Police seize cattle meat, other illegal products

Hà Nội’s Market Management Department’s police seized a large number of goods of unknown origin in Ba Đình District yesterday.

At the Hưng Thịnh Spice Ltd. Co’s store, the police found some 120 kinds of goods, such as cooking oil, crisp fried powder mix and other kinds of spices and powders used in cooking.

The police also found many powder packs without labels or details of their origin.

In Hoài Đức District, the market management team’s police discovered thousands of cartons and plastic shells held by the Phát Đạt Ltd Co, which were printed with a fake Đồng Tiền (Coin) trademark.

The police also seized some one tonne of cattle meat and internal organs from a truck travelling on Highway 1A in central Quảng Trị Province yesterday.

The police ordered the driver to stop to check the goods in his truck and discovered 20 boxes containing the foul-smelling goods.

The driver failed to show valid papers for the goods and said he was hired to transport these goods to HCM City.

The meat and the organs were later destroyed by the concerned authorities.

On the same day, the police in Thanh Trì District of Hà Nội also stopped a car transporting two tonnes of foul-smelling cattle fat for consumption in the provinces.

The team seized all the fat and will send it to the concerned authorities to be destroyed.

More congratulations sent to Vietnamese newly-elected leaders

Foreign leaders continued to cable their congratulations to Tran Dai Quang on his election as new President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

They are President of Poland Andrzej Duda, President of Finland Sauli Niinisto and President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon.

Greeting was also offered to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc by his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban.

Meanwhile, Marshal of the Sejm (the Lower Chamber) of the Polish Parliament Marek Kuchcinski extended his congratulations to Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on her new post as Chairwoman of Vietnam’s National Assembly.-

Vietnamese Ambassador wishes Lao Embassy happy New Year

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Bui Quang Vinh and his spouse on April 14 visited and sent greetings to the Lao Embassy in the US on the occasion of Laos’s traditional Boun Pi Mai (New Year) festival.

Ambassador Bui Quang Vinh wished Lao Ambassador Mai Sayvongs and the embassy staff a happy and successful new year.

He expressed his belief that the two embassies will further efficient cooperation and enhance relations with the host country.

Lao Ambassador Mai Sayvongs thanked the Vietnamese Ambassador and his spouse for the congratulations, affirming to fortify the result-oriented cooperation in order to boost solidarity and friendship between the two nations.

The Lao diplomat then performed traditional rituals in the festival, including splashing water and tying thread on the guests’ wrists as a symbol of happiness, luck and success.

Hung Kings Temple Festival features colorful activities

The northern midland province of Phu Tho is to host the 2016 Hung Kings Temple Festival in commemoration of the Hung Kings’ death anniversary on the 10th day of the 3rd lunar month (April 16th).

A Chung cake (square sticky rice cake) and Giay cake (round sticky rice cake) contest is held annually. The two winning teams will have the honor of making these 2 types of cake to offer to the Hung Kings at next year’s festival.

Earlier on April 14, 100 teenagers showed off in Viet Tri city, Phu Tho province, at a singing competition of Xoan,  a local folk music performed in the first months of a lunar year.

The Phu Tho provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism published a DVD featuring 10 ancient Xoan songs performed by young artists. Their performance was recorded at traditional spaces which host rituals using Xoan songs. Chief organizer Ha Ke San said, “This DVD differs from previous publications in which Xoan is sung by young people who are responsible for preserving Xoan singing for future generations.  The media provides the easiest way for foreigners to learn about Vietnam. This is part of an effort to get UNESCO to reclassify Xoan singing, now a world intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection, as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.”

Festival goers will see artifacts highlighting  different cultures of different regions, such as Khanh Son rock gongs of Khanh Hoa province and a couple of 400-year-old wooden vases that weigh a ton.

The event will include a photo exhibit featuring relic sites, ceramic products made by the artisans of Bat Trang village, Hanoi, and bronze products made by the smelters of Phu Tho province.

Art performances will embellish the festival.

Hà Tĩnh police seize precious timber

Environmental police in Hà Tĩnh central province reported they have seized some 4cu.m. of precious timber in Đức Thọ District’s Thái Yên Commune.

The truck contaminating the timber was seized on Wednesday thanks to a tip-off from local residents, police said.

The timber was hidden in the bottom of the container truck and covered with tens of tonnes of dried cassava chips.

The driver failed to present valid papers for the goods.

He told police he had been asked by Quang Minh Ltd. Co. in Lạng Sơn Province to go to Laos to collect the timber and transport it to Việt Nam.

After loading the goods at Laos, a man living in Quảng Bình central province paid him VNĐ5.5 million (US$235) to transport the timber to Hà Tĩnh Province, the driver said.

The incident is under investigation by the provincial authorities.

Art event highlights Vietnam’s aspiration for peace

An art performance was organised in Tokyo, Japan on April 14, with a message of how Vietnamese youths and people are peace-loving told through stories about their thoughts, aspirations and responsibility during the period of national construction and defence.

The event was co-organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper and the Mainichi Daily News of Japan.

In his opening speech, Le Quoc Phong, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and President of the Vietnamese Students’ Association, said he hopes the stories, which were told through the language of music, will help promote the peace-loving spirit of overseas Vietnamese in Japan and Japanese friends as well.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Quoc Cuong highlighted the significance of the programme, adding that Vietnam wishes to join hands with Japan in bringing peace and development to not only both countries, but also the region and the world.

Japanese Deputy Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Tomioka Tsutomu expressed his hope that Vietnam and Japan will work closer to contribute to maintaining peace in the world.

During the two-hour programme, Japanese audiences enjoyed special songs and dances performed by Vietnamese and Japanese artists.

Organisers took the occasion to present 500,000 JPY (4,571 USD) to the Vietnamese Youth and Student Association in Japan (VYSA), aiming to enhance activities in introducing Vietnam’s culture to Japan.

A photo exhibition featuring landscapes and daily life in Vietnam and the desire for peace and efforts to safeguard sea and island sovereignty of Vietnamese nationals, as well as threats to peace, was arranged as part of the event, helping audiences understand more about Vietnam.

Vietnam, Lao districts to conduct joint anti-drug plan

Huong Son district of Vietnam’s central Ha Tinh province will conduct a joint plan with Khamkeut and Xaychamphon districts of Laos’ neighbouring Bolikhamsai province against cross-border drug trafficking.

The plan was discussed at a conference held by the Ha Tinh provincial People’s Committee on April 15.

It aims to raise awareness of drug-related laws among residents of the three districts and encourage their help in detecting drug users as well as identifying and preventing drug dealing activities.

It is as part of the twining agreement between Ha Tinh and Bolikhamsai provinces and is expected to enhance collaboration between the two localities in crime combat and strengthen friendship between their people.

The operation will be carried out along the Vietnam-Laos border across Son Tay, Son Lam, Son Linh, Son Kim 1, Son Kim 2, and Son Hong communes and Tay Son town of Huong Son district alongside four villages of Khamkeut district and five others of Xaychamphone district.

Leader inspects Party building work in Quang Ninh province

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong paid a fact-finding tour of northern Quang Ninh province on April 13 – 14 to examine the implementation of the 12th National Party Congress’s Resolution, Party building, and socio-economic issues.

At a working session on April 14, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Van Doc reported the committee had designed a plan to reform and promote the Party’s leadership, and to streamline the administrative apparatus.

Accordingly, a resolution was issued in March 2015 to address the fact that the reform of the local political system was outpaced by economic development.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said the reform and promotion of the Party’s leadership and combat capacity, together with the apparatus streamlining, are a big issue that have been set forth for a long time.

The documents submitted to the recent 12th National Party Congress admits that the Party and political system are facing bulky and ineffective operation.

They stressed that it is necessary to press ahead with reforming the organisation of the Party and the political network in a lean and efficient manner. It is also a must to improve the capacity of officials and public servants, along with the sense of responsibility of each agency’s leaders, the Party chief noted.

Objectivity must be avoided to actualise that policy, he said, asking Quang Ninh to continue with the reform solidly.

At the session, the leader recognised the strides in economic, political, defence – security, and external activities while applauding local officials’ dynamics and creativity as seen in the proposal of many programmes and projects.

In 2015, Quang Ninh posted an economic growth rate of 11 percent, the fastest pace in four years, and an average per capita income of nearly 4,000 USD. The rate of impoverished families has dropped to 1.33 percent, according to the provincial Party Secretary.

Doc said his province welcomed over 7.7 million tourists and earned some 6.5 trillion VND (291 million USD) in tourism revenue last year, an annual rise of 19 percent. It ranks third in Vietnam and first in the north in terms of the provincial competitiveness index.

Quang Ninh aims to become a tourism hub and a growth engine of Vietnam by 2020, he added.

Malaysia detains 6 Vietnamese fishermen

A Vietnamese boat with six crew members was detained for fishing in Malaysian waters, the Bernama News Agency reported on April 14.

Mohd Marmizi Md Mor, Director of the Kemaman Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Terengganu stated that all the Vietnamese fishermen, including the skipper,were arrested at about 10:00 am (local time) on April 10 at about 70 nautical miles (130 km) from Kuala Kemaman.

He added that none of the fishermen had any documents or fishing permits on inspection.

The fishermen, aged between 15-50, are being held in custody. The boat with equipment worth 200,000 Malaysian Ringgit (US$51,000) has been confiscated.

HCM City: one more tobacco smuggling ring detected

Ho Chi Minh City’s police on April 14 discovered a ring of illegal tobacco smuggling, seizing more than 900 cartons.

On the morning of the day, Pham Tan Dat, born in 1983 in southern Long An province, was caught red-handed driving a truck carrying 720 cartons of smuggled tobacco.

According to Dat’s statement, the police also arrested Le Thanh Tung, Le Van Tam and Nguyen Thi My Dung for related charges. More than 200 cartons of tobacco were detected at Dung’s house.

This is the third ring discovered by the municipal police in the past month, with nearly 10,000 cartons of all kinds seized.

Hanoi tightens food safety management

Hanoi’s Department of Industry and Trade plans to enhance food safety management and inspections in 2016, focusing on inspections in wet markets and food trading in the city.

Tran Minh Tu from the department said his agency will take measures to supervise the trading of food to ensure that unsafe food does not appear in markets.

According to Tu, through an unannounced inspection at 3 am of April 12 in the Phung Khoang wet market, Nam Tu Liem district, the municipal Department of Market Management seized nearly 1 tonne of frozen foods including animal viscera, spareribs and chicken, which had no certificates of origin.

Expanding its inspection, the agency’s force also found 14 freezers storing food at the market without any documents proving origin or food standards.

After the situation, the municipal Department of Industry and Trade asked the district People’s Committee to strictly punish groups and individuals violating food safety regulations, and further enhance inspections of trading at the market as well.

In recent times, many cases of unsafe pork trading and transport have been detected and seized. Meanwhile, foods such as vegetables, fruits, beef and poultry, aquatic products and sea foods have been found to contain residues of pesticide and preservative chemicals and antibiotics.

Notably, violations related to the use of banned chemical substances in cultivation and preserving foods have not been handled strictly.

Tu said it is necessary to promote links in this work between his agency and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Department of Health.

The Department of Industry and Trade intends to direct district authorities in carrying out supervision and inspections in wet markets throughout 2016, towards improving the efficiency of food safety and guaranteeing hygiene standards, he added.

Tourism sector strives to be spearhead economy by 2020

The tourism sector will strive to become a spearhead economy with a average annual growth rate of 11-12 percent by 2020, stated new Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien.

Speaking at a ceremony to assume office in Hanoi on April 14, Thien shared that the sector sets a target of serving 12-13 million foreign arrivals and 48-50 million domestic tourists by 2020.

To that end, he stressed the need for the sector to exert efforts to build and improve the image of Vietnamese tourism in order to keep pace with other countries in the region.

Vietnam welcomed 2.45 million international tourists in the first three months of this year, up 19.9 percent against the same period last year, while local tourists numbered 18.7 million. Revenues from tourism rose by 21.2 percent year-on-year.

This year, Vietnam hopes to welcome 8.5 million foreign visitors and 60 million domestic travellers, earning a total of 370 trillion VND (16.8 billion USD) in revenue.

In 2015, the country welcomed around 8 million international tourists and catered for 57 million domestic travelers, grossing 330 trillion VND (14.85 billion USD) in revenue.

Crane safety to be reinforced on work sites

Hà Nội’s People’s Committee has decided to restrict the operation of cranes at construction sites, which would likely affect traffic and neighbouring construction projects.   

Specifically, cranes would only be allowed to operate between 10pm and 6am, and warning systems and safety guidelines must be installed at the construction sites.

Crane operators must have professional qualification certificates, safety certificates and licences to operate cranes on construction sites.

The move aims to curb potential risks of fatal accidents caused by the misuse of cranes in the city.

Since earlier this year, a number of accidents caused by the misuse of cranes have occurred in the city.

No fatalities were reported, but it caused panic to nearby residents and damaged people’s houses.

In HCM City, the city’s authorised agencies also began inspecting construction sites.

Huỳnh Tấn Dũng, chief inspector of the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, told the Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sai Gon) newspaper that from now until May 10, the department would perform 100 inspections of labour safety in high-rise buildings.

Another 100 tests on regulations related to construction cranes would also be administered, he said.

Up to 24 local authorities at district levels would revise the labour safety codes of residential construction works, he added.

Currently, the city has more than 500 ongoing high-rise construction projects, which utilise 200 tower cranes.

Dũng said the number of fatal occupational accidents within the construction sector was alarming, accounting for 50-60 per cent of the total number of all occupational accident fatalities in the city.

Since the beginning of this year, 17 out of 19 occupational accidents in HCM City were caused by the misuse of construction cranes.

The data revealed that occupational accidents in this field had not been effectively controlled, he said.

Dũng said a campaign must be implemented promptly to solve the problem. Apart from issuing strict penalties to construction enterprises, it was necessary to change the mindset of these enterprises, Dũng said.

Bad weather causes spike in children attending hospitals

The number of children in many localities being hospitalised has kept increasing over recent days due to unfavourable weather conditions.

Unusual changes between hot and cold weather, coupled with rains and high humidity has created conditions for the development of diseases in children, according to doctors.

Most of the children have been hospitalised for diseases relating to respiratory problems like bronchitis and pneumonia, digestive ailments or dengue fever.

The Hà Nội-based National Hospital of Pediatrics has received around 3,500 children for health check-ups and treatment each day over the past week, according to Head of the hospital’s Health Check-up Department Trương Thúy Vinh.

The figure represents an increase of 500-1,000 children compared to an average day.

“Unusual changes in weather conditions have caused many children to suffer from diseases relating to respiratory problems. There were days when 70-80 per cent of children that I checked had respiratory problems,” said Nguyễn Thị Mai Hoàn, deputy head of the hospital’s Respiratory Disease Department.

When the weather changed, children, especially those with weak immune systems, were more likely to catch respiratory diseases, she said.

“The respiratory department is always overloaded on these days, forcing us to make use of spaces along corridors and between patients’ rooms to place some beds and baby cots for the kids, but some children still had to share beds,” she said.

Director of the Hà Nội’s Preventive Health Centre, Nguyễn Nhật Cảm, warned that there was a high risk of outbreaks of these diseases if no measures were taken by authorised agencies, hospitals and the local people.

Meanwhile, in HCM City, apart from the risks of spreading of dengue fever and Zika virus, hospitals have also had to continue dealing with respiratory diseases and hand-foot-mouth disease.

The municipal Health Department reported that 84 children were hospitalised for hand-foot-mouth disease last week, 12 per cent more than the figure for the whole past month. It brings the total number of patients with hand-foot-mouth disease to 952.

In the Mekong Delta province of Tiền Giang, the number of children being hospitalised also increased as a result of the prolonged hot weather. Most of them suffered from respiratory diseases, dengue fever, diarrhea and hand-foot-mouth disease.

The Tiền Giang Hospital admitted more than 100 children each day for such diseases, said director of the provincial Health Department Trần Thanh Thảo.

The province recorded nearly 600 cases of dengue fever and 140 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease by the end of March, Thảo said.

Zika prevention activities beefed up in prone localities

Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Thuan province are stepping up Zika virus prevention efforts as they are now highly susceptible to the mosquito-borne virus.

A woman in Thanh My Loi ward of HCM City’s District 2 was reported to be Zika-positive in early April. The southern municipality also announced Zika outbreak warnings at the communal and ward levels.

Under a recently-issued Zika prevention plan, HCM City will focus on minimising outbreak risks by spraying anti-mosquito chemicals at the District 2 Hospital where the Zika patient received check-ups and at her District 1 workplace.

It is also distributing leaflets and increasing radio broadcasts to raise awareness of the virus and mosquito prevention measures.

Schools across the city have been asked to enhance Zika prevention activities.

The municipal People’s Committee has also devised plans of action in case a Zika epidemic occurs.

Meanwhile, the central province of Binh Thuan has recorded more than 400 people contracting dengue fever, a disease caused by the same mosquito species that carries the Zika virus, since the beginning of 2016.

It is also a popular tourist destination, located on the way from HCM City to Khanh Hoa province, where another Zika case was detected.

In early April, the Ministry of Health’s Department of Preventive Medicine said an Australian tourist tested positive for Zika after returning from Vietnam. The tourist had visited Binh Thuan, among others.

The provincial Department of Health said communications have been strengthened and anti-mosquito and larvae substances have been sprayed at dengue fever hotbeds and tourism areas.

Samples of suspected Zika cases have also been taken, with all of them testing negative, according to the department.

Lao students enjoy traditional New Year in Dien Bien

Lao students at colleges in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien celebrated their traditional New Year, Bun Pi May, on April 14.

During an exchange held in the Dien Bien Pedagogy College, Lao students received well wishes from Vietnamese teachers and students.

They joined Vietnamese counterparts in traditional activities like water splashing and a ceremony where strings are tied around people’s wrists to wish them good luck for the New Year.

Lao students said they were pleased to celebrate the festival in Vietnam.

Sporting activities such as football, sepatakraw and tug of war, were held in the college on April 12-13 to celebrate the occasion.

Rector of the college Nguyen Song Binh said the exchange contributed to strengthening links between Dien Bien and Lao localities and the Vietnam-Laos friendship.

Under an agreement between Dien Bien and the three Lao northern provinces of Oudomxay, Luang Phrabang and Phongsaly the Vietnamese locality has received Lao students to study in schools in the locality.

Over 200 Lao students are studying in local schools in the 2015-2016 academic year, mainly in colleges of pedagogy, economics, technology and medicine.

The Bun Pi May festival falls on April 14 to 16, with several ritual ceremonies, and prayers for good weather, an abundant harvest and a prosperous New Year.

Vietnam, US seek stronger medical cooperation

Representatives from hospitals, pharmaceutical and medical equipment firms, and health research and training establishments of the US joined their Vietnamese counterparts at a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on April 14.

The event was organised by the US Consulate General in HCM City, the Defence Ministry’s Military Hospital 175, and the municipal Department of Health, reported the Quan doi nhan dan newspaper.

It offered an opportunity for participants to discuss cooperation in health care, scientific research, medical training and practice, military medical connections, health care equipment supply and international-standard hospital development.

US representatives said Vietnam’s international integration efforts, especially in health care, have helped strengthen medical connections between agencies and companies operating in the field from both sides.-

Association supports overseas students in Australia

A new executive board of t he Association of Vietnamese Dynamic Students (VDS) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia in the 2016-2017 tenure, was announced at a meeting in Sydney on April 13.

Speaking at the event, former VDS President Hoang Anh reviewed the association’s 2015 activities, which included fund-raising for children living with heart disease in Vietnam and cultural and sporting exchanges for Vietnamese and Australian students.

VDS held a series of activities to promote Vietnamese culture to international friends, Anh said.

Newly-elected President of VDS Le Ngoc Han affirmed that she will do her best to advance the association’s goals, with the focus on enhancing links with other associations and raising the role and awareness of Vietnamese young people in preserving traditional culture.

Vietnamese Consul General in Sydney Hoang Minh Son said he hopes the new board will work closely with the Consulate General on management and support for overseas Vietnamese in Australia .

Initiated in 1997, VDS works to assist Vietnamese students studying in NSW and the Vietnamese community in Australia. Its efforts over the past years have been lauded by Vietnamese students from vocational schools, colleges and universities across New South Wales.

Ireland helps Ha Giang improve infrastructure

Ireland will continue supporting t he northern mountainous province of Ha Giang, according to Irish Ambassador to Vietnam Cait Moran.

The diplomat visited Ha Giang from April 11 to 14 to review projects supported by the Irish government in the locality from 2011 to 2015.

At a working session with the provincial People’s Committee on April 14, the ambassador praised the results of the Vietnamese Government’s Programme 135 designed for most disadvantaged communes as well as Irish-funded projects in Ha Giang.

She said the projects contributed to socioeconomic development and improving infrastructure in the province’s disadvantaged communes.

Ambassador Moran suggested the province improve education and tourism development for ethnic people as well as deal with issues related to poverty reduction.

Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Minh Tien expressed his hope that the Irish government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will continue investing in the projects on sustainable poverty reduction in the province from 2016-2020.

Since 2012, the Irish Government has provided Ha Giang with 83 billion VND (3.6 million USD) to implement 47 projects. Of the figure, as many as 41 projects were put into operation, according to the provincial People’s Committee’s report.

From 2011 to 2015, Ha Giang also received 911 billion VND (nearly 40 million USD) from Programme 135 to build infrastructure and develop production.

Government Programme 135, launched in 1999 under the Prime Minister's Decision 135/1998/QD-TTg on July 31, 1998, aimed to improve living conditions for rural residents in most disadvantaged communes across the country with a focus on ethnic communities.

Phu Yen boosts cooperation in hi-tech agriculture

The management board of the Phu Yen hi-tech agriculture park signed a number of cooperation agreements with domestic and foreign partners at a conference in the central province of Phu Yen on April 13.

Its partners were the Institute of Agricultural Science for Southern Vietnam , the Institute for hi-tech agriculture application and research under Da Lat University and Raycean INC Japan.

The province- based Dac Loc seafood enterprise also signed Memoranda of Understanding on collaboration with Fuji Consulting Japan Co, Ltd, Mimosa Technology Co., and the Integrated Circuit Design Research & Education Centre.

At the conference, participants agreed to entrust Ho Chi Minh City ’s Hi-tech Agriculture Park to connect the activities of hi-tech agriculture zones and groups with domestic and foreign organisations, as well as investors and businesses interested in this field.

The city’s park will also chair the building of a research and production supply chain to sell hi-tech farm produce.

The panels were introduced to the potential, advantages and investment opportunities in Phu Yen province and its hi-tech agriculture park.

They also heard about the operation and development orientations of the park, as well as some operational models using high technology such as growing mushrooms and breeding shrimp.

Vietnam, US seek stronger medical cooperation

Representatives from hospitals, pharmaceutical and medical equipment firms, and health research and training establishments of the US joined their Vietnamese counterparts at a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City on April 14.

The event was organised by the US Consulate General in HCM City, the Defence Ministry’s Military Hospital 175, and the municipal Department of Health, reported the Quan doi nhan dan newspaper.

It offered an opportunity for participants to discuss cooperation in health care, scientific research, medical training and practice, military medical connections, health care equipment supply and international-standard hospital development.

US representatives said Vietnam’s international integration efforts, especially in health care, have helped strengthen medical connections between agencies and companies operating in the field from both sides.

Over 130 oxen die from severe drought in Vietnam’s Central Highlands province

Over 130 oxen have died from severe drought while thousands of other cattle and poultry are struggling with the lack of water and nutrition in a Dak Lak Province district in Vietnam’s Central Highlands.

The devastating climate has caused 83 oxen in Ia Lop Commune and 50 more in Ia Rve Commune in Ea Sup District to die, while destroying hundreds of hectares of crops and draining 91 drilled wells in the locality, the local Office of Agriculture and Rural Development said on Wednesday.

“The animals have to endure extreme heat from the sun while grazing only dried grass, causing their health conditions to deteriorate,” said Le Thi Cuc Phuong, a farmer in Ia Lop Commune.

Phuong added that she and her husband have had to force their oxen to drink fresh water in order to prevent exhaustion.

Phung Ngoc Cuong, owner of a herd of over 40 cows and bulls in Ia Rve Commune, said that his cattle have been in competition over the few resources available.

“I have not seen such serious drought in years. As there is no grass left for the animals to eat, they now consume everything in sight, even garbage,” Cuong added.

The farmer spent VND4 million (US$179) buying straw for cattle feed and another VND15 million ($672) drilling a well to supply them with sufficient water.

Showing Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters the herd of skinny and fatigued oxen, Pham Bao, also from Ia Rve Commune, said that he had to buy several metric tons of quality crops to feed his animals.

Bao added that he also had to grind rice and combine it with water for the cows and bulls, while providing extra supplements and vitamins for the weaker animals.

“I have to do everything to save my group of oxen, which is worth billions of dong [VND1 billion = $44,820],” the farmer stated.

Thirty out of 120 of his cattle have died due to the harsh weather, costing about VND300 million ($13,445), according to Bao.

“The scarcity of water due to the absence of a reservoir and canal in the commune, accompanied by 40 degree Celsius temperatures, has posed many risks to the survival of the animals,” he elaborated.

A living cow can be sold for between VND13 million ($583) and VND14 million ($627), said Le Ky Giong, residing in Ia Lop Commune, adding that a dead one is only worth VND3 million ($134).

The death of the oxen arose mainly from the deprivation of sufficient nutrition, food and fresh water, said Nguyen Ngoc Phu, head of the Office of Agriculture and Rural Development in Ea Sup District.

The situation is common in the two communes, as there is no system of water reservoirs or irrigation ditches, Phu explained.

To cope with the severe drought this year, the local budget will be disbursed for the farmers to drill wells and afford food for their cattle, according to the official.

Ballots open for Music Devotion Awards

Some 100 reporters, music critics and columnists gathered on April 14 at the Vietnam News Agency in Hà Nội and its HCM City branch office to vote for the Music Devotion Awards.

Media professionals from daily newspapers, magazines, television networks, broadcast stations and online newspapers voted for the best music productions and artists of 2015.

This year a new category, the best music video of the year, was launched. There are seven other categories: best song of the year, best new artist, best new album and best series of music programmes, as well as best show of the year, best musician and best singer of the year.

The awards have been presented annually by the Vietnam News Agency’s Thể Thao & Văn Hóa (Culture and Sports) daily since 2005 to promote Vietnamese music and honour artists who have made significant contributions to the industry.

The awards ceremony will be held on April 24 at the International Conference Centre at the ecological FLC Group Sầm Sơn Beach and Golf Resort.

The ceremony will be hosted by veteran MCs Anh Tuấn and Thu Hương and will include performances by the nominees.

New bikes facilitate young commuters in Thai Nguyen

Disadvantaged children in the northern mountainous province of Thai Nguyen received 50 bicycles at a fund-raising event of the “Life’s Journey” programme held in the locality on April 14.

The bikes came with five education packets from AIA Vietnam Life Insurance Co., Ltd, worth 20 million VND (896 USD) each.

The programme has been jointly organised by AIA Vietnam and the National Fund for Vietnamese Children (NFVC) since 2014, aiming to equip needy children with a means of transport.

Over 200,000 Vietnamese students drop out of school every year, and one of the main reasons is the long distances they have to travel by foot. In remote areas, many students need to walk between five and ten kilometres to the nearest school.

The programme has thus far brought 1,805 bicycles to poor children yearning for education across 37 provinces and cities nationwide. Thai Nguyen was the fourth destination it reached in 2016.

Nam Dinh Museum receives over 60 antiques

The Nam Dinh Museum on April 14 received 62 antiques donated by Nguyen Thanh Nam, a cultural official in Thanh Tri district, Hanoi.

They include nine stone axes; 41 bronze items of the Dong Son culture; 12 vases, jars, ceramic bowls and dishes dated back from the first century to the 16th century; an 18 th century Phu Lang ceramic incense burner; and an original model of the “Thien Truong Temple” seal.

Nguyen Van Thu, Director of the museum, affirmed that the artifacts have great values for research and preservation as well as offer cultural and historic researchers and students in the province a chance to understand Vietnam’s cultural characteristics at different stages during the course of history.

In recent years, the Nam Dinh Museum has received over 600 antiques and artefacts donated from organisations and individuals.

Exhibition reveals miserable life of Indochinese workers

Nearly a hundred photos capturing the miserable lives of Indochinese workers in the French Toulouse Region during world wars in 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 are being exhibited in Toulouse city, from April 2-23.

The event aims to cast light on a rarely known historical period, featuring the presence of first Vietnamese people in southern France.

The photos are arranged in topics and with captions to help visitors explore the hidden corners of French history.

The stories were told by witnesses or their descendants to depict the process of sending Indochinese peasants to France to support war efforts as well as the miserable lives of thousands of workers in the Toulouse region and its vicinities such as Tarbes, Castelsarrasin, Castres, and Pamiers.

The exhibition highlights the emigrations in 1915 and 1940 when tens of thousands of Indochinese people, mainly Vietnamese, were forcefully sent to France. Vietnam was still a French colony at that time.

The peasants, who were only familiar with farm work in the countryside, had to live far from home. They were used as soldiers or worked in weapons factories or worked on farms, often being exploited and underpaid.

Mayor of Toulouse city and Chairman of the Toulouse Region Jean-Luc Moudenc said the exhibition introduced an important period in local history.-

Northeast Asian visitors on the rise

Vietnam welcomed 2,459,150 visitors from Northeast Asia in the first three months of the year, 19.9 per cent more than in the same period last year, Mr. Nguyen Van Tuan, Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT), told a conference on April 12 to review tourism activities in the first quarter.

Visitors from Hong Kong increased 160 per cent, followed by China with 66 per cent, South Korea 30 per cent, Taiwan 15 per cent, and Japan 12 per cent.

Increases were also seen in the number of visitors from Europe, with those from Italy up by 28 per cent, Spain 27 per cent, the UK 23 per cent, Germany 19 per cent, and France 11 per cent over the same period of 2015.

Domestic holiday makers totaled 18.7 million in the quarter, while the number of visitors staying in the country for an extended period stood at 9.3 million.

According to Mr. Tuan, first quarter revenues reached VND109 trillion ($4.9 billion), up 21.2 per cent over the same period last year. “This confirms that the visa exemption policy has had a positive impact on tourism development,” he said.

He added that as the policy on visa exemptions for citizens from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain is to expire soon, VNAT has been conducting a review and will propose it be extended by the government.

Fashion show for the disabled to be held in Hội An

A fashion show for disabled women will be staged at 31 Nguyễn Thái Học Street in the ancient city of Hội An on Sunday.

The event entitled, I’m Beautiful. You Too, will show off the newest collections from Spanish designer Diego from Chula Fashion House, and Hội An local Trịnh Vĩnh Uyên from the Papillion Noir brand.

The organiers said 25 models from various parts of the nation will take part in the show. It aims to promote the confidence of women with disabilities and honour their beauty at the same time.

It’s the third event of its kind. It first opened in Adelaide in 2014, and another show was staged in the Italian Embassy in Hà Nội last year.

Disabled persons living in Hội An are invited to take part in the show. The show will begin from 3pm this Sunday, and is also in honour of the National Day for the Disabled, April 18th.

French film ’Le Petit Prince’ to be screened in Đà Nẵng

A French film programme in Đà Nẵng will screen at Lê Độ Cinema, 46 Trần Phú Street, today.

The event’s organising committee will introduce Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince), an animated film based on the book of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and adapted by director Mark Osborne.

The film features a little girl (Mackenzie Foy) who meets an eccentric old Aviator (Jeff Bridges) who tells her a fantastic tale about a young prince (Riley Osborne).   

Local residents and tourists can get free tickets at 91A Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai Street, Đà Nẵng.

The programme will also screen Vietnamese and French films with corresponding Vietnamese or French subtitles on weekends.

Eiffel Tower-embroidered chair covers and small tea tables with delicate macarons on them have help replicate a Parisian atmosphere in the French Embassy in Hà Nội for the book launch of Sống Như Người Paris on Tuesday.

The book is a Vietnamese-language version of Comment etre une Parisienne où que vous soyez or How to be Parisian Wherever You Are: Love, Style and Bad Habits.

It was penned by a group of four longtime friends: Caroline de Maigret, a former Chanel model; Anne Berest, the author of two novels; Audrey Diwan, editor-in-chief of Stylist magazine; and film producer Sophie Mas.

The stunning and accomplished French women share their wisdom of the salon, bistro and boudoir under the sections to Love, Style, and Bad Habits. They also touch on other matters such as plastic surgery, aging, fitness, cheating and love.

Although the book doesn’t present an idealised portrayal of French women, it embraces the chic sense of style and elegant attitude of Parisian women known around the world.

From delivering fashion tips, to staying slender despite a diet of red wine and baguettes, everything about a modern chic Parisian woman has been revealed in this “guidebook”.

The book, published in 2014, has been translated into 32 different languages.

In Việt Nam, the book has been published by Nhã Nam Publishing House and the Thế Giới Publishers, and is available at every Nhã Nam bookstore nationwide at the price of VNĐ90,000.

Free cleft lip, palate surgeries in Binh Dinh

As many as 47 children with cleft lips and palates will receive free surgery under a programme taking place in Quy Nhon city in the central province of Binh Dinh from April 11 to 15.

The children are mostly from impoverished families of the Central Highlands provinces of Gia Lai and Kon Tum, and central Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa provinces.

Doctors from the US Burn and Facial Reconstruction Mission and Quy Hoa National Leprosy Dermatology Hospital provide exams and surgeries.

The patients also have their travel and other expenses covered.

Cleft palate a common issue in Vietnam with one in 700 newborns suffering the condition.-

Unexploded ordnance found in Thai Nguyen

Lots of unexploded ordnance (UXO) have been found in localities across the northern province of Thai Nguyen, announced the provincial Military Command on April 13.

On April 12, Nguyen Van Giai from Nga My commune, Phu Binh district unearthed an object, which was later confirmed a 500kg unexploded wartime bomb, when he was clearing the site to build a house.

The same day, two more similar bombs were discovered by Tran Quang Loi in MinhTien commune, Dai Tu district. They weighed over 500 kg each

Previously on April 6, several pieces of UXO were uncovered by Duong Quang Thap in Tan Thanh ward, Thai Nguyen city.

The objects included a bomb without explosives inside weighing one tonne and some 500kg of ammunition.

The Thai Nguyen Military Command together with local authorities are devising measures to handle theUXO and ensure safety for locals.

An estimated 800,000 tonnes of unexploded bombs and mines leftover from wartime are buried over 20 percent of the country’s territory, mainly in the central region, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.Leftover wartime bombs and mines have claimed about 42,130 lives and injured 62,160 others across Vietnam.

It is estimated it will take 100 years and 10 billion USD to clear post-war mines remaining in Vietnam, the ministry said.

The Vietnamese government approved a 2010-2025 national programme on tackling post-war bombs, mines and unexploded ordnances on April 21, 2010, known as Programme 504. Its goal is to use national and international resources to minimise the effects of UXOs on social-economic development, defence and security, while ensuring safety for people and helping victims reintegrate into society.

Disabled people’s group to hold music show, auction

A live music show and auction of handmade items made by handicapped people from Thuong Thuong Centre will be held on April 17 in Hanoi’s Cau Giay District.

The liveshow aims to encourage disabled people to express their talents and their spirit to overcome difficulties in lives.

The event also aims to celebrate Vietnam’s Day for the Disabled, April 18.

All of the money collected from the auction will be injected to the Living with Passion Fund to build a kindergarten in the northwestern province of Lai Chau’s Lang Hamlet, said Thuong Thuong, head of the centre.

“I hope society, our guests and donors such as Unilever Vietnam will continue to support and help handicapped people have better lives,” she said.

The show, which will be performed by singers from Thuong Thuong and other handicapped centres in Hanoi and will feature professional singers including Minh Thu, Duy Khoa, Quang Thang and the BMC music band.

The show will take place on the third floor of 25T2 Building, Hoang Dao Thuy Street, Cau Giay District.-

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