10-year old girl escapes Thanh Hoa house fire

On August 28, a fire broke out at a house in Thanh Hoa city in the northern central province of Thanh Hoa, which rapidly spread throughout the building and caused several explosions.

According to local witnesses, the blaze sparked on the second floor of the house, which contained a shop selling plastic flowers and wedding accessories.

A 10-year old girl was in the house at the time but had a lucky escape from the fire. At 23:00, the inferno was brought under control but all of the property within the building was destroyed.

There are no reports of fatalities from the fire but the inferno caused a power outage on the busiest street in Thanh Hoa city, causing people to flee the area in panic.

According to local authorities, the cause of the fire was identified as a short circuit.

Major General Nguyen Hai Trung, director of Thanh Hoa Provincial Police Department, rushed to the scene to direct relevant forces in tackling the blaze.

Former TrustBank general director arrested

The former general director of TrustBank, Ngô Trí Đức, was arrested on Monday on charges of “lacking responsibility and causing serious consequences” and “abusing trust to appropriate property”.

Two other defendants, Lâm Kim Dung, former director of Lam Giang Real Estate JSC company, and Nguyễn Kim Thanh, former deputy head of TrustBank’s Investment Division, were also arrested on charges of “abusing trust to appropriate property”.

Earlier, Hứa Thị Phấn, former senior advisor of the management board of Trust Bank, and former chairwoman of the management board of Phú Mỹ Investment and Development JSC, was charged with "abusing trust to appropriate property".

According to the indictment, in 2009 and 2010 Phấn abused her holding of nearly 85 per cent of the bank’s charter capital to take over the management of all of Trust Bank’s activities.

She instructed TrustBank to illegally invest VNĐ1.038 trillion (US$46 million) into four real estate projects, including the Phú Mỹ Garden II in Mỹ Yên Commune in Bến Lức District in the southern province of Long An, invested in by Phú Mỹ Investment and Development JSC; Star City and Go-Go City in Nhà Bè District, invested in by Phấn’s company, Lam Giang Real Estate JSC company, and Lâm Kim Dung, former director.

The Phú Mỹ Garden II project has been withdrawn, while the Start City and Go-Go City projects have not finished the legal paperwork although the time for investment has ended.

In addition, Phấn instructed TrustBank to invest in Tân Đông Hiệp B Industrial Park in the southern province of Bình Dương, with Phú Mỹ Investment and Development JSC as the investor.

According to the indictment, all of the VNĐ1.038 trillion from the TrustBank given to these companies was not invested in projects, but instead was used by Phấn for personal purposes. 

Bình Thuận takes steps to prevent dengue outbreak

Bình Thuận Province will continue to organise a campaign to kill mosquitoes and larvae, clear bushes, and remove standing water in residential areas. 

Bình Thuận Province is preparing measures to prevent an outbreak of dengue fever in the peak rainy season.  

Hoàng Văn Hùng, head of the disease control department of the province’s Health Preventive Centre, said that campaigns to kill larvae and mosquitoes in the province had helped keep the spread of dengue fever under control.

However, dengue fever is more highly during the peak rainy season in September and October.

The province’s health sector has raised the public awareness about the need to prevent an outbreak.

Households have been told to store water in the proper way and collect waste to keep the environment clean.

The health sector has also asked people to go to health facilities if they have symptoms such as a fever, headache or rash.

In addition, the province has directed districts and communes to organise campaigns to kill mosquitoes and larvae, clear bushes, and remove standing water in residential areas.

The Health Preventive Centre has also prepared equipment and medicine to tackle any outbreak that might occur.

According to the province’s Health Preventive Centre’s figures, since the beginning of this year, the province has had 535 dengue fever cases, a drop of 53.8 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The province has recorded six severe dengue fever cases, but no deaths.

Dengue fever has occurred in nine of 10 districts and communes in the province.

The centre is working with districts and communes to handle 48 areas where the disease has broken out. 

Central Quang Nam province to upgrade key traffic projects

A section of National Road No 14E in Quang Nam province. The Ministry of Transport plans to upgrade and expand the road in 2018-2020. (Photo courtesy Quang Nam Portal)

The Ministry of Transport has approved a project to upgrade National Highway No 14E in the central province of Quang Nam with total investment of 1.4 trillion VND (61.6 million USD) in 2018-2020.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dinh Van Thu said the province has asked the ministry to upgrade the sub-standard highway to improve transport connectivity of the coastal road system and the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway as well as mountainous areas.

Thu said the 90km-long road, which connects the nearly completed Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway, National Highway No 1, the Ho Chi Minh Trail and large areas in mountainous districts, has deteriorated as it was designed for rural traffic with one lane in 2002.

According to the ministry, the road will be expanded into two lanes and upgraded to standards matching national roads.

The province plans to upgrade 15 key road projects with total investment of 232 billion VND (9.9 million USD), of which nearly 9 million USD will be funded by the World Bank, in the 2018-2020 period.

The ministry also approved eight flyover bridges in flood-affected areas in Quang Nam province in 2017.

Last year, the province, in cooperation with Truong Hai company, commenced construction of a railway flyover at one of the busiest crossroads on National Highway No 1A, in Nui Thanh district, and a road linking Chu Lai port to Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway with total investment of 26.5 million USD.

The central province will also benefit from the operation of the 140km Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway project next month as a 65km section of the expressway runs through an area of Quang Nam.

The expressway will help reduce travel time from Da Nang, through Quang Nam and Quang Ngai, from three hours to 90 minutes.

Friendship associations of Vietnam, Cambodia boost ties

The working session between the two friendship associations 

Cambodia-Vietnam relations are developing practically while the friendship and solidarity are preserved and consolidated in any circumstance, said a Cambodian official.

Chairwoman of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association (CVFA) Men Sam An made the statement at a working session with a delegation of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA), led by its Chairman Vu Mao, in Phnom Penh on August 28.

Men Sam An, who is also Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection, stressed that the working session between the two friendship associations will contribute to reinforcing and tightening mutual understanding between the two nations. 

While lauding the ‘friendship seeds cultivation’ programme initiated by the VCFA, she pledged to join hands with the CVFA and the VCFA in boosting friendship relations between Cambodia and Vietnam.

Men Sam An also expressed her profound gratitude to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers for their assistance to Cambodia during its struggle to overthrow the Pol Pot genocidal regime, laying a foundation for Cambodia’s peace and development nowadays.

For his part, Mao congratulated Cambodia on its successful organization of the 6th National Assembly election, saying that the victory of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) will help the country to enhance its positions in the region and the world, and facilitate the operations of the two friendship associations.

He affirmed that the VCFA will continue working with the CVFA to realise major goals and policies set by the two governments, thus consolidating the friendship and solidarity, and building a border of peace, stability and development.

As scheduled, on August 29 and 30, the Vietnamese delegation will attend ceremonies mark the debut of the Khmer-Vietnamese Association in Cambodia and Vietnam’s National Day (September 2).

Scholarships help Quang Tri’s students pursue higher education

New university students with disadvantages of Quang Tri receive scholarships on August 28 

The central province of Quang Tri presented scholarships to new university students from difficult background on August 28 with a view to helping them pursue higher education.

As many as scholarships worth 10 million VND (nearly 430 USD) each were granted to 142 freshmen while five others with particularly disadvantaged background received 15 million VND (over 640 USD) each as financial assistance for them.

A philanthropist also pledged to support two underprivileged students with 12 million VND (over 510 USD) apiece each year.

The presentation event also helped participants understand the difficulties facing local students and their remarkable efforts to weather hardships and continue learning.

The aid was under the scholarship programme “Tiep suc den truong” (Supporting the strength to go to school), launched in Quang Tri in 2003. This programme is set to grant another 50 scholarships worth 7 million VND (300 USD) each to less privileged freshmen in the time ahead.

The event on August 28 was organised by the Tuoi tre (Youth) and Quang Tri newspapers, the provincial Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the provincial Study Encouragement Association, and the radio-television station of Quang Tri.

Charitable meals warm the hearts of poor patients

 Although they are old, a group of volunteers in Soc Trang province provides hundreds of meals to poor patients every day. This has eased the financial burden on the families of long-term patients.

Every day from early morning members of the charitable kitchen of Nga Nam town’s medical center prepare a free serving of rice or porridge for poor patients under resident treatment at the center.

The oldest members are more than 70 years old and the youngest are about 50. All are full of zeal. Each takes charge of one step. 

Huynh Thi Anh Tuyet, an experienced member of the kitchen, said helping patients in need brings happiness to everyone in the group.

“I have 3 daughters. They are all married. My husband and I like to do charity work. He is in charge of delivering vegetables to the kitchen, while other members and I do the cooking. I’m happy if we can help the patients recover faster,” Tuyet said.

The living standard in Soc Trang, particularly in Nga Nam town and in rural areas, is comparatively low. Medical costs are always a heavy burden for them. Each day up to 150 patients undergo resident treatment at the center. Most of them are poor or near poor.

60-year-old patient Tran Thanh Long told VOV “These meals help me lower my daily expenses because I’m regularly treated there. Most of the patients here are from disadvantaged households in remote areas.” 

Established in 2009, the charitable kitchen now has 40 members, divided into 7 teams, who take turns cooking. They serve porridge in the morning, rice at lunchtime, and rice and vegetable for dinner. Boiled, filtered water is served round the clock. As many as 400 meals a day are provided to patients and their relatives.

Nguyen Thanh Nhanh, the kitchen’s head, said the ingredients are provided by benefactors in Nga Nam town. The kitchen receives donations worth about US$2,200 a month in the form of cash, rice, vegetables, and fruits.

Nhanh said the kitchen follows all food hygiene and nutrition rules, adding: “Sometimes we run out of food and feel a bit discouraged. We have wanted to close the kitchen many times. But we always think about the patients and do our best to keep the kitchen running.” 

Employment program needs to respond to Industrial Revolution 4.0

Policies on labor and employment in line with the 4th Industrial Revolution topped the agenda of a recent conference in Hanoi to review 10 years of implementing State employment management.

Over the past decade, the Law on Employment, together with projects on employment, vocational education, labor safety, support for women and young people, and job creation loans, has provided jobs for 1.6 million people a year.

To date, more than 55 million workers nationwide have been employed, up 6 million compared to 2008.

Currently more than 80,000 foreigners from 110 countries and territories are working in Vietnam, 95% of them licensed.

For 10 years, international cooperation has created jobs through an EU-funded labor market project and the ILO-Japan Program to promote unemployment insurance and employment services in ASEAN.

Le Quang Trung, Deputy Director of the Deparment of Employment, said: “From 2008 to 2017, 63 employment service centers under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs have provided consultancy and jobs for more than 18 million people.

96% of beneficiaries with unemployment allowances have been introduced jobs and more than 123,000 workers are getting unemployment allowances.”

Vietnam has an abundant labor force but the quality remains low and the scale of businesses is small. Only 4% of domestic enterprises have 30 or more employees.

Deputy Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep said that to create stable jobs, especially during industrial revolution 4.0, State employment management  should match Vietnam’s growth and international integration.

“To integrate well into the 4th Industrial Revolution, it’s necessary to improve labor market management. This will require a great effort by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, which should promptly fine-tune the laws on labor and employment in line with current international practice,” Mr. Diep said.

Vinh Long to make tourism a key economic sector

The first Vinh Long Tourism Festival was held over August 25-26 in Long Ho district as part of activities to promote local waterway tourism to the province’s domestic and foreign visitors.

A wide range of activities were launched during the two-day event, such as a delicious fruit contest, a vegetarian food contest, a boat race, a Vietnamese product fair in rural areas, a demonstration of the art of cock-fighting, performances of Don ca tai tu (Southern amateur music), a charming Ao ba ba (a traditional shirt of Southerners) contest, and a talk on developing special tourism products of Vinh Long.

Lu Quang Ngoi, vice chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said the festival helped travel agents in and outside of the province to share their experiences in tourism management and development, and gave the locality an opportunity to advertise its cultural values and special tourism products to visitors.

Vinh Long province will continue to focus on developing its eco-waterway tourism with unique products such as homestays and tours of craft villages and cultural and historical relic sites, in the aim of establishing tourism as a key economic sector in the near future.

The Mekong Delta province welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors last year, including over 70,000 foreigners, to generate a revenue of more than VND340 billion. It will further coordinate with nearby provinces and cities to boost regional tourism development.

Cần Thơ to improve senior healthcare

The Cần Thơ City People’s Committee plans to set up action programmes for healthcare services for old people to improve the quality of their life and foster social development.

Geriatric wards will be improved at all general hospitals around the city.

The Department of Health plans to build and expand health facilities, especially with family doctors so seniors can access easily, including in rural areas.

Courses on caring for old people will be offered to students at medical universities and workers in charge of population, health and social affairs.

Speaking at a conference on welfare programmes for old people amid an ageing population in Mekong Delta city on Monday, the committee’s vice chairman, Lê Văn Tâm, said like other provinces and cities in the country, Cần Thơ has an ageing population and related challenges like paying pensions, social welfare, health insurance, and demand for healthcare services loom.

One of tasks it has prioritised is adopting policies for growth, economic development and social welfare to improve old people’s incomes, he said.

The city aims to change the pension payment system under a road map to ensure fairness and solvency of the retirement fund, he added.

The Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will expand the social insurance system to improve public coverage and keep it flexible to match everyone’s needs.

It will collaborate with local agencies to encourage old people, especially those with professional skills, to continue working to make use of their capabilities to train younger generations.

It will increase social welfare for vulnerable seniors, ensuring no one is left out and everyone’s minimum living needs are met.

It will work with other relevant agencies to set up more social welfare centres for old people, especially financially disadvantaged ones and those who made outstanding contributions to the national independence.

It will have more preferential policies such as tariff waivers for private social welfare centres.

Nguyễn Hoàng Mai, deputy head of the National Assembly’s Committee for Social Affairs, hailed the city’s plans.

He added that activities to take care of old people should be held more frequently and there the seniors should also be told about policies and asked for their opinions.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a sparky

Last week, on Trần Công Hoan Street in Hà Nội’s Ba Dinh District, one man terrified onlookers.

Was he brandishing a gun? Screaming obscenities? Predicting a pending apocalypse?

No, he was simply climbing an electric pole.

Apparently, the sight of a young, blond Vietnamese man attempting to repair the electricity network was too much for many people, some of whom speculated he was in the midst of a drug-induced hallucination.

A passer-by posted some photos of him on Facebook, showing him climbing up the pole and then sitting on the wire like a spider, causing netizens to panic.

Showing restraint typical of the internet, commenters said he clearly wasn’t in his right mind. As if so often the case though, there’s more to a picture than can be seen on screen.

The user who uploaded the photo later shared that the young man had been hired to fix the pole and was meant to be up there.

All’s well that end’s well then, though perhaps next time he should have worn some safety equipment, lest a frightened crowd attack him out of terror.

ASEAN traditional costumes, art performed in Hanoi

An "ao dai" show at the event 

Traditional costumes and arts of ASEAN countries were performed at a programme in Hanoi on August 28 as part of activities to mark the 51st founding anniversary of ASEAN and 23 years of Vietnam’s membership.

The programme, held by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, the event aimed to promote the building of a strong and closely connected ASEAN.

It was also a chance to foster friendship between Vietnam and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and strengthen solidarity of people in the ASEAN Community.

Addressing the event, Nguyen Lan Huong, head of the municipal Party Committee’s Commission of Mass Mobilisation, said that over the past 51 years, ASEAN has become a successful regional organisation with dynamic development, tight cooperation and close ties with many countries and world leading organisations.

The strength and prestige of the association have been increased, helping consolidate peace, stability and prosperity in the region, strengthening connectivity among members, enhancing the position of the grouping in the international arena, and laying foundation for further growth, she said.

Huong thanked the international community for supporting Vietnam in the process of integration and development, showing her hope that the friendship and comprehensive cooperation of ASEAN member countries will continue to develop.

During the programme, a show of ASEAN traditional costumes, along with 40 Vietnamese “ao dai” (traditional long dress) featuring the landscapes of ASEAN countries was held. Artists from the Hanoi Cheo (popular opera of Vietnam) Opera and amateur artists from the embassies of ASEAN countries in Hanoi also performed traditional songs and dances of their country.

Registrations open for Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship, Vietnam 2019

Registrations for the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship, Vietnam 2019, officially opened on August 24.

Techcombank is cooperating with Sunrise Events Vietnam and the government, other partners, the media, and the sports community to organize this largest of international sports festivals in the country on May 12, 2019.

The fifth holding will be in central Da Nang city from May 9 to 12, with the Ironman 70.3 Main Event on May 12. The year is expected to break the record set in 2018, with 1,600 athletes from 56 countries and more than 630 Vietnamese participating.

The Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship will be held for the first time in Da Nang as part of plans to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Techcombank Ironman 70.3 Vietnam. Recognized as one of the best racing venues in Asia, Vietnam is truly honored to welcome athletes to the competition.

“Da Nang is proud to host the 5th Vietnam Techcombank Ironman 70.3 Vietnam in 2019,” said Nguyen Trong Thao, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. “The city has decided to put Ironman 70.3 Vietnam into its five-year annual plan.”

Sunrise Events Vietnam will continue to receive support from the city government, including in racing, security, sanitation, and health services. The Techcombank Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship is one of the best championships in Asia.

“Vietnam hosting the competition shows the growth in the number of Vietnamese who care about the sport, as we have witnessed an increase of more than ten-times in the number of Vietnamese participants compared to the 2015 race,” said Ironman Asia Managing Director Geoff Meyer.

Professional athletes will compete for total prize money of $75,000. In addition, the Techcombank Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship, Vietnam 2019, will sponsor 50 athletes at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in 2019 in Nice, France.

“We are honored to be a strategic partner of the Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship,” said Nguyen Le Quoc Anh, General Director of Techcombank. “The development of the sport and the increase in the number of Vietnamese participants also reflects the economic development of the country and the development of its middle class.”

Techcombank is delighted to be able to help all participants become better at achieving their goals, he added.

RMIT opens Da Nang center

With the aim of contributing to Vietnamese society and, in particular, improving human resources in Da Nang, RMIT Vietnam opened an English center in the central city on August 23.

The opening was attended by Ambassador of Australia to Vietnam, H.E. Craig Chittick, Ms. Karen Lanyon, Consul General of Australia in Ho Chi Minh City, and Mr. Lam Quang Minh, Director of the Da Nang Department of Foreign Affairs.

“I welcome the expansion of RMIT into Da Nang and its contribution to the bilateral relationship in the field of education between Australia and Vietnam,” Ambassador Chittick told the opening ceremony.

The presence of RMIT demonstrates the benefits that Australia’s investment in education has brought, he went on, from the development of Vietnam’s future leadership to promoting the country’s economic development.

President of RMIT, Professor Gael McDonald, said the university wants to contribute to the country through quality education and help Da Nang as well as the central region to change.

“Da Nang and the central region have long been known for their rich natural beauty, beaches, and national and international heritages,” she said. “The region is currently experiencing rapid economic development. As a gathering place of tourism and hospitality management, manufacturing, information technology, and commerce, the central region is now asserting its strong position as an agent of economic growth for the country.”

Located at 16 Ly Thuong Kiet in Hai Chau District, the center is the fourth campus of RMIT Vietnam.

It will initially provide English program for teens designed to provide English and academic English skills to junior and senior high school students aged 12-17 with an English level of IELTS 6.5, IELTS preparation programs, and English-language courses designed specifically for businesses and government agencies.

“The quality of education, the international nature of academic programs, and the close links with businesses will help RMIT add more to the success of Da Nang in particular and Vietnam in general,” said Professor McDonald.