HCM City seeks Japan’s investment for smart city projects

Delegates of Ho Chi Minh City take a photo with those from Fukuoka prefecture

Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Tran Vinh Tuyen has called on Japanese investors to join the city’s urban development projects, such as infrastructure building, equipment provision and management consultation. 

Tuyen made the suggestion at a meeting with officials from Fukuoka prefecture of Japan on March 22 during his ongoing visit to the country, with the focus of the trip learning about dealing with environmental issues and flood protection from Japanese localities. 

During the meeting, he revealed that HCM City has announced a project to develop it into a smart city, with mechanisms and policies for the effort already approved by the Vietnamese National Assembly. 

HCM City wants to learn about how Fukuoka supports local start-up enterprises, he said. 

Tuyen hoped with the role as a legislative body of Fukuoka prefecture, the local council will promote parliament exchange between the two localities, support HCM City in building institutions and foster investment cooperation between the two sides’ enterprises in environmental protection, transport, start-ups and education. 

The same day, Vietnamese delegates made field trips to Sannto Lake to study regulating rainwater – an outstanding flood-prevention work in Fukuoka and the Startup Café Fukuoka centre, which provides Japanese entrepreneurs with free start-up information and serves as a venue for them to seek partners. 

Tuyen was impressed by the centre, expressing his hope that it will consider supporting HCM City in forming a similar start-up support establishment in the city.

While meeting with staff from the Vietnamese Consulate General in Fukuoka on the same afternoon, he asked for support from the agency to help HCM City sell more traditional products in the Japanese locality.

Users advised to not share private info on social media

Cyber security experts have advised users not to share private information on social media networks in light of a recent incident in which some 50 million Facebook users’ information was collected without their consent.

The internet giant maintains that technically no hacking or security breach took place as the information was collected by a third party app disguised as a personality quiz. While users taking the quiz were asked to provide their information, the app went on to collect details about their Facebook friends without their knowledge.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency, Vo Do Thang, Director of the Athena cyber management and security centre, said while there may not have been a breach, social media users must remain vigilant in protecting their data.

Thang noted security loopholes such as the one that allowed Facebook users’ information to be stolen are not uncommon among social media platforms.

Cyber security experts from CMC Infosec, an internet security firm, said users must pay attention to apps that require access to their information and only allow those from trusted sources.

Passwords should be changed every 3-6 months with the use of multi-factor authentication when possible. Important information such as bank account details and credit card numbers should never be shared on social media, including messenger apps. If shared before they should be deleted as soon as possible.

Facebook is currently Vietnam’s most popular social media platform. There are over 50 million Vietnamese accounts, according to a report released by the Ministry of Information and Communications in a meeting with Facebook representatives in January.

While it has drastically transformed e-commerce in the country, there have been numerous instances of fake accounts impersonating public figures, or accounts created solely for the purpose of spreading fake news, messages of hatred and violence.

SiHub 2020 aims to connect global startup community

The Saigon Innovation Hub (SiHub) under the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Science and Technology on March 21 announced its programmes through 2020, looking toward connecting the global start-up community.

The 10 SiHub programmes will prioritise connecting with international partners and the world’s start-up support ecosystems.

They include Global Partnerships, Global Strategic Alliances, Global Events, Global Education, Global Research, Global Entrepreneurship, Global Social Impact, Global Culture, Global Policy and Global Think Tank.

SiHub looks to become an official connection portal between Vietnam and the worlds’ innovative start-up support ecosystems, hoping to make Vietnam a start-up hub of Southeast Asia.

SiHub Managing Director Huynh Kim Tuoc said, by 2020, SiHub targets collecting domestic and international resources to boost Vietnam’s economic development by focusing on measures to promote international integration, start-ups and innovation.

SiHub will also establish startup ecosystem management boards for four key sectors, namely information technology - communication, food processing – foodstuff, mechanics – automation, plastic – rubber – and pharmaceuticals.

Statistics show that Vietnam has a taotal of 1,800 start-ups, including 834 operating in Ho Chi Minh City.

However, Vietnam remains behind numerous regional nations, such as Singapore and Malaysia, regarding its start-up and innovation support indexes. Besides, most of the country’s start-ups are small scale and yet to enter the capital-calling period.

Over the past two years, SiHub has supported 958 start-up projects and 15 incubators, helped building capacity and expanded networks for more than 100 start-up consultants, training 115 tertiary teachers on start-ups and innovation.

In 2018, it will work with innovative and start-up ecosystems of other nations to connect with international enterprises and communities, while building a roadmap for global economic integration.

According to Nguyen Phi Van, Chairman of the SiHub Advising Board, SiHub has established ties with the innovative and start-up ecosystems of the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Germany and Singapore.

Programme raises students’ awareness of protecting water resources

Japan’s water education programme “Mizuiku – I love clean water” kicked off in the central province of Quang Nam on March 22 in response to World Water Day.

The programme, first implemented in Vietnam in 2015, focuses on practical, outdoor activities to educate children on the role of water on the planet and to raise their awareness on the importance of water resources and water hygiene in their daily lives.

Along with Quang Nam, this year’s programme will be carried out in Hanoi, northern Ha Giang, Lang Son and Bac Ninh provinces, and the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre. 

Ten training courses for over 300 teachers and volunteers are scheduled to be organised, while nearly 90 extracurricular classes to be held to educate students on the environment.

As part of the programme, 15 clean water facilities will be built and toilets of some schools will be upgraded.

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee Nguyen Ngoc Luong said that the programme has helped raise children’s awareness about the importance of water resources, so they can join in protecting and using water economically and effectively.

Vietnam is one of the nations affected most by climate change and is being warned of the lack of water and the risk of water pollution.

Statistics of the Ministries of Health, and Natural Resources and Environment show that Vietnam records around 9,000 deaths because of water resources and dirty sanitation conditions, and nearly 200,000 new cancer cases with one of the main reasons for this being from water pollution.

The average volume in the country is about 3,600 cubic meters of water per person a year, compared to the global average of 4,000 cubic meters per person, according to the International Water Resources Association.

Winners of writing contest on Vietnam-Cambodia ties awarded

A ceremony took place in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on March 22, to present awards to winners of a writing contest on 50-year relations between Vietnam and Cambodia, which was launched in 2017.

Jointly held by the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army and Cambodian Defence Ministry, the ceremony featured a musical show and the presentation of certificates of merit to winning contestants from the Cambodian royal army. 

The Cambodian contestants earned five A prizes, 9 B prizes, 13 C prizes and 16 consolation prizes.

Speaking at the event, Secretary of State at the Cambodian Defence Ministry Neang Phat stressed the five decades of Vietnam – Cambodia ties reflect bilateral solidarity, friendship, and mutual support, which are continuously consolidated to contribute to the two nations’ security and economic development.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army, praised the engagement of the Cambodian royal army in the contest, with 270 contestants submitting many high-quality entries.

Vietnam and Cambodia established diplomatic relations on June 24, 1967. 

Wastewater treatment plant in Moc Bai IP put into operation

A wastewater treatment plant was put into operation on March 22 in Moc Bai TMTC industrial park (IP) in Ben Cau district, the southern province of Tay Ninh. 

Invested by Taekwang Group of the Republic of Korea (RoK), the 15-million-USD plant covers an area of 4 hectares. It is able to treat 20,000 cu.m of wastewater per day.

The treated wastewater will be discharged into biological lakes and a nearby canal for further treatment before reusing. 

The Moc Bai TMTC industrial park has a total area of 108 ha, 71 ha of which is earmarked for industrial production.  It has so far attracted 7 investors from the RoK and China with total registered investment of over 50 million USD.

Four factories are under construction at the industrial park while another was already put into operation.

Project helps better wave, flow forecasts in East Sea

The Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI) held a symposium on studying the application of oceanographic models to adjust sea radar data, and make wave and flow forecasts in the East Sea and the western coast of the Gulf of Tonkin on March 21 in Hanoi.

Deputy head of the VASI Vu Truong Son said the event was part of a 300,000 USD project funded by the US Office of Naval Research’s Arctic and Global Prediction Programme. The project has been carried out in Vietnam from 2015-2018.

In the first phase of the project, three radar stations were installed in the Tonkin Gulf, namely Hon Dau station in northern Hai Phong city, Nghi Xuan station in central Ha Tinh province and Dong Hoi station in central Quang Binh province, together with a station to receive data in Hanoi.

To date, data on several big storms hitting Vietnam in 2017 matched data collected by the three radars. The data is expected to be used for the research of oceanographic models, and help better serve sea and island management in the future.

From now until the end of this year, a self-propelled sea measuring device will be dropped down Quang Ngai waters, while research on oceanographic models in wave and flow predictions will continue to be implemented.

VN, S. Korea collaborate on “smart city” development

Developing smart cities will provide solutions for basic urban issues in Việt Nam, an official from the Ministry of Construction (MoC) said at a seminar on smart cities held in Hà Nội on Thursday.

The seminar was held between Việt Nam and South Korea’s experts, within the framework of South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s State visit to Việt Nam.

Việt Nam’s Minister of Construction Phạm Hồng Hà and South Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi attended the seminar.

Speaking at the seminar, Dr Lưu Đức Cường, director of MoC’s Urban Planning Institute – Rural Construction Department, said that he used to doubt whether it was “too early” to develop smart cities in Việt Nam since urban areas in the country were young and still struggling to solve basic problems.

“But after thorough research, I have come to the conclusion that turning these areas into smart cities will be ‘a shortcut’ that creates economic efficiency and helps them solve those very problems,” he said.

A smart city is a city that achieves sustainable development, uses effectively its infrastructure and has a friendly living environment by being constructed on a smart technology foundation, according to a research paper by Dr Trần Kim Chung, deputy director of the Central Institute for Economic Management under the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

There were 813 urban areas in Việt Nam by the end of 2017, according to Dr Trần Quốc Thái from MoC’s Urban Development Agency (UDA).

Việt Nam’s urbanisation rate has been growing in recent years and become relatively high compared to other countries in the region, he said, adding that the country has one new urban area each month and its urban population increases by some one million each year.

Although Việt Nam was ranked high in the e-Government Index (89/193 countries evaluated by the United Nations), Networked Readiness Index (79/139, evaluated by the World Economic Forum) and Accessibility to IT Service (3/139, WEF), the country is facing six major development challenges, Thái added.

These include lack of control of urban formulation and development, unsynchronised urban infrastructure, disintegrated urban database, as well as having no long-term orientation for the production of hardware and software for smart cities, underdeveloped market for smart cities, and limited readiness of urban human resources, he said.

At the seminar, South Korean experts shared their experience in planning and constructing smart cities, which dated back to the 1960s, as well as in applying smart technologies to add-on services such as public transportation, waste treatment, health care and community development.  

Kim Hyun-mi, South Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said she believes that the collaboration between the two countries at every stage of smart city development will help create new, innovative models of social development.

“We hope that the experts of the two countries will actively share their experiences to find a win-win collaborative model, and pave the way to a new ‘smart urban’ cooperation platform,” she said.

Vietnamese youth join hands for sustainable tourism

Young Vietnamese people have demonstrated their devotion to sustainable tourism as the Viet Youth on Sustainable Tourism (VYST) project kicked off yesterday in Hà Nội.

The project, initiated by students from British University Vietnam (BUV) and the Việt Nam University of Social Sciences and Humanities (VNU-USSH), brings together young people who are extremely interested in learning about sustainability issues related to tourism and spreading the message of responsible travel to everyone.

“With the slogan ‘Dare to dream, dare to change’, we would like to show our strong belief in a much better tourism industry that is beneficial and ethical for all; and our determination to make positive changes to the smallest action of every single individual,” said Bảo Linh, founder of the project.

“The core missions of VYST are to raise people’s awareness of the importance of responsible travel and the global trend of sustainable development, and make real positive impacts on both the environment and host communities by enhancing people’s knowledge, behavior and actions in tourism-related activities.”

VYST is a one-year project whose target is to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable tourism, a global phenomenon which requires action from different stakeholders including governments, local authorities, and other tourism businesses.

“However, VYST specifically aims to spread the message about individual responsibility by becoming responsible travellers to contribute to the big sustainable tourism picture,” Linh said.

In the framework of the VYST project, there are four main events including the workshop ‘Young leaders towards Sustainable Tourism’, photo contest ‘Stories worth sharing’, an exhibition ‘Sustainable Tourism: The global yet individual phenomenon’, and a closing ceremony wrapping up the project’s achievements.

Bình Dương discovering an illegal gas store

Bình Dương southern province’s authorities and police raided a house Thursday and discovered an illegal gas supplying racket.

They found large cylinders and equipment to syphon the gas into smaller bottles in a hut at the rear of the property in the Thuận An Township close to the An Phú Ward.

A record number of 21 gas tanks of 48kg type, 20 tanks of 14kg type, and 1,000 gas mini-bottles with various brands of famous gas companies were seized.

When the inspection force entered the house, dozens of people in the hut were in a hurry to escape.

Nguyễn Thành Danh, deputy head of Bình Dương Province’s market management department, said it was the first ever large-scale illegal gas trading case detected by the local functional forces since the beginning of this year.

He added nearly 1000 of the mini gas bottled found should have only been used once and those checked, failed to meet technical standard. He also said the quality of the gas could not be guaranteed, and would be a potential fire hazard.

The case is still being investigated, and strictly dealt by the relevant authorities of Bình Dương Province in accordance with the law.

BOT waterway to cut transport costs

The section of the Sài Gòn River from HCM City to Bình Dương Province will be dredged in what will be the country’s first build-operate-transfer waterway project.

It also includes construction of the Bình Lợi Bridge in HCM City’s Bình Thạnh District, slated to be finished later this year.

The Bình Lợi BOT Investment Ltd Co will collect toll from ships travelling on the section of the river, Bùi Xuân Cường, director of the HCM City Department of Transport, had told a press meeting this week.

Vũ Đức Cúc, a spokesman for the company, said vessels with a capacity of over 300 tonnes would have to pay the fee when travelling under the bridge.

The toll will be VNĐ70 per tonne/km, and be collected for 20 years and nine months.

Cúc said the toll is much lower than the highway toll of VNĐ240 per tonne/km.

Roads linking the two localities are however heavily congested, he said.

The channel is likely to become very popular as firms can sharply cut transportation costs.

Work on the VNĐ1.3 trillion (US$57.5 million) project had begun in April 2015. The passage runs from Bình Lợi in HCM City to Bến Sức Harbour in Bình Dương.

Cause of death of Vietnamese student in Dortmund confirmed

Dortmund police have verified the cause, but not its manner, of last week’s death of a Vietnamese student whose family had to call for donations to afford a trip to the German city to see her body.

Tran Thi Thu Ha died after falling from a height at around 11:40 am in Dortmund on March 11, Vietnam’s national broadcaster VTV reported on March 20, citing the Vietnamese Consulate General in Frankfurt.

The Vietnamese consular agency said it got the official information from Dortmund police, who already performed an autopsy on the 21-year-old student.

​Police are still working to verify the manner of her death, be it an accident, suicide or homicide.

Tran Kim Ngan, the girl’s older sister, said on her Facebook on March 18 that Ha had been studying at the Haaga – Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland on a full scholarship before her death.

On March 7, Ha left Finland for Germany to attend a student exchange program at the ISM International School of Management Dortmund, and the family lost contact with her between March 9 and 15, before learning of her death.

An online fundraising drive with a reported goal of EUR50,000 (US$61,000) was launched on Facebook to help Ngan and her mother travel to Germany to see and bring the deceased girl home.

Ngan told people on her Facebook on March 19, three days into the fundraising, that the call for donations was ceased as they had “raised enough money,” without disclosing a specific number.

The older sister has since made no further updates on the family’s plan to travel to Dortmund.

The Consular Department under Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has provided guidelines for the family to complete post-death formalities for Ha, according to VTV.

National carrier Vietnam Airlines has offered to cover airfares for the family.

According to the foreign ministry, when a Vietnamese citizen dies overseas, competent Vietnamese agencies will work with their counterparts in that country to look into the case and request a probe to verify the cause of death.

The state agencies, however, will only support the family in terms of protocols, and all expenses, such as travel, accommodation and body transportation, will be covered by the family.

Local clinic fined for repeatedly overcharging patients in Da Nang

Authorities in Da Nang have fined a clinic that employs Chinese doctors for fleecing patients many times.

The municipal Department of Health has discovered multiple violations, including overcharging, at the Huu Tho Polyclinic, situated on Nguyen Huu Tho Street in Hai Chau District, and imposed fines worth a combined VND32 million (US$1,405).

The facility began its operation on August 25, 2017 and was required to list the prices of its medical services.

However, many patients have reported to the city’s health department that they had been charged at a much higher cost.

According to one of the victims, he went to the clinic to seek treatment for genital warts and was examined by a Chinese doctor named Dong Zhi Gang, who was accompanied by an interpreter.

The patient then chose one of the treatment packages that were introduced by the doctor, which eventually cost him tens of millions of dong (VND10 million = US$439).

Another client said he had to give up treatment halfway as the medical bills were too exorbitant.

Others reported that their health conditions did not seem to improve even after spending a large amount of money on the treatment packages.

After reviewing the medical records, a dermatologist at a hospital in Da Nang asserted that the polyclinic had charged their patients two to three times higher than what a regular treatment would cost.

According to Truong Van Trinh, chief inspector of the municipal Department of Health, several inspections have been carried out at the clinic due to many reports from local residents.

The first examination was conducted in January, during which the inspectorate discovered that the clinic had been ripping off several customers.

On January 23, the facility was fined VND8 million (US$351) and was required to refund the overcharged money to its patients.

On March 5, the health department returned to the venue for another inspection following multiple reports of citizens.

The clinic was once again caught overcharging, as well as failing to inform competent authorities of the replacement of a Chinese doctor.

A fine worth VND24 million (US$1,053) was later imposed for the violations.

A representative of the Huu Tho Polyclinic told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that two Chinese doctors are currently working at the facility, both of whom are certified practitioners and have been permitted to work in Vietnam.

The clinic is the only facility in Da Nang to have Chinese doctors, Trinh said, adding that the offenses committed at the medical center are unprecedented in the central city.

Further inspections will be conducted to make sure the polyclinic complies with regulations, the official asserted.

All set for Japanese Cultural Exchange Festival 2018

The Japanese Cultural Exchange Festival 2018 will take place from March 23 to 26 at Ly Thai To Garden by Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi to celebrate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Japan.

Visitors can admire 50 cherry trees, around 10,000 cherry blossom branches, bonsai trees, and a range of flowers from Vietnam and Hanoi. About 200 cherry trees will also be planted at Hoa Binh (Peace) Park in the capital.

Sixteen booths will introduce Japanese culture, such as tea ceremonies, xiangqi, kimono and yukata (traditional Japanese costumes), Japanese Shogi chess and Japanese Kendama folk games. Yosakoi dance (traditional Japanese dance) will be also performed at the garden by 1,000 people on March 24 and 25, together with traditional Vietnamese music such as ca tru (ceremonial singing), hat xam (blind busker singing), and folk dance.

More than 20 food stalls will offer Vietnamese and Japanese food at the nearby Hanoi Children’s Palace. Japanese cooks will demonstrate preparing traditional food, including ramen noodles, soba noodles, takoyaki cake, and sushi. There will be ten booths for cuisine from Vietnam such as pho, bun thang (noodle soup with pork, chicken and egg), nem (fried spring roll), and banh cuon (a thin, wide sheet of steamed fermented rice batter filled with a mixture of cooked seasoned ground pork, minced wood ear mushrooms, and minced shallots).

Traditional handmade products from the two countries will also be available.

Hanoi authorities and their Japanese partners will meet to discuss cooperation in tourism, health, education and economic investment on the sidelines of the festival.

Poor children receive free heart surgery

Nu Skin Enterprises Vietnam Co Ltd (Nu Skin Vietnam) donated VND2.3 billion (US$100,000) to Heartbeat Vietnam, a charitable arm of VinaCapital Foundation, to sponsor heart surgery for poor children.

The company contributed VND5.6 billion to offer 167 free heart surgeries for poor children over the past 5 years.

Nu Skin Vietnam is one of the offices of Nu Skin Southeast Asia Children's Heart Fund (SEACHF). Established in 1999, SEACHF has provided over 9,000 heart surgeries for needy children within the region as of August 2017.

Abbott cooperates with Ministry of Health to prevent, control GDM

Abbott and the Vietnam Ministry of Health singed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation the project "Prevention and management of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) to contribute to the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases in Viet Nam".

Abbott goes a step further in taking care of Vietnamese mothers and children by cooperating with the Ministry of Health.

The project will focus on educating patients and the community to make healthy lifestyle changes and healthy food choices, providing instructions to prevent and control Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), offering training courses for medical staff and developing a standardized screening and diagnostic program.

In the first year, a screening and diagnosis program will be implemented at 6 hospitals, expecting to bring benefits to 75,000 people and help to reduce the incidence of GDM in Vietnam.

PM approves adjustment of Yen Bai province’s development plan

The Prime Minister has approved the adjustment of the master plan on socio-economic development of Yen Bai province until 2020, with a vision to 2030.

Accordingly, Yen Bai targets an annual average gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth rate of 8% or above between 2021 and 2030, an average GRDP per capita of VND50 million (US$2,200) or above in 2020 and more than VND200 million (US$8,800) in 2030, and an export value of US$200 million or above in 2020 and US$700 million ten years later.

The northern mountainous province will also strive to achieve an urbanization rate of 25%, and 40% of its communes meeting new-style rural area criteria in 2020. The percentages are expected to increase by 35% and 70%, respectively, in 2030.

The plan aims to raise the local forest coverage to 63%, the rate of urban residents using safe water to 80% (100% using hygienic water), and rate of rural residents using hygienic water to 90% in 2020. The figures are expected to climb by 63%, 100%, and 98% by 2030.

Yen Bai targets an average annual increase of 5.2% in the production value of agro-forestry and fishery products during the period of 2016-2020, and 5.4% between 2021 and 2030.

In terms of industrial development, the province continues to see industrial development as a breakthrough sphere that facilitates the rapid and sustainable economic development, associated with shifting the labor structure and promoting economic growth. Yen Bai will also focus on finalizing the infrastructure of industrial zones and clusters, towards forming a chain of industrial zones and clusters with synchronous and modern infrastructure along the Con Minh-Lao Cai-Ha Noi-Hai Phongeconomic corridor route through the province.

Yen Bai will support the development of small enterprises and startup businesses, while encouraging the attraction and development of companies in the fields of the province’s strength. The plan targets 1,840 businesses across the province by 2020, with an average of 110 new firms being established annually. 

Thai Consulate General raises US$45,000 for poor patients

The Royal Thai Consulate General in HCMC, in conjunction with the Thai business community, on March 21 donated VND1.035 billion (US$45,440) to the HCMC Sponsoring Association for Poor Patients (SAPP) to fund heart and cataract surgeries and other assistance for poor Vietnamese patients.

The cash donations were contributed by six Thai companies in Vietnam – Four Oranges, Thai Nakorn Patana, CP Vietnam, Siam Cement City Public Co Ltd (SCCC), Siam Cement Group (SCG) and Sri Thai Vietnam.

Speaking at a donation presentation ceremony, Ureerat Ratanaprukse, consul general of Thailand in HCMC, said her consulate has over the years raised more than VND2.2 billion from the Thai business community to assist 1,300 underprivileged patients to undergo successful cataract operations.  

This year, SAPP is working on a program to fund heart surgeries for 8,000 poor patients throughout the country to mark the 25th anniversary of its establishment. However, only 7,810 patients have been helped, so the association needs more financial aid for the remaining 190 patients.

Speaking to the Daily, Ureerat said that as part of its social program for this year, the Thai consulate is planning to grant 25 scholarships worth VND2 million each to students of Cao Thang Technical College in April.

Earlier this month, the consulate and the Vietnam Women’s Union presented two sets of traditional costumes of Thai women to the Southern Women Museum in District 3, HCMC to foster mutual understanding of historical and cultural values among the Vietnamese and Thai peoples, she said.

Quảng Nam defeat Thanh Hóa in V.League 1

Defending champions Quảng Nam beat the runners-up Thanh Hóa 1-0 in the third round of the V.League 1 on March 22.

The match was held at Tam Kỳ Stadium in the central province of Quảng Nam.

Phan Thanh Hưng scored the only goal for Quảng Nam in the 12th minute to help his team win the game.

In the two previous rounds, Quảng Nam had an unexpected start. They tied 1-1 with Sài Gòn FC and lost to SHB Đà Nẵng 1-2. While Thanh Hóa have played only one match in the second round of the national premier league as they have been busy competing at the ongoing AFC Cup 2018, they beat HCM City 1-0.

So Quảng Nam needed a win to regain their form. They played counter attacks from the moment the referee blew his whistle.

From a confused situation in the penalty area of Thanh Hóa, midfielder Hưng was present on time to open the score for the hosts.

Hưng’s goal was a driving force for Quảng Nam to play more aggressively to seek more goals but they failed.

After the break, striker Hoàng Đình Tùng, who is a national footballer, was sent onto the ground with the hope of earning at least one point for the visitors.

However, Tùng could not help his team gain traction in attacks.

In the 73rd minute, Thanh Hóa’s captain Pape Omar Faye had a chance to level the score, but he couldn’t beat the goalie, Phạm Văn Cường of Quảng Nam.

In the remainder, the two sides tried their best to earn goals but were unlucky.

Elsewhere, Sông Lam Nghệ An tied with Quảng Ninh Coal 2-2, Sanna Khánh Hòa drew goalless with SHB Đà Nẵng, Cần Thơ defeated former champions Becamex Bình Dương 2-1, Hải Phòng won Nam Định 1-0 and HCM City bested Sài Gòn 2-1.

After three rounds, Quảng Ninh temporarily top the rankings with seven points, followed by Hà Nội with six points and Đà Nẵng with four points.

Manhunt underway for nine people involved in gambling ring

Police in the northern province of Phu Tho are searching for nine individuals allegedly involved in a multi-million-dollar international gambling ring protected by Nguyen Thanh Hoa, former director of the Department for Anti-High-Tech Crimes (C50) under the Ministry of Public Security.

In a notice of the provincial police released on March 15, these individuals are Hoang Ngoc Tu aged 36 in Nam Dinh Province (his hometown), Hoang Thanh Trung (40, Quang Ninh Province), Nguyen Duy Thinh (26, Ha Tinh Province), Nguyen Huy Bach (28, Quang Ninh Province), Pham Tien Cuong (31, Haiphong City), Ta Quang Khoa (30, Vinh Phuc Province), Tran Quang Hanh (31, Nam Dinh Province), Hoang Van Trong (27, Hanoi City) and Le Van Kien (40, Hanoi City).

The police have called for them to turn themselves in, and have asked anyone who knows their whereabouts to report to their nearest police stations, or Phu Tho police as soon as possible.

In a related development, Phu Tho police have recently worked with Lieutenant-General Phan Van Vinh, former head of the General Department of Police under the Ministry of Public Security, to clarify his responsibility relating to this gambling ring.

Investigators of Phu Tho late last week formally pressed charges against Nguyen Thanh Hoa, formerly a major general, for organizing gambles, and detained him for four months for questioning. State President Tran Dai Quang earlier stripped Hoa of his “People’s Police” title.

The provincial police have charged around 80 people and detained 38 of them on alleged charges of organizing gambles, gambling, money laundering and appropriation of assets.

Investigators there late last year filed criminal charges against people involved in the case where the Internet was used to appropriate assets, organize gambles, gamble, illegally trade in invoices, and launder money in Phu Tho and some other provinces and cities.

The subsequent probe discovered an extensive online gambling ring with thousands of people at home and abroad participating. The ring was run by two persons – Phan Sao Nam, former chairman of local online game firm VTC Online, and Nguyen Van Duong, chairman of hi-tech security firm AN CNC Co Ltd – to facilitate Internet gambling.

News website Vietnamnet reported on March 12 that in 2012, DWS Vietnam Fund, present-day Vietnam Phoenix Fund, poured US$10 million into VTC Online to acquire a 19.5% stake. In mid-2010, IDG Ventures Vietnam became a strategic shareholder of VTC Online and now still holds a 9.2% stake. By mid-July 2017, VTC Online had three major shareholders – VTC, Prime Limited and IDG Ventures Vietnam – with a combined stake of over 71%.

Nguyen Thanh Hoa, instead of taking people involved in the case to justice, allegedly protected the ring. This explains why he and many other police officers at C50 were suspended in late 2017 for investigation.

Phu Tho police have frozen several bank accounts with a total value of VND381 billion (US$16.7 million), and have seized 20 houses worth VND190 billion and 13 cars, according to Phap Luat newspaper.