Train staff help pregnant woman deliver baby on train

The baby delivered on the train.

A 28 year old mother has thanked transport workers who helped deliver her baby on train while she was on the train from Ho Chi Minh City to the northern province of Thanh Hoa.

Pregnant Bui Thi Thu from Thanh Hoa Province returned her homeland on train on December 14 departing from Ho Chi Minh City and at the midnight she had sign of delivering baby when the train arrived in Thua Luu Station in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

Train manager Nguyen Tan Tai phoned Hue station for an emergency. At the same time, he and other staffs prepared everything to help the pregnant woman to deliver baby safely

Until 1 a.m, train workers assisted the pregnant woman to deliver a baby girl safely. When the train arrived in Hue Station, the pregnant woman was quick to be taken to Railway Transport Hospital for further treatment.

This is the third time, train manager Nguyen Tan Tai assisted pregnant women to deliver safely on train.

Bui Thi Thu was discharged from the hospital on December 15.

Passengers can fly to South East Asian countries at VND 200,000

Vietnam Airlines (VNA) announced to launch a preferential ticket program for its international flights to South East Asian countries from January 5 to December 31, 2016.

The preferential program starts running on December 17- 27.

Accordingly, Vietnam Airlines will sell round-trip tickets, costing from VND 200,000 – 1,349,000 per flight. Particularly, price for South East Asian journeys will be sold at VND 200,000 for HCMC – Yangon/Kuala Lumpur, at VND 499,000 for HCMC- Bangkok/ Singapore and Hanoi- Kuala Lumpur, at VND 699,000 for Hanoi- Bangkok, VND 899,000 for Hanoi- Singapore/ Yangon and VND 1,349,000 for HCMC- Jakarta.

The tickets exclude fees, taxes and additional fees. Passengers can be booked tickets via the airline's website www.vietnamairlines.com

Jetstar Pacific takes over Vietnam Airlines’ flights on Hanoi-Tuy Hoa route

Low-cost carrier Jetstar Pacific Airlines (JPA) on December 16 took over the Hanoi - Tuy Hoa flight route from the national carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA).

Accordingly, the air route linking Hanoi and Tuy Hoa is now being operated by JPA using the 180-seat A320 aircraft, replacing the 68-seat ATR-72 aircraft, with four flights a week every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The flight will depart from Hanoi at 7:30 and the return flight will take off at 9:55. The total travelling time is one hour and 50 minutes, 40 minutes shorter than the previous one operated by VNA.

Passengers who have confirmed seats and have been issued VNA tickets on the route from December 16, 2015 onwards on the Hanoi-Tuy Hoa route will be free to move to the JPA flight on the same route or change tickets to the Hanoi-Quy Nhon/Nha Trang routes.

JPA is a VNA subsidiary company and VNA owns around 69.93% of JPA's charter capital.

The transfer of the flight is part of VNA's strategy to develop a VNA-JPA dual-brand name, which focuses on restructuring, completing the flight route network, diversifying and improving service quality and meeting increasing demand of passengers.

Earlier, also in 2015, VNA transferred two flight routes between Ho Chi Minh City and Tuy Hoa, and HCMC and Chu Lai to JPA.

Vietnam on alert for Avian Influenza A (H7N9)

Vietnam should take proactive measures to prevent avian influenza A (H7N9) virus although the country has not detected any infection case so far, according to the Preventive Health Department under the Ministry of Health.

The Department said on December 18 that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) have recorded another six infected cases on human including four cases of A (H9N2) and two cases of A (H7N9).

As Vietnam has a long borderline with China with a lot of trading activities, there is a high risk of the virus transmission into Vietnam, particularly at the coming Lunar New Year festival (Tet) when the demand for poultry products will increasing rapidly

The Ministry of Health has strictly co-ordinated with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to monitor the spread of the epidemic among poultry for an early prevention.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), since June avian influenza A (H7N9) has been detected on poultry in several provinces of China. So far, 683 cases in the world have been reported as positive to avian influenza (H7N9) on human.

More flood-affected provinces receive government aid

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has directed the Ministry of Finance to supply more than 949 tonnes of rice to people in Thanh Hoa central province affected by floods.

The rice is to be supplied from the national reserve.

Earlier, the province also received VND15 billion (over US$681,000) from the State budget to repair the damage suffered in the floods.

In addition, the prime minister has assigned the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide vaccines and chemicals to southern Ninh Thuan and Ca Mau provinces to prevent the spread of water-borne diseases and eradicate diseases in cattle.

Ninh Thuan will receive 40,000 doses of vaccine and 10,000 litres of chemicals to fight against the foot-and-mouth disease which spreads during the cold weather.

According to a report by the provincial committee, foot-and-mouth disease has been reported since mid-October.

The province announced the epidemic in the cattle in Ninh Son District and directed local authorities to implement drastic measures for disease prevention.

Ca Mau province will be also supplied with 50 tonnes of chemicals to prevent water-borne diseases.

About 775ha of shrimp farming area is infected with mainly white spot disease.

Earlier, the province also supplied 100 tonnes of chemicals to help farmers deal with the epidemic and to limit the high risk of the disease spreading.

Ha Noi sees 14% rise in tourists from more than 160 nations

Nearly 3 million tourists have visited Ha Noi since the beginning of the year, a rise of 14 per cent year-on-year, according to the city's Department of Tourism.

Of the total, 14.5 million are domestic visitors, up 7 per cent over last year.

Visitors were from over 160 countries and territories, mostly from western Europe, Northeast Asia, Australia and North America.

The city has been improving services and offering special tourism products to attract more tourists.

 New Zealand students to join Vietnam community service project

A group of nine students and a teacher from New Zealand will arrive in Vietnam to join community activities in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre.

Hailing from Te Kauwhata College, they will spend five days from December 22-27 to build a restroom at a primary school in the province’s Mo Cay Nam District under a program organized by Green Summers.

Green Summers is a Ho Chi Minh City-based organization that organizes community service projects for international students to help poor lives along Mekong River.

International students joining in community activities in the Mekong Delta. Photo credit: Green Summers

Under the project, the student will also join home-stay program and enjoying local foods and cycling about 2km every day from home to the school to build the restroom.

“Due to the exiting condition of damaged and eroded toilets, 250 elementary school students and teachers do not have access to a clean and hygienic bathroom facility,” said Nguyen Thanh Long of Green Summers.

The community service project will serve as a melting pot for the international student volunteers to connect with the local community, enjoy a real-life living experience in Vietnam and exchange their cultural experiences with the local people, Long said.

Established in 2010, Green Summers has built charity houses and communal roads in Vinh Long and Ben Tre provinces with the participation of students from many schools abroad.

Ha Noi Railway Transport Company offers discount

The Ha Noi Railway Transport Company is offering a 40 per cent discount for customers buying two-way tickets for train SE19 and SE20. The discount is 20 per cent for the one-way route.

It is applied for routes from Ha Noi to Thanh Hoa; Dong Hoi to Da Nang; Vinh to Ha Noi; and Da Nang to Dong Hoi.

The company said the offer was only available for passengers buying tickets at 19000109 and will be non-refundable.

In addition, a programme of discounts of up to 50 per cent will be applied to passengers buying tickets 60 days in advance of departure. The discount will be 30 per cent if purchased 30 days in advance. The discount will be applied for routes longer than 1,300km.

Google reveals what Vietnamese searched most in 2015

A funny song that became a YouTube sensation overnight tops the list of Google's most searched trends in Vietnam this year, the Internet giant has revealed.

“Vo Nguoi Ta” (Wife of Another Man), which depicts the broken heart of a man after knowing his beloved is getting married to another man, is the top trending search in Vietnam, even though it only surfaced on the Internet in late October, according to the “Year in Search 2015” report.

The top ten Trending Searches are dominated by queries for songs, occupying half of the list that also includes searches for “Co Dau Tam Tuoi,” or Balika Vadhu — a 2,499-episode Indian television drama series – Hollywood blockbuster "Furious 7,” and Vietnamese movie “Chang Trai Nam Ay.”

The other two trendy queries in the top ten are searches for local comedy contest “Thach Thuc Danh Hai” and How Old Net, a Microsoft age-guessing tool that became a viral sensation in late April.

The “Year in Search 2015” lists the top searched trends in such categories as Global and Local News, Events, People, TV Shows, Movies, Recipes, and Definitions.

The Paris attacks in November are among the top trending searches in 2015 in the world.

The trending global news searches include the Islamic State, Paris attacks, Russia’s airstrikes in Syria, Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew, who passed away in March, and the Nepal earthquake that killed more than 9,000 in April.

Vietnamese Internet users also took to Google to learn more about the definitions of such terms as “TPP,” a trade deal fully known as Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, the “Islamic State,” and “Pray for Paris,” a worldwide movement occurring in the wake of the deadly Paris attacks on November 13.

The events trending to Vietnamese netizens this year include the 2015 Copa America, 2015 Southeast Asian Games, 2015 Wimbledon, 2015 Australia Open, 2015 U.S. Open, and Miss Universe Vietnam.

“The conflicts in Syria, the Paris attacks and the Nepal earthquake attracted a great deal of attention in Vietnam over the year,” said Nguyen Phuong Anh, Google’s head of marketing for Vietnam.

“A number of people have looked to the Internet for updated news on these issues, as well as searching for other global news.”

This is the 15th year Google has released the “Year in Search” report.

“From devastation to empowerment and tragedy to hope, our 15th annual Year in Search uncovers the moments that captured the world’s hearts – and questions that revealed who we are,” Google said in blog post on December 17.

Promoting sustainable management of national forests

At a seminar in Hanoi on December 18, key leaders in the timber and forest products industry talked about global trends in the field and other pertinent technical and managerial issues.

They said the main trend in the business involves compliance with the voluntary partnership agreements under the European Union’s Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade Action Plan (FLEGT).

The agreements as applicable to Vietnam are intended to combat the illegal trade in timber, said Vice President Nguyen Ton Quyen of the Vietnam Timber and Forest Product Association.

Additionally, Quyen said they support FSC certification, which guarantees the responsible management of forest resources. Financing mechanisms such as REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) are also actively promoted.

Thus, the project has a huge impact in the area of climate change and is of prime significance to the industry in that it will significantly impact future exports to the nation’s key export markets.

Quyen told those in attendance that currently the top four export markets for timber and timber related products in descending order from first to fourth are the US, Japan, China and the EU.

One can fully expect that in the not so distant future the US and EU markets will ban all imports from Vietnam if the nation fails to implement policies in compliance with the international standards promulgated by FLEGT.

Currently, pilot programs are being administered at the national level from Hanoi, with activities carried out in the provinces of Yen Bai, Quang Binh, Kon Tum, Dak Lak and Ninh Thuan.

In conclusion, Quyen noted that in the context of integration offering more opportunities for businesses to expand consumption markets around the globe it also introduces more market risk for failure to comply with international standards, and particularly those related to the environment.

HCM City hosts Vietnam Young Leaders Forum 2015

The Vietnam Young Leaders Forum 2015 opened in Ho Chi Minh City on December 18, attracting the participation of over 600 delegates.

The event was co-organized by the Business Startup Support Centre (BSSC), the HCM City’s Young Business Association (YBA) and the Vietnam Youth Union in HCM City.

The organizers aimed at creating a venue for young business leaders to discuss integration-related issues such as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and shared ideas on their development orientations in the new era.

Deputy president of YBA Nguyen Tan Quynh stressed young Vietnamese should be aware of the integration wave both inside and outside the country and take the initiative in accessing information, thus making proactive preparation for and actively participating in the country’s integration process.

Le Thi Tuong Vy, a representative from the BSSC, encouraged young leaders to send in their projects and creative ideas to the centre for a chance to receive support to realize their dream.

Currently, the centre is assisting young startups through offering solutions for finance, office location, training programmes and trade promotion.

Vietnam News Agency to increase coverage of border security

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Border Guard High Command signed an agreement on December 18 to strengthen communications cooperation for national sovereignty and border security.

Under the deal, the VNA’s news departments, publications and representative offices across 63 cities and provinces nationwide will timely update and cover stories related to the work of the border guard in management and safeguarding the national territorial sovereignty and border security.

Meanwhile, the Border Guard High Command pledged to supply timely information to the VNA on its activities in line with the agreement. The border guard force can use VNA publications such as Tin Tuc newspaper and the Dan Toc va Mien Nui (Ethnic People and Mountainous Region) Pictorial for its communications purposes.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, VNA Director General Nguyen Duc Loi commited to implement the agreement and requested prompt information supply from the Border Guard High Command.

Lt. Gen. Pham Huy Tap, political commissar of the High Command, pledged to support VNA reporters to reach border guard units and promote VNA publications to remote and mountainous areas.-

Seminar looks into Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership

A scientific seminar was held by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics in Hanoi on December 18 to analyse and assess the effectiveness of the Vietnam – US comprehensive cooperation.

The function was held on the occasion of the 20th founding anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relationship. Four discussion sessions were organized on the themes of economics-trade; education, training and human resources development; science, technology and environment; and forecasts for future bilateral cooperation.

Participants said cooperation between Vietnam and the US has been continually expanded and reinforced in all spheres since the normalisation of their relationship in 1995.

Trade and investment collaboration is the focus of and momentum for their ties, they noted, adding that the two-way trade revenue has shot up by some 100 times from 400 million USD in the pre-normalisation period to a likely 40 billion USD in 2015.

The US has been Vietnam’s largest export market since 2005, while Vietnam has ranked 20 th among countries exporting to the US and become the biggest ASEAN exporter to the North American nation.

Meanwhile, US investors have run 742 investment projects worth over 11 billion USD in Vietnam so far, ranking seventh among countries and territories with investment in the country.

Scientific-technological cooperation has seen remarkable strides with a number of fruitful joint research projects, especially those in medicine and pharmacy, agriculture, meteorology and hydrology, and climate change.

The nations have shared experience in building laws, particularly in those on science-technology, businesses, the market and the environment for startups.

While labour and social issues are considered by both sides as a priority at both bilateral and multilateral forums, collaboration in education-training has also been intensified.

Participants expressed their belief that Vietnam and the US boast great potential for enhanced trade connections, especially when the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement is enforced. They took the occasion to scrutinise advantages, challenges and opportunities for the countries’ comprehensive cooperation.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius said since the two sides became comprehensive partner in 2013, they have shown the world the significance of emerging from history and boosting a relationship. That spirit should be maintained to build a vision for the next two decades and beyond.

He also called on the countries’ young people to jointly create and develop new business and investment opportunities. He voiced the belief that the US will surely become the top investor in Vietnam if current cooperation continues to be fostered.

55th anniversary of National Liberation Front for South Vietnam marked

A ceremony celebrating the 55th anniversary of the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam (NLF) (December 20) was held in the southern province of Tay Ninh on December 18.

Addressing the event, Vice President of the Vietnam National Fatherland Front Central Committee Le Ba Trinh recalled that after the Geneva Agreement was signed in 1954, Vietnam was temporarily divided into two regions.

The NLF was founded in Tay Ninh province on December 20, 1960 to lead the patriotic movement for national liberation and re-unification of people of all social strata.

The Front led the armed forces and people of the south from victory to victory, defeating the US’s war strategies and leading to the General Uprising 1968, forcing the US to sign the Paris Agreement that marked the end of war in Vietnam.

In coordination with the Alliance of the National Democratic and Peace Forces of Vietnam established in 1968, the NLF organized a National People’s Congress in the South in June 1969 to form a provisional revolutionary government of the Republic of South Vietnam and a Government Advisory Council.

After the liberation of the south and national reunification, the NLF merged with the Vietnam Fatherland Front in the north and the Alliance of the National Democratic and Peace Forces of Vietnam into the current Vietnam Fatherland Front.

National priorities on sexual, reproductive health beyond 2015

National priorities on sexual, reproductive health and family planning beyond 2015 were announced at a workshop held by the Ministry of Health and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) in Hanoi on December 18.

Accordingly, Vietnam will focus on improving access and quality of health services in areas with high maternal death ratio while bettering quality of health services in areas with low maternal mortality.

The Ministry of Health and relevant bodies also plan to increase information provision on the issues to teens and adolescents and single youths, and enhance public-private partnership in providing friendly sexual and reproductive health services and birth controls.

Furthermore, the priorities include developing a new approach for the delivery of family planning services, the development of national standards for quality management of birth controls and the design of a comprehensive strategy for prevention and control of reproductive cancers.

In his remarks at the workshop, Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Viet Tien said the priorities on sexual, reproductive health and family planning beyond 2015 will be fundamental for the health authority to formulate and effectively implement the country’s 5-year health care plan and the national strategy on population and reproductive health for 2016-2020.

These priorities need to be well integrated into policies and projects of the government, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and development partners after 2015, he added.

Over the past years, Vietnam has made big strides towards the UN Millennium Development Goals by expanding coverage of its sexual and reproductive health care.

However, there is still a substantial regional disparity in service access while one third of young people reported obstacles in accessing sexual and reproductive health information and services.

According to the UNFPA, of the 23 million Vietnamese women between the age of 15-49, about 79 percent use some form of contraception. However, more than one-third of single women have an unmet need for contraception. This unmet need is particularly high among ethnic minority women and female migrant workers. As a result, there is a significant number of unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions every year, especially among unmarried young people.

Needy students receive KF-Samsung scholarships

The Ministry of Education and Training in collaboration with the Korea Foundation granted 305 scholarships during a ceremony in Hanoi on December 18.

Recipients of the scholarships, funded by the Republic of Korea’s Samsung Electronics, were 180 students from 20 universities and 125 pupils from Ha Giang, Ha Tinh, Ninh Binh, Nghe An and Quang Binh provinces.

In 1995, through the Korea Foundation, Samsung donated 1 million USD to establish a fund to encourage Vietnam-Korea academic exchanges.

The KF has given out 2,646 KF-Samsung scholarships to disadvantaged students across Vietnam over the past 17 years.

MobiFone helps Dak Nong’s social welfare activities

The Vietnam Mobile Telecom Services (MobiFone) will help the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong develop the community following a programme signed between the company and the provincial People’s Committee on December 18.

Under the programme, two sides will work together to build ten houses worth 800 million VND (35,500 USD) for Vietnamese heroic mothers, martyrs’ families and those who contributed to national revolution.

In addition, they will collaborate to set up a scholarship fund “For Vietnam’s Future”.

The same day, MobiFone presented 1,200 scholarships, each valued at 1 million VND (44.3 USD) to outstanding ethnic students in 24 high schools in the locality.

Dak Nong is an impoverished province in the Central Highlands region, with the poverty rate of more than 13 percent. Most of the deprived are ethnic minority people in remote areas.

In the past few years, numerous organisations in and outside the province have paid attention to enhancing social welfare for ethnic groups. The locality have also focused on training for ethnic people and giving scholarships to excellent ethnic students.

HCM City: Work starts on 8.9-mln-USD facility for cancer treatment

Ho Chi Minh City’s Health Department and the city’s Oncology Hospital commenced work on a high-tech complex for cancer diagnosis and treatment in Binh Thanh district.

The project, including a nine-storey building and auxiliary works, has a total investment of around 204 billion VND (over 8.9 million USD).

According to Director of the hospital Le Hoang Minh, the facility will be equipped with modern medical equipment enabling to perform sophisticated techniques in treating cancers.

Once completed and become operational in early 2017, it will help shorten the time for examination and treatment and contribute to reducing overload for the Oncology Hospital.

Forestry has helped many households escape poverty

Since its inception in the year 2000, the Forest Sector Support Partnership (FSSP) has supported Viet Nam in environmental protection; improving livelihoods of people in forestry areas and enhancing the contribution of forestry to the economy, said Ha Cong Tuan, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development at a meeting to hand-over the programme to Viet Nam in the capital city on Wednesday.

Tuan said over the past 15 years, the partnership programme provided jobs to about five million people, most whom are poor and ethnic minorities living in mountainous regions.

Thanks to the programme, some 1.2 million households have escaped poverty and become better off. In provinces like Quang Tri, Quang Ninh, Tuyen Quang and Ca Mau, many households are able to earn over VND100 million/ha (US$4,500) a year.

"During 15 years of operation, the FSSP has drawn the participation of 31 international partners world wide with some $31 million in funding contributed," Tuan said.

Under the document signed between Viet Nam and the FSSP, the programme funding will come to an end in two weeks time, he said.

"The programme has supported Viet Nam to develop more than 45 legal documents, including laws, decrees and others. What's more important, the programme has helped Viet Nam catch up with new international initiatives on forestry," Tuan emphasised.

However, during its 15 years in operation, the programme has also shown some weaknesses, particularly the uneven commitments among the FSSP members or lack of harmonisation of interest between Viet Nam and donors.

Speaking at the meeting, Nguyen Ba Ngai, deputy director of the Viet Nam Forestry Administration expressed his hope that entering a new phase, the FSSP will continue to support Viet Nam.

"A very important assignment for the forestry sector in the years to come is to implement Viet Nam's commitment toward climate change, protection of wild life and sustainable forestry. Viet Nam hopes that it will receive further support from the FSSP in carrying out the assignment," Ngai emphasised.

Tien Giang court sentences man for appropriating property

The People's Court in Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang today sentenced a man to seven years in prison for trying to appropriate property.

Defendant Vo Van Minh, 35, in Cai Be district's An Cu commune, was accused of attempting to appropriate property worth VND500 million (US$22,700) and sentenced after a two-day trial.

According to the indictment, Minh, the owner of a coffee shop bought soft drink products of Tan Hiep Phat Beverage Group to sell to customers.

Early last December, Minh claimed he had found a dead fly in a bottle of Number One, a yellow energy drink, and called the company to demand VND1 billion (US$45,400) to keep the incident a secret.

The defendant even threatened to report the case to the police and distribute 5,000 leaflets around the province. After three rounds of negotiations, the company agreed to pay half of his initial demand, even as they tipped off the police.

The court determined that in January he was arrested after being caught red-handed while receiving money from the company, and later prosecuted for attempted extortion.

Earlier, police in Tien Giang Province, decided to prosecute him for allegedly blackmailing the company.

The jury termed the action as trickery to appropriate property. The defendant's behaviour was a danger to society and must be dealt with strictly, it added.

Quang Ninh to stop Bai Chay harbour operations

Bai Chay tourist harbour will stop operating from January 1, 2016, according to a decision by the People's Committee of Quang Ninh Province.

Following the decision No 4036 on the developmental planning of the national inland water transportation issued today, the province decided to exclude Bai Chay harbour from the planning of the harbour and pier systems that serve the tourism initiatives of Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.

Five other harbours and piers have been approved for adjustment and improvement, including Hon Gai international harbour, Hon Gai pier, Coc 3 harbour, Nam Cau Trang harbour and Vung Duc harbour.

Previously, the department of transportation had decided to use Tuan Chau international harbour to serve all tourist visits to Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay as well as making it a hub for international water transportation.

The People's Committee of Quang Ninh Province and the department of transportation are responsible for the deployment of the approved projects.

HCMC has two new department directors

The HCMC government has picked Pham Thanh Kien as director of the Department of Industry and Trade, and Nguyen Toan Thang as director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Kien will assume the post of director of the Industry and Trade Department from January 1 when the appointment decision takes effect. The decision comes after the HCMC People’s Council elected Le Van Khoa, director of the Industry and Trade Department, vice chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee late last week.  

Kien served as chairman of District 1 People’s Committee before he took up the post of deputy director of the department in October this year.

The department’s current deputy directors are Le Ngoc Dao, Phan Hoan Kiem, Nguyen Phuong Dong, Ton Quang Tri, Tran Vinh Nhung and Nguyen Ngoc Hoa.

Meanwhile, Tran Xuan Dien, deputy director of the Industry and Trade Department, has been assigned as deputy secretary of District 10’s Party committee.

Nguyen Toan Thang served as chairman of District 12 before being appointed deputy director of Department of Natural Resources and Environment in August this year. His new appointment comes into force on December 15.

Deadline set for drainage project in Ha Noi

Nguyen Quoc Hung, vice-chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee, yesterday said the land clearance for the second phase of the drainage project should be completed by December 31.

According to the project management board, there are several problems facing the process of land clearance, particular in the eight districts and wards where the drainage system is located.

To speed up the completion of the project as planned, the vice-chairman said local authorities should raise awareness and persuade residents to move to resettlement areas to allow the construction of the system, and said contractors should also speed up their work.

In addition, the local authorities also needed to take strong measures to take over the land of households that have been compensated already, but have not handed over the land to the contractors, Hung said.

All land clearance activities must be completed by December, with only Dong Da District getting an extension period till January 20 next year, he said.

He also said the Ha Noi Drainage Ltd. Co, working with the National Resources and Environment Department, should determine the landmarks and withdraw land for building and upgrading pumping stations.

UNFPA workshop on Vietnam's population

The Party Central Committee and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) co-organized a workshop on Vietnam’s population and sustainable growth in Hanoi on December 16.

Participants agreed that Vietnam’s population quality has improved, contributing greatly to national socio-economic development and the country's realization of MDGs.

A representative of the UNFPA said Vietnam is now at the important threshold to implement the 2016-2020 socio-economic development plan.

UNFPA pledged to support the Vietnamese government and share with Vietnam international experience concerning population policies.

UNFPA said it will support Vietnamese policy makers to help ensure the full exercise of rights including reproductive health for Vietnamese people.

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