Dien Bien completes 20 of 50 planned border markers


So far, Dien Bien province has finished placing 20 border markers on 50 locations along the Vietnamese-Laotian border area.

The other 30 border markers will be completed by the end of the first quarter next year.

Nguyen Van Hanh, the Director of Dien Bien’s Department of External Affairs, said the province is enhancing its exams and supervisions to solve numerous issues timely and also encourages people to do well.

Last year, Dien Bien was the leading province in the country to complete planting border markers.


Hanoi hosts workshop on blind prevention


The Eighth WHO Inter-Country Workshop on the Prevention of Blindness in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region is taking place at the International Convention Centre in Hanoi from December 14-17.

Photo: VOV
The biennial workshop was held by the WHO Collaboration Centre for Prevention of Blindness and Juntendo University from Japan. This is the second time the workshop has been run in Vietnam.

The event attracted representatives from the ministries of health and ophthalmologic sectors from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malaysia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan, the US and Vietnam. They reported on the results of blind prevention measures in their countries over the past two years and plans for the following years. They also exchanged blind prevention experiences and listened to WHO and Japanese reports on the latest prevention methods.

The workshop also discussed WHO and other support for Vietnam’s prevention of blindness campaign.

After the workshop, the delegates will visit the Hai Phong Eye Hospital and health facilities nearby.

The workshop was held soon after the opening ceremony of the Vietnam National Ophthalmology Congress.


$700,000 fine arts teaching agreement signed


Viet Nam's Education and Training Ministry and the Danish government have signed a US$700,000 agreement for the second-stage of a project for fine arts education in primary schools.

The project would help promote comprehensive education for children and encourage the use of new teaching methods for fine arts at primary schools, said Education and Training Minister Pham Vu Luan at the signing ceremony last Tuesday.

The second stage of the project is intended to popularise new teaching methods for fine arts and provide teacher training.

The first stage of the five-year projected ended this year.

The project has helped the Thai Nguyen Pedagogical College and the National University of Art Education improve teaching capacity since 2006.


President hails role of nation's historians


State President Nguyen Minh Triet yesterday, Dec 14, praised historians and academics for their contribution to the development of historical knowledge in the country.

Triet made the announcement while receiving a delegation from the Viet Nam History Science Association (VHSA), led by its chairman, Professor Phan Huy Le, in Ha Noi.

The President said an understanding of history helped create a national identity and promoted patriotism. "It also helps people better understand their place in the world and has helped to contribute to Viet Nam's development," he said.

He urged the VHSA to continue its invaluable work to protect the nation's heritage. The association should also promote history education in schools so that the next generation would better understand the nation's past, Triet said.

Le said the association had nearly 4,000 members across the country. The association's mission is to boost historical knowledge in the country and preserve national traditions, especially among the young both here and abroad.


Thieves dig up milk flower trees in Ha Tinh


Thieves dug up a number of 20-year-old milk-flower trees in central Ha Tinh Province's Ha Tinh City.

The trees had a girth of about 20cm and were 5-7m tall.

The trees are worth about VND1-2 million (US$51-$102) each.

The city has 214 milk-flower trees left.


GTZ representative receives insignia


Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang presented the insignia "For the cause of Agriculture and Rural Development in Viet Nam" to Dr Guenter Riethmacher, a representative of GTZ, yesterday in Ha Noi.

Guenter has worked on projects involving forestry management, protection of the coastal ecology and adaptation to climate change.


Four missing after boats collide


Four passengers are believed drowned after two boats collided yesterday on the Hong (Red) River in Dan Phuong District.

One of the boats, which was carrying eight passengers, sank.

Those missing include a two-year-old boy and his mother.

Tran Huu Phuong, the driver of the second boat, abandoned the scene of the accident.

Container truck strikes motorbike


A container lorry collided with a motorbike on Monday night leaving two people injured in Binh Thanh District in HCM City.

The lorry driver ran away from the scene of the accident.

It is thought the driver lost control of the lorry.

The injured motorcyclists are recovering in hospital.


Youth Union’s First Secretary meets with WFDY leaders


The First Secretary of Vietnam’s Youth Union, Vo Van Thuong, met with the Chairman of the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY) at the 17th World Festival of Youth Students (WFYS) in South Africa on December 14.

At the meeting with the WFDY Chairman, Tiago Viera, the First Secretary confirmed that Vietnam will do its best to fulfill its role as a member of WFDY and actively contribute to the success of the festival. The country will also undertake throughout preparations for the WFDY meeting in Hanoi in 2011.

The WFDY Chairman praised Vietnam for the role it played in the youth movements in recent years and expressed his wish to visit Vietnam next year.

The Vietnamese First Secretary also met with leaders of delegations from Cuba and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Speaking with the Vietnamese delegation, the First Secretary of the Cuban Youth Union, Liudmila Duenas, said that besides the activities of the 17th WFYS, her delegation will join the campaign demaniding the release of five Cuban soldiers currently kept in the US prisons.

The leaders of both the DPRK and Vietnamese delegations said that the 17th WFYS will further promote the two countries’ traditional relations.


Developing high-quality services for customers in Conexus Alliance


Conexus Mobile Alliance organised a conference in Hanoi on December 14.

The event was attended by 11 member mobile networks from ten countries and territories, including Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Taiwan and Hong Kong (China) and Vietnam.

The conference focused on the following issues: cooperation to deploy projects with high competitiveness, giving preferential treatments for businesses, and promoting projects with leading international companies. All aim to provide customers with high-quality series at reasonable prices.

Established in April 2006, Conexus Mobile Alliance is one of the biggest mobile phone alliances in the Asian region. It now has over 280 million of subscribers in all member suppliers.

Also, on this occasion, VinaPhone officially announced the launching of its new free service for customers who change their geographic areas. VinaPhone cooperated with NTT DoCoMo network of Japan and Far EasTone network from Taiwan.

As the first mobile network to provide 3G service in Vietnam, VinaPhone was also the only mobile service provider in Vietnam to enter Conexus Mobile Alliance in November, 2009.       

The conference will last until December 16.


VNN/VOV/VNS