Praying ceremony for peace held in Lao Cai

The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) hosted a grand ceremony praying for peace for the nation at Bao An Pagoda in Sa Pa District, the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, on July 24.

Bao An Pagoda is one of the two pagodas built on Fansipan, the highest mountain in Vietnam at 3,143m and dubbed the roof of Indochina.

On the same day, a ceremony to launch the casting of a statue of the Bodhisattva of Compassion (Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara) also took place at the pagoda.

The 12m high and 18–tonne statue will be made of pure copper. When completed, it will be placed on at the height of 3,108m, close to the top of the Fansipan Mountain.

National Assembly to push forward with reform

National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan has said the NA will continue with strong reforms in both organisation and operation to make its activities more effective and fruitful.

At the meeting with the local and international press on July 23 in Hanoi on the operation of the 14th NA tenure, Ngan said the NA will focus on revising the law building process in order to improve the quality and feasibility of laws.

The NA will also enhance the quality of supervision activities through intensifying supervision of selected issues, changing the methods of supervision and paying more attention to post-supervision developments.

The working processes and procedures at the NA sessions will be reformed as well towards increasing the role of the Council for Ethnic Minorities, NA agencies and the NA Standing Committee’s agencies in the discussion and evaluation of draft laws. NA deputies will be required to take part more actively in debates during sessions

The NA Chairwoman also emphasized that NA deputies should spend more time to meet not only their constituents but also voters in general, instead of periodic meetings just before and after each NA session.

Regarding key missions of the 14th legislature, she said, the NA will continue institutionalising stipulations of the 2013 Constitution and the 12th Party Congress’ Resolution into laws with consistent quality, meeting requirements of the country’s Doi Moi (Renewal) cause as well as deeper international integration.

The NA will also revise existing laws and issue new laws on human rights, especially rights in the fields of politics, economy, civil, culture, social security in line with the 2013 Constitution and the United Nations conventions in which Vietnam is a member.

The NA will also perfect the system of economic laws to create a consistent legal foundation compatible with principles of the market economy and Vietnam’s international commitments.

Concerning public debt, Chairwoman Ngan said the NA is strictly supervising public debt to ensure it is within the safe limits.

Answering questions relating to the country’s sovereignty over seas and islands, Ngan stressed the NA will pursue the policy of settling disputes in the East Sea via peaceful measures based on international law, with a view to turning the waters into a sea of peace, stability, friendship, and development, in the interests of all countries in the region and for common security of the region and the world.

NA Vice Chairwoman attends funeral of former Lao leader

National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong and a high-level delegation of the Vietnamese Party and State arrived in Vientiane on July 24 to attend the funeral of former Chairman of the National Assembly of Laos Xaman Vinhaket.

Vinhaket was also a former Politburo member and former head of the Steering Committee for Ideology, Theory and Culture of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee.

The NA Vice Chairwoman wrote in the funeral book that Vinhaket’s death is a great loss of the Lao Party, State, and people as well as his family, while Vietnam has lost a close friend and comrade who made significant contributions to fostering the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.

The same day, Lao Party Secretary General and President Bounnhang Volachith and National Assembly Chairwoman Pany Yathotou hosted separate receptions for the Vietnamese delegation.

Phong conveyed the condolences from Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Preident Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and other senior Party and State officials to their Lao counterparts.

The hosts said the presence of the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation is a source of encouragement for Lao Party, State and people, reflecting the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples.-

Condolences to Laos over former leader’s death

The Party Central Committee, National Assembly, President and Government of Vietnam on July 23 sent a message of condolences to their Lao counterparts over the death of former Politburo member and National Assembly Chairman Saman Vinhaket.

“On behalf of the Party, State and people of Vietnam , we would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the Party, State and people of Laos as well as family of comrade Saman Vinhaket,” read the message.

“The passing away of comrade Saman Vinhaket is a great loss to the Party, State and people of Laos and his family, as well as a pain for the Party, State and people of Vietnam for losing a close friend and a comrade who made important contributions to the building, reinforcement and development of the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos,” it said.

Saman Vinhaket, who passed away on July 22, was former member of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee (tenure II and III), former Secretary of the third LPRP Central Committee, and former Politburo member of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th tenure. He was also former chairman of the third, fourth and fifth National Assembly of Laos.

He served as head of the LPRP Central Committee’s Organisation Commission, Minister of Education, Defence Minister, head of the General Department of Politics of the Lao People’s Armed Forces and head of the LPRP Central Committee’s Steering Commission for Ideology, Theory and Culture.

Also on July 23, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh also conveyed his condolences to Lao Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith.

Other Vietnamese Party, State and National Assembly leaders also sent condolences to their Lao counterparts over the great loss.

Young NA deputies equipped with external relations skills

A conference was held in Hanoi on July 23 to provide young National Assembly deputies with necessary knowledge and skills to enhance their capacity in joining external relations and international integration activities.

The event, jointly held by the National Assembly Committee for External Relations, the UK Embassy and the British Council in Vietnam , is among activities that will run until March 2017 for young deputies to learn soft skills shared by UK parliamentarians and specialists.

According to Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Committee for External Relations Vu Hai Ha, 26.5 percent of 494 deputies of the 14th NA are aged under 45, which shows the confidence of voters in young deputies as well as the strong engagement of the youth to the NA’s legislation, supervision and decision of the country’s important issues.

Equipping and enhancing necessary skills for the young deputies are significant to create a firm foundation for them to better perform their role, while encouraging them in actively joining bilateral and multilateral parliamentary diplomatic activities, he said.

Meanwhile, Andrew Holt, Counsellor of the UK Embassy in Hanoi, held that the presence of a large number of young representatives at the NA is a positive signal for Vietnam where over 50 percent of the population are youngsters.

During the conference, former diplomats and NA deputies as well as experts from the British Council also shared their experiences and skills in joining NA’s foreign relations activities, protocol skills and soft skills in the international integration environment.

Japan-Vietnam friendship assoc debuts in Japanese prefecture

The Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association (JVFA) of Nishinomiya city debuted in the Japanese prefecture of Hyogo on July 22, with more than 200 distinguished guests in presence.

Speaking at the ceremony, JVFA President Ohta Hiroshi and Secretary General Sakai Hironori said the association will work as a bridge to increase mutual understanding and contribute to further boosting friendship between Hyogo prefecture’s localities with Vietnam in the fields of economy, politics, education-culture, tourism and people-to-people exchange.

Hironori said JFVA’s executive board and members, mostly business executives in Nishinomiya, will work closely with the Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka to introduce Vietnam’s business potential and opportunities to Japanese firms, as well as increasing cultural and people-to-people exchanges with Vietnamese partners.

He revealed that the JVFA is working with the Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka to conduct a tour of Ho Chi Minh City from September 15-17, with 40-100 businesspeople taking part.

Vietnamese Consul General Tran Duc Binh, in his speech, expressed his belief that the association will contribute to increasing understanding, friendship and economic exchanges between Hyogo prefecture and Vietnamese localities.

Lying between Kobe and Osaka cities, Nishinomiya has a population of nearly 500,000.

The city’s enterprises are strong in industrial machinery manufacturing, energy-saving industry, which are actively strengthening ties with Vietnam across the fields of economy, trade, investment, education-training, labour and tourism.

Vietnam-France friendship assoc. convenes congress

The Vietnam-France Friendship and Cooperation Association (VFFCA) set the goal of reinforcing solidarity and friendship between the two peoples between now and 2021 during its sixth Congress held in Hanoi on July 24.

The Congress elected a 48-member executive board and Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien as chairman of the asociation.

Participants called on the VFFCA to work as a bridge to further develop the bilateral strategic partnership in line with the law, and rally the French support for the country’s socio-economic development and the safeguard of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Opinions suggested conducting humanitarian activities, including presenting books and notebooks to poor students in remote and mountainous areas, organising free health check-ups for the poor in rural and mountainous areas, as well as strengthening cooperation with French partners across health care, education and socio-culture.

Addressing the ceremony, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations Vu Xuan Hong asked the VFFCA to seek partnership with left-wing and non-governmental organisations, training facilities, universities and businesses in France.

The association should also combine friendship exchanges with activities to promote cooperation across the fields, he said.

In 2009-2016, VFFCA has successfully garner support from the French people for poverty reduction in Vietnam, the struggle for justice for Agent Orange victims and the fight to safeguard national sovereignty, territorial integrity, as well as to maintain peace, security and stability in the East Sea.

The organisation also held many friendship and cultural and art exchanges celebrating major French anniversaries.

Dong Thap popularises swimming skills for children

The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has strived to popularise swimming skills for children in an attempt to help them improve their health and prevent child drowning.

The provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has brought swimming teaching programmes to local schools with the goal of reducing the number of children dying from drowning by five to 10 percent each year.

Since the beginning of this summer, over 800 children aged between 9 to 15 in the province’s Cao Lanh city have been taught swimming skills at the local sport centre. Most of them can swim well after the course.

About 7,000 children die from drowning each year in Vietnam , according to a UNICEF survey.

Prime Minister honours outstanding war heroes

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc presented certificates of merit and gifts to outstanding individuals who rendered their service to the country’s revolution during a ceremony in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on July 23.

Attending the event were 299 representing more than 8.8 million people who made great contributions to the country during the war.

In his speech, the government leader expressed his sincere sentiment and deep gratitude to ex-revolutionaries, heroic Vietnamese mothers, invalids, and families of martyrs, saying that they are examples of strong will and perseverance.

He hoped that they would continue upholding the spirit of “Uncle Ho’s soldiers” and contribute more to the nation.

The State annually spends trillions of Vietnamese dong on support for health care, education, housing, vocational training and employment, he said, adding that more than 20,000 invalids and 32,000 ailing and old parents of martyrs have been cared for by authorities and locals.

The leader requested all possible support be provided for revolution contributors while the search for and identification of martyrs’ remains be accelerated.

Party units and authorities need to educate young generations about the war heroes’ sacrifices to the nation, he said.

In the morning the same day, the PM visited staff of Military Zone 9 and paid tribute to fallen soldiers in a memorial in the city.

Russian classic literature released in Vietnamese

The Vietnamese editions of three Russian classic literature works were made public at a ceremony held in Hanoi on July 22.

The books, namely “Truyen bien” (Sea stories) by K.Stanhiukovich, “Cac vo kich” (Dramas) by A. Ostrovski and “Con bac” (Gambler) by F.Dostoyevsky, are the outcomes of a publishing cooperation project between Russia’s Lokid Premium Publishing House and Vietnam-Russia Literature fund since 2012.

The publication of the books is in the fifth phase of the project on translating literature from Russian into Vietnamese and vice versa under the sponsorship of Russian President Vladimir Putin. To date, more than 25 Russian classic book titles have been translated into Vietnamese.

On the occasion, the Russian version of a collection of short stories by Vietnamese contemporary writers was also made public.

According to Natalia Shafinskaya, acting director of the Russian Centre of Science and Culture in Hanoi, the project has brought Russian and Vietnamese literature closer to readers in each nation. She highlighted that it will contributed to promoting friendship and cooperation between two countries.

Central Highlands seeks sustainable water protection

Experts suggested measures to ensure water security and sustainable protection for socio-economic development in the Central Highlands during a workshop in Gia Lai province on July 22.

They recommended enhancing the capacity to provide sufficient water for agricultural production, industry and local daily activities.

Subsequently, it is essential to continue seeking groundwater and creating a fund to support water for residents, while making survey on and a planning scheme for water resources in the region and building a master plan for irrigation development until 2020 and with a vision to 2030.

Participants proposed prioritising investment in upgrading medium- and large-sized water reservoirs and supporting afforestation and forest protection projects as well as modernising irrigation systems, improving capacity to deal with inundation in flood-prone areas, and enhancing water resources management in accordance with the Law on Water Resources.

There are four big rivers running through the Central Highlands , namely Se San, Ba, Srepok and Dong Nai. Based on this natural advantage, the State injected money to build a hydropower and irrigation system to serve socio-economic development in the region.

Currently, the Central Highlands is home to 2,354 irrigation facilities, including 1,190 water reservoirs, 972 dams, and 130 water pumping stations, which could provide water for nearly 300,000 hectares of plants.

However, the ineffective and unreasonable use of water along with climate change has affected the sustainable water resources development in the region.

The serious drought in the first months of 2016 significantly affected local production and life activities. Over 35 percent of rivers and 40 percent of small lakes in the region ran out of water. By the end of June, 2016, the region had 180,000 hectares of withering crops. The total economic loss amounted to 5.5 trillion VND (247.5 million USD) while 70,000 households faced water shortages.

The workshop was jointly held by the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands, People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature), and Vietnam Rivers Network under the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations.

Vietnam mulls scrapping part of US$1.2 bln paper mill over environmental concerns

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed that the government scrap a Hong Kong-invested pulp plant in the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang, citing potential threats to the environment, local media has reported.

Part of a US$1.2-billion paper mill complex developed by Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing Limited, the troubled plant has recently come under suspicion of harming the environment, even though it will not enter a test run until 2018.

Local residents and seafood companies have protested the plant, saying that it will pollute the Hau River in the lower reaches of the Mekong Delta River and kill fish, when it goes into operation with an annual output of 330,000 tons.

The opposition has prompted the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to launch an inspection into the mill early this month. However, the inspection's findings are yet to be released.

Meanwhile, in its proposal to the government, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said that since the southwestern region's terrain is low and has lots of rivers, it is not suitable for growing trees specific for pulp production, news website Saigon Times Online reported on July 22.

Moreover, the ministry said pulp production uses many chemical substances, which will pose a great threat to the environment.

Previously, the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) said in a petition for closing down the plant that while pulp production discharges sodium hydroxide, one of the most dangerous substances, Lee & Man has not developed a decent waste treatment system.

The Lee & Man complex also houses a cardboard mill with an output of 420,000 tons a year, but it is apparently safe for now.

The ministry was quoted as saying that cardboard production uses less chemical substances and poses less risks to the environment. As long as the mill meets all requirements for environmental safety, it is eligible to go into operation, it said.

The mill is scheduled for having a test run this August.

Fire engulfs Chinese candle plant in northern Vietnam

A fire broke out at a major industrial park in the northern port city of Haiphong late July 24 and ravaged a plant run by a Chinese candle manufacturer for almost nine hours. No human casualties have been reported as of press time.

By the time firefighters managed to put out the blaze at 3 a.m. on July 25, it had already flattened the 40,000-square meter (430,550 square-feet) candle factory, run by Aroma Bay Candles in Duong Kinh Industrial Park.

According to eyewitnesses, the blaze broke out at around 7:30 p.m. on July 24 and spread to consume the entire plant. Some 300 firefighters were dispatched to the scene but inflammables stored at the plant deterred firefighting efforts, authorities said.

Further investigations are underway, according to the authorities, with electrical short-circuit suspected to be main cause.

Aroma Bay Candles, set up in 2004, makes candles that are mainly exported to the American and European markets.

Mekong Delta: sea duck farming to adapt to climate change

Sea ducks are the species that can be raised in salty water in such areas as Truong Sa or Phu Quoc.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has chosen sea duck farming for husbandry restructuring in the coastal areas in the Mekong Delta which has been hit by drought and salty water intrusion.

From 2014-2015, 300 sea ducks were raised in pilot in some islets of Truong Sa archipelago. Those ducks have grown well and produced eggs.

Sea ducks have also been bred in some drought and salty water intrusion hit areas such as Kien Giang, Tien Giang, and Bac Lieu. In Ca Mau, 2,800 sea ducks have been raised and duplicated.

Nguyen Van Tranh, Deputy Head of Ca Mau’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this duck species can grow well in the brackish water and brings stable income for farmers.

But according to Tranh, “the model is still new in Ca Mau. There are now 2,800 ducks in pilot phase and we aim to develop it to 6,000 ducks. We will prepare enough volume of breeds and provide them to localities to expand the model.”

Nguyen Huu Tinh, Deputy Head of the Southern Institute of Animal Husbandry, said sea duck farming brings high economic values and makes full advantage of natural food sources rich in nutrients. Sea ducks are well-resistant to diseases and adaptable to salty and brackish water environment.

Tinh said, “Sea ducks can produce a great number of eggs and high quality meat. The ducks grow very well and salable easily. They can be raised on islands where are surrounded by sea water. Besides, sea ducks can also grow well in fresh water and can be kept in orchards and mangrove forests.”

Nguyen Van Trong, Deputy Head of Animal Husbandry Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said it is essential to make good preparation for the husbandry sector to adapt to unfavorable weather conditions.  

Beside some livestock species, sea duck farming should be duplicated in coastal areas in the Mekong Delta which are seriously affected by salty water intrusion. Sea duck farming is expected to be transferred to 8 provinces bordering the sea.

“Sea duck breeds are now kept in Dai Xuyen duck breeding and research center in the North and Livestock Husbandry Development Research Center in the South. At present, the Mekong Delta hasn’t had breed source, thus they still have to take it from a center in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Ministry plans to build a breed center in Soc Trang province to provide to the local people and Cambodia,” said Trong.

The model of sea duck farming in some localities have not only brought high and stable income but also helped fully exploited the local potentials.

The model is opening new prospects for farmers to diversify their animal farming to adapt to climate change impact.

Hanoi customs probe gun smuggling from US, UK

Customs officers in Hanoi are investigating the smuggling of gun parts from the UK and US after seizing a number of barrels the past month.

The officers and Hanoi Post Office on July 20 found two gun barrels and a rifle scope in two parcels to be delivered to a person in Cao Bang Province in northern Vietnam.

Around a month ago, a UK gift package to a recipient in Cao Bang was also found to contain 13 barrels.

The authorities have not revealed if the two cases are related.

Vietnam does not allow gun ownership by regular citizens, and yet there have been regular attempts to smuggle in the weapon from overseas

Cameras to be installed in all Ho Chi Minh City buses by 2016

The public transport authority of Ho Chi Minh City has announced its plan to install surveillance cameras in all subsidized buses by the end of 2016.

The authority said it has cooperated with transport companies to install surveillance cameras in 1,014 subsidized buses in the city, in an attempt it said to crack down on petty crimes and improve attitudes of drivers and attendants.

These buses travel 21 of 107 subsidized routes in the city, some of which have previously been known for recurrent pickpocketing and sexual harassment on passengers.

According to statistics provided by the public transport authority, the first half of 2016 saw only six reports of rude bus drivers or attendants by passengers, a significant drop from 82 cases against the same period of 2015, before cameras were installed.

The installation of cameras has also helped redirect buses to avoid heavy traffic, the authority said.

According to a senior official at the management authority, surveillance cameras will be installed in all 2,400 subsidized buses in Ho Chi Minh City by the end of 2016.

Critics slam licensing for pangolin farming

Conservationists have criticized the Tay Ninh Forest Protection Agency for illegally licensing many families to raise pangolins in the southern province.

“It is for commercial purposes and violates laws on protecting endangered and rare wild species,” Bui Thi Ha, deputy director of conservation NGO Education for Nature – Vietnam, told the media.

Recently many families in Tay Ninh have managed to obtain licenses to farm Javan and Chinese pangolins.

Ha cited a 2006 government decree as saying that a wild animal species that is allowed for farming must be approved by CITES Vietnam as being able to breed for several generations in captive conditions.

The farming must not affect the species’ conservation in the wild, she said.

CITES has not given approval and thus the licensing was illegal, she said.

Many scientists have opposed the idea of farming pangolins.

Le Xuan Canh, former director of the Hanoi-based Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, said pangolins are unsuitable for captive breeding.

“Raising them in captive conditions is already a challenge, not to mention breeding. Moreover, it has a long reproduction cycle.”

Tran Quang Phuong, a conservationist at the Cuc Phuong National Park, said a program to conserve pangolins has seen eight captive pangolins give birth in the past decade.

“However, all of them were pregnant before being brought to the center. Only one mother and baby were successfully reintroduced into the wild.”

Ha warned, “Some people may abuse the license to legalize smuggled and poached animals.”

The Tay Ninh Forest Protection Agency said it followed regulations while licensing.

It claimed that the Cuc Phuong National Park was successful in captive breeding of pangolins.

According to the International Union for Conversation of Nature, pangolins are one of the most poached and smuggled mammal species worldwide, with about 1 million individuals falling victim in the past decade.

ENV said that between 2012 and 2014 more than 34.3 tons of frozen pangolins and scales had been seized at Hai Phong Port alone.

4 crashes kill 4 on same day on same road section

Four people lost their lives in four separate fatal accidents on a 14km section of National Highway 1 in the south-central Vietnamese province of Binh Thuan on July 22.

Le Anh Tuan, 19, and Phan Anh Vu, 22, both from Tan Lap Commune, Ham Thuan Nam District, were en route to Phan Thiet City by bike at around 0:30 when they collided with a truck, leading to Tuan dying and Vu severely injured, police said.

At about 10:10, Nguyen Anh Tuan, 20, a resident of Phan Thiet, was killed following a serious head-on collision with a trailer truck running in the opposite direction.

The tragic accident was five kilometers away from the first crash, according to police reports.

The third accident, nine kilometers away from the second, occurred in Ham Kiem Commune at around 15:20 when Nguyen Van Binh riding from Phan Thiet to Ho Chi Minh City fell to the ground in a collision with another rider and died after being hit by a truck running in the same direction, the reports said.  

The truck driver then fled before being seized and handed over to police by local residents, the reports added.

The fourth traffic accident took place in the evening on the same road section, killing one more, police said.

This highway section is notorious as a ‘death spot’ where lots of deadly crashes have happened.

One of them rocked the country when two passenger buses and a truck collided, killing 13 people and injuring 36 others on May 22.

Việt Nam, Japan boost ties in agro-forestry-fisheries

The Việt Nam Farmer’s Union (VNFU) and the Japanese Institute of East Asian Studies (TOA) have signed an agreement on co-operation in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development in Hà Nội.

The signatories were Lại Xuân Môn, chairman of the VNFU, and Tsutomu Takebe, chairman of the TOA and Special Advisor of the Japan-Viêt Nam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance.

Môn said on Friday that this was one of the important activities to realise the contents of a collaboration agreement in agriculture, which had been reached between the two countries.

The signing also marks a significant milestone in the ties between the VNFU and TOA, which will create new and effective co-operation opportunities for Việt Nam and Japan in the future, he added.

It is expected to help with agricultural restructuring and socio-economic development in Việt Nam’s rural areas, as well as enhance cultural exchanges, mutual understanding and friendship between Vietnamese and Japanese farmers, he noted.

According to the agreement, Japan will transfer technologies in manufacturing and processing as well as in goods sale and distribution system in agriculture, forestry and fisheries to Việt Nam.

Japan is due to help the Southeast Asian country develop agro-forestry-fisheries projects using safe production and sustainable cultivation techniques, and boost the consumption of products in Việt Nam.

The two sides will jointly study the business management system and advanced technology in these fields, as well as pilot Japanese agro-forestry-fisheries production models in Việt Nam.

Vietnam Connection 2016 to be held in HCMC & Hanoi

The Vietnam Connection 2016 will take place in HCMC and Hanoi from August 7 to 14, announced by the organization board.

The event held for the first time in 2015 and the Vietnam Connection 2016 is considered as the largest scale event.

Many well-known artists from Vietnam and other countries such as the United States, Germany, Japan, Netherland, Brazil, Estonia, Venezuela, South Africa will be present in the event.

On August 11, the program which will be taken place at Geothe Institute named the four seasons in brandenburg will introduce the works of Italia musician Vivaldi.

The highlight of the event will be gala concert titled dance and song festival which is scheduled to be organized on August 14 at Vietnam National Music Academy.

“Vietnamese women” photo exhibition opens in Hoian

An French photographer Rehalm held his photo exhibition at Phuc Chu street of Hoian City in the central province of Quang Nam with theme of “Vietnamese women”.

40 portraits about Vietnamese women shot by Rehalm feature the beauty of mothers, sisters and those are living across over the country.

The exhibition will last till August 20, 2016.

Medical worker advises to inject HPV vaccine for preventing cervical cancer

Head of Pasteur Institute’s Biological Product Testing Ward Dr. Cao Huu Nghia said that he always advised and encouraged his patients especially parents and female to inject HPV vaccine to have a healthy life.

HPV vaccination is recommended for 11 and 12 year-old girls. It is also recommended for girls and women age 13 through 26 years of age who have not yet been vaccinated or completed the vaccine series; HPV vaccine can also be given to girls beginning at age 9 years.

Chairman of the Vietnam Preventive Medicine Association Professor Nguyen Tran Hien said that around 490,000 women in the globe have cervical cancer per year and over 270,000 people died of the disease. Every two minutes pass, one woman in the world dies of cervical cancer.

It is estimated around 5,300 Vietnamese women get the disease annually and 2,500 people died of it.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers and it caused high rate of mortality amongst women.

HPV vaccine can prevent the human papillomavirus (HPV) types that cause most cervical cancers as well as some cancers of the anus, vulva (area around the opening of the vagina), vagina, and oropharynx (back of throat including base of tongue and tonsils).

Professor Hien confirmed HPV vaccine was approved to inject for people on June, 2006 in the US. In Vietnam, it was allowed in 2008.

10 medical clinics fined for violating immunization regulation

The Department of Health in Ho Chi Minh City July 22 said that it is considering penalties against ten medical clinics which violated the immunization regulation.

Ten hospitals are Victoria Healthcare My My, General Hospital Nancy, An Sinh, GaYa Viet-Han ( Viet-Korea), Van Hanh, Hung Vuong Maternity, Nguyen Tri Phuong, Preventive Medicine Center in HCMC’s Thu Duc, Go Vap districts and the center for Preventive Medicine in HCMC.

Before, health inspectors detected ten above-mentioned hospital not to ensure adequate facilities and medical equipment, not to write full information in forms and not to have alternative way for blackout.

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