Hanoi

Hotel project in socialist-era Hanoi park draws protests

vietnam-flag, mapHanoi - With public controversy building over the construction of a luxury hotel inside a popular Hanoi park, the European chain slated to manage the hotel said Tuesday that all of the project's legal permits were in order.

Construction of a Novotel hotel inside the territory of Hanoi's Thong Nhat (Reunification) Park began in June 2008. In early February letters of protest to city officials from architects and community organizations prompted a wave of press coverage critical of the project.

Vietnam expects 2009 job losses five times higher than last year

Vietnam expects 2009 job losses five times higher than last year Hanoi - The global economic slowdown will cause job losses in Vietnam in 2009 up to five times higher than those in 2008, government officials said Monday.

"This year, according to our forecast, 300,000 workers are likely to lose their jobs in the first half of 2009 and an additional 100,000 will be made redundant in the second half," said Nguyen Thi Hai Van, deputy head of Vietnam's Labour and Employment Agency.

Vietnam foreign investment lower but still strong

Vietnam foreign investment lower but still strongHanoi  - Vietnam has attracted foreign direct investment pledges of 5.3 billion dollars so far this year, down 30 per cent from the same period last year, a government official said Thursday.

Le Hai Van, deputy head of the Statistics and Policy Division of Vietnam's Foreign Investment Agency, said that amid the current global economic downturn, the figure was an encouraging sign despite its drop.

"This reflects that foreign investors are still optimistic about the development potential of our economy," Van said.

Vietnam student confesses in Valentine's Day murder

Vietnam student confesses in Valentine's Day murder Hanoi  - Vietnamese police have arrested a college student who confessed to slitting her wealthy ex-boyfriend's throat with a fruit knife on Valentine's Day, a police official said Friday.

Police said Vu Thi Kim Anh, 22, a fourth-year student at Hanoi Pedagogical University, confessed to murdering Nguyen Tien Chinh, 42, as the two sat in his parked Lexus sports utility vehicle.

"[Anh's] action was partially caused by the victim's misconduct," said Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Duc Chung, head of the Hanoi Investigative Police.

Inspectors report more cracks on Vietnam dam

Inspectors report more cracks on Vietnam damHanoi  - Inspectors acknowledged eight previously unreported cracks in a 130-metre-high dam under construction in the province of Son La, Vietnamese media reported Friday.

Inspectors from the Vietnam Electricity Corporation (EVN), the main investor in the Son La dam, reportedly found five major cracks and three small ones in addition to two that had been previously reported. The cracks were discovered between September and December.

The half-millimetre-wide cracks range from 8 metres to almost 100 metres in length, and run up to 6 metres into the body of the dam.

Vietnamese man arrested with tiger carcass

Vietnamese man arrested with tiger carcassHanoi  - Police in Hanoi have arrested a man found transporting a butchered tiger carcass, a police official said Thursday.

Nguyen Van Thanh, deputy chief of police in Hanoi's Dong Da District, said officers from his department and from Hanoi's Environmental Police arrested a 30-year-old man Wednesday as he was driving his car.

Inside the car, police found a trunk containing most of the carcass of an 80-kilogram tiger. One of the tiger's flanks was missing.

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