HCM City supports 100%  of health insurance cost for close-poverty people

The residual fund balance of state-owned HCMC Social Insurance will be used to support the poor and those in  close to poverty line, said the insurance company during a meeting on how to use the abundant fund of the insurance company for the poor.

The meeting was presided over by Deputy Chairwoman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Thu and representatives from departments of Labor, Invalids and Social Affair, Health, Finance after Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper published an article entitled: “Insurance fund balance is residual while poor people have no insurance card”.

Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Social Insurance Agency Cao Van Sang said the surplus in insurance fund in 2015 was VND1,141 billion (US$51 million). As per the regulation of allocation and using the fund, the city is allowed to use 20 percent of the fund balance of the insurance company or VND228 billion (US$10,225,128).

The Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs said that until now, there are 80,000 poor and close to poverty line households without insurance cards which is worth VND653,400 /card per year. Those people just pay 30 percent or VND196,000 and the Governmental support 70 percent on buying health insurance.

If the city People's Committee decides to pay 30 percent of health insurance cost that the poor must pay it needs VND3.9 billion (US$174,903) in next three months and more than VND 30 billion in next year.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu gave the green light to buy health insurance for all poor people and the city will use  the residdual fund balance of the state-owned insurance company and the healthcare fund for the poor managed by the Department of Health to support the poor in next years.

Lam Dong Province reports first death from dengue

Director of the Department of Preventive Medicine in the Highlands province of Lam Dong Dr. Nguyen Huu Phuc yesterday confirmed the first death from dengue fever.

9 month old toddler in Loc Son Commune in Bao Loc Town suffered the high fever, hence, he was taken to a private clinic of a local doctor. He was diagnosed to have fever due to virus and injected a drug. 

Then the doctor told his parents to take him home and keep an eye on his condition. However, he still had fever after five days; hence, he was rushed to the province’s General Hospital yet he could not survive. 

The province’s Department of Preventive Medicine said that the province has reported 1,286 cases of dengue infection from the beginning of September, a rise of nearly 400 cases compared to last month. Districts with high figure of infection cases include Bao Loc Town, districts Di Linh, Bao Lam, Duc Trong, and Lam Ha.

Mekong Delta to face more serious drought, salination

Experts have claimed the Mekong Delta will suffer from fiercer drought and saline intrusion this year, as water levels of the region’s rivers are now much lower than normal, due to the late flooding season.

According to Dr. Luong Quang Xo, deputy head of the Southern Irrigation Planning Institute, August is usually the flooding season when the rivers are provided with more water, however this year people are still waiting. The water often helps prevent saltwater intrusion, supply alluvial soil and helps clean the land. People can also go fishing for additional money.

Hydropower plant construction has reduced up to 60% of upstream alluvial soil, which has resulted in the smaller floods, leading to more serious drought and saline intrusion.

So far this year, drought and increased salinity have affected the entire Mekong Delta region, damaging around 160,000 ha of rice with a total estimated productivity of 800,000 tonnes.

Dr. Xo said that to help deal with the problem, localities in the region need to increase links in using water resources to control saline intrusion. In reality, currently, there has no a planning management board to connect the Tien and Hau rivers for water regulation.

Many experts suggested that re-zoning farming areas, ensuring water supply for crops and cattle, researching and developing crops with high salt tolerance, and other methods should be used for the Mekong Delta region to cope with the harsh climate.

Russian Literature Corner opens at Hanoi Library

A reading corner for Russian literature lovers was inaugurated at the Hanoi Library on September 6 as part of the ongoing “Russian Literature Days in Hanoi” programme.

The corner introduces the Vietnamese editions of over 50 Russian children’s stories and novels, many of them popular with Vietnamese of all ages.

Prominent among the literary works include The Adventures of Dunno and His Friends by Nikolai Nosov, Gena the Crocodile and His Friends by Eduard Uspensky, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, The Gambler by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.

The books were published as part of a project on translating literature from Russian into Vietnamese and vice versa, which has been jointly carried out since 2012 by the Vietnam–Russia Literature Fund, Vietnam’s The Gioi (World) Publishers, the Literature Publishing House of Vietnam and Russia’s Lokid Premium Publishing House.

The opening of the reading space aims to promote Russian literature among Vietnamese readers while creating a venue for Vietnamese to share their love for the Russian language and Russian literature.

The “Russian Literature Days in Hanoi” programme is jointly held by the Russian Centre of Science and Culture, the Hanoi Library, Kim Dong and Nha Nam Publishing Houses, Nha Nam Culture and Communications Company and Alpha Book Company.

The two-day event attracted a large number of students from high schools in Hanoi, which has a Russian language faculty. The students had the opportunity to hold talks with Russian translators and learn more about famous Russian literary works.

Deputy PM urges stricter enforcement of traffic regulations

Deputy Prime Minister Trưong Hòa Bình has asked localities and agencies to strictly enforce traffic regulations, particularly government Decree 46, to cut down on traffic accidents.

Bình made the request at a meeting to review traffic safety in the first eight months of this year, held by the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) yesterday.

Việt Nam recorded 13,612 traffic accidents, 5,728 deaths and 11,781 injuries in the first eight months of this year, according to Khuất Việt Hùng, deputy chief of NTSC.

Compared to 2015, the figures have fallen by 6.9 per cent, 1.6 per cent and 18.5 per cent, respectively.

Drinking while driving was the main cause of traffic accidents and authorised agencies failed to check whether the drivers were under the influence of alcohol, the NTSC said

In August, 1,760 traffic accidents occurred nationwide, leaving 705 dead and 1,495 injured, a year-on-year increase of 7.8 per cent in the number of deaths.

Participants at the meeting blamed the rise in traffic accidents in August on loose management of transport services, transport infrastructure and mainland and waterway transport.

They also pointed to a lack of responsibility from officials and staff in transport management, calling it a major reason the situation had worsened.

Trần Kỳ Hình, head of the Việt Nam Register, said alcohol was the main reason for about 40 per cent of traffic accidents.

Under Decree 46/2016/NĐ-CP, which took effect from August, penalties for more than 100 traffic violations were stiffened.

Drivers with alcohol levels exceeding 80mg per 100ml of blood or 0.4 mg per liter of breath will be fined VND16-18 million (US$720-810), instead of VND10-15 million as before. Drivers who run yellow traffic lights will receive a fine similar to the fine for running red lights.

Statistics from the NTSC showed traffic police dealt with 137,100 traffic violations, withdrew more than 8,000 driving licences and seized nearly 15,7000 vehicles in the first month since the implementation of Decree 46. Total fines were estimated at VNĐ76 billion (US$3.4 million).

While recognising efforts made by ministries and departments to reduce traffic accidents, the deputy PM said the traffic situation in Việt Nam is still “complicated” and many violations such as modifying trucks to increase their capacity or overloading vehicles were still not penalized.

Bình ordered agencies and local authorities to strictly implement Decree 46 and continue its dissemination to raise people’s awareness of traffic regulations.

Bình asked the Ministry of Transport to set forth traffic safety projects and revise related legal documents.

The ministry was urged to tighten the management of transport services and vehicle capacity.

He emphasised the need to connect waterway transport and railway transport to reduce the burden on roads.

He also ordered the Ministry of Public Security to instruct local units to intensify dissemination to raise road safety awareness and strictly deal with violations like speeding, overloading and drink driving.

Alcohol – major cause of traffic accidents

As many as 10,000 cases violating alcohol concentration regulations while driving were handled nationwide in August this year, mostly in Hanoi, Da Nang, Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh City, according to a senior police officer. 

Although there were only 17 traffic accidents involving drunk drivers, alcohol is a major reason behind serious accidents, said Major General Tran Son Ha, head of the Traffic Police Department, during a meeting of the National Traffic Safety Committee in Hanoi on September 7. 

Tran Ky Hinh, head of the Vietnam Department of Register of Shipping, alcohol was the cause of 40 percent of traffic accidents, but in fact, the rate is higher as alcohol leads to many violations of traffic safety rules. 

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee Khuat Viet Hung reported that 1,760 traffic accidents happened across the country in August this year, killing 705 people and injuring nearly 1,500 others. Compared to the same time in 2015, the cases dropped 2.8 percent, but the deaths increased 7.8 percent. 

In the eight-month period, traffic accidents nationwide saw a year-on-year decline in the numbers of cases, deaths and injured, with 13,612 accidents, claiming 5,728 lives and wounding 11,781 others. 

Last month, traffic police handled 137,100 violations, fining nearly 76 billion VND, withdrawing over 8,000 driving licences and seizing nearly 700 automobiles and 15,000 motor bikes. 

Addressing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh, who is head of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said that despite a year-on-year drop in the numbers of accidents, deaths and injured in the first eight months of this year, traffic safety situation remains complicated. Many overload vehicles have yet been detected, while corruption has still been seen in handling violations, he noted. 

He asked ministries, sectors and localities to strengthen law enforcement, while strictly implementing Decree 46/ND-CP on administrative punishments for road and railway traffic violations. 

He highlighted the need to develop aviation infrastructure and ensure flight safety amidst the increase of airplanes. 

The Deputy PM directed the Ministry of Transport to continue speeding up the building of legal documents, closely managing the transportation business, and seeking ways to ease road overloads. 

Traffic police in localities should increase breath-testing on drivers to detect violations, he added.-

Hospital Management Asia conference held in HCM City

The 15th Hospital Management Asia (HMA) conference was opened in Ho Chi Minh City on September 7 with the participation of some 1,000 delegates from 400 hospitals and organisations in 35 countries. 

During the two-day event, 104 speakers from 22 countries will share experience at 75 sessions. 

They focus on hospitals’ social responsibility, human resources development, improving service quality for internal customers, marketing and public relations, patient safety, improving clinical service quality, customer services, technical infrastructure and medical equipment improvement, hospital governance reforms, and IT application in health care. 

Fifty-three collective awards will be presented to the best among 322 quality improvement initiatives. Meanwhile, Vi Nguyet Ho, who founded the Vietnam Nurses Association, will be honoured with the devotion award for her life-long contributions to the nursing in the country. 

Speaking at the conference, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said the Vietnamese Government prioritises social welfare programmes and considers promoting health care a prerequisite for the country’s socio-economic development. 

Her ministry has strived to ensure fair, effective and quality health care over the past years. There are 1,300 hospitals with 250,000 patient beds in Vietnam at present. They serve over 150 million outpatients and 15 million inpatients while conducting 3 million surgeries every year. 

Tien admitted challenges facing the local health care sector and expressed the willingness to learn from other countries’ experience. 

The HMA conference is held by the Asian Hospital Federation with a view to sharing experience in hospital management and service improvement among regional and global nations. 

Vietnam hosted the HMA conference in HCM City in 2009 and Hanoi in 2012.

Hydrocephalus, a brain condition that can cause loss of mental and physical ability if left untreated, has not prevented a 10-year-old boy from playing football at a field in HCM City’s Bình Thạnh District.

The boy’s persistence can be attributed to the enthusiastic care and treatment from social workers who work at the shelter where the boy has lived since he was a baby.

He is one of more than 51,100 disadvantaged children benefiting from the city’s project on social work development for the 2011-2015 period.                                                                             

Speaking at a conference this week reviewing the project, Lê Chu Giang, head of the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ social welfare division, said social work services were offered at shelters, social welfare centres, hospitals and schools.

The city is designated as a “special urban area” by the government, with a large number of people receiving social welfare.

At least 453,990 people aged 60 and over receive welfare, along with 49,690 people with disabilities and 51,152 disadvantaged children.

Social workers and social welfare centres in the city play an important role in providing assistance to ensure that recipients receive their welfare benefits.

They are also responsible for giving advice in several areas, such as poverty reduction, compulsory high school education, vocational training for rural labour, child care and protection, and assistance for people who leave rehabilitation centres and re-enter society.

The city has nearly 5,000 social workers, but many of them have not been trained professionally.

Despite the high number, there are still not enough to meet demand. At least 90 public and private social welfare establishments and rehabilitation centres operate in the city.

To improve services, the city People’s Committee has approved allocation of VNĐ28.4 billion (US$12.6 million) to improve social work training and services from now to 2020, according to the city’s Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs.

During this period, the city will continue to offer professional training to social workers employed in wards, communes and towns.

It also plans to open a centre for social welfare services in each district, according to Lê Chu Giang, head of the department’s Social Welfare Division. The first centre will be built in District 12 this year.

The city has set the goal of having at least one or two freelancers working as social workers in each ward, commune or town under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs’ regulation.

Social work activities at hospitals and schools will also be given more attention.

Hospital, school-based social work

By 2020, each hospital in the city is expected to have a division or team in charge of social work.

Last year, 16 hospitals had such a centre. Social workers work with health officials to provide psychological and social assistance to patients. More than 34,950 patients received assistance last year.

These divisions were able to raise patient satisfaction from 90 per cent in 2010 to 98 per cent last year. 

Social workers also work with enterprises, individuals and organisations to provide free meals and funds for treatment and other services.

HCM City is a leader in the school-counselling field, but a shortage of staff specialists and facilities is preventing schools from offering professional career and psychological counselling to students.

Speaking at a recent conference on school counselling in HCM City, Dr Nguyễn Thị Hoài Hương of the HCM City Institute for Development Studies said only 120 staff work as specialists in school counselling.

However, the Department of Education and Training requires one staff specialist at each school. The specialist must be a university graduate in psychology.

The figure is higher than the 29 staff counsellors employed at schools in 2011.

Of 938 schools in the city, 891 offer counselling services, but most of the services are provided by teachers and staff in charge of the Communist Youth Union, or general supervisors.

Hương said that school leaders should work with oragnisations to open training courses for staff who have not been trained in counselling or psychology.

Only 71 of the schools in the city have a room dedicated to counselling services. 

Hương said that counselling services primarily focused on preventing violence and reducing stress, or on sex education and advice about occupational orientation.

Trần Anh Tuấn, deputy director for the Centre for Human Resource Forecasting and Labour Information, said that occupational orientation advice had helped “students reduce psychological pressure to study at university after high school”.

Students have been advised to pursue colleges or vocational schools if they do not want to pursue a university education.

Thanks to counselling about jobs, many students have chosen a career needed by society and not one preferred by their parents. 

Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hường, who is in charge of counselling services at Bình Hưng Hòa High School in Bình Tân District, said that teachers and managers should be more aware of the importance of counselling services and ask for their help when needed.

Vũ Thị Ngọc Bích of Thủ Dầu Một University in Bình Dương Province said that staff specialists providing career and psychology services were vital for educational development.

The conference was held by the HCM City Institute for Development Studies in co-operation with the Department of Education and Training and University of Social Sciences and Humanities. 

Vietnam strives to protect plant breeders’ rights

More than 300 plant variety protection certificates have been granted to plant breeders in Vietnam during the ten-year implementation of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) Convention, heard a workshop in Hanoi on September 7.

According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh, many good plant varieties created by Vietnamese have been cultivated, contributing to turning Vietnam into one of the world’s big agro-forestry-fishery exporters.

A plant variety protection system was set up in Vietnam in 2000, he said, adding that the country joined in the UPOV Convention six years later in an effort to protect plant varieties more effectively through cooperation with UPOV member countries.

The Deputy Minister noted that the Vietnamese Government has decided to adjust plant variety protection-related contents of the Law on Intellectual Property to make them suitable with the new situation.

Tran Dinh Long, Chairman of the Vietnam Variety Plant Association, said that variety copyright remains a challenge in plant variety development in Vietnam.

The copyright will encourage scientists to create better varieties of plants and help Vietnam build its own brand name, he said.

UPOV Deputy Secretary General Peter Button said apart from guidance and legal assistance provided by the UPOV, it is necessary to garner experience of UPOV member countries to facilitate the effectuation of relevant laws.

The two-day seminar was jointly held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the UPOV, the US Patent and Trademark Office, and the Ministry of Agriculture , Forestry and Fisheries of Japan.

Int’l conference discusses power loss mitigation

An international conference seeking to mitigate power loss in transmission and distribution systems is taking place in Hanoi on September 7-8, attracting speakers from Japan, India, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. 

Deputy Director General of the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Ngo Son Hai informed the conference that power loss dropped from 10.15 percent in 2010 to 7.94 percent in 2015 when 160 billion kWh of electricity was produced. 

By 2020, EVN strives to reduce power loss to 6.5 percent. 

Tran Dinh Long, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Electrical Engineering Association, said EVN has come up with plans to strengthen its power grid, use energy-saving conductor wires and transformers, among others, in order to mitigate power loss in the coming years. 

A representative from the Provincial Electricity Authority of Thailand said PEA reconfigures electrical system, regularly checks electricity meters, especially in households showing abnormal consumption, for the effort. 

Meanwhile, the Japanese Electrical Wire and Cable Makers’ Association shared its experience that Japan has used appropriate cable cross-sections that help reduce Co2 emission and save energy. 

The conference was co-hosted by the EVN and the Vietnam Energy Association.-

RoK helps Can Tho mechanise agriculture

The Republic of Korea (RoK) will provide a non-refundable aid of 99.5 billion VND (4.5 million USD) for a project to help the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho mechanise its agriculture. 

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Truong Quang Hoa Nam on September 7 hosted a meeting to discuss plans to speed up the project, which has a total estimated investment of more than 115 billion VND (5.2 million USD).

The project aims to boost the farming mechanisation in Can Tho and the Mekong Delta region in general, thus increasing productivity and incomes, and reducing losses.

It is expected to begin in 2017 with the RoK side providing agricultural machines and maintenance services, transferring technologies of developing agricultural tools and training agricultural mechanics. 

Vice Chairman Nam assigned the city’s management board of ODA projects to work with relevant departments and sectors to complete necessary procedures for the project to be approved and implemented on schedule. 

The Mekong Delta boasts the highest rate of agricultural mechanisation in the country, with land preparation reaching 90 percent and harvesting 80 percent. However, the rate is still low in sowing seeds, planting seedlings, removing weeds and spraying pesticides. 

According to estimates from experts from the National Agricultural Promotion Centre, mechnisation can cut production costs by up to 2.5 million VND (112 USD) per hectare per crop.

Hà Nội moon cakes violate food regulations

Hà Nội Market Watch yesterday found a moon cake shop violating food labeling regulations.

Anh Hòa Moon Cake Shop on Hà Nội’s 87 Láng Hạ Street used note stickers with the manufacturing and expiry dates on its cake products handwritten, making it easy to replace.

Moreover, the dates written on the note stickers were unclear. A handwritten September 6 date on the cakes could cause misunderstanding for the customers as it did not specify whether it was the manufacturing or expiry date.

The inspectors have seized 118 moon cakes from the shop and ordered the shop owner to recall the products sold at the market.

The shop will be under strict inspection until it follows the required labeling regulations.

Nguyễn Thanh Phong, head of the Ministry of Health’s Food Safety and Hygiene, said moon cakes sold at the market should be inspected for quality and must possess licensed food safety certificates. Products without certificates would be recalled and enterprises would be fined.

He added that homemade moon cakes, the favourite of many customers in recent years, were not under mandatory inspection, and therefore, might pose risks for customers.

Hanoi welcomes over 207,000 visitors during National Day holiday

Hanoi’s tourism sector welcomed over 207,000 visitors during the National Day holiday from September 2-6, a year-on-year rise of 22%, according to the Hanoi Department of Tourism.

The city received more than 22,000 foreign holiday-makers, a rise of 11% against 2015, and 185,000 domestic vacationers, up 23%. Total tourism revenues were estimated at over VND526 billion.

In order to further develop its tourism industry, Hanoi has recently begun focussing on promoting its more popular sites and improving the quality of tourism products and events in the city.

To mark the holiday this year, Hanoi has launched pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake.

Some streets, such as Dinh Tien Hoang and Hang Khay, will be completely closed to motor vehicles, while on some others, such as Trang Tien and Hang Bai, only the sections adjacent to Hoan Kiem Lake will be shut down.

Police officers were deployed to direct traffic from afar while the transport department will also open new spaces to park vehicles near the pedestrian area.

The new regulation is effective from 7pm on Fridays to midnight Sundays.

In another move to boost tourism, the capital city will provide free Wi-Fi access to the Hoan Kiem Lake area, where tourists will be able to enjoy the service for up to 30 minutes after entering their phone numbers. Wi-Fi broadcasting stations will be installed at 21 sites around the lake.

Autumn book fair to highlight digital books

Online books will be the highlight of the Autumn Book Fair scheduled to take place at Thong Nhat Park from September 9-13. 

The online book area will introduce the most recent online book editions and an online trading forum of publishing houses and distribution units. Free applications for digital books will also be available. 

The section for new books will offer a modern reading space with the latest and the best-selling books. 

There will also be a section for calligraphy art, café, tea shops and areas for introducing advancements in publishing, information technology and telecommunications. 

Several authors will interact with the audience during the fair. Workshops on culture, politics, history, copyright trading and translation will also be held.

Hà Nội concert to feature works by Schubert, Beethoven

The Hà Nội Symphony Orchestra will perform Schubert’s Unfinished and Beethoven’s Concerto for Piano, Violin and the Orchestra at a concert on Saturday.

The concert will be conducted by Lê Phi Phi, with participation of pianist Phạm Quỳnh Trang, cellist Ngô Hoàng Quân, violinist Ngô Hoàng Linh.

It will take place at the Việt Nam National Academy of Music, 77 Hào Nam Street. Tickets are available at the Hà Nội Opera House or can be purchased at www.vnso.org.vn. 

Việt Nam Comics Day 2016 to be held on Sunday

The biggest cosplay festival of the year will be held on Sunday with the aim of promoting comics creators in Việt Nam and creating a meeting place for comic fans.  

A workshop on training young painters and making comics will be held. Authors of beloved comics like Long Thần Tướng (The Dragon General) and Bad Luck will speak with visitors and introduce their upcoming projects.

The event will take place at the Star Galaxy Centre, 87 Láng Hạ Street.

Script writing workshop about story telling in documentaries

German filmmaker Lucia Scharbatke will talk with young Vietnamese filmmakers about the stories and dramaturgy behind documentaries during a workshop on November 17-20. The workshop will help explore the ways of storytelling, the possibilities and also limits of dramaturgy and participants will be crossing the borderland between documentary and fiction.

Scharbatke was born in 1982. She received a Diploma in Law from the University of Passau in 2008 and a Diploma in Production and Media Economics from the University of Television and Film Munich in 2012. Now she works as a director, producer and screenwriter.

Anyone who is interested in taking part may send their applications by October 1 to the Hà Nội Goethe Institute.

Factory Contemporary Art Centre showcases work of emerging artists

An exhibition showcasing artworks on the life and people of HCM City by five city-based artists will open at the Factory Contemporary Art Centre on September 16.

The event will feature a range of installation, photography, origami, painting and print works by Nguyễn Ngọc Vũ, Bảo Zoãn and Nguyễn Đức Diễm Quỳnh of Việt Nam, Nathan Larson of Canada, and Kumkum Fernando of Sri Lanka.

The works will be featured in the 6th edition of Saigon Art Book, which is published by the non-profit organisation Saigon Artbook to support and showcase emerging artists in the city.

The book will be released at the exhibition’s opening ceremony, which begins at 6pm at 15 Nguyễn Ư Dĩ Street in District 2.

Tickets are VNĐ150,000 without the book, and VNĐ730,000 with the book. They can be bought at www.tickebox.vn.

The exhibition will end on September 29.

LA-based Japanese producer debuts at The Beats Saigon

The Beats Saigon, a music event promotional crew based in Saigon, is bringing Los Angeles-based Japanese music producer Shinya Mizoguchi, aka starRo, to HCM City on September 16.

A native of Tokyo, the artist will perform with resident DJs Jase, Jin and 2Stone.

StarRo, whose music is influenced by hip hop, ambient, folk, soul, post-rock and house, has released three extended plays and several singles. He has toured the US, Canada and Asia.

The performance begins at 10pm at The Observatory at 5 Nguyễn Tất Thành Street in District 1. Entrance fee is VNĐ100,000 before 11.30pm and VNĐ150,000 after 11.30pm.

Liên Việt Post Bank suffer another blow

Thông Tin Liên Việt Post Bank of Việt Nam lost 15-25, 19-25, 13-25 to Japanese NEC Red Rockets in their second qualifier match of the Asian Women’s Volleyball Club Championship.

The game was played in Banan City in the Philippines.

It is the team’s second loss in Pool E and could hurt its bid to reach the tournament’s semi-finals.

They will next play the loser of the match between Thailand and China tomorrow.

In the other game of the day, North Korean 4.25 Sports Club beat Malaysian team 25-9, 25-14, 25-10.

Meanwhile, Philippines’ Foton Pilipinas were defeated 25-27, 18-25, 16-25 by Altay VC from Kazakhstan.

Saigon Special Premier League tourney begins

The Saigon Special Premier League-Season 4 (HPL-S4) will run from September 18 to December 4 at C500 Stadium inside the Security Institute in Hà Nội.

This is the fourth edition of the annual tournament, the biggest grassroots football tournament in northern Việt Nam, with some supporters even sitting on the pitch to watch.

“I am very glad because amateur football in general and the HPL event in particular is developing fast. This year, the tournament will be aired live on television,” said deputy chairman of the Việt Nam Football Federation, Nguyễn Xuân Gụ.

The event will see the participation of 12 teams, competing in a round robin format every Sunday. All matches will be broadcast live on VTVgo, AVG’s NCM channel.

Vietnamese architect Vo Trong Nghia to accept Prince Claus Award

Vietnam’s renowned architect Vo Trong Nghia has won the prestigious 2016 Prince Claus Award, which honors visionary artists and organizations worldwide.

Nghia and five others will be presented with the awards at the Royal Palace Amsterdam by Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands on December 15, the Prince Claus Fund said on September 6.

According to the Prince Claus Fund, Nghia, 40, is an architect who is putting sustainable architecture on the map by combining local materials and traditional skills with 21st century design.

“With a focus on green spaces, his designs range from major urban structures to durable but inexpensive housing for remote communities. His approach to urban design is shaping the future of architecture and transforming Vietnam’s urban landscape.”

“However, at the core of his practice, he uses the physical environment to reconnect humans back to Mother Nature,” it said in a statement.
Thai filmmaker and artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul has won the Principal Prince Claus Award.
Four other Prince Claus Awards will be presented to chef and food activist Kamal Mouzawak of Lebanon; interdisciplinary cultural center PeaceNiche in Pakistan; graphic designer, artist, educator and historian Bahia Shehab of Egypt/Lebanon; and the digital portal La Silla Vacía in Colombia.
For the past 20 years, the Prince Claus Fund has honored visionary artists and organizations for their excellent, pioneering work in culture and development.

HCM City to guarantee safety for foreign visitors during coming events

Ho Chi Minh City is set to host a number of international events, so the safety of foreign visitors to the southern metropolis should be absolutely guaranteed, municipal chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong has requested.

The city’s Department of Tourism and relevant security agencies should join hands in enacting stricter security measures to keep international visitors safe when they are in Ho Chi Minh City, the chairman insisted at a meeting on September 5.

Multiple diplomatic, investment, trade, and tourism events are poised to take place in the southern metropolis in the coming months, so security must be a top priority, Phong added.

Among those activities is the 12th annual International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (2016 ITE HCMC), scheduled for September 8 to 10.

The tourism department said at the meeting that four ministers and two deputy ministers for tourism in Vietnam and Cambodia have confirmed their participation.

Ten governors from Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand and Myanmar will also participate in the event, the largest and most established international travel expo in Vietnam.

Dozens of tourism agencies and travel firms, including international media, will also attend.

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