Roller barrier installed in Hoà Bình Province’s accident hotspot

The roller barrier was installed along the side of a notoriously dangerous stretch of National Highway No 6 to reduce the severity of traffic accidents. — Photo tuoitre.vn

A roller barrier has been installed as part of a pilot programme on Cun Slope on National Highway No 6 in northern Hoà Bình Province in an attempt to reduce the number of vehicles that overturn in collisions on the notorious stretch of road.

At a length of 150 metres, this is the first such roller barrier in the country.

Lê Minh Tuấn, director of the Lê Minh Construction One Member Co Ltd, said the company got approval from the Việt Nam Directorate of Roads to install the system as a trial.

The roller barrier system costs about VNĐ2 billion (US$86,000) and was manufactured by South Korea-based ETI Co Ltd.

The barrier has a series of rotating mechanisms made from chemical compounds which are designed to minimise the severity of accidents by converting shock energy from vehicle collisions into rotational energy, Tuấn said.

The stretch of National Highway No 6 that passes through Hoà Bình Province is known as an accident hotspot due to its complicated geography and foggy weather. 

Monkeys destroy Sóc Trăng crops, attack residents

Two of the five monkeys, seen stealing food from local people in Sóc Trăng Province’s Tham Đôn Commune. — Photo dantri.com.vn

People in Sóc Trăng Province’s Tham Đôn Commune are complaining that wild monkeys have destroyed their fruit gardens and attacked local residents.

Trần Thươl, a farmer in Cần Giờ 1 Village, told online newspaper dantri.com.vn that a herd of five monkeys often came to his garden to find food.

Two of the monkeys are about 10 kilogrammes and the rest are between two and five kilogrammes.

He said local people used to feed the monkeys, so they became familiar with the village and its residents.

The monkeys became quite ferocious. They caught hens and threw eggs, bit electric lines and broke lamps.  

They were even known to attack children to get food, he said. At least seven people, including a twelve-year-old girl, were attacked.

Cao Ngọc Trung, senior official from Sóc Trăng Province’s Sub-department on Forest Protection, said the sub-department had sent staff to set traps to catch the monkeys, but failed.

Trung said the sub-department would work with local environmental police and the People’s Committee of Mỹ Xuyên District to catch the monkeys and return them to Cù Lao Dung Forest. 

Cần Thơ coach station to be relocated

Cần Thơ’s Coach Station 91B will be shut down at the beginning of next year, leaving the coaches that use it to be re-routed through the city’s central station. — Photo thanhnien.vn

Coach Station 91B in Cần Thơ’s Ninh Kiều District will be converted into a bus parking lot from the start of January next year, according to the city’s transport department.

The move is a response to overcrowding at the 15-year-old station.

All coaches will be required to pick up and drop off passengers at the city’s central coach station, which is located on National Highway No 1 in Cái Răng District.

The old station, located in the inner city on Nguyễn Văn Linh Street, is close to many markets, shopping centres and bus stops. During rush hour, traffic jams usually occur around the area, especially in front of the station gate.

The Cần Thơ Ferry-Bridge Standage Joint Stock Company has been ordered to ensure traffic safety during the relocation.

Nguyễn Văn Mạnh, the company’s deputy director, said that more than ten cars with seven seats each will be ready to transport passengers for free from the station to the city’s central station.

There are currently 76 fixed routes being operated from Coach Station 91B including 75 inter-provincial routes and one trans-border route. About 69 enterprises operate the coaches with a total of roughly 300 trips per day.

Cần Thơ City’s transport department plans to announce the station relocation to other localities so they can plan to update their route maps.

Local traffic police and inspectors have been asked to be on duty at the new station to spot illegally operated shops and coaches.

Station 91B and Hùng Vương Station used to be the only two coach stations in the city. Hùng Vương Station was then relocated and merged with Station 91B to make room for a park, leading to the overcrowding.

Transport ministry requests traffic safety at Bắc Thăng Long-Nội Bài toll station

The Ministry of Transport has ordered the Directorate for Roads of Việt Nam and VIETRACIMEX 8 Company to ensure traffic safety and order at the Bắc Thăng Long-Nội Bài toll station amidst ongoing protests.

Since Tuesday, drivers have protested the inappropriate location of the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) toll station. The situation has turned chaotic and the station had to be opened several times for traffic to flow through freely after drivers stopped their cars and did not pay or move.

The toll station collects fees to refund the investment capital of a BOT project on the transition section of National Highway 2 in Vĩnh Yên, Vĩnh Phúc Province. However, the station is located on Võ Văn Kiệt Street in Hà Nội.

The BOT project’s investment capital will be refunded through fee collection over a period of more than 16 years.

The drivers asked for the station’s relocation to Vĩnh Yên because they are being asked to pay the toll even if they do not take the road it is meant to fund.

Hà Nội authorities have twice proposed the transport ministry stop collecting fees and relocate the station to the correct stretch of National Highway 2.

The Bắc Thăng Long-Nội Bài toll collection station was set up as per the ministry’s decision in 1997, and in 2009 it was transferred to VIETRACIMEX 8 for operation.

The fee is now set at VNĐ10,000 (US$0.40) per four-seat car. 

NA leader honours war martyrs

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân writes a note at the national memorial.

Efforts to honour war veterans, martyrs’ families and those who contributed to the national revolutionary cause should not end with slogans but practical actions which cared for their material and spiritual lives, said National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân yesterday while attending a ceremony in Thái Nguyên Province in honour of 60 young war martyrs who died on December 24, 1972.

The sacrifice of the young volunteers from Team 951 at Lưu Xá Station in Thái Nguyên City was a huge loss to Việt Nam’s Youth Volunteer Brigade, she said. Most of them were unmarried, from ethnic minority groups or Catholic.

The 20-year-olds were tasked with fixing roads damaged by the war and transporting goods aided by socialist countries through Lưu Xá Station to the south. They died in a bombing raid.

Thái Nguyên Province was where Việt Nam’s Youth Volunteer Brigade was founded in 1950. During the nation’s two wars, tens of thousands of young people from Thái Nguyên and Bắc Kạn volunteered to join the force.

The province has made important progress in recent years including faster and more sustainable economic growth as well as better welfare policies.

Ngân said she believed the province would uphold its revolutionary traditions and continue to strive towards better achievements.

At the ceremony, a renovated monument to Team 915 was unveiled in gratitude to the major contributions made by war veterans, martyrs and youth volunteers.

The Youth Volunteer Brigade was one of several volunteer organisations founded during the two Indochina wars. Việt Nam’s first Youth Volunteer Brigade was founded following President Hồ Chí Minh’s order in July 1950 in Yên Lãng Commune, Đại Từ District in Thái Nguyên Province.

Its first 225 members were tasked with logistics which aided the Vietnamese army’s efforts during the resistance war against the French.

By the end of 1954, when the conflict with the French ended, there were thousands of youth volunteers.

By 1975, after the end of the American War, the force had grown to tens of thousands. Many of them were unmarried young girls.

The young members were known for their bravery during the wars and their contributions to Việt Nam’s triumph over foreign evaders which involved protecting key roads and providing weapons, food, medicine, medical services to the Vietnamese army.

Thousands of them sacrificed their lives for the country’s independence.

One of the most well-known incidents occurred in Hà Tĩnh Province in 1968 when 10 unmarried girls were killed while filling craters and repairing the road in Đồng Lộc, which was a strategic link between the north and the south and hit by an estimated 48,600 bombs over 240 days (from March-October 1968).

The same day, the NA leader visited the High Command of Military Zone 1 in Thái Nguyên Province on the occasion of the 74th anniversary of the Việt Nam People’s Army and the 29th anniversary of the All-People Defence Festival. 

Việt Nam scales up efforts against antibiotic resistance

The National Steering Committee for Antibiotic Resistance and UN agencies call for stronger commitments from all sectors to handle antibiotics with care at a ceremony in HCM City on Friday. — Photo plo.vn

“Handle antibiotics with care” was the call given by the National Steering Committee for Antibiotic Resistance, the World Health Organisation and Food and Agriculture Organisation to all sectors at a ceremony held in HCM City on Friday.

With the participation of medical practitioners, pharmacists, other health professionals, farmers, veterinarians, the food and agriculture industry, and other stakeholders, the event aimed to raise awareness of anti-microbial resistance and encourage everyone to actively take part in the collective action.

Antibiotic sales without prescription in community pharmacies is common in Việt Nam, potentially leading to the development and spread of resistance to antibiotics, Momoe Takeuchi, team leader of  Health Systems at the WHO office in Việt Nam, said.

Statistics released by WHO showed that 90 per cent of pharmacies in Việt Nam supply antibiotics without prescriptions and 87 per cent of residents come to pharmacies to buy antibiotics without a prescription, she said.

In 2013 Việt Nam approved a national action plan to combat anti-microbial resistance, but there is no data on antibiotic resistance available in the country.

Việt Nam should adopt a programme to supervise the usage of antibiotics in a stricter and more responsible manner, not only in the healthcare sector but also in the agricultural sector, she added.

WHO is currently working with the Ministry of Health to strengthen anti-microbial stewardship (AMS) implementation in hospitals. AMS is a systematic and co-ordinated approach to optimising anti-microbial use to improve its effectiveness on patients and reduce its adverse consequences, including antibiotic resistance. 

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyễn Trường Sơn said many hospitals have set up anti-microbial stewardship, resulting in a significant reduction in antibiotic overuse.

Howerver, improper prescriptions of antibiotics by doctors at private hospitals and clinics and over-the-counter sale of antibiotics by pharmacies remain a major concern, he admitted.

The overuse of antibiotics poses a serious health risk and makes hospital stays longer and increases fatality rates among patients of all ages, he said. 

Labour federations in HCM City, neighbouring provinces ink deal to co-ordinate actions

The HCM City Labour Federation yesterday (December 21) signed an agreement with its counterparts in the provinces of Bình Dương, Đồng Nai, Long An and Tây Ninh to ensure harmonious labour relations. 

HCM City Labour Federation on Friday signed an agreement with its counterparts in neighbouring provinces to resolve potential problems in relations between employees and employers.

The provinces are Bình Dương, Đồng Nai, Long An, and Tây Ninh.

The agreement aims to ensure effective implementation of the Government’s policies and address potential labour problems in time to ensure employees feel secure at work but enterprises’ functioning is not affected either.

Under the agreement, the signatories will closely co-operate to find solutions to labour disputes and work stoppage and prevent illegal strikes.

Nguyễn Văn Quý, chairman of the Long An Province Labour Federation, said the agreement would enable the federations to exchange authentic information because fake information and disinformation quickly spread via social media, severely affecting relations between employees and employers.

Ngọ Duy Hiếu, vice chairman of the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour, said such an agreement had been signed for the first time.

It would help improve labour relations and would be a model for other provinces to follow, he said.

HCM City and the four provinces occupy a “key position” in the country’s economy, according to Hiếu.

They have 3.1 million trade union members, accounting for 30 per cent of the country’s total, and 30,000 grassroots trade unions.

He suggested that the federations should set up a board to implement the agreement for greater effectiveness. 

No Vietnamese victims reported in Indonesia tsunami: embassy

A house in Banten province of Indonesia was destroyed by tsunami 

No Vietnamese has been reported dead or missing in a volcano tsunami that hit Sunda Strait, Anyer Beach and South Lampung of Indonesia’s Banten and Lampung provinces as of December 23 morning, according to the Embassy of Vietnam in Indonesia.

The embassy got the information from Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry and advised Vietnamese in Indonesia not to travel to those areas.

The embassy was requested to closely work with local competent agencies to update information and promptly conduct necessary protection measures if any Vietnamese was affected. The embassy should also update information on its portal.

Vietnamese citizens stuck in the region or in need of urgent support are advised to contact the hotline of the Vietnamese Embassy +62811161025 and  +62213100358, or the citizen protection hotline +84 981848484.

A tsunami following a volcanic eruption in Indonesia claimed at least 168 lives, said local authorities on December 23.

Representative of the Indonesian national disaster mitigation agency said 745 people were wounded and 30 others remain missing.

Dozens of buildings were destroyed by the wave, which hit beaches in South Sumatra and the western tip of Java about 9.30 pm local time on December 22, following a volcano eruption.

The disaster caused severe impacts to areas surrounding Sunda Strait, including beaches in Pangegland, Serang and South Lampung. 

Authorities say the tsunami may have been triggered by an abnormal tidal surge due to a new moon and an underwater landslide following the eruption of Anak Krakatoa, which forms a small island in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra.

The Gold Prize recipients of the 38th National Television Festival 

Thirty programmes, talk shows, films, and more were awarded the Golden Prize of the 38th National Television Festival, which wrapped up in Da Lat city, the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, on December 22.

Meanwhile, other 56 other products received the Silver Prize.

On the occasion, 38 certificates of merit were presented to participating broadcasting organisations with high quality shows.

The festival featured 114 broadcasting units across the country, with 496 entries in nine categories, including children’s show; reportage; science-education show; talk show; ethnic language show; music show; stage performance and television drama, which are popularly produced at radio-television stations, totalling more than 23,000 minutes.

A delegation of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces pays tribute to the volunteer Vietnamese soldiers at the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monument in Phnom Penh 

Volunteer Vietnamese soldiers who laid down their lives in the fight against the Khmer Rouge genocidal regime in Cambodia were commemorated at a ceremony in Phnom Penh on December 21.

The ceremony, held at the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monument in Phnom Penh, was attended by representatives of the Vietnamese Embassy, relevant agencies, the Khmer-Vietnam Association, and Vietnamese businesses and students in Cambodia.

Participants laid wreaths to pay tribute to the heroic martyrs, who helped to abolish the genocidal regime in January 1979.

On this occasion, a delegation of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces led by Minister of State of the Defence Ministry Chhieng Om also laid a wreath and observed a minute’s silence in memory the volunteer Vietnamese soldiers and experts.

As part of activities marking the victory against the Khmer Rouge, the Vietnamese Embassy has held several sports tournaments between the two countries’ officials to enhance mutual understanding.

Also on December 21, the Vietnamese defence attaché office hosted a banquet to celebrate the founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (December 22, 1944). 

Tuổi Trẻ Theatre’s famous plays to debut in HCM City

Actors of the Hà Nội-based Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) Theatre perform in HCM City this week. — Photo courtesy of the producer

Openin the Tuổi Trẻ theatre’s official tour to HCM City in 2019, three plays depicting social and family issues will be presented in HCM City until December 28.

The comedies, Ai Là Thủ Phạm (Who’s the Culprit?) and Đời Cười (Laughing Life), will be staged by 20 veteran and young actors in a Hanoian style that city theatre lovers find attractive.

Written by the late playwright and poet Lưu Quang Vũ, Ai Là Thủ Phạm brings to life the day-to-day experiences of families living in Hà Nội during the subsidy period of the 1980’s.

The play deals with the generational differences of its characters, highlighting each generation’s approach to social evils like corruption and moral depravity.

Đời Cười (Laughing Life) is a comedy series that has attracted large audiences since its debut in 2001.

Both productions features comic stars such as People’s Artist Lê Khanh, Chí Trung, Đức Khuê and Sĩ Tiến.

Young talents Thu Quỳnh and Thanh Sơn will perform in Hoa Cúc Xanh Trên Đầm Lầy (Green Daisy on Marsh), a new 90-minute version of the same play written by Vũ.

Director Nguyễn Sĩ Tiến rewrote and directed his own version to meet the taste of young audiences.

Tiến said he and his staff had incorporated simple and humorous language to meet the tastes of their audiences in Sài Gòn. 

Established in 1978, Tuổi Trẻ Theatre has not only performed in Việt Nam but also with other art troupes in countries such as Japan and Germany.

It is a member of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People (ASSITEJ).

"Each of our actors is a star in the making. They bring an energy and passion to their performances. I hope their show will bring a new taste to Saigonese, particularly young people,” said the theatre director and Meritorious Artist Chí Trung, who arrived in the city yesterday to prepare for staging.

Shows will be performed at the Thế Giới Trẻ (World of Youth) Stage, 125 Cống Quỳnh Street, District 1, and at Bến Thành Theatre, 6 Mạc Đĩnh Chi Street, District 1. 

Book exhibition on Việt Nam People’s Army opens

Many books, photos and paintings featuring Vietnamese generals and soldiers are on display at HCM City Book Street on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in District 1. The event celebrates the 74th founding anniversary of the Việt Nam People’s Army (December 22).

Dozens of old and new books featuring Vietnamese soldiers are on display at HCM City Book Street on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in District 1.

The event, titled Theo Chân Bộ Đội Cụ Hồ (Following the Footsteps of Uncle Hồ’s Soldiers), is part of the city’s cultural activities to mark the 74th founding anniversary of the Việt Nam People’s Army (December 22).

Seventy-four titles from leading publishers in Hà Nội and HCM City, with books from collections by authors and collectors, will be on display.       

Each book represents reports on the founding and development of the People’s Army.

One of the highlighted books features late General Võ Nguyên Giáp, who is considered one of the greatest military strategists of the 20th century.

Giáp was the military leader of Việt Minh resistance against the Japanese occupation of Việt Nam and was a crucial military commander in the French Resistance War (1946-54) and the American War (1955-75).

He also made great contributions in a number of historically significant battles, including Lạng Sơn (1950), Hòa Bình (1951–52), Điện Biên Phủ (1954), Mậu Thân Offensive in Huế (1968), Easter Offensive in Hà Nội (1972) and the final Hồ Chí Minh Campaign to liberate Sài Gòn (1975).

Hà Nội, Đà Nẵng and HCM City all have a street named after him.

Visitors have been enjoying a photo and painting exhibition portraying Vietnamese generals of different periods. Talk shows featuring soldiers and generals are also included during the four-day event.

The event, organised by the city’s Department of Information and Communication, will close on December 23.

Photo exhibition honours television producers

A photo by Lê Hồng Khanh and Cao Đăng Duy from Phú Thọ Television.

An open air photo exhibition featuring television producers at work opened on Thursday at Đà Lạt Palace Hotel’s flower garden during the 38th National Television Festival.

More than 100 photos are on display, taken by television producers from across the nation.

The exhibition is open for television festival participants, locals and tourists in Đà Lạt City in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng.

The photo exhibition is a part of the 38th National Television Festival which is taking place in Đà Lạt City.

Veteran stage artist dies

People’s Artist Phạm Anh Tú passed away of complications from diabetes and kidney failure at a hospital in Hà Nội at noon on December 20, his colleague actress Minh Hằng said. He was 56 years old.

The actor entered hospital urgently last October in bad condition. After a few weeks of treatment, he felt better and asked to leave the hospital to continue his work at the Việt Nam National Drama Theatre. Two days later, he was hospitalised again in critical condition. The actor was too weak to speak, but he still recognised his acquaintances.

The actor was part of the first generation of artists of the Việt Nam Youth Theatre who contributed to popularising theatre in Việt Nam. As an actor, Anh Tú was popular for his roles in well-known international masterpieces such as King Lear and Macbeth and Vietnamese shows Rừng Trúc and Vũ Như Tô. His leading role in drama Cuộc Đời Tôi (My Life) was a hit in the north in the 1990s.

He graduated as a stage director in 2004 at the Hà Nội Academy of Theatre and Cinema. His debut poetic drama was Kiều Loan.

He moved to the Việt Nam National Drama Theatre in 2013 and was the deputy director in charge of art. During his short time at the theatre, Anh Tú staged several dramas which were highly appreciated. Anh Tú also directed Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet.

His awards include the best director at the First Experimental Theatre Festival in 2008 and at the National Theatre Festival in 2015. He was appointed the theatre’s director last April.

Athletes to compete at Hanoi table tennis tournament

Lê Tiến Đạt (left) and Phan Huy Hoàng at the final of last year’s Table Tennis Club Hà Nội Open. — Photo anninhthudo.vn

The sixth Table Tennis Club Hà Nội Open will kick off on December 27 with the participation of more than 300 athletes.

There are 11 categories for men and women in different age groups and one for professional male competitors.

They will vie for a total prize of VNĐ130 million (US$5,600).

"We want to hold a tournament for amateur players but professionals can also participate. It will attract people’s attention and make the competition more agressive," said Nguyễn Hoàng Long co-head of the organising board.

The professional class would see last year’s silver medallist Phan Huy Hoàng with teammates Lê Đình Đức and Nguyễn Trung Kiên of Hà Nội T&T Club and Nguyễn Văn Huấn of Hỏa Châu Club as well as young  athletes competing, according to Long.

The finals will be on December 30. 

Đức ranks top after Việt Nam Masters second round

Andy Chu Minh Đức (left) leads the rankings at Việt Nam Masters. — Photo thethao.vnecdn.net

Việt Nam’s top golfer Andy Chu Minh Đức sat at the top of the table after the second round of the Việt Nam Masters, held late Thursday at Ocean – FLC Quy Nhơn Golf Links in the northern province of Bình Định.

The Vietnamese-Australian defending champion took 69 strokes (par 72) and led the table with three-under-par (-3).

Trần Lê Duy Nhất ranked second with eagle on the third hole and four birdies on other holes for a total score of -2. Annop Tangkamolprasert from Thailand shared the same rank as Nhất, followed by Kim Gwang Tae from South Korea with the score of -1.

Other competitors had a mixed round, as Park Ji Woon got two-over-par (+2), ranked fifth, followed by Kim Jin Cheol, who rose to sixth rank with Doãn Văn Định (+4).

Ngô Song Toàn won the first hole-in-one in the history of Việt Nam Masters.

The only woman golfing in the tournament, young talent Đoàn Xuân Khuê Minh, quit after two rounds with a score of +33.

Việt Nam Masters is the largest professional golf tournament in the country. It is part of the VPGA Tour, the country’s professional golf tournament system founded in 2017.

As many as 40 golfers will compete in third round today. The tournament is aired on Sports News HD of VTVCab.

Baby dies after taking medicine prescribed by private clinic

Doctor Sen’s private clinic. — Photo vov.vn

A four-month-old baby in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai was reported to have died after taking medicine prescribed by a local private clinic.

According to the provincial health department, on Tuesday, the victim, Nông Đỗ Huy Phúc, was taken by his mother to a clinic in Ia Ke Commune that specialises in endocrinology.

The baby had swollen legs and tympanism and was unable to eat.

Doctor Nguyễn Thị Sen, the clinic’s owner, prescribed two packages of L Bio, two pills of Bisepton and two packages of E Doz. The baby took the medicine and went to sleep.

At 7am the next morning, he was found to be dead.

Doctor Sen is the former head of Phú Thiện District’s health division. Her clinic has legal operation licences.

The police are further investigating the case to clarify the death cause.