Flower festival to open in Hà Giang

The second Tam Giác Mach Flower Festival will be organsied in the northwest province of Hà Giang between October 14 and 16.

The festival will be held in the districts of Ð?ng Van, Qu?n B?, Yên Minh and Mèo V?c. The annual festival will include various activities like camping, folk singing, games and farming on tam giác m?ch (triangle oat) fields.

Besides getting the opportunity to take photos on the "triangle oat" fields, tourists can taste wine and cakes made from the flowers.

A street festival will also be organised in the area with traditional music and performances featuring actors in local ethnic costumes.

Tam Giác M?ch, or "triangle oat", is a tiny wild pink flower with triangular-shaped leaves. The "triangle oat" fields attract many visitors to Hà Giang.

Book on secret agent launched

The biography of secret agent T?ng Van Trình titled Ngu?i Tình Báo Th?m L?ng (A Silent Secret Agent) was launched by the HCM City Book Distribution JSC (Fahasa) on September 30.

The book is about the life and activities of Trình, a native of Sóc Trang Province, during the wars against the French and the Americans in Viêt Nam and Laos.

The author, T?ng Quang Anh, is the eldest son of Trình and accompanied his father to the North in 1954.

The book is based on Trình’s reminiscences and published documents.

“The book is aimed at repaying the Vietnamese and Lao people who helped my father complete his missions during the two resistance wars,” Anh said at the book launch.

Abortion rate in Vietnam highest in Asia

About 40% of all pregnancies in Vietnam end in abortion, twice as many as the government’s official records, doctors from Hanoi's Central Obstetrics Hospital said in a report.

Every woman of a reproductive age undergoes 2.5 abortions on average, according to the report.

“Vietnam has one of the highest abortion rates in the world. It is just sad,” Dr. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, a seasoned obstetrician, said at a recent workshop on contraception and reproductive health services.

Notably, young people account for 20% of total abortions annually, Phuong said, citing the World Health Organization.

The figure is indicative of a growing number of young people having sex before marriage. Official statistics show that about 36% of Vietnamese adolescents aged between 14 and 17 have had sex, and around 8.4% of females from 15 to 24 have had at least one abortion.

In Vietnam, premarital sex remains a taboo. A young woman who gets pregnant out of wedlock is likely to face harsh backlash from society and family. As a consequence, unmarried women have to turn to private clinics to have an abortion.

About 70% of secret abortions are performed on teenagers aged between 13 and 19, said Nguyen Thi Hoai Duc, the director of the Institute for Reproductive and Family Health.

“Many girls visit clinics three or four times to have abortions even though they have greater access to contraception and they are already aware of the risks of abortion,” Duc said.

In Vietnam, abortions in the first 22 weeks of pregnancy are legal and available upon request at both public hospitals and private clinics across the country.

However, doctors say it is dangerous to carry out an abortion when the fetus is more than 12 weeks old.

It is estimated that about 25% of abortions are unsafe in Vietnam, heath authorities said, adding that deaths due to complications remain close to 13% all maternal deaths.

The Ho Chi Minh City-based Tu Du Hospital, the largest obstetrics hospital in southern Vietnam, said abortion numbers are continuing to rise. At one point it was so alarming that the reported abortion ratio to live birth at the hospital was 1:1.

The hospital carried out approximately 29,000 abortions in 2015, and in the first six months of this year over 14,000 pregnancies were terminated.

Doctors blame a lack of sex education and birth control measures for causing the high abortion rate. Many women who have abortions never meant to get pregnant, Dr. Phuong said.

The majority of women are not fully informed about reliable and lasting contraceptive options, leading to unintended pregnancies, she said.

Over 19,000 Vietnamese jobs lost to Formosa mass fish deaths

Over 19,000 Vietnamese have lost their jobs as a result of the environmental disaster caused by the Vietnamese steel business of Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group earlier this year.

The General Statistics Office of Vietnam reported the number of citizens affected by the mass fish deaths along the central coastline during a press conference on the country’s socio-economic status on Thursday.

According to the report, over 22,700 households had their lives and production impacted by the incident and its aftermath.

More than 24,400 local laborers, mainly working in aquaculture, salt production, and hospitality, lost the stability of their previous livelihood.

About 19,000 others became unemployed while 5,000 others were forced to find a new profession in order to earn a living.

The number of migrant workers stemming from the affected provinces was recorded at 17, 353, the General Statistics Office concluded.

A large number of dead fish washed ashore in the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien-Hue in early April.

In late June, examinations of the company’s wastewater by local and international scientists concluded that  Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Group was responsible for the situation.

The Taiwanese company publicly apologized to the Vietnamese government and people for severely polluting the environment and pledged a total compensation of VND11.5 trillion, or US$500 million.  

By September, competent authorities announced that the ocean along the central coastline was safe for swimming and aquaculture activities while seafood was still not entirely safe to eat.

Photo exhibition features Hanoi’s heritage sites

More than 80 photos featuring the beauty of Hanoi are being showcased at an exhibition that officially kicked off at Thang Long Imperial Citadel in the capital on October 1.

The event, jointly organised by Kinh Te & Do Thi (“The Economy & the City”) newspaper and the Hanoi Elderly Photography Club, is part of a series of activities to celebrate the 62nd anniversary of the liberation of the capital (October 10, 1954-2016).

The exhibits introduce visitors to Hanoi’s beautiful heritage sites with the unique historical, cultural and architectural values of a millenarian civilisation. Many of the photos on display have won prizes at prestigious domestic photography competitions.

The photos are divided into three major themes, including “Architectural Imprints of Thang Long–Hanoi,” “The Capital’s Architecture during the Integration Period” and “Preservation and Restoration to Ensure the Diversification of Architectural Culture.”

They reflect the longevity of the heritage sites and demonstrate the determination of generations of Hanoians to preserve them, particularly those recognised by UNESCO as world cultural heritage sites.

Through the exhibition, visitors can learn more about the great architectural value of heritage sites from throughout the capital’s thousands of years of history, as well as the traditional culture and cultural change in Hanoi over time.

The event also contributes to promoting the image of Hanoi, a land rich in cultural and architectural identity and an attractive destination to both domestic visitors and foreign friends.

The exhibition will run until October 6.

Human trafficker extradited to Australia from Indonesia

A human trafficker was extradited to Australia from Indonesia, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia Julie Bishop confirmed on September 29.

Mohammad Naghi Karimi Azarla was the eight human trafficker extradited to Australia from Indonesia since 2008. 

He would be charged with 43 counts of human trafficking, according to Bishop. 

This extradition showed close, effective and long-term cooperation between the two countries’ law enforcement agencies, she said.

Scarce water resources threaten Phu Quoc tourism

Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island is facing overwhelming growth in local tourism against the backdrop of a rapid decline in clean water.

Phu Quoc, a famous tourist island off the southern province of Kien Giang, welcomes over one million visitors per year.

The island’s water supply is primarily stored in the Duong Dong Reservoir, which has a capacity of five million cubic meters, and in local lakes and streams, thanks to thick vegetation and high rainfall.

A large number of resorts and hotels have been constructed on the island at the expense of its diminishing fresh water resources.

According to local residents, fresh water could previously be found between five and ten meters underground; however, in recent years water has been scarce, even at 60m below the surface.

A probe by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper showed that fresh water on the island has been excessively exploited, with over 20 facilities and unlicensed organizations drilling wells.

Nguyen Van Dung, a borehole driller in An Thoi Town, said his team constructs eight to ten wells on a monthly basis.

Underground water resources have been in rising demand for the daily life and cultivation activities of local islanders, as well as for the operation of resorts and hotels.

According to Huynh Thanh Ha, deputy director of the Phu Quoc water supply branch, the island is home to about 100,000 locals and receives tens of thousands of visitors and migrant workers.

Given average water consumption of 120 liters per resident per day and 300 liters a day per tourist, along with the amount needed for the local industry and service sector, the island will consume 70,000 cubic meters of fresh water by 2020, Ha elaborated.

Aside from the underground source, tap water is also provided to the people by the Phu Quoc water supply branch.

However, with a maximum capacity of only 16,500 cubic meters per day, the facility can only meet the demand of residents in Duong Dong and An Thoi Towns, Ha stated.

According to an island development plan, five reservoirs and several water factories are set to be built but no construction has yet to be initiated, putting enormous pressure on local ground water resources.

Ha urged resort and hotel operators to stop exploiting the limited source of water and called on the state to expedite water supply projects.

Investment capital for such construction projects should be channeled from multiple sources due to the lack of financial capacity of the local budget, the deputy director added.

Issues emerge as heavy storms flood parking basements in HCM City

Continual downpours since the beginning of this week have revealed poor drainage systems in several parking basements in Ho Chi Minh City, leading to flooded vehicles and upset owners who have yet to receive the appropriate compensation for their damaged property.

The extreme torrential rains hammering the city since September 26 have inundated underground parking lots in buildings across the southern hub.

Thousands of cars and motorcycles parked inside the affected garages were damaged by floodwater, leaving parking lot managers unsure of how to assist their clients.

According to the municipal Department of Firefighting Police, at least 21 parking basements were left defenseless against the floods.

A representative for an underground motorbike park on Nguyen Sieu Street in District 1 said that vehicles inside the facility were submerged under floodwater within 10 minutes of Monday’s storms.

The parking lot’s managers compensated owners of the damaged motorcycles with 10 percent of their repair costs.

The representative also expressed his hope that the clients sympathize with the company, noting that flooding was inevitable under such severe conditions.

“We are still unsure of how to deal with similar situations in the future and insurance packages covering parking lots like ours, with such a large variety of vehicles, have yet to be established,” he continued.

At the Muoi Tieu Chanh Restaurant on Su Van Hanh Street in District 10, about 10 automobiles and over 200 motorbikes owned by diners fell victim to the flooding.

According to Nguyen Ngoc Hai, the branch director, estimations of the damage have been submitted to the management board to request compensation for the affected customers.

To cope with future flooding, the company plans to install pumps inside the parking lot and keep sandbags at the ready to help prevent water from pouring into the venue, Anh elaborated.

Insurance is also a necessary solution, the branch director added.

Nguyen Kieu Hung, member of the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association, said parking lot operators are responsible for preserving their clients’ property and must recompense for damage.

Flooding at building basements cannot be considered a force majeure as it can easily be predicted, Hung said.

Owners of the damaged vehicles could potentially file complaints to the court if they do not receive the appropriate compensation, the lawyer added.

According to an insurance agent, there are insurance packages available to cover parking lot managers and vehicle owners in the event of flood damage.

“However, assurance for parking spaces is typically expensive, resulting in many businesses shying away from the service,” he explained.

According to an official from the Steering Center of the Urban Flood Control Program, owners of parking basements are required to prepare for measures to alleviate flooding in their properties.

According to Nguyen Van Hiep, former deputy director of the municipal Department of Construction, inundation can stem from floodwaters pouring into basements from the streets as well as from underground conduits.

Flooding can also result from poor building design or the lack of a proper drainage system, Hiep said, adding that the developers are responsible for their property’s shortcomings.

Inspection has been ordered to be conducted at inundated parking lots, Tran Trong Tuan, director of the construction department, said.

Hanoi, Saigon among fastest-growing tourist cities in the world

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have recorded some of the fastest growing foreign tourist numbers in the world since 2009, according to a recent survey by MasterCard.

The country’s largest cities were among 20 names that have been climbing quickly up the global tourism map.

Hanoi ranked 13th on the global list with foreign arrivals growing on average 11.64% since 2009. Ho Chi Minh City ranked 18th with 9.22% annual growth.

Japan’s Osaka topped the list with visitors growing 24.15% a year thanks to arrivals from China and the Republic of Korea. Chengdu in China came second followed by Abu Dhabi in the UAE.

The Vietnamese cities are among four Southeast Asian representatives on the list. Indonesia's capital Jakarta came in at 11, followed by Bangkok, which was recently named the world’s most visited destination of 2016 with an estimated 21.47 million tourists.

Ho Chi Minh City is a popular destination as a modern commercial center, but also has a lot of history that can be seen at places like the War Remnants Museum and the Independence Palace. Around 2.1 million foreigners visited the city in the first five months of this year, the closest month for which data was available.

Up north, Hanoi has become a highly recommended travel destination with its thousand-year-old charm. The city has been named the cheapest destination in the TripIndex report for the past three years. It received nearly 1.2 million foreign arrivals in the first half of 2016.

Last year, Lonely Planet named Hanoi’s Old Quarter among the places to see at least once in a lifetime, while the visual social network Pinterest ranked the capital the third most-pinned location of all time.

Vietnam attracted an estimated 7.3 million foreign visitors in the first nine months this year, up 25% year-on-year.

HCMC seeks to ease waste treatment pressure

The HCMC government is speeding up work on a waste treatment plant project in the neighboring province of Long An and calling for investment in new projects using advanced technologies to ease mounting waste treatment pressure, a city official said on September 29.

Waste treatment projects with modern technologies are encouraged in the city to cut the volume of waste being buried, Vo Van Hoan, head of the HCMC People’s Committee Office, said at a news briefing held on September 29 to announce the city’s socio-economic performance in January-September.

Hoan said the Da Phuoc integrated waste management facility in Binh Chanh District might be full in the next five or seven years.

Hoan said city officials inspected the possible sources of odor that has recently attacked parts of southern HCMC and found that the odor comes mainly from the Da Phuoc facility, which is operated by Vietnam Waste Solutions (VWS). The city has told the company to take measures to handle the problem.

The HCMC government will support investors to boost the progress of Tan Thanh waste treatment project in Long An as there would be no other place for the city to handle waste if new waste treatment projects are not implemented.

Speaking at a meeting on the city’s socio-economic performance in January-September, city chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong said environmental pollution has worsened in this year’s rainy season, seriously affecting households in districts 7, Binh Chanh and Nha Be, and making the southern part less attractive to investors, especially in the real estate sector.

The city has informed the Prime Minister of the situation and will set up environmental quality monitoring systems at integrated waste management facilities, conduct regular inspections and strictly handle organizations and individuals that breach environment regulations, Phong said.

Aside from planting trees to separate the waste treatment complexes from residential areas, the city will apply new technology to treat waste and phase out the burial of waste.

The city is pondering a number of waste projects proposed by local and foreign investors. They include Hitachi Zosen, Trisun Green Energy, T-Tech Technology, Hanoi-based Hydraulic-Machine Co Ltd, and FLAG-PESCO-FECON joint venture.

12 movies to compete for “Feature Length Film” award at 4th HANIFF

The film “Toi thay hoa vang tren co xanh” (I see yellow flowers on the green grass) and the comedy film Trung so (Jackpot) will be submitted  in the category of “Feature Length Film” at the the 4th Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF).

While the Indian film, Birds with large wings by Dr. Biju won National Film Awards for Best film on Environment. The film Remember by Atom Egoyan of Canada received the Award for Best Original Screenplay at the 4th Canadian Screen Awards 2016 and the Vittorio Veneto Film Festival Award at Venice Film Festival 2015.

Marguerite by French director Xavier Giannoli got titles, Best Costume Design, Best Actress, Best Production Design, Best Sound at the César Awards 2016.

Ordinary people by Eduardo Roy Jr. scooped five major awards at the Philippine Independent Film Festival Awards, Best Film, Best Director, Best Actress, NETPAC Award and Best Editing.

Cemetery of splendour byThai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul was named as the best film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2015, and was nominated for the Un Certain Regard Award at at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

There are also Fundamentally Happy directed by Tan Bee Thiam and Lei Yuan Bin of Singapore, One way trip by director Choi Jeong – Yeol of South Korea, Iran’s Inadaptable by Ebrahim Ebrahimiyan, The green carriage by Russian director Oleg Asadulin of Russia, and Blossoming into a family by Hiroki Hayashi of Japan.

The movie “Trung so” (Jackpot) directed by Vietnamese-American Dustin Nguyen  won the Golden Kite Award 2015 and was represented Vietnam in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Annual Oscar Academy Awards.
 
The movie based on the true story is written by writer and playwright Nguyen Manh Tuan. The funny and touching story is about a girl selling lottery tickets in the Mekong Delta. She hands winning lottery tickets to a man who merely nods to buy them without paying her right away. She does that since he usually purchases the last tickets she has just before a lottery draw.

The film “Toi thay hoa vang tren co xanh” (I see yellow flowers on the green grass), directed by Vietnamese American  Victor Vu, was listed among the top 10 outstanding cultural events in Vietnam and won the important Golden Lotus prize at the 19th Vietnam Film Festival last December and the Silver Kite award 2015 in April.

The movie also won Best Film at the TFF Kids International Film Festival 2016 in April and was screened at the 68th annual Cannes Film Festival in May. The picture will be submitted  in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 89th Annual Oscar Academy Awards.

“Toi thay hoa vang tren co xanh” which is regarded as the successful co-operation between the Vietnam Cinema Department and private enterprises, including Galaxy M&E, Saigon Concert and Phuong Nam Film becomes a cinematic phenomenon at the domestic box office, earning over VND80 billion (US$3.6 million).

The film is based on the hit novel, Toi thay hoa vang tren co xanh by Nguyen Nhat Anh, telling the childhood of two brothers in 1980s. Anh is a children’s bestselling author. His work hit bookstores during its first week of publication and a further 5,000 copies had to be reprinted.
About 550 movies from 40 countries and territories will join the 4th Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF) that will be scheduled on November 1-5.

A series of activities such as composition camp, film project market,  seminars on cooperation of production of films, connection of movie industries of  TTP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) 12 member nations and national characteristics in the movies.

A reputed international Jury Board will judge and award prizes in categories, including The Best Short Film, The Best Director, The Best Actor, The Best Actress, The Best Director for Short Film, The Netpac Prize, The Special Jury Award For Feature Length Film And The Special Jury Award For Short Film.

The film fest will open at the National Cinema Center on November 1 and close at the Friendship Cultural Palace on November 5. The ceremonies will be broadcast live on VTV1 and VTV2 channels.

40 people in central province bitten by mad dog, one of them dies

Medical authority in the central province of Nghe An urgently adopted measures against rabies because 40 residents  in a commune were bitten by mad dogs and one of them died of the disease.

The Center for Preventive Medicine and the medical center in District Hung Nguyen yesterday liaised to prevent rabies. In the middle of July, one dog in Hung Trung Commune bit Nguyen Thi H and a kid.  Later, the dog continued to bite some other dogs and residents in the commune before it died.

Nguyen Thi H arrived at the local infirmary but she refused to have vaccine because she was breast-feeding her baby). She just used herb for medical purpose. She fell sick on September 7 and rushed to the province’s General Hospital for emergency treatment yet doctors’ efforts to save her were unrewarded.

The news of her death caused concern among inhabitants in the commune because 40 people were bitten by the dog. In the short term, all people who were bitten and relatives of H were vaccinated and medical workers also injected vaccine for all dogs in the district and keep close watch on them.

According to the province’s Center of Preventive  Medicine, 34 people in the district died of rabies within latest two years; accordingly, the center warned people to clean the wound by rinsing under running water with mild soap in 15 minutes and go to nearby medical center for vaccination.

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