Two held for toothpick scam in Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake

Two young women were detained and taken to police by local people in Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake for allegedly cheating visitors with their charitable toothpick selling scam. 

Two young women (central and right) were detained and taken to police by local people in Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake on September 6 for allegedly cheating visitors with their charitable toothpick selling scam.

Police in Hoan Kiem District on September 7 said that the two women were held by local people on Wednesday afternoon while selling toothpicks around Hoan Kiem Lake.

"They were found overcharging tourists at VND500,000-700,000 (USD22-31) for each toothpick pack with their charitable toothpick selling scam," a police report said.

The two came from My Duc District and one of them had earlier been fined for the same scam.

"Their actions have badly affected the image of Hanoi people among visitors," police said. "We have asked the two women to report about their work and write a commitment saying they will not do that again."

A clip posted on several social networks on September 6 showed two young women being held by several people for allegedly overcharging visitors when selling toothpicks. The two girls were seen crying while admitting their wrongdoings and begging to be released. 

The women were taken to police station.

In the clip, Tran Thi Nam, a 67-year-old scrap metal collector who was rewarded by police for her active role in highlighting the scam around Hoan Kiem Lake was also seen holding the two young women. Nam then made a phone call to local police who arrived shortly after and took the two women to police station.

HCMC education sector proposes tuition fee for new school year

The Department of Education and Training in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday issued its document on tuition fee for the school year 2017-2018.
 
As per the document, tuition fee for morning and afternoon classes in primary school ranges from VND100,000-150,000 (per student a month) while it is VND150,000-200,000 for a junior high school and VND200,000-300,000 for senior high school.

All schools are eligible for collecting VND200,000-250,000 as service fee for day-boarders. It has seen of service fee hike of VND50,000 in preschools or parents must pay VND350,000-400,000 a month this year.

Fee for all normal equipment and materials in all-level schools is VND150,000-200,000 a student monthly while it is VND450,000 for a preschool student.

Especially, the Department added salary for contracted employees such as guards and cooks in preschools as per the Council Committee’s decision No. 04/2017 this school year. Each parent must pay VND30,000-40,000 for these employees.

Self-financing schools must collect fee in line with the Department’s guidelines. For instance, Le Quy Don Senior High School and Nguyen Du Senior High School are allowed to collect VND1.5 million a student a month while Senior High School Nguyen Hien can charge tuition fee of VND1.4 million monthly for a student.

The fee is not included other fees such as English fee, class for day-boarders as per parents’ demand.

Bank robbery under investigation in Dong Nai Province

Police are investigating a bank robbery that occurred this morning at a branch of the Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HD Bank)in the southern province of Dong Nai’s Xuan Loc district.

A leader of People’s Committee in Xuan Loc District confirmed the robbery happened at 11 AM in Tran Phu Street in Gia Ray Town.

The investigation revealed that two fellow went to the banking office in a motorbike. They smashed glass door by hammer threatening staffs and taking money away. After receiving the money, they fled from the bank.

Until 12.30 PM, police officers in Dong Nai Province still closed off the branch for examining and questioning some staffs as well as watched camera at the bank for the investigation.

Some witnesses said that the bandits fled away to the direction towards the central province of Binh Thuan. The two guys who managed to leave the crime scene with an amount of cash, dropped some on the way.

However, police have not revealed the amount of money the two robbers took away.
Police are hunting the two men.

From a child’s perspective

The aim is quite beautiful, but the outcome – as generally perceived – looks ugly when noisy colors take to the street in HCMC these days. 

Enthusiasm is more than enough among many young people who are trying hard to give new coatings to public places, from the covers of water drains to electric poles, with the purpose of arousing public awareness on environmental protection, but what is regrettably lacking is the professional skill of craftsmen or artists. 

And, says local media, such efforts are spoiling the cityscape rather than beautifying it.

As seen in the city these days, numerous students are painting electric poles along several major streets in District 11, creating images of so-called flowers using mainly three noisy colors of red, green and yellow. 

The movement, launched by the district’s Communist Youth League, has seen scores of electric poles covered with such eye-sore flowers, and the students have plans to paint all 500 poles with such childish patterns in the coming time.

In fact, the district’s youth league has aped a similar movement from districts 1 and 5, where students have earlier been sent to the street to pain hundreds of covers of water drains with pictures that are also meant to call on the public to protect the environment.

Such a campaign has prompted outcries, as many onlookers see the pictures as silly and rubbish in terms of aesthetic value.

Vo Kim Cuong, former deputy director of the HCMC Department of Zoning and Architecture, objects to the movement, saying such pictures are unnecessary. “In my opinion, city streets are already stuffed with signboards and advertisements. What the city needs is a spacious and simple landscape,” he is quoted as saying in Phap Luat.

In Tuoi Tre, painter Luong Luu Bien echoes the point, saying public places should be reserved for traffic signs or signs and advertising billboards, while electric poles should only be kept blank. The painter, downplaying the aesthetic value of the images, ponders why such a decorative work can be assigned to amateurs.

“Fine arts in public places must be suitable to many people. Naïve pictures like in a kindergarten cannot be accepted in such places,” he is quoted in Tuoi Tre.

Painter Do Xuan Tinh endorses the point, saying in the same paper that fine-arts decorations in public places must be undertaken by professionals. “I think that any movement in the city should require professional skills, since the city has a strong pool of professionals,” he asserts.

In Thanh Nien newspaper, Vi Kien Thanh, a senior official at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, says such a movement in HCMC fails to ensure fine-art effects and also affects traffic safety. “Good intention is not enough, as such (paintings) can become fine-art garbage.”

Nhan Dan in a commentary likens images on water drain covers and electric poles in the city to those patterns drawn by toddlers in preschool and kindergarten. The so-called flowers are also similar to those drawn by little kids to offer to their parents, says the paper.

“If there is enthusiasm in fine arts, it must be undertaken by professionals. When women wear make-up, for example, such make-up must be done by skillful hands, not by children no matter how the women are fond of their children,” says the paper.

Nguoi Lao Dong says the flowers on electric poles remind viewers of little flowers conferred by babysitters at kindergartens on well-performing kids. Citing urban landscape expert Nguyen Huu Nguyen, the paper says that before painting such flowers, people and experts should be consulted.

According to Nhan Dan, when wanting to showcase paintings in public places, authorities should invite professionals to do the job. These professionals should weigh how to choose artists, the contents to be conveyed, and the materials needed, since arts in public places will affect many people.

Street arts, according to experts, should only be organized in certain designated areas.

Expert Vo Kim Cuong says in Phap Luat that elsewhere in the world like France, England and Hong Kong, such decorative patterns are not showcased everywhere, but are limited to a few public places like recreational parks. “A good picture is only suitable to a specific area,” he is quoted as saying.

Artist Luong Luu Bien, meanwhile, asserts that even masterpieces by Van Gogh cannot be displayed anywhere in the street, but need a special space. “The art in public places is not just about being beautiful. It requires the right place,” says the painter. 

Thanh Nien refers to the case of public paintings in Quang Nam Province’s Tam Thanh Village and Quang Ngai Province’s Ly Son. “Paintings on the wall on these two islands have conveyed very good visual effects and have become a particular tourism attraction. Authorities there have made careful plans before painters of Vietnam and South Korea started their works there,” says the paper.

Vi Kien Thanh, who also serves as head of the Department for Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, says grassroots authorities in the city are to blame for the careless planning.

“Voluntary students when wanting to make any drawings or paintings in public places only need to ask for permission from authorities of districts or wards. Such grassroots authorities also want public places in their precincts to be clean and beautiful, but they do not have the professional capacity to appraise the aesthetic values of such pictures,” he says in Thanh Nien.

According to Painter Luong Luu Bien, pictures like those on electric poles can be used for short-term purposes, such as in a movement or a campaign, and the cityscape must be restored after that.

Loss from landslide over $3.9 million

It is estimated that the total losses from landslides in the Mekong delta province of An Giang is VND90 billion ($3.9 million), said the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development this morning.
 
Districts An Phu, Cho Moi and Phu Tan have suffered nine, five, six landslides respectively meantime Tan Chau Town has reported to have 7 spots with 2,800 meter long erosions which are destroying 199 houses. 

Of 199 houses, 20 houses fell into river while four other houses and other infrastructure constructions were damaged.

Amongst landslides, 16 houses fell into river; the most serious one took place in Cho Moi District’s My Hoi Dong Commune on April 22.

The authority has decided to give VND20 million as support for each household suffering landslides.
Till now, many people are living in the erosion prone area.

Different reasons for erosion include geographic structure, sand exploitation, and illicit construction in river changing river flow.

Workers strike against Thanh Hoa Company

Thousands of workers at a South Korean company in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa have gone on strike to protest against the company's unsound policies.

Head of the Policy and Law Department under Thanh Hoa Provincial Labour Federation, Le Van Giang, led a delegation to S&H Vina Thach Thanh Company on September 7 to find out the demands of the strikers.

Officials from Thanh Hoa Provincial Labour Federation meet with workers at the company on September 7.

According to initial reports, the incident occurred during the afternoon break on September 6 time when the management tried to stop workers at Line 1 from laying cloth on the floor to sleep.

The workers were so angry at the attitude of the board which they described as heartless that they stopped working. The protest then spread to Line 2 and Line 3 when thousands of workers stopped working that afternoon, a report from the investigation team said.

According to some workers, the relatively innocuous dispute was the last straw that broke the camel's back. The company had failed to abide by their own labour contracts and there are also many unreasonable and ridiculous regulations and policies that are unfair to staff.

"The company's regulations say that workers can have one day off a month, but they don't give us any days off," a worker told officials of the provincial Labour Federations at a meeting on Thursday morning. "They haven't raised salaries every six months as stipulated in our contracts, either."

The workers also talked about ridiculous regulations including informing the company three days ahead if workers want to have a day off for the funeral of their family members.

"We contributed to the trade union fund every month but never receive gifts at Tet holiday or other special occasions," they added. "Our meals are very poorly prepared and aren’t nutritious."

The workers said they want the company to raise salaries to suit the current standards of living and ensure some basic rights including maternity leave and child subsidies as well as leave for special occasions.

The workers haven't returned to work while the trade union team worked with the company's leaders on September 9.

The South Korean-invested S&H Vina Thach Thanh was put into operation in September 2015 and employs 6,000 workers.

Large amount of illegally-traded ivory found at Saigon Port

Police in HCM City on September 6 seized hundreds of kilos of ivory illegally imported from Africa at Saigon Port.

The ivory was hidden in two containers owned by a company located in Phu Nhuan District.
  
According to the company’s papers, the containers consist of asphalt drums imported from Africa and then transited in Vietnam before being exported to Cambodia. However customs officers and police detected the ivory hidden in drums.

It is rare to find ivory in asphalt barrels. Earlier, illegally-traded ivory was found in containers which held pieces of wood.

Police have continued checking the barrels for more possible ivory.

By late December last year, around 500 kilos of ivory and pangolin scales imported from Africa were detected by customs authorities at Cat Lai Port in HCM City.

Defence ministry urged to continue building regular, elite army

President Tran Dai Quang has asked the Ministry of National Defence to focus on a number of missions assigned by the Party, State and people, including the continued building of a revolutionary, regular, elite and modern people’s army.

The State leader had a working session with the ministry’s leaders in Hanoi on September 6 to review its past performance and direct new tasks.

The President praised achievements the ministry has obtained in leading the implementation of military missions over the past time.

He stated military officers and soldiers have overcome difficulties to fulfill their duties amid complicated developments in the region and the world, increasing activities of hostile forces against the Party and State, and continuous occurrences of natural disasters. 

In the coming time, the ministry must actively grasp the situation and well perform its advisory and strategic tasks on military and defence while continuously improving training quality and combative readiness, he said.

The leader stressed the need to closely coordinate with the public security and other forces to defeat all hostile forces’ sabotage schemes and activities; maintain political security and social order and safety; and ensure security during important events such as APEC meetings this year.

Government bodies need to promote IT application: Deputy PM

Government bodies should be more proactive in promoting IT application, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said at the opening of the 2017 Vietnam ICT Summit in Hanoi on September 6.

This year’s summit, themed “Vietnam: Digital Transformation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, gathered 650 government officials, ambassadors and trade counsellors of 14 countries in Vietnam and representatives from universities, research institutes and foreign and domestic IT enterprises.

In his remarks at the event, Dam urged all sectors to connect with each other and together take actions to create power for the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, as the industrial revolution is all about connection and sharing.

The Deputy PM asked the IT and telecommunication sector to improve its infrastructure, stressing that in order to keep up with Industry 4.0, Vietnam has to take one step ahead in terms of infrastructure development.

Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan reiterated the ministry’s commitment to enhancing the national capacity to move towards Industry 4.0. The ministry will develop policies that promote digital infrastructure growth and ensure security of the national communication system, Tuan said, adding that it will also issue sets of standards in IT and telecommunications and provide incentives and favourable business climate for start-ups in the field.

The ICT Summit this year featured four panel discussions on Awareness of Vietnam 4.0; Advantage of Vietnam’s Digital Economy - Digital Industry, Smart Agriculture, Smart Tourism; Smart City; and Digital Human Resources, Innovation and start-up.

Slogan contest for traffic safety programme launched

A contest for the official slogan of the “Doraemon with traffic safety in Vietnam” 2017-2018 programme was kicked off on September 6.

Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi, Colonel Le Xuan Duc, Deputy Head of the Traffic Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security said that the annual slogan contest aims to raise children’s awareness about traffic safety and accident prevention. The best slogan will be used as the road safety slogan of the year and appear on posters hung at primary schools nationwide in the 2017-2018 school year.

The contest is open for Vietnamese and foreigners living in Vietnam. Entries should not be longer than 20 words, and serve the themes of “Be careful on the way to school” (targeting primary school students) and “For children’s safety” (targeting high school students).

Contestants could submit their entries by post or to the programme’s websites of www.antoangiaothong.com.vn and www.cgst.vn by October 31. An awarding ceremony will be held in January 2018.

Seimiya Katsuyoshi, Director of Global Business Division of the Mainichi Newspaper Co. Ltd, co-organiser of the programme said the contest was based on a similar one in Japan which has been underway for more than 20 years. He expressed his hope that as the contest was launched simultaneously with the beginning of new school year, it will popularise the message to protect Vietnamese children from traffic accidents. 

Doraemon, a robot cat, is a famous Japanese animation character among children in Asia, including Vietnam, and has served as a symbol of traffic safety for decades in Japan.

In 2016-2017, the “Doraemon with traffic safety in Vietnam” programme was held in various primary schools with 35 extra-curriculums classes on traffic safety. More than 50,000 road safety handbooks and badges featuring Doraemon and the winning slogan of last year were presented to students at schools in Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Thanh Hoa and Yen Bai.

Japan first launched a traffic safety programme featuring Doraemon 30 years ago, when about 15,000 Japanese people were killed by traffic accidents every year. Japan is now one of the countries with the safest traffic network in the world, while its people have very good road sense. The number of traffic-linked deaths has shrunk to around 4,000 a year.

Vietnam realises commitments to human rights promotion

Observing commitments to promoting human rights is an important part of Vietnam’s efforts and also an important achievement of the country in ensuring human rights.  

Vietnam is working to implement recommendations of the UN’s second-circle Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on human rights it has accepted. 

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a mechanism of the Human Rights Council (HRC) aimed at improving human rights in each United Nations (UN) member state.

Under this mechanism, the human rights situation in all UN member states is reviewed every five years.

The result of each review is reflected in an “outcome report” listing the recommendations on what the state needs to improve before the next review.

Under the second UPR in Geneva on February 5, 2014, 106 countries put forward 227 recommendations to Vietnam, focusing on the reform of the legal system relating to human rights and the enhancement of cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms. 

Most countries acknowledged Vietnam’s policies, efforts and achievements in ensuring human rights since the first review in 2009. 

At the 26th session of the Human Rights Council in June 2014, Vietnam announced that the country accepted 182 out of 227 recommendations. 

At the same time, it clearly stated that the 45 other recommendations are not accepted as they are not suitable with Vietnam’s reality or international consensus. However, Vietnam will put them into consideration.

Vietnam has assigned ministries and agencies to implement the accepted recommendations.

In November 2015, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved a master plan on implementing the second-circle UPR recommendations. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) was tasked with supervising the work and reporting the results to the Prime Minister. 

Hoang Thanh Nga, deputy head of the MoFA’s Department for International Organisations, said between June 2014 and December 31, 2016, 147 out of the 182 accepted recommendations were realised and four others were partly implemented. 

During 2014-2016, dozens of legal documents relating to human rights and citizens’ rights were adopted to concretise regulations of the 2013 Constitution, in line with international conventions to which Vietnam is a member. 

Apart from amending the Investment Law, the Enterprise Law and legal regulations on exit, nationality and adoption, Vietnam issued the Ordinance on Belief and Religion, the Law on Press and the Law on Publication. 

Thanks to such efforts, people’s civil and political rights, including the rights to religious freedom, movement freedom, participation in politics and the rights of ethnic minorities and the disadvantaged groups, have been respected and ensured. Per capita income increased from 1,900 USD in 2013 to 2,215 USD in 2016. The number of people covered by social allowances and health insurance also rose by 25.05 percent in new-style rural communes. 

Residents in areas prone to natural disasters, drought and saltwater intrusion have received support, while attention has been paid to implementing the national strategy on natural disaster prevention and mitigation.

Notably, social organisations and citizens have participated more deeply in supervising the effectuation of the State’s laws and policies. Around 50 million people, or 52 percent of the population, are using the internet in Vietnam.

Up to 34 out of 35 recommendations relating to rights of vulnerable groups have been implemented through national action programmes.

Additionally, nine out of 12 recommendations on education about human rights, and ten out of 19 recommendations on Vietnam’s engagement in international conventions on human rights have been materialised. 

Through the implementation of the second-circle UPR recommendations, Vietnam has shown goodwill to contribute to human rights-related issues of international concern, helping raise the country’s position in the global arena.

Chief of Vietnam People’s Army meets CHOD-20 delegations

Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Minister of Defence Phan Van Giang had bilateral meetings with participants at the 20th Asia-Pacific Chiefs of Defence Conference (CHOD-20) in Victoria, Canada while leading a delegation of the Vietnam People’s Army to the event.

Giang met with military leaders of the UK, Australia, Brunei, Canada, the Republic of Korea, the US, New Zealand, Japan and China.

He affirmed Vietnam’s role in the region and the world through multilateral forums on military matters. The Vietnamese delegation also discussed issues of mutual concerns in defence relations with foreign delegations.

Giang’s activities at the event also helped assert Vietnam’s foreign policy of multilateralisation and diversification of relations, as well as its active policy of international integration.

The event ran from September 4-6.

Vietnamese, Lao women contribute to fostering bilateral ties

A Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) delegation attended a ceremony hosted by the Lao Women’s Union (LWU) Central Committee in Vientiane on September 6 to mark the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and Laos (September 5) and 40 years since the signing of the Vietnam-Laos Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (July 18).

Addressing the event, LWU Chairwoman Inlavan Keobounphan highlighted the solidarity between Vietnamese and Lao people, which has been tested through struggles against colonialists and imperialists and national construction. 

The solidarity was the decisive factor for the success of the two countries’ revolutions and an invaluable asset passed down by President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Phomvihane and President Souphanouvong, she said. 

Keobounphan said generations of Vietnamese and Lao officials, Party members and people, and the central committees of the two women’s unions have worked to preserve and promote the traditional relationship. 

Despite a complex global situation, the people of Vietnam and Laos and their women in particular will carry forward revolutionary achievements and cooperation by educating women and young people about the relationship, she said. 

Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, VWU Chairwoman, said her union will work with the LWU to promote the relationship, contributing to socio-economic development and international integration of each country. 

On this occasion, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Sonesay Siphandone presented the Issara (Independence) Order, second class, to Ha and the Issara Order, third class, to four chairwomen of the VWU. 

The women’s unions of nine Vietnamese cities and provinces, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh, Dak Lak, Thanh Hoa, Son La, Quang Tri, Nghe An and Kon Tum also received Laos’ Labour Order, third class, for their contributions to the friendship between the two countries. 

Following the meeting, the delegates visited a photo exhibition capturing the Vietnam-Laos relationship held by the LWU Central Committee.

Man killed in early-morning 10-Alarm fire in HCM City

A man was killed in a ten-alarm fire early Wednesday morning, September 6, reported Ho Chi Minh City fire officials.

The fire started at a residence in Ward 4, District 8 on street Number 7 at about 5am.  

Fire officials said the body of Nguyen Van Hiep Anh, 29, was found on the third floor of the four-storey structure. Meanwhile seven other occupants of the building were rescued and transported to a local hospital.

It is still too early to determine how and where the fire started.

Vietnamese city bans public servants from wearing jeans to work

The administration of Can Tho City in southern Vietnam has issued a new code of conduct for public servants, which includes a controversial ban on jeans at the office.

The code of conduct, applicable to all employees of state entities, was signed into effect on September 5 by Can Tho chairman Vo Thanh Thong, according to the Office of the municipal People’s Committee.

The code requires public workers to be considerate, courteous and affable in communicating with people, and be attentive to inquiries so as to give clear and detailed explanations of regulations related to their field of expertise.

Public workers are also asked to give priority treatment to the elderly, the sick, the disabled and pregnant women, while picking up the habit of saying “sorry” and “thank you” in appropriate circumstances.

For government bodies that do not have uniforms, public workers must wear clothes that are clean, smart and unrevealing, using colors pleasant to the eyes and suitable for the nature of the job, the code of conduct reads.

Men are required to go to work in tucked-in dress shirts, trousers and shoes or sandals, while women must wear either the ‘ao dai’ – a traditional Vietnamese costume – or shirts with office skirts or dresses.

Both male and female public servants are not to wear jeans and T-shirts of any kind to work, according to the code of conduct.

The ban on jeans at the office has been met with public backlash, with some public workers criticizing the new regulation as “inflexible”.

Nguyen Hoang Ba, director of Can Tho’s Department for Internal Affairs who responded to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper’s request for comment, said the ban had been issued after considering precedents set by Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City administrations.

Ba’s department is reportedly the body that requested the ban to be included in Can Tho’s code of conduct.

According to Ba, the city welcomed feedback from agencies and bodies that would be affected by the code of conduct prior to its issuance, but there was no objection to the ban at the time.

“Blue jeans are a complete no-no,” Ba said. “It just doesn’t feel right for civil servants to wear jeans at the office.”

However, contrary to Ba’s claim, Hanoi's code of conduct does not make any mention of such a ban on jeans, only discouraging public servants from wearing “shirts without collars and sleeves, or dresses shorter than the knee, to work”.

Meanwhile, there is no official code of conduct in Ho Chi Minh City that adjusts the behavior of state employees.

Da Nang park seeks permission to shut down zoo

Managers of a park in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang have asked local authorities for permission to close a zoo within the park's grounds due to a limited number of animals.

Nguyen Thi Quynh Diem, deputy director of the Da Nang Greenery Parks Company, confirmed that a proposal had been submitted to the municipal Department of Construction to seek agreement on the shutdown of the zoo inside 23/9 Park.

Located on Dien Bien Phu Street in Thanh Khe District, 23/9 is a green tree park covering 20 hectares and is a favorite place of leisure for local residents.

According to deputy director Diem, the shutdown of the zoo is necessary as there are only 22 animals currently being raised at the facility, and the company’s capacity to run it is also limited.

The zoo has been open for the past 30 years and been home to a variety of animal species originating from Africa, she continued, adding that the number of animals has been decreasing over the years.

“We have tried to save the establishment in several ways, none of which have been successful. The lack of diversity and space has resulted in a declining number of visitors,” Diem elaborated.

Sanitary procedures within the cages are also said to be inadequate, which is a glaring fault of the venue.

Following the shutdown of the zoo, all animals will be transported to other facilities that are capable of raising and preserving them, she added.

Vietnamese language class in Kiev begins new school year

A new school year ceremony has been held at the Vietnamese language class for overseas Vietnamese children in Kiev, Ukraine.

Addressing the ceremony on September 4, Vietnam Ambassador to Ukraine and Moldova Nguyen Anh Tuan underscored the importance of the teaching and learning of the Vietnamese language among the Vietnamese community in Ukraine, in order to help preserve tradition and culture of the nation. 

Currently, more than 400 students are learning the Vietnamese language at 20 classes in Ukraine. The Vietnamese Embassy in Ukraine has made great efforts to improve the teaching quality.

On the occasion, the ambassador presented textbooks to students and provided partial funding for the operation of these classes.

Vietnam Fatherland Front helps Dien Bien ease flood impacts

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man presented 500 million VND (22,000 USD) to aid Dien Bien’s flood relief efforts at a working session in the mountainous province on September 7.

At the function, the provincial VFF Central Committee reported that it has transferred more than 2 billion VND (88,000 USD) from donors to about 5,000 needy families, aided some 6,000 households with close to 5 billion VND (220,000 USD) for hunger alleviation, and presented about 3,000 gifts for social welfare beneficiaries and disadvantaged people so far this year.

Since the beginning of July, many local families have had their property damaged by floods. As of September 5, donations from 32 provinces and cities nationwide for the victims amounted to 7.5 billion VND (330,000 USD). The VFF also sent more than 1.5 billion VND (66,000 USD) and 20 tonnes of rice.

Man acknowledged the efforts and asked the provincial VFF chapter to improve its social monitoring function, particularly in flood relief and distribution of flood aid.

On the occasion, Man visited and presented gifts to needy students at the Dien Bien boarding high school for ethnic minorities and a number of flood-hit households in Dien Bien district’s Muong Phang commune.

Students in Central Highlands receive Odon Vallet scholarships

Odon Vallet scholarships were awarded to 179 students from the Central Highlands and central coastal provinces on September 6 by Rencontre du Vietnam (Meet Vietnam).

Of the total, 154 scholarships, worth 9 million VND (396 USD) each, were given to high school students while other 25, worth 15 million VND (660 USD) each, were presented to undergraduate students from Tay Nguyen, Da Lat and Nha Trang universities.

This is the 17th year the Meet Vietnam has granted Odon Vallet scholarships to poor Vietnamese students. This year, about 2,500 scholarships, worth a total of 25 billion VND (1.1 million USD), were awarded.

The organisation has been active in Vietnam since 2001. Professor Odon Vallet spent his savings to help impoverished Vietnamese students and encourage them to study.

New HCMC bridge to open in October

The last two spans of  Nhị Thiên Đường Bridge No. 1 in HCM City’s District 8 were connected on Tuesday (Sept 5), with an expected opening date scheduled for October 15.

Nearly 90 per cent of the construction of the bridge, 161 metres long and 12 metres wide, has been completed.

The project cost over VNĐ163 billion (US$7.2 million) from city funds, including the construction of connecting roads to Tùng Thiện Vương Street and National Highway No. 50.

Nhị Thiên Đường Bridge No. 1 and Nhị Thiên Đường Bridge No. 2 make up one of the city’s main traffic junctions, which connects to other urban areas via National Highway No. 50. 

Begun in January, the project is carried out by the city’s Urban Transport Management Authority No. 4 under the city’s Department of Transpor. 

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