Russian centre director praised for fostering relations with Vietnam

An insignia was presented to the Director of the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Hanoi, Zubtsova Elena Robertovna, on May 17 to recognise her efforts in fostering mutual understanding and cooperation between Vietnam and Russia.

The insignia, named “For peace and friendship among nations”, was granted by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO).

VUFO Chairman Vu Xuan Hong said Zubtsova Elena Robertovna has worked in Vietnam for many years. She used to be a Russian language editor at the Voice of Vietnam, a collaborator with the Lao dong (Labour) newspaper, the head of the Russian Cooperation Agency’s office in Vietnam, and a counsellor at the Russian Embassy in Vietnam.

She has made significant contributions to the amity and affiliation between the two peoples, especially in science, arts, culture and education, Hong added.

She has also assisted activities held by the Vietnam – Russia Friendship Association such as celebrations of the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam – Soviet Union joint flight to outer space in 2015, an exhibition of children’s paintings of the countries, and activities of the Year of Russian Literature in Vietnam 2015.

For her part, Zubtsova Elena Robertovna said she considers the insignia a considerable encouragement for her to continue helping reinforce the friendship and partnership between the countries.

Ca Mau: election preparations in full swing

The southernmost province of Ca Mau has made thorough and comprehensive preparations for the election of deputies to the 14 th National Assembly (NA) and all-level People’s Councils for 2016-2021, according to inspection results on May 16.

The inspection team of the NA Standing Committee and the National Election Council led by NA Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu was reported that the locality has established election boards at all levels and completed posting the list of 868,396 voters.

Ca Mau has 13 candidates running for parliamentary seats, 91 for the provincial People’s Council, 522 for the district People’s Councils and 4,832 for the communal People’s Councils.

Early election will be held one day earlier than the national schedule in Hoan Khoai and Hon Chuoi islands in Ngoc Hien and Tran Van Thoi districts.

Hailing the locality’s preparation efforts, NA Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu said the provincial Election Committee has overcome difficulties caused by the severe drought to create the best optimal conditions for locals to go to the poll and exercise their legitimate rights.

He highlighted Ca Mau’s initiative to mobilise vehicles and young people to popularise the election and transport voters from drought-stricken areas and those in difficulties to polling stations.

The official asked the locality to step up efforts to ensure security and order, before, during and after the election day, while continuing to handle petitions and complaints raised by the public.

The same day, the team inspected the preparation work in Ly Van Lam commune, Ca Mau city.

Vietnamese market in Laos on fire

A big fire occurred at a section in the Pakse Dao Huong market, a Vietnamese trade centre in Pakse in the Lao province of Champasak, on early May 17.

According to the Vietnamese Consulate General in Pakse, the fire broke out at 1am off May 17 in western part of the market. Local authorities mobilised firefighting forces to the scene to put out the blaze.

There are no official reports about casualties and property damage yet at the destroyed section where 90 percent of traders are Vietnamese.

Goods stocked at the area included textiles, dried products and jewellries.

Constructed in 1999 at a cost of 5 million USD, the market with 700 stalls opened in 2001.

Subcommittee reviews preparation for election

The subcommittee for personnel and settlement of complaints and denunciations under the National Election Council held a session in Hanoi on May 16.

The meeting, chaired by NA Vice Chairman and head of the subcommittee Phung Quoc Hien, aims to review the preparation for the upcoming election of deputies to the 14th National Assembly (NA) and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2016-2021 tenure, which is scheduled to take place on May 22.

During the event, the subcommittee reviewed the personnel work after announcing the lists of NA and all-level People’s Council candidates.

It also touched upon the settlement of election-related complaints and denunciations by May 12 as well as reviewed all the work it must handle from now to the Election Day (May 22) and post-election jobs.

Burial service for Vietnamese fallen soldiers in Laos

​Ceremony to hand over the remains of Vietnamese fallen soldiers in Laos.

The central province of Nghe An held a memorial and burial service for the remains of 65 Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Lao battlefields during wartime.

The remains were searched for and gathered in the Lao provinces of Xiengkhuang, Vientiane and Xaysomboon between 2015 and 2016, by a specialised team from Nghe An province.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Ngoc Hoa hailed the team’s efforts.

He along with representatives from the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs also thanked the Lao leaders and people for their close coordination and assistance in the field.

Women key to dealing with disaster risks: UN Women official

Women in Asia – Pacific have capability and ability, and they are key to dealing with disaster risks and developing livelihoods for themselves and the community, said Roberta Clarke – UN Women Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific.

She added that women should be facilitated to lead the implementation of disaster risk reduction priorities in the region as well as in each country and locality.

Roberta Clarke made the remark at the Regional Asia-Pacific Conference on Gender and Disaster Risk Reduction in Hanoi on May 16.

The event was attended by representatives from the Vietnamese Government, ministries and institutes, international organisations, and specialists from 22 countries.

Vietnamese Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said it is a fact in his country that women are the first persons to gear up their families for natural disasters, and also the first to bring the life of their communities back to normal.

Phat, who chairs Vietnam’s central steering committee for natural disaster prevention and control, called for all countries’ coordination to integrate gender perspectives into road maps for the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015 – 2030).

The Sendai Framework was adopted at the third UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan, on March 18, 2015. It says: “A gender, age, disability and cultural perspective should be integrated in all policies and practices, and women and youth leadership should be promoted.”

The Asia – Pacific nations are devising action plans on carrying out the Sendai Framework.

During the three-day conference, participants will discuss measures for enhancing gender equality and promoting women’s leadership in priorities such as knowledge about disaster risks; strengthening disaster risk management; investing in response, recovery and adaptation during disaster risk reduction; and increasing preparations for effective response, recovery and rebuilding.

They will also mull over the connection between natural disasters and climate change, the role of climate change prevention in addressing challenges in disaster risk reduction and promoting gender equality through community-based disaster risk management.

Binh Dinh gives Zika training for caring for pregnant women

The Department of Health of central Binh Dinh province on May 16 provided training for medical workers at local health providers caring for pregnant women during the Zika virus outbreak.

The attendees to the course were given updates on the current situation of the outbreak in Vietnam and worldwide in line with interim guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health on screening and caring for pregnant women with potential Zika virus exposure.

According to the department’s director Le Quang Hung, the training course will be run until June 4.

A wide range of activities for the outbreak prevention will be underway in addition to the training. The province plans to increase public awareness of precaution measures against Zika virus and enhance Zika screening at ports and airports, he said.

It also pledged to ensure sufficient supply of medicine and medical equipment in order to handle any Zika emergency.

Awareness campaign on hypertension prevention launched

A campaign to improve community awareness on hypertension control and prevention was launched at a ceremony today to mark World Hypertension Day which is on May 17.

The project, titled First day of my hypertension life, is being held under the Journee Medical Việt Nam-France co-operation programme between the Việt Nam Cardiovascular Association (VCA) and Sevier Việt Nam and is being sponsored by the Ministry of Health and the French embassy in Hà Nội.

The project aims to strengthen awareness on hypertension-related diseases by encouraging patients to practice a healthy lifestyle and follow the treatment for better hypertension control, which will help them manage the disease better.

Vietnamese doctors will be trained on advanced measures to treat hypertension and techniques to provide consultation to patients.

A website on hypertension, ngaydautien.vn, will be launched tomorrow that will provide the latest information and enable patients to share their experiences with others suffering from the disease and their families.

“Hypertension is growing at an alarming rate in Việt Nam. It can cause dangerous complications, even leading to sudden death,” VCA Chairman Prof. Nguyễn Lân Việt said at the event.

Việt said a survey on hypertension in 2015 revealed that the percentage of Vietnamese people aged 25 or more with hypertension-related diseases had increased to 47.3 per cent, compared with 25.1 per cent in 2008. An estimated 39 per cent of people who are believed to have the disease remain undiagnosed.

According to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) statistics, there are some 1.5 billion people suffering from hypertension. Some 17.5 million people die of hypertension-related diseases worldwide each year.

Đờn ca tài tử singers from 11 southern provinces sing at festival

Đờn ca tài tử (southern folk music) bands from 11 provinces in the Southeastern region of the Mekong greater basin gathered in Bình Dương Province at an event on May 15 to prepare for a festival to be held next year.

The event titled Ngọt ngào hương sắc phương Nam was organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism and the provincial People’s Committee between April 14 and May 16.

Music bands from provinces famous for traditional art attended the festival. The provinces include An Giang, Bến Tre, Bình Phước, Đồng Nai, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Tây Ninh, Long An, Vĩnh Long, Tiền Giang and Bình Dương. HCM City was also represented.

Organisers said the event was organised to welcome the upcoming national election. This is also preparation for Bình Dương to organise the second national Đờn ca tài tử Festival in 2017.

Rain to cool north, central Vietnam this week, south remains hot

People in northern and central Vietnam will get some relief from the current heat wave this week, as rain is forecast to fall, along with temperatures, across the country.

However, despite rainy spells this week, a meteorologist has predicted that the south will continue to bake.

Due to a cold air mass sweeping the north of the country, provinces and cities in northern and north-central regions will experience showers and squalls, while downpours may occur in some areas over the period, Le Thi Xuan Lan, a weather specialist, said.

These conditions may, however, dwindle by mid-week, as a warm air mass is forecast to move in from the west of the country.

Temperatures in general will be lower than 35 degrees Celsius, she added, noting that it could become cool and gloomy with more rain by the weekend.

Coastal central areas from Da Nang City to Binh Thuan Province will have less intensive sunny spells, with cloud bringing drizzly rain in some areas, Lan predicted.

Central Highlands and southern regions will have variable rainfall in the evening on the first few days of the week with more rain expected from mid-week caused by southwesterly winds, Lan said, adding that some provinces and coastal regions in the Mekong Delta will be exposed to heavy rains over the period.

Affected by the final phase of the seasonal transition toward the summer-rainy season, both north and south will continue to suffer from baking temperatures, with highs ranging from 36 to 38 degrees Celsius, the meteorologist concluded.

Electronic toll payments introduced

Motor vehicle owners are now able to open an electronic toll collection (ETC) account for travel on the country’s expressways, from May 14.

Opening an account is free. An e-tag will be placed on the vehicle’s windscreen or headlights, where the ETC system will be able to detect it and automatically debit the toll from the account.

ETCs make for much faster toll collection. According to Ministry of Transport experts it takes about three minutes for each driver to pay the toll at a tollbooth. The time saved from electronic tollbooths is estimated to be worth VND2.8 trillion ($125.6 million) each year with VND233 billion ($10.45 million) in energy savings.

The Tasco Joint Stock Company and the VETC Viet Nam Joint Stock Company have worked recently with Vietnam Registry to train staff at 37 registration centers in the north on how to open new accounts and operate the ETC system.

The project is being steered by Ministry of Transport, with Tasco and VETC Viet Nam as the implementing units.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong said that the ministry is trying to call for investment to ensure that 50 per cent of toll booths in Vietnam use the ETC system by June 1.

EVN generation up 14%

Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has released it business performance for April and the first four months of 2016.

In April the company planned for investment of VND9.5 trillion ($425.88 million) and VND36.55 trillion ($1.63 billion) in the first four months, of which VND28.12 trillion ($1.26 billion) was disbursed.

In the first four months total electricity generation was 56.05 billion kWh, 13.91 per cent higher year-on-year. Commercial generation reached 48.37 billion KWh, an increase of 12.61 per cent year-on-year.

VNU to administer SAT Suite of Assessments in South East Asia

Dr Sai Cong Hong, director of the Vietnam National University Test Centre, has announced the Centre has been notified it is the likely candidate to manage the SAT Suite of Assessments in South East Asia.

The SAT Suite of Assessments is an integrated system of tests and scoring that focuses on assisting today’s students get the training they need to solve problems, communicate clearly, and understand complex relationships, said Dr Hong.

The tests are designed to – measure the essential ingredients for college and career readiness and success, as shown by research; have a stronger connection to classroom learning; and inspire productive practice.

SAT Suite progression is reflected in a common score scale that provides consistent feedback across assessments, which provide insight into specific strengths and weaknesses.

The changes in the scores over time provide a visual picture that will help students see where they can improve and teachers adjust instruction for students who are ahead or behind.

“I am committed to ensuring the SAT Suite of Assessments system is instituted in the best manner to truly support our students, parents and teachers,” said Dr Hong in making the announcement.

VRN to hold photo contest on climate change

The Vietnam River Network (VRN) will put on a photo contest on the impact of climate change on the Mekong Delta region for contestants at home and abroad from June 1 to September 30.

The “Dialogue with the River” contest will be the second photo contest organized by VRN since 2015 to raise public awareness of and call for people’s practical actions for the sustainable development of the region. The organizer expects to receive entries taken this year.

There will be monthly prizes, grand prizes and extra titles for entries. Winning entries will be loaded on the contest’s Facebook of doithoaivoidongsong2016, and the best photos will be exhibited at the prize presentation ceremony.

The Mekong Delta has been known for its rich land and water resources. However, due to climate change and damming in the main Mekong River, the region has been hit by drought, seawater intrusion, pollution and erosion and water flow change. These have affected the life quality of people living along the river in the region.

Banks offer low interest rates for fish purchases

Enterprises and fishing logistics boats purchasing and storing fish caught in safe fishing grounds can enjoy preferential interest rates when they take out loans at Agribank, VietinBank, BIDV and Vietcombank.

The low-interest loan program of the four banks is aimed at assisting fishermen affected by mass fish deaths in central Vietnam.

Loan terms can be negotiated by clients and banks but preferential rates are applicable for a maximum of six months, and loans disbursed between May 5 and June 5.

According to the State Bank of Vietnam, the four banks were told last week to lend to clients purchasing and storing fish in Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue provinces and report results to the central bank on a weekly basis.

The central bank told these banks to offer the lowest short-term lending rates possible, which are below 7% per year and covered by the state budget.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, boat owners must ask local fisheries agencies to issue clean fish certification after they are back to the shore.

HCMC starts public health checks around garbage site

HCMC health authority and other relevant agencies are working together to provide free medical aid for and assess environmental impacts on those people living near Dong Thanh garbage landfill in outlying Hoc Mon District.

Nguyen Tan Binh, director of HCMC’s Department of Health, on Saturday informed the city government and relevant agencies of the health check program.

Binh said a delegation of his department led by Doctor Do Quoc Hiep, head of the medical office, and representatives of the Preventive Medicine Center, the Center of Occupational and Environmental Health and Oncology Hospital in HCMC last week worked with Hoc Mon authorities to assess how pollution is affecting public health around the dump site.

The department assigned the Preventive Medicine Center of HCMC to lead the campaign.

The General Hospital in Hoc Mon is tasked with providing free checkups and treatments for all locals around the dump site from May 14, and cooperate with the Oncology Hospital and Preventive Medicine Center of Hoc Mon to document the diseases linked to respiration, ear-nose-throat disorders, skin diseases and cancer, and make an assessment on pollution-linked health issues.

Dinh La Thang, secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, has told the HCMC Department of Health to launch a health check program in Dong Thanh and Nhi Binh communes which have complained about severe pollution at Dong Thanh landfill and in Cau Dua canal at a meeting on May 11.

Overseas Vietnamese remember Ho Chi Minh’s birthday

Vietnamese embassies and communities abroad organized many activities to mark May 19, the 126th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, the beloved great leader of the Vietnamese revolutionary.

In France, delegates of the Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnamese representative agencies were joined by members of the General Union of Vietnamese in France (UGVF) and Vietnamese students on May 16 in laying flowers in memory of the late President at No 9 Compoint Alley, where Ho Chi Minh lived from 1921-1923, and the Ho Chi Minh Memorial at Monceau Park in Montreuil City.

The same day, Prof. Hoang Chi Bao, member of the Central Theory Council, gave a talk at the Embassy about Ho Chi Minh’s thought and morality.

Earlier, Prof. Hoang Chi Bao was also the speaker at a talk on President Ho held by the Vietnamese Embassy in the Czech Republic.

In Canada, the Vietnamese community in Montreal held a gathering on May 15, where two books on President Ho Chi Minh authored by Dr. Nguyen Dai Trang and a painting of the Vietnamese President by artist Jean-Mauriece Gelinas were introduced.

The event was in the framework of the newly-established Canada-Vietnam Society.

4-ton Buddha Statute on display in Quang Ninh

One of the greatest Wonders of the Buddhist World, the four-ton Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, is now on display through May 19 at the Ba Vang Pagoda in the Uong Bi District of Quang Ninh Province.

“The Jade Buddha, dedicated to promoting universal peace and compassion, is on a tour that has taken it around the globe,” said a venerable monk from the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace organization.

This exhibition is for everyone, he said, irrespective of their religion, to take a moment to reflect upon peace— peace for the world, peace relationships, peace within friends and family, peace at work, peace in mind, and most importantly peace in our heart.

This is the third pagoda in Vietnam that the heart-warming exhibition has gone on display following exhibits at Bai Dinh and Hong Phuc pagodas, he said, and it will display here for one week.

This is the last stop before the statue will settle in permanently in Australia.

CLAS - Expara Vietnam Accelerator Batch 2 kicks-off

Microsoft Vietnam, Expara and CLAS are launching Batch 2 of its Acceleration and VC Funding Programme in Vietnam, now in two cities: Ho Chi Minh City and Danang City.

CLAS Expara Vietnam Accelerator (CEVA), a programme drive for the growth of the enterprise ecosystem, is run by Microsoft Vietnam; Expara – South East Asia's leading venture accelerator; and CLAS [Customer Loyalty and Acquisition Services Co. Ltd.] – a startup company of SHTP Microsoft Innovation Centre – a hi-tech software service company to make use of the internet and mobile technology whose software can be custom-tailored to businesses’ marketing needs.

CEVA remarkably made a huge impact to the startup community right at the beginning of the programme while reaching its goal in providing useful resources, business model plans and funding for startups.

CEVA graduated seven startups in its first batch including MimosaTek, MegaNet, UBET, IMAS, HomeFinder, Cloudjet Solutions and CLAS Healthcare. One company has already raised venture capital funding, one has received a term sheet from Expara Ventures III (EV3) with two more currently under review by the EV3 investment committee.

According to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Microsoft Vietnam and Danang Startup Network Coordinating Council in April 2016, CEVA will officially open in the city of Danang.

Therefore, the programme will run simultaneously in the two cities - another first-of-its kind in Vietnam to grow the enterprise ecosystem domestically.

To support startups in developing competitive advantages, CEVA will be conducted in five months with variety of useful sources from Microsoft, CLAS and Expara, it would surely be a strong sustainable programme for any startup.

In addition, the programme will also provide online portal and online learning which would be intentionally provided to startups and million Vietnamese youths during the transformation of information technology in the future.

Applications are now open until June 2, 2016 at fundacity.com/clas-expara-vietnam-accelerator/apply/865.

6,000 bachelor degree holders in Vietnam take test to join Samsung

About 6,000 bachelor degree holders in Vietnam on May 14 took the GSAT (Global Samsung Aptitude Test) to become employees of Samsung Vietnam.

The test takers were chosen from 1.5 million applicants who applied online through the company’s careers website samsungcareers.com.vn. The GSAT tests applicants in math and logic. It’s used at all Samsung companies around the world.

After the GSAT, high scorers will go through interviews at the end of May before becoming employees of Samsung Vietnam at the end of June. The new recruits will work at one of the following facilities namely Samsung Electronics Vietnam – SEV and Samsung Display Vietnam – SDV in Bac Ninh; Samsung Electronics Vietnam Thai Nguyen – SEVT and Samsung Electro- Mechanic Vietnam – SEMV in Thai Nguyen and the Samsung Vietnam Mobile R&D Center – SVMC in Hanoi.

The recruitment of a big number of entry-level employees is part of Samsung’s expansion plan in Vietnam. The company said that it would like to maintain its position as the biggest smart phone producer in the world. The SEV plant in Bac Ninh and SEVT plant in Thai Nguyen now employ 110,000 and the number is growing by the month.

According to the company, each year it recruits thousands of bachelor degree holders into entry-level positions with basic salary of VND10 million ($470) per month, which is a bit over twice as much as the common entry-level salary in Vietnam. The sum does not yet include bonuses and other benefits.

Because the number of recruits each year is high there are currently some organisations and individuals who pose as recruiters of Samsung to trick applicants off their money. Samsung posted a warning on this on its careers website samsungcareers.com.vn, and emphasised that it does not collect any fee during the process of application.

Hand-foot-mouth disease re-occurs across country

Hand-foot-mouth disease re-occurred in 61 cities and provinces across the country though the number of infection cases reduced by 23.2 percent compared to the same period last year.

Worse, there has been no vaccine and medication against the disease while it is peak season for the disease.

The Department of Preventive Medicine Department under the Ministry of Health on May 12 warned parents of an outbreak of the disease during hot weather. Hand, foot, and mouth disease, or HFMD, is a contagious illness that is caused by different viruses. Infants and children younger than 5 years old are more likely to get this disease.

Symptoms usually begin with a fever, reduced appetite, sore throat, and a feeling of being unwell. A day or two after the fever starts, painful sores can develop in the mouth. A skin rash with flat red spots may also develop on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Sometimes a rash also occurs on the knees, elbows, and buttocks. This rash may blister but won't itch. HFMD infection cases are recorded year round yet it escalates in March to May and September to October.

Noticeably, the Ministry of Health said that though since the beginning of the year the cases of HFMD decreased by 23.2 percent compared to same period last year, most of cities and provinces in the country reported infection cases. Meanwhile there is no vaccine to prevent the disease but people can take simple steps like washing your hands often and practicing good hygiene to reduce your risk of infection.

To minimize HFMD cases amongst children, parents should keep personal hygiene by washing hands many times a day for kids; adults should wash their hands before cooking, carrying babies, after going to toilet; not let babies put their hands into mouths and regularly disinfect house floor and toys. Preschools must clean the floor and disinfect toys.

Ill kids must be isolated at homes to prevent transmission to others.

Vaccine therapy for treating liver cancer introduced in Vietnam

A medical seminar will take place in Medicine University in Ho Chi Minh City on May 16 about vaccine therapy for treating liver cancer which is the leading cause of death from cancer in Vietnam.

A group of Italian and Vietnamese scientists will deliver speeches of how Hepavac – a vaccine for liver cancer treatment – works.

This is a new chance for those who have liver cancer because the disease is a real problem for the Southeast Asian nation which has over 70 percent of death from liver cancer, the highest rate in the Southeast Asian region.

HEPAVAC has been approved for clinical tests in six European nations in August, 2016 because liver cancer increased in the global,

The scientific seminar is expected to be an opportunity for Vietnamese and Italian scientists to introduce the new medication in Vietnam and both scientists will conduct analysis of gene of Vietnamese liver cancer patients to invent special vaccine for Vietnamese people.

Photo exhibition on “Vietnam in 80s” opens in city

Photo exhibition titled “Vietnam in 80s” by Michel Blanchard, an AFP journalist opened at the French Cultural Exchange Center, Idecaf in Ho Chi Minh City.

The 80s, between Reunification and the introduction of Doi moi, is a pivotal time for Vietnam.

The AFP correspondent had a heavy and exciting task to inform all aspects of the national life. Michel Blanchard, who was director of the AFP office in Hanoi from June 1981 to June 1983, will testify with his hindsight, experience, work, and daily life, through his exhibition of 50 photos taken by himself.

This experience marked the beginning of a long relationship with Vietnam through his writing and photos. A relationship that lasts forever until today via many cultural links.

Michel Blanchard was bureau chief of AFP in Hanoi for two years, from 1981 to 1983. He has continued to visit Vietnam for over ten years as a writer of travel guides.

The display will run until May 31.

Railway bridge collapse causes total damage of US$36 million

The Ghenh Bridge’s collapse in March has caused a preliminary damage of VND85 billion (US$3.8 million) to the railway industry and total damage to the economy is estimated to reach VND800 billion (US$35.85 million), reported the railway industry’s trade union.

The union was reporting to Mr. Bui Van Cuong, chairman of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor who inspected the construction site of a new railway bridge in Bien Hoa city, Dong Nai province and gave workers presents yesterday.

Mr. Cuong proposed execution units to ensure the work’s progress & quality and labor safety hoping that it will be opened on June 30 as per schedule.

A sand barge collided into the bridge and collapsed it in March, disrupting the north south railway route’s stretch from Bien Hoa to HCMC. Passengers have had to travel by bus between Bien Hoa and Saigon Stations.

Vietnam’s Sea and Islands Week 2016 to take place in Nam Dinh

The eighth Vietnam’s Sea and Islands Week is scheduled to take place in the northern province of Nam Dinh on June 6- 8, announced the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on May 11.

During three day event, an opening meeting marking the World Ocean Day and Vietnam's Sea and Islands Week under theme of “For green planet”, a launching ceremony of young volunteers to clean environment at beaches, bike parade will be organized at Thinh Long beach of Hai Hau district, Nam Dinh.

In response to the eighth Vietnam’s Sea and Islands Week, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment asked relevant ministries, departments, People’s Committees of the provinces and cities nationwide to strengthen further mobilization activities on sea, islands' protection.

The annual environmental event contributes to raise public awareness in sovereignty protection over Vietnam’s sea, islands.

Vietnam tightens control of pesticide smuggling

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development yesterday sent Minister Cao Duc Phat’s direction to municipal and provincial people’s committees  and related agencies asking to increase inspection and issue penalties on smuggling, trading and using pesticide into Vietnam.

Currently The increase in smuggling, trading and using of pesticide, agricultural produce preservation and plant growth stimulants into Vietnam caused concerns among consumers.

Accordingly, the Ministry ordered authorities to instruct farmers not to use illicit pesticide as well as seize these toxic substances and issue harsh penalties on those intentionally violate the regulation.

Minister Cao Duc Phat proposed local governments to try their best in fighting pesticide illegal trade.

HCM City plans activities to mark Uncle Ho’s birthday

Ho Chi Minh City will hold several activities to mark the 126th birth anniversary of the late president Ho Chi Minh, which falls on May 19 (1890-2016).

Accordingly, a photo exhibition will open on Nguyen Hue and Dong Khoi streets on May 17 morning.

A ceremony will be held on May 18 to honour outstanding individuals and units in the campaign of studying and following the moral example of President Ho Chi Minh.

High-ranking officials of the municipal Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee and Vietnam Fatherland Front chapter will offer incense and flower in tribute to the late president at the city branch of the Ho Chi Minh Museum, and the Ho Chi Minh Statue Park on May 19.

On the same day, several performing art activities to mark the late president’s birthday will be organised in many places, including the September 23rd Prk and the Gia Dinh 2 Park.

Besides, a “Vietnam’s Ao dai” fashion show entitled “Thanh pho Ao dai” (The City of long dress) and a lotus offering ceremony will be held on Nguyen Hue pedestrian street.

On the occasion, a tree planting event to commemorate the late president will also be held at the city’s University of Economics and Law.

Vietnamese sugar plant pays damages to fish farmers after causing mass fish deaths

A sugar producer based in northern Vietnam has compensated fish cage farmers in a north-central province for causing their fish to die en masse by dumping untreated water into a river flowing through their farms, a local official said.

The Hoa Binh sugar facility in Hoa Binh Province has said that it will pay over VND1.4 billion (US$62,734) as compensation to those households whose fish farms on the Buoi River had been damaged by the contamination brought about by the firm’s wastewater.

Bui Thi Muoi, Party Committee Secretary of Thach Thanh District, Thanh Hoa Province, confirmed on Thursday that the Hoa Binh sugar facility had dispatched representatives to pay VND80,000 ($3.58) per kilo as compensation to 15 affected households in Thanh Vinh Commune.

Muoi also said that the Thach Thanh People’s Committee had supported 34 households running floating fish cages with VND2 million ($89.62) and 20 kilos of rice per family.

From March 15 to April 25, the sugar facility, located in the Lac Son industrial complex in Lac Son District, dumped 250-300 cubic meters of untreated water directly into the river a day, which heavily contaminated the water current, according to official reports.

The mass deaths hit fish farms in as many as 15 communes in Thach Thanh and Lac Son Districts, whereas wild fish and shrimp in the river also died in large numbers, according to a report submitted to the provincial administration.

Seventeen metric tons of fish, raised in 71 floating fish cages of 32 households in Thach Thanh died due to the water pollution. In Thanh Vinh alone, there were ten metric tons of dead fish found from 28 affected farms, the report said.

Local authorities then checked the wastewater discharge system of the plants along the river to determine the cause of the fish deaths.

They later found that the Hoa Binh sugar factory had discharged untreated water directly into the river.

The facility operator admitted on May 7 that they release some 300 cubic meters of wastewater into the Buoi River on an annual basis.

Woman sentenced to prison for defrauding teachers

The Hà Nội People’s Court on Wednesday sentenced a 54-year-old woman to 12 years of imprisonment for defrauding others and making fake government seals.

Phạm Thị Tư, of Ngọc Liệp Commune in Hà Nội’s Quốc Oai District, told many people that she could help them become permanent teachers at state schools in exchange for monetary payments.

In May 2013, Kim Thị Nhung, 30, of Hà Nội’s Phúc Thọ District, gave Tư VNĐ135 million (US$6,000) to help her become employed in a state school without taking any professional skill examination.

Tư asked her younger sister, Phạm Thị Tâm, 34, to create fake decisions of the Thạch Thất District People’s Committee and the Hà Nội Department of Home Affairs stating that Nhung was enrolled as a permanent teacher.

Tư gave Nhung two fake decisions in July 2014 and asked Nhung to pay an additional VNĐ35 million ($1,500). Nhung waited for a long time, but no school called her to work.

A police investigation showed that Nhung defrauded five other people, taking VNĐ700 million ($31,100) with the same trick.

Vietnam to be affected by La Nina after months of El Nino influence

The extreme heat being experienced in the southern Vietnamese provinces is forecast to continue until early June and is expected to be followed by violent storms, as the region shifts from being influenced by the El Nino phenomenon to the La Nina.

Despite recent showers that have triggered joy among local citizens, weather in the southern part of Vietnam remains scorching hot with no let-up expected until late May, or early June in some places, according to the Southern Hydro-Meteorological Station.

People in southern Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, have been experiencing temperatures ranging from 37 to 39 degrees Celsius, peaking at around 3:00 pm in the afternoon.

These temperatures are two to three degrees Celsius higher than those recorded during the same period of last year.

The weather conditions are considered one of the effects brought about by the El Nino phenomenon present in the country for the past year, said Vu Quang Dau, deputy head of the Southern Hydro-Meteorological Station.

Other El Nino effects include a drop in rainfall, or the complete absence of rain during the rainy season, low humidity, and others, all magnified by the activities of the westerly hot front and the subtropical ridge, Dau elaborated.

The sky is clearer, allowing sunrays to directly touch the ground, resulting in the hot, dry atmosphere as well as the burning sensation on skin.

The Southern Hydro-Meteorological Station has also predicted that the current effects of El Nino would be neutralized during July and August, while the La Nina phenomenon would hit the region in late 2016.

As a result, the number of storms in the East Vietnam Sea this year is estimated at between 10 and 12, about six of which are predicted to directly affect Vietnam.

This figure is nearly double that of 2014 and 2015, the station added.

According to Dau, the forecast is based on scientific evidence, which is the standard deviation of sea surface temperatures, whose possibility of happening is between 52% and 57%.

The La Nina is expected to impact Vietnam between October and December and could make its appearance sooner in September, the weather expert said.

Dau said that the meteorological events could be a repetition of those in 1998, in which the country was influenced by both a record-breaking El Nino followed by a prolonged La Nina.

Some unique features of the La Nina phenomenon include an increasing number of storms and tropical depressions, and unpredictable tempests whose consequences are difficult to predict, Dau explained.

Le Thi Xuan Lan, a weather pundit based in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the current weather conditions reminded her of Typhoon Linda in 1997, which killed over 3,000 people, destroyed about 200,000 houses and left some 383,000 residents homeless in Vietnam.

The tropical storm formed in the southern part of the East Vietnam Sea and struck the southern province of Ca Mau 48 hours later, Lan added.

Short film raises public awareness of environmental pollution

Change/350.org Vietnam is joining forces with Global Greengrants Fund to unveil a short film titled “I don’t care” about environmental pollution and climate change, featuring local celebrities’ viewpoints.

Eight popular artists from different fields of arts with different characteristics, such as Thanh Bui, Diem My, Tien Tien, Do Hai Anh, Trong Hieu, Hoang Quyen, Alexander Tu and Bich Ngoc show their attitudes towards the lack of public awareness of severe and irredeemable problems faced by the living environment.

Apart from the celebrities, the campaign has received active responses from people in Hanoi, HCMC and Binh Thuan. They deliver a strong message on the consequences of coal-fired thermal power plants, climate change, natural disasters, and air pollution.

Vietnamese Australian singer/composer Thanh Bui says in a statement that the saying of “I don’t care” must be eliminated from people’s mind and they need to raise their voices and join hands to protect our living environment. “The silence on May 9 will lead to the destruction of the future’s environment,” he added.

The short film is expected to be screened on local social networks and at climate change conferences at universities and public places as well as on TV channels and online newspapers. In early April, the “I can’t” campaign unveiled a photo collection with the participation of artists and people to deliver a message of “Don’t let the pollution destroy your life”. For further information, visit www.changevn.org or Facebook page of vietnam350.

Slaughter houses to be punished for trading cattle with banned substance

Inspectors from the southern province of Bình Dương have detected several cases involving the use of banned substances in animal husbandry over the past week.

The provincial Livestock, Veterinary and Fishery Department last Wednesday gave an unexpected inspection of a slaughterhouse owned by Phan Văn Chiến who resides in Bến Cát Town’s Mỹ Phước Ward and took urine samples of 9 pigs set to be slaughtered for testing.

All the pigs tested positive for Salbutamol, a banned substance with concentrations up to 64.5 parts per billion (ppb).

After the tests, when the provincial Department of Animal Health returned to the abattoir, they found the company had replaced the nine tested pigs with others and had slaughtered and sold five of the contaminated animals. Authorities retrieved and seized meat contaminated with the banned substance.

Another slaughterhouse in Bến Cát Town was also found to be trading pigs contaminated with banned substances.

Tests showed that all 15 pigs at a slaughter house owned by Đỗ Văn Thuyên were positive for Salbutamol with concentrations up to 49.4 ppb.

Inspectors proposed a VNĐ12.5 million (US$560) fine for Chiến and Thuyên for the violations. In addition, Chiến had to pay an additional VNĐ2.5 million ($112) for replacing five of the tested pigs with other pigs.

Chiến and Thuyên had also supposed to pay costs for testing and destroy all pigs that tested positive for banned substances.

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