Fire tears through southern Vietnam city, destroys 3 homes

Three homes have been destroyed and several more damaged after a fire tore through the city of Long Xuyen in southwestern An Giang Province on Monday, September 4, local officials have reported.

At about 1pm local fire and police officials responded to a call about a house fire in the ward of Ly Long. When they arrived on scene, emergency crews found two homes engulfed in flames.

Officials said the smoke and heavy winds made battling the blaze a challenge for them, but they were able to contain the fire quickly.

 fire tears through southern vietnam city, destroys 3 homes hinh 1 Two other homes were also consumed by the fire and another four houses in the surrounding area were severely affected by smoke and heat damage.

No one was injured in the inferno but numerous homes in the area were evacuated when it broke out.

A total of about two dozen firefighters and three fire engines were at the scene fighting the blaze for an estimated two hours.

Fire investigators said it is too early to say how it started.

Vietnam - most known ASEAN nation among Russians

Among the ten ASEAN nations, Vietnam is the best known among Russians, according to a survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center.

The survey result was announced by the centre’s director Valery Fedorov at the “Russia-ASEAN” University Forum on the sideline of Far Eastern Economic Forum which will take place in Vladivostok city, Russia, on September 6 and 7.

According to Fedorov, the Russian respondents were asked to rate five criteria on tangible and intangible culture, tourism, relationships among people, and policies of ASEAN nations. Vietnam got 16 out of 25 points.

The result is attributable to the fact that Vietnamese-made products are being sold in shops across Russia and Vietnamese food restaurants are popular in Russia, Fedorov said, adding that Vietnam’s beaches also lure Russian tourists.

In addition, the older generations of Russians still remember Vietnam in the anti-US war. 

Vietnam was followed by Thailand with 13 points, thanks to its popularity in tourism, goods and cuisine; Singapore with eight points; and Indonesia with five points.

The Far Eastern Economic Forum is expected to attract over 3,500 delegates from over 50 nations worldwide.

Central Highlands pays heed to education in remote, ethnic areas

All 3,351 schools with more than 1.4 million students from ethnic groups in the Central Highlands provinces celebrated the new school year on September 5.

The Central Highlands provinces have mobilised hundreds of billions of Vietnamese dong to invest in facilities and equipment at local schools ahead new academic year.

Priorities have been given to building schools in remote and ethnic minority areas. 

Dak Lak province spent nearly VND300 billion (US$13.2 million) sourced from local budget and other mobilised resources to build and upgrade 507 classrooms, houses for teachers, and buy teaching and learning equipment.

Currently, almost all communes in the regional provinces have primary schools, junior high schools and nursery schools.

Several localities have allocated local budget to buy textbooks and notebooks for ethnic minority students from poor and near-poor households.

Covering 54,400 sq.km, the Centrla Highlands region consists of five provinces – Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Nong and Lam Dong, with a population of over 5.4 million, 25.7 percent of them ethnic minorities.

Photo exhibition helps bring Vietnam, India closer

More than 100 photos capturing the land and people of Vietnam are on display at an exhibition at the Punjab Kala Bhavan art gallery in India’s Punjab state. 

The display, from September 3-5,  is held by the Vietnamese Embassy in India and Punjab’s Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs to mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and India. 

Addressing the display’s opening ceremony, Vietnamese Vice Ambassador to India Nguyen Le Thanh highlighted the ancient cultural ties between the two countries, saying bilateral relations have developed well and India has proven itself a trustworthy partner of Vietnam.

The exhibition takes place with the two countries celebrating their one-year comprehensive strategic partnership, which was elevated in September 2016 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Vietnam, and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership, she said.

Thanh expressed her hope that the exhibition will help international friends, particularly those in Chandigarh city of India, understand more about Vietnam and its people, while bringing the two countries closer. 

She revealed that Vietnam’s VietJet Air is expected to launch a direct route to India’s Delhi by the end of this year, aiming to strengthen connectivity between the two countries. 

On September 3, the Vietnamese Embassy also opened a pavilion displaying 100 Vietnamese dolls at the International Dolls Museum in Chandigarh city.

Mass fish release on Lo River on Vu Lan fest

More than 1.2 tonnes of young fish were released onto the Lo River in the northern province of Tuyen Quang on September 4 on the occasion of the Buddhist festival of Vu Lan.

Of the total, there were 10,000 fry of indigenous fish species that are facing extinction.

The event aimed at promoting the protection and conservation of marine resources.

The Vu Lan festival, also known as the Ghost Festival, is celebrated annually between the 10th to 15th day of the seventh lunar month, during which people visit pagodas and temples to worship ghosts and spirits through offerings of food and votive objects, and releasing animals such as birds and fish.

It is widely believed that on the Ghost Festival, the gates of hell are opened for dead souls to visit their loved ones.

US$1.2mn locally-made water bus launched, ready for Saigon route

The boat is expected to serve the river bus route from downtown Ho Chi Minh City to outlying Can Gio District

A Vietnamese-made express boat has been launched and is expected to be utilized for a river bus route in Ho Chi Minh City.

The 189 Shipbuilding Company under the Ministry of National Defense, in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City-based GreenlinesDP Company, on Sunday afternoon launched the water bus GreenlinesDP C8, which can carry up to 136 people.

The boat was designed and manufactured by engineers from 189 Company at a factory in the northern city of Hai Phong.

The vessel is 25 meters long, seven meters wide and can reach a maximum velocity of 26 nautical miles per hour.

With material and equipment imported from foreign countries, the expenditure to build the ship is about US$1.2 million, one-third of what it costs to import an entire boat.

The design of the speedboat limits vibration and wave generation during its operation, minimizing potential sea-sickness for passengers.  

According to Tran Song Hai, general director of GreenlinesDP, this is the third shipbuilding order that the firm has made with 189 Company.

The express boat is expected to be put into operation next month, which will serve the transport of passengers along the river bus route connecting downtown Ho Chi Minh City with outlying Can Gio District, Hai stated.

Each journey will take approximately one hour and 15 minutes, with fare ranging from VND180,000 ($5) to VND200,000 ($9) per passenger, the general director added.

As part of future deals between the two firms, more vessels will be built to facilitate transportation from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao Islands off the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and from Phan Thiet City to Phu Quy Island in south-central Vietnam.

Ha Tinh contributes to manpower training cooperation with Laos

The central province of Ha Tinh, which has close ties with Lao localities, has cooperated effectively with its Lao neighbours, especially in education and training.

The province’s Huong Son, Huong Khe and Vu Quang districts border Bolikhamsai and Khammouane provinces of Laos.

Educational and training cooperation programmes have received much attention from provincial authorities. More than 2,500 officials and students from 17 provinces and cities of Laos are studying in Ha Tinh. Most of them major in foreign languages, informatics, finance-banking, administration-business, accounting, tourism administration, medicine and vocational training.

Ha Tinh University, Ha Tinh Medical College and Viet Duc Vocational College all have large numbers of Lao students.

In particular, Ha Tinh University has provided training for Lao students for many years. 

More than 1,500 Lao students are learning here at present, a surge from 52 students when the university was established in 2007, making the university one of the schools with the biggest numbers of Lao students in Vietnam (15 percent of total Lao students nationwide), according to the Ministry of Education and Training.

Laos has presented Ha Tinh University with the Friendship Order, the Labour Order (third class) and merit certificates in recognition of the school’s efforts.

Nguyen Dinh Tho, Rector of the university, said his school has prioritised Lao students, including expanding their study time and combining online and face-to-face learning.

Meanwhile, Ha Tinh Medical College has also trained hundreds of Lao officials and students. Aside from learning at school, they can also practice at the provincial General Hospital.

A number of Lao students are studying at the Viet Duc Vocational College, majoring in informatics, mechanics, and automobile repair.

Deputy Rector of the college Nguyen Duy Vinh said there are 80 Lao students at his school now. They learn Vietnamese in the first year and vocational skills in the following three years. The college also provides accommodation and food on campus for the students.

Photo exhibition helps bring Vietnam, India closer

More than 100 photos capturing the land and people of Vietnam are on display at an exhibition at the Punjab Kala Bhavan art gallery in India’s Punjab state. 

The display, from September 3-5,  is held by the Vietnamese Embassy in India and Punjab’s Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs to mark the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and India. 

Addressing the display’s opening ceremony, Vietnamese Vice Ambassador to India Nguyen Le Thanh highlighted the ancient cultural ties between the two countries, saying bilateral relations have developed well and India has proven itself a trustworthy partner of Vietnam.

The exhibition takes place with the two countries celebrating their one-year comprehensive strategic partnership, which was elevated in September 2016 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Vietnam, and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership, she said.

Thanh expressed her hope that the exhibition will help international friends, particularly those in Chandigarh city of India, understand more about Vietnam and its people, while bringing the two countries closer. 

She revealed that Vietnam’s VietJet Air is expected to launch a direct route to India’s Delhi by the end of this year, aiming to strengthen connectivity between the two countries. 

On September 3, the Vietnamese Embassy also opened a pavilion displaying 100 Vietnamese dolls at the International Dolls Museum in Chandigarh city.

More than 12,000 meth pills seized in Quang Binh

Vietnamese and Lao law enforcement authorities have arrested five suspected drug traffickers in Laos’ Khammouane province in a joint operation.

According to the Border Guard Command of the central province of Quang Binh, the operation was carried out by the command’s drug and crime squad and Khammouane province police. 

Three suspects, all hailing from Khammouane in Boulapha district were arrested on September 1 in possession of 12,000 amphetamine pills. 

Three days later, the investigation team seized two other, members in the ring, along with a truck and other objects in Hinboun district on September 4.

The joint force will continue investigating the case before handing the case over to the Lao side for prosecution.

Belgium gathering marks 72nd anniversary of National Day

Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg Vuong Thua Phong hosted a gathering at the Embassy of Vietnam in Brussels on September 4 to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day.

The event was attended by Chairman of Friends of Vietnam Group at the European Parliament Jan Zahradil and senior officials from Belgium and the European Union.

In his remarks at the event, Phong briefed his guests on important milestones in Vietnam’s history since the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945. The past 72 years have seen enormous efforts to retain freedom, build a communist country and develop amid many difficulties, he said.

The ambassador thanked international friends for their support to Vietnam and their efforts to boost Vietnam-EU and Vietnam-Belgium relations.

For his part, Chairman of Friends of Vietnam Jan Zahradil lauded Vietnam’s achievements during the “renewal” period and congratulated the country as the host of this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum.

He praised Vietnam for having concluded free trade agreements with twelve foreign partners and vowed to push for the ratification of the Vietnam-EU free trade deal.

A celebration was also held in Algiers, Algeria on September 4 to mark National Day of Vietnam with senior officials from Algeria and other foreign diplomats in attendance.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Pham Quoc Tru recalled the historic moment when President Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam’s independence on September 2, 1945. 

Tru said that 2017 also marks the 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Algeria diplomatic ties, adding that their relations have been nurtured by long-standing support for each other.

He pledged to do his utmost to foster relations between the two countries. 

Scholarships presented to poor students ahead of new school year

The organisation Rencontres du Vietnam (Meeting Vietnam) on August 31 presented 273 scholarships worth 2.4 billion VND (105,576 USD) to poor students with outstanding academic performance in central provinces of Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Ha Tinh.

Of the students, 193 are from Quang Binh, 40 from Ha Tinh and 40 from Quang Tri. The scholarships’ value is from 8 million VND (352 USD) to 13 million VND (572 USD) each.

Since its establishment in 2001, the Vallet Scholarship Fund has offered 32,250 scholarships worth over 175 billion VND (7.69 million USD) to Vietnamese students, supporting poor students nationwide to overcome their difficulties in study.

The fund was established by French Professor Odon Vallet from France’s Sorbonne University through Rencontres du Vietnam founded by the Vietnamese-French Professor Tran Thanh Van

On the threshold of the new academic year, on August 30 and 31, border posts of Vinh Hai, Vinh Chau and Lai Hoa under the Border Guard Command of the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang presented 60 scholarships worth 1 million VND (44 USD) each to poor Khmer students in the locality.

Nguyen Triu Men, Vice Political Commissar of Soc Trang Border Guard Force, said that the unit has asked border guards to coordinate closely with local governments in localities across the province as well as teachers to support poor students.

Cancer treatment discussed in Huế

The world’s latest achievements in treating cancer were discussed among hundreds of experts at an annual conference on cancer prevention and treatment in central Huế City yesterday.   

Organised by the Huế Central Hospital, the Huế College of Medicine and Pharmacy and the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the event gathered 600 local and 20 international cancer specialists, Việt Nam Television (VTV) reported.

About 100 scientific studies were presented at the conference, focusing on screening and early detection of cancer and advancements in diagnosis and treatment.

Digestive tract, lung, breast, and pediatric cancer, as well as the newest cancer treatment methods such as immunotherapy and stem cell therapy, were discussed by doctors and specialists.

Speaking at the conference, Phạm Xuân Dũng, director of the Oncology Hospital of HCM City, said that studies have found cells in humans that can destroy cancerous cells.

“Cancerous cells emit certain substances that help them avoid the immune system,” he told VTV. “Immunotherapy is the method that boosts the immune system so that it will able to detect and destroy these cancerous cells.”

Professor Abe Fingerhurt, president of the European Association for Endoscopic Surgery, stressed the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of Indocyanine green – a cyanine dye used in medical diagnostics – in cancer treatment.

“It has been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of not only breast, rectal and bile duct cancer but also other illnesses such as intestinal twist,” he said. “It is also cheaper than the existing methods, easily applied, and has resulted in no medical complications.”

Apart from the new methods, the basic methods of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, gynecology, and palliative care remained the pivotal parts of cancer treatment, said Phạm Như Hiệp, director of the Huế Central Hospital.

“Early cancer screening and prevention control whether a patient’s treatment will be radical or temporary,” he said.

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally, accounting for 12 per cent of all deaths annually.

Việt Nam has about 126,000 new cancer patients and 94,000 cancer deaths each year, according to national statistics. The number of new cancer patients is expected to rise to 186,000 per year by 2020.

Economic loss of about VNĐ25.8 billion (US$1.14 million) were caused per year by breast, liver, cervical, colorectal and stomach cancer, according to the latest national statistics in 2012.

Dong Thap: Final sections of Cao Lanh bridge joined

The final segments of Cao Lanh bridge in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap were joined at a ceremony held by the Cuu Long Corporation For Investment, Development and Project Management of Infrastructure (Cuu Long CIPM) on September 1.

The 2,000-metre long bridge, spanning over the Tien River and linking Cao Lanh city and Lap Vo District, is located about 0.8 kilometre from Cao Lanh ferry and about 35 kilometres from My Thuan bridge, which connects Tien Giang and Vinh Long provinces.

It is a 24.5 metre wide cable-stayed bridge which sits 37.5 metres above the Tien River.

With an investment of over 3 trillion VND (132 million USD) sourced from Australia’s non-refundable aid, the Asia Development Bank and Vietnam’s correspondent fund, the bridge is designed to have four lanes for motorised vehicles and two others for non-motorised ones.

According to Tran Van Thi, Cuu Long CIPM General Director, after 41 months of construction, major parts of the bridge have been completed under the contract between the project investor-Cuu Long CIPM and Chinese Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and the Vinaconex E&C.

The bridge will make significant contributions to improving road traffic network, boosting social and economic development and consolidating defence and security in the Mekong Delta region, which is not only a rice granary and the third largest industrial centre in Vietnam but also one of the most productive agricultural and aquaculture areas in the world.

Upon completion, the bridge will benefit five million residents in the region and meet the travel demand of 170,000 people per day.

HCM City hosts art performance marking National Day

Hundreds of artists and singers joined a special art performance show in Ho Chi Minh City in the evening of September 2 to mark the 72nd anniversary of National Day.

The artists and singers performed a series of songs, dances and scenes at the Ho Chi Minh Monument Park to re-enact the country’s struggle for independence and post-war efforts for national development and integration.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan and Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong were among those attending the event.

On the occasion, a 15-minute firework display took place at Dam Sen Park in the city’s district 11.

Tourist destinations busy on National Day holiday

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho welcomed more than 76,000 tourists during the three-day National Day holiday (September 2-4), up 60 percent year-on-year, according to the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

The holiday makers flocked to the My Khanh Tourist Village, the Southern Truc Lam Zen Monastery, the Cai Rang Floating Market and the Ninh Kieu Wharf, among others. 

The local tourism sector has made all-out efforts to ensure security, safety and environmental hygiene for tourists, while organising a range of entertainment activities during the holiday. 

The Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre also served over 100,000 holiday-makers on September 2-3, doubling the figure recorded in the same period last year. 

Of the total, domestic tourists made up more than 60 percent, said the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

During the holiday, about 50,000 vacationers flocked to the central province of Binh Thuan, including 3,000 foreigners, mostly from Russia, Thailand, Germany, the Republic of Korea and the US.

Major tourist destinations in the central province of Quang Nam like Cham island (Cu Lao Cham), the world-recognized My Son Sanctuary and Hoi An ancient town, and the Phu Ninh lake eco-tourism site, also drew a large number of both domestic and international tourists on this occasion.

Ninth Vietnam-India friendship festival opens in Indian city

The ninth Vietnam-India People’s Friendship Festival kicked off in Chandigarh city, Punjab state of India, on September 3.

The event, jointly held by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) and the All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation, takes place in the context that the two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties and the first year since the establishment of comprehensive strategic partnership, India’s 70th Independence Day and Vietnam’s 72nd National Day.

Mayor of Chandigarh city Asha Kumari Jaswal expressed her delight when her city was chosen to host the festival, hoping that more exchanges between the two countries’ people will be organised in the time to come.

VUFO Vice President Bui Khac Son said the event offered a chance for both sides to recall the tradition of solidarity, cooperation and mutual support, and discuss measures to effectively intensify the bilateral relations, thus helping realise signed agreements and lift their ties to a new height.

He affirmed the Vietnamese people always bear in mind the assistance the Indian people gave to their struggles against aggressors.

He showed his belief that with joint efforts from both countries, their comprehensive strategic partnership will surely reap more and greater fruits so as to meet their people’s interests, and for peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region and the world.

At the opening ceremony, Vietnamese and Indian artists entertained the audience with a series of performances praising the two countries and their friendship.

Earlier the same day, the Vietnamese delegation had a seminar with enterprises in Chandigarh city, during which they exchanged views on cooperation potential and opportunities in the fields of trade, infrastructure, tourism, education and training and culture.

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