VND28 bil scholarships given to freshmen

On the occasion of the new school year and the 9th anniversary, the Economic- Finance University in Ho Chi Minh City gave scholarships totally worth  VND28 billion (US$1,255,520) to freshmen.

At the ceremony of the new school year opening, the school gave 998 scholarships to freshmen who had good performance on entrance exam scores of entering university. In the first year, 38 students will receive full scholarships each worth VND60 million (US$2,692), 381 students will receive half scholarships each worth VND30 million and 580 will receive one-fourth scholarships each worth VND15 million.

In addition, the school also gave 24 scholarships for gifted students in the school totally worth VND240 million as well as many other scholarships for students who are active in communist activities and scholarships for clubs.

Total value of scholarships is nearly VND23 billion (US$1,030,998)

Additionally, the school provided 618 scholarships to learn English each worth VND6 million aiming to help students perfect their foreign language skills. Total is worth VND3.7 billion.

Especially, 28 enterprises also granted scholarships of cash and items worth over VND1 billion to UEF scholarship fund to help talented but poor students.

On the occasion, the school was granted a certificate of merit for partaking in security movement by the city police.

VCCI honoured for vocational cooperation with Norway

The Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) has been honoured with the Golden World Award 2016 for its work with the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprises (NHO) in developing a new vocational training model in Vietnam. 

Since partnering up in 2004, NHO has assisted VCCI in raising businesses’ awareness of labour-related issues, including collective negotiations, social dialogue and human resource management. 

In 2010, the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of VCCI and NHO launched the model, with businesses giving lectures, providing curricula and receiving trainees for apprenticeships. 

Upon graduation, trainees can easily find jobs while firms save on training costs. 

The project, underway in Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, also established a quality consulting board with officials from the municipal Departments of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, professional associations and VCCI’s Ho Chi Minh City chapter. 

It is expected to spread to more localities in the future. 

Speaking at the award ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Norway Le Thi Tuyet Mai asked NHO to continue working with VCCI and Vietnamese agencies to improve vocational training quality. 

The Golden World Award 2016 was presented to VCCI at the 13 th International Education Business Partnership Conference in Oslo, Norway in mid-September.

Companion Fund marks 15 years supporting Vietnamese students

The Paris-based Companion Fund has presented 3,124 scholarships worth a total 260,000 EUR to students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Vietnamese universities during 15 years of operation, it was reported at the fund’s founding anniversary in Paris on September 24. 

The fund was established in July 2001 by a group of Vietnamese students at the Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, who wanted to support their less fortunate peers back home. The fund’s first activity, a fundraising campaign themed “The right to dream” was successful beyond expectations, presenting scholarships to 17 students in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Fifteen years later, the fund now has a network of 100 members and volunteers operating in France, Singapore and Taiwan. It also maintains ties with many lecturers and officials at universities in Vietnam. 

The current President of the fund, Pham Thanh Trung said besides Vietnamese students and former students in countries and territory where the fund operates, the overseas Vietnamese community and many French organisations and individuals also donate to the fund.

Prof. Odon Vallet from the Sorbonne University, who himself runs the Odon Vallet scholarship fund, commended the Companion Fund for its fair selection of scholarship recipients. The professor also donates to the fund.

“Vietnam Day 2016” held successfully in New Zealand

Vietnam Day 2016, themed “Journey to the Motherland” was held on September 24 in Wellington, New Zealand, to celebrate the 71 st anniversary of Vietnam’s Independence Day. 

The annual event, held by the Vietnamese Embassy in New Zealand and Vietnamese Students’ Association in Wellington (VSAW), allows the Vietnamese community in Wellington to reunite and introduce Vietnamese traditions to New Zealanders. 

Speaking at the event, Nguyen Viet Dung, Vietnam’s Ambassador to New Zealand, said the event strengthens mutual understanding and creates cooperation opportunities for both countries. 

He lauded the efforts of VSAW in organising the event and hoped it would contribute to boosting people – to – people exchange between the two nations’ relationship. 

Attendees enjoyed performances and traditional Vietnamese foods.

117 inhabitants in southern province infected with A/H1N1

117 workers of a company  in  Mekong delta province of Kien Giang are confirmed positive for influenza A/H1N1, said  Deputy director of the province Preventive Medicine Nguyen Van Quy on Saturday.

The test of samples from the workers of Vinatex Garment and Textile Company  was conducted by Pasteur institute in Ho Chi Minh City

From September 20 to 22, 117 workers of the company had fever, cough, running nose and sore throat; 34 of them were hospitalized in the district general infirmary.

Medical center in Go Quao District carried out preventive measures including increasing information of the disease and calming down workers as well as carrying out preventive measures in the company.

Currently, the infirmary has set up a special ward to isolate patients and guided relatives of patients to conduct safety measures when they take of patients.

The company has around 1,000 workers who receive regular medical check-up twice a year. The medical center warned the  company to carry out preventive measures against the influenza including wearing masks, keep personal hygiene  and report on fresh infection cases, disinfect the factory, kitchen and rest room.

Vietnam takes more samples for testing Zika

The Ministry of Health yesterday sent its document to directors of departments of health nationwide and institutes of epidemiology over the prevention mission of Zika (Zee-ka) virus disease-a mosquito-borne viral infection.

As per the document, the Ministry urged to strengthen monitoring disease cases and take more samples from clinical facilities even private rooms.  All samples should be sent to institutes of epidemiology and Pasteur institute for testing.

Pregnant women should be screened is they are suspected to have Zika virus and medical workers will provide them consultation.

Local authorities should launch campaign to kill mosquito and its larva to prevent the disease and dengue. Moreover, local administrations should increase information of the disease to residents to raise people’s awareness so that they actively adopt measures against the disease. In addition, spraying chemicals to kill mosquito in residential blocks is needed as per the Ministry’s guideance.

Foreign arrivals to Vietnam up 25.7% in nine months

Foreign arrivals to Vietnam reached 813,007 in September, bringing the total foreign travelers during the first nine months to 7,265,380 up 25.7% against last year’s corresponding period, reports the General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO).

foreign arrivals to vietnam up 25.7% in nine months hinh 0 Of the figure, 670,015 foreigners travelled by air, 12,382 by sea and 130,610 by road.

Markets posting the growth in the nine-month period included Hong Kong (79%), China (57.7%), the Republic of Korea (39.9%), Thailand (34.1%), New Zealand (31.7%), Italy (31.1%), Spain (27.9%), Russia (26.5%), the Netherland (24.4%) and Sweden (23.8%).

During the same period, the numbers of domestic tourists hit 48.8 million, getting US$12 million in total revenue.

Deputy PM inspects fight against corruption in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1

A working delegation led by head Politburo member, Deputy Head of the Central Steering Committee for Corruption Prevention and Control Truong Hoa Binh held a working session with the Party Committee of district 1, Ho Chi Minh City on September 25 to inspect the investigation and prosecution of corruption and economic cases of public concern.

Speaking at the session, Deputy PM Binh said the inspection aims to affirm the Party’s strong determination in the fight against corruption in line with the Resolution adopted by the 12th National Party Congress, thereby spreading effective models and seeking measures to improve the efficiency of uncovering and dealing with corruption.

The Deputy PM hailed District 1 as one of the city's leading districts in the field with many effective anti-corruption programmes.

He also reminded District 1 to pay more attention to administrative reform, improving legal documents, strictly handling violations and increasing officials’ awareness and capacity.

Deputy PM Binh also urged the district to enhance the roles and responsibilities of local executive committees, authorities and leaders, while soliciting the active participation of the community in curbing corruption.

Ho Chi Minh City urged to create breakthrough for rapid and sustainable development

Ho Chi Minh City’s Party Committee and its sub-bodies should bring into force regulations and action programmes it has set out, along with resolutions from the Central Party Committee, to make breakthroughs for the City’s rapid and sustainable development.

Politburo member and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Dinh La Thang made the requirement while chairing the seventh meeting of the 10th Ho Chi Minh City municipal Party Committee’s Central Board from September 24-25.

The session heard the municipal Party Committee’s Standing Board present submissions on seven programmes of action to implement the Resolution of the municipal Party Committee’s tenth Congress and working regulations of the Central Board of the municipal Party Committee and of its Inspection Commission.

Delegates at the gathering spent time discussing in-depth analysis solutions to effectively implement the municipal Party Committee’s seven action programmes.

Participants noted that Ho Chi Minh City has achieved positive results in human resource development for its key services and industries, building human resources for the political system and business management and administrative reform progress, while growth quality and competitiveness have been raised.

They also pointed out constraints that need to be overcome in several socio-economic areas.

Addressing the event, Politburo member Thang said that working regulations that were well promulgated and implemented would help promote democracy in the activities of the City’s Party Committee, maintain Party discipline, ensure the principles of democratic centralism and improve the Party leadership, as well as promote the active role of social organisations in the political system, strengthen solidarity within the Party and innovate methods of Party leadership.

Secretary Thang stressed that seven proposed programmes have met the requirements of the City’s development, integration and improvement of the local people’s lives, while matching general policies of the Central Party Committee and the 12th Party National Congress’s Resolution.

He also urged thorough implementation of such programmes in the coming period for the City’s rapid and sustainable development.

Vietnam Air Force cedes land to choked airports

The government approves plans to remove three air force units from major airports ceding runway space to commercial carriers.

vietnam air force cedes land to choked airports hinh 0 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed off on plans to remove three air force units from airports in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang City ceding much-needed runway space to commercial carriers.

The military has occupied and conducted training in portions of the country's main airports since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Overloading, particularly at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, moved the city to pursue land occupied by the Ministry of National Defense.

On Friday, Major General Hoang Viet Quang, the vice director of the Defense Ministry’s Department of Operations, said the country's biggest airport would soon have room to grow.

Air Force Regiment 917 moved from Tan Son Nhat to Bien Hoa Airport in the bordering province of Dong Nai in March. The regiment will again relocate to the new airport underway in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho when it opens in the second quarter of next year.

Vietnam is working to expand Tan Son Nhat to receive more than twice the passengers in the next 10 years as a rapid growth in traffic strains its overloaded facilities.

The city government is working to coordinate with the ministries of transport, defense and natural resources to expand Tan Son Nhat's cramped 21-hectare (52-acre) operation eastward into land vacated by the air force.

Major General Quang says the Ministry of Transport would assume control of the extra land by October.

The new 850-hectare (2,100-acre) Tan Son Nhat should be able to accommodate 50 million passengers, annually, by 2025—at present, it's designed for just 20 million.

The extra land can't come soon enough.

The airport saw over 26.5 million passengers last year, a figure that's expected to increase to around 31 million this year.

Meanwhile, in Hanoi, Air Force Regiment 921 will leave Noi Bai International Airport for a new base in the northern province of Yen Bai. Work on Yen Bai Airport began in July and is scheduled to finish in the second quarter of 2018.

Meanwhile, Air Force Regiment 929 will leave Da Nang International Airport for Chu Lai Airport in the central province of Quang Nam. The new facilities should come into operation in the third quarter of 2019, if everything goes according to plan.

Vietnam's aviation market has boomed in recent years. An average of 650-750 flights come and go every day from airports addled by regular delays and cancellations.

US author presents statue to legendary Vietnamese spy’s family

A US author has presented a life-size statue of legendary Vietnamese spy Pham Xuan An to his family.

Professor Larry Berman is the author of ‘Perfect Spy,’ a book on Vietnam’s famous wartime spy Pham Xuan An, which was translated into Vietnamese and published here in 2007.

The U.S. writer has offered An’s family a life-size, fiberglass statue of the Vietnamese spy, and wholeheartedly supported the production of a series of movies based on his life.

The statue has been created by artist Lam Quang Noi, the creator of President Ho Chi Minh’s statue on the Nguyen Hue walking street in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to a representative of Vietnam’s publishing house First News, professor Berman would like to give the gift to An’s wife and children in commemoration of the ten-year anniversary of An’s death.

Pham Xuan An, also known by ‘X6’, ‘Hai Trung’ or ‘Tran Van Trung’, was born in 1927 and was a Vietnamese journalist and correspondent for Time magazine, Reuters and the New York Herald Tribune, stationed in Saigon during the war in Vietnam, while at the same time spying for North Vietnam.

An lived this dangerous double life for more than twenty years.

The famed spy passed away on September 20, 2006.

UK Ambassador joins int’l marathon in Sapa

UK Ambassador to Vietnam Giles Lever got the fourth place in the 70 km event of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon which concluded in Sapa, the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai on September 25.

He finished the 70km race after running through numerous mountainous and hilly roads and beautiful valleys in one of the most beautiful mountain regions of Vietnam. 

This is the second time the UK diplomat has participated in such an event. In 2015, he joined a 42-km marathon.

This year’s marathon attracted more than 1,500 runners to compete in different distances - 10km, 21km, 42km, 70km and 100km.

Over 40 guests down with food poisoning after wedding

Over 40 guests have been struck with suspected food poisoning after attending a wedding reception at Đại Thắng Commune in northern Nam Định Province’s Vụ Bản District yesterday.

The guests complained of stomach ache, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness and high fever.

The province’s Health Department has asked local hospitals to conduct treatment for all victims and told health officials to take food samples for testing.

After receiving initial examination at the local hospital, 15 guests were sent to Nam Định Province’s General Hospital for further treatment.

Phan Đình Phổ, head of the hospital’s Infectious Diseases Faculty, confirmed that 15 guests were hospitalised after attending the wedding, with some serious cases, including a pregnant woman.

All the patients are in stable condition after receiving intensive treatment, he said.

Hundreds of people were reported to have attended the wedding reception.

The incident is being investigated.

Japan project offers housing, services for workers

Japan’s Fuji Engineering Co., Ltd commenced a project to build houses for rent and provide services for experts and workers at Japanese enterprises in the Dong Van I Industrial Zone in the northern province of Ha Nam. 

The project has a total investment of more than 10 million USD and covers an area of 12,000 sq.m.

Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony, Masakazu Yasuhara, the company’s General Director, said the project will not only meet housing demand of Japanese investors but also help create a favourable investment environment in Ha Nam. 

Nguyen Xuan Dong, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee said the project will contribute to improving the investment environment in Ha Nam as well as boosting the province’s socio-economic development.

He urged the management board of industrial parks in the province to create the best conditions for the investor to implement the project.

President urges reform of trade union activities

President Tran Dai Quang urged the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) to reform trade union activities at his working session with the confederation in Hanoi on September 24. 

Speaking at the event, the President emphasized that as the country’s international integration gains speed, the implementation of commitments to the ASEAN Community, the World Trade Organisation and new-generation free trade agreements will make many impacts on various aspects, including on workers and trade union organisations. 

As such, the VGCL and its chapters must renew their operations and diversify activities to gather workers, the President said, adding that attention should be paid to establishing trade unions at non-State enterprises. 

Trade union organisations must work harder to fulfil their roles of representing and protecting legitimate rights and interests of unionists and workers, as well as actively joining in the negotiation and signing of collective labour agreements and settlement of labour disputes. 

He also listened to a report detailing key tasks between now and the VGCL’s 12 th Congress in 2018, trade unions’ recommendations on building trade union institutions at industrial and processing zones, among others. 

The VGCL reported that it currently has 123,326 trade unions at the grassroots level and 9.2 million trade union members. 

Trade unions across the country have so far signed more than 26,100 collective labour agreements, accounting for 75.72 percent of firms having trade unions. 

On the occasion, VGCL and partners signed agreements on care for workers and trade unionists.

Hanoi responds to World Rabies Day

A meeting was held in Hanoi’s outskirts district of Ba Vi on September 24 in response to World Rabies Day (September 28).

Addressing the event, Deputy Director of the municipal Health Department Nguyen Van Dung said rabies may increase due to low public awareness of the disease.

He called on all-level Party Committees and authorities and the whole community to join hands in the combat.

The capital city reported five deaths caused by rabies in 2014, one in 2015 and two in the first six months of this year in Hoai Duc and Ba Vi districts. All of them were not vaccinated or vaccinated late.

Rabies remains a major concern worldwide, killing more than 55,000 people every year.

Launched in 2007, World Rabies Day presents an opportune occasion to remind everyone of the impact of the rabies virus on wildlife, domestic animals and humans, as well as the importance of being cognizant of the dangers.

Since the beginning of this year, rabies has claimed 49 lives in Vietnam, higher than that of the same period last year.

Vietnam is striving to become one of the leading ASEAN countries in completely eliminating rabies by 2020.-

Vietnam police save 3 Cambodians from human traffickers

They found the women as they were about to be sold to China across the border.

Police in northern Vietnam have rescued three Cambodian women from being trafficked to China, in response to help request from their government.

Police near Mong Cai border gate in Quang Ninh Province carried out a raid earlier this month after receiving a request from the Cambodian embassy in Hanoi.

They found the women in a guest house with Le Thi Van, a 31-year-old Vietnamese woman believed to be a member of the human trafficking ring.

Van said another Vietnamese woman had hired her to bring the Cambodians from Ho Chi Minh City to Mong Cai and transfer them to a Chinese man. They would be sold in China, she said.

Police have summoned the Chinese man and are investigating further.

Women trafficking to China has been a long-lasting crime which many say is fueled by the country’s big gender imbalance. China’s preference for boys together with the so-called one child policy, which was only ended late last year, have led to many sex selective abortions.

Vietnam's agriculture adapts to climate change

As one of the countries most affected by climate change, Vietnam has proactively adapted to extreme weather phenomena, especially the climate’s influence on agricultural production. A number of solutions have been applied.

Agriculture is the core of the Vietnamese economy, contributing more than 18% of the GDP. It provides jobs for half of the labor force, who are mainly involved in small-scale household farm productions.

Climate change has had numerous effects but its most serious effects have been on agriculture, forestry, and fish breeding.

By the end of the 21st century, if the sea level rises 1m, Kien Giang and Hau Giang province will most likely be flooded, losing 81 and 77 percent of their land area respectively.

Half the area of Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Soc Trang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau province could also be submerged.

16.8% area of the Red River Delta region will be submerged and 40% of the Mekong Delta, which is already prone to flooding.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh underscored the need to apply science and technology, renovate policies, and invest in infrastructure to improve farm production and the processing of farm produce.  Doanh said it’s also necessary to expand production areas, boost productivity, and improve food safety for those fruits most in demand by importing countries.

Ho Xuan Hung, President of Vietnam Agriculture Federation, said “The most important issue is the restructuring of crops. We have to accept the reality of climate change and adapt to it. For example, the recent saline intrusion was caused by both weather conditions and human factors. But if we could have made an earlier forecast, we could have restructured the crops and re-arranged production. The current strengths are husbandry, aquaculture, and cultivation of vegetables and fruits. We should also focus on the development of a forestry economy.”

To deal with climate change and drought sustainably, it’s essential to do master-planning for irrigation systems by region to regulate water resources so as to prevent saline intrusion and protect fresh water.

Nguyen Van Tam, Director of Kien Giang province’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department, said “For the long-term, it’s necessary to pay more attention to capital sources for building irrigation systems which match the needs of each production region. And information systems should promptly warn of any threat of saline intrusion.”

Response to climate change has been adapted to each locale. Khanh Hoa province has prioritized the development of infrastructure for agricultural production, salt production, and aquaculture.

Binh Dinh has designed a response scenario in which adjustments are made to each sector’s development plan and the local socio-economic development program.

Nguyen Khanh Hoan, chief of Ben Tre’s Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue, says the province has strengthened communications on the impacts of climate change to make local people more aware of their responsibility to protect forests and water resources and conserve water.            

“It’s particularly important to conserve fresh water for personal use and production. We have increased mass media communications and gotten organizations, women’s associations, and youth unions involved in raising public awareness. People are storing fresh water and participating in efforts to mitigate natural disasters,” said Hoan.

In recent years, Vietnam has boosted its cooperation with the UN initiative to combine agricultural production and the national climate response program. The 3-year program will sort out inappropriate development policies and look for more effective measures.

Tourism-sports connection highlighted

The combination of tourism and sports not only creates the most favourable conditions for nations to get closer but also greatly contributes to a peaceful and prosperous world, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has said.

The Deputy PM made the statement at the International Conference on Tourism and Sports co-held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) in the central city of Da Nang on September 24 within the framework of the fifth Asian Beach Games (ABG 5).

Vietnam always defines tourism as a key economic sector, he said, expressing his belief that the conference, with the participation of experienced experts in the field, will help the country in particular have more new resources for developing tourism.

Taleb Rifai, General Secretary of the World Tourism Organisation, praised Vietnam’s achievements in tourism and sports and said that Vietnam has been an emerging tourist country with many excellent destinations. 

Sports tourism is creating excellent opportunities for countries to increase their strengths, he said, calling on countries to protect the environment and conserve natural and cultural heritages for sustainable development. 

At the conference, participants discussed the trend of developing tourism in combination with sports activities, correlation between tourism and sports, and contributions of tourism and sports to sustainable development.

Prof. Dr. Terry Stevens, an international t ourism consultant from the UNWTO, said that s ports tourism is an important drive for tourism globally and sustainable approaches are needed to make it an effective business. 

The conference passed the Da Nang Statement on Tourism and Sport for a sustainable development, which is an official document of the UNWTO to draw the attention of governments, destinations and business communities to developing tourism and sports for the benefits of people and the community as well as for the sustainable development.

Vietnam fans will enjoy live Champions League after all

A Vietnamese cable TV station has acquired the rights to broadcast live UEFA Champions League matches for the 2016-2018 period, its general director said recently.

Vietnam Cable Television, or VTVcab, concluded negotiations and inked a deal with the Republic of Korea (RoK)-based KJ Investment Group Inc. to be entitled to the live broadcasting of UEFA Champions League matches within Vietnam during that time frame.

The deal includes broadcast rights for two seasons, 2016-2017 and 2017-2018, according to the television’s announcement.

The UEFA Champions League is an annual continental club football competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs.

Earlier this month, Vietnam’s huge base of European football fans were disappointed to learn they would not be able to enjoy live matches of the league since no Vietnamese television stations had been able to secure exclusive live rights to any matches for the 2016-17 season.

In August 2015, VTVcab announced at a press conference that they had acquired the live rights for three consecutive Champions League seasons ending in 2018, making it the only Vietnamese entity to have the rights to broadcast the league legally between 2015 and 2018.

However, on March 10, 2016, during the 2015-16 season, the telecast rights holder abruptly disconnected signal to VTVcab, saying that the Vietnamese channel had allowed their copyrighted footage to be “stolen and illegally reproduced across Vietnam.”

“I’m glad we finally landed the deal with KJ Investment Group Inc., and that VTVcab will continue to service Champions League fans [on its channels],” VTVcab General Director Hoang Ngoc Tuan told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on September 23.

“In order to avoid future copyright infringements like in the 2015-2016 season which had led to the premature termination of the contract, we have purchased not only television rights but also rights over Internet and mobile broadcasts,” Tuan said.

With this new update, football fans in Vietnam will be able to enjoy live Champions League matches, starting September 28.

Taiwan to grant visa exemption to Vietnamese tourist group

Taiwan (China) will grant visa exemption to groups of Vietnamese tourists from now until the end of 2018.

Visitors are not also required to provide evidence of their financial capacity, according to an anouncement at a seminar on Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism and Taiwannese healthcare services.

The event was held in Ho Chi Minh City on September 23 by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA).

In addition, tourist groups with the number of people of 50 and over will be given a support of TWD 400 per person.

The seminar was an oportunity for Taiwanese travel firms to introduce Taiwan (China) as an atractive destination for international visitors as the country has a lot of beautiful natural landscapes and impressive architectures and Hitech Healthcare Services, aesthetic medicine and MICE tourism industry.

Old tyres abandoned at HCM City port

Ho Chi Minh City’s Cat Lai Port is looking to deal with 493 abandoned containers of used car tyres.  

According to the HCM City Customs Department, among these containers, 148 containers have been identified as ownerless, while management agencies are still seeking the owners of the remainder.

Old tyres are on the list of banned products imported into Vietnam, but between 2011 and 2013, the Ministry of Industry and Trade agreed on the temporary import and re-export of some products, including old tyres. But according to regulations, they should have been exported within 120 days.

It could prove very costly to destroy ownerless containers; so the General Customs Department has asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to consider selling the old tyres to Viet Uc Environmental JS Company and DVA Renewable Energy JS Company.

Earlier, 560 abandoned tyre containers at Haiphong Port were sold to Vietnamese firms.

Restaurant demolished for blocking sea view

A restaurant situated on the beach at Nha Trang in Khanh Hoa Province, is being dismantled after many people complained about how it blocked the view to the sea.

The USD 6.8million E-land Four Seasons entertainment complex’s height exceeded its planned level and locals and several experts complained that the restaurant completely blocked the view to the sea. Many people also said the development was ugly. No further progress on the site had been made by the developers. 

Nguyen Chien Thang, deputy party secretary of Khanh Hoa Province said he had talked with the investors last year and they agreed to demolish the restaurant to build a better one.

Le Xuan Thom, director of Nha Trang Four Seasons Company, also said the completed restaurant wasn't what he had imaged. "Even I think that it looks ugly. I'm not satisfied with it at all so I agreed to have it demolished," he said.

Nha Trang Four Seasons Company have co-operated with the provincial architects association to hold a contest to find the best idea for the new restaurant. Three best ideas will be submitted to the provincial people's committee to find the winner.

The demolition started on September 23. The new restaurant is intended to blend in more with the surroundings and no longer block the view to the sea.

New typhoon may hit the East Sea this week

A new typhoon has formed in waters northeast of the Philippines and may enter the East Sea waters on September 27.

A new typhoon, named Megi, has formed in waters northeast of the Philippines, according to Vietnam’s National Hydro-meteorological Forecast Center.

At 1:00 p.m. on September 25, the typhoon had shifted about 1,000 km southeast of Taiwan and was expected to continue west-northwest at speeds of 20-25kph.

Meteorologists predict it will enter the East Sea, internationally known as South China Sea, and is likely to hit Taiwan on Tuesday.

An average of 8 to 10 tropical storms hit Vietnam between July and October of every year, often causing heavy material and human casualties.

Vietnam attends ASEAN Family’s day in France

The Vietnamese Embassy in France participated in the “ASEAN Family’s day” in Paris hosted by the Embassy of the Philippines on September 24. 

Vietnam’s Ambassador to France Nguyen Ngoc Son and Head of the Vietnam Delegation to UNESCO Ambassador Le Hong Phan attended the event with officials from Vietnam’s representative agencies in France and their families. 

Ambassador Son said that ASEAN’s representative agencies in Paris are dynamic, holding monthly meetings on ASEAN issues and other regular activities such as the ASEAN Family’s day.

He added that the day is a traditional annual festival of representative missions of ASEAN member countries in France, helping deepen the friendship between ASEAN countries. 

Along with a bowling contest, other group activities and cultural performances were held. Traditional dishes of ASEAN countries were also served by the Embassies.

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