The Vietnam-Japan Culture Exchange kicked off in the northern city of Hai Phong on March 24, as part of activities to mark the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

The event, together with the ongoing Japanese cherry blossoms exhibition displaying nearly 10,000 sakura branches transported from Japan by air, is expected to help introduce Japan’s culture to Hai Phong locals, enhance mutual understanding and trust between the two sides, and promote diplomatic, investment and tourism ties between Hai Phong and Japanese localities.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Tung said that Hai Phong is currently setting up ties with six Japanese localities. 

The city has 134 Japanese-invested projects worth 4.31 billion USD, accounting for 30 percent of total foreign direct investment in the city.

Japan has also provided official development assistance for many important projects in Hai Phong, including Binh bridge and Tan Vu-Lach Huyen bridge and road, Hai Phong International Port, stated Tung.

Earlier, a seminar on investment and tourism promotion was organised, with seven memoranda of understanding on investment cooperation worth over 30 million USD inked.-

Vietnam through eyes of European painters

As many as 55 paintings capturing the land and people of Vietnam and foreign countries by 14 European artists are being displayed at an exhibition at the Da Nang Fine Arts Museum. 

The painters, hailing from such countries as the UK, France, Russia, the Netherlands and Norway, are living and working in Da Nang city and Quang Nam province in the central region. 

Addressing the opening ceremony on March 24, the museum’s Director Ha Thanh Van said the exhibition, themed “Connection,” aims to enhance the international friendship, cooperation and exchange in culture and arts, while helping Vietnamese painters share experience with European colleagues. 

It is also expected to bring foreign friends closer to Da Nang people, he added. 

The event will run until April 15.

Association contributes to France-Vietnam relationship

General Secretary of the France-Vietnam Friendship Association (AAFV) Jean Pierre Archambault has highlighted the association’s support for Vietnamese people as well as the relationship between the two countries. 

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the official visit to France by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong from March 25-27, he briefed the association’s major activities to support Vietnamese people during their past struggle for national liberation as well as the present national construction. 

The AAFV has contributed to developing relations between Vietnam and France and other countries, said Jean Pierre Archambault, who is also editor-in-chief of Perspectives France-Vietnam magazine. 

The association has closely coordinated with the Vietnam Red Cross Society, supported war victims, especially those affected by Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin, he said, adding that it has accompanied Vietnamese – French Tran To Nga in the lawsuit against 26 US chemical firms for producing chemical toxins sprayed by the US army during the war in Vietnam in the 1960-1970 period.

Besides, the AAFV has raised its voice protecting Vietnam’s sovereignty and sovereign right in the East Sea, he said. 

In the combat against climate change, the association has showed its solidarity with Vietnam, one of the nations hardest hit by global warming and sea level rise, Jean Pierre Archambault added. 

He affirmed that bilateral and multilateral cooperation projects form an important content of the association’s action plan, adding that apart from participating in conferences relating to health issues in Vietnam, the AAFV has closely cooperated with many French companies and the Vietnamese businesspersons’ association in France to enhance economic ties between the two countries. 

He said one of the association’s tasks is helping French people understand more about Vietnam, as well as its history, civilisation, achievements and challenges. 

To that end, the AAFV has organised many seminars, film screenings and exhibitions, and run Perspectives France-Vietnam magazine in order to popularise the bilateral relationship. 

The association has launched an award for research studies on Vietnam by young French people, and plans to encourage partners to participate in the organisation of the day of friendship and solidarity associations with Vietnam in 2019, said Jean Pierre Archambault.-

Mekong Delta asked to improve waterway connectivity

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has asked the Ministry of Transport to review transport planning in the Mekong Delta and seek better links among modes of transport in the region.

Deputy PM Dung called for further connectivity among inland waterways, marine routes and inland ports when he visited Quan Chanh Bo canal and Tat canal on Hau river in Tra Vinh province.

He asked the Ministry of Transport to study and develop transport options on connecting Tien river and Hau river.

The 250-kilometre-long Tien and 200-km-long Hau, tributaries of Mekong river, are two major rivers in the delta, which is the country’s largest rice, fruit and seafood producer.

According to experts, a coastline that is more than 700km long as well as numerous canals and rivers that crisscross each other make the Mekong Delta an ideal location to develop an efficient waterway transport system that will boost commerce and ease road traffic congestion.

Under a national plan on sea port system development, Hau river is among key projects that will receive priority investment to be completed by 2020.

In 2007, the Transport Ministry approved a project on dredging and deepening Hau river to make it navigable for vessels of up to 10,000 tonnes. Work began in 2009 in Duyen Hai district, Tra Vinh province.

The 46.5 km of deepened river consist of four parts – 12.1 km on Hau River, 19.2 km on the Quan Chanh Bo canal, 8.2 km on the newly dredged Tat canal and 7 km of marine route. Other work includes dykes, signal systems, sheltering areas and three ferry stations.

By the end of 2011, around 1 trillion VND (50 million USD) had been spent on the work when it came to a halt and could not be completed in 2013 as planned due to financial difficulties.

Following a two-year delay, work to dredge and deepen Hau river restarted after the National Assembly approved a 6 trillion VND (300 million USD) Government bond issue to fund it.

By April 2017, almost all of the work had been completed and operations begun. The Transport Ministry reported that of some items had not been completed due to landslides along Quan Chanh Bo canal and local residents refusing to move from the project’s area because of disagreements over compensation.

Previously, since only vessels of between 4,000-5,000 tonnes can navigate Hau river, 80 percent of cargo transported by sea to the Mekong Delta transits through ports in places like HCM City, Dong Nai, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Deputy PM Dung said that the project on dredging and deepening Hau river passage was among efforts to help large vessels access inland ports, thus reducing transport costs.

It is expected that when Hau river becomes navigable for large vessels, 50 percent of cargo headed for the delta will come through it, reducing import costs and also boosting the competitiveness of the region’s exports.

Dung emphasized the need for continued efforts in further connecting waterways in Tra Vinh province and other Mekong Delta provinces as well.

Problems such as funding shortages, land clearance, compensation should be reviewed and tackled to ensure benefits of State, investors and local residents, he said.

Deputy PM visits City fire victims

Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hoà Bình on Sunday ordered authorities of HCM City to take good care of victims of a fire that killed 13 people last week.

Visiting the Carina Plaza apartment complex in District 8 where the fire occurred with a working group yesterday, the Deputy PM said the fire was a fatal accident that “hurts the whole nation”.    

“It left us with a major lesson about safety management of apartment complexes,” he said.

He ordered the city’s authorities to help the victims stabilise their lives and provide medical care for the injured, as well as identifying the cause of fire, and recongising those who risked their lives to save the victims.  

He expressed concerns over the city’s fire prevention measures as another fire broke out at an eight-storey hotel in District 5 a day later, on Saturday.

He also visited 70 residents that are taking temporary shelter at the City Gate apartment complex, opposite Carina Plaza, and ordered the complex’s management board to ensure their needs are met.

“Management authorities must soon review all housing conditions and fire safety measures at [the Carina Plaza complex] before allowing residents to move back in,” he said.

Later during the day, the Deputy PM visited 11 injured victims that are receiving treatment at Chợ Rẫy Hospital, including the firefighter Trần Tuấn Thanh who was severely burned in the hands and legs while doing his duty.

On behalf of the Government, he presented each victim VNĐ3 million (US$132) of financial support.

The Deputy PM also visited and offered condolences to families of the victims killed by the fire.

The fire broke out on early last Friday morning at the Carina Plaza in District 8 in HCM City, killing 13 and injuring dozens of others. Its cause is under investigation.

Kindergarten opens for ethnic kids

The central provincial Women’s Union, in co-operation with PeaceTrees Việt Nam (PTVN), has put into operation a kindergarten in Tà Lênh village of Đăkrông district – the 12th of its kind – with funding from donors.

Phạm Thị Hoàng Hà, of PTVN, a non-governmental organisation that has been searching for unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Quảng Trị since 1995, said the kindergarten was built with funding from Jeff Nielsen and his friends in memory of Arthur Bustamante who died in Quảng Trị in 1968, at the age of 21.

She said the school provides safe and clean facilities including sleeping areas, tables, a playground, kitchenware and clean water well for kids of the ethnic Vân Kiều group living in the area.

Hà said the Vân Kiều community living in the remote mountainous areas in Quảng Trị lacked clean water and kindergarten facilities for years.

As planned, PTVN will add two more kindergarten schools in the remote communes in 2018.

These schools will be built on land which has been cleared of UXO.

According to the latest report, PTVN’s Exploded Ordnance Disposal teams have found over 106,513 pieces of unexploded ordnances and cleared 163ha of land contaminated by landmines, especially in remote mountainous areas such as Hướng Hóa, Cam Lộ, Gio Linh and Vĩnh Linh and Đakrong – former sites of battles and the Demilitarised Zone during the war.

The PTVN’s Danaan Parry Landmines Education Centre in Đông Hà has provided landmine awareness education to more than 65,000 people in the province, 17,500 of them children.

In 2014, teams also cleared UXO on area of 90ha to resettle 50 households in Ba Lòng commune in Hướng Hóa district with funds from the US veteran Dan Gilman and his friends in Washington.

Bodies of two fishermen found

The bodies of two fishermen were discovered in a fishing vessel that sank in the waters off the southern province of Bạc Liêu last week, local marine rescue officials reported yesterday.

The dead fishermen were residents of the local Gành Hào Town. They were identified as Trần Tiên, 37, and Hồ Xuân Lộc, 44.

The fishing vessel was towed towards shore as part of the accident investigation.

The vessel, with 8 fishermen on board, capsized last Friday due to bad weather. Six of the men were rescued by local fishermen.

Fire rips through clothing factory

Fire broke out at a clothing factory in the early hour of Sunday morning causing what official fear may be "total damage".

The blaze started around 4am at Vina Korea Co.,Ltd. of Khai Quang industrial zone, Vĩnh Yên City, northern Vĩnh Phúc Province. 

Although nobody was injured, it is believed the fire caused serious damage.

Hundreds of firefighters brought the blaze under control and managed to extinguish the flames.

It was reported the fire started in the company’s No. 2 factory which is used to store cloth. The cause is under investigation.

Lê Anh Tân, vice chairman of Vĩnh Yên City’s People’s Committee told vietnamnet.vn “The fire has been controlled. However, products stored at two factories which have roof made of corrugated iron might be totally damaged”.

Official damages have not been updated so far. 

South Korea-invested Vina Korea Co.,Ltd., which was put into operation in 2002, specilises in high-quality textile products for export. The company’s factories cover an area of more than 6.3ha with over 4,000 labourers.

8,000 take part in Olympic Run Day, launch of Run for Peace

Nearly 8,000 runners took part in the Olympic Run Day and the launch of the annual Hà Nội Mới (New Hà Nội) Newspaper’s Run for Peace yesterday in Hà Nội.

Those participating included coaches, athletes, workers, as well as students who are living and studying in the capital city.

Speaking at the event, Ngô Văn Quý, deputy chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee, said the Olympic Run Day was one of the activities to encourage people to improve their health by taking part in any kind of physical exercises which would help to strengthen the quality of life and create healthy lifestyles and environments.

He said the Run for Peace was a traditional tournament which received great attention from not only local residents, but also foreigners, in previous years. He appealed for the public to join in the 45th event, which is to be organised this October around Hoàn Kiếm Lake. 

19 people rescued from hotel fire in HCM City

Dozens of people, most of them tourists, screamed for help as a fire erupted at an eight-story hotel in Ho Chi Minh City on March 24.

The fire broke out on the third floor of the Hanh Long Hotel in District 5 on Tran Hung Dao Street at around 3p.m., witnesses said. The hotel guests on the upper floors were trapped in the building, screaming for help from the windows as thick smoke billowed upwards.

Authorities said 19 hotel guests, including 11 foreigners, were plucked to safety by two fire truck lifts. No injuries were reported.

“The fire started from in the hotel’s accounting office,” said Captain Tran Quang Son, Deputy Chief of the District 8 Firefighter Department. “All the victims were evacuated without either injury or smoke inhalation.”

Fire authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze.

The incident took place just one day after a fatal fire broke out in a 20-story apartment building in District 8, which killed 13 and injured 28. It was Saigon's deadliest blaze in 15 years, after the catastrophic International Trade Center fire that killed 60 people in 2002.

Ho Chi Minh City, the largest metropolis in Vietnam, reported more than 1,000 fires last year, which killed 26 people and caused damage worth around US$4 million.

Vietnam named one of the friendliest places on Earth for expats

Vietnam has been named among the top 10 destinations for expats in a new ranking aimed at guiding the world’s rising number of modern nomads.

The country was placed ninth on the InterNations’ 2018 Expat Insider survey, climbing three spots from last year.

More than four in five expats, or 81 percent, described the Vietnamese people as welcoming, and 73% said it was easy to settle down in the country, the survey found.

Of the expats questioned, 56% said they had found it easy to make friends with locals, and 16% said they planned to stay forever.

More than half of the expats said they planned to stay in the country for up to five years, which was well above the global average of 35%.

“I love the friendly vibe in the city,” said an expat from the Republic of Korea who lives in Saigon, as cited in an InterNations press release on  March 20. “People are mostly nice and gentle.”

InterNations, the largest network for people who live and work abroad, this year ranked 65 economies by looking at comments from nearly 13,000 expats from 188 countries and territories.

Portugal was named the place with the happiest expats, followed by Taiwan, where most expats said they felt at home, and Mexico, where many said it was easy to settle down and acclimatize to the local culture.

Cambodia, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Oman, Colombia and Canada were other destinations named in the top 10.

The United States was ranked 36th, while the least friendly countries were Finland, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria and Kuwait, the survey found.

There are around 82,000 foreigners living and working in Vietnam.

The new ranking is uplifting in wake of an HSBC survey in September 2017 that found many expats were not happy with life in the country, with only 28% of expats agreeing that they enjoyed a better overall quality of life than in their home countries.

According to HSBC, the average income for expats in Vietnam dropped by 14.5% from the previous year to US$88,096 in 2017, which is lower than the global average. Vietnamese workers earned US$2,200 on average last year.

Who will compensate the victims of the Carina Plaza fire?

Yesterday’s fire in Carina Plaza, which killed 13 people and injured 28, burning a total of 13 cars and 150 motorbikes, showed the weakness of apartment buildings’ management boards.

At 1 AM on March 23, the fire and big explosions started at the basement parking lot of Carina Plaza’s block A and B at 1648 Vo Van Kiet Street, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City, while residents were sleeping and the fire bells failed to go off. Residents were woken by the smell of smoke and the screams of others, but no fire bells. People said that they tried to the small fire extinguishers to little effect.

The fire has killed at least 13 people, injured a hundred, burned 13 cars and 150 motorbikes, and damaged the properties of residents. The conflagration caused the highest number of fatalities in Ho Chi Minh City in the last 16 years, which shows the weakness of fire prevention and management at Carina Plaza’s management board.

Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan asked for a clear explanation why the fire bells were not active that night. “Why did the fire start at the empty basement, and how did it kill 13 people living on higher floors?” Nhan emphasised.

He also ordered a review of the process of handling fire and explosion incidents at Carina Plaza. “How many times do they check and drill every year? What are the responsibilities of the building management board and the apartment developer?” Nguyen Thien Nhan asked, ruminating on the responsibilities of Hung Thanh Co., Ltd. and 577 Investment Corporation.

Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong also asked: “People said they did not hear the fire alarm. The District 8 Fire Department reported that the fire prevention drills were held twice a year, but why did the fire alarms not go off at the Carina Plaza fire? We cannot trust the lives of people on blankets and clothes tied together to escape.”

He also emphasised the need to overcome the consequences of the fire, ensuring the safety of residents and households of Carina Plaza, and helping them to stabilise their lives soon.

At first, the city will provide support of VND15 million ($661) for each casualty and VND5 million ($220) to the injured. However, the developer - 577 Investment Corporation and management board of Carina Plaza has yet to make an announcement related to their responsibilities or compensation for the damage.

Although holding a huge land fund, the business results of 577 Investment Corporation are getting increasingly worse. According to Viet Capital Securities Company (VCSC), NBB had to pay interest of around VND170 billion ($7.5 million) per year during 2010-2013. To tackle these issues, 577 Investment Corporation divested from other business operations to focus on real estate as well as renewed loans and raised equity capital.

Lawyer talks about compensation for Carina Plaza fire

The Carina Plaza fire, which killed 13 people, injured 28, and burned over 160 vehicles, will be investigated to uncover the causes and liabilities behind the tragedy.

According to the local fire department, the fire started from a motorbike in the thousand-square-metre basement. The investigation agency also collected all camera recordings and took statements from people around, and will complete the forensic examination soon.

Lawyer Nguyen Anh Thom said that the investigation agency needs to identify the causes of the fire. The investigation results will serve as the foundation to prosecute violators in case an offense is uncovered.

If the owner of the vehicle catching fire is found to have caused the fire intentionally, they will be charged with murder (Article 123) and the deliberate destruction of property (Article 178 of the Criminal Code 2015).

If the person who caused the Carina Plaza fire did it from opposition to the people’s government, they would be charged with terrorism to oppose the people’s government according to Article 113.

If the fire was caused by electrical fire in the basement, it would need to be specified whether the power manager violated regulations on fire prevention. If there is an offense, the power manager would be held responsible in relation to regulations of law on fire safety and fire fighting in Article 313.

If the investigation agency finds that someone caused this fire either intentionally or unintentionally, they will have to pay compensation in addition to criminal responsibilities, according to Article 589, 590, and 598.

In accordance with Decree No.23/2018/ND-CP dated February 23, 2018 on compulsory fire and explosion insurance, apartments, hotels, and guest houses which are higher than five floors must purchase compulsory insurance. Thereby, all damages will be paid by the insurance agency in line with regulations.

However, insurers could deny liabilities for risks in some cases, such as natural disasters, political events or security, social order, and safety reasons behind intentional violations of the regulations on fire prevention as the direct cause of the fire and explosion.

His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa celebrates Earth Hour in HCMC

His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa arrived in Ho Chi Minh City on March 24 during the Earth Hour celebrations, when many people and organizations in the city took part in shutting off lights to preserve energy and benefit the environment. His Holiness also took part in the event. Devotees welcomed him at a downtown hotel with candles and battery-operated lotus lamps. He said that he was very happy to see Buddhists also taking part in saving the environment.

His Holiness said that Earth Hour was a meaningful activity, because it helps people raise awareness about the environment and spread the message about a simple and environmentally-friendly way of living.

As an environmental activist himself, often leading walking pilgrimages to clean the environment in the Himalayas, His Holiness emphasized the message that people need to protect Mother Nature. He sent a plea to Buddhist followers: “Each of us must raise our own awareness about the environment, protect our water sources, and protect nature, because they are a part of our lives. Especially those living in large metropolises like Ho Chi Minh City need to be role models in spreading the message of protecting the environment.”

His Holiness said that everyone should have the responsibility and mindfulness to protect the environment, for ourselves and for future generations.

He mentioned that we often waste a lot of energy for unnecessary things, while vital things such as the environment are overlooked. Each of us should study, gain knowledge, and educate ourselves as well as spread the message about protecting the environment among those around us.

His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa will preside over a grand prayer for peace at Vinh Nghiem Monastery in Ho Chi Minh City, which will last two days. Thousands of Buddhists are attending the prayer with wishes for peace and prosperity.

Before the prayer at Vinh Nghiem Monastery, His Holiness plans to first visit the office of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha at Thienvien Duc Quang. After the two days of prayers, His Holiness will lead other prayers at Quan Am Tu Vien Nunnery on March 30. On April 1, he will visit Thien Quang Ni Tu Nunnery in southern Binh Duong province.

His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa arrived in Hanoi on March 14 with 100 monks and nuns from the Drukpa Lineage of Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhism, which originated in India. Often seen as the emanation of Avalokiteshvara, His Holiness always send the message of “live to love”, of which he is a role model. Before arriving in Ho Chi Minh City, he led grand prayers at the Tay Thien Mandala Stupa.

To celebrate this visit to Vietnam, the Lineage’s monks created a large gemstone mandala of Avalokiteshvara from 35 different types of precious stones, gems at the Tay Thien Grand Mandala Stupa. The mandala was recognized by the Vietnam Records Association as the largest Buddhist gemstone painting, measuring nine meters on each side. 

HCMC Book Festival 2018 reaches turnover of over VND60 billion

The 10th Ho Chi Minh City Book Festival that was held at the Le Van Tam Park in District 1 on March 19-25 attracted around one million visitors, up 10 percent over the same period last year

The week-long book fair gained a turnover of over VND60 billion (US$2.6 million), increasing 20 percent in comparison with the previous festival.

This year’s event themed “Book-Culture, Integration and Development” attracted more than 900 display booths of 180 publishers and book distributors, including 40 foreign publishing houses of Japan, South Korea, the U.S., European and Southeast Asian countries.

The festival introduced to readers 350,000 titles with more than 35 million copies and offered many discounts from 20-50 percent. About 100 activities, including seminars, speeches from authors and readers, exhibitions on rare and valuable works were held during the event.

Buc Tuong rock band marks its 23rd anniversary

One of the country’s leading rock band, Buc Tuong (The Wall) will give a performance marking the 23rd anniversary of its establishment on the top floor of the Lotte Center in Hanoi at 4:20 p.m. on March 26.

The concert called Ngay tro ve (Day of return) will present to rock fans the band’s new and popular songs with the participation of MC Lai Van Sam, singers Uyen Linh, Ta Quang Thang, Tuan RC, and others.

Music lovers will have a chance to commemorate the former founder of the Wall, rocker and songwriter Tran Lap through extracts of from documentary films about him.

The performance will be broadcast live on FPT TV channel, and at the 1995 Buctuong Story café and Ha Noi University of Civil Engineering where the group was found 23 years ago.

Famous rocker and songwriter Tran Lap died in Hanoi in March 2016 after a courageous 5-month battle with cancer. He was founder of the Buc Tuong (The Wall) rock band. The team includes three members, musician Tran Lap, guitarist Tran Tuan Hung and Nguyen Hoang. The band grew up from musical movement of students and is regarded as a leading rock band in Vietnam.

Lap was author of many ballad rock songs, favored by generations of students over the past 20 years, such as Bong hong thuy tinh (The glass rose), Dung nhu hon da (Don't be like a stone), Nguoi dan ba hoa da (The woman turned into stone) and more.The most popular song, Duong toi vinh quang (Road to glory) is used as a theme song for several editions of the popular "Road to Mt. Olympia's Peak" quiz show organized by national broadcaster Vietnam Television.

Competition on building smart city based on IoT launched

The competition IoT Startup 2018 has just been launched by Saigon Hi-tech Park Incubation Center, a member of Saigon Hi-tech Park. The aim of this year’s competition is to create a smart city on an IoT foundation.

The competition focuses on aspects that Internet of Things (IoT) is widely used at the moment such as home automation or domotics, smart production, smart security, smart healthcare, urban control, smart mobile device.

The competition is divided into two groups of students (Group A) and start-up people (Group B). The organization board will receive competition papers from now until May 30, 2018. Based on professional evaluation, approved papers will then be turned into real products in accordance with the registered description.

Along with real products, projects of Group B will also have to provide a suitable business plan according to the instruction manual from the board of organization (eBook, video) and support from experts of the competition.

Any projects that can enter the final stage will have a chance to attract investors and startup funds invited by the organization board. The first position will receive a prize of VND150 million (approx. $6,580).

TV program for 4.0 Industrial Revolution launched

Vietnam Television (VTV) and Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) officially launched the television program named ‘Digital Nation’ in Hanoi on March 22. This program aims at providing Vietnamese citizens with comprehensive information on the nature and importance of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution.

According to leaders of VTV and VNPT, ‘Digital Nation’ is one of the first programs in the communication campaign to raise Vietnamese people’s awareness on the 4.0 Industrial Revolution. It should help citizens to apply new technologies into their own life, while introducing typical businesses and individuals who are successful in investing, developing, and applying new technologies.

The 4.0 Industrial Revolution has gradually happened and is speeding up cross over the world. It is a combination of different technologies in various fields of physics, digitization, and biology. The result is unprecedented abilities that are able to greatly affect not only political systems but also economic and social ones in the world.

To help the country actively grasp opportunities and devise practical solutions while minimizing negative effects of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution, on May 4, 2017, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc signed Directive No.16 on strengthening the capacity to approach the 4.0 Industrial Revolution. It states that communications should deliver precise information on this Revolution to the public and organizations.

The program is also to update the public with new policies of the Party and the government on increasing the ability to approach the 4.0 Industrial Revolution.

With a duration of 10 minutes per episode, the program is divided into two parts. The first is national and international news regarding Revolution 4.0. The second focuses on 3 major fields of the government with Revolution 4.0, businesses with Revolution 4.0, and the public with Revolution 4.0. All content will try to discuss latest issues which attract people or significantly affect them.

The program will also deliver information on new technological applications, along with guidance and trials of those products, so that viewers are able to use them successfully.

The program is scheduled to be aired at 9:10am every Saturday and Sunday on VTV1. The first episode of ‘Digital Nation’ is aired at 9:10am on March 24.

Anniversary of Youth Union marked in Russia

A ceremony to mark the 87th anniversary of the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) was held in Moscow, Russia, on March 25, by the HCMCYU’s Committee in the host country.

Secretary of the HCMCYU’s Committee in Russia, Le Anh Duy, said that there are over 50 union groups in the country with roughly 4,000 members. They have consistently engaged in collective activities and actively promoted the Vietnamese image to international friends.

Anh urged Vietnamese youths in Russia to further develop the respectable traditions and arouse the pride of the glorious tradition of the Party, the people and the union among youths.

At the ceremony, the HCMCYU’s Committee in Russia presented certificates of merit to collectives and individuals who have made outstanding achievements in the union’s activities in 2017.

The same day, Ho Chi Minh City’s Youth Union presented the Ho Hao Hon Award for its outstanding members on the occasion of the 87th anniversary of the HCMCYU. The award was named after late first Secretary of the Saigon-Gia Dinh Youth Union (now HCMC Youth Union) Ho Hao Hon.

Politburo Member Nguyen Thien Nhan, who is also Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee, presented the prize to six youth models selected from 46 submissions sent to the organising board. They include a model to install free water meters for disadvantaged households and a model on fostering the passion for scientific research among high school and college students.

Over the past 16 years, the award has been given to 44 individuals and 93 collectives. Many winning models, programmes and works by youngsters have been improved and multiplied to contribute to the improvement of the youth movement nationwide.

Can Tho specialties introduced in Hanoi

The Hanoi Promotion Agency (HPA) kicked off a week-long trade fair on March 23, to introduce farm produce and specialties from the southern province of Can Tho to local residents and enterprises.

The event has attracted the participation of 13 enterprises from Can Tho that are presenting nearly 50 types of agricultural products with the aim of boosting the distribution and consumption of local products.

The products on display all provide clear certificates of origin and are quality certified by authorised agencies in addition to having full descriptions of the products.

Deputy Director of the HPA Nguyen Thi Mai Anh said that the week-long event is a practical activity, within a series of agricultural promotion activities, with the aim of raising awareness among Hanoi consumers about safe agricultural products with clear origin certificates.

The event is also expected to help consumers to identify and have an opportunity to use typical products of Can Tho, Anh noted.

Various activities will be held during the week including seminars to introduce the Can Tho products and seek business opportunities, cooking the traditional cuisine of the southern provinces, presentations on how to identify the specialties along with promotional and discount programmes, among others.