Man detained for illegally transporting explosives

Police in the northern province of Quảng Ninh on Monday detained a man and will prosecute him for illegally transporting 158kg of explosives and 100 detonators.

Đặng Bá Thành, 38, a resident of Đông Triều Township was stopped while driving a car carrying the explosives. 

At the police station in Uông Bí Township, Thành confessed he was carrying the goods for someone in exchange for money.

Further investigation is underway.

Information technology key to alleviate poverty: seminar

Vietnam has pledged efforts to promote the application of information and communication technology (ICT) in poverty reduction and sustainable development, said Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen The Phuong.

He made the statement at an international seminar jointly held on July 17 in New York by Vietnam, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Italy, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). 

The event was oraganised on the sidelines of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) high-level segment.

Vietnam will invest 11 trillion VND (484 million USD) from the Public-Utility Telecommunication Service Fund by 2020 to ensure that internet and other telecommunication services are accessible to all schools, hospitals, communes, poor and near-poor households, highlighted Phuong, who is also head of the Vietnamese delegation to the ECOSOC high-level segment.

He shared Vietnam’s challenges in the field, including capacity of local authorities, application skills of people, and data base.

Phuong added that the full involvement of the State, local people, businesses and foreign partners will speed up the country’s ICT application in poverty alleviation and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation.

At the event, international representatives said that ICT is a key tool to implement SDGs, contributing to generating jobs, eradicating poverty and ensuring social welfare.

Specific experiences in ICT application were shared, including simplifying administrative procedures on land for farmers, building up the poor’s healthcare record, promoting education and vocational training and providing online financial services for production households and vulnerable groups.

They also gave out recommendations on low-cost ICT solutions to enhance economic efficiency, governments’ support for direct dialogues between local people, businesses and ICT service providers as well as study on the possibility of latest ICT application in poverty reduction like artificial intelligence and 3D printing.

Besides encouraging bilateral cooperation, the participants called for the UN’s support for developing nations through the its organisations like the UNDP and ITU.

The international seminar was initiative of Vietnam as an ECOSOC member for 2016-2018 tenure, aiming to make contributions to the discussion of the high-level segment themed “Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world”.

HCM City, Da Nang celebrate Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties

A ceremony was held in Ho Chi Minh City on July 18 to celebrate 40 years since the signing of Vietnam-Laos Treaty on Amity and Cooperation (July 18) and the 55th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties (Sept. 5) between the two nations. 

In his speech delivered at the event, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan highlighted the long-lasting relations between the two countries, which were founded by Presidents Ho Chi Minh and Kaysone Phomvihane and Prince Souphanouvong, then nurtured and developed by generations of Party and State leaders and people of Vietnam and Laos.

On September 5, 1962, the two nations officially set up diplomatic relations, opening a new chapter in history of the bilateral relationship, he said.

Later, on July 18, 1977, Vietnam and Laos signed the Treaty on Amity and Cooperation, a very important document that creates a firm legal foundation for a series of joint agreements to enhance and expand the sound traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation in a wide range of fields in the new period, Nhan said.

The official added that HCM City has cooperative relations with Vientiane and Champasak province while regularly coordinating with many other Lao localities such as Xiangkhouang, Houaphanh and Attapeu provinces.

For his part, Santiphap Phomvihane, Secretary and Governor of the Lao province of Savanakhet, said amid regional and global complicated developments, especially challenges regarding market mechanism, international integration and globalisation, it is a high time for the two Parties, States and people of Laos and Vietnam to further nurture the bilateral solidarity, friendship and comprehensive cooperation.

He believed that in the future, the Lao and Vietnamese people would continue standing side by side and supporting each other in national construction and development, thus obtaining greater achievements on the path to socialism.

Also at the ceremony, HCM City was presented a first-class Labour Order by the Lao State for its contributions to promoting special relations between Vietnam and Laos.

On this occasion, a photo exhibition entitled “Vietnam-Laos traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation” was opened in HCM City’s pedestrian street. The exhibition will run until July 22.

A similar ceremony was also organised in the central city of Da Nang on the same day.

Photo exhibition highlights Vietnam-Laos traditional relations

A photo exhibition featuring the traditional friendship and special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos opened in Hanoi on July 18.

The event is part of the activities to mark the 55th founding anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties (September 5, 1962) and 40 years of signing the bilateral Treaty on Amity and Cooperation (July 18, 1977).

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Lao Vice President Phankham Viphavanh cut the ribbon to kick off the event.

On display are nearly 40 photos, documents, books and objects reflecting the building and development of the special relations between Vietnam and Laos through historical periods, especially from 1962 to 2017.

The exhibition is divided into three parts with the first one highlighting the history of Vietnam-Laos relationship and the establishment of the diplomatic ties.

The second part focuses on Vietnam-Laos special solidarity in the cause of national building and development (1977-1986), especially the bilateral Treaty on Amity and Cooperation, and bilateral cooperation in the first years of addressing war consequences.

The third part captures visits by leaders of the two countries’ Parties and States to elevate the bilateral cooperation to a new height across politics, external affairs, security, defense, economics, culture, society, education and training.

The exhibition will run until September 15, 2017.

Memorial services for soldier remains repatriated from Cambodia

The southern province of Kien Giang on July 18 held a ceremony to commemorate rebury the remains of 51 Vietnamese voluntary soldiers who laid down their lives in Cambodia during wartime.

As many as 41 remains were found in the Kampot province of Cambodia in the 2016-2017 dry season by Group K92 of the Kien Giang Military Command, while 10 remains were discovered in the Vietnamese province.

Since 2011, Group K92 has found a total of 1,940 remains of Vietnamese fallen soldiers in the four Cambodian provinces of Kampot, Kep, Sihanoukville and Koh Kong.

In southern Dong Nai province, memorial and reburial services were held on July 17-18 for the remains of seven fallen soldiers during the anti-US war. The remains were found in the province.

Meanwhile, remains of 22 soldiers of the An Dien battle in 1974 were found by the Binh Duong Military Command on July 18. The remains were of soldiers of the Division 7 and 9 of the Military Zone 4.

The memorial and burial service for the soldiers will be held on July 26 and 27 while search for the other remains in the province is underway.

International conference spotlights sustainable transport solutions

The 12th International Conference of the Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS) is set to take place in Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Duong from July 18-21.

Themed “Safe, Green and Integrated Transport”, the conference is expected to gather some 600 experts, with discussions focusing on pavement maintenance, public transport, traffic management and parking regulations, among other topics.

Some specific issues in Vietnam, such as traffic jam in urban areas, environmental pollution, and traffic accidents would also be tabled.

At a press conference on the conference held on July 18, Vo Khanh Hung, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh Transport Department, the business hub is facing traffic congestion and pollution, and is looking for solutions and technologies from experienced EASTS member countries.

The department would present four topics at the conference – the management of private vehicles in line with urban development planning, global trend of smart traffic, traffic safety enhancement for vulnerable vehicles, and overhauling public transport system.

Tran Ba Luan, vice director of the Binh Duong Transport Department, the southern province is home to 2 million people, half of whom are migrants. 

The entire province recorded about 1 million motorbikes and over 100,000 cars, not to mention a flow of vehicles from other localities travelling through Binh Duong to reach the Mekong Delta on a daily basis. As such, traffic jam has become a pressing issue.

Binh Duong hopes to learn about the management of the transport infrastructure system via the conference to come up with feasible policies in the future, Luan noted.

EASTS was founded in 1994 as an umbrella organisation of transportation science societies in East Asia. It has 19 members across the region.

Mechanism sought to implement child friendly city initiative

A cooperation mechanism among stakeholders to effectively implement the child friendly city initiative in Ho Chi Minh City was the focus of discussion at a workshop in the city on July 18.

The event was jointly organised by the municipal People’s Committee and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Nguyen Thi Thu, Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee said the city is home to over 1.5 million children, including over 16,000 disadvantaged ones and over 35,000 at risk of falling into disadvantaged situation. These figures demonstrate that great challenges are facing the city in caring for and protecting children. 

The initiative, to be carried out from 2017 to 2021, will help the city better implement the Law on Children 2016 and ensure the rights of local children, Thu said.

Youssouf Abdel – Jelil, UNICEF Representative in Vietnam said children in general and children in cities in particular have to face numerous problems related to health, education and abusing and exploitation risks.

The initiative aims to reduce the gap in accessing social services and protect children from violence, while promoting a safe and sustainable urban environment for them.

It will link urban planning with budget allocation for children and enhance needy children’s participation in child-related issues.

Youssouf Abdel – Jelil underlined the need for the involvement of authorities, business community, social organisations and children’s organisations in order for the initiative to be implemented effectively.

Participants said administrative formalities should be reduced for the cooperation mechanism among stakeholders to reduce time and expense spent on preparations, allowing more resources for main activities under the initiative.

They added that as a large number of children in HCM City (400,000) are from immigrant families, the initiative should look to improve those children’s access to social, health and educational services. 

Many pointed to the need to mobilise financial and human resources from social organisations to ensure the outcomes of the initiative will be maintained and multiplied across the nation.

Hundreds of inl’t experts to attend EASTS conference in September

The 12th International Conference of Eastern Asia Society for Transportation Studies (EASTS) will be held in HCMC and the neighboring province of Binh Duong from September 18-21 with the attendance of 600 local and international experts.

That was announced by the National Traffic Committee at a press conference in HCMC this morning.

At the event themed “Vision and action plan towards safe, green and integrated transport,” experts from EASTS member nations comprising Australia, Cambodia, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam will exchange their studies in transport field.

Besides they will share experiences in private vehicle management, smart traffic application, public transport development and climate change adaption.

According to the National Traffic Safety Committee, the transport system of Vietnam has outstandingly developed. Still the country has faced many challenges such as traffic jam in big cities, complicated traffic accidents, environmental pollution, the high increase of private vehicles and high transport fee.

Vietnam's urgent problems will be discussed such as traffic safety management, traffic infrastructure and organization, traffic vehicles, traffic participants and traffic accident response.

Children's charity painting competition launched

A children’s charity painting contest has been kicked off throughout the country by the Kim Dong Publishing House and Thien Nhan and Friends Fund.

The 2nd competition called “Drawing a fairy tale” will be held at Kim Dong Book Center on Cong Quynh Street in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 on July 23 with the participation of more than 30 local and international children painters. Hanoi’s show was previously organized in June.

The organizer will select excellent paintings for an auction to support disadvantaged and disabled children. All proceeds from the charity auction will go to a fund that provides free surgeries for 50 unfortunate children.

Selected artworks will be also displayed at the launching ceremony of the book “Journey of love, diary of Thien Nhan”, at Kim Dong Book Center on July 30.

The Thien Nhan and Friends Fund which is part of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, was established to help Thien Nhan. He is an abandoned boy who his right leg and genitals were taken by wild animals. He was abandoned by his teenage mother in a deserted garden for three days by after birth in Quang Nam Province in 2006. Tran Mai Anh, a young mother of two in Ha Noi, adopted him when he was two years old. She took him too many reconstructive doctors in Vietnam and abroad for operations. Now, Nhan has a chance at being a healthy boy and studies at a primary school in the capital.

The program has coordinated with many hospitals in Vietnam and invited international doctors to participate in medical missions to consult and conduct free operations for more than 600 handicapped children nationwide.

Neutrino Physics Group established in Binh Dinh province

Rencontres du Vietnam Association and the People's Committee of the central province of Binh Dinh yesterday organized a ceremony to establish Neutrino Physics Group.

Professor Tran Thanh Van, chairman of the association under International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE), said that Neutrino Group will mainly focus on analyzing experimental data and attending experimental simulation programs in 3-5 years.

In the future, the group will increase the number of members, build a laboratory and equip measuring devices placed at ICISE.

The group has set a target of having an independent group of domestic and foreign physicians to attend large experiments in the world.

ADB to help Da Nang develop waste treatment solutions

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Da Nang City People’s Committee have signed a transaction advisory services agreement to develop a new landfill and waste treatment facility.

According to Mr. Norio Saito, ADB Deputy Country Director in Vietnam, this support to Da Nang will complement the work ADB is doing in the urban sector in Vietnam and create a template for delivering waste treatment solutions via public-private partnerships (PPP) for other cities around the country. “ADB has been a key development partner of Da Nang,” he said.

The project will use a PPP scheme in which the private sector will design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the waste disposal and treatment facilities. These facilities will meet the city’s requirements beyond 2020 by applying appropriate technologies for treating waste. The concession period and other parameters, including the technologies to be used, will be determined based on the feasibility study. The project will complement the city’s initiatives to improve waste collection.

Da Nang, a rapidly growing industrial and tourism hub in central Vietnam with a population of over 1 million, collects about 700-750 tons of solid waste per day. Waste is disposed of in the city’s existing landfill but the remaining capacity will be fully utilized by 2020. 

Development of a new site and waste treatment facility is an urgent task for the city, to make its solid waste management more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

ADB’s assistance to Vietnam to identify and develop PPPs, including in the waste sector, is a key priority in its 2016–2020 Country Partnership Strategy for Vietnam, which supports the country’s environmentally-sustainable growth. 

The project will be ADB’s second PPP transaction advisory engagement in Vietnam and its first in the solid waste sector. As a transaction advisor for the project, ADB will work with the city to explore the most appropriate technology for the project, attract private sector investors, create document and contract templates that may be used for future PPPs in the sector and the region, and build local expertise in PPP management and execution.

Established in 1966 and based in Manila, the ADB is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally-sustainable growth, and regional integration. It is owned by 67 members, 48 of which are from the region. Its assistance totaled $31.7 billion in 2016, including $14 billion in co-financing.

Two children drown in manmade pit after storm

Two children drowned in a manmade pit in the central province of Hà Tĩnh on Monday, the first fatal incident reported after Talas storm hit the central region.

The bodies of siblings, Nguyễn Văn Hoàng, 9, and Nguyễn Văn Đạt, 8, were pulled out of a pit that had been dug for an ongoing toilet construction inside Cẩm Hưng Primary School, in the province’s Cẩm Hưng Commune.

Witnesses said they had seen the two children playing with their friends near the pit, which was unfenced and exposed. The siblings are believed to have slipped and fallen as the ground around it was muddy and slippery.

Nguyễn Đình Hùng, a security official in Cẩm Hưng Commune, said the other children playing with the victims shouted for help and alerted the adults too late.

The pit is about one metre deep and had no water in it before the storm, which filled it up.

Cô Tô tourists return to mainland after storm

Around 3,500 visitors began leaving Cô Tô Island, a popular tourist destination off Quảng Ninh Province, today morning after being stranded there for two days because of storm Talas.

Shipping vessels resumed operations at 6am today after weather conditions improved, said Lê Hồng Thắng, director of Quảng Ninh Inland Waterway Port. All stranded tourists are expected to be transported to the mainland by the middle of the day, he added.

From 6am Sunday, all cruise ship operations had been halted because of the impact of the storm, which hit the central region. This left more than 5,000 tourists, including 30 foreigners, stuck on the province’s islands.

Local authorities had advised tourists to stay calm, and ordered hotels and other service providers to help accommodate the stranded tourists, as well as offer discounts.

One dead, 5 missing as coal freighter overturned by storm Talas in central Vietnam

A coal freighter docked at a beach in north-central Nghe An Province was overturned by storm Talas on July 16, leaving one dead and five still missing.

Vietnamese cargo ship VTB 26 was docked at Hon Ngu beach in Nghe An’s Cua Lo District on Sunday evening to take shelter from storm Talas when it slipped its mooring and was overturned.

Tropical storm Talas, which had grown from a tropical depression in the East Vietnam Sea, hit the north-central region of Vietnam on Sunday evening, bringing about heavy rain and strong winds across the provinces of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa.

There were reportedly 13 people aboard the VTB 26 at the time of accident, including 12 crewmen and one employee of the coal company that had boarded the ship to escort the shipment.

As of 11:30 am on Monday, response teams had been able to rescue seven people and found one dead body suspected to be one of the crew members, while five others remain missing.

Dinh Viet Hong, deputy chairman of Nghe An, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Monday that the province had put together a command headed by the provincial Border Guards to carry out a search and rescue mission for the missing people.

According to Truong Duc Nghia, chief of office of the National Committee for Search and Rescue, the cargo ship VTB 26 had been transporting over 4,700 metric tons of coal from northern Quang Ninh Province to Cua Lo District before taking shelter from the storm.

Though distress signals were sent out by two other ships that spotted the VTB 26 slipping its mooring on Sunday evening, no rescue mission was immediately possible due to the fierce storm, said Vuong Binh Minh, director of the Port Authority of Nghe An.

On Monday morning, locals living near Cua Lo beach spotted the vessel washed aground about 500 meters from the shore, according to Vo Van Hung, deputy chairman of Cua Lo.

Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has demanded that effort be put into looking for the missing crew as well as into salvaging the distressed ship.

All systems go for APEC food security conference in Can Tho

All systems are go for this year’s APEC food security conference set for August 21-25 in the southern Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, reports the Vietnam News Agency.

The conference aims to improve information-sharing and communication among member countries to provide accurate and timely information on emerging food safety issues.

It also targets strengthening participation of members in the World Health Organization International Food Safety Authorities Network to increase the ability of the APEC region to respond to food safety emergencies of global significance.

Dao Anh Dung, vice chair of Can Tho People’s Committee said 15 meetings, seminars and conferences are planned for the event, which expects roughly 500 delegates from the region to attend.

NA leader presents gifts to Heroic Mothers in Quang Nam

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on July 17 presented 106 savings books each worth 2 million VND (88 USD) to Vietnam Heroic Mothers and policy beneficiaries in the central province of Quang Nam on the occasion of the upcoming Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27).

The NA leader affirmed that the Party and State always pay special attention to supporting those who have contributed to the nation.

At the same time, the whole community, including businesses, have always accompanied the State in the work, she said.

Earlier the same day, the top legislator laid a wreath at the Monument to Martyrs and the Statue of Vietnam Heroic Mothers in the province.

She also visited a number of local policy beneficiary families, and offered incense at the Martyrs’ Cemetery in Dien Ban district.

Quang Nam is one of the localities suffering from heavy consequences of the war, with 23 percent of its population being policy beneficiaries. The province has 14,792 Vietnam Heroic Mothers, 911 of them are alive. The province is also home to 65,000 martyrs and over 30,000 wounded and sick soldiers.

Central Highlands Steering Committee marks 15-year operation

The Steering Committee for the Central Highlands held a ceremony to celebrate its 15th founding anniversary on July 17.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of the committee To Lam, who is also Minister of Public Security, said over the past 15 years, remarkable changes have been recorded in the region’s economic growth and security.

He stressed that with a goal toward the regional sustainable development, the steering committee will continue working with relevant ministries, sectors and agencies to capitalise on the region’s potential and strengths and to speed up its international integration.  

Sectors of focus are trade, high-tech agricultural technology, renewable energy, processing industry and tourism, he added.

The Central Highlands region grows more than 10 percent on a yearly average, with agro-forestry-fishery production value increasing about 7 percent annually.

By the end of 2016, income per capita in the region reached nearly 40 million VND (1,760 USD), 13 times higher than the figure for 2001.

Vietnam tourism culture days in Laos

The Vietnam tourism culture days began in Vientiane on July 17 as part of activities to celebrate the 55th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Laos (September 5, 1962) and 40 years of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty on Amity and Cooperation (July 18, 1977).

Vietnam’s Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien said the Vietnam tourism culture days in Laos and vice versa are held annually aiming to strengthen bilateral solidarity and cooperation.

Laos Minister of Culture, Information and Tourism Bosengkham Vongdala said the important event marked the Vietnam-Laos Year of Friendship and Solidarity, which manifests the solidarity between the two countries’ Parties, States and peoples.

Visitors can enjoy a photo exhibition featuring land, people, natural heritage sites and tangible and intangible cultural heritage recognised by UNESCO in Vietnam, as well as a music and dance performance on the relations between Vietnam and Laos and a tourism promotion workshop.

The same day, the fourth Vietnam-Laos people-to-people exchange festival opened in Vientiane, with Lao Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone in attendance.

He highlighted the traditional friendship between the two countries which was founded by Presidents Ho Chi Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane and Suphanuvong.

Despite complex regional and global, the relations between Vietnam and Laos have thrived, he said, adding that the Vietnam-Laos Treaty on Amity and Cooperation is a historical document.

Chairman of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association Tran Van Tuy said the celebration of the anniversaries is significant to deepening bilateral rapports.

Foreign ministry’s newspaper debuts English online version

The World & Vietnam Report (WVR), the newspaper of the Vietnam Foreign Ministry, has opened an English site of its online edition.

Readers looking for a mainstream source of English news on current affairs in Vietnam and in the world can now go to www.en.baoquocte.vn.

Speaking at a launch ceremony in Hanoi on July 17, Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc said the news portal helps the newspaper connect to English-speaking audience and about 4.5 million overseas Vietnamese worldwide.

It would also serve as an effective tool for Vietnam during its global integration progress, he added.

The WVR covers noticeable world news, and policies on foreign relations issued by the Vietnamese Government.

Cambodian media introduces Party chief Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit

Fresh News online newspaper and Rasmei Kampuchea daily’s e-version  of Cambodia on July 16-17 ran articles introducing the upcoming State-level visit to Cambodia by Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. 

The articles cited a press release of Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as saying that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will pay a State-level visit to the country from July 20-22 at the invitation of Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni.

He is scheduled to meet with King Norodom Sihamoni, visit Queen Mother Norodom Monineat Sihanouk and pay courtesy visits to Great Supreme Patriarchs Tep Vong and Bou Kry. 

He will have meetings with Cambodia’s Senate President Samdech Say Chhum and National Assembly President Samdech Heng Samrin. 

The Party chief will also have an official meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen. Following the meeting, they will witness the signing of a joint statement on enhancing the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, and several other documents. 

On this occasion, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Senate President Say Chhum will co-hosted a ceremony to inaugurate the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monument located in Preah Sihanouk province. 

According to the press release, the year 2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Cambodia. Therefore, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit affirms the long-term, firm friendship and cooperation between the two countries. 

It is expected to significantly contribute to intensifying the bilateral relationship across fields, the press release said.-