Cold spells to cast over Vietnam
 
Three or four extreme and damaging cold spells will hit Vietnam this year, causing temperatures to fall to under 14 degrees Celsius, according to the National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center.
 
This undated file photo shows motorcyclists during a cold spell last year in northern Vietnam

A cold front is expected to travel to the northern and northern central regions this weekend, causing temperatures to drop by four or five degrees and heavy rain throughout the regions.
 
There will be strong winds at 40 kilometers an hour with gusts topping 61 kilometers per hour in the Token Gulf and central coast areas.
 
The cold front will affect the central region on October 16, bringing heavy rain in some areas.
 
There will be downpours and thunderstorms in coastal areas from the central province of Da Nang to the southern province of Ca Mau and from Ca Mau to the southern province of Kien Giang.
 
Meanwhile, a new typhoon is taking shape in the Pacific Ocean and speeds towards the Luzon Island in the Philippines.
 
Megi, which means catfish in Korean, is expected to hit the East Sea next week.

Cambodia, Japan offer sympathy over VN floods

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hor Namhong on October 9 sent a message of sympathy to his counterpart Pham Gia Khiem over great losses in lives and properties caused by the flood that recently occurred in the central region.

Later on October 14, Japanese Foreign Minister Maehara Seiji also sent a message of condolences to Minister Khiem. He expressed his hope that families of the victims would overcome the difficulties to settle into their normal lives.

The disaster claimed 42 lives, left 17 missing and injured 45 others. Losses are estimated at 1.3 trillion VND (68.4 million USD).

Prosecution sought for drug trafficking

The Crime Investigation Agency in Ho Chi Minh City has asked the Supreme People’s Procuracy to prosecute two overseas Vietnamese on alleged charges of “trading narcotic substances illegally”.

The accused included To Van Nam, 46, Vietnamese-American, who is living temporarily in District 2, and Le Van Buoc, 54, Vietnamese-Australian, temporarily residing in District 1.

According to the investigation agency, Buoc was caught red-handed carrying nearly one kg of narcotics containing the substance Methamphetamine at the Moc Bai border gate in the southern province of Tay Ninh on June 19, 2010.

The agency found that in early June, Buoc and Nam colluded with Nguyen Winston, also an overseas Vietnamese, and others to set up a ring to traffic drugs from Cambodia before sending it to Australia by sea routes.

Int’l organisations pledge aid to flood victims

International organisations have pledged almost 7 billion VND (345,000 USD) as emergency aid to flood victims in Vietnam’s central region.

The move was in response to the appeal by the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee under the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) on October 12 in Hanoi.

The donors include Plan International, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the US Agency of International Development, the International Care in Vietnam, and the Challenge to Challenge organisation.

Overseas Vietnamese in Finland and staff of the Vietnamese embassy in the country raised 2,150 EUR, equivalent to 58.8 million VND.

Other organisations also pledged more relief in the near future.

After the disaster, the VUFO and non-profitable organisations’ disaster management working group made a trip to Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces to assess the damage.

40th UPU letter writing contest gets underway

A ceremony was held in the central city of Da Nang on October 15 to mark the 136 th World Post Day and to launch the 2011 Universal Postal Union (UPU) International Letter Writing Contest.

The annual contest for children up to 15 years old, hosted by the UPU, aims to develop children’s creative writing skills and help to strengthen friendship amongst nations, whilst giving young people an understanding of the postal sectors role in social development.

The 40 th contest has the theme, “imagine you are a tree in a forest, then write a letter explaining why it is important to protect forests” in response to the 2011 International Year of Forest.

The contest has been held in Vietnam 21 times since 1987, with eight school children winning international prizes, including a first prize awarded to Ho Thi Hieu Hien from the Tay Son Secondary School in Da Nang’s Hai Chau district at the 39 th competition in 2010 and a second prize pocketed by Nguyen Dac Xuan Thao, from the Nguyen Hue Secondary School also in Hai Chau district at the 38 th competition in 2009.

It is jointly organised by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) and the Vietnam Post and Telecommunication Group (VNPT), the pioneer newspaper and other ministries and branches.

At the ceremony, Ho Thi Hieu Hien, who won first prize winner at the 39 th contest received a certificate of merit and awards from the UPU, MoET, the Health Ministry and the HCMCYU.

EU assists Vietnam to reduce risk of disasters

The European Union (EU) will provide 1.8 million EUR to help reduce the risk of disasters in 21 provinces and cities in Vietnam by the end of next year.

The EU delegation to Vietnam said in a press release that the funding, which was approved by the European Commission in June 2010, is part of the Disaster Preparedness (DIPECHO) programme under the EC’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection Department (ECHO).

Head of the EU’s delegation to Vietnam , Ambassador Sean Doyle, said that the support includes capacity building for local authorities and establishing local early warning systems and public information campaigns at local level.

The projects that reduce the risk of disasters involve a number of international and non-governmental organisations, including Save the Children, the Netherlands Red Cross, the Spanish Red Cross, the United Nations Development Programme, the Canadian Centre for International Studies and Cooperation, World Vision in Vietnam , Oxfam, Action Aid and the World Health Organisation.

The EU has supported 48 projects in this field in Vietnam with a total funding of 11 million EUR since 1998.

Host provinces set for tourism year

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced the list of provinces that will host the annual National Tourism Year from 2012 to 2017.

Thua Thien-Hue will do the honours in 2012, Hai Phong in 2013, Lam Dong in 2014, Thanh Hoa in 2015, Kien Giang in 2016, and Lao Cai in 2017.

The National Tourism Year is the biggest event on the Vietnam tourism calendar and is intended to encourage investment in infrastructure facilities and services.

Started in 2003 it has been held in Quang Ninh, Dien Bien, Nghe An, Quang Nam, Can Tho, Thai Nguyen, and Hanoi. Phu Yen is scheduled to host it next year.

Sinus infections nothing to sniff at, say medical experts

People's awareness of respiratory health remains low and most do not take nasal hygiene seriously, medical experts said at a press meeting held in HCM City on Oct. 12 to unveil a programme titled Respiratory Health Care Month.

The programme will be organised by the HCM City Respiratory Society, Community Health Care Centre, and Merap Group from November 7 to December 7.

It will provide check-ups and counselling for respiratory health at a camp held at Le Van Tam Park in district 1 and wholesale markets around the city on November 7 as well at industrial and export processing zones in the city and Hanoi .

Volunteers will hand out brochures on respiratory health care in apartments and office buildings.

Dr Nguyen Huu Dung of the HCM City University Medical Centre's Ear-Nose-Throat Ward said the programme would help improve awareness of nasal hygiene and prevent respiratory tract infections like allergic rhinitis.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr Le Thi Tuyet Lan, chairwoman of the HCM City Respiratory Society, said "nasal hygiene and protection is very important to avoid respiratory diseases, especially allergic rhinitis."

The incidence of allergic rhinitis has risen in Vietnam , especially in large cities, in recent years because of increasing environmental pollution due to urbanisation and industrialisation, she said.

"Many people with the condition do not care to get themselves treated because they do not realise it could lead to asthma," she said.

The HCM City University Medical Centre's studies show that a third of them will get asthma without timely treatment.

"Eighty percent of asthma patients, in turn, get allergic rhinitis," she added.

Vietnam, France mark fruitful medical cooperation

Ho Chi Minh City-based Tu Du Obstetrics Hospital on October 12 held a ceremony to mark the first laparoscopic surgery that local gynaecological doctors conducted with French assistance 20 years ago.

Addressing the event, French Consul General Gerard Boivineau applauded achievements Tu Du hospital has recorded. He said the medical cooperation between France and Vietnam , especially the Faisant Fonction d’Interne (FFI) training programme, is a great success in the two countries’ ties.

Over the past 20 years, nearly 2,200 Vietnamese doctors have attended refresher courses in France , he said, adding that his country has helped Vietnam develop post-graduate training programmes, of which 11 programmes were implemented in Hanoi and HCM City .

Pham Viet Thanh, Tu Du Hospital’s Director, said the hospital is the first in Vietnam to receive the transfer of laparoscopic surgical techniques in gynaecology from France .

Since 1990, with the support of major laparoscopic surgery centres in Paris , Clermont Ferrand and Nice, the hospital’s doctors have mastered surgical techniques for extra-uterine pregnancy, ovarian cancer and sterility, he said.

The hospital has also carried out training programmes on laparoscopic surgery for doctors from medical institutions across the country and Laos and Cambodia , he added.

Nearly 4 million foreign visitors arrive in Vietnam in nine months
 
Vietnam has welcomed nearly four million of foreign arrivals in the first nine months of this year, a huge increase compared to previous years and up 34.2 percent against last year figure, according to statistics from the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Of the tourists, around 37,500 traveled by sea, up 22 percent against the same period last year.

On October 15, Viet Excursion Company welcomed a five-star cruise liner named Diamond Princess at Phu My port in HCM City. The cruise ship carried 2,585 visitors and 1,063 crew members from 47 nations and territories around the world.  

Meanwhile, HCM city’s tourism sector is organizing more entertainment and art programmes for tourists in the hope of receiving its 3 millionth visitor late this year.

PV