Vietnamese AO delegation visits the RoK

A delegation from the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) met with members of the Korean Victims of Agent Orange Veterans Association (KAOVA) in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, on June 6.

VAVA’s President, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh, underlined the friendly cooperative relationship the KAOVA and VAVA have enjoyed over the years.

Founded in 2007, KAOVA has constantly liaised with VAVA to give their support to Vietnamese AO victims, he said

Their help is very significant to Vietnamese AO victims as it reflects the friendship and solidarity that exists between both peoples, especially during Vietnam-RoK Friendship Year 2012 and the 20 th anniversary of their diplomatic ties (1992-2012), he noted.

Of the 80 Vietnamese AO victims visiting the country from June 4-8, three will receive free operations and two will receive artificial limbs.

During their five day visit, the delegation will also visit several well known beauty spots in the RoK.

When talking to the press, the Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong said that during the campaign for justice for Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims, Vietnam has received support, assistance and solidarity of progressive people around the world.

KAOVA has come to Vietnam on a number of occasions to provide medical treatment and build hospitals and health centres to help AO/dioxin victims across the country.

KAOVA wants to work with VAVA to demand justice for AO/dioxin victims in both countries and many other social organisations in the RoK have become involved with KAOVA, he added.

HCM City to put power cables underground

The city targets to have 95 per cent of medium voltage and 50 per cent of low voltage electricity wires on its streets go underground by the end of 2015.

The cost of doing this is expected to be 4-5 times higher compared to having overhead wires, but underground cables are safer and better for the urban landscape.

Work on burying the electricity wires will be carried out this month in District 1.

Discount train tickets to boost bulk buying

The Sai Gon Railway Passenger Transport Company will drop the cost of summer train tickets by two to 10 per cent until September 4.

The move is aimed at encouraging tourism companies and organisations to buy collective tickets.

The reductions will only apply on routes from HCM City to central provinces of Hue, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet. The lowest discount level will be applied to a group of 20-29 passengers and the highest for teams of 50 or more.

The cost of soft seats with air conditioning will also decrease 50 per cent for those in groups of 40 or more.

Blown out tires, engines plague Vietnam Airlines

A loud explosion accompanied one plane’s landing as it made its way onto a Tan Son Nhat Airport runway in Ho Chi Minh City on Tuesday night.

Vietnam Airlines technicians who examined the Airbus 330, however, found nothing wrong, according to spokesman Le Truong Giang.

He said on Wednesday that the chief pilot who heard the explosion reported no problems with the otherwise safe landing, and that the plane later took off for Taiwan on schedule.

Still, the airborne mystery followed a month in which Vietnam Airlines experienced seven close calls, according to the Civil Aviation Administration.

No one has reported death or injury, but in the most serious run-in, engine No. 2 of an Airbus burst into flames on the runway during a Hanoi-bound flight from Cam Ranh on May 27.

Two days earlier, a pilot flying from Ho Chi Minh City to Khanh Hoa made an emergency landing after the third tire on his plane exploded, damaging the plane’ wings.

That marked the second day in a row that a Vietnam Airlines plane had to make an emergency landing. In the prior case, the pilot landed in Da Nang after leaving Hanoi because of a malfunction in the oxygen mask system. Passengers had to continue their journey to Ho Chi Minh City aboard another plane.

Statistics from the aviation administration show that most of the national carrier’s seven incidents in May were serious.

Earlier in the month, heavy rain made a runway in Ho Chi Minh City so slippery that a pilot blew out a tire while trying to brake. The eight crew members carried out safety measures and managed to land at the end of the runway. The plane departed from Guangzhou and carried 136 passengers.

Japan sets to improve sea ports and drainage in Da Nang

Japan will help the coastal central city improve its deep sea ports, drainage and water supply systems, as well as boost exports in Da Nang and the central region of Viet Nam, Hideo Suzuki, Minister-Counsellor of the Japanese embassy in Viet Nam said during a visit here today.

He said Da Nang is situated in the central region of Viet Nam and at the end of the East-West Economic Corridor – linking Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Viet Nam. Thus it is highly important to boost the economy in the central region.

Chairman of Da Nang City people's committee Van Huu Chien said the city needs Japan to launch direct flights from Japan to Da Nang in the future as well as improve the city's ports.

As scheduled, groups of Japanese investors will come to study the feasibility of sewage treatment and water supply projects next year.

Chief representative of Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) Viet Nam, Tsuno Motonori said JICA will have more discussions on improving the city's Tien Sa port's second phase of Lien Chieu port in coming years.

"Japanese investors will finish their feasibility studies on drainage and water supply systems for the city in the middle of next year. JICA will consider enlarging the project of the Tien Sa port soon," Tsuno said.

"JICA also help Da Nang in co-operation with Yokohama city in building Da Nang as a green city in the future," he added.

Da Nang has two big ports including Tien Sa and Lien Chieu ports.

However, Tien Sa port only allows access of 30,000 DWT (deadweight tonnage) ships, while 50,000 DWT container ships can dock at Lien Chieu.

The city currently has 54 investment projects from Japan worth US$252 million – the fourth biggest investment of the city's total foreign investment capital of $3.45 billion.

Protestants attend conference in Danang City

Almost 200 ministers and representatives of Protestant churches in Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Danang attended a conference on the church’s activities in Danang City on June 6.

The three-day conference discusses the Ordinance on Religions and Beliefs and the President’s instructions, the Prime Minister’s directive on work relating to Protestantism and other documents on religions and beliefs.

At the event, the Deputy Chairman of Danang City’s People’s Committee, Nguyen Xuan Anh, said that there are 11 religious organisations present in the city. Five protestant sects, which have been recognised by the State, share 12 places of worship with 27 ministers, eight missionaries and over 7,600 followers.

He said the city’s authorities have facilitated the activities of religious organisations, including the Protestant faith, in accordance with the law.

Protestant dignitaries and their followers have actively taken part in the national emulation campaigns launched by the city, as well as helping with the city’s development and construction programme, amongst others, said Anh.

World Blood Day to be observed in Vietnam

One hundred blood donors nationwide will be honoured at a ceremony to be held in Hanoi on June 10 for their priceless contributions to the community.

The event is part of activities in response to World Blood Donor Day 2012 (June 14) themed “Every Blood Donor Is A Hero”.

While recognizing the silent and unsung heroes who save lives every day through their blood donations, the theme strongly encourages more people all over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly.

As many as 93 million people around the world donate their blood every year.

The same day, a large-scale blood donation campaign will be launched, expecting to collect 1,500 units of blood in support for needy patients.

President of the Vietnam Red Cross Tran Ngoc Tang, who is also Permanent Deputy Head of the National Steering Committee for Voluntary Blood Donation, said to date Vietnam has had millions of blood donors and many of them donate their blood regularly. He said blood donors deserve to be honoured as heroes.

Wild elephants chased off commune farms

Five wild elephants were found earlier this week in Thanh Duc Commune, Thanh Chuong District, central Nghe An Province.
The elephants were reported to have trampled on farmers' fields, causing safety concerns among the local people.

In response, the local authorities sent police and volunteers to scare off the animals. According to the commune's People's Committee, wild elephants are found almost every year in the sparsely populated area 20km from the commune's centre.

Three die in truck accident, one hurt

A truck accident in Son Tra District in central Da Nang City left three dead and one injured yesterday, June 7.

The truck is reported to have hit a Naval watchtower gazebo in Nguyen Phan Vinh Street, injuring a soldier and killing three workers repairing the tower. The case is being investigated.

History competition on Vietnam-Laos relations

The Commission for Propaganda and Training under the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) launched a competition on the history of Laos and Vietnam and the special solidarity and friendship that exists between both countries, in Vientiane on June 6.

The head of the Commission, Cheung Sombounkhan, said the contest is part of activities that celebrating 50 years of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties, 35 years since the signing of Friendship and Cooperation Treaty and the 2012 Vietnam-Laos, Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year.

The competition will accept papers, poems or short stories, helping Lao people, particularly the younger generation, better understanding on the special relationship and brotherhood between the countries, he said.

Sombounkhan added that the competition will strengthen the special relationship between the two countries that share a 2.000 km border and have stood by each other in wartime in solidarity.

He also call on publishers, press circles, writers and schools to contribute to and take part in the competition to lift the traditional friendship between Laos and Vietnam to a new level.

VNN/VOV/VNS/Tuoi Tre