Natural disasters have big impact in October

Natural disasters left 173 dead or missing and injured 168 others in the month to October 21, reported the Statistics General Department.

Photo: VNA
Damages were estimated at over VND8.5 trillion, of which the central province of Ha Tinh alone suffered VND5.2 trillion in losses from typhoon Megi. 
The other two hard-hit central provinces of Quang Binh and Nghe An were reported as suffering damages worth some VND1.9 trillion and VND1.2 trillion, respectively. 
In an effort to help victims recover, the Prime Minister has ordered the disbursement of VND660 billion from the State hedge budget and free supply of 11,000 tonnes of rice from the national rice reserves for disaster-hit areas.
In general, relief aid from various sources totalled almost VND 700 billion, over 14,000 tonnes of rice, over 153 tonnes of instant noodles, 58,000 boxes of mineral water bottles and many other daily necessities. 
Weather forecasters have warned of further complicated developments of natural disasters during the rest of the year, asking responsible agencies to stay alert and strictly follow the Prime Minister’s recent urgent guidelines on storm and flood control.

Vendors encroach on historic, cultural sites

The HCM City Culture, Sports and Tourism Department should closely manage the use of cultural facilities, many of which are being used inappropriately.

During a meeting on the urban lifestyle campaign in HCM City last Thursday, Tran Thi Ngoc Anh, head of the Culture and Society Agency of the city People's Council, said cultural houses and children houses were being rented for purposes other than entertainment.

She named several sites in Ward 2 and Ward 3 in District 10 that were being used improperly.

The front of many historical sites are being used by moto-taxi drivers and vendors, and some sites, which have been renovated with billions of Vietnamese dong, had been turned into private parking lots and incense markets.

The department said district agencies were not monitoring the situation closely, and that many groups of people were unaware that the activities were unsuitable.

Because outlying districts lack funds to organise entertainment activities at their cultural houses, cultural and children's houses rent the space for purposes other than entertainment.

Fishermen rescued after boats sank

The lives of 17 fishermen whose two boats started to sink in heavy seas during a storm on the East Sea off southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province have been saved.

Four of the fishermen were rescued yesterday, Nov 1, in a state of exhaustion and taken to the province's Con Dao Archipelago, 97 miles off the mainland.

Another fisherman was rescued on Sunday from a boat which was floundering near Con Dao. Four more men from the same boat are still missing.

Twelve more fishermen were also rescued earlier on the same day after their boat was safely escorted to shore.

NGO provides kids free burns treatment

Operation Smile Viet Nam (OSV) began a campaign to provide free medical check-up and surgery to treat burns for poor children and young people last Saturday.

The week-long programme, which is financed by ConocoPhillips, hopes to benefit 80-100 people. International volunteers and doctors from the HCM City National Hospital for Odonto-Stomatology will perform the surgeries.

The corporation has supported OSV for several years and is for the second time providing funding for burn treatment.

Chill weather causes respiratory problems

A large number of patients with respiratory ailments have been admitted to HCM City hospitals in the last week because of unseasonably cool weather, doctors said.

Dr Hoang Dinh Huu Hanh of the University Medical Centre said the centre saw a 20 per cent rise in the number of patients last week, most were older people.

Older people with chronic breathing problems should be given vaccinations before the onset of cold weather, he said.

The Paediatric Hospital No.1 admitted more than 200 children with sore throat, tonsilitis, and bronchitis last week.

Dr Le Bich Lien, the hospital's deputy head, said children should stay indoors and be kept warm.

Barracuda poisons 17 people in Quang Ngai

Ten people were treated for food poisoning in central Quang Ngai Province's General Hospital after eating a 30kg barracuda.

The patients from Tu Nghia District's Nghia An Commune were hospitalised on Sunday afternoon with symptoms of food poisoning after they'd eaten the fish.

Vietnam, Germany strengthen people-to-people ties

A delegation from the Vietnam-Germany Friendship Association (VGFA) led by its President Hoang Van Huay paid a working visit to Germany from October 19-31 to foster the people-to-people ties between the two countries.

During the visit, the delegation worked with German partners and associations of the Vietnamese community in Germany, including the Germany-Vietnamese Association, KAS, FES and RLS institutes, the Kinderhilfe Association, the association in support for Vietnamese women and young people (VIFI), the Vietnamese Association in Berlin-Brandenburg and the Vietnam Business Association in Germany.

The delegation also paid courtesy visits to the leaders of Hessen State’s Parliament and attended an exchange of Vietnamese students and a ceremony to complete the “Hessen meets Vietnam” project.

At the meetings, the Vietnamese side highlighted the VGFA’s activities, especially charitable and humanitarian projects.

The two sides exchanged experiences in boosting people-to-people diplomacy and discussed cooperation in translating Vietnam’s literary works into the German language and vice versa.

They agreed to strengthen the exchange of information and expand humanitarian projects addressing the consequences of war, boost economic development and open vocational training centres in Vietnam.

Hanoi signs cooperation deals with Ile de France

Hanoi and the French region of Ile de France have signed a number of cooperative agreements for the 2011-2015 period, covering urban-regional planning, public transport, water supply and waste treatment.

The agreements also aim to step up bilateral cooperation in other fields such as tourism, preservation of cultural heritages, socio-economic development and vocational training.

These deals were signed in Hanoi on November 1, following talks between the city’s People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen The Thao and President of the Regional Council of Ile de France, Jean-Paul Huchon.

Thao said Hanoi will deploy the freshly-inked cooperation agreement on regional and urban planning immediately after the city’s construction master plan is approved by the government.

He applauded the Ile de France-backed water supply, drainage and waste treatment project in the craft village of Kieu Ky in Hanoi’s suburban district of Gia Lam.

The mayor also promised to support and create favourable conditions for businesses from France, and Ile de France in particular, to invest in public transport, socio-economic development and heritage preservation projects.

Thao said he believed that the delegation’s ongoing visit, which takes place at a time when the two localities are celebrating 20 years of cooperation, would open up a new page in bilateral relations, thus contributing to the Vietnam-France friendship.

Huchon affirmed the administration of Ile de France considers cooperative ties with Hanoi a typical, practical and effective model.

VNN/VOV/VNS