Conference highlights media’s role in national leadership, management

The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and the Academy of Journalism and Communications (AJC) jointly organised a conference on the role of information provided by the media in the country’s leadership and management during the process of renovation and international integration.

Opinions of managers, leaders from various State agencies and researchers and scientists heard during the conference will serve as a reference for a national research in this regard conducted by the VNA.

According to former Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Do Quy Doan, the research study is significant in determining the direction of Vietnam’s journalism and the responsibility of managing agencies in providing information to the media.

Meanwhile, Professor Dr. Duong Xuan Ngoc, former Vice Director of the AJC, held that information is a source of soft power of a nation, essential in assisting leadership and managing activities.

More than 30 speeches delivered at the conference showed that journalism, an increasingly significant component of the country’s socio-political life, has been facing both opportunities and challenges, especially after Vietnam entered the World Trade Organisation and as it is integrating deeply into the global life.

Participants also highlighted the need to complete legal systems for and State management over journalism to serve the establishment of a socialist law-governed State.

They analysed the advantages and difficulties resulting from the influence of information globalisation on the media in Vietnam as well as impacts from booming social media.

They also contributed ideas on theory systems and study measures to implement the research.

Kien Giang to deploy water supply project in Phu Quoc Island

The southern province of Kien Giang is working on a pre-feasibility report on a water supply project in the island district of Phu Quoc, according to Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Khac Ghi.

The report will be conducted with support from the the Japanese city of Kobe and the Japan International Cooperation Association (JICA).

The project, developed under the public-private partnership, has a total investment capital of VND1.85 trillion (US$861 million).

It will include water reservoirs and pipe systems with an investment capital of VND1.653 trillion (US$767 million) from the provincial budget.

A water treatment factory worth VND200 billion (US$94 million) will be invested by Japanese businesses.

So far, Kien Giang has attracted 35 official development assistance and foreign direct investment projects with a total investment capital of US$1.3 billion.

The province has also signed 8 cooperation agreements with international partners in environmental protection, information technology and human resources management.

Save Lives: Clean Your Hands” campaign aims to control HAI

The Ministry of Health and the World Health Organisation (WHO) jointly launched the campaign “Save lives: Clean Your Hands” in Hanoi on May 5, aiming to prevent hospital-acquired infection (HAI) at health care facilities.

This year’s event marked Vietnam’s sixth annual response to the campaign since it was initiated by the WHO in 2009.

Associate Professor Luong Ngoc Khue, head of the Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Examination and Treatment, said HAI is one of the top challenges and lingering problems in Vietnam and across the world as well.

Many researches showed that HAI is a reason behind fatality rise, prolonged hospitalization, and anti-biotic overuse, he said.

He declared that HAI could be completely controlled through effective bacterial management programmes, including hand cleaning which is the most effective and cheapest way to reduce HAI and protect both patients and health care staff.

During the past six years, the campaign has helped raised public awareness of the need for HAI control, while more resources have been spent on the work.

So far, nearly 500 hospitals across the country have committed to joining the campaign, while other 73 hospitals have registered for engagement via WHO website, making Vietnam the fourth active country of the campaign in the Asia-Pacific region.

At the launch ceremony, several hospitals signed up to respond to the campaign, including Cho Ray Hospital, Bach Mai Hospital, Military Hospital 108, Hue Central Hospital, and Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmaceuticals’ Hospital.

A contest to explore knowledge and skills of cleaning hands was also launched among health care facilities nationwide.

Orbis Flying Eye Hospital comes to Hue

Orbis Flying Eye Hospital (FEH), a fully equipped ophthalmic hospital and teaching facility plane, landed in Hue city, central Thua Thien-Hue province on May 5.

The landing is part of a 5-year project on improving eye care services for children across the central region which began in July 2014.

While staying in Hue, the FEH will launch a 2-week training course for some 150 medical personnel along with free check-ups and treatment for more than 200 patients with eyesight problems.

According to FEH Medical Director Ahmed Gomaa, Orbis, an NGO dedicated to vision treatment worldwide since 1982, has come to Vietnam since 2000 and helped establish five eye care centres for children in Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Dinh.

Statistics from the World Health Organisation showed that there are currently 39 million blind people and 80 percent of the causes are curable. Nineteen million children are suffering serious eye problems, including 1.4 million at high risk of blindness.

Traffic accidents kill 2,000 children every year

About 2,000 children die in traffic accidents in Vietnam every year, and one of the leading causes of mortality is not wearing crash helmets while traveling on motorbikes, a transport official has warned.

Deputy Transport Minister Le Dinh Tho released the warning at a ceremony held in Hanoi on Monday in response to the Third United Nations Global Road Safety Week in 2015 (May 4-10), under the theme of “Children and Road Safety; Save Kids Lives.”

Speaking at the event, Manu Eraly, the World Health Organization (WHO) representative in Vietnam, said traffic accidents are the leading cause of mortality for children aged 10-19 in Vietnam.

On average traffic accidents kill about 2,000 children in that age range per year, Deputy Minister Tho said, adding that not wearing a helmet while traveling on motorbikes is one of the top causes of mortality for children.

Globally traffic accidents are the eighth leading cause of mortality and claim about 1.24 million people every year, Eraly said.

On average, traffic accidents kill one child and injure hundreds more every four minutes in the world, causing immeasurable pain and sometimes financial burdens for a lot families, the WHO official said.

He stressed that the Third United Nations Global Road Safety Week in 2015 is a good opportunity to launch and maintain activities that help ensure traffic safety, reduce traffic accidents, and ease impacts on children.

According to the website of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, around 186,300 children under the age of 18 die from road traffic crashes annually, and rates of road traffic deaths are three times higher in developing countries than in developed countries.

Deputy Minister Tho said, “Schools, parents, and competent agencies should enhance awareness of and strengthen responsibility for ensuring traffic safety for children.”

The regulation that children above six years old must wear a crash helmet when traveling on motorbikes must be strictly complied with in order to build a friendly, safe, and happy traffic environment for children, he said.

“Adults should educate children to abide by traffic rules and the adults themselves must also follow those rules to set examples,” he added.

At the ceremony representatives of the ministry, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, the WHO, and the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation called on students to wear helmets while riding on motorbikes.

They also offered helmets to students at Tan Dinh High School in the capital city's Hoang Mai District.

Google Vietnam reveals nine finalists for doodle drawing contest

The first nine finalists of a contest in which Google encourages Vietnamese kids to create doodles for its search website were officially announced on May 4.

These finalists represent three age groups, each of which has three works, Google said on its “Doodle 4 Google” page.

The doodles – or the fun, surprising, and spontaneous changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers, and scientists – created by these finalists are now on display at google.com.vn/doodle4google.

The authors will receive a certificate while their works will compete for the final prize with nine other finalists to be announced later by Google.

The Doodle 4 Google contest was launched in Vietnam in late November 2014.

Themed “My Dream,” the contest is open to children aged between seven and 15, who are encouraged to never stop dreaming and pursuing their dream to contribute to the development of the community and the world.

The winning doodle will be displayed on Vietnam’s localized version of Google, google.com.vn, where hundreds of millions of Google users can see it, for 24 hours.

Below are the doodles created by the Vietnamese kids that have been selected for the final competition.

* Group 1: Seven to nine years old

"My Year of the Goat holiday"  by Le Hieu (Dong Nai Province)

"Peace" by Ngo Duc Anh (Ho Chi Minh City)

"A modern world" by Nguyen Luu Hai Chau (Ho Chi Minh City)

* Group 2: Ten to 12 years old

"Dream draws dream" by Chu Mai Thi (Hanoi)

"A baseball team" by Nguyen Tuan Anh (Ho Chi Minh City

"A colorful ocean" by Nguyen Viet Ha (Ho Chi Minh City)

* Group 3: 13 to 15 years old

"A trip around the world" by Tran Quynh Nhi (Ho Chi Minh City)

"Waste treatment technology" by Mai Nhut Tan (An Giang Province)

"The energy tree" by Nguyen Ngoc Kim Long (Ho Chi Minh CIty)

Designed to encourage eligible school students to use their creativity to create their own interpretation of the Google logo, the Doodle 4 Google has gone through 25 countries across the globe over the last 15 years and managed to solicit thousands of creative ideas, according to the search giant.

This is the first time the competition has reached Vietnam.

“We are happy to see huge creativity and imagination through the drawings of Vietnamese kids,” said Sophie Tran, director of marketing in Vietnam with Google Asia-Pacific.

Tran said the children’s works are not only “a source of inspiration for us,” but also “give us an outlook for a future we all want to see.”

The Google official said even though a doodle is only a simple drawing, it conveys many meanings and gives children a chance to voice their opinions and wishes.

“It provides a positive tool for the children to contribute to the development of Vietnam in the future, which is also how we want to encourage them, and ourselves, to never stop dreaming and never give up your dreams,” she said.

The Google’s doodlers, a team of talented illustrators and engineers, have created over 2,000 doodles for the search giant’s homepages around the world since 2000.

Association of the Elderly marks 20th founding anniversary

The Vietnam Association of the Elderly (VAE) convened the third national patriotic emulation congress and marked the 20th founding anniversary in Hanoi on May 5.

Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said the Party and State have continually attached importance to caring for the elderly and providing favourable conditions for them to continue contributing their knowledge and experience to national development.

He appreciated the VAE’s contributions to building socio-economic development policies, especially those pertaining to the elderly.

Vietnam was recognised for realising the Millennium Development Goals regarding caring for the elderly and raising life expectancy, he added, while pointing out the gap between Vietnam and other countries in this field.

VAE Chairwoman Cu Thi Hau said during 20 years of operation, the association has liaised with State agencies to design related legal regulations and policies and deliver assistance to the elderly.

At present, more than 1.5 million elderly individuals nationwide receive monthly social benefits and nearly 50% have been given health insurance cards. Relevant agencies also hold longevity celebrations for about 1 million people and offer aid to another 900,000 others every year, she noted.

A number of the programmes have also proven effective, such as those supporting house-building and eye surgery expenses for the disadvantaged, Hau added.

Looking forward, the VAE will coordinate with the State agencies on the national action programme on the elderly and supervise the implementation of the Law on the Elderly and related policies, she said.

During the congress, the VAE was presented with the Labour Order (first class).

Science and technology student award launched

The Honda Young Engineer and Scientist’s Award (Y-E-S Award) was launched on May 4 at eight universities across Vietnam.

The programme was organised by Honda Vietnam (HVN) in association with the Honda Foundation and the National Institute for Science and Technology Policy and Strategy Studies (NISTPASS).

Honda’s eight affiliated universities are the Hanoi University of Science and Technology; University of Engineering and Technology and University of Science at Vietnam National University, Hanoi; University of Science at Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City; Da Nang University of Technology; Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology; Hanoi University of Transport and Communications; and Ho Chi Minh City University of Transport.

The awards will be granted to students who excel in science and technology with active participation in extra-curricular activities.

Online registration for the programme will be open through July 1.

The Honda Y-E-S Award programme was started in 2006 to foster future leaders of science and technology as part of the Honda Foundation’s 30 th anniversary project.

Dutch Lady’s programme develops young talent basketball players

The American Professional Basketball League (APBL) will officially launch its second annual Junior NBA Camp (Jr. NBA) in Hanoi on May 13 for young males and females aged 10 yrs – 14 yrs.

Previously, the programme was also kicked off in Ho Chi Minh City on April 26.

The programme, sponsored by Dutch Lady, will provide youth across 200 schools and community centres the opportunity to work towards future basketball goals by providing training courses and competitions highlighting the importance of hard work, education and social responsibility.

This year’s schedule includes additional clinics leading up to the Selection Camp in May15-16, where the top 40 boys and 24 girls, aged 10 to 14, will be chosen after a series of assessments that will determine who will participate in the Jr NBA National Training Camp in Ho Chi Minh City from May 29-31.

The 2015 Jr. NBA will attend an NBA overseas training course and have the opportunity to meet NBA star athletes and compete with similar teams from other countries in the world later this year.

The programme, part of ‘Drink.Move.Be Strong’ campaign, aims to improve the nutritional status of children according to the results of the South East Asian Nutrition Survey (SEANUTS).

It is being implemented in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Vietnam Airlines tops the list of flight delays during holiday

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines topped the list of flight delays during the six-day holiday starting April 28 with 249 flights delayed, accounting for 49.4% of the total, local media reported, citing data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV).

Vietnam Airlines was followed by VietJet Air, Jetstar Pacific and Vasco with 175 flights, 76 flights, and four flights delayed, making up 34.7%, 15.4%, and 0.8%, respectively.

During the holiday, local carriers successfully operated 3,277 flights, of with 504 were delayed and six canceled, occupying 15.4% and 0.2% of the total.

Most flight delays and cancellations happened as airplanes arrived at airports later than the time they were scheduled to, with 70.4%,Thanh Nien reported.

During the holiday, the total output of passenger and goods transferred through Vietnamese airports reached 893,000 visitors and about 9,400 metric tons of cargo, up 27.5% and 4.6% compared with the same period in 2014, according to figures the CAAV released on May 4.

In particular, the statistics showed that Vietnamese carriers successfully transported 433,000 passengers and 2,800 metric tons of cargo, up 30.3% and five percent compared with the same period of 2014.

The Southeast Asian country last week enjoyed a six-day holiday starting with the national festival to commemorate the death anniversary of the Hung Kings, the founders of the nation, which falls on the 10th day of the third month of this lunar year, or April 28, followed by Reunification Day (April 3 ) and Labor Day (May 1), and the weekend (May 2-3).

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the Hanoi People’s Committee to speed up projects to clean up and improve the Day, Tich and Nhue Rivers in the city.

Hai called on the ministry and the city to prioritise these projects so as to proactively address the impacts of climate change, such as unusual weather patterns, heavy rainfall and flooding.

They were also urged to work with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance to resolve budget problems and submit proposals to the Prime Minister.

Hai stressed the necessity of hastening construction of the Yen Nghia Pumping Station and flood prevention and embankment improvement plans along the Day River.

He also urged the MARD to ensure adequate water supply for production and daily life of residents along the lower section of the Tich River as well as propose a solution to cope with the declining water levels of the Red River in the dry season.

Meanwhile, the Hanoi People Committee was asked to prepare for heavy rain and flooding in the city and especially in the central area during the upcoming monsoon season.-

Explosion in ship's hold injures three workers

Local police are investigating an explosion in which three welders suffered burns on Monday in the southern Ba Ria –Vung Tau Province, the Tuoi tre (Youth) newspaper reported.

The incident occurred when the workers were welding a ship's hold, where cargo is stored, in a seaport.

The injured persons were taken to HCM City's Cho Ray Hospital for treatment. The hospital's doctors said one patient suffered 67 per cent burns, and the other two welders suffered 34 per cent and six per cent burns.

The patient who had suffered six per cent burns left the hospital yesterday.

Three killed in crane accident in Mekong Delta

A woman and her two sons were killed by a crane which fell on Provincial Road No 842 in Hong Ngu Town of the Mekong province of Dong Thap this morning.

The accident occurred on the road which intersects a construction site for the Hong Ngu Bridge No 2. It killed 31-year-old Can Tuong Van and her five-year-old and two year-old sons. Van was taking her children to school.

Hong Ngu Town police said at the time of the accident, the crane was being operated by 29-year-old driver Nguyen Thai Huynh.

A broken crane cable was possibly the cause of the accident, according to the police force.

Ha Nam detects H5N6 avian flu strain

The preventive healthcare department of the health ministry has confirmed that avian flu strain A/H5N6 has been detected in Ha Nam Province's Kim Bang district.

Deputy Chief of the veterinary department Dam Xuan Thanh said genetic sequencing showed the virus was 99 per cent similar to the A/H5N6 strain reported in China's Sichuan Province last year.

Earlier last month, the central Nghe An province also detected a viral strain in a flock of chicken in Quy Hop district's Nghia Xuan commune.

Following the incident, the provincial animal health department vaccinated about 8,700 poultry birds against the A/H5N6 virus in the commune.

The veterinary department said the clinical symptoms of the A/H5N6 strain were similar to those of the H5N1 strain.

The World Health Organisation has said the A/H5N6 strain is a highly pathogenic strain, but there's no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission, despite occasional instances of apparent infection between family members.

However, the development of the new strain needs to be put under the microscope to nip in the bud a possible avian flu outbreak in poultry.

The health ministry has urged provincial and municipal People's Committees and the departments for agriculture and rural development to intensify inspection of poultry smuggling, and strictly control the import and transport of poultry to effectively prevent any A/H5N6 infection among humans.

The local authorities have also boosted awareness programmes in the affected areas to prevent the bird flu pathogen from being transmitted to humans.

Three fined for illegal dredging of sand

Inspectors from the southern Ben Tre Province's natural resources and environment department today fined three persons a total of VND110 million ($5,080) for illegally dredging sand from the Tien River.

The three persons are owners of the sand dredgers.

Caught in the act yesterday, they admitted they had illegally dredged sand from the river several times.

Fire at home appliances shop kills child

A blaze destroyed a home appliances shop, and killed a two-year-old girl in HCM City‘s Ton That Dam Street last night.

The child suffered serious burn injuries and died on the way to the local hospital. More than 30 firefighters and three fire engines were able to extinguish the fire after an hour.

The cause of the blaze remains unknown. Local police are investigating the case.

Salt water filters supply fresh water to Khanh Hoa islanders

Salt water filtration systems installed in the island of Song Tu Tay, off the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa, have proven effective in bringing fresh water to local islanders.

As part of a clean energy project for Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago and the DK platform, the pilot project aims to install reverse osmosis (RO) technology-applied sea water desalination systems using solar, water and wind energy, meeting international quality standards.

Invested by the Navy High Command, the project was funded by the National Oil and Gas Group and was implemented by the Back Khoa Solar Investment JSC (SolarBK) and the Electronic, Informatics and Chemical JSC.

At present, the filter systems generate a total volume of 18,000 litres each day, helping 100 percent of inhabitants and soldiers living in Song Tu Tay to enjoy fresh water.

Previously, fresh water was scarce in the island, mostly transported from the mainland.

The project, which will be expanded to islands and platforms in Truong Sa Archipelago, also plays an important role improving the environment.

Ha Long to launch electric car service for tourism in June

An electric car service is expected to be launched in Ha Long City, home to the UNESCO-recognized Ha Long Bay, next month to diversify its tourism products.

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) cited representatives of the Ha Long City Tourism Center as saying that the service is expected to be inaugurated next month.

Ha Long City is the heart of the northern province of Quang Ninh.

The cars will carry visitors to some of the city’s major tourist attractions on two routes.

The first route, Bai Chay, is as follows: Marine Plaza -- Bai Chay Tourist Boat Wharf -- Bai Chay Tourism Complex -- Bai Chay Bridge.

The second route, Hon Gai, will depart from Vincom Ha Long and take tourists to Ha Long Market 1, Bai Tho Mountain, and the Quang Ninh Museum.

In related news, the VNAT also cited MTVT, a local travel firm, as announcing that they have just put five electric cars into operation.

The cars, worth a total of over VND750 million (US$34,952), are deployed for the Minh Chau-Quan Lan island route, the first of its kind in these island communes, which are both located in the province’s Van Don District.

These environmentally-friendly, Japanese-made cars are capable of transporting from nine to 12 passengers each, with their technical and environmental conditions having been fully inspected by competent agencies.

With the cars reaching an estimated speed of 35 kilometers per hour, the entire ride from Minh Chau Port to Quan Lan Port or the other way round takes about 45 minutes.

Fares fluctuate from VND20,000 (US$1) to VND60,000 (US$3) apiece, depending on passengers’ destinations.

MTVT plans to put another batch of 40 such cars into use in the time to come, its representatives added.

The model of electric cars has been adopted in four other places in Vietnam, namely Hanoi, Sam Son Town in north-central Thanh Hoa Province, Dong Hoi in central Quang Binh Province, and Cua Lo Town in central Nghe An Province.

According to the Ministry of Transport’s statistics released in November last year, the four localities in the northern and central regions currently boast a total of 621 electric cars, including 50 in the capital city.

Newswire Vietnamplus quoted Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho as saying at a November 2014 meeting that the use of electric cars has boosted tourism and helped curb the number of motorbikes and cyclos – bicycle taxis that are a sort of pedicab with one or two passengers in a seat in the front and the driver pedaling in the rear – in use at scenic spots and tourist destinations.

Evidence of Vietnam’s sea sovereignty given to Naval Academy

The Ministry of Information and Communications on May 5 presented the Naval Academy based in central Khanh Hoa province with maps and documents proving Vietnam’s sovereignty over two archipelagos in the East Sea.

The evidence, numbering over 100 items, have been recognised as legal evidence asserting Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos.

The items, collected in Vietnam and other countries, are replicas of 19 royal documents from the reign of kings Minh Mang (1820-1841) and Bao Dai (1925-1945) of Vietnam’s Nguyen Dynasty. They also include 60 maps published by Vietnam, China, and western countries since the 16 th century.

One outstanding object is the map “Partie de la Cochinchine” from the World Atlas of Geography published in Belgium’s Brussels in 1827. It was the first to map exact locations, geographical features and western names of big islands in Hoang Sa archipelago, which it shows belonged to Vietnam.

Also on May 5, an exhibition on the sea, islands and naval soldiers of Vietnam was held in Hanoi to celebrate the 60 th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Navy.

The event, organised by the Naval High Command and the University of Fine Arts, features 36 artworks, including paintings, sculptures and photographs, which aim to raise public awareness and a sense of responsibility towards the protection of national sovereignty.

Nghe An: whirlwinds cause economic loss

Whirlwinds occurred in several mountainous districts of central Nghe An province from April 27 to May 5, causing a total economic loss of approximately 28 billion VND (1.28 million USD).

The whirlwinds destroyed 14 houses, and blew off the roofing of 894 others in Quy Hop, Tan Ky, Anh Son, Tuong Duong, Thanh Chuong and Que Phong districts.

They also damaged 325 hectares of rice and 4.5 hectares of aquatic farms, killed 300 poultry and broke 748 trees.

The local steering board for storm and flood prevention and search and rescue said that the board and district authorities had immediately come to the whirlwind-hit areas to direct locals to tackle the impacts by helping them repair their homes and restore production.-

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