Heat wave continues in northern, central regions

The heat wave in the northern and central regions, including Hà Nội, will continue, with temperatures hovering around 35 to 38 degrees Celsius, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said.

The temperature between 11am and 6pm today will stay above 35 degrees Celsius.

The day temperature in Hà Nội can reach a high of 36 to 37 degrees Celsius or even higher in some areas.

The centre said the heat wave would continue in the central region for the next two to three days, while the temperatures in the north would fall from tomorrow.

Vietnam participates in ASEF Editors’ Roundtable in Mongolia

Editors from Asian and European media outlets discussed the roles and responsibility of journalists when reporting during the 8th ASEF Editors’ Roundtable, held recently in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

The 8th ASEF Editors’ Roundtable, themed “Asia-Europe Digital Connectivity”, was organised in conjunction with the 11th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM11) on July 7-9.

About 20 senior commentators from esteemed media houses including Wenhui Daily (China), Frontline Magazine (India), The Jakarta Post (Indonesia), The Independent (Ireland), the Mongolian National Public Radio & Television, The Straits Times (Singapore), BBC (United Kingdom) and Vietnam Plus (Vietnam News Agency) participated in the event.

"We explored possibilities for linkages between Asian and European media to expand beyond geographical boundaries reaching out to more readers in both continents”, highlighted Ambassador Zhang Yang, Executive Director of the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF).

Dr Mike McCLUSKEY, International Media and Broadcast Consultant and moderator of the 8th ASEF Editors’ Roundtable, presented the preliminary results from the “Asia-Europe Digital Connectivity Survey”.

This survey reveals that the Asian community has a higher perceived rate of continuous usage of social media at 40 percent, with the European at 24. Over 50 percent of journalists say they have collaborated with a journalist from the other region. However, 54 percent of the ones not collaborating say that they do not know who to collaborate with. This survey aims to analyse the current practices of journalists and readers from Asia and Europe and is open to new submissions from journalists until August 15, 2016. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Asia-Europe-Digital-Connectivity.

The roundtable is the ASEF’s top media project and taps into the media's influence in creating images and impressions, and in stimulating communication and dialogue between people.

Since its inception in 1997, it has engaged editors and senior commentators representing respected print, broadcast and new media from Asia and Europe.

Vietnamese-Lao youth friendship meeting 2016 concludes

Activities held during the Vietnamese- Lao youth friendship meeting 2016 have contributed to consolidating the special friendship and solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The remark was made by Khampha Phimasone, Deputy Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Youth Union at the programme’s closing ceremony in the Lao province of Salavane on July 10.

The programme also reaffirmed the two youth unions’ determination to maintain and develop the bilateral ties in a more intensive and extensive manner, he stated.

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) Central Committee Nguyen Long Hai said that in the past six days, the Vietnamese delegation took part in a lot of meaningful activities, seeing the attention paid by Laos’s local authorities to the Laos-Vietnam youth cooperation, as well as the Lao youth union’s bigger role in encouraging young people to get involved in the nation building.

Vietnamese youths also got experiences of warm welcome from the Lao officials and people, while gaining deeper understanding of the rich traditional culture owned by the host country, Hai added.

The exchange programme took place in the three Lao provinces of Savannakhet, Champasak and Salavane from July 5-10.

On the morning of July 10, the two nations’ youths paid tribute to Lao hero Ong Keo at his monument and participated in the National Fish Releasing Day celebration to commemorate Prince Souphanouvong’s birth anniversary (July 13).

Vietnamese workers protest low wages at Korean garment firm

More than 1,000 workers went on strike at a Korean-owned garment factory in the central province of Quang Nam, demanding the salaries they agreed to when signing contracts.

The workers of Panko Tam Thang, a factory under Panko Corporation, said they have been paid less than promised, and the factory lunches are of low standards.

Many workers went on the first strike on June 10, many others joined for the second one July 9.

Workers at a garment factory of Korean Panko in Quang Nam Province express frustration over their salaries on July 9, 2016

They said the company offered VND4 million (US$178) a month in the contract but they have received less than VND3 million for several months.

Labor officials in the area have urged the company to meet with workers, make good of its promises and apologize to the workers if necessary.

But the workers will have to wait for at least several days for the company’s head of board of directors to come from the Republic of Korea.

Hanoi, Seoul eye cooperation expansion

Leaders of Hanoi and Seoul expressed their wish for stronger bilateral cooperation in several aspects as they met on the sidelines of the World Cities Summit, which kicked off in Singapore on July 10.

Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung and Seoul Mayor Park Won Soon agreed that the two cities will boost partnership in e-government, information technology, telecommunications and flood control while expanding affiliation in culture and education.

Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said Hanoi is drawing up a development strategy until 2030 with a vision to 2050 and it hopes the cooperation with Seoul will assist its process of construction and development, especially in environmental protection.

He asked Seoul to continue with its support for Hanoi in developing a modern city, including the development of urban areas along the Red River.

Besides that, Hanoi hoped Seoul to help with the application of technology in administrative procedure reform towards building an integrated city, creating favourable conditions for residents and investors.

In August, Hanoi will send a delegation to Seoul to participate in activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the twinning relations between the two cities.

On his part, Mayor Park Won Soon expressed his pleasure at the close relationship between the two cities, pledging that Seoul will share with Hanoi both successful stories and lessons in its development process.

The Mayor of Seoul noted his wish for more cooperation in the fields of culture, people-to-people exchanges and education and training.

Photo exhibition on East Sea opens in Seoul

A photo exhibition on the East Sea was held in Seoul, the Republic of Korea (RoK), on July 10 as part of the second Vietnam Culture Day in the country.

The display aims to highlight Vietnam’s marine sovereignty as well as China’s illegal activities in the East Sea, thus giving visitors insights into developments in the East Sea, said Lee Min-keon, President of the Vietnam-Korea Multicultural Families Association in his opening remarks.

The organising board hopes to join international efforts to call for an end to the illegal land reclamation in the East Sea and urge countries, both in and outside the region, to take responsibility for maintaining peace, stability and maritime safety, and protecting the ecological system in the sea, Lee said.

He noted that China’s illegal construction of man-made islands and militarisation in those waters are the root cause of tensions, adversely impacting peace, stability and maritime safety in the region.

Han Seok-hyeon, a lawyer from the Seoul Southern District Court, told the Vietnam News Agency that the exhibition introduces truthful and objective images of China’s violations of Vietnam’s territory in the East Sea and fueling territorial disputes with regional countries, thus seriously harming regional order and peace.

On this occasion, the lawyer presented the exhibition’s organising board with documents in Korean compiled by himself which point out legal foundations affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagoes, and call on China to observe international law in this regard.

The East Sea photo exhibition, organized by the Vietnam-Korea Multicultural Families Association and the Vietnam Culture Centre in the RoK, is the seventh of its kind organised in the RoK so far.

HCM City: summer volunteering campaign in full swing

More than 100,000 youths are taking part in the 23rd summer volunteering campaign in Ho Chi Minh City that runs from July 10 to 14.

The scale of the campaign covers the city’s 24 districts as well as a number of localities in the south and central regions and in Laos, with a focus on disadvantaged areas.

Volunteers are participating in activities that protect the environment, construct rural infrastructure, maintain traffic safety and support disadvantaged children. Targets set to be achieved include building and upgrading 40km of concrete roads, 10 concrete bridges in rural areas as well as 10km of roads in urban alleys.

Pham Hong Son, Vice Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s Chapter in HCM City, said the campaign is focusing more on quality of its activities, thus volunteers will work in disadvantaged locations for longer duration.

At a ceremony marking the start of the campaign on July 10, Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam also reminded the young volunteers to pay attention to their own safety, particularly when working in risky conditions.

Blood donation campaign aims for 20,000 blood units

Volunteers participating in the Red Journey, an annual blood donation campaign, started their northern leg in Hanoi on July 10 which will travel through 12 northern cities and provinces.

Earlier, the journey’s southern leg was launched in Kien Giang province on July 5, with the participants travelling to 15 cities and provinces to promote blood donation.

The two volunteer groups are scheduled to meet in the central province of Thanh Hoa and then head together to Hanoi for a large blood donation festival slated for July 31.

A total of 130 volunteers will join in the 31-day drive, which is organised by the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, the Nhan Ai Vong Tay Viet Joint Stock Company and the VTV News Centre.

During the journey, the volunteers aim to provide advice on blood donation and thalassemia - a genetic blood disease, for 500,000 people and collect around 20,000 blood units, said the organising board.

Since its inception in 2013, the campaign has been held in 42 cities and provinces across the country and gathered nearly 57,000 units of blood, helping rescue thousands of patients.

Vietnam collected 1.15 million units of blood in 2015, surpassing the year’s target figure by 17.8 percent and up 9.7 percent from 2014.

However, blood shortage, particularly blood type A and O, often occurred in summer and prior to the Lunar New Year. The repetition rate of donation was just above 40 percent, compared to between 60 and 70 percent in Japan, Singapore and Australia.

In 2016, the national steering committee for voluntary blood donations plans to collect 1.2 million blood units, 98 percent of which will be sourced from volunteers.

HCM City youths join volunteer activities in Laos

Nearly 100 young people in Ho Chi Minh City on July 10 began their volunteer trip to neighbouring Laos as part of the “Red Holiday” and “Green Summer” campaigns launched by the city.

During the 12-day programme, the volunteers will provide free health check-ups and medicines for residents in Attapeu and Champasak provinces, and transfer farming methods to them.

They will also present learning tools and scholarships to the two provinces’ youth unions, organise cultural and sports exchanges with local youths, and hand over a friendship house to the two provinces.

According to the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s chapter in Ho Chi Minh City, such activities aim to promote the solidarity and friendship between the two countries’ young people while increasing international exchange activities for local youths as part of the city’s international integration process.

Religious affairs in north-west region receive due attention: official

The Party and State always ensure the right to religious freedom of people in the northwestern region, helping them practice their religions and beliefs in line with law.

Hoang Thi Hanh, deputy head of the Steering Committee for the Northwestern Region, made the statement at a conference to implement policies on Protestantism in the region and surrounding areas held in Yen Bai province on July 9.

The Party and Government’s religious policies and those on Protestantism in particular must be disseminated to local people, especially Protestant dignitaries and followers, in order to create a social consensus and improve the efficiency of State management in the field, she said.

Any law-breaking religious activities or those making the corrupt use of religions and beliefs to divide the great national unity must be strictly punished.

It is necessary to increase inspections on the implementation of religious policies while further promoting the role of ethnic minority dignitaries in preserving and upholding the nation’s cultural values, she noted.

The conference was co-organised by the steering committee and the Government Committee for Religious Affairs.

Awareness rally marks World Population Day

A rally and parade in Hanoi sponsored by the Ministry of Health (MoH) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on July 9 to mark World Population Day drew the participation of hundreds.

This year the United Nations has chosen ‘Investing in Teenage Girls’ as the theme for World Population Day.

In a speech at the event, Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien of the MoH underscored the fact that teenage girls around the globe face more difficulties and challenges than teenage boys.

Many teenage girls are considered by their communities and parents to be ready for marriage and motherhood and are forced to quit school early, damaging their future education and career prospects.

UNFPA Executive Director Dr Babatunde Osotimehin echoed Mrs Tien’s view saying that marginalized girls are vulnerable to poor reproductive health and more likely to become mothers while still children themselves.

She was emphatic in putting forth the proposition that young women have a fundamental human right to understand and control their own bodies and shape their own lives.

Mrs Tien also pointed out that young people aged 10-24 account for nearly 40% of the nation’s population, stressing it is the responsibility of all citizens to ensure that all teenagers receive a good education.

On the occasion, the MoH and UNFPA called for more national investment in teenage girls and to end child marriage, curb adolescent pregnancy, and for the empowerment of young girls to make informed choices in regards to their health and life.

Quang Nam: measures sought for sustainable coast protection

Domestic and international experts gathered at a workshop in the central province of Quang Nam on July 9 to seek sustainable measures to protect local coasts.

The event was part of a project studying coastal erosion in Hoi An and solutions to sustainable coast protection funded by the Agency of French Development (AFD).

Participants heard reports on the causes of landslides at river mouths and coastal areas, including Cua Dai beach, and shared international experience in addressing erosion due to the impact of changes in hydrometeorology and coastal currents.

They also discussed the preliminary results of hydrodynamic calculation in Hoi An’s Cua Dai beach, thus proposing measures to deal with coastal erosion.

In the framework of the workshop, two training courses on the French and Japanese approaches to coast protection were organised.

According to Nguyen Kim Dan from the France’s Paris-Est University, the project aims to figure out the best way to protect Hoi An coastal areas sustainably.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Tri Thanh said recently, coastal erosion has become more serious in Hoi An, especially in Cua Dai. The project is expected to open up a new approach to effective protection of the local beaches, he said.

Cua Dai beach, which is 5km from Hoi An's old quarter, is a favourite location for tourists visiting the UNESCO-recognised ancient city.

It is 7.6km long and was 3km away from the shore 40 years ago. However, in recent years, erosion has eaten into the land at an alarming level.

Erosion has come closer to the main section of the 1.5km road connecting the beach with Hoi An, threatening dozens of resorts. Rising sea levels have already washed a 20-hectare area of the Cua Dai beach away.

Laos’ Salavane province leader welcomes Vietnamese youths

Sysouvan Vongchomsy, Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of Salavane, hailed the close bonds between Lao and Vietnamese young people ever since the two countries’ resistance wars for national independence.

Receiving a delegation from the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCM CYU) on July 9, Sysouvan Vongchomsy urged youth unions of the two countries to continue to educate Vietnamese and Lao young people about the special solidarity, traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two nations.

Secretary of the HCM CYU Central Committee Nguyen Long Hai highlighted the pragmatic and in-depth affiliation between the two countries’ young people.

The two youth unions have shared information and experience, increased their exchanges at both central and grassroots levels and joined hands in training youth union officials and organising volunteer activities, he added.

The HCM CYU delegation is attending a friendship meeting between Vietnamese and Lao youths in Laos from July 5-11.

Vietnamese hospital guards fired for preventing dying patient from exiting

A security services company has fired three security guards who were filmed preventing a car transporting a dying toddler from exiting a hospital in Hanoi despite the mother’s cries, local media reported.

The case that happened at Vietnam National Hospital of Pediatrics has recently sparked public outrage after some video clips featuring the security guards’ ruthless acts were posted on the internet.

Le Thanh Hai, director of the hospital, on July 9 morning officially apologized to the toddler’s family.

On July 2, the family of the nine-month-old girl hired a car to bring her back home in Nghe An Province after a long time of treatment at the hospital.

The baby was diagnosed with a conginental heart disease and her condition did not improve.

A still from a video clip shows the three security guards stopping the car at the gate of Vietnam National Hospital of Pediatrics in Hanoi on July 2, 2016

As the family had ran out of money and doctors predicted the toddler could not be cured and would die soon, the family decided to bring her home.

Hoang Thi Soa, the mother of the patient, said she received a phone call before leaving the hospital. A man asked her if she would like to hire a car accompanied by a nurse and breathing support devices for the baby.

Soa refused as she could not afford the price of VND7 million the man offered.

She then hired another car based in Nghe An with the price of VND2 million.

When the car transported her family to leave the hospital, three security guards stopped it at the gate, saying they must check some papers. They tried to prevent the car from exiting and had a quarrel with the car driver despite the mother’s cries.

The guards only let the car go after the police arrived at the scene and worked with them. However, the child patient had died inside the car.

Some nearby people filmed the scenes with mobile phones.

After the clips went viral on the internet, the hospital said it would investigate and suspended the security guards.

AZ Company, which supplies security guards for the hospital, then fired all the three employees.

There were opinions that the hospital did not manage its staff well, and some people working in the hospital connived with car companies outside to offer patients’ families overcharging transport services that were not licensed by the hospital.

The family of the toddler believed the guards stopped them as they refused to hire the car with overcharging price.

Crashed search plane: more wreckage found off central Vietnam

Fishers have found debris believed to be from a Coast Guard plane that crashed in central Vietnam last month, police in Thanh Hoa Province have said.

The wreckage was collected by two fishing ships in waters near Bach Long Vi Island between Jul. 5 and Jul. 8, Le Van Tan, police chief of Hoang Truong Commune, said.

A wallet was among debris, which contained the ID paper of Nguyen Ngoc Chu, one of the nine crew members who were confirmed dead in the crash.

The Airbus CASA 212 went down on June 16 in the Tonkin Gulf while looking for a pilot of a fighter aircraft that had crashed two days earlier. The defense ministry believes the plane was flying at low altitude when it crashed due to bad weather.

Search teams have found and retrieved eight bodies of the crew, as well as the black boxes.

Vietnam bought three CASA 212 planes for its Coast Guard from Airbus Military in Spain between 2012 and 2013, and will reportedly buy some more this year. Airbus has offered technical assistance in investigating the cause of the crash.

Union urged to better protect women’s legitimate rights

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) to team up with ministries, agencies and localities to better protect women’s legitimate rights and interests.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc (front, 8th L) and delegates at the working session

The union should revamp its operation, diversify its activities and accelerate the implementation of gender equality-related programmes in order to raise the percentage of female officials in State and people-elected agencies, he said at a working session with the VWU Presidium in Hanoi on July 9.

The Government leader also urged Party Committees and authorities at all levels to pay more attention to caring for and supporting women in difficult circumstances.

He highlighted the coordination between the VWU and the Government in disseminating the guidelines of the Party and the State’s policies and laws among women, encouraging them to join hands in national socio-economic development.

He agreed with the Presidium’s proposals to dovetail a campaign on family building with the national target programme on new-style rural area building, and to develop a project on assisting female entrepreneurs during the 2017-2027 period.

Praising achievements the VWU has recorded over the recent past, the PM said campaigns on socio-economic development and gender equality launched by the organisation have contributed to the growth of localities and the country at large.

With increasing members, the VWU has affirmed its role and position as the country’s leading socio-political organisation, he stressed.

Course on energy conversion opens in Danang

The 10th summer course “Challenges in energy conversion in Vietnam and Southeast Asia” opened in the central city of Danang on July 8, attracting 100 young officials, university lecturers and researchers from Southeast Asia, Madagascar and France.

Within the framework of a France-Vietnam project on supporting studies on Vietnam’s socio-economic transformation challenges, the course is jointly conducted by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and the French School of the Far East (EFEO) under the auspices of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The course is meant to equip participants with the necessary skills and scientific tools to fully grasp realities in terms of energy conversion and the use of biomass energy, as well as the theoretical foundation to draft studies of practical scientific value.

French researcher Laurent Gazull suggested improving the use of biomass energy, increasing the supply of renewable energy, developing energy services for rural areas and ensuring the public access to electricity.

According to experts, developing countries such as Vietnam are consuming more bio energy and switching to the production of bio-fuel like ethanol petrol and bio-diesel.

Energy conversion in developing countries requires major changes in technology, behaviour and equipment, they said.

The course will last till July 16.

Vietnamese, Russian married couples honoured in Hanoi

Six Vietnamese and Russian couples who have enjoyed decades-long marriages were awarded with the medal “For love and fidelity” and certificates of merit during a ceremony in Hanoi on July 8 celebrating the Russian Day of Family, Love and Fidelity.

Acting Director of the Russian Centre of Science and Culture Shafinskaya Natalia said the annual Day of Family, Love and Fidelity aims to strengthen and popularise family values, and to maintain and protect generations’ succession.

The organising board also presented certificates of merit to six Vietnamese children who showcased their best paintings at an exhibition held on the occasion.

Also known as the Day of Saint Peter and Saint Fevronia, the Day of Family, Love and Fidelity was officially introduced in Russia in 2008. On this day, it is common to go to church where people ask for love and family grace.

Annually, Russia’s First Lady Svetlana Medvedeva will present the medal to the most outstanding couples on the day.

Seminar sheds light on Vietnam-Philippines ties

A seminar was held in the northern city of Thai Nguyen on July 8 to highlight the role of people-to-people diplomacy and education cooperation in Vietnam – Philippines strategic partnership.

Participants discussed joint projects between the Thai Nguyen University and its Philippine partner universities and the impact of the strategic partnership between the two nations.

They underlined the need for the Vietnam-Philippines friendship association and its Philippine counterpart to work hand in hand to deepen the two peoples’ mutual understanding.

Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Noel Servigon said the Philippines is looking for cooperative opportunities in more Vietnamese cities and provinces.

Vietnam and the Philippines established diplomatic relations in 1976. In late 2015, both sides signed a pact to elevate their ties to strategic partnership.

Their two-way trade revenue has so far reached nearly US$3 billion.

Roughly 1,000 Vietnamese students are studying at Philippine universities, while hundreds of Philippine teachers are working in Vietnam.

Workshop seeks ways to develop Mekong Delta tourism

A workshop to seek ways to develop tourism in the Mekong Delta region was held in Hau Giang province on July 11, as part of the Mekong Delta Economic Cooperation Forum slated to open in the locality the same day.

Deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu said that the region’s tourism potential has yet to be tapped fully, although it holds a lot of potential to develop tourism in comparison with other regions.

The workshop was a chance for localities and enterprises to discuss new and effective measures and action programmes to develop tourism.

It also aims to intensify connectivity in the field between localities in the region, and between those with other localities nationwide, Sieu added.

According to deputy head of the Department for Socio-cultural Affairs under the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region Nguyen Hoang Hanh, to increase the efficiency of the connectivity, localities, organisations and enterprises should effectively implement a project to build the region’s typical tourism products, issue preferential policies to attract investments in large-scale tourism development projects, and develop traditional trade villages.

The Mekong Delta includes Can Tho city and 12 provinces - Long An, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, An Giang, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Kien Giang.

Last year, the region served over 25 million tourists, earning VND8.6 trillion (US$384 million) in tourism revenues, up 19.4% in number and 30% in revenue compared with 2014.

Tourism sector to work hard to fix shortcomings

The tourism sector will do its utmost to create a breakthrough development and fix shortcomings towards a healthy tourism environment, said General Director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration (VNAT) Nguyen Van Tuan.

At a meeting to mark the 56 th anniversary of the sector in Hanoi on July 9, Tuan said his agency is building programmes and projects to attract more investment in developing tourism products, accommodations and services.

It will coordinate with relevant ministries, agencies and localities in controlling the quality of services, addressing issues of public concern and stepping up promotion campaigns.

He mentioned recent cases relating Chinese tourists in some key tourist sites such as Nha Trang and Danang which had great impact on the image of Vietnam in the eyes of international tourists, affirming the VNAT will strictly punish any violations in the field.

In the first half this year, Vietnam welcomed 4.7 million international visitors, a year-on-year increase of 21.3%.

Especially, the country saw strong growth in the number of tourists from northeastern Asian and ASEAN countries. Those from five Western European countries which enjoy visa exemption including the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain recorded impressive growths of between 13.8% and 30.1%.

Mau Son summer tourism festival in full swing

Thousands of people and tourists have flocked to the northern mountainous province of Lang Son to join the Mau Son Summer Tourism Festival, which opened in Loc Binh district on July 9.

The festival, held by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, is one of the key activities to popularise local tourism potential and create opportunity for experience exchanges in the field while promoting the province’s socio-economy and culture.

According to Be Thi Thu Hien, Deputy Director of the department, together with Winter Tourism Festival, the event aims to attract both domestic and foreign visitors to explore the locality’s beauty.

She noted that ethnic groups residing on Mau Son Mountain will show their cultural identities and introduce their specialties to tourists.

Visitors to the event will be wallowing in a cuisine festival with traditional dishes of the Dao ethnic group, an art exhibition at French ancient villas and many other cultural and sport events like lion dancing, folk singing, bicycle race and mountain climbing, she added.

Located some 30km north-east of Lang Son city, Mau Son has lovely, pristine landscape, pure air and cool weather all year round. The mountain, which sometimes gets snow in winter, also has many beautiful streams and waterfalls.

Mau Son has such specialties like peach, Tuyet Son tea, wine and rare cocks with six spurs. It is home to Tay, Dao and Nung ethnic minorities.

On the top of Mau Son, archeologists found many stone structures dating back the Iron Age.

Ha Long Bay promoted as clean, friendly destination

The northern province of Quang Ninh on July 7 launched a tourism programme to promote Ha Long Bay as a clean, beautiful and friendly destination in response to the Vietnam Tourism Day (July 9, 1960).

Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Tourism Trinh Dang Thanh called on organisations, individuals and businesses to join hands in environmental protection, contributing to building Quang Ninh into a safe and friendly destination for domestic and international tourists.

He revealed that the province is focusing on improving the quality of tourism activities and services as well as preserving natural resources and protecting the environment, especially in Ha Long Bay – the world heritage site.

In recent years, the locality has employed a number of measures to develop tourism such as promoting social engagement in environmental protection, enhancing environmental inspection on travel companies, and opening courses to popularise the Law on Tourism and Law on Environment, he noted.

It also restored and expanded the area for growing trees along the coast, while encouraging investors to build eco-tourism sites and create environmentally-friendly tourism products.

The province is carrying the “Smiles of Ha Long” programme to attract visitors.

In 2015, Quang Ninh welcomed 7.7 million tourist arrivals. In the first six months of 2016, it greeted 5.4 million tourists, including 2 million from abroad, a year-on-year increase of 52%.

French national day marked in HCM City

The Ho Chi Minh City Union of Friendship Organisations and the Vietnam-France Friendship Association of HCM City on July 11 held a ceremony to mark the 227th National Day of France (July 14).

Speaking at the event, deputy chairwoman of the association Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung highlighted the growing friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and France in recent years, with the two countries having elevated relations to a strategic level under the motto “traditional friendship, comprehensive, long-lasting and reliable cooperation in the 21st century”.

She noted that HCM City has set up fruitful affiliation socially and economically with France’s Rhone Alpes region and Lyon city.

The city has seen a range of projects and programmes on trade, health, education, agriculture, HIV/AIDS fight, and the environment, run by French investors and non-governmental organisations.

Emmanuelle Ly Batallan, French Consul General in HCM City, said that the free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Union, which will come into effect in 2018, will open up more economic opportunities for the two countries.

France now is ranked tenth out of 73 countries and territories investing in HCM City with 179 projects worth 841 million USD. Last year, the city welcomed more than French 107,300 visitors.-

Ha Long, Cat Ba cooperate to improve environment

Local authorities, enterprises and communities in northern Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city must strengthen cooperation to protect the environment in Ha Long Bay, a conference heard on July 10.

This is especially important for the development of sustainable fish farming cages on Cat Ba Island.

The conference, which was held for the third time by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, aimed to help leaders of Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island, two popular tourist destinations, to discuss the impact of waste being discharged by nearly 500 tourist vessels and more than 530 floating fish farming sites in these two areas.

Ho Quang Huy, Deputy Chairman of the Ha Long city’s People’s Committee, said the management of waste being discharged in the bay faced difficulties because of low awareness of environmental protection among some vessel owners. In addition, the bay is adjacent to Cat Ba Island, where many floating restaurants and fish farming cages are located, and they also discharge waste. As a result, large volumes of waste would wash into the bay at high tide, seriously affecting the environment, he added.

To resolve the problem and protect the marine ecosystem, both sites must work together.

Nguyen Van Tuan, Deputy Director of the Management Board of Cat Ba Island, agreed, saying there were 486 fish farming sites on the island, with more than 8,600 cages, affecting the ecological environment and polluting the seawater, causing a decline in the coral reefs. Tuan said the major hurdle was that the island had not attracted businesses that invest in wastewater and waste treatment, such as by expanding or building waste collection sites.

He said the number of ships would rise over the next few years, so a better plan for waste treatment was necessary, or the current waste treatment sites would soon be overloaded.

Leaders of both areas agreed that the two sites must work together to chalk out effective measures, such as applying fees to enterprises and local residents using nylon bags and reducing and gradually curbing the use of foam instead of composite materials at floating restaurants, as foam would quickly decompose, polluting the seawater.

The US-funded Ha Long-Cat Ba Alliance was established in 2014 to build partnerships between the government, businesses and rural societies to improve environmental management of the bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh and the Cat Ba Archipelago, which is part of the port city of Hai Phong.-

Workshop seeks ways to develop Mekong Delta tourism

A workshop to seek ways to develop tourism in the Mekong Delta region was held in Hau Giang province on July 11, as part of the Mekong Delta Economic Cooperation Forum slated to open in the locality the same day.

Deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism Ha Van Sieu said that the region’s tourism potential has yet to be tapped fully, although it holds a lot of potential to develop tourism in comparison with other regions.

The workshop was a chance for localities and enterprises to discuss new and effective measures and action programmes to develop tourism.

It also aims to intensify connectivity in the field between localities in the region, and between those with other localities nationwide, Sieu added.

According to deputy head of the Department for Socio-cultural Affairs under the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region Nguyen Hoang Hanh, to increase the efficiency of the connectivity, localities, organisations and enterprises should effectively implement a project to build the region’s typical tourism products, issue preferential policies to attract investments in large-scale tourism development projects, and develop traditional trade villages.

The Mekong Delta includes Can Tho city and 12 provinces - Long An, Dong Thap, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, An Giang, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau and Kien Giang.

Last year, the region served over 25 million tourists, earning 8.6 trillion VND (384 million USD) in tourism revenues, up 19.4 percent in number and 30 percent in revenue compared with 2014.

Deputy PM urges expedited construction of new airport

The building of Long Thành International Airport must begin by 2019, Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng told the leaders of Đồng Nai Province, where the airport will be located.

The deputy prime minister made the request following his field trip to the location of the future airport in Long Thành District, Đồng Nai Province, on Saturday.

Addressing the meeting attended by the provincials authority, related ministries and agencies, Dũng highlighted the importance of Long Thành International Airport as “a major national project” and urged the province to expedite preparations for its construction.

Vice Chairman of Đồng Nai’s People’s Committee Trần Văn Vĩnh said the province had finished drafting the proposal of a special mechanism for the project, focusing on land acquisition, compensation and relocation policies as well as the construction of infrastructure for relocation and sources of funding.

Vĩnh said this special mechanism was needed to stabilise the lives of affected residents and to step up the progress of the project. The building of the new airport would affect as many as 4,730 households, with a total of 15,000 people, besides other organisations, businesses and religious establishments, he said.

Vĩnh asked the government to either allocate an advance fund to the province to complete the land clearance and construction of resettlement areas or allow the province to borrow money from commercial banks for this purpose.

The amount of money needed to build two resettlement areas and to compensate for the removal of a cemetery at the construction site is VNĐ5.44 trillion (US$ 242 million), according to the province’s estimate.

Deputy Prime Minister Dũng asked the provincial authority to submit a written proposal on these matters to the Government Office.

The government would need to hear the opinions of the related ministries and agencies before giving its approval, Dũng said.

The general director of Airports Corporation of Việt Nam, authorised by the government to be the airport investor, told the meeting that the company had received 14 designs for Long Thành International Airport, all entries in the architecture contest it held from April to June this year.

He said the winning design would be chosen on August 18, suggesting public opinions should not be sought in order to save time.

Deputy Prime Minister Dũng, however, asked the company to gauge public opinion, citing the importance of the project.

“The contestants’ designs should be published online for people to choose. This must be done immediately,” he said.

The airport, set to become Việt Nam’s largest airport, will have a capacity of 100 million passengers and 5 million tonnes of freight per year when it is fully completed by 2050. The first phase, including the construction of a terminal and a runway with a capacity of 25 million passengers per year, is expected to be finished in 2025, after several threats of delays.

Missing fishermen in contact via telephone

Families of seven Vietnamese fishermen, who were missing for nearly one week after their fishing vessel collided with a Philippines cargo ship in central Quảng Trị Province’s territorial waters, talked with the fishermen via telephones on Saturday.

Trịnh Thị Hà, the wife of the fishing vessel’s captain, told Việt Nam Television that she received a call from her husband, captain Hoàng Mạnh Lâm, at around 6pm on Saturday, from the Philippines.

Lâm told Hà that he and all other crew members were in stable health and were on board the Philippine cargo ship, which has anchored at a port in the Philippines.

He told her that their vessel sank after being hit from the rear by the Philippine vessel as a result of the latter vessel’s captain falling asleep.

Hà said she heard about the collision on Monday afternoon when an insurance agent in HCM City telephoned her to inform her of the accident.

The QB3917TS vessel from central Quảng Bình Province had gone on a fishing expedition in Quảng Trị Province’s territorial waters on July 29. It collided with the Philippines cargo ship in the waters last Monday.

According to Hà, when the accident occurred, the cargo ship was believed to be carrying goods from Việt Nam to Singapore. After the fishing vessel sank, the cargo ship saved the fishermen. The captain was allowed to telephone his insurance agency to inform them of the situation. However, no further contact had been made since then.

All the fishermen were related and lived in Quảng Bình province’s Cảnh Dương Commune.

Relevant authorised agencies from Việt Nam are working to complete procedures to help the fishermen return home soon.

Red Journey blood donation campaign kicks off in Hà Nội

The National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) kicked off Red Journey 2016, an annual blood donation campaign, at a ceremony held yesterday in Hà Nội.

During the 31-day campaign, 130 outstanding volunteers will travel through 27 provinces and cities nationwide to collect blood and strengthen the message about the importance of donating blood.

They will also call upon the public to donate blood, in a bid to ease current blood shortages at hospitals and raise community awareness about thalassaemia – a genetic blood disorder that can lead to heart failure and liver problems.

The organisation expects to collect 50,000 units of donated blood during the month-long campaign, including 20,000 units in 27 provinces and cities, which will be visited by volunteers.

“The Red Journey is an important milestone in the development of the country’s voluntarily blood donation movement, contributing to reach the goal that all of its blood will be donated by voluntary donors by 2020,” said NIHBT director Nguyễn Anh Trí.

“Since the first Red Journey in 2013, thousands of patients’ lives have been saved due to the nearly 57,000 blood units collected during the past three years,” said Trí.

Blood shortages during the summer season have been largely eliminated, and the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion is now able to ensure proper blood supplies are available for emergency aid and treatment at hospitals during the summer months, thanks to the blood collected during the Red Journey campaigns, according to Trí.

Last year, the health sector collected more than 1.1 million units of blood, 90 per cent of which came from voluntary donors, while 10 per cent was collected from people who sold their blood for money.

Further, officials have set a target to collect 1.2 million units of blood from voluntary donors in 2016.

Experts discuss telemedicine innovations at HCM City seminar

Telemedicine experts, doctors, policy makers and startup entrepreneurs discussed how telemedicine innovations are changing healthcare delivery at a conference in HCM City on Friday.

“Future of Health: Telemedicine and Artificial Intelligence” brought together distinguished speakers, including two-time Academy Award winner and digital animation pioneer Richard Chuang, innovators and local institutions to discuss about artificial intelligence, telemedicine technologies and the business of digital health.

It also featured a pitch competition for students of the HCM City University of Science who have been working on telemedicine and artificial intelligence for their final year thesis.

Telemedicine, through its current application and future potential, is among the fields that the US is supporting in Việt Nam.

Health and medical sciences is one of the five focus areas in the bilateral science co-operation mechanism between the US and Việt Nam, Nate Rettenmayer, an economic official at the US consulate in HCM City, said.

The conference was organised by the consulate, the HCM City University of Science, and video telehealth platform VSee.

VN hosts workshop on basic research

Leading scientists, including Nobel laureates and key figures in international research institutes, are gathered in central Quy Nhơn City for a two-day workshop to discuss the role of fundamental science and how to boost its development in emerging economies.

Participants at the workshop, entitled "Fundamental Science and Society", include Dr. Kurt Wuthrich, the 2002 Nobel Chemistry laureate; Prof. David Gross, the 2004 Nobel Physics laureate;  Dr. Jean Jouzel, deputy president of GIEC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change); and Prof. Pierre Léna from the French Academy of Sciences. It was organised by Rencontres du Vietnam (Meetings of Việt Nam) and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Speaking at the workshop’s opening ceremony yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam highlighted the significance of fundamental science to the development of Việt Nam, in particular, and of the world in general.

“The Vietnamese Government gives strong support to the research and development of basic science,” said Đam, adding that budget allocation for science research has increased 10 times since last year. The deputy PM also affirmed the governmental consensus on developing a space research complex in the city.

Đam also spoke highly of activities arranged by Meetings of Vietnam, which helped the country access advanced sciences and technologies in the world, significantly contributing to the nation’s socio-economic development.

According to Rencontres du Vietnam’s chairman, Prof. Vân, the workshop’s key objects were to highlight the impact of fundamental science on our world and the relevance of fundamental science applications to the development of various sectors and society.

Discussions focused on the role of basic science in peace, climate and health.

Discussing measures to boost the development of fundamental sciences in emerging countries, including Việt Nam, the speakers emphasised government support and passion among scientists.

Dr. Yu Lu Chinese Academy of Science, who won Tate medal in 2007, said “the most important thing to grow fundamental science in a country is the strongest support of the government.”

Prof. Kok Khoo Phua, director of the Singapore Institute of Advanced Studies, agreed, saying the growth of fundamental science study depends on the understanding by a country’s leadership of the significance of fundamental science.

Prof. Ngô Bảo Châu, who won Field medal in 2010, said that in Việt Nam, young scientists now get the chance to make a living while doing research. However, Lu argued that higher pay was a subordinate factor to the passion for science among young scientists.

Seminar spotlights Vietnam-Philippines relations

A seminar on the role of people-to-people diplomacy and education cooperation in Vietnam – Philippines strategic partnership took place in the northern city of Thai Nguyen on July 8.

Among topics discussed at the seminar were joint projects between the Thai Nguyen University and its Philippine partner universities, as well as the impact of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Participants said both bilateral people-to-people diplomacy and education cooperation have fallen short of potential.

The Vietnam-Philippines friendship association and its Philippine equivalent should work together to boost the two peoples’ mutual understanding, they added.

Underscoring the importance of the two arenas in cementing the partnership, Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Noel Servigon said the Philippines looks to cooperative opportunities in more cities and provinces in Vietnam.

“We hope Vietnamese people would know more about our country, particularly our academic environment,” the diplomat noted.

Vietnam and the Philippines established diplomatic relations on July 12, 1976.

In late 2015, the sides signed a pact to elevate their ties to strategic partnership.

Their two-way trade revenue now reaches nearly three billion USD.

Approximately 1000 Vietnamese students are studying at Philippine universities, while hundreds of Philippine teachers are working in Vietnam.-

PM urges more care for workers

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed with the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL)’s proposal to pilot a project on building residential areas, supermarkets, pre-schools, cultural houses and legal assistance centres serving workers at 15 industrial and processing zones.

The PM gave the nod at a working session with the VGCL Presidium in Hanoi on July 9.

He urged the confederation to play a more active role in studying labourers’ working and living conditions as well as their legitimate aspirations, and report them to the Government.

The leader called on the VGCL to step up its coordination with the Government in protecting workers’ legitimate rights and interests.

Closer collaboration is needed to fulfill the two sides’ set targets, firstly implementing emulation campaigns aiming to spur production and economic development, and raise labourers’ living standards, he said.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked all-level trade unions to partner with relevant agencies and employers to improve productivity, thus increasing workers’ incomes.

The VGCL proposed the PM instruct the Vietnam Social Insurance to share information with the confederation, helping bring to light violations of the social insurance law.

According to the confederation, labourers are concerned about regional minimum wage, social and health insurance, infrastructure at industrial and processing zones, labour safety and hygiene, and challenges stemming from Vietnam’s international integration, especially after the country joins the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.

The PM said he has assigned the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to submit the draft Law on Minimum Wage so that the Government can suggest adding the document to the 14 th National Assembly’s law-making programme during its upcoming session.

North–South highways project must be completed quickly, on time: Deputy PM

The completion of the North-South highways is not only a prerequisite for the construction of other highways throughout the country, but is also necessary to realise the target of building at least 2,000km of highways by 2020.

Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng made the comment at a meeting to review the project in Hà Nội on Thursday.

The construction of the highways was necessary and could not be delayed, Dũng said, stressing that it would support national development and the economy’s competitiveness.

Although expanded transport infrastructure over the past years had helped fuel economic growth and raise people’s living conditions, it still failed to meet the demands of industrialisation and modernisation, he pointed out.

Dũng requested the eastern route of the North–South Highway, running parallel to National Road 1, be completed in 2020 at the latest.

The eastern highway, with a length of 1,814km, will run from Pháp Vân Road in Hà Nội to the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ. Meanwhile the western section will follow the direction of the Hồ Chí Minh Highway.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister of Transport Trương Quang Nghĩa said that several sections of the eastern facility had been put into use such as the Pháp Vân-Cầu Giẽ-Ninh Bình section with a total length of 171 kilometres.

Another 302 kilometres were under construction like the sections of La Sơn–Túy Loan and Đà Nẵng–Quảng Ngãi in the Central region, and Bến Lức–Long Thành and Trung Lương–Mỹ Thuận in the south, Nghĩa said.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the completion of the easterly North-South Highway requires an investment of VNĐ236 trillion (nearly US$10.5 billion). Of that, the capital mobilised from investors is estimated at over VNĐ116.4 trillion (over $5.1 billion), accounting for 49.34 per cent of the total investment. The other sources are more than VNĐ75.3 trillion ($3.35 billion) from Government bonds for 2016-2020 and more than VNĐ44.1 trillion (nearly $2 billion) from official development assistance.

Deputy PM Dũng asked for attracting private funding for the construction of the highways, which was suggested to use the public–private partnership model, noting that private capital must be higher than that from the State budget.

He told the ministries of transport and finance to devise State capital allocation mechanisms for the project, and ensure reasonable road tolls and toll collection duration, so as to solicit investors from Việt Nam and other countries.

They also have to work with the ministries of planning and investment, construction, and natural resources and environment to work out a detailed blueprint for developing expressways, especially the eastern North–South one, the official added.

Vietnamese culinary festival debuts in India

An event to promote Vietnamese cuisine, Hello Việt Nam, is being held at Trident Gurgaon Hotel in Haryana State, India, this week.

It will introduce a wide range of traditional Vietnamese delicacies to Indian gourmets.

Vietnamese chef Doãn Văn Tuấn and sous chef Nguyễn Huy Hoàng from Furama Resort Đà Nẵng, who joined the event, said the meals include chargrilled chicken wrapped in betel leaf with lemongrass, crisp fried crab and egg nest spring rolls, Hội An Cao Lầu (noodle with pork and local greens), green mango and marinated shrimp salad, and the beloved ‘traditional Vietnamese chicken soup’.

The festival, which began last Saturday, will end Sunday.

In May, an Indian Food Festival was also held at Furama Resort in Đà Nẵng.

Fahasa opens 87th bookstore in HCM City’s Bình Tân District

HCM City Book Distribution Company (Fahasa) opened its 24th outlet in HCM City and 87th in the country in Bình Tân District on Thursday.

Fahasa Phú Lâm bookstore in Aeon Mall Bình Tân has over 100,000 Vietnamese and foreign books imported from countries including the US, Germany, Denmark, and Spain.

To mark the opening, Fahasa offered a 10 per cent discount on books by global publishers like Oxford, MacMillan, Cambridge, Pearson, Cengage, Efuture, Parragon, Penguin, Hachette, and Garnet.

In coordination with Taplife Việt Nam, Fahasa has launched Tapkids, an interactive English learning software for children that uses Augmented Reality.

With this, instead of traditional reading, kids will use smart equipment installed in Tapkids and turn the screen of the equipment into cards.

VN rock comedy to hit big screen

Vietnamese big-budget rock movie Fan Cuồng (Fanatic) will set the tone for a season of domestic high-grossing films across the country.

Directed by overseas Vietnamese Charlie Nguyễn, who is popular among Vietnamese audiences for his comedy films, such as Để Mai Tính (Fool for Love), Cưới Ngay Kẻo Lỡ (Love Puzzle) and Tèo Em (Little Tèo), and starring top comedian Hồ Thái Hòa and action actor Johnny Trí Nguyễn, the movie follows a devoted rock fan who struggles in many ways to revive the past glory of the fading rock music scene.

Director Charlie Nguyễn said the movie would replace the sequel to Little Tèo on his schedule.

“For some reason, we could not carry on with that project, so I had to switch to Fanatic. The drama comedy is a combination of space travel, spatial romance and fantasy factors,” he said.

The movie, with a budget of VNĐ26 billion (US$1.15 million), is set in the 90s and sees a fan travelling back through time to HCM City to meet the leader of his favourite band, Sexy Beast, to persuade him to perform on stage once again. The band leader has fallen in love with a young lady and is neglecting his career.

Fanatic is scheduled to be screened nation-wide on July 15.

Sketching Vietnamese History exhibition aimed at youth

A new exhibition of 12 lacquer paintings and dozens of sketches by veteran artist Quách Phong will open at the HCM City Museum of Fine Arts tomorrow (July 9).   

The exhibition, “Sketching Vietnamese History”, sends messages about war, love and peace.

Phong’s sketches are displayed on two paper scrolls 50 metres long, featuring images of the country’s history, beginning from 2000 BC to the early Lê Dynasty in the 1500s.

Phong, who began his project two years ago, said he wanted to encourage young people to learn more about art, history and culture.

The showcase is curated by Vietnamese-American artist Đinh Q. Lê and his partners, Zoe Butt and Nguyễn Bích Trà of Sàn Art, a non-profit contemporary art organisation that offers exhibitions, lectures and workshops.  

The Museum of Fine Arts is at 97 Phó Đức Chính, District 1. The exhibition can be seen until August 2 from 9am to 6pm Tuesday to Sunday.

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