A solemn flower and incense offering ceremony was held by the Central Military Commission under the Ministry of Defence in Hanoi on April 25 to commemorate the 100th birthday of General Van Tien Dung, an excellent commander of the country.

Van Tien Dung (or Le Hoai) was born on May 2, 1917 in Co Nhue commune, Tu Liem district, Hanoi. He took part in revolutionary activities in 1936 and was admitted to the Communist Party of Indochina in 1937. 

During his revolutionary career, Dung was entrusted to hold many important positions by the Party and people such as Secretary of the Central Military Party Committee (now Central Party Commission) and Minister of National Defence.

He was an excellent student of President Ho Chi Minh and an unyielding communist who was absolutely loyal to the Party and people as well as devoted his whole life to the ideal of the Party and Vietnamese revolution.  The talented general had made significant contributions to the country’s military science.

Writing in the memorial book, Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich, who is also Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission, highlighted that General Van Tien Dung’s substantial contributions to the struggle against French colonialism and US imperialism for national liberation as well as to developing Vietnamese military art and building stronger armed forces. 

Following Dung’s example, officers and soldiers of the People’ Army of Vietnam will exert every effort to build a regular, elite and modern army, thus firmly safeguarding the national sovereignty, Lich penned.

Photo exhibition on 1975 victory opens in Can Tho

A photo exhibition entitled “The Great Spring Victory 1975 in Mekong Delta” opened in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on April 25.

This is part of activities to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the liberation of southern Vietnam and national reunification, the 131st May Day and the 127th birth anniversary of late President Ho Chi Minh.

The show features more than 120 photos that captured the historic moments of the country and introduced economic and social activities in the region after the liberation.

On the occasion, a thematic display of farming equipment used in the Mekong Delta during the resistance war is also going on, with over 250 items and photos.

Visitors will have a chance to enjoy the re-enactment of rice production process of Mekong Delta farmers.

The event runs until August 15.

Hanoi to host kite festival at LeParc by Gamuda

Kite makers from different parts of Vietnam will take part in a Hanoi kite festival titled ‘Hi Summer at Gamuda City’ scheduled for April 30-May 1 in LeParc by Gamuda.

The craftsmen will demonstrate their kite-making, kite decoration and kite flying skills. Visitors will have an opportunity to watch the performance of 70 colourful kites.

Highlight of the event is Rokkaku, the traditional six-sided Japanese fighter kite.

Diverse activities will be held during the event including folk games, airplane demo, henna painting and trade fairs.

The event is co-organised by Gamuda Land Vietnam and the Vietnamese Kite Cultural Heritage Conservation Centre.

Hungary supports construction of hospital in Can Tho

Tombor Balint, Political Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, had a working session with leaders of Can Tho on April 24 to review a joint project on building a new oncology hospital in the Mekong Delta city.

The 500-bed facility is set to be built at a cost of 70.57 million EUR, of which 56.99 million EUR comes from the Hungarian Government’s official development assistance and the rest from the municipal budget.

It has been designed as a hospital hotel, which is expected to meet local demand for affordable prices and become a top oncology research and education centre in Vietnam.

At the meeting, Vo Thanh Thong, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee, said the construction of the hospital covers 12 sub-projects.

According to the local Health Department, four sub-projects on arranging contractors for design, equipment supply, building and consulting have so far been finished.

Can Tho will select contractors for most of the remaining work between April 20 and June 30, with a quality assessment consultant set to be chosen within the first quarter of 2018.  

Tombor Balint praised efforts made by the city to accelerate construction and stressed the need to put the hospital into operation on schedule.

He asked the city change the project’s launching ceremony to early June from late May as scheduled so that a Hungarian official can attend the event.

The Can Tho side agreed to the request.

Vietnam's labor ministry still dithering over raising retirement age

The retirement age in Vietnam, currently 60 for men and 55 for women, may be gradually raised to 62 and 60 respectively, the labor ministry said in a new proposal.

It suggested a step-by-step approach by adding six months to the current retirement age every year starting from 2021.

The proposal has been submitted for public feedback over the next two months.

The labor ministry compiled its first suggestions on the issue in December last year, when it said the government should either keep the retirement age at 60 for men and 55 for women as currently, or lift it to 62 for men and 58 for women.

People with limited work capacity and those who do physically demanding and dangerous jobs may retire earlier than suggested, while those with professional qualifications and management skills may retire at a later age, provided that it does not exceed the suggested age by more than five years, the ministry said in the latest proposal.

Vietnam reached a turning point in 2015 when it started to become one of the countries with the fastest aging populations in the world, the ministry said in a report in March last year.

The number of Vietnamese who are over 65 will rise from 6.3 million now to 18 million by 2040, accounting for more than 18% of the population and transforming Vietnam from a young society into an old one, the report quoted the UN a saying.

If the current retirement age remains unchanged, the country’s social insurance fund may fall short by 2020 and would be exhausted by 2037, the Vietnam Social Insurance predicted.

According to the United Nations Development Program, if Vietnam fails to create jobs, develop social security and improve quality of life before the working age population peaks, it will risk instability in the future, including a lack of workers and an increased need for health care for the elderly.

In the near term, the UNDP suggests Vietnam should boost productivity by raising the mandatory retirement age, which means there will be more working seniors in the future.

Asia-Pacific countries are home to more than half of the world's 60+ year-olds, numbering up to 533 million people, said Lubna Baqi, the deputy director for the Asia and the Pacific Regional Office of the UN Population Fund.

The number of older people in the region is expected to jump to nearly 2.5 billion by 2050, representing two thirds of the world’s population aged over 60.

Asia's population is aging faster than anywhere esle in the world, said a study, warning the swelling ranks of the elderly will cost the region US$20 trillion in healthcare by 2030.

Nearly 30% of communes recognised as new rural areas

2,656 or 29.76% of total communes throughout Vietnam have been certified to meet criteria of a new rural area, up 3.3% compared with the end of 2016.

The information was revealed at a meeting of the Steering Committee for National Target Programmes chaired by Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue, on April 24.

The country currently has 190 communes that have met less than five out of 19 sets of criteria to be recognised as new rural areas, a drop of 67 communes compared with last year.

The government has also recognised 33 new-style rural district-level administrative units.

This year, an estimated VND222.951 trillion (US$9.8 billion) will be mobilised for the national programme to build new rural areas, of which 3.2% will come from the central budget.

The government will also earmark VND7.231 trillion (US$318 million) for the sustainable poverty reduction programme.

However the allocation and disbursement of central funds for these two programmes remain slow.

As such, Deputy PM Hue urged the Ministry of Planning and Investment to work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs to complete the fund allocation in April.

HCM City’s underground construction demand surging without plan

HCMC has been in the quickly increasing demand of underground land use to implement metro lines, construction and technical infrastructure works but yet to draw up an underground space plan to create a basic for development and management of such kind of works.

Beside under construction metro route Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien, the city plans to build seven others comprising Tay Bac Cu Chi-Thu Thiem, Ben Thanh-Tan Kien, Cong Hoa crossroads-Hiep Binh Phuoc, Thanh Xuan-Hiep Phuoc, Gia Dinh Park-Lang Cha Ca, Ba Queo-Phu Lam roundabout, Can Giuoc coach station in Long An-Sai Gon Bridge.

Existing downtown area covering 930 hectares will have seven underground parking lots and many buildings developed with multi basement levels over 11 hectares, reported the city Department of Architecture and Planning.

In addition, the city has headed toward building technical infrastructure works underground. Recently, Saigon Water Corporation has asked for the city’s permission of a policy on water supply plan change. 

According to the company’s representative, HCMC’s water supply pipe system has run downgraded with many sections being buried shallowly beneath the ground or uncovered. That does not ensure safety and quality of the water supply system amid currently dense construction ratio and overloaded traffic infrastructure.

Water supply and telecom networks had been installed 20-30 meters underground in most countries in the world, the representative said.

If the city approves, Sawaco will change the plan, hire foreign consultant companies to build a water supply system restructuring project comprising installation of underground pipes. Still the representative expressed concern about the pipe construction as the city has not had an underground space plan.

The shortage of information about works which have been or to be built underground will raise difficulties in planning the pipe system as well as connecting them with current and future works.

Deputy chairman of Vietnam Tunneling Association Nguyen Duc Toan said that using underground space helps create large, safe, quick and environmentally friendly public transport systems in urban areas.

Moderate temperatures in underground space, separated from all climate types, help save energy and preserve many types of products. Soil cover helps prevent noise transmission in the air while the earth’s crust can absorb shakings and energy explosions. Therefore, if explosions, atomic radiations and industrial incidents occur, underground works will be valuable shelters.

However relevant sides should understand the nature of the potential land fund to efficiently use it, he added.

Sharing the same view, deputy head of the General Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam Do Van Linh said that underground construction has large influence on above the ground works’ quality. In fact, many work accidents have occurred for a shortage of geological parameter calculations.

HCMC’s geology is a matter in need of careful calculation, he noticed. Only some areas such as Districts 1, 3 and 10 have relatively stable terrain. It is weak in the remaining districts comprising Binh Chanh, Hoc Mon and Nha Be, posing high subsidence possibility for works built in these areas.

According to him, HCMC locates in level 6-7 earthquake zone with 5.5 magnitude quakes in the seismic zoning map of Vietnam. The highest macroseismic intensity reaches level 7 in scale MSK-64 in the area. 

Therefore, the city needs to build an underground space plan basing on surveys and estimations of hydrographical and geological conditions.

The plan will be a basic for licensing and managing construction works under the ground. At present, investors must drill to take samples and conduct costly surveys. Still, they have still been unable to estimate all impacts because of just studying the area where they will implement projects and having yet to calculate interactions with surrounding areas, Mr. Linh said.

Insurance company pays for insured patients with Lupus

The Vietnam Social Insurance Company has sent its document to its sub-division in Ho Chi Minh City asking to continue paying for the medications for people with Lupus.

Following the complaints of patients about payment of two drugs oral Mycophenolate and injection Tacrolimus in some infirmaries in HCMC, the Vietnam Social Insurance Company ordered its city branch to pay for the medication to protect insured patients’ rights. 

In addition, the Company asked medical clinics nationwide to report unique drugs which are necessary in treating under doctors’ prescription which not yet approved by the Ministry of Health.

As per the Ministry of Health’s circular on November 17, 2014, insurance company will pay for 845 active elements; 1,064 medicines 57 radioactive drugs without Mycophenolate and Tacrolimus. The circular took effect on January 1, 2015.

However, in the end of 2016, the Vietnam Insurance Company sent its document to the Ministry proposing to expand more medications for payment.

Tho Chau cruise ship to put into operation on April 30

Vice President of Transport Department of Kien Giang Le Viet Bac yesterday said that Tho Chau cruise ship will be put into the operation on April 30.

The ship receives 160 passengers travelling from Phu Quoc to Tho Chau Islands. The travelling time for the route is three hours

It has length of 36.5 meters and 6 meters in width with a power of 1,082 kilowatts.

Pham Minh Tuan wins National Tennis Championship 2017

Vietnam Tennis Federation said that tennis player of Da Nang Pham Minh Tuan defeated Nguyen Van Phuong (Binh Duong) in the men’s U18 single finals to crown this year’s National Tennis Championship.

Minh Tuan has owned the title for three years in a row .

Ly Hoang Nam and Nguyen Hoang Thien did not participate in the event due to trauma.

88 year old woman placed stent after infarction

Doctors of Xuyen A Hospital in Ho Chi Minh has placed a coronary stent to save an 88 year old woman from heart attack.
 
The woman in Cu Chi District suffered myocardial infarction threatening to her life. She was taken to the hospital when she was fatigue with ongoing acute chest pain and breathing problems. Doctors diagnosed that she had acute myocardial infarction. 

Though she was treated with drug, she still had chest pain and breathing problems. 

Accordingly, she needs an operation,doctors concluded. Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) showed that her left coronary artery is almost blocked while her right is totally blocked.

Surgeons were quickly performed on the woman to place a stent. A tube-shaped device was placed in the coronary arteries that helps supply blood to the heart and keep the arteries open in the treatment of coronary heart disease.

Doctors said the operation was conducted successfully. 

An exhibition marking the 100th birth anniversary of late General Van Tien Dung (May 2) opened at the Vietnam Military History Museum in Hanoi on April 24.

The exhibition presents to viewers valuable photographs and documents on the General’s revolutionary life and daily activities, especially the determined map of the Ho Chi Minh campaign that is recognized as the National Treasure, the Combined Campaign Plan for Ho Chi Minh campaign.

The display aims to pay tribute to the late General who made outstanding contributions in the struggle for national liberation and the cause of building and protecting the nation.

General Van Tien Dung was born in Hanoi’s Tu Liem District in 1917. He early joined in the revolutionary movement.

The General took several important roles, including Minister of National Defense from 1980-1986; Secretary of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

He was commander of the Ho Chi Minh campaign and conducted directly the Central Highlands battlefield in 1975.

9,000 malware-laden servers identified in Southeast Asia

Nearly 9,000 malware-laden servers and hundreds of compromised websites in the ASEAN region were identified by Interpol and investigators from seven Southeast Asian nations, said Interpol on April 24.

The joint anti-cybercrime operation showed various types of malware, such as those targeting financial institutions, spreading ransomeware, launching Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and distributing spam were among threats posed by the infected servers.

The operation also discovered nearly 270 websites infected with a malware code, including several government websites that may have contained citizens’ personal data.

Interpol said the operation was participated by experts from seven private firms, while China provided some cyber intelligence.

It was carried out after Singapore’s Ministry of Defence was attacked by hackers this year, causing personal details of 850 national servicemen and staff being stolen. The ministry described it as a “targeted and carefully planned” attack. 

Most of Vietnam-Germany University graduates find jobs

About 90 percent of graduates from the Vietnam- Germany University (VGU) have found jobs, while 40 percent of its graduates and postgraduates were offered scholarships by the university, enterprises and other organisations, said VGU Principal Ha Thuc Vien.

Found in 2008, the public university is designed to meet German standards in terms of management and higher education.

The VGU offers Bachelor and Master training programmes selected from German universities which have sent groups of experienced professors and experts to give lectures at the university.

Students at the VGU are provided with opportunities to study in Germany for one semester, join in research programmes in Germany or do internships in German companies in Vietnam.

In 2017, the university will hold two entrance exams in May and July for the specialities of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Finance and Accounting, and Business Administration. About 1,300 students are currently studying at the VGU.

Vietnam is now home to around 300 German enterprises with long-term investment and use of advanced technologies. These enterprises and a large number of other corporations in Vietnam are looking for local high-quality human resources.

Bình Dương starts operating second wastewater treatment plant

The southern province of Bình Dương on Friday put into operation a wastewater treatment plant in Thuận An Town, the second of its kind in the province.

Trần Thanh Liêm, deputy chairman of the People’s Committee, said that with a capacity of 17,000cu.m per day in the first phase, the plant would collect and treat wastewater for 40,000 households, which will help ensure the community lives in healthier conditions as well as contribute to realising the national environment protection strategy.

Households near Ba Bò canal will benefit greatly from the project. Currently, it is one of the most polluted canals as wastewater from the households flows into it. The plant will reduce the canal’s pollution level.

The plant’s capacity is expected to double in the second phase.

A part of the Nam Bình Dương water environment improvement project, the plant’s total investment comes to nearly VNĐ2.5 trillion (US$110 million). Around 85 per cent of this amount comes from Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) source, and the rest is from the local budget.

Earlier, the province launched its first wastewater treatment plant in Thủ Dầu Một Town, which has a capacity of 17,650cu.m per day. The plant was built at the cost of VNĐ2 trillion.

PM: Tra Vinh expected to become new trading centre

With its fertile soil and great development potential, Tra Vinh province is expected to become a new centre for trading, aquatic product processing and high-value agriculture of the southern region and the whole country in the near future, said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

PM Phuc made the remarks while addressing a conference promoting investment, trade and tourism in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh on April 24, which saw the participation of central and local officials, along with representatives of hundreds of Vietnamese and foreign businesses.

He said that this prospect is achievable since Tra Vinh owns synchronous infrastructure, including National Highways 53, 54 and 60, and a big seaport capable of handling 20 million tonnes of cargo each year and receiving container vessels of up to 50,000 DWT.

Tra Vinh is located between the Tien and Hau Rivers, the two main branches of the Mekong River, which is convenient for connecting with other south-western provinces, Ho Chi Minh City and other countries, PM Phuc noted.

While there are certain advantages such as a long coast to develop wind and solar power, the local climate is also ideal for growing rice, coconut trees, sugar canes, peanut trees and fruit trees to provide materials for the processing industry.

The Government leader asked Tra Vinh to take breakthrough solutions and zone off industrial parks so that the industrial sector could serve agriculture and aquatic product processing while attracting investment in renewable energy development.

The province should help investors to gain a thorough understanding of local advantages, as well as cultural, historical and religious features, thereby capitalising on its agricultural, sea-based economic and tourism potential, he added.

The Government and provincial authorities want to listen to investors’ opinions so as to tackle obstacles hindering their operations, the PM stressed.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dong Van Lam said the province is offering a number of incentives for investors and will assist businesses during their operations here.

Tra Vinh has attracted 161 investment projects, including 32 foreign direct investment (FDI) ones. Twenty-two of the FDI projects have been put in operation, contributing 60 percent to Tra Vinh’s export revenues and providing jobs for more than 35,000 workers, he noted.

At the meeting, the provincial People’s Committee presented investment certificates and decisions to five Vietnamese enterprises and one foreign firm whose projects are worth 240.5 million USD in total.

Waste-to-energy project begins operations in Hanoi

Residents of Hanoi are now utilizing power generated from their own trash, thanks to a landfill waste-to-energy joint venture between the city and NEDO, one of the largest public research and development management organizations in Japan.

In the process, methane gas is captured from the city landfill at the Nam Son Waste Treatment Complex by a series of collection wells and then sent through a recovery system which cleans the gas and eliminates harmful emissions.

The methane gas is then used to power industrial and steam applications or generate electricity. The landfill gas captured is utilized by one engine that generates a capacity of 1.6 megawatts, enough electricity to power 1,600 homes.

This is the first project of its type in Vietnam, although such landfill gas-to-energy projects are commonplace around the globe.

The city of Hanoi invested US$28 million to help pay for the construction costs of the facility, raising much of the money through preferential loans from the Japan government with the balance paid for out of the City general fund.

Vietnamese woman cycles across Vietnam to collect litter

A Vietnamese woman has spent 69 days cycling from north to south so as to collect rubbish as a way to spread environmental awareness.

Bui Thi Thuy, 29, from the northern province of Nam Dinh, has traveled to 24 localities from Hanoi to the southernmost province of Ca Mau on her bicycle to help protect the environment.

During her one- or two-day stay in each province and city, Thuy joined local authorities and voluntary groups in collecting trash.

She also arrived at local schools, collaborating with the school boards in encouraging their students to pick up garbage from the campus.

After 69 days of relentless traveling, Thuy managed to collect some 240 bags of rubbish.

With local youths’ help, Thuy was able to pick about 10 bags of litter in each locality.

“All the collected waste was brought to the right places, while objects such as bottles were sold for recycling,” Thuy said.

More often than not, the woman spent two hours collecting garbage along the banks of rivers or lakes, in downtown areas, and around school campuses, where people tend to litter.

She is the founder of the Book Ambassadors Club, whose members often partake in campaigns to save the environment and call for others to join in their efforts.

They are appealing for the construction of a garbage treatment plant using clean energy as well as inspiring others to recycle.

Thuy has worked all kinds of jobs, from selling bread, books, and flowers to running a clothing store, in order to fund the social activities carried out by her club.

Her trash collection project is run with her savings from working as a part-time assistant for a relative’s company, along with contributions from other members of the Book Ambassadors Club.

Thuy also received unconditional support from local residents in the form of accommodation and meals during her stay.

The woman bought books and confectionery for needy young students wherever she traveled to.

She has therefore won love and admiration from those around her.

“Some students texted to thank me for bringing my project to their hometowns, a motivation for me to keep going forward,” Thuy recounted.

Several schools have also turned Thuy’s project into a regular activity to raise their students’ environmental awareness.

Thuy even met a young Russian man named Johnny, who wished to accompany her to some destinations of her journey.

The Vietnamese conservationist is planning to expand her effort to other countries, saying that she would conduct the activity during her upcoming trip to India.

Protestant dignitaries get instructions on religious activities

About 200 Protestant dignitaries in the southern province of Binh Phuoc are receiving instructions on religious activities in line with legal regulations at a meeting in Dong Xoai township.

The conference from April 24-26 is held by the Government Committee for Religious Affairs and the provincial Department of Home Affairs.

Participants were updated with an overview of the Protestantism in Vietnam, the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and regulations relating to this religion, instructions on the practice of the Protestantism in line with legal regulations, and external relations of Protestant organisations, followers and dignitaries.

The conference highlighted that the Law on Belief and Religion, which will come into force on January 1, 2018, includes many new regulations compared to the previous ordinance on belief and religion.

The new law addresses shortcomings in existing regulations, aiming to better protect the freedom of belief and religion.

Giving instructions on religious activities is critical to helping Protestant dignitaries thoroughly grasp relevant legal regulations and encourage followers to practice the Protestantism in accordance with law.

There are 33 Protestant sects in Binh Phuoc province at present. Nine of the sects were recoginised by the State while 75 dignitaries and 46 chapters are members of the Evangelical Church of Vietnam (South).

Hoang Sa, Truong Sa exhibitions held in Nghe An, An Giang

Historical and legal proofs affirming Vietnam’s ownership of Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos are being showcased at an exhibition that opened in Thanh Chuong district, the central province of Nghe An on April 25.

On display are 150 maps, documents and publications which were discovered and collected by both international and domestic researchers and scholars.

They include copies of documents written in Han (classical Chinese), Nom (Vietnamese ideographic script), Vietnamese and French, which were issued by the Vietnamese feudal dynasties and French administration in Indochina from the 17th century to the early 20th century.

Especially, the exhibition features official documents of the Nguyen dynasty (1802-1945) recording Vietnam’s constant process of establishing, exercising and safeguarding sovereignty over the two archipelagos. Meanwhile, various versions of administrative documents issued between 1954-1975 highlighting the exercise and safeguarding of the archipelagos are also exhibited.

The two-day event also introduces a line-up of relevant documents and publications by some western countries in the 18th and 19th centuries, certifying that Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos belong to Vietnam. Especially, the exhibits include four atlases published by the Chinese governments through historical periods, defining Hainan island as China’s southernmost point.

The exhibition aims to raise public awareness, spirit of solidarity and responsibility of Vietnamese people, especially expats and young generations, in protecting and affirming the national sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa islands.

Also on April 25, a similar exhibition took place in Oc Eo town, Thoai Son district, the Mekong Delta province o An Giang.

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