event for filmmakers. In 2011, more than 60 feature films were screened, along with hundreds of shorts, all from more than 30 different countries. Submissions are based around several themes, the most popular being British, European and World films, horror and music. This coming July 3-8, coinciding with the Olympics, dozens of venues will open in East London to screen the latest works – many free – from both seasoned and up-and-coming film professionals. Plus, there will be plenty of live music, master classes and other special events to participate in.

source form: tuoitrenews

A cacophony ranging from Asian string instruments to the delicate cadences of classical piano pours out of a two-storey building in central Kabul.

Here, at Afghanistan’s sole music academy, students are taught music with the hope it will bring comfort in the face of war and poverty, bringing back cellos and violins to revive a rich musical legacy disrupted by decades of violence and suppression.

“We are committed to build ruined lives through music, given its healing power,” Ahmad Sarmast, head of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music, told Reuters.

The trumpet player turned musicologist set up the school two years ago on the site of the School of Fine Arts’ music department, which was forced to shut in the early 1990s as civil war engulfed the country following a decade-long Soviet occupation.

The austere Taliban, who took over in 1996, then banned music outright, something unthinkable in today’s Afghanistan, where cafes and cars blast Indian love songs and the tunes of 1970s Afghan crooner Ahmad Zahir.

But while the institute’s 140 full-time pupils have little recollection of that time, they still face hardships in their musical pursuits.

Half the students are orphans or street children, with the rest selected after a music exam.

All are passionate about music, said voice and flute teacher Mashal Arman, daughter of famed Afghan musician Hossein, whose black-and-white photographs grace the school’s hall.

“They are so thirsty for music and art, it is fabulous to see the country finally changing,” said Arman, whose accent hints at her connection to Switzerland, where she fled with her family more than 20 years ago.

Sarmast said he had also set a quota that a third of students must be girls — a gesture towards the plight of Afghan women, who still struggle for basic rights such as education after 30 years of war and harsh Taliban rule.

All students receive full scholarships to attend the school, which operates under the Ministry of Education with significant foreign funding, notably from Britain, Germany and Denmark. They are awarded internationally recognized music diplomas.

“The return of music is one of the most positive changes in post-Taliban Afghanistan,” said Sarmast, who studied in Moscow and Australia before returning to Afghanistan in 2008 with a mission to establish the academy.

No instruments 

In one of the school’s carpeted rehearsal rooms, recently soundproofed with Afghan timber, 14-year-old orphan Fatima strums a sitar, conjuring up sounds familiar to Afghan children, who adore Bollywood films and their music.

“I was encouraged to come here and I am happy for it. I love playing,” Fatima said, adjusting the pink cap covering her hair that she uses instead of a headscarf.

Her Indian teacher, Irfan Khan, one of 16 foreign instructors at the school, watches approvingly but laments the poverty that prevents students from owning instruments, hindering their progress.

“We are reviving music for those who have been deprived,” he said. “However, many of the students do not come from affluent families and are only able to practice here.”

At $600, a new saxophone is more than $100 higher than an average worker’s annual salary, according to Finance Ministry estimates.

For star classical piano pupil Sayed Elham, a jovial 13-year-old with a passion for Chopin, the $3,000 needed to trade his family’s Casio keyboard for a full-size piano is nothing but a dream.

“I want our government to improve the state of Afghan music,” he said after performing Chopin’s Nocturne for some fellow students, who gathered to hear him rehearse.

Despite the school’s success — it takes on an extra 80 or so students for its two-month winter academy and is building a 300-seat auditorium and separate building for rehearsing — the future for musicians in Afghanistan is bleak.

Rights taken for granted by musicians in the West, such as copyright and royalties, do not exist, and most recording and broadcasting fees must be paid out of the musician’s pocket.

In addition, there are scant prospects of jobs.

“We have a long way to go to make sure that our graduates are getting just remuneration and their rights protected,” Sarmast said.

But he now hopes his graduates will form Afghanistan’s first national symphony orchestra, a vision already in the works.

source form: tuoitrenews

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed by the Kon Tum provincial People’s Committee and the organisation in Kon Tum city on January 10.

This is a follow up to the project to improve living conditions for poor children in the locality.

The organisation will help raise awareness of children who are poor or disadvantaged of their rights and potential, especially in meeting basic needs, while improving necessary skills.

Over the past 15 years, Kon Tum province has received $25 million in non-refundable aid through 197 projects from 38 organisations of 14 countries and territories.

Most of the projects focus on education, health care, social welfare and rural infrastructure in disadvantaged localities.

source form: dtinews