Up to 70 firefighters battled a massive fire at a three-story furniture and mattress store midday Tuesday (July 11) in Vinh City, reported the Zing online newspaper.

A fire official said everyone inside the building when the blaze started self-evacuated except for one man that they successfully rescued. He was not aware of any serious injuries.

Local media showed dark black smoke billowing from the store on 68 Le Loi Street in Vinh City located in the central province of Nghe An. Reports on social media indicated the smoke could be seen miles away.

The owner of the building told police and fire officials the warehouse was full of furniture and mattresses that were extensively damaged.

The building is on a busy street lined with several restaurants and other businesses. Local firefighters worked through the afternoon to ensure no embers spread to surrounding buildings.

The blaze is believed to have resulted from an electrical short on the second storey.

13 localities have not resumed operations of trucks weighing stations

Certain local authorities have not paid due attention to curbing overweight trucks in their jurisdiction, leading to rampant violations and elevated accident risks, the Việt Nam Road Administration, under the Ministry of Transport (MoT), said.

The road administration added that 13 provinces – Hà Giang, Bắc Kạn, Sơn La, Đắk Nông, Bình Dương, Long An, Tiền Giang, Đồng Tháp, Trà Vinh, Cần Thơ, Kiên Giang, Sóc Trăng, and Cà Mau – still have not implemented truck weighing portable stations as part of the co-operation between police forces and transport authorities aiming at controlling overweight trucks.

According to the agency, in the last 6 months (from December 21, 2016 to June 20, 2017), statistics gathered from weighing stations (both portable and fixed) as well as from inspectorates from local departments of transport, said 147,578 trucks have been checked, 16,861 ones – or 11 per cent – violate weight regulations. 5,201 drivers have been deprived of their licences, and a total administrative fines of VNĐ139 billion (US$6.1 million) have been imposed on the offenders.

Recognising certain localities’ efforts in trying to maintain the operations of weighing stations and limiting the violations, however, the agency said the traffic police manpower remains insufficient, causing repeated offences on main routes like National Highway 1, 10, 14, and the Hồ Chí Minh Highway.

“Expansion of the truck’s load space outside of its design, improperly loaded and overweight trucks remain visible problems, causing damages to road infrastructure, adversely impacting traffic safety and the environment,” Nguyễn Văn Huyện, head of the Road Administration, said.

Non-compliant localities are urged to quickly resume the operations of weighing stations, especially in provinces home to main national roads like Hà Giang, Bắc Kạn, Sơn La in the north, and Tiền Giang and Cần Thơ in the south.

Traffic authority inspectors are tasked to conduct their inspection of trucks right in the original loading locations--ports, factories, manufacturers, or mines--and send reports of unlicensed drivers and trucks to the registrar bureau for appropriate penalties.

Illegal sand exploitation vessels seized

The Traffic Police Department in cooperation with the Waterway Police and Hải Phòng City’s Police on Tuesday seized two illegal sand exploitation vessels in Cấm River in Hải Phòng City’s An Dương District.

The two vessels have capacity of 100 tonnes each.

The captains of the vessels did not have ship registration papers and licences for sand exploitation.

Recently, illegal exploitation of sand has been occurring regularly in Hải Phòng City.

Notably, there have been disputes between aqua-culture breeders and sand exploitation ships.

The city’s People’s Committee had asked the Agriculture and Rural Development Department to quickly fix adminsitrative boundaries on the water for smooth managment.
Illegal sand exploitation has been happening in rivers across the country in recent years.

The uncontrolled exploitation of sand has seriously harmed the environment, hurt the structure and safety of waterway transport, caused land erosion and altered the flow of water.

Painting exhibition introduces Vietnam’s beauties to Dutch people

A painting exhibition, themed ‘Vietnam’s beauties – a modern look’, was held by the Vietnamese Embassy to the Netherlands, at the Vietnam Arts Centre in The Hague city, on July 10.

The event was held to mark the occasion of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s visit to the Netherlands.

The exhibition features 75 paintings introducing the natural beauty of Vietnam and it’s people. The exhibits were created by numerous painters from the Vietnam Fine Arts Association and Vietnam Fine Arts University, who are joining the ‘Vietnamese Fine Arts and Cultural Diplomacy’ project.

The event attracted the attention of ambassadors, diplomatic missions, Dutch partners, international organisations and art lovers in the Netherlands.

Speaking at the exhibition, Vietnamese Minister Resident Pham Toan Thang affirmed that the cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands has developed across all fields of politics, economy, culture and society.

The exchanges in culture and fine arts between the two countries have been expanded, enhancing the mutual understanding of the traditional cultural identities of the two peoples, as well as significantly contributing to further fostering their deep and sustainable relations in the near future.

The success of the exhibition is expected to offer an opportunity for international friends, particularly Dutch people, to learn more about the land and people of Vietnam.

Việt Nam, UNFPA organise conference on family planning

The health ministry and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Việt Nam on Tuesday commemorated the 40th anniversary of Việt Nam-UNFPA Co-operation by organising a conference on family planning.

The event, clubbed with World Population Day, which falls on July 11, was themed, “Family Planning: Empowering People, Developing Nations”.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Viết Tiến said: “As soon as Việt Nam became a member of the United Nations in 1977, the UNFPA established a partnership with us in the area of population and family planning. Over the past 40 years, the UNFPA has made important contributions towards Việt Nam’s population and reproductive health, family planning programmes and has become a leading agency in this area in the country.”

In Việt Nam, the total fertility rate has dropped from an average of five children per couple – recorded in the 1970s – to 2.09 in 2016. The use of modern contraceptives has increased from 37 per cent in 1988 to 67 per cent in 2016. At the same time, maternal mortality rate has fallen from 233 per 100,000 live births in the 1990s to 69 per 100,000 live births in 2009 and 58.3 in 2016.

“Investing in family planning is investing in the health and rights of women and couples worldwide,” said Kamal Malhotra, UN resident coordinator in Việt Nam. 

“These investments yield economic and other gains that can propel development forward and are thus critical to the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its accompanying 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

Astrid Bant, UNFPA’s representative in Việt Nam, said: “As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of our collaboration and partnership, I am confident that the partnership between the UNFPA and Việt Nam will continue to thrive. I am delighted to be here to reaffirm our continuing commitment to ’delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled’, and making sure that nobody is left behind.”

A photo exhibition will be held from Tuesday to July 16 at Photo Exhibition House, No 93 Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street, Hà Nội, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the co-operation between Việt Nam and the UNFPA. This exhibition will showcase key achievements in population and development, sexual and reproductive health, including voluntary family planning and gender equality.

Lasers improve efficacy of dental treatment

Development of advanced laser technologies has improved the efficiency, ease and patients’ comfort in dental and facial treatment, according to health experts.

Laser technology is now used in dental and facial treatment at hospitals and clinics throughout the country, Prof Lê Đức Lánh, former head of the odonto-stomatology faculty at the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, told Việt Nam News on the sidelines of a conference on laser application in modern dentistry on Monday.

It is used, for instance, in periodontics (supporting structures of the teeth) and facial aesthetic treatment, he said.

Researchers at the university are doing research on using laser in implant dentistry, he added.

Dr Võ Chí Hùng, deputy head of the odonto-stomatology faculty, said laser helps reduce bleeding and post-operative pain compared to traditional dental treatment as the method seals blood vessels during the procedure. It also minimises bacterial infections during surgeries because its high-energy beam sterilises the area being worked on.

Moreover, it causes less necrosis of surrounding tissue because dentists can control the laser’s power output and duration of exposure on gums and teeth, and it offers much higher precision than manual surgery, Hùng said.

Dr Linh Lan Nguyễn of Australia’s Kaleen Dental Care and Facial Aesthetic Clinic said lasers offer the advantage of tooth integrity, meaning no micro cracks are formed during a procedure.

Hùng said researchers and students at the university train in the laser technologies.

An advanced LightWalker dental laser system would be installed within six months, which would help them do more research into using the technology for more specialised treatment, he said.

"Advanced laser technologies are being developed at health facilities in the country, but not many people are benefiting from it due to the high costs involved," he added.

According to a Ministry of Health report, more than 90 per cent of Vietnamese have dental problems, but 55 per cent never visit any health facility for examination or treatment.

More than 85 per cent of children aged six to eight in the country have tooth decay, but 94 per cent do not get treatment.

ROK Embassy unveils shorter Visa processing time

As of July 6, the Republic of Korea Embassy in Vietnam has shortened their visa processing time, reports the Laodong online newspaper.

For travellers processing through Vietravel the number of processing days has been shortened from eight to five.

In addition, the requirements for interviews and proof of finances have been waived in many cases, streamlining the processing time even further for many Vietnamese travellers.

For more detailed information as to their specific situation, travellers are encouraged to contact their local Vietravel office.

Cần Thơ programme to sell unsold products of farmers

The Cần Thơ City People’s Committee in the Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta will launch a programme later this month to help farmers increase sales of their unsold products.

The programme, called “Support Farmers — Price Subsidy for Consumers” will be held at the city’s employment services centre from July 21-23 and from July 28-30.

Products offered at subsidised prices will be sold at around 30 booths selling pork and other locally farm-raised products.

Participants at the event will demonstrate effective business and agricultural production models now being used by local residents.

Last month, a similar programme in the city attracted more than 5,000 visitors and buyers.

Flagpole inaugurated on island off Quang Tri

A 38.8m-high flagpole was inaugurated in Con Co island district, the central province of Quang Tri, on July 11 after 18 months of construction.

With a flag measuring 24sq.m, the pole is bigger than others built on Vietnamese islands. As a symbol of independence, freedom and peace, the flagpole affirms the imprescriptible national sovereignty. 

At the inaugural ceremony, Chairman of the Quang Tri province People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chinh launched tours to Con Co, aiming to make the island district part of the Cua Tung-Cua Viet-Con Co tourism triangle. 

The provincial leader asked Con Co to improve the quality of tourism services and call for investment in power and water infrastructure, high-speed boats connecting the island with the mainland, restaurants, hotels and other tourism products in order to spur local tourism development.

Specifically, the district should intensify the management and effective use of natural resources, as well as roll out projects on transferring primeval forests into special-use ones, improving the environment and building historical and spiritual sites in order to attract more domestic and foreign visitors, he said. 

Located 30km from the mainland, Con Co island, which crosses the 17 parallel, is considered an “outpost watch” due to its location. 

Covering 2.3sq.km, it is one of the most magnificent islands of the central region with a diverse ecosystem. 

Popular activities on the island include swimming, scuba-diving, canoeing, fishing and marine sports. 

Tourists to Con Co can also visit the hall of traditions which houses items reflecting the history of the island district’s army and people over the past 55 years, pay tribute to Hill 37 Monument and visit ben Nghe-Mom Ho beach.

Save the saola: Breeding center for rare mammal to open in Vietnam

The saola, one of the world's rarest large mammals, was first discovered in Vietnam in 1992, and since then scientists and biologists have been trying their best to track and protect them.

In the latest attempt to save the saola, which is found only in the Annamite Range that crosses Vietnam and Laos, Vietnam is planning to open the world's first breeding center for the animal.

The center is expected to open in Bach Ma National Park in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue early next year as part of a joint project between the Saola Working Group under the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Vietnam’s agriculture ministry.

But the hardest part of the project is finding a living saola,  let alone a potentially breeding pair.

In the 25 years since the saola was discovered, only 10 photos have captured them in the wild, taken by camera-traps, locals and photographers from the World Wildlife Fund.

Around ten of the animals have been captured alive by locals or rangers in Vietnam and Laos. Some were returned to the forests while others died before biologists could reach them.

The last saola known to be captured alive was in 2010 in a village in Laos. It died a week later.

The most recent camera trap photos of a saola were taken in 2013 in central Vietnam, the first in more than 15 years.

There are no official records on the number of saola in the wild and conservationists are worried that there could be just a few dozen left, putting them in critical danger from hunting due to their rarity.

“Time is running out for the saola,” said William Robichaud, coordinator of the Saola Conservation Program.

"With the support and expertise of some of the world’s premier field conservation organizations, leading conservation-oriented zoos and the governments of both countries, we are well-positioned to make a difference before it’s too late," he said.

Two saola nature reserves were established in Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Nam in 2010 and 2011 in an effort to save the rare species.

JICA helps HCM City train human resources for industries

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has funded a human resource training programme in Ho Chi Minh City, aiming to help the southern largest economic hub improve the quality of industrial production. 

The programme, jointly implemented by the Asia Technical Cooperation Network (ATCN), the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing and Industrial Zones Authority (HEPZA) and Tri Dung Business School, officially started on July 11. 

The four-year programme will include five courses in Vietnam and one practical training course in Japan for nearly 400 trainees, who are technical workers, engineers, enterprise managers operating in key industries, and lecturers of vocational schools in the city. 

According to Pham Huy Thong,  deputy head of HEPZA, trainees will be provided with knowledge of applied techniques, problem-solving skills, Japan’s Kaizen thinking (continual improvement), which are hoped to better production quality and investment effectiveness in businesses, especially in small- and medium-sized enterprises. 

They will also have access to production lines and learn about management experience in Vietnamese enterprises and Japanese firms operating in Vietnam.

Japanese Consul General in HCM City Kawaue Junichi said the programme is of significance in cooperative relations between Vietnam and Japan. The Japanese Consulate General is always willing to support human resource development in HCM City in particular and Vietnam in general, he stressed.  

Early this year, the first course of this kind was organised for 68 trainees from 36 units operating in rubber, plastic, food processing, and mechanic industries.

President expresses gratitude to war invalids, martyrs

President Tran Dai Quang hosted a reception in Hanoi on July 11 for a delegation of war invalids, martyrs’ relatives and outstanding officers of the People’s Police Force on the occasion of the 70th War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27).

On behalf of Party and State leaders, President Quang expressed deep gratitude to heroic martyrs, Vietnamese heroic mothers, heroes of the People’s Armed Forces, war invalids, families of martyrs and revolutionary contributors as well as officers and soldiers of the People’s Police Force for their sacrifices for the Party’s and the nation’s noble revolutionary objectives and ideals.

The President said he was touched by outstanding examples of officers and soldiers in the People’s Police Force, who have bravely combated, sacrificed and recorded excellent achievements, thus helping to protect the peaceful life and happiness of the people.

Over the past 55 years of development, in any circumstances, the People’s Police Force have always showed absolute loyalty to the Party, State and people, overcoming all difficulties to fight crimes, he noted.

President Quang also stressed that as the world situation is changing rapidly and complicatedly, the People’s Public Security Force and Police Force in particular are facing tougher tasks, requiring greater efforts to comprehensively implement measures to safeguard the country’s security, and social order and safety.

The State leader asked the police force to promote its core and pioneer role in combating crimes and protecting social order and safety, while improving the effectiveness of State management over security and order in parallel with speeding up administrative reform and expanding international cooperation in fighting and preventing crimes.

In 2017, the police force should focus on ensuring security and order for important events of the country, including the APEC Year 2017 and especially the APEC Economic Leaders Week that will be held in the central city of Da Nang in November.

Lieutenant General Tran Van Ve, Acting General Director of the General Police Department under the Public Security Ministry, said that during the past 30 years of renewal, 162 policemen laid down their lives when combating crimes, while over 1,000 others were injured and exposed to HIV.

World Population Day marked in Vietnam

The Ministry of Health and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) jointly held a ceremony in Hanoi on July 11 to mark 40 years of Vietnam-UNFPA cooperation and World Population Day (July 11).

In her remarks, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh lauded the Ministry of Health, relevant organisations, officials and staff for their contributions to the Vietnam-UNFPA relations as well as the population and family planning achievements in the country over the past 40 years.

The population and family planning work is an important part in the country’s development strategy, she said, highlighting that Vietnam-UNFPA cooperative relations plays a significant roles in Vietnam’s population and family planning programmes.

Since Vietnam won the United Nations Population Award in 1999, the country has made concerted efforts to stabilise its population scale and enhance population quality, she said.

However, Vietnam still faced a number of challenges in its population-family planning work such as increasing population, rapid population ageing and high gender imbalance rate, which put pressure on the nation’s social security, Thinh stated.

The Vice President said that reproductive healthcare, especially for juvenile people, has not been improved yet while advantages of the golden population structure has not been fully exploited.

She called on party committees and administrations at all levels, organisations and individuals to pay due attention to population-family planning issues, promote communications on reproductive healthcare as well as improve the gender imbalance at birth.

Expressing gratitude to the UNFPA for its support to Vietnam, Vice President Thinh hoped that the fund, governments, international and non-governmental organisations will continue assisting Vietnam in the population-family planning work and other sectors. 

According to the General Office for Population and Family Planning, Vietnam had a high birth rate (above five children per couple) in 1970, however, the figure fell sharply to 2.09 in 2016. 

The percentage of people using contraceptive methods rose to 67 percent in 2016 from 37 percent in 1988. Meanwhile, maternal mortality rate showed a rapid decline, from 233 per 100,000 live births in 1990 to 58.3 per 100,000 live births in 2016.

On the occasion, a photo exhibition on Vietnam-UNFPA cooperation is organised from July 11-16 at No. 93 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hanoi.

HCM City raises the French flag to mark Bastille Day

Ho Chi Minh City has long had a strong French-Vietnamese community and many of the most ardent turned out today (July 11) to mark the 228th anniversary of Bastille Day at a flag raising ceremony, reports the Vietnam News Agency.

The raising of the French flag marked what is known in France as Le Fête Nationale where in 1790 an uprising and storming of the Bastille led to the reconciliation of the people and the formation of what is today’s modern country.

The flag raising has become an annual tradition put together by the Vietnam-France Friendship Association in celebration of Bastille Day (July 14) in HCM City, putting a Vietnamese footprint on one of the biggest holidays in France.

We take immense pride in HCM City to celebrate important occasions in the lives of our residents and to mark their ancestry and heritage, said Nguyen Thi Ngoc Dung, president of the Association. Today is one of those occasions.

The French community and their friends have assembled here today to mark their commitment in enhancing the business, cultural and social life of this city and to honour the shared values that are the unshakable foundation of the friendship between France and Vietnam, Mr Dung added.

Mr Dung was joined at the event by Emmanuel Ly-Batallan, Consul General of the French Republic in HCM City.

Mr. Batallan brought a special message. I am very happy to be among you here today celebrating one of the most important days for all the French, he said. Ho Chi Minh City represents one of the most important communities of French ex-patriots in the world.

The success of the French-Vietnamese relationship is largely due to the dedication of this community.

Awareness rally marks World Population Day

The Ministry of Health organized an awareness rally in Hanoi today (July 11) to mark the 40th annual observation of World Population Day, reported the Vietnam News Agency.

It was attended by Vietnam Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh and other high ranking governmental officials along with leading members of the business community and academia among others.

Addressing the gathering, Vice President Thinh said the increasing Vietnamese population was putting a lot of pressure on resources of the country and was also proving to be an impediment in the path of economic growth of the country.

Ms Thinh called upon all residents of the country to participate in the celebrations and consider the importance of controlling the country’s population growth.

The rally was organized in cooperation with the UN Population Fund. After the rally, a six-day photo exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of the partnership between Vietnam and UNFPA opened at 93 Dinh Tien Hoang St in Hanoi.

Deputy PM sends sympathy to Japan over torrential rains

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh on July 10 sent a message of sympathy to Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Fumio Kishida over serious human and economic losses caused by torrential rains in Fukuoka, Oita and some neighbouring prefectures in Kyushu region.

According to Kyodo news, torrential rains have left 25 people dead and another 25 unaccounted for in these prefectures since July 5.

About 1,500 people have been displaced from their homes in Fukuoka and Oita prefectures.

Conference reviews fight against smuggling, counterfeits

Chief of the Office of the National Steering Committee 389 Dam Thanh The named authorities’ asynchronous coordination and loopholes in mechanisms and policies as shortcomings in the fight against smuggling and counterfeits during a conference in Hanoi on July 11 to review the effort. 

The National Steering Committee 389 deals with prevention and control of smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods. 

In the first half, the committee’s units inspected 19,057 cases, dealt with 12,162 cases, and launched criminal proceedings against 42 cases with 48 defendants, collecting 1,569.577 billion VND (68.24 million USD) for the State budget, up 172.53 billion VND (7.5 million USD) annually. 

Chu Xuan Kien, Deputy Director of the Hanoi municipal Department of Industry and Trade, said the trade and transport of illicit and smuggled goods remain complicated, adding that smugglers often store goods in the northern provinces of Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen and the suburbs of Hanoi, then put them in small packets for easier transport. 

Due to lax export-import procedures, frauds in customs filling have also occurred. 

Counterfeits and others violating intellectual property rights are not only manufactured at home but also abroad, then shipped to the domestic market for consumption, particularly consumer goods, electronics, apparel, footwear, handbags, cosmetics, food and sport devices. 

Some merchants have even purchased expired or near-expiry goods to correct their expiry date and sell in remote and suburban areas, mostly confectionary, vegetables and fruits, and livestock products. 

Between now and the year’s end, particularly before and during the New Year festival when purchasing power soars, the steering committee’s units were asked to strengthen inspection on trade, transport and slaughter of poultry, as well as trade in alcohol, cigarettes and street food. 

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee Le Hong Son asked for intensifying synchronous collaboration in the effort and increasing communications campaigns to raise public awareness in the regard.

Coordination increased to combat animal-transmitted diseases

Coordination between domestic and foreign organisations will be promoted to reduce health risks posed by diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam made the statement at a conference in Hanoi on July 12, saying that it is part of the national One Health Strategic Plan, in the 2016-2020 period.

With supports from international organisations and partners, animal-to-human diseases will be slashed in the coming time, contributing to the regional and global efforts to fight the risks, Tam highlighted.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that changes in the environment have made emerging contagious diseases, especially animal-to-human diseases, become a major threat to people’s health, economy and politics-security stability of each nation.

The One Health Strategic Plan set out specific framework to enhance capacity of relevant agencies as well as help them employ “One health” principal in limiting the impacts of animal-to-human diseases. The plan will support the Vietnamese Government in preventing rabies, antibiotic resistance, and other diseases spreading from animals to humans.

The One Health concept is an initiative applying a coordinated, collaborative, multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach to address potential or existing risks that originate at animal-human-ecosystems interface.

The concept is a worldwide strategy for expanding interdisciplinary collaborations and communications in all aspects of healthcare for humans, animals and environment. The One Health has been endorsed by the European Commission, the US Department of State, the World Bank, the World Health Organisation, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, the World Organisation for Animal Health and United Nations System Influenza Coordination as well as various non-governmental organisations.

In Vietnam, the One Health Strategic Plan drew the participation of 27 domestic and foreign agencies.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE