Global C-section rates surging

The Vietnamese Government should intervene to reduce the rate of caesarean section deliveries, which has seen an upward trend globally, including in this country, an International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) official has said.

Professor Gerard H.A.Visser, chairman of FIGO’s Committee for Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health, said world-wide there has been an explosion in caesarean deliveries, ranging from 50 per cent in south-eastern Europe to 60 per cent in some Latin American countries.

In Việt Nam, the rate was 33 per cent in 2008, he told an annual Việt Nam-France-Asia-Pacific Conference that ended yesterday.

According to the Ministry of Health, the rate was only 12.4 per cent in 2003.

Visser said the incidence of C-section has nothing to do with evidence-based medicine.

“It has more to do with the doctor’s salary, the lazy doctor who does not want to work at night, the doctor who has lost his/her skills to attend a vaginal delivery.”

The increase in C-sections raises direct maternal morbidity, complications in subsequent pregnancies, neonatal morbidity due to early delivery, and auto-immune and metabolic disease in the offspring, he said.

He cited a 2015 World Health Organisation statement on C-section rates which said that C-section rates higher than 10 per cent were not associated with reductions in maternal or newborn mortality rates.

“C-sections cause effects on immune response in children because they do not have stress response before birth, leading to failed immune activation.”

It is also associated with an increase in childhood onset of type-1 diabetes, obesity, later risks of allergy, and celiac disease, he said.

It is time to consider the risks of C-sections for long-term child health, he said.

“Obstetricians seem incapable of reducing C-section rates,” he said, suggesting that they need help from government agencies.

Fees for caesarean deliveries should be reduced for both the doctor and hospital, he said. Besides, caesarean fees should be used to increase vaginal delivery fees for doctors, better preparation for labour and delivery, skills training for doctors and upgrading labour wards at hospitals, he said.

“Women are designed to deliver vaginally and they only need a caesarean delivery if it is really indicated.”

Nguyễn Đức Vinh, head of the Ministry of Health’s maternal and child health department, said Visser’s recommendations are important for policy makers like him.

“I agree with him that Việt Nam should have policies and methods to reverse the upward trend in C-sections.”

The two-day conference also highlighted good nutrition in the 1,000 days between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s second birthday.

Assoc Prof Dr Nguyễn Anh Tuấn of the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy said the 1,000 days are a unique period of opportunity to ensure children’s optimum health, growth and neurodevelopment.

Good nutrition during this period helps prevent non-communicable diseases such as obesity and diabetes in future, he said.

“During pregnancy, women should eat diversified food. Children are fed breast milk for at least the first four months and even two years.”

Other health experts spoke about the importance of vaccines during pregnancy and children’s first years.

The conference was held by Từ Dũ Hospital together with the French National College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians, FIGO and the Federation of Asia and Oceania’s Perinatal Societies.

It was sponsored mainly by FrieslandCampina Việt Nam’s Friso brand.

It was attended by hundreds of academics, doctors and experts from Việt Nam and other countries like France, Italy, the US and others, who shared their scientific studies and provided an up-to-date overview of obstetrics and gynecology, assisted reproductive technology, and screening, diagnosis and treatment of gynecological cancers.

Việt Nam’s Glory honours national spirit and patriotism

An annual programme honouring national spirit and patriotism, called Việt Nam’s Glory, will be held tomorrow at the Friendship Cultural Palace in Hà Nội.

The programme, themed “Việt Nam’s Glory - 30 years after reform”, will also be broadcast live on the national television channel, VTV1.

Trần Văn Thuật, vice president of the Việt Nam Confederation of Labour, said the programme was held for the first time on International Labour Day on May 1, 2004.

In 12 years, 179 collectives and individuals with excellent achievements and contributions to building and defending Việt Nam have been honoured.

This year’s programme aims to honour collectives and individuals who have made special contributions to socio-economic development, science, technology and security, and national defence.

Editor-in-chief of Lao Động (Labour) newspaper, Nguyễn Ngọc Hiển, said that this year’s programme has new features compared to the 12 previous.

Previously, individuals and groups who have already been honoured could not be selected again, but this is not the case this year.

The selection council received 183 profiles of individuals and groups representing provinces, cities and 15 ministries, central agencies and bodies. Through five rounds of evaluation, the council voted by secret ballot and selected 12 collectives and 18 individuals with outstanding achievements.

The Viettel Telecommunication Group, the 103 Military Hospital 103, the Military Medical Academy, are among the 12 groups to be honoured this year.

Professor Nguyễn Văn Hiếu, former director of the Academy of Science and Technology; Professor Nguyễn Anh Trí, director of the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion; Mai Kiều Liên, general director of Vinamilk Việt Nam; Colonel Hoàng Xuân Vinh –Việt Nam’s first Olympic gold medalist, will be among the individuals who are honoured.

Ministry urged to raise capital for North-South Expressway

Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng has ordered the Ministry of Transport and concerned agencies to raise domestic capital for the construction of the North-South Expressway.

The agencies were told to attract more capital from investors under the public-private-partnership model, Dũng said.

As per plan, the North-South Expressway, which is being built to meet the increasing demand of commuters, will be a high-speed road that stretches from Hà Nội to HCM City, running through 20 localities and connecting various socio-economic centres.

The 1,372-km expressway is expected to reduce the burden on National Highway No. 1 once it opens to the public by 2028 as schedule.

Initial estimates put the cost of constructing the expressway at around VNĐ300 trillion (US$13.2 billion).

Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, Indonesia’s Padang city in co-operation deal

The southern coastal province of Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu signed an action plan for co-operation with Indonesia’s Padang city on Wednesday.

The two sides agreed to send their farmers to learn from each other, exchange experiences in fisheries processing, packaging and preserving and marine management, exchange teachers, and take part in yacht racing in Padang and the kite festival in Vũng Tàu.

At the signing ceremony, Lê Tuấn Quốc, deputy chairman of Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu, spoke about his province’s capabilities in exploiting and processing fisheries for export to Europe and Japan.

Tuấn suggested that fishing boats from Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu could fish off Padang and process the catch in Indonesia, and vice versa.

Padang city asked for time to study the proposal.

Padang mayor Mahyeldi Ansharullah said a ‘Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu corner’ has almost been completed in the centre of his city to showcase Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province’s potential.

A similar Padang corner will soon be built in Vũng Tàu City.

The Indonesian consul in HCM City, Jean Anes, said one more Vietnamese airline would start flying to Indonesia besides Việt Nam Airlines.

In May last year the two cities signed a memorandum of understanding for establishing a partnership.

Responsible forest sourcing benefits businesses: report

Retail companies with responsible forest products sourcing policies are seeing numerous tangible business benefits, demonstrating that sustainability makes business sense, according to a new report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). 

Việt Nam is the fifth largest timber products exporting country in the world, with revenues last year of US$7 billion.

While the luxury furniture segment in Việt Nam requires responsibly sourced products, only 230,000ha of forests in the country are Forest Stewardship Council certified. So Việt Nam has to import around 4.5 million cu.m of timber every year, the report said.

Unable to utilise domestic timber, the country is now largely dependent on other countries, reducing the potential benefits of production.

But with responsible products still a new concept for Vietnamese, there is no market for them.

“In the next few months, under the Responsible Asia Forestry and Trade project, WWF will promote sustainable forest products in the domestic market,” said Dr Lê Thiện Đức, Forest Practice Lead of WWF-Việt Nam.

“We aim to raise awareness among domestic consumers of responsible forest products and influence producing companies and retailers to sell responsible products in Việt Nam.”

WWF-Việt Nam, through the Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN), has been working with businesses to promote processing and trading of responsible timber and supporting forest owners to achieve FSC certification.

All members of GFTN have to commit to using certified timber and adopting responsible forest management for five years.

“Deforestation and forest degradation are one of the leading environmental challenges today, and we need concerted action from across sectors to tackle this issue,” Alistair Monument, WWF’s Forest Practice Lead, said.

“Research overwhelmingly shows that retail chains are positioned to mobilise transformational impacts because of their leverage over product supply chains and influence on consumer choices. We need retailers to take the lead and understand that sustainability is no longer a niche, but the norm.”

Companies surveyed for the WWF report cited a number of benefits of responsible sourcing: Over 80 per cent reported positive impacts on risk management and brand reputation, and over 60 per cent saw positive impacts on customer satisfaction and stakeholder engagement.

More than 70 per cent said sustainability commitments had a positive impact on employee engagement, indicating potential gains from higher employee satisfaction and retention.

At Migros, one of the largest retailers in Switzerland, sales of sustainable products increased by more than 30 per cent between 2012 and 2015, demonstrating clearly that customers expect to see responsibly produced products on the shelves.

“Companies with genuinely responsible timber sourcing strategies – based on clear commitments and public reporting – have an opportunity to stand out from the crowd,” Monument said.

The WWF study surveyed more than 50 retailers in 20 countries and had in-depth interviews with select retail leaders.

The companies shared detailed information about their timber sourcing policies, and the perceived costs and benefits.

Rotha wins last stage of Return to Countryside event

Keo Rotha of Cambodia won the last stage of the Return to the Countryside cycling tournament yesterday.
It was a short race, so cyclists made every effort to change their rankings. Rotha beat Hà Văn Sơn of Bình Dương at the finish line to take the lead in the 56km race from Châu Giang to Thuận Giang ferry with a time of 1:23.33.
Quàng Văn Cường of Gạo Hạt Ngọc Trời-An Giang won the overall yellow jersey for the best overall time of 23.52.40 after 10 stages. Yoeun Phi Yuth of Cambodia and Nguyễn Minh Luận of Premium Cycling Vĩnh Long were the runners-up.
Yuth also won the green jersey award as the best sprinter with 126 points.
Cường’s win helped An Giang top the team rankings with the best overall time of 71:39.26. Domesco Pharmacy Đồng Tháp and Premium Cycling Vĩnh Long finished second and third.
In the amateur event, Bùi Văn Sành of Hiệp Nhất-Tịnh Biên won the overall yellow jersey with a time of 23:54.38. Nguyễn Hoàng Sang of Lê Đoàn-Kiên Giang won the green jersey with 111 points. Lê Đoàn-Kiên Giang triumphed in the team race, followed by Hiệp Nhất-Tịnh Biên and Calytos Đồng Tháp.

Can Gio-Vung Tau waterbus service proposed

Agriculture, trade and tourism cooperative Long Hoa has proposed setting up an express waterbus service connecting Can Gio District of HCMC and Vung Tau City of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province.

The project is aimed at luring more tourists to the outlying coastal district of Can Gio.

A source told the Daily that Can Gio has drawn up a plan to develop two tourist waterway routes, with one linking Can Thanh, Thanh An and Long Hoa, and the other connecting Can Thanh, Ly Nhon and Long Hoa. They are scheduled to be put into service this year.

Long Hoa Cooperative, which will also operate the two waterway routes, has proposed an express waterbus route between Cau Den Wharf of Can Gio and Vung Tau with an expected fare of VND100,000 (US$ 4.4) per person.

Can Gio is developing eco-tourism by investing in a number of routes such as roads from the center of HCMC to Can Gio, river routes to Dong Dinh and Can Thanh, and express boat services from Can Thanh to Vung Tau, Can Duoc and My Tho.

Dang Thi Thy Thanh, deputy general director of Ben Thanh Tourist Company, said most visitors to Can Gio come from inner-city districts of HCMC and spend just one night there. Therefore, extending tourism services from Can Gio to Vung Tau City should be carefully weighed.

“The Can Gio-Vung Tau express boat service project would not work until the district’s tourism sector is stronger with a large number of seaside tourism projects in place. With the current number of visitor arrivals, the project is not viable,” Thanh said.

Speaking to the Daily, Can Gio vice chairman Truong Tien Trien said the HCMC Department of Tourism will call a meeting with relevant agencies on May 19 to discuss the two waterway routes proposed by Can Gio.

Tuan Chau Group and Vingroup JSC are involved in two coastal luxury resorts which are expected to help Can Gio District attract more tourists and become an eco-tourism center in the future.

Can Gio, 60 kilometers southeast of HCMC, has a coastline of more than 13 kilometers and is crisscrossed by canals and rivers. UNESCO recognized the district as a world biosphere reserve in 2000.

Can Gio attracted one million visitors and gained tourism revenue of VND400 billion (around US$17.6 million) last year. It targets more than one million tourists this year.

APP gets environment award

The Vietnam Environment Administration awarded a certificate to Asia Pulp and Paper Group (APP) for its Integrated Forestry and Farming Strategy (IFFS) at the Eco-Products International Fair 2017 in HCMC last week.

This is the second time APP has been honored for its environmental activities. The award acknowledges the company’s forest conservation policy, according to APP director Suhendra Wiriadinata.

IFFS is a community empowerment program designed to help prevent and mitigate forest fires, as well as enhance the livelihood of local communities.

By improving the living standards of local villagers and helping them adopt environmentally friendly farming methods, APP has been able to minimize forest clearance known as slash and burn by engaging these communities in preventing and mitigating forest fires.

So far, 76 villages have participated, he said, and the firm’s aim is to have 200 villages actively involved by the end of 2017.

Vietnam-Japan human resources training center in the offing

The Saigon Hi-Tech Park Training Center and Japan’s Toyooka Co Ltd have signed a memorandum of understanding on establishment of a training center responsible for supplying high-quality human resources for local enterprises.

The center is planned to be located in the Saigon Hi-Tech Park (SHTP) as there is strong demand for high-quality manpower meeting Japanese standards in the park, HCMC and neighboring provinces.

The first center specializing in providing courses on Japanese robotics technology, funded by a grant from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and carried out by Toyooka, came into operation in the park.

The Saigon Hi-Tech Park Training Center on Tuesday launched an automation technology training program worth 100 million Japanese yen funded by JICA.

During the three-day training program, Japanese and Vietnamese instructors will give lectures to technicians, trainers and students majoring in mechatronics, automation and robotics at universities and colleges in HCMC.

Workshop highlights energy efficiency solutions

A workshop took place in the northern city of Hai Phong on May 19, where a pilot voluntary agreement (VA) programme on efficient use of energy and a model of energy service company (ESCO) in Vietnam were introduced.

The programme and model is part of the Vietnam Clean Production and Energy Efficiency Project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank (WB).

Trinh Quoc Vu, Director of the Department of Science-Technology and Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s General Directorate of Energy, said the VA and ESCO aim to save energy in industries, thus helping enterprises reduce costs and enhance competitiveness.

The pilot stage of the 10-year VA programme will last for two years, during which firms commit to cutting energy in production based on assistance from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
workshop highlights energy efficiency solutions hinh 0 An ESCO is a commercial business providing a broad range of energy solutions including the design and implementation of energy saving projects, retrofitting, and energy conservation and infrastructure outsourcing. An ESCO provides services via an Energy Performance Contract (EPC).

Subjects appropriate to ESCO projects are public lighting systems; administrative agencies, non-productive agencies, state budget beneficiaries, industrial manufacturers and service suppliers. 

Statistics showed that there are about 100 energy efficiency service suppliers in Vietnam, but only a fraction of them follows the ESCO model.
     
Activities in Singapore, Mexico mark late President’s birthday

Activities to celebrate the 127th birth anniversary of late President Ho Chi Minh (May 19, 1890) have been organised in Singapore and Mexico.

On May 19 morning, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Nguyen Tien Minh and the Vietnamese community paid tribute to the late leader at his statue located at the Asian Civilisations Museum Park.

Minh recalled the great contributions of late President Ho Chi Minh who founded the Communist Party of Vietnam and led the Vietnamese Party and people to triumph in the two resistance wars.

One day earlier, Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico Le Linh Lan and embassy staff offered flowers at the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in the embassy’s precinct.

The embassy also coordinated with the Economic Faculty of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) opened a photo and book exhibition on Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh at the faculty’s library on the occasion of the late leader’s 127th birth anniversary and the 42nd anniversary of Vietnam-Mexico diplomatic ties (May 19, 1975).

Ambassador Lan had a talk with UNAM teachers and students on potential and prospects of the Vietnam-Mexico relations.

She expressed her belief that the time-honoured bilateral friendship and cooperation will be enhanced further for peace, stability, cooperation and development of the two regions and the world.

A film screening was also organised to introduce Vietnam’s land and people to Mexican friends.
     
Screaming passenger banned from flying for one year in Vietnam

She failed to pay a US$176 fine for picking a fight with attendants and other passengers, which delayed the flight by 50 minutes.

The Southern Airport Authority has imposed a one-year flight ban against a woman after she failed to pay a penalty for scolding attendants and loudly arguing with other passengers which delayed a domestic flight for 50 minutes last month.

A statement from the agency said the woman from Hanoi will be banned from flying for a year starting this Sunday and will be subject to strict surveillance on any flight for a year after.

She was fined VND4 million (US$176) for “violating regulations of aviation security by disrupting order on a flight” but has never paid it.

A video shared online showed the 44-year-old woman scolding attendants and loudly arguing with other passengers on a VietJet flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi on April 3. The pilot then refused her service, after the flight had been delayed for 50 minutes.

She was reportedly unhappy when boarding the flight, saying the budget airline changed the boarding gate without notifying her and she almost missed the flight. She did not receive the seat that she wanted either.

Vietnam’s airport authorities last month also fined a man VND7.5 million for hitting a VietJet employee who refused to let him board due to late check-in.

Vietnam Airlines offers lowest ever HCM City-Hong Kong fares

Vietnam Airlines will offer direct flights on its route between Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong with tickets starting at US$100 roundtrip for travel departing now through December 21, it said on May 19, according to InfoMoney.vn.

The move is designed to put pressure on other Southeast Asian rivals to competefor Vietnamese outbound travel to top tourist destinations in Hong Kong such as Disneyland Park, Sky 100 Hong Kong Observation Deck, and Avenue of Stars. 

Established Vietnamese carriers have been forced to consider restricted cheaper fares and redesigned cabins with more seats to win budget-conscious travellers to compete in the hotly contested Asian market, said a Vietnam Airlines spokesperson.

The flight time on the direct air route using Airbus A321 aircraft is roughly two hours and 45 minutes, said the spokesperson, with flights departing and retuning multiple times weekly.

Vietnam finishes third in Southeast Asia race for tourist dollars

Tourists arrivals in Vietnam past the 10 million mark last year, and the US$18 billion in revenue collected by the sector contributed around 7.5% to the country’s economy.

According to tourism data, Vietnam fell far short of Southeast Asia's most popular destination,Thailand, which received over 30 million international arrivals and bagged nearly US$46 billion from tourists.

The entire region, excluding Myanmar and Brunei, raked in an estimated US$120 billion from tourism, based on data compiled by VnExpress International. However, the figure was just half that earned by the United States alone.

On average, each visitor to the U.S. spent approximately US$3,000, while in Asia, their spending was three times less.

However, Vietnam made significant progress by rising eight places in a global tourism competitiveness index compiled by the World Economic Forum. It also said the country could take better advantage of this momentum by focusing more on sustainable environment policies.

Tourists are mostly lured by Vietnam’s rich natural and cultural resources.

By 2020, the sector is expected to contribute 10% to Vietnam’s gross domestic product and is set to welcome 17-20 million foreign visitors per year.

By 2030, it is aiming to become the leading destination in Southeast Asia.

Crane driver behind massive blackout gets jail time 

The People’s Court of Thủ Dầu Một City on Wednesday sentenced Ngô Tiến Thảo, 30, to five years imprisonment for violating regulations on safely operating electricity works.
According to the indictment, Thảo controlled a crane on May 22, 2013, to move young dầu (Dipterocarpus alatus) trees from a nursery to plant in other areas. While Thảo was moving a 17.5m tree, the tree accidentally bumped into a 500KV transmission line belonging to the national power grid, causing an explosion. It instantly resulted in a massive blackout in 18 southern provinces on that day.
The police said the incident caused severe economic damage and negatively affected daily lives of residents in these provinces.
According to Bình Dương Province’s Industry and Trade Department, Electricity of Việt Nam (EVN) was forced to hire diesel generators to temporarily provide electricity for customers before the problem was fixed, which cost EVN some VNĐ5 billion (US$22,000).
The court also ordered Trần Văn Nhích, who hired Thảo to move the trees from the nursery, to pay compensation of VNĐ5 billion ($22,000) to EVN.

More gifts to policy beneficiaries ahead of war invalids’ day

Some 126,614 policy beneficiaries in Hanoi will receive gifts worth more than 104 billion VND, more than last year, on the 70th Day of War Invalids and Martyrs (July 27), said Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Quoc Khanh. 

Heroic Vietnamese mothers and war invalids will receive 1 million VND each, double the amount last year, while a total 761 million VND (33,000 USD) will be presented as gifts to invalids who are outstanding business owners in 30 communes and districts. 

A survey found that the city has 7,566 war-hero households that need funds for home repairs at a total cost of 402 billion VND (17.4 million USD), with the State and city administration having agreed to provide 230 billion VND (10 million USD). 

As of May 10, 4,825 households had completed home building or repairs, 63.8 percent of the total, while 2,205 others are in the process, or 29.1 percent, and the remaining 486 will complete it before July 27. 

On the occasion, a commemorative ceremony and a conference to honour individuals and organisations who served the nation will be held. 

The municipal People’s Committee asked authorities of districts, communes and townships to ensure social welfare is provided to war heroes and their families.

Tra Vinh sets to send 200 guest workers abroad per year

The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh aims to send at least 200 workers abroad per year between 2017 and 2020.

The goal was outlined during a meeting on May 16 to review labour export over the past three years in the province.

According to Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Duong Quang Ngoc, to achieve the target, the province’s People’s Committee has offered loans to local labourers from difficult backgrounds so they can afford to receive training to work abroad.

The Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs plans to work with local authorities and agencies to provide local residents more information on working abroad, which may lift them out of poverty, Ngoc said.

The efforts are expected to help the province develop more disciplined and skilled human resources, he added.

The department will continue to invite guest worker service providers to its career fairs and provide visitors with information on foreign labour markets. It will also open training courses for local workers.

The department estimated that the province sent 647 guest workers abroad, mostly to Japan, from 2014-2016, including 304 female workers and 128 people from ethnic minorities.

Book display on President Ho Chi Minh opens in Hanoi

A book exhibition, entitled “President Ho Chi Minh with the People’s Public Security and Army”, officially opened at the People’s Public Security Museum in Hanoi on May 16 as part of activities to celebrate the 127th birthday of the former President (May 19, 1890-2017).

The event showcases more than 3,000 book titles featuring the themes of Uncle Ho with the Vietnamese People’s Armed Forces, the history of Vietnam’s People’s Public Security and Army, the People’s Public Security and Army in national construction and defence, and the building of a revolutionary, formal, elite and increasingly modern public security force.

Addressing the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security To Lam hailed the exhibition as an occasion for officers and soldiers to read books featuring President Ho Chi Minh with the People’s Public Security Force (PPSF), thereby exploring and studying the President’s ideology, morality and lifestyle.

In order to promote the reading movement within the PPSF, Sen. Lieut. Gen. To Lam asked units and localities to continue promoting the reading culture among officers, soldiers and students, while urging press agencies, publishers and libraries under the force to renovate and improve the quality of documents and publications and to develop abundant and diverse sources of documents.

He also requested the General Department of Politics to enhance its advisory role in implementing the project “Developing the reading culture in the community until 2020, oriented towards 2030”; guiding the establishment of bookcases, including a thematic bookcase on the behavioural culture of the PPSF; and developing books on the behavioural culture of the force.

On the occasion, Sen. Lieut. Gen. To Lam presented units of the PPSF copies of the over-300-page book “President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology on staff and personnel work in the People’s Public Security Force”.

Thanh Hóa splash out on striker Thắng

FLC Thanh Hóa have signed Lê Văn Thắng from Hải Phòng on loan for the second leg of the national premier league, the club’s chairman Doãn Văn Phương has confirmed.

The national team striker has six months left on his contract with the northern side, with Thanh Hóa reportedly paying a large fee for just half a year of service.

The 27-year-old was the top Vietnamese scorer in the last two seasons. In 2015, he scored 16 goals, second only to top scorer Tambwe Patiyo of Quảng Nam by two goals. In 2016, he bagged 11.

According to Phương, Thắng will help Thanh Hóa achieve their goal of winning this year’s title.

Besides signing Thắng, Thanh Hóa are searching for one more midfielder.

At present, Thanh Hóa rank second out of 14 teams in the league with 23 points, behind Hà Nội T&T on goal difference. 

Nhan Dan newspaper national table tennis tourney commences in Hai Duong

The 35th Nhan Dan Newspaper National Table Tennis Championships officially kicked off in the northern province of Hai Duong on May 16, with nearly 140 players representing 15 delegations from across the country.

Director of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training Vuong Bich Thang presents flowers to the organising committee.

The opening ceremony was attended by Thuan Huu, Editor-in-chief of Nhan Dan newspaper; Nguyen Manh Hien, Secretary of the Hai Duong provincial Party Committee; and leaders of the General Department of Sports and Physical Training and the Vietnam Table Tennis Federation.

In his opening remarks, Phan Huy Hien, Nhan Dan newspaper Deputy Editor-in-chief and head of the tournament’s steering board, affirmed that the championship is not only a national-level sport event but also a political task of Nhan Dan newspaper, contributing to the development of Vietnam’s high-performance sports as a whole and table tennis in particular, and the facilitation of the sport movement among different strata of people for better health.

More significantly, the tournament is being held in Hai Duong, one of Vietnam’s cradles for table tennis, as an array of activities are underway across the country to celebrate the 127th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, he noted.

The annual event offers a good chance to players to sharpen their skills and vie for slots in the national teams, in preparation for future international and regional competitions, notably the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Malaysia this August.

During the six-day sports event, players will be vying for seven sets of medals in the men’s singles and doubles, the women’s singles and doubles and the mixed category.

In addition to major awards, the organising committee will also present two prospective prizes for the best young male and female players, and grant awards to the host locality as well as disadvantaged localities, which have actively developed the grassroots table tennis movements.

This year, the organising committee will continue working with the Vien Dong Assurance Corporation (VASS) to implement injury insurance for participants, with an insurance value of up to VND200 million (US$8,800) per person.

Earlier on May 15, team matches took place, with title favourites Hanoi T&T (men’s) recording a resounding 3-0 victory over Hanoi 1 and Khanh Hoa. The Army team and Vicem Hoang Thach Hai Duong also crushed Hanoi 2 and the team from Bac Ninh province’s sports university, respectively, with the same score. 

In the women’s team category, Ho Chi Minh City, Vicem Hoang Thach Hai Duong, the Army team and Hanoi registered easy 3-0 wins against their opponents.

Da Nang authority lauds UPU first prize winner

People’s Committee in the central city of Da Nang held a meeting to appraise eighth grader Nguyen Do Huyen Vi who won the first prize of the 46th Universal Postal Union (UPU) national letter writing contest

On behalf of Da Nang authority, Deputy Chairman of People’s Committee Dang Viet Dung congratulated the student and gave her certificate of merits and VND2 million in cash.

Mr. Dung proposed the Department of Education and Training, the school and related agencies to create the best condition for Huyen Vi and all students in the city to show their creativeness and opinions on the national and international matters. 

The theme selected for the 2017 competition is: "Imagine you are an advisor to the new UN Secretary-General which world issue would you help him tackle first and how would you advise him to solve it?"

The competition was launched nationwide from October, 2016 to February, 2017. Around 1,171,328 entries were sent to the organizers.
After five rounds, the organizer selected 100 entries for the final round and Huyen Vi of Tay Son Junior School in Hai Chau District was awarded the first prize. 

This is the seventh candidate from Da Nang won the national competition and Huyen Vi is the third student of Tay Son school capturing the first prize of the competition.
Her letter was translated into French and English to the Universal Postal Union in Switzerland to partake in the international competition.

Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training in Da Nang Nguyen Minh Hung said that with her deep knowledge of refugees in the globe, her persuasive words in the letter attracted the readers and receivers to realize what happened to the refugees. She won the jury board’s heart by her frankness and responsibility for her opinions.

70 tons of smuggled sugar confiscated

The Department of Market Management in Ho Chi Minh City announced they seized total 70 tons of smuggled sugar on May 16.

Through several days keeping track on smugglers, the team of market management 2A yesterday supervised two suspected trucks, which were driving into Thanh Phat Company’s warehouse at 55A Kinh C Street in in Tan Tao A in HCMC’s Binh Tan District.

Inspectors found hundreds of sugar hidden by waste bags. The company could not showed receipts and certificates of origin. Moreover, the sugar bags have no Vietnamese brand name.
The inspection team continued checking the warehouse and detected tens of tons of sugar in Thailand bags without receipts also.

30-year-old Nguyen Thi Ngoc Xiem is the owner of the warehouse. 

Market managers said that the sugar is smuggled from Cambodia to the southern province of An Giang and then brought into Ho Chi Minh City for consumption.

Da Nang to set up support centre for inclusive education

Da Nang’s department of education and training on May 16 announced plans to establish a support centre to develop inclusive education.

The centre will be established as part of the department’s efforts to re-structure Nguyen Dinh Chieu Special School.

The move aims to improve the centre’s functions besides its teaching work. It will also provide consultations on inclusive childcare methods at schools and share experiences of parents with disabled children, said Nguyen Dinh Vinh, Director of the department.  

The centre will provide appropriate lessons for students with different disabilities and conduct early interventions for inclusive education.

It will also work with domestic and international individuals and organisations on education and  children with disabilities for children with disabilities.

In 2016-2017, the Nguyen Dinh Chieu School ran 23 classes for 209 disabled children from kindergarten to high school levels. 

Motorbike driver killed in collision with tractor trailer in Dak Lak

A man lost his life Wednesday (May 17) when his motorbike collided with a tractor trailer in the city of Buon Ma Thuot in the province of Dak Lak, local police officials have reported.

Local police investigating the tragedy say the accident occurred at approximately 2:30am in the commune of Hoa Thuan.

According to police, Nguyen Dinh Thanh, 24, was piloting his motorbike at excessive speeds and unable to slow down and avoid crashing into the semi pulling a trailer carrying freight.

As the semi-trailer began crossing over and turn onto the roadway, Thanh attempted to brake suddenly and lost control of his motorbike. At that point, police said he struck the front of the trailer portion.

Thanh, who was wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene, police officers reported. The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured.

Sang wins stage of cycling tourney

Nguyễn Hoàng Sang of Lê Đoàn-Kiên Giang won the seventh stage of the Return to the Countryside cycling tournament yesterday.

Sang won in a time of 1:23.38 in the 50km race around Trần Hưng Đạo Street in Sóc Trăng City. Sang’s teammate Huỳnh Văn Thuận and Bùi Văn Sành of Hiệp Nhất-Tịnh Biên finished second and third, respectively.

Although Quàng Văn Cường of Gạo Hạt Ngọc Trời-An Giang didn’t rank in top three of this stage, he still holds the yellow jersey for best overall time of 17:00.52 after seven stages. Yoeun Phi Yuth of Cambodia and Nguyễn Minh Luận of Premium Cycling Vĩnh Long are second and third, respectively.

Yuth holds the green jersey for best sprinter with 91 points.

The team rankings were unchanged, with Gạo Hạt Ngọc Trời-An Giang on top with a total time of 51:03.35, followed by Domesco Pharmacy Đồng Tháp and Premium Cycling Vĩnh Long.

Today, cyclists will compete in the eighth stage from Sóc Trăng City to Vị Thanh City. 

Children’s protection: Network providers to follow new rules

Network service providers and individuals are required to get permission from parents, guardians and children above the age of seven before publishing private information of any child on the internet from July 1.
The request follows Government Decree No. 56/2017/NĐ-CP, recently signed by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc.
According to the decree, private information of a child, including name, age, identifying characteristics and health status, as well as images, home address and school, must be protected.
The move aims to better protect children, avoid child abuse and ensure private information of children it not published on internet.
Parents, guardians, and children above seven can ask network service providers to immediately delete all related images and private information of a child on the internet.
The decree also requested network service providers to publish a list of online products and services safe for children and remove all unsuitable images and content for children.
The public security agency was asked to take prompt action to protect children’s rights on the internet, the decree said.
Additionally, a national hotline with three digits was ordered to be set up to receive complaints related to child protection. The Ministry of Labour, Invalid and Social Affair was tasked with managing the hotline, which will be operated 24x7. People who contact the hotline will not be charged.
Under the Law on Children, the definition of a child is a person under the age of 16.

Japanese firm to help farmers produce safe food

Japan’s Arrowfield Co. Ltd. has signed an agreement with Việt Nam Farmers’ Association on providing support for the growth and development of agriculture and farmers in Việt Nam.

Under the agreement, the two sides will work jointly to pass on agricultural skills, techniques, and know-how based on traditional Japanese natural farming methods (organic farming/pesticide-free production) to Vietnamese farmers, to encourage the production of safe foods.

Việt Nam will promote the purchase and use of clean  agricultural products and techniques, organic farming and pesticide-free production provided by the Japanese firm and permitted for sale and circulation in the country to improve agricultural yield, taste, and quality of cultivation, shipment and distribution.

With regards to the cultivation of flowers and fruit trees, the Japanese firm will make recommendations on chemical products such as fertilisers sold in Japan by specialists or companies selected by Việt Nam.

The mutual co-operation aims to contribute to the socio-economic development and development of Việt Nam’s agricultural sector, as well as promote cultural exchanges and mutual understanding between the two countries. At the same time, the co-operation will contribute directly and indirectly to the growth of agricultural product exports of both countries.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Lại Xuân Môn, president of Việt Nam Farmers’ Association, said: “Việt Nam is one of the countries that has an edge in agricultural production, but productivity is still low. The mutual co-operation will contribute towards Việt Nam’s agricultural development and production of safe products, and help farmers increase their earnings.”

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