Bethanie Mattek

Tại giải Mỹ mở rộng, Mattek mặc như một siêu nhân với chiếc váy vàng, băng đô vàng bóng.

Tay vợt diện tông màu rất teen, hồng và xanh.

Chuyển sang bộ cánh đốm báo.

Tại giải Mỹ mở rộng 2008.

Tại Wimbledon 2008.

Redknapp wife

Chương Tử Di

Chương Tử Di và vợ ông trùm truyền thông Rupert Murdoch. Hai người đã chung nhau tiền để thành lập công ty điện ảnh tư nhân hồi đầu tháng 3/2008.

Hai người đẹp Chương Tử Di và Lý Băng Băng thời mới ra nhập làng giải trí. Cả hai trông đều rất trẻ và trong sáng.

Cùng với Châu Tấn trong một chương trình truyền hình.

Tỏa sáng cùng Phạm Băng Băng.

Chương Tử Di và người đẹp Coco Lee.

Cô nàng cũng rất thân thiết với Trương Bá Chi.

... và cả Tiêu Á Hiên.

Industrial zone administration wants to play environment watchdog

The power to assess and ratify the environmental impact of new projects coming up in Ho Chi Minh City industrial zones may be transferred from the environmental regulator to zone authorities at the latter’s request.

Ngo Anh Tuan, deputy head of the HCMC Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (HEPZA), said his agency would soon send a request to the city People’s Committee. The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is currently entrusted with the task. Earlier, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment released a circular, effective from January 7, saying the management board of economic, industrial, export processing, and hi-tech zones can be allowed to evaluate and approve projects if they satisfy certain conditions. Tuan added that HEPZA would also ask the city administration for authority to approve investors’ environmental protection commitments which now invests in district-level people’s committees. Source: TBKTSG Online

Vietnam to sell 2.8 million tons of rice in first half

Vietnam may export as much as 2.8 million metric tons of rice in the first half of this year, Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam reported, citing an estimate by the Vietnam Food Association.

Around 2.4 million tons of rice have already been contracted for sale, with more than 900,000 tons scheduled for shipment in January and February, the paper said. The newspaper did not provide year-earlier comparisons. Vietnam, the world’s second -biggest rice exporter after Thailand, shipped 4.7 million tons last year, the association said January 6. The group plans to ship at least four million tons of the grain in 2009. Source: Bloomberg

Textile workers could abandon small firms over wages

While some large textile and garment firms received enough orders for the first half of this year, smaller ones are still trying to get enough contracts to avoid layoffs, according to the Vietnam Textile and Garment Association Many workers in the garment and textile industry are expected to move from struggling small firms to larger ones as the economic downturn magnifies disparities in wages between the two categories, a union official said.

Vu Ngoc Quyen of the Trade Union of Garment and Textile Workers said while job-hopping is common in the industry, it was not a problem in the past thanks to small differences in salaries. Until six months ago, workers at small firms could do a lot of overtime work, meaning their total income was close to the wages paid by larger companies. But now, with the industry hit hard by the global economic turmoil, small businesses are struggling to maintain sales and their workers can no longer work overtime. With the gap in wages and bonuses gradually increasing, Quyen said it is likely that small companies would face a shortage of workers after Tet (Lunar New Year festival). Successful companies like Nha Be, Phong Phu and Viet Tien pay workers as much as VND2.6 million (US$148) a month on average while smaller firms pay around VND1.8 million ($103). Pham Xuan Hong, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Garment Association, said while some large firms received enough orders for the first half of this year, smaller ones are still trying to get enough contracts to avoid layoffs. The large companies will pay VND5-6 million as Tet bonuses while the smaller ones are likely to pay just a month’s wage or even less. A human resources manager at a garment and textile company employing 20,000 people, who wished to be unnamed, said his company recruited more than 500 workers in the last quarter of 2008, compared to around 90 a year earlier. But he said many workers applied to his company after their small enterprises closed down. His firm needs to employ 700 more, he said, admitting for the past several years it had been more than 1,500 workers short. But with supply expected to exceed demand, he said his company would focus on recruiting skilled workers after Tet. Tuan Nguyen Nghi, managing director of Nha Be Corp., said since the company has already received enough orders to remain busy for the first six months, recruitment would go on. Other companies’ layoffs give his the opportunity to hire experienced workers. Truong Lam Danh, deputy chairman of the HCMC Labor Union, said while many workers had lost their jobs recently because of the economic downturn, large companies like Viet Tien, Nha Be, Viet Hung and Viet Thinh regularly announce they are hiring. But the Vietnam Textile and Garment Association’s Hong warned: “Workers who want to keep their jobs at large companies or wish to work for them will have to concentrate on their skills since the sector is expected to face more problems.” Source: TBKTSG Online

Becks - Vic

Angelina Jolie...

Từ Teri Hatcher...

... tới Evan Rachel Wood đều diện đầm hở một bên vai, gợi nhớ tới phong cách thời trang của Michelle Obama trong lễ nhậm chức tổng thống Mỹ hôm 20/1.

Angelina Jolie...

... và Claire Danes thì khéo léo khoe tấm lưng trần trong bộ đầm gợi cảm.

Eva Longoria vẫn thích những màu sắc sặc sỡ.

Còn Kate Winslet luôn trung thành với những gam màu cơ bản như xanh, đen.

Anne Hathaway mặc chiếc váy gợi nhớ đến các nữ thần Hy Lạp thủa xưa.

Rosario Dawson dùng tông trắng ngà để làm nổi bật làn da bánh mật.

Marcia Cross thanh lịch trong chiếc đầm đuôi công.

Còn Katie Holmes phá cách trong chiếc váy ngắn.

Song Hye Kyo

Đôi chuột, mèo "sập bẫy ái tình"

Peanut lẵng nhẵng theo Ranj đi khắp mọi nơi.

Set for Tet

Ho Ngoc Ha performs on stage In the run up to the Lunar New Year, sizzling supermodel-turned-singer Ho Ngoc Ha speaks with Thanh Nien Daily about her past and present Tet celebrations.

Thanh Nien Daily: Are you looking forward to the Tet (Lunar New Year)? What do you intend to do during the upcoming holidays? Ho Ngoc Ha: In my heart of hearts, I am scared of witnessing my family members and close friends getting older as the New Year comes. Like many other artists, I am usually busy with many shows during the year-end and New Year holidays. People often say Tet is a “big sponsor” for artists. But this year, I want to take a rest and refresh myself. I have worked very hard every day of the year and need some time to look back, review what I have done over the past year, and set out targets for the year ahead. I have also planned a tour abroad for my family. Have your expectations for Tet changed over the years? Yes. When I was a small girl, I always longed for Tet so that I could take a break from school, wear new clothes and wander around the crowded streets and entertainment spots with my friends. I still remember how excited my elder brother and I were, waiting for my father to give us new clothes. He worked as a tailor and would have to work right up until the Lunar New Year eve before starting to make clothes for his children. Since I came to Ho Chi Minh City to start my fashion career five years ago, I’ve only wanted to get away from all the noisy places during the Tet holidays. I just wanted to stay at home on my sofa, feeling relaxed wearing only the most casual dress, noshing on food and watching performance shows and festivals on TV. My first Tet in Saigon was memorable. Working as a model at the time, I decided to remain in the city where I could earn more at the large Tet shows. After a busy day of bustling activities, I came back to my rented room and cried like I had never done before. I felt the greatest loneliness ever, experiencing Tet without my loved ones around me. Do you have any regrets about the past year? I had promised to have a live show last year but the plan broke down. However, I will make it up to my fans this June with the first live show of my singing career. In 2007 you were reported to have paid the most taxes of any Vietnamese artist. Do you think you’ll top the list this year as well? I have no idea about that. I have just set up a private company and have a lot of things to care about. I think the top position will go to someone else this year. (Laughs). Besides my singing career, I’ve always wanted to become a successful businesswoman and a millionaire. I don’t want to talk too much about my future plan but I have aspirations of doing big things and doing them to the best of my ability. You’ve won a number of prestigious awards over the past two years, both for your style and singing ability. What do you owe to such impressive achievements and do you think your stunning appearance contributes heavily to your success? I think success not only depends on one’s talent and appearance but also on one’s behavior and courage. I have convinced my audiences that my songs are worth listening to; my performances are worth watching; and my attitude is worthy of respect. My soul is soft, tender and thoughtful enough to be an artist while my mind is firm enough not to be upset by any rumors. These days, you and music composer Duc Tri have appeared very close in public. Many fans are guessing that despite your past ups and downs, the two of you are now rekindling your romantic relationship. I am sorry to affirm that we will never resume our romantic relationship. But I am very happy to say that our present relationship is even more wonderful than the time when we were lovers. Our careers have taken off and we really want to focus on what we can do to cooperate with and help each other. So that means you’re still single? Well, I am still looking around for the right man. It’s no easy job for a man to have a relationship with a famous and independent woman, and especially a singing addict. Reported by Bao Tran

Ringing in the Tet changes

Hanoians buy food for Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays at street shops. From the making of several dishes to visiting relatives, Tet traditions have undergone a transformation.

As the main part of her Tet celebrations, Nguyen Thu Ha is in touch with some travel agents so she can take her family to the beautiful coastal city of Nha Trang for a holiday. For Ha, choosing an attractive place for her family to visit is the most interesting part of Tet preparations. As the 37-year-old chief accountant of a bank in Hanoi, she puts in long hours – as many as 12 – at the office every day, and she reckons her break is well-deserved. “My family wants to make use of the occasion to relax after one year of hard work. In addition, my son could learn swimming,” Ha says. She knows there is a world of difference between the way she prepares for Tet and what her mother used to do during her childhood. “My mother used to struggle to make some delicious food and get some new clothes for us every Tet. Now, we don’t have to worry about food, since meat and fish, which were on the dining table only at family parties or Tet during my childhood, have become a common part of our daily meals.” Vietnam's strong economic development has seen the emergence of middle class and high-income groups of people that can afford a luxurious lifestyle, which has spilled over into how they welcome Tet. Most of these people, especially in big cities like Hanoi, Hai Phong and Ho Chi Minh, no longer make the banh chung (square cakes made from glutinous rice, pork and green beans), lean pork paste and fruit jams during the Tet season. People choose blossoms trees in Hanoi to decorate their house during Tet Modernization means they have neither the time nor the inclination for such activities. Spending many hours at offices and factories leaves little time for cooking at home, and everything. Expensive imported items and locally-made food products that serve many budget levels are available in the market. From street vendors, groceries stores, and regional markets to plush upmarket trade centers, the options are plentiful if you have money. Already clogged with motorbikes and an increasing number of cars, streets in the cities are snarled on pre-Tet days as people rush to markets, supermarkets, trade centers and other shops. “The number of customers coming here during the Tet shopping season has increased many times over ordinary days. We have prepared more goods and mobilized more staff to serve them,” says Nguyet Anh, an employee of the Trang Tien Plaza in Hanoi. At a supermarket in the plaza, streams of customers with shopping carts loaded with foods, beverages, cosmetics and garments cram through its narrow doorways. “In my mother’s generation, cooking used to be one of their joys during Tet. Now, we don’t want to spend much time on it [cooking]. We want to spend Tet relaxing,” says nurse Nguyen Thi Hanh, 27, while choosing some semi-processed chicken. People today also spend more time decorating their houses with flowers and bonsai for Tet. Many have spent hundreds of dollars on bonsai plants and trees with beautiful shapes for the holiday, which falls on January 26 this year. People in the north have a tradition of displaying peach blossoms and kumquat trees while those in the south display ochna plants that bloom yellow flowers during Tet. This year, many people in the south have chosen peach blossoms and kumquat bonsai mainly grown in Hanoi and the northern provinces of Bac Giang and Hung Yen, as well as that of ochna plants grown in southern localities, says gardener Nguyen Duc Minh, as he waters trees pruned in the shapes of pyramids, dragons, phoenixes and even waterfalls. There are other changes in the way Tet is celebrated, including one indispensable activity, which is to visit relatives and not leave without eating or drinking. That custom is changing now. Instead of welcoming Tet at home, many people are choosing beaches, including Nha Trang, Phan Thiet, Phu Quoc and Tuan Chau, while others prefer to travel abroad, mainly to regional countries like China, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Another Tet tradition that has changed a lot in recent years is the offering of gifts. Previously, Tet gifts were locally-produced wine bottles and boxes of jams as offerings to parents, relatives and bosses as a sign of affection and respect. Now, many people choose to buy expensive gifts for their superiors with some presents destined for officials worth thousands of dollars. Amidst all the changes, there is a constant. Every New Year is awaited with expectations and hopes of greater joy and prosperity in the coming year. Reported by Bao Anh

Missing Malaysians jailed for HCMC casino racket

A Ho Chi Minh City court Wednesday sentenced 24 defendants, including three Malaysians who are still on the run, for organizing and participating in illegal gambling.

Lim Leong Seng, Goh Ming Huat, and Chan Chee Sing, all from Malaysia, received five, four, and three years respectively for organizing gambling, the court ruled Wednesday. The Malaysian trio fled Vietnam after charges were laid last year and they were placed under house arrest. The Vietnamese police have been working with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) but have not been able to locate them. Vietnamese Le Anh Tuan was jailed for three years, Vietnamese Le Thi Hong Nhung two and a half years, and Vietnamese-American Hua Quan Timmy six months and 22 days, also for organizing gambling, the court said. The other 18 Vietnamese defendants, found guilty of illegal gambling, received sentences ranging from one-year suspensions to two and a half years in jail. All 24 defendants were fined between VND10 million-50 million (US$572-2,860) each. According to the indictment, the six people charged with organizing gambling had connived to lure Vietnamese citizens to casinos at three luxury hotels in HCMC between April 2006 and May 2007. Vietnamese law prohibits Vietnamese citizens from gambling but allows hotels rated four-stars and above to operate casinos for people holding foreign passports. The police shut down the operation in May 2007 after raiding three clubs: De Palace Club at the Saigon Food Center in District 1, the Victoria Club at the Duxton Saigon Hotel in District 1, and the OV Club at the Equatorial Hotel in District 5. All of the clubs were run by Malaysian businessman Yap Kim San, who still hasn’t been charged. The court Wednesday also called for continued investigations into Yap’s role in the case. Reported by Le Nga

Major bridges set to facilitate Tet celebrations

The “notorious” Van Thanh 2 Bridge opened to traffic last Thursday Ho Chi Minh City residents will have a new vantage point to the Lunar New Year’s Eve firework displays when the Khanh Hoi Bridge opens to traffic a day earlier.

The new bridge will connect District 4’s Nguyen Tat Thanh Street with District 1’s Ton Duc Thang Street when it opens on January 24. At 167 meters long and 22 meters wide, the bridge will be able to handle 30-ton trucks and would meet the demand for transporting goods from HCMC’s Saigon River to southeastern provinces, said Vuong Hoang Thanh, deputy head of the East-West Highway and Water Environment Project Management Unit. The unit is tasked with overseeing construction of the bridge. Another bridge belonging to the East-West Highway project and linking districts 1 and 4, the Calmette Bridge, is also set to open next Tuesday, Thanh said. The new Calmette overpass includes an intersection of six streets. Two major sections from District 1’s Calmette Street and District 4’s Doan Van Bo Street are scheduled to be completed on Tuesday, while the remaining sections connecting to the East-West Highway and Thu Thiem underground tunnel will be completed by the year-end. Thanh said the commission of the two new bridges would significantly ease traffic congestion at the city center. ‘Notorious bridge’ also ready The controversy-mired Van Thanh 2 Bridge also opened to traffic last Thursday after being rebuilt for more than a year. The bridge, on Binh Thanh District’s Nguyen Huu Canh Street, is also expected to resolve traffic gridlocks from HCMC to neighboring provinces in a big way, an official said. After being put into operation in 2002, it was found soon after that the bridge was sinking on both sides. In 2007, the city approved a 10-month repair project costing VND141 billion (current US$8 million) to upgrade the road on both sides. The Tan Thuan Bridge 1 in District 4’s Nguyen Tat Thanh Street also opened to traffic last Thursday. Another bridge-opening in the offing is that of the Nguyen Van Cu Bridge over Ben Nghe Canal that connects districts 1, 4, 5 and 8. The section linking districts 1 and 5 with District 4 will open very shortly, while that connecting districts 4 and 8 is scheduled for completion soon after the Tet holidays. The bridge will ease traffic congestion on the Nguyen Tri Phuong, Y and Cha Va bridges. Reported by Phuong Thanh

Textile exporters seek government aid to tide over difficult year

Workers at Saigon 2 Garment Company. Apparel makers anticipate a tough year ahead and want the government to give them a helping hand. The textile and garment industry is demanding government assistance to overcome the export hurdles posed by the recession.

At a meeting organized by the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) with Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Bui Xuan Khu in Ho Chi Minh City Wednesday, apparel exporters suggested that the government should consider introducing a package of three measures. The first is for assisting workers in businesses facing export difficulties or considering layoffs, Le Quoc An, chairman of the group and of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, said. He suggested spending 1 percent of the total garment export earnings. The second, worth VND5 trillion (US$294 million), is for subsidizing exporters’ bank credit. An said the rate offered by banks may have fallen to 12 percent recently but it is still too high at a time of recession. The third measure is for promoting the industry in the international market at a cost of VND50 billion ($2.94 million). Vietnam’s main apparel markets are the US, Japan and the EU. Khu assured them that the government would support the industry since it is a major foreign currency earner. Textiles, in fact, replaced crude oil as the top earner last year at $9.1 billion after the plunge in oil prices. The industry also created more jobs than the others, he said, adding his ministry would submit the package to the government for approval. Shrinking orders An said Vietnam’s apparel producers had less export orders than last year. Foreign businesses were affected the most though they have more orders than local producers, he said. Many of them cut jobs and closed factories because of the economic slump in key markets like the US, Japan, and the EU, he said. He forecast exports to fall 15 percent year-on-year in the first quarter. But he said it is difficult to set a target for the whole year since no one knows when the recession would end. Bui Van Tien, general director of Viet Tien Garment Corporation, said recessions occurred in every decade, adding firms should not worry too much about them. But they should restructure their business and train human resources, he said. The industry would recover soon if apparel producers focused on the home market in addition to their traditional export markets, he assured. Reported by Minh Quang

Market drifts down over earnings worries

The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange moved lower Tuesday over growing concern about negative corporate earnings this year.

VN-Index lost 5.05 points, or 1.62 percent, to close at a 10-day low of 307.13. Of its 175 members, 26 gained and 113 declined. Trading remained quiet, with only 7.7 million shares being traded. “The outlook on corporate earnings is very gloomy, given the current economic situation,” Huynh Anh Tuan, chief executive officer of the Ho Chi Minh City-based SJC Securities, said. “Companies have started to release 2008 earnings and many of them have made losses or missed their profit targets. For those who managed to make some profit, it was because of the gains they made in the first half of 2008. “In addition, people also lost a lot of their confidence in the market after HSBC said the Vietnamese market is no longer investable for overseas investors. “Besides, almost half of January has passed but we are still not yet clear how and when the government is going to implement its US$6 billion stimulus package to boost the economy. So, the market has no momentum.” Dau Tu Chung Khoan (Securities investment) newspaper quoted Kim Long Securities Company Deputy General Director Pham Vinh Thanh as saying, “Companies with a strong cash flow and those not involved in finance are a good choice this year.” He added that petroleum, transport, technology and financial stocks would be his top picks when the market shows signs of recovery, without explaining his choices. How they fared Vinpearl (VPL) lost VND2,500, or 4.17 percent, to close at VND57,500. VFG Investment Joint Stock Company became a major shareholder in the resort operator after buying 5,045,000 shares, or a 5.05 percent stake last month, according to a report on the exchange’s website. Saigon Securities Inc. (SSI), the country’s leading brokerage, slipped VND1,100, or 3.63 percent, to VND29,200. ANZ Bank failed to buy around 1.4 million shares amid a “gloomy market and its low liquidity,” the exchange said on its website. ANZ now holds 18.35 percent in the Hanoi- based brokerage. Thu Duc Trading and Import Export Joint Stock Company (TMC) remained unchanged at VND21,500. The firm said on the exchange’s website that retail investor La Tang Duc bought 242,060 shares, or 6.05 percent, to become a major shareholder. Saigon Fishing Net Joint-Stock Company (SFN), a silk thread and fishing net producer, gained VND400, or 4.2 percent, its most in two weeks, to finish at VND9,900. The HCMC-based company will start buying back 100,000 shares from January 20, according to a stock exchange announcement. “The buyback volume is not huge, but given the daily trading volume of the shares, which is about several thousand a day, this buyback plan could move the stock,” Hoang Thach Lan, chief analyst at HCMC-based SME Securities Company, said. Reported by Hoang Uy

Swiss, German marketing expertise offered

Swiss and German institutes will help Vietnam train international marketing and export management experts in an attempt to improve the image of local businesses in the global market.

Switzerland-based European Institute of Foreign Trade and German Reutlingen University’s Export Academy will collaborate with TFF (Training For the Future), a Vietnamese business training school, to offer courses from April. A TFF official told Thanh Nien Daily Tuesday the 18-month courses, partly funded by the Swiss government, would offer essential knowledge about marketing and export skills in an international setting. Those who complete the courses will obtain masters degrees in international marketing and export management. Reported by Minh Quang

Power price hike will not have huge impact: ministry

An increase of less than 10 percent in retail electricity prices, as proposed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will not seriously affect production and daily life, Deputy Minister Do Huu Hao said Tuesday.

The impact of the proposed price hike on the economy and society had been carefully calculated, Hao said. In December, the ministry submitted to the government a proposal to raise retail power prices by less than 10 percent. Pham Manh Thang, head of the Electricity Regulatory of Vietnam, said the Ministry of Finance was assessing the proposal and the increase will be considered alongside the prices of coal and oil used for producing electricity. If the proposal is approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, the new retail power prices will take effect in late February, Thang said. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed the first 50 kilowatt hours of electricity used by families each month be subsidized to minimize the effect of higher power prices on the nation’s poor The current average retail price in Vietnam is VND860 (5 US cents) per kilowatt hour, with power for production costing more than power for household use. Thang said the proposed electricity price increase was expected to wipe 0.05 to 0.07 of a percent off economic growth and push inflation up by 0.25 to 0.3 percent. Power and gasoline are the two products that determine the prices of almost all goods on the market, and both power and gasoline prices should not be raised at this juncture, Lao Dong (Labor) Newspaper quoted economist Dinh Son Hung as saying. Hung said an increase in power prices would undermine efforts to stimulate the economy this year in the face of a global economic slowdown. Nguyen Van Son of the Vietnam Standard and Consumers Association said local consumers would be unhappy with the price increase proposal. The proposal favored power producers and did not mention any efforts by the power industry to lower prices or anything about consumer rights, Son said. Hao said power prices were not being raised to help Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) offset its losses but to encourage investment in new generation capacity. The price increase was necessary to facilitate investment, Hao said, pointing out that electricity costs in Vietnam were lower than those in other Southeast Asian countries. State-owned EVN currently controls all power transmission grids and retail networks, including the Hanoi Electricity Company and Ho Chi Minh City Electricity Company. EVN had previously submitted a plan to the government proposing increases of up to 20 percent in the retail price of electricity. According to the proposal by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the state will subsidize the first 50 kWh of electricity used by local residents each month to minimize the effect of the price hike on low-income families. Up to 2.5 million poor households in Vietnam use less than 50 kWh of electricity per month, Hao said. He also said from 2010 power prices will be adjusted in accordance with input costs. Hao said his ministry will coordinate with the Ministry of Finance in deciding power price adjustments of 5- 7 percent. Price changes of more than 7 percent will require approval from the prime minister. Vietnam, whose electricity capacity stands at some 15,000 megawatts now, is expected to increase capacity by 4,000MW a year by 2025. Meanwhile, the country now is out of sources for hydroelectricity plants, which need less investment than thermoelectricity or nuclear power plants. Vietnam’s relatively low electricity prices have attracted many steel, cement and chemical production technologies from other countries. Last year, Vietnam’s power demand jumped around 16 percent while supply only rose 12 percent, forcing the government to import electricity from China and rotate power outages across the country. Vietnam plans to generate about 83.3 billion kWh of power this year to support an economy forecast to grow by 6.5 percent. Reported by Ngan Anh – Xuan Toan

Speaking for the nation

Foreign ministry spokesperson Bui Le Dung on his way to a press briefing. Dung says the job is about the art of balancing both calmness and frankness. Foreign ministry spokesperson shares his thoughts on a job where every word has to be weighed carefully before it is uttered.

Twenty years ago, a 28-year-old graduate of the then Institute of International Relations was excited about heading to New York City as part of the country’s entourage to the United Nations. At the time, Bui Le Dung was the youngest member of the delegation. “That was a very difficult period for us,” Dung recalled in a recent conversation with Thanh Nien. “We were still under the embargo of the United States, and at that time, the American public and its media weren’t leaning towards us.” Now, as the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 48- year-old is virtually the spokesperson for the country, a very familiar face for both international and domestic reporters, doing a job where, he joked, he “would get fired if one word went wrong.” Dung says his official brief is to explain and clarify issues relating to Vietnam that the public and other countries are interested in. In a country where there is no tradition of having spokespersons at every government office at all levels, the job is even tougher and doesn’t begin or end with appearing twice every month in front of the media. “For that five to ten minutes, we have to prepare for weeks and must be able to update information until the last minute,” Dung says. “And by the last minute, I mean from the moment I leave the office to the moment I enter the briefing room.” Dung says he never stops learning something new, and sticks to a longstanding habit of noting down everything he feels necessary. When the former Foreign Affairs Minister Nguyen Co Thach once requested the staff to find a sentence in a speech by the Cambodian King Sihanouk, no one was able to find it except Dung, who happened to have written the sentence down in one of his notebooks. “For me, this job isn’t much different from a soldier entering a battle,” he says. “There have been many times when I’ve had to face provoking questions and the only way you can do it is by staying calm.” And that holds true even when he is frustrated that the facts have been twisted. Speaking for the nation, according to Dung, is really the art of balancing both calmness and frankness, meaning one has to phrase things in a way that addresses the reporters’ questions but also “directs” the news issues. “You have to be flexible in all situations. That’s the trick. Your gestures must reflect what you want to say and that takes a lot of practice.” Dung says he tries to pack his answers with diverse information, though for some issues considered “sensitive,” he must stay very focused and accurate with every single word. Sometimes, this is criticized by reporters as providing “same-same” answers. “I know the White House spokesperson often make jokes during briefings to make things less stressful. I do it as well, but not often. Our culture is different and that doesn’t allow me to go beyond the limit.” Dung says he tries his best not to avoid a single question. “The worst thing you can do in a press briefing is not answer questions.” At home? “The spokesperson is my wife. “She understands my job. Sometimes, I have to wake up at midnight to answer phone calls from reporters but I don’t mind. For reporters, information is like their food. I want to help them provide accurate and fair stories.” Reported by Xuan Danh

J.Lo & Marc

Nụ hôn ngọt ngào ngay trên đường phố với sự chứng kiến của rất nhiều người xung quanh. Ảnh: JJ.

Giới showbiz được một phen xôn xao khi tờ New York Daily News tuần trước có một bài tiết lộ chi tiết việc nàng diva da màu và đức lang quân sắp sửa tuyên bố ly hôn. Theo đó, cặp đôi này chỉ chờ sau khi buổi biểu diễn của Marc Anthony tại Madison Square Garden vào ngày 14/2 tới kết thúc là sẽ chính thức công bố việc "đường ai nấy đi". Nhiều tờ khác cũng ồ ạt vào cuộc theo và gọi đây là "vụ ly dị ngày Valentine"...

... Và tình tứ như thuở mới yêu nhau. Ảnh: JJ.

Tuy nhỉên trong lễ nhậm chức của Thống đốc Puerto Rico Luis Fortuno hôm thứ sáu 2/1 vừa qua, một loạt hình ảnh Jennifer và đức lang quân của mình tay trong tay và nhất là màn "khóa môi" lãng mạn trước sự chứng kiến của nhiều người đã khiến các fan của "cặp đôi vàng" này không còn gì để băn khoăn thắc mắc nữa.

Cô ca sĩ da màu lại đeo nhẫn cưới. Ảnh: JJ.

Và người ta lại thấy trên tay của đôi uyên ương này lấp lánh những chiếc nhẫn cưới, "thủ phạm" gây nên mối nghi ngờ về việc chia tay khi những tuần trước không ai thấy chúng xuất hiện cùng các "vị chủ nhân" trước công chúng.

... và Marc Anthony cũng vậy. Ảnh: JJ.

Chương Tử Di

Chương Tử Di tập yoga bên bờ biển.

Một số hình ảnh của cặp tình nhân đăng tải trên 163:

Chàng ga lăng xoa kem chống nắng cho nàng.

Nàng cởi áo và thư giãn bên cạnh tình nhân.

Cặp đôi thì thầm to nhỏ...

Alex Pursey

Becks

Vợ chồng Becks tới dự tiệc cùng các đồng đội mới ở Dubai tối 2/1. Ảnh: Daily Mail.

Trong thời gian gần đây, Vic thường xuyên mặc những bộ váy trong bộ sưu tập do chính cô thiết kế nhưng trong bữa tiệc tối này bà Becks khoác lên mình bộ đầm đen hai dây quyến rũ của Dolce & Gabbana. Nữ ca sĩ nhạc pop trông rạng rỡ và sang trọng còn đức lang quân của cô lại có vẻ đơn giản với quần đen và áo phông trắng.

Becks đang có mặt tại Dubai tham gia chuyến du đấu của AC Milan. Đội bóng sọc đỏ đen có trận giao hữu đầu tiên với CLB Hamburg vào 6/1 tới. Trong buổi tập đầu tiên cùng các đồng đội mới hôm 31/12/2008, cựu thủ quân tuyển Anh tỏ ra khá mệt mỏi và đuối sức. Becks cũng để lộ hình xăm mới nhất ở cánh tay trái.

Hình xăm mới của Becks ở cánh tay trái. Ảnh: DVB.

Vì chuyến du đấu với Milan mà tiền vệ 33 tuổi không thể có mặt ở nhà đón năm mới cùng vợ con. Tuy nhiên, Becks cũng không phải buồn lâu vì ngay ngày đầu năm mới, Vic đã đưa cả 3 cậu nhóc tới các tiểu vương quốc Ả rập thống nhất thăm chồng. Hôm 4/1, cả gia đình có một ngày vui vẻ ở sân golf tại Dubai.

Hình ảnh nhà Becks tại Dubai trên Daily Mail:

Vic mặc bộ váy đen hai dây để lộ bờ vai quyến rũ.

Hôm 4/1, cả gia đình Becks tới sân golf ở Dubai. Vic nổi bật trong bộ váy đỏ dài.

Residents refuse to move from crumbling homes

At least 350 households at the 727 Tran Hung Dao apartment block in District 5 have refused to relocate, citing unsatisfactory compensation. The block is in imminent danger of collapsing. Unsatisfactory compensation and relocation plans are blamed as residents stay on.

Its foundation has sunk and cracks run up and down the walls as though they are ropes used to tie the building to the ground. Residents of the apartment block in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 5 know that their building is crumbling and on the brink of collapse, but they are staying put. The deadline for relocating the residents, so that the 727 Tran Hung Dao apartment block in District 5 could be demolished for a skyscraper to take its place, was April 30 this year. As with other similar projects, inadequate compensation and relocation plans have left residents angry and uncertain about their future. On December 10, the municipal administration issued another dispatch saying the eviction and site clearance of the apartment block, home to 535 households, must be completed by next March at the latest. But so far at least 350 households have declined to move, despite the fact that the block could collapse at any time. Under the relocation plan, each evicted resident would receive compensation of between VND7-8 million (US$412-471) per square meter depending on the floor they live. “The compensation fees for my apartment, covering an area of 25 square meters, would be just around VND200 million ($11,772). How can I buy a new house with that money?” asked a resident on the third floor. Nguyen Van Nha, the block’s deputy manager, pointed out another shortcoming hindering the relocation. As part of the plan, the block residents are set to be moved to the Nguyen Bieu apartment block in the same district. Since each apartment there is nearly double the size of their current residences, evicted residents are being asked to pay for the surplus area which costs between VND23-29 million ($1,350-1,700) per square meter. That means each evicted resident would have to pay an additional VND600 million (about $33,400) each for their new apartment, Nha said, saying this was another reason discouraging hundreds of households in the block from moving. Compensation disputes have also bogged down two other dilapidated apartment blocks in the city. In its December 10 dispatch, the city government mentioned that the buildings on 192 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street in District 3 and 289 Tran Hung Dao Street in District 1 will also have to be demolished by March 2009. But 15 households sharing the same walls with the 289 Tran Hung Dao apartment block in an adjacent alley have insisted on staying though the investor has offered to increase their compensation fees to VND90 million ($5,300) from VND69 million ($4,061) per square meter. The investor also promised to provide them with financial assistance of between VND350-450 million ($20,600-26,500) each. Recently, the District 1 government warned it would carry out compulsory eviction of those 15 households if they continued to defy the relocation directive. At the apartment on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street in District 3, two evicted households have lodged complaints about unsatisfactory compensation. THE MASS RELOCATION PLAN In a dispatch issued on December 10, the HCMC government said it would spend around VND1.78 trillion (US$104.4 million) for revamping dilapidated apartment buildings with around 2,000 households set for eviction. The Department of Construction is tasked with overseeing the demolition of 20 ramshackle apartment buildings between now and 2010 and ensuring evicted residents are properly housed in new homes. The apartment buildings at 289 Tran Hung Dao Street in District 1, 192 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street in District 3 and 727 Tran Hung Dao Street in District 5 will be the first to be demolished. After 2010, another 156 apartment buildings are set to be demolished and some 14,300 households resettled, the dispatch said. Reported by Tran Thanh Binh

Paint Skin

1. Họa bì của đạo diễn Trần Gia Thượng có sự góp mặt của dàn diễn viên nổi tiếng nhất nhì làng giải trí như Châu Tấn, Triệu Vy, Trần Khôn... Xoay quanh cốt truyện kinh dị của Bồ Tùng Linh nhưng thêm nhiều chi tiết mới cũng như đặt nặng yếu tố tình cảm, "Họa bì" được đánh giá cao nhờ cảnh quay đẹp, ấn tượng, đặc biệt là nhờ các màn nóng bỏng thì bộ phim càng được chú ý.

Trần Khôn và Châu Tấn trong một cảnh quay ân ái. Ảnh: Tom.

2. Định mức khuây khỏa của đạo diễn của đạo diễn người Đức Marc Forster.

3. "Diệp vấn" hay Ip man do nam diễn viên hành động Chung Tử Đơn đảm nhiệm vai chính. Bộ phim của đạo diễn Wilson Yip.

4. "If you are the one" của đạo diễn Phùng Tiểu Cương, với sự tham gia diễn xuất của người đẹp Thư Kỳ.

5. Iron man: Bộ phim siêu tưởng được chuyển thể từ truyện tranh.

6. "Đông xuân" của đạo diễn Gu Changwei, với sự tham gia của dàn diễn viên Tương Văn Lệ, Zhang Yao, Li Guangjie.

7. Mai Lan Phương của đạo diễn Trần Khải Ca, với sự góp mặt của Chương Tử Di, Lê Minh và nhiều nghệ sĩ tên tuổi khác.

8. Cape No.7 của Đài Loan rất được yêu thích tại Trung Quốc.

9. Kungfu panda của Mark Osborne và John Stevenson.

A ‘village’ with more than city comforts

If you are looking for space or a place to unwind, to treat our family to a getaway weekend or celebrate your honeymoon, there is a quite area on the Saigon River bank that is just the ticket.

Six kilometers from downtown, the Thao Dien Village offers guests the space they need in a luxurious, colonial setting. The newly opened “village” is a 13,000 square meter complex on Nguyen Van Huong Street in Ho Chi Minh City’s plush District 2. The complex comprises a 22 room colonial-style hotel called An Phu, an event hall, a water puppet theater and other facilities. Active sorts can make use of the fitness club with a variety of workout programs on offer, a sumptuous spa welcomes those in need of deep relaxation and its riverside pool is a good place to cool off. The greenery that surrounds the complex and the spacious lawn overlooking the river are ideal for children to “burn” their energy. Thao Dien Village has four restaurants with different styles that seem to have something for everyone. Well-known Vietnamese fine dining establishment Ngon Restaurant has opened its second location here with a beautifully decorated, dark wood traditional dining room. Ngon is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with main courses ranging from VND 120,000 to VND340,000 (US$6.84-19.40). Next door is a slightly funkier and less formal Japanese restaurant where the staff are all smiles, the sashimi is fresh and the menu is extensive and well priced. Only a handful of items on the twelve-page menu run over VND100,000 ($5.7). Of the Asian options, however, it’s the Chaba Thai Restaurant that has people talking. The soups, curries, vegetables and desserts are purported to be the best in town. The Villa Romain Restaurant beneath the hotel offers fine Italian dining with views across the lawn to the river. Upstairs, the hotel rooms are spacious with wooden floors, there are terraced areas and yet another lovely pool. The traditional water puppetry show, held three times per week, is well worth a visit by itself. Thao Dien Village is an antidote to the hectic city life and if you’re in need of a getaway, but short on time, schedule a day of two at the An Phu Hotel. Reported by Thuy Nhien

Hanoi workers net highest bonus of $4,500

Hanoi’s Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said the highest annual bonus granted to employees in the capital so far was VND80 million (US$4,500) each.

The employees who will receive the fat bonus work for a foreign-invested beverages company, according to the department. Further details were not available. The average bonus at foreign-invested enterprises in the capital city was VND3.1 million ($177) – a 1.5 percent increase over last year; and the lowest bonus at a foreign-invested firm was VND300,000 a person. Overall, the lowest bonus given in Hanoi this year was VND100,000 a person ($5.71). Only 79 businesses have provided information about bonuses. Source: SGGP

Major southern bridges, highways to be completed this year

The Rach Mieu Bridge that connects Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces is set to open on January 19 Several infrastructure projects in the southern region are set for completion this year and work has been expedited on construction sites to ensure they adhere to the schedule.

The Transport Ministry plans to inaugurate the Rach Mieu Bridge that connects Ben Tre and Tien Giang provinces on January 19. The VND1.4 trillion (US$80 million) suspension bridge, which has been under construction since 2002, is the country’s first Vietnamese-designed and built cable bridge crossing the Tien River. It measures 2.9 kilometers in length and 12 meters in width. The build-operate-transfer (BOT) project was financed to the tune of 58 percent by the government budget and the remaining 42 percent was invested by the Transport Ministry’s Civil Construction Engineering Corporation (Cienco) No.1, Cienco No. 5 and Cienco No. 6. Under the BOT model, ownership of an asset reverts to the government after a set period of time. In Ho Chi Minh City, the project to widen the Cong Ly Bridge that connects Phu Nhuan District’s Nguyen Van Troi Street and District 3’s Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, is expected to be completed by the year-end. The Cong Ly Bridge that links Phu Nhuan District’s Nguyen Van Troi Street and District 3’s Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, a major route in HCMC, will be completed by the end of 2009 The project includes construction of a 30-meter wide bridge and installation of underground cables for power, telephone and information lines. The contractor will complete paving the surface and sidewalks and planting trees by the second quarter. Several important bridges on the East-West Highway project are also scheduled for completion in 2009. The new Khanh Hoi Bridge will connect District 4’s Nguyen Tat Thanh Street with District 1’s Ton Duc Thang Street, instead of Ho Tung Mau Street as it did earlier. The new Calmette overpass includes an intersection of six streets at its center. Two major sections from District 1’s Calmette Street and District 4’s Hoang Dieu Street are scheduled to be completed before the Tet holidays, while the remaining sections connecting to the East-West Highway and Thu Thiem underground tunnel will be completed by the year-end. Construction of the Phu My Bridge connecting District 2 and District 7 is expected to be completed in September. The 2,031- meter bridge crossing the Saigon River will be the city’s longest, with an estimated traffic flow of around 100,000 vehicles daily. The bridge has a clearance of 45 meters for waterway traffic, allowing vessels of up to 30,000 tons to reach the city’s ports. The Nguyen Van Cu Bridge that connects District 1, District 4, District 5 and District 8 over Ben Nghe Canal will be completed by the first quarter of the year, says Director of the municipal Transport Department’s urban traffic management division No. 1, Le Quyet Thang. The bridge section connecting District 4 and District 8 is scheduled to complete soon after the Tet holidays. The bridge will ease traffic congestion on the Nguyen Tri Phuong, Y and Cha Va bridges, he said. Eighty percent of the construction of the HCMC–Trung Luong Highway, which runs through Long An and Tien Giang provinces, has been completed. The highway will open to traffic in mid-2009 on the Tan Tao-Cho Dem-Trung Luong section. The remaining sections that connect Binh Thuan Street to Cho Dem in HCMC will be completed by the year-end. The 62-kilometer highway will allow speed limits of up to 120 kilometer per hour (kph) on one 40- kilometer stretch and up to 80 kph on the remaining part. This highway is the first one in southern provinces that has been designed and constructed by local engineers. Source: TN, Agencies

Looking for a star

Trong bộ phim "Looking for a star", Thư Kỳ vào vai một cô gái làm việc trong casino. Tạo hình đầy gợi cảm của người đẹp khiến anh chàng Thiên vương Lưu Đức Hoa cũng phải ngẩn ngơ.

"Chà, em đẹp quá".

Lưu Đức Hoa thủ vai một anh chàng sành sỏi, giàu có và đa tình.

Cặp đôi trao đổi với nhau về vai diễn.

Thư Kỳ tỏ ra rất hợp với vai diễn, cô biểu diễn những màn nhảy chuyên nghiệp không thua gì vũ công.

Hậu trường buổi quay phim. Tranh thủ lúc không có cảnh, người đẹp của "Tịch dương thiên sứ" ngồi túm tụm với bạn bè, cười nói vui vẻ.

Một trong những phục trang được sử dụng trong phim.

Cô nàng tạo dáng trước ống kính...

... và làm điệu cùng các bạn.

'nổi' nhất năm 2008

Năm qua người tiêu dùng chứng kiến nhiều thay đổi lớn trên thị trường máy tính xách tay với một loạt sản phẩm xuất sắc ra đời, từ netbook cho tới dòng siêu mỏng nhẹ.

Thiết kế của HP Voodoo Envy 133 đủ quyến rũ để thu hút sự chú ý của người mua dù giống MacBook Air ở việc kiệm tính năng và giá cao: 2.350 USD cho một hệ thống dùng ổ cứng 80 GB tốc độ 4.200 vòng/phút, RAM 2 GB và chip Intel Core 2 Duo 1,6 GHz.

Samsung X460 14,1 inch mỏng, nhẹ (1,29 kg) và đa tính năng để người tiêu dùng hài lòng với mức giá 1.700 USD. Sản phẩm sử dụng chip Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 2,26 GHz, RAM 3 GB và đồ họa rời.

Dòng ThinkPad thường có giá cao nhờ sở hữu các đặc điểm "đẳng cấp" về bàn phím, khung máy và bộ phận bên trong. Tuy nhiên, Lenovo SL400 được coi là "lựa chọn hấp dẫn nhất" cho người muốn sở hữu một hệ thống mạnh mẽ nhưng chỉ có khoảng 650-840 USD với Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2,4 GHz, RAM 2 GB, ổ cứng 250 GB, ổ DVD-RW 8x Max 2 lớp và pin 9 cell.

Sony Vaio VGN-Z598U có giá khởi điểm 1.500 USD nhưng người sử dụng phải trả tới 4.450 USD nếu định mua "kiệt tác" tốc độ cao với hai ổ SSD 128 GB, Intel Core 2 Duo P9500 2,53 GHz, RAM 4 GB và đồ họa nVidia GeForce 9300M GS.

Apple MacBook Air là một "hiện tượng" trong thiết kế laptop bởi nó không chỉ mỏng mà còn có mang vẻ đẹp thanh lịch. Nhưng hệ thống chỉ có 1 cổng USB, thiếu ổ quang và để kết nối qua mạng Ethernet, người ta cần mua thêm adapter 29 USD ngoài giá khởi điểm 1.700 USD.

Acer Aspire One nằm trong số những netbook được ưa chuộng nhất với giá hấp dẫn: 350 USD. Sản phẩm hoạt động trên Windows XP này có màn hình 8,9 inch với bàn phím mượt, ổ cứng 120 GB, RAM 1 GB và đầu đọc thẻ 5 trong 1.

Asus N10Jc là máy tính trung gian giữa một netbook và laptop siêu di động. Nó vẫn sử dụng chip Intel Atom 1,6 GHz, RAM 1 GB như các netbook thông thường nhưng có ổ cứng 160 GB và đồ họa rời nVidia GeForce 9300M GS dù giá bị nâng lên 650 USD.

Mini 1000 là netbook thứ hai của HP với tính năng giống bao phiên bản khác: chip Intel Atom, hệ điều hành XP, RAM 1 GB và ổ cứng 60 GB. Tuy nhiên, bàn phím của Mini 1000 được xếp vào hàng xuất sắc. Giá khởi điểm: 400 USD.

Lenovo ThinkPad W700, hệ thống xứng đáng thay thế desktop, có màn hình 17 inch, tích hợp chip Core 2 Duo T9600 2,8 GHz, RAM 4 GB, Windows Vista Ultimate 64 bit và giá 4.000 USD hoặc thêm 1.000 USD nữa nếu sử dụng Core 2 Quad Extreme QX9300.

Apple MacBook Pro A1286 có kiểu dáng bóng bảy, màn hình rộng 15,4 inch đèn nền LED, hai chip đồ họa Nvidia 9400M và 9600M GT, bộ vi xử lý Intel Core 2 Duo 2,8 GHz và được bán ra thị trường từ 16/10 với giá khởi điểm 1.999 USD.