Ship rams, sinks fishing boat

An unidentified ship hit and sank a fishing vessel from Quang Ngai Province in the sea of Viet Nam, the local border force said yesterday.

The fishing vessel QNg 98459 TS captain Huynh Thach said that his ship was travelling in the sea of Quang Tri Province, 60 nautical miles off the provincial Con Co Island around Friday noon, when a strange steel ship hit from left side twice.

Thach said the hit threw seven sailors to the sea and sank the ship.

He told border guards that the strange ship didn't attempt to save the sailors.

The ship, with its 10-member crew aboard, was towed to Tho Quang fishing port on Saturday by a group of fishing ships nearby.

The case is under investigation in co-ordination with other agencies.

One dies, two injured in motorbike crash

A woman died yesterday and two people were injured, including a 2-year-old child, when their motorbike crashed with a tipper lorry in Thu Dau Mot City, southern Binh Duong Province.

The accident came following a report by the National Committee on Traffic Safety yesterday announcing that traffic accidents claimed 65 deaths and injured 94 people in the last three days.

During the time, police on roads detected almost 25,000 traffic violations, collected fines of VND12.8 billion (US$570,000 ). Waterway traffic police cracked down on over 1,000 violations.

Over 4,000 bridges to be built for ethnic minorities by 2020

Around 4,000 bridges will be built to facilitate the travel and livelihoods of ethnic minority groups across the country by 2020 as part of the second phase of a Government programme.

The programme, in investment of nearly VND8.3 trillion (US$368.8 million), is being implemented in 5,237 communes in 450 districts across 50 provinces and cities from 2014 to 2020.

In the first phase from 2014 to 2015, 186 bridges were built in 28 mountainous provinces throughout the nation, costing the State budget VND931.7 billion ($41.4 million).

Sunk sand cargo vessel removed from Sai Gon River

The sand-carrying cargo vessel that sank in Sai Gon River in HCM City's Thu Duc District on Saturday was removed from the river yesterday.

The 200-ton vessel sank immediately after being trapped on Cong Trinh Bridge but people on the vessel timely jumped into the river and swam to the river bank.

Vietnam greets first foreign tourists in New Year

Hundreds of foreign tourists arrived in Vietnam on the first day of the New Year 2016, promising a busy season for the tourism industry in the year.

On the outset of January 1, the southern hub of Ho Chi Minh City welcomed the first international delegation of over 500 visitors from Japan and China’s Taiwan.

The city’s Department of Tourism in conjunction with the municipal Tourism Association (HTA) and the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines held a ceremony to welcome the first callers.

Foreign holidaymakers were treated to Vietnamese tea and coffee for free at the Tan Son Nhat international airport and received numerous gifts such as “non la” (palm-leaf conical hat), tea and coffee.

Hideyuki Okahara from Japan said he is very glad to be warmly welcomed at the airport and described this as a surprising gift for him and his family.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Tourism La Quoc Khanh said the ceremony puts the first note for a series of events in the 2016 tourism festival, which also include an “ao dai” (Vietnamese traditional dress) show, southern food and fruit festivals.

It aims to promote the image of the city as an attractive, safe, and friendly destination for foreign tourists, he added.

HCM City greeted nearly 4.6 million international vacationers in 2015, a year-on-year increase of 4.6 percent.

The local tourism sector grossed 94.6 trillion VND (4.16 billion USD) in revenue, a yearly rise of 10 percent.

The city is particularly attractive to tourists from the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, France and Thailand.

In 2016, the southern hub strived to welcome 5.1 million foreign tourists and 21.8 domestic ones.

Also on the first day of the New Year, the central coastal city of Da Nang welcomed the first 180 foreign visitors at an international airport of the same name.

The tourists are scheduled to visit attractions such as Ba Na Hill, Son Tra Peninsula, “Ngu Hanh Son” (Marble Mountains), and Cham Museum.

According to the local Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, more than 56,000 foreigners are expected to visit Da Nang on the Christmas season and the Calendar New Year, up 26.1 percent year-on-year.

Deputy Director Tran Chi Cuong said the local tourism industry earned 12.7 trillion VND (558.8 million USD) in revenue in 2015, surpassing the yearly target by 7.6 percent.

The city served 4.6 million visitors during the year, including over 1.2 million international tourists, exceeding the annual target by 8.7 percent.

In 2016, it aims to welcome over 5.1 million visitors, including 1.32 million from abroad, to gross 14 trillion VND (616 million USD) in revenue.

Meanwhile, Florence Bernard and her spouse Buisson Bernard from France became the first callers of Hanoi in the New Year.

At a welcome ceremony in the Thang Long Imperial Citadel on January 1, the guests said they are very proud and happy to be the first visitors to the capital of Hanoi in 2016.

They shared that they will stay in Vietnam for 15 days to visit Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Quang Ninh, Hue, and Hoi An (Quang Nam).

Unlicensed beef found in Hue

Police in central Thua Thien-Hue Province found half a tonne of unlicensed beef transported in a passenger coach early yesterday morning.

The coach driver said to police he was hired to carry the beef from Ha Noi to Da Nang. The beef was packed in eight boxes and stamped by Phu Xuyen District's Veterinary Station in Ha Noi but there was no document proving it was qualified for sale.

Criteria set for high-tech agriculture areas

The Prime Minister has signed a decision regarding the criteria and procedures for recognition of high-tech agriculture zones.

The recognised zones are centralised production areas in which high technologies are applied to produce one or several agricultural goods which ensure high yield, quality and added values and be friendly to the environment, according to the Vietnam Government Portal.

Production and consumption activities are part of the value chain in which enterprises and co-operatives are indispensable.

Applied technologies must be advanced, biological, environmentally-friendly ones that help elevate added values to agricultural products.

The technologies must also be applied on an industrial scale to improve farming effectiveness, raise product values and elevate the productivity.

The hi-tech agricultural zones must have suitable natural conditions and technical infrastructure to facilitate production.

The Municipal and provincial People's Committees of centrally-governed cities and provinces are authorised to decide the recognition of hi-tech agricultural zones.

Six crew members rescued at sea

Six Vietnamese fishermen were rescued yesterday off the coast of Da Nang after the engine of their boat stopped working on the sea.

The fishing boat, QB92184 TS from Quang Binh Province, was adrift for hours as the boat's engine malfunctioned around morning yesterday.

All crew members were reported to be safe.

Vietnam helps Laos build hospital

A ceremony took place in Laos’ Xieng Khouang province on January 2 to start construction on a hospital funded by the Vietnamese Government.

As Vietnam’s largest health infrastructure development project in northern Laos, the 2.5 ha Xieng Khouang Friendship Hospital will be built a cost of nearly 400 billion VND (17.6 million USD). It is designed to accommodate 200 beds and is equipped with modern equipment.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung stated that the project reflects the determination of the two governments to implement the Vietnam-Laos cooperation strategy in Xieng Khoang and Houaphan provinces.

Xieng Khouang Governor Somkot Mangnomek said the hospital is an invaluable gift from the Vietnamese Government and it will contribute significantly to the province’s socio-economic development as well as Laos’ health sector.

He committed the effective use of the hospital’s modern medical equipment for better health services.

On the occasion, the central province of Nghe An donated 100 million VND (4,400 USD) to the Lao province’s blood donation organisation.

Households evacuated due to sink hole

At least six families in Bang Lung Town in northern Bac Kan province were evacuated on January 3 after a sink hole 12 metres long and 20 metres deep appeared near their house on January 2.

The provincial People’s Committee also planned to evacuate other 20 families and blocked the traffic via provincial highway 254 as the hole is quite near to the road which links Cho Don and Ba Be districts in the province.

According to the province’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the area has complicated Karst topography. The province will ask for assistance from the Department of Geology and Minerals of Vietnam to identify the cause of the sink hole.

Lao Cai to be Vietnam’s biggest natural tourism hub

The northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has set the target to become Vietnam’s biggest mountainous cultural and natural tourism hub in its tourism master plan for 2015-2020 with a vision to 2030.

Accordingly, the province strives to receive 4.5 million tourists a year, earning a total turnover of 18 trillion VND (818 million USD) from tourism by 2020. The figures are to increase to 13 million tourists with total turnover of 58,5 trillion VND (2.7 billion USD) by 2030.

Along with making full use of its advantages in on natural tourism resource and diverse cultural identities, the province will promote other tourism products including eco-tourism, eco-cultural tourism, and spiritual tourism.

The province has introduced several key solutions in order to obtain its target, including those on human resource, investment capital, promotion, technological-scientific application, planning management, tourism development cooperation, and tourism environmental resource.

Besides, the province will work to attract visitors from key markets both in and outside the country’s markets such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Western European countries.

Lao Cai will host the National Tourism Year in 2017, which is seen as an opportunity for the province and other northwestern localities to introduce their beautiful landscapes and unique cultural identities of ethnic groups in the region.-

Sa Pa enjoys holiday season tourism boom

The northern mountainous town of Sa Pa in Lao Cai province received around 30,000 holiday-makers during the New Year holiday, soaring 45 percent compared to the same period last year.

Despite drizzle and foggy weather, tourists flocked to the town to attend art and sporting activities to celebrate the New Year.

On January 2, a 47.5 km bicycle race was held in the town, aiming to promote physical exercise and expand exchanges with international friends in the fields of culture and sport.

On the occasion, the provincial Information and Tourism Promotion Centre coordinated with the Sa Pa Tourism Association and travel companies to hold a special art programme to welcome the first visitors to the town in the year.

Foreign tourists flock to Hue for New Year

The central province of ThuaThien – Hue received roughly 90,000 travellers, including 40,000 foreigners, from December 24-January 2, up 12 percent from the same period last year.

The average hotel occupancy rate reached 65- 70 percent, and that in five-star hotels hit 90 percent.

During the first two days of the New Year, music performances, traditional dancing and food festivals took place at restaurants, hotels, pubs and coffee shops in the city.

In 2016, the province plans to welcome 3.1-3.3 million tourists, including 1.2 – 1.3 million foreigners.

The sector is expected to see a surge of 15-18 percent in revenue compared to last year, making up 55.3 percent of the province’s GDP.

According to Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Phan Tien Dung, the sector will aim to develop tourism products at relic sites such as the Hue Ancient Citadel and the Ho Chi Minh Museum.

The province will also focus on seaside tourism such as the beaches of ThuanAn and Lang Co, as well as community-tourism services in ancient villages, Dung said.

Incentives will be offered to draw investment in local tourism infrastructure facilities, especially in Chan May port and downtown Hue city.

In 2015, the province received 3.1 million holiday-makers and earned more than 3 trillion VND (132 million USD), up 8 percent and 10 percent from 2014, respectively.

More than 800,000 international tourists called at the province last year.

Vinh Long’s ecotourism enjoys New Year’s upbeat record

Eco-sites in southern Vinh Long province attracted more than 3,000 visitors on December 12, 2015 and January 1, 2016.

Nguyen Thi Thu Trang, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, said her family often spends holidays on green tourism to enjoy fresh air, tranquil surroundings and communal activities.

Phan Thanh Tuyen, a Vietnamese expat in the US who went back home for the New Year’s vacation, pointed to her two sons’ excitement of fish catching, boat trips and candied coconut making.

Currently, Vinh Long has 20 gardens serving community-based eco-tours.

In 2015, the province welcomed 960,000 tourists with tourism revenue increasing 5 percent against the previous year.-

Dong Van Karst Plateau welcomes first foreign tourists in 2016

The northern mountainous province of Ha Giang on January 1 held a ceremony to welcome the first foreign visitors to its Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark.

Trieu Thi Tinh, Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that greeting the first callers from the US and UK, Ha Giang will have more momentums to realise its goal of becoming a key tourism centre in the country.

Dong Van plateau was recognised as a member of the Global Network of National Geoparks in 2010, becoming Vietnam’s first geological park and the second in Southeast Asia.

About 1,600 metres above the sea level, the plateau covers a total area of 2,356 square kilometres, stretching across Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Dong Van and Meo Vac districts. It is 80 percent limestone and contains the fossils of thousands of species of prehistoric creatures from 400-600 million years ago.

Visitors to the plateau are not only impressed by its stunning view but also have a chance to enrich their knowledge about traditional customs and culture of 17 different ethnic groups living in the area

According to Tran Duc Quy, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, the local tourism sector recorded a stellar performance in 2015, with 17.3 percent surge in the number of holidaymakers and 708 billion VND (31.5 million USD) in revenue.

He said that the province has paid much attention to renovating tourism popularisation and promotion, helping vacationers have an opportunity to experience and discover the outstanding features of the locality, especially during the buckwheat flower festival.

In 2016, Ha Giang expects to welcome 900,000 domestic and foreign visitors and earn 1 trillion VND (44.5 million USD) form tourism activities.

Dong Nai holds rehearsal of oil spill, fire-fighting response

More than 200 people took part in an exercise to deal with oil spill and fires on Dong Nai River, the southern province of Dong Nai, on December 31.

The drill was jointly organised by the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment and Hai Van Transport Service Company.

The scenario involved a collision between a 5,000-tonne cargo ship carrying dust coal and a wharf. The clash made five tonnes of oil spill into the river while setting fire on the deck. The 29-strong crew on board conducted on-site fire-fighting and called relevant authorities for help.

Tens of canoes and ships and rescue forces were mobilised to control the oil spill and fire. The incidents were managed after 50 minutes.

According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, the drill is a good chance for rescue forces to practice their skills and ensure the coordination mechanism among relevant forces operate smoothly in cases of emergency.

HCM City: Thousands join voluntary blood donation

Thousands of people participated in the “Red Sunday”, a voluntary blood donation progamme, held in the southern city of Ho Chi Minh on January 3.

Some 1,000 blood units were collected in the morning of the day.

Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Nguyen Anh Tuan said the programme holds a significant meaning in increasing public awareness of sharing precious blood to save patients.

After Ho Chi Minh City, the programme will travel to other provinces and cities across the country.

The “Red Sunday” was first held in 2009. Taking place nationwide on the New Year occasion, the programme has received warm response from the public, especially young people.

The initiative was co-organised by the Tien Phong Newspaper, Ho Chi Minh City Voluntary Blood Donation Centre, Cho Ray Hospital and Van Hien University.

President visits hi-tech agricultural farms in Lam Dong

President Truong Tan Sang visited several hi-tech agricultural farms in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong on January 1.

In the new-style rural district of Don Duong bordering Da Lat city, he learned about seedling, flower and vegetable farming models in Lac Lam commune and visited a milch cow farm in Lac Xuan commune.

The President praised efforts made by local farmers in applying high technologies to increase productivity, urging them to regularly exchange information for mutual development, especially after the ASEAN Community is officially formed.

As one of the largest vegetable cultivation areas nationwide, Don Duong is the first district in the Central Highlands recognised as a new-style rural area and one of the first 10 districts nationwide to earn the status.

Visiting Rung Hoa Da Lat Company, one of Lam Dong’s two largest flower exporters, in Da Lat city, the State leader suggested the company import and cross-breed new varieties to increase their commercial values.

Lam Dong currently has more than 43,000ha of land for hi-tech farming, or 16.4 percent of the total cultivation area.

The farm produce export accounts for 80 percent of the province’s total.

Female guest workers in Binh Duong, Dong Nai better cared for

More than 100,000 female guest workers in factories in the southern provinces of Binh Duong and Dong Nai have better awareness of reproductive health care and gender equality thanks to a project funded by Marie Stopes Vietnam.

The project, started in 2013, aims to advance the social and economic empowerment of female migrant workers through facilitating access to reproductive health services and gender-sensitive initiatives in the two localities.

Vice President of the Binh Duong Labour Union Truong Thi Bich Hanh hailed the project’s practical achievements, saying that under the project, 62 mobile medical check-ups have been conducted across nine factories in the two provinces during business hours to facilitate access to these services among female workers and to save them time and travel costs.

As many as 17 “healthy holiday” events have also been organised, encouraging the targeted beneficiaries to participate in games and activities related to reproductive and sexual health, thus raising their understanding of the issue.

Additionally, training courses have targeted hundreds of medical staff and midwives at the factories, while communication and consultation work have been promoted.

Nguyen Thi Bich Hang, Chief Representative of Marie Stopes Vietnam, has called for joint efforts by localities, enterprises and trade unions to continue their project.

Hang cited a survey conducted under the project in a number of factories in the two provinces found that nearly 20 percent of pregnancies were unplanned.

Nearly 70 percent of their female workers have gynaecological diseases, and only half of them go for check-ups in their factories’ medical clinics. About 28.6 percent have never accessed any reproductive health care services, Hang said.

The survey also showed that nearly 42 percent of the female workers were hesitant to use birth-control measures, she said, adding that the project has contributed to improving the quality and capability of the medical clinics at factories, thus ensuring a healthy and committed workforce.

Some 65 percent of female workers gave good and very good ratings for the medical establishments in their workplaces, up from 35 percent before the project began.

Ly Thanh Thao, a worker in Binh Duong, said it was the attitude of the obstetricians and midwives that encouraged them to use the services.

Peter Tsai from the Pou Chen Group said the company has always given priority to providing reproductive health services for its female workers, who account for more than 80 percent of its workforce.

According to Deputy Director of the Dong Nai Health Department Huynh Cao Hai, the sustainable way to enhance female workers’ health is to encourage all factories to offer reproductive healthcare services, especially those with a large number of female workers.

Priority should be given to develop transport in northwestern region

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested the Ministries of Transport, Planning and Investment, and Finance to prioritise investments in transport infrastructure in the northwestern region.

Speaking at a conference to review five-year investment in transport in the region on December 31, Phuc, who is head of the Steering Committee for the Northwestern Region, affirmed that there will be no economic development without roads.

He noted that travel time to the region has been cut by at least one third thanks to intensive investment in transport networks from roads, railways and waterways to aviation.

However, the improvement is not enough to meet demands due to the complicated terrains and the vast area of the region.

Weak regional connectivity, overloaded vehicles’ damage to roads and the high level of traffic accidents are challenging the region, he noted.

The Deputy PM asked northwestern localities to make mid-term plans and a list of priorities in transport to facilitate investment allocation and perfect mechanisms to attract investment from all economic sectors.

He instructed relevant ministries to allocate capital and ODA to develop key routes in the region, and revise the existing transport networks to seek the most suitable mode for local transport.

Transport Minister Dinh La Thang emphasised the importance to build roads linking with the Noi Bai-Lao Cai expressway to facilitate the development of regional localities like Tuyen Quang, Ha Giang and Lai Chau.

The region has nearly 153,000km of roads, four railways with a total length of 700km, and four airports in Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai and Son La province. Several localities have waterway linkages with others in the region and in the Hong (Red) River delta.

Nghe An looks to improve care for the disabled

The central province of Nghe An has set out plans towards the goal of taking good care of all local people with disabilities and orphans by 2020.

The locality will try to provide consultation on and facilitate access to social services such as education, vocational training, job placement and health care for the targeted groups, while offering incentives for businesses run by people with disabilities.

Investment will be made in upgrading infrastructure facilities and preferential loans to be given to households with disabled people and orphans so that they can start animal farming and other means of livelihood.

Local chapters of the Vietnam Fatherland Front will enhance public campaigns to mobilise resources for social welfare programmes targeting the vulnerable groups such as building houses and providing wheelchairs.

Nghe An has 98,335 people with disabilities and 6,922 orphans and abandoned children.

Over the past five years, around 50,000 people with disabilities and orphans have received regular allowances and health insurance coverage. More than 10,500 were given free health checks and treatment, including surgery, while 5,540 received vocational training.

Ca Mau: 1.1 billion USD for new-style rural area development

The Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau mobilised about 24 trillion VND (1.1 billion USD) for building new-style rural areas from 2011-2015.

The locality also encouraged local people to help build infrastructure such as bridges and roads in rural areas.

Thanks to these efforts, 17 out of 82 communes in the province have been recognised as new-style rural areas.

Doan Van Binh, deputy head of the provincial steering board for the new-style rural area building programme, said the programme has given a facelift to rural areas in Ca Mau and improved local living standards.

However, he said the work has been hindered by a shortage of capital, especially in disadvantaged and coastal communes.

From 2016-2020, Ca Mau aims to convert at least half of its communes into new-style rural areas, he said.

To fulfill the target, he urged local authorities to communicate with people on the programme with special attention paid to poverty reduction, vocational training, job generation and sustainable development.

The National Target Programme on New Rural Development, launched in 2010, sets 19 criteria for new rural areas covering infrastructure, production, living standards, income and culture, among others.

A commune must meet at least 75 percent of all the 19 criteria in order to receive the new-style rural area status.

Tuyen Quang keen to develop forests

The northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang plans to plant more than 10,000 hectares of forests in 2016, raising local forest coverage to over 60 percent.

The province is encouraging local households to get involved in the project by providing them with land and seedlings.

It will mobilise different resources for the protection and development of production forests and the environment.

Tuyen Quang currently has nearly 447,000 hectares of land earmarked for forest development, accounting for 76 percent of local land.

The province aims to exploit more than 9,400 hectares of forests, producing more than 765,000 cu.m of wood.

Dak Lak promotes Ede language teaching in schools

The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has employed various measures to improve the quality of Ede ethnic language teaching in schools.

Since 2011, the province has held regular training courses for teachers of the Ede language who now lecture in 118 schools with over 13,340 students across the locality.

Most teachers had previously not received any intensive training.

Dak Lak is also working with competent agencies to study, compile and adjust Ede language textbooks and documents to meet the teaching and learning requirements of the ethnic language.

Presently, the locality has six Ede language book titles that have been ratified and published by the Ministry of Education and Training.

However, the provincial People’s Committee said teaching the Ede language still faces many challenges such as the shortage of trained teachers and textbooks for secondary students.

To deal with this, the locality has asked relevant ministries and agencies to issue more Ede language textbooks for secondary schools, and for colleges and universities in the province to train more teachers in the language.

A 46km session of National Road 1A from Hanoi to Bac Giang province was opened to traffic on January 3 after 18 months of upgrade work, and six months ahead of schedule.

The stretch forms part of the Ha Noi-Lang Son Expressway project which was approved by the Prime Minister and is scheduled for completion in 2017.

Built under the BOT (build-operate-transfer) model, the 4.2 trillion VND (197.4 million USD) road meets expressway standards and allows a maximum speed limit of 100km per hour.

The project aims to fulfill the increasing demand for transport between Hanoi, Bac Ninh and Bac Giang while helping to reduce accidents and traffic jams on National Road 1A and contributing to socio-economic development.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hailed the efforts made by relevant agencies, especially the Ministry of Transport, during the implementation of the important project, which, he said, will help enhance trade ties with China.

He asked Bac Ninh, Bac Giang and Lang Son to make the best use of the road and develop their industrial, trade and service sectors in order to effectively exploit the one-billion.

The official also called for the road to be maintained efficiently, making the Hanoi-Bac Giang section a model for other major arteries.

Localities along the road have been urged to try to prevent traffic accidents, helping the National Committee on Traffic Safety reach its target of reducing the number of deaths and injuries on the country’s roads.

Opened in 2001, the Hanoi-Bac Giang National Highway was seriously deteriorated and heavily congested.

Yen Bai boosts ties with Lao provinces

Friendly ties between the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai and the Lao provinces of Vientiane and Saynhabuly have progressed well over the past years, according to Director of the provincial Department of External Relations Nguyen Tien Dung.

Via mutual support in Party building and socio-economic development, Yen Bai has trained and provided scholarships for nearly 200 Lao students in the fields of pedagogy, health care, culture-art and tourism since 2011.

Yen Bai has also sent officers to Lao departments and agencies to teach Vietnamese while welcoming Lao fellows to the province to share professional experience in health care, agriculture, planning, investment and transport.

Moreover, the province has offered financial assistance worth billions VND to the Lao side to build medical and housing facilities.

Both sides also annually hold exchange of visits to set cooperation plans and share experience.

Vietnamese expats in Cuba celebrate New Year

The Vietnam Embassy in Cuba has recently held a get-together for the Vietnamese community to welcome the New Year 2016.

At the event, Ambassador Duong Minh recalled major cooperation activities between Vietnam and Cuba last year, especially the visits of both sides’ senior officials.

The diplomat extended the best wishes to the community on the New Year, hoping they will continue making contributions to the bilateral friendship.

On the occasion, he presented gifts and certificates of merit to Vietnamese students with outstanding performance in the 2014-2015 academic year.

The gathering featured Vietnam’s traditional culinary delights, a musical concert and a fund-raising lottery.

OVs in Germany urged to contribute more to bilateral relations

Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Doan Xuan Hung has expressed his wish that the overseas Vietnamese community in the country will always stay together to contribute more to the Vietnam-Germany ties.

Visiting several OV groups in Berlin on January 1on the occasion of the New Year 2016, Hung highlighted President Truong Tan Sang’s State visit to Germany in 2015 as the first by a Vietnamese State leader to the country since the two nations established their diplomatic ties 40 years ago.

During the meetings between President Sang and German leaders, the hosts praised the significant contributions the OV community in Germany has made to the their country’s prosperity, Hung said.

The Vietnamese diplomat also called on OVs to continue serving as a bridge to facilitate the Vietnam-Germany cooperation.

Representatives from Vietnamese enterprises and organisations in Germany also pledged to exert more efforts to foster the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Quang Ngai: Small Islet to get electricity before Tet

Inhabitants of An Binh Islet, 30km off the coast of Quang Ngai central province, will have access to electricity before Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, which falls in February.

Vice Chairwoman of Ly Son Island district's People's Committee Pham Thi Huong said recently that a diesel powered generator system would provide full-time electricity for over 500 islanders.

She said the project was part of the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) providing prolonged energy for the daily activities and production of the islet – 3 nautical miles away from Ly Son Island.

The province has been seeking funds for construction of a power line connecting the Ly Son Island and the islet.

Deputy Director of the Quang Ngai provincial Power Company Cao Chuc said a 2km power line was completed and the islanders can use power full time.

Village patriarch in highland province preserves native culture

Duom Dai K' Bat, 77, a village patriarch at Dinh Van town, Lam Ha district in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, owns a collection of invaluable items that help maintain the K'Ho ethnic group's culture.

The ancient house on stilts which many generations of his family live in is where he preserves many hundreds of years old appliances typical of the K'Ho people, including che ruou can (jars of wine drunk through pipes), gongs, ken bau (a double reed wind instrument), dishes and combs made of buffalo's horns.

"For other people, these things are valueless but for me, they are very precious," he said.

These objects are often used in village rituals such as wedding ceremonies, funerals and housewarmings.

"The green jar is the most precious which I bought for tens buffalo. Many people want to buy it but I won't sell because I want to keep it for the next generations to help them learn more about the country's traditional culture," he said.

Over 140 women awarded with “Heroic Mother” title

Ho Chi Minh City authorities presented the title of “Heroic Vietnamese Mother” to 141 women in 16 urban and four rural districts during a ceremony on January 2.

Among them, only four are still alive and able to receive the title.

Speaking at the event, Vice Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Tat Thanh Cang expressed his gratitude for heroic Vietnamese mothers and fallen soldiers for their sacrifice to the great national revolutionary cause.

With the recognition, Ho Chi Minh City currently records a total of 4,574 heroic Vietnamese mothers.

Across the country, more than 59,000 women have been awarded with the title.

Da Lat Flower Festival: 126 flower growers honoured

As many as 126 individuals and organisations in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong were honoured for their stellar achievements in the study and production of new flower varieties at a ceremony held on January 1 as part of the sixth Da Lat Flower Festival.

According to Nguyen Vinh Phuc, Vice Chairman of the Da Lat city People’s Committee, the event aims to show respects for outstanding farmers and businesses for their great contributions to the city's horticulture.

The hi-tech application in flower growing has helped increase productivity as well as values, he added.

Especially, numerous ethnic people and foreign enterprises were honoured at the event.

Lam Dong is currently home to nearly 8,000 hectares of flowers with a yield of nearly 2.5 billion flowers per year.

Also in the framework of the festival, the provincial People’s Committee recognised Xuan Thanh village in Xuan Tho commune, Da Lat city as a new “traditional flower village”.

Over 10 kilometres far from Da Lat city, the village boasts 149 hectares of flowers, including 117 hectares left for flower growing in greenhouses and about 20 hectares for flower production using drip-irrigational technology.

Da Lat now has four traditional flower villages, namely Van Thanh, Thai Phien, Ha Dong and Xuan Tho. They have improved traditional flower cultivation while bringing Da Lat flower trademark to both domestic and international markets.

The December 29-January 2 festival is expected to attract 500,000 visitors, who have been grabbed by the kaleidoscopic patchwork of flowers, charming landscape and comfortable weather of the city.

EVN SPC ensures power supply for islanders

The Southern Power Corporation of the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN SPC) has so far supplied electricity for nearly 30,500 households in the island districts of Phu Quy, Con Dao, Phu Quoc and Kien Hai.

The EVN SPC has invested in more than 75 kilometers of 22-110kV underground cables and over 305 kilometers of 22-110kV power lines.

It has also poured money into building a nearly 255km low voltage power line along with 558 transformer stations with a total capacity of some 105,000 kVA.

In 2016, the company will carry out more projects to generate power for island communes in the southern province of Kien Giang such as Lai Son in Kien Hai district and Hon Nghe in Kien Luong district.

The projects are expected to be completed in April 2016.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade has approved a feasible study for a project on grid investment for ashore island communes in Kien Giang province.

Memorial park for war martyrs inaugurated in HCM City

A park commemorating 52 commandos, who sacrificed their lives to occupy and protect Rach Chiec Bridge during the Ho Chi Minh Campaign, was inaugurated in An Phu Commune, District 2, Ho Chi Minh City on December 31.

The memorial site was built in 12,000 square metres of land at a total cost of 21 billion VND (934,000 USD). The site includes a 6,000-square-metre memorial park and an area for flower lantern release.

The construction shows the respect of the municipal party, authorities and residents for the fallen soldiers while helping educate young generations about the nation’s struggle for independence.

From April 27-30, 1975, commando units Z23 and Z22 of Brigade 316 and Battalion 81 made their concerted efforts to occupy Rach Chiec Bridge- an important point in the northeastern gate of Sai Gon, paving the way for revolutionary forces to liberate the city.

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