Vietnamese scientist Prof. Dr. Tran Dang Xuan and his colleagues at Hiroshima University in Japan have discovered anti-cancer agents in rice husks.

The research titled ‘Cytotoxic Mechanism of Momilactones A and B against Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia and Multiple Myeloma Cell Lines’ was published on Cancers magazine in October this year.

This is the first study clarifying the cytotoxic mechanism of Momilactones A (MA) and Momilactones B (MB) on acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) HL-60 and multiple myeloma (MM) U266 cell lines.

Besides, these compounds may induce G2 phase arrest in the HL-60 cell cycle through the activation of p-38 and disruption of CDK1 and cyclin B1 complex.

This finding provides novel insights into the anticancer property of Momilactones, which can be a premise for future studies and development of Momilactone-based anti-cancer medicines.

The Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry in Hiroshimas University led by Xuan is one of the few laboratories in the world that can purify Momilactones from natural sources such as rice. In a study in 2019, the group discovered and successfully extracted 600 mg of MA and MB from 30kg of rice husks.

The scientist said many pharmaceutical companies inside and outside Japan are working with his team to extract MA and MB for developing medicines to boost the immune system, anti-cancer medicines, those for treating diabetes, and cosmetics.

Hotline 156 launched for reports on spam, fraudulent calls

The Ministry of Information and has just announced its new Hotline 156 to receive reports from citizens about spam or fraudulent calls.

Hotline 156 is used in uniform nationwide from November 1, 2022 for all telecoms providers who are offering either mobile or fixed telecoms services.

Head Nguyen Hong Thang of the Vietnam Telecoms Authority (under the Information and Communications Ministry) shared that lately, the state of spam calls in Vietnam has increased significantly and become more complicated. Many of them show signs of fraudulence as they impersonate state agencies or organizations to appropriate people’s assets.

In the first 9 months this year, the Authority received nearly 203,000 calls from citizens to report spam messages and calls. Particularly, 12.5 percent of these calls either are about debt collection or show signs of fraudulence.

This has asked for a special consistent channel among telecoms service providers to receive such important reports from users in the most convenient way, and thus the birth of Hotline 156.

Chief of VPA general staff visits Brunei

Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) and Deputy Minister of National Defence is leading a high-ranking VPA delegation to visit Brunei from November 3-6.

The visit is made at the invitation of the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.

It aims to strengthen the political trust and mutual understanding between the two militaries and promote their cooperation, thus contributing to reinforcing and developing the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Brunei.

Bird flu recurs in central Vietnam

The central province of Quang Ngai has detected and culled a herd of 500 ducks raised in a backyard of a local farmer in Phu Son village of Nghia Ky commune.

Some ducks fell sick and died of unknown causes, said Nguyen Duc Thang who owns the farm.

Local veterinarians took samples of the sick poultry for testing with the results showing the ducks had contracted the deadly A/H5N1 strain that causes bird flu.

Immediately the veterinarians culled all dead and infected ducks, and disinfected the farm and nearby areas in an effort to contain the outbreak.

This is the second time bird flu has been detected in Thang’s farm. The first outbreak was reported five years ago.

The veterinarians warned the weather conditions will be complicated in the coming months, posing a high risk of avian influenza A/H5N8 and H5N1. They suggested localities strengthen epidemic prevention and control, especially vaccination and disease surveillance.

Vietnam works hard to prevent fishing vessels' infringement of foreign waters

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) will work with relevant ministries, agencies and localities to strengthen patrols, inspections and control at sea to prevent vessels from infringing foreign waters, and take thorough solutions to violations.

The ministry will coordinate with relevant ministries and agencies to improve the enforcement capacity of competent forces to fully implement international commitments and treaties related to fishing, especially the Agreement on Port State Measures, to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in accordance with international practices, said Nguyen Quang Hung, deputy general director of the ministry’s Directorate of Fisheries (DoF).

MARD will also increase investigations and assess resources to ensure sustainable output. It will effectively carry out projects on the exploitation and protection of aquatic resources, and the Fisheries Development Strategy approved by the Prime Minister to ensure the sustainable and responsible development of the fishing industry and the livelihoods of fishermen, he said.

Earlier, at a reception for an European Commission (EC) delegation who came to Vietnam to inspect the country's implementation of the EC recommendations, Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh said Vietnam has been making all-out efforts to implement the EC recommendations on ending IUU fishing in the best possible manner toward a sustainable, responsible, and controlled fishing industry.

He also reaffirmed Vietnam's strong commitment and concerted efforts by authorities, fishermen and businesses to prevent and eradicate IUU fishing.

Hung also informed that the EC delegation visited the central province of Khanh Hoa to inspect its efforts to tackle IUU fishing and held a working session with the DoF in late October.

They focused on inspecting the management of fishing ships, traceability of aquatic products, law enforcement, and other related issues.

The delegation is set to make their following field trip to Vietnam in the next six months.

Vietnam ready to cooperate with UN member states in peacekeeping: Diplomat

Vietnam will continue to actively engage in UN peacekeeping operations and is willing to cooperate with UN member states in this important area, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, has affirmed. 

Addressing a debate on peacekeeping at the Special Political and Decolonisation Committee (Fourth Committee) of the UN General Assembly on November 1 in New York, the Vietnamese diplomat highlighted Vietnam’s priorities in the peacekeeping work and updated participants on Vietnam's latest activities and contributions to UN missions in the Central African Republic and South Sudan.

He underlined the necessity to respond to the call of countries, especially those receiving peacekeeping forces, to plan missions of the forces clearly and appropriately.

The ambassador stressed that the peacekeeping operation continues to be a crucial and effective tool of the UN in the process of maintaining international peace and security.

Attention should be paid to ensuring security and safety for the peacekeeping forces, promoting the application of modern technologies in performing tasks and ensuring resources for missions, he said.

The Vietnamese representative also reiterated the requirement to fully ensure rights, interests and demands of women in joining peace processes.

The Special Political and Decolonisation Committee, one of the six major committees of the UN General Assembly, is tasked with considering a number of special political and peacekeeping issues.

Vietnam, Czech Republic beef up cooperation in fight against crimes

The Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security and legal enforcement agencies of the Czech Republic have been working closely together to fight crimes, especially trans-national, hi-tech, drug, and human trafficking crimes while taking measures to protect citizens of each country, said Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam.

During a reception in Hanoi on November 2 for the newly-appointed Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Vietnam, Hynek Kmonicek, Lam suggested both sides continue facilitating visits at all levels, update information and share experience in combating organised, trans-national, hi-tech and human trafficking crimes.

He proposed preventing any individual or organisation from taking advantage of one country to sabotage the other; jointly ensuring security and safety of investment, trade, labour, study and tourism activities of the two nations' people; guaranteeing legitimate rights and interests of citizens and representative offices of one country in the territory of the other, and cooperating to ensure security for visiting high-ranking delegations.

Lam suggested the ambassador discuss with the Czech Republic’s relevant agencies the possibility of negotiating a bilateral extradition agreement and signing a new agreement on judicial assistance in criminal and civil affairs in replace of the one signed in 1984.

He called for attention to coordination in fields where both nations have strengths like national defence, manufacturing, energy, mining, health care and agriculture, thus making the most of advantage brought about by the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

The minister expressed his belief that the diplomat will serve as a bridge to raise mutual understanding and promote cooperation in promising areas, particularly in security and order, and those within the framework of signed agreements.

Kmonicek, for his part, spoke highly of the traditional and fine friendship between the Czech Republic and Vietnam. The ambassador pledged that in his capacity, he will do his best to reinforce the bilateral relationship, including ties in security and order.

Concert promoting peace to debut in Vietnam

A concert entitled “A mass for peace” will take place at the Hanoi Opera House on November 12-13 with the participation of 200 artists from the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet (VNOB) and other international choirs, the VNOB announced on November 2.

According to a VNOB representative, the world has experienced many difficulties and pain due to epidemics and disasters, so "peace" has become even more precious and the theatre wanted to organise the concerts to look forward to a better future.

“A mass for peace” is a work by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins. The piece was released in 2000 and has been performed by orchestras and choirs around the world but has never been staged in Vietnam.

ENV film warns of health risks from wildlife consumption

The Education for Nature Vietnam (ENV) has released a film highlighting health risks from dining out at restaurants that sell wildlife meat, and calling on the community not to support such restaurants, thus reducing the risk of extinction among rare animals and protecting the ecosystem.

The film tells a story about a family that are enjoying their favourite pork dish without knowing that their chef has just slaughtered a civet, and the continuous preparation of dishes that include wildlife without ensuring hygienic procedures may cause pathogens from the civet to spread to the dish that they ordered.

In Vietnam, many wild animals have been illegally consumed at restaurants, which has not only negatively impacted the natural population of wildlife species, but also increased the risk of transmitting wildlife-origin pathogens to customers. In fact, about 70% of the dangerous infectious diseases over the past 30 years have originated from animals, mainly wild animals.

In its conclusion, the film advised the community to stay away from restaurants or other establishments that keep or consume wild animals.

ENV Deputy Director Nguyen Thi Phuong Dung said that each year, thousands of wild animals are poached and then smuggled and legalised through licensed farms before being brought into restaurants and other business facilities. Wildlife trafficking is not only a threat to biodiversity but also harms human life, she said, stressing the need to stop the situation to protect public health.

Alongside, the film also calls on the community to say "no" to other activities that may increase the risk of spreading diseases of wildlife origin to humans such as captive breeding or illegal using wild animal products.

Earlier, an ENV film about the operation of wildlife trafficking hotline at 1800-1522 was screened in 54 TV channels of Vietnam.

US, Vietnam boost healthcare cooperation

Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was in Vietnam this week to meet with CDC Vietnam and CDC Southeast Asia Regional Office staff, US Embassy officials, and partners from the Government of Vietnam.

HHS has robust health collaboration with Vietnam both bilaterally and multilaterally through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).  

Since normalization of relations in 1995, the US government has contributed over US$1.15 billion in bilateral health programs in Vietnam. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an agency of HHS, established a country office in Vietnam in 1998 to implement high-quality, sustainable health systems that lead to long term impact for the country. 

In 2021, US Vice President Kamala Harris launched the US CDC Southeast Asia Regional Office in Hanoi to advance regional global health security.

US CDC in Vietnam is the primary partnering agency for Vietnam’s Ministry of Health (MOH), providing technical expertise to support and scale up programs targeting priority diseases including HIV, tuberculosis, and influenza. 

Vietnam attends defence expo and forum in Indonesia

A Vietnamese delegation led by Colonel Le Quang Tuyen, deputy director of the General Department of Defence Industry, attended the Indo Defence Expo & Forum 2022 which opened in Jakarta on November 2.

The event is held biennially and is one of the largest expos in ASEAN on defence, aerospace, and marine technology. This year it has attracted the participation of delegates from 905 companies in 60 countries from across the world.

The three-day expo consists of two main activities - the Indo Marine Expo & Forum 2022 and the seventh Indo Aerospace 2022 Expo & Forum.

Col. Tuyen said that the purpose of the Vietnamese delegation attending the exhibition is to visit and learn about ongoing development trends and current technological advances. Furthermore, the delegation is keen to gain experiences to organise Vietnam Defense 2022, an event which is scheduled to take place in early December.

Body of deceased Vietnamese victim repatriated following Seoul stampede

The body of a Vietnamese girl who died in a stampede in Seoul during October 29 Halloween celebrations was repatriated to Vietnam on November 2 ahead of a funeral at her home.

According to the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), the victim was repatriated on a flight departing from Incheon International Airport on November 2 and arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City later on the same day.

As of 11 p.m. on November 1, the stampede which occurred on the night of October 29 on Itaewon street in the Korean capital, took the lives of 156 people and left 157 others injured as crowds were celebrating Halloween.

A 21-year-old female Vietnamese citizen was later named as a victim of the incident.

According to the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Foreign Ministry, the bereaved families will be provided with a relief fund of up to 20 million won, equivalent to US$14,091, and up to 15 million won, equal to US$10,569, for funeral costs. The funeral coverage also includes the cost of repatriating the remains of the deceased, the Korean Ministry added.

The foreign victims of the Itaewon disaster will be provided the same as Korean nationals.

Dai Ngai Bridge to bring Mekong Delta nearer to HCM City

Dai Ngai Bridge construction will startin the first quarter of 2023, a project that will shorten the travel time between the Mekong Delta and HCM City by 1.5-2 hours.

The Prime Minister has approved the Ministry of Transport to implement a BOT project to build the first phase of the Đại Ngãi Bridge connecting Trà Vinh and Sóc Trăng provinces.

The ministry has asked the investor and related units to speed up the progress of the bridge.

Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyễn Duy Lâm said the new bridge will reduce travelling distance between HCM City and the delta provinces by 80 kilometres.

It also helps to reduce transport costs and ease traffic pressure on National Highway 1A.

The project will have a total length of 15.2km on National Highway No. 60, crossing the Hậu River.

Cat Linh - Ha Dong metro line welcomes 7.2m passengers in a year of commercial operations

After nearly a year of operation, Hanoi's first metro project, the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway has welcomed more than 7.2 million passengers.

Also known as the 2A line, the metro line is seeing on average 32,000 passengers daily, of which 70 per cent use monthly tickets.

Deputy Director of Hanoi Public Transport Management Centre Thai Ho Phuong said that in the past nine months, the metro line has served over 5.4 million passengers, earning VNĐ47 billion (US$1.9 million) in revenue and exceeding the plan by 5 per cent.

The city’s public transport capacity has also increased to over 30 per cent. The goal is that this figure will rise to 35 per cent by 2025.

According to transport expert Le Trung Hieu, following a year of official operation, the 2A line has achieved four major goals of safety, attracting passengers and reducing the use of personal vehicles, gaining experience in urban railway management and operation, while clearing all doubts on urban rail lines.

However, the number of passengers now only reaches 15 per cent of the line’s capacity, requiring the completion of the public transport network to utilise the full potential of urban railways, Phuong noted.

The Cat Linh - Ha Dong metro line measures 13.05km, consisting of 12 elevated stations and 13 trains.

While its maximum speed is 80km per hour, the trains run at 35km per hour during normal operation. The average waiting time for passengers is between six to ten minutes.

The total capital of the urban railway project was over VNĐ18 trillion (US$868 million), which included funding from China and the local budget.

The metro line went into operation on November 6 last year, offering free rides for the first 15 days.

As part of the public transport system, the line’s ticket pricing currently receives subsidy from the capital city’s budget. 

Global Network of Young Vietnamese Medical Scientists launches

The Global Network of Young Vietnamese Medical Scientists (GYVS) was officially launched at the 21st science and technology conference of the health sector in Hà Nội on November 2, 2022.

As an organisation under the Vietnam Young Doctors Association and a voluntary organisation of young scientists with research in the field of health, the network will operate in Việt Nam and around the world for the development of the health sector.

“The Global Network of Young Vietnamese Medical Scientists will help strengthen solidarity and gather young intellectuals doing health research in the domestic and international community,” said the Vietnam Young Doctors Association president Hà Anh Đức at the launching ceremony.

Đức said that the network will be a consultative channel for the Government and domestic sectors on important issues as well as the country's difficulties and challenges in the field of health.

“The GYVS will be a gathering place for young Vietnamese medical scientists currently studying and living in other countries to share and discuss scientific research and advanced technology and techniques, helping Việt Nam to get early access to developments in science and technology in medicine and pharmacy," said Đức.

The Board of Directors of the GYVS for the term 2022-27 includes 19 young and prestigious scientists who were selected from nearly 400 young Vietnamese intellectuals from more than 22 countries around the world.

With 272 scientific reports, including 132 in English, the three-day conference is a forum for scientists, lecturers, medical practitioners and students to share their research and exchange experiences in scientific research and professional activities.

First international half marathon scheduled on New Year day

Elite Asian athletes will be invited to compete in the 2023 Vietnam International Half Marathon on January 1, 2023 in Hà Nội.

The tournament, held by the Việt Nam Athletics Federation in cooperation with the municipal People's Committee, will be the first international standard event of its kind in Việt Nam. It will be operated by Vietnamese referees and supervised by officials of the Asian Athletics Association.

It will be added to the federation's annual competition system in 2023 and part of the city's New Year celebrations.

Athletes, both elite and amateur, will compete in three categories of 5km, 10km and half marathon (21.0975km).

The organisers said athletes from Africa and other countries where marathon running has strongly developed would also be invited to ensure international standards and the tournament's quality. The invited runners will be announced next month. 

A total purse of VNĐ500 million (US$20,100) will be awarded to the winners.

Participants will also enjoy a dance and music performance on New Year's Eve and take part in a countdown party at the Hoàn Kiếm Lake on December 31, 2022.

Registration is now open at https://actiup.net/event/giai-ban-marathon-quoc-te-viet-nam-2023. 

More information can be found at the official fan page https://www.facebook.com/VietnamInternationalHalfMarathon and the website https://vietnaminternationalhalfmarathon.vn. 

VPF, FPT Play partner to lift up VN football

The Vietnam Professional Football (VPF) and FPT Play have signed a strategic cooperation agreement aimed at lifting national football closer to international standards.

VPF currently manages three domestic leagues - V.League 1, V.League 2 and the National Cup.

Meanwhile, FPT Play is the leading multi-platform digital television provider in Vietnam. It is a member of FPT Telecom, a telecommunications and Internet service provider who trusted and loved by customers all over Việt Nam and the region.

Following their cooperation agreement signed on November 1 in Hanoi, VPF and FPT Play will work together to promote the image and commercial exploitation of the three tournaments for five consecutive seasons from 2023 to 2027.

All matches will be aired live by FPT Play on multiple platforms of terrestrial, cable, satellite, IPTV, Internet, mobile, public projection and social networks.

The two sides will also carry out sideline reports covering player training and activities in their clubs. There will be preview and review programmes before and after matches along with deep analysis from football experts, journalists, coaches and players which will bring multidimensional points of view to audiences.

More health workers in HCM City quit jobs

Up to 1,282 health workers in HCM City left their jobs in the first ten months of this year, with many citing low pay as the reason for their resignations.

The information was given by the director of the municipal Department of Health Tang Chi Thuong at a meeting on the socio-economic situation between January and October this year.

Some health workers have moved to the private sector, while others have changed careers.

High working pressure and low pay are some of the causes of their decision.

Wards in many local hospitals are short of nurses. New hires have not made up the shortfall.

The condition would worsen as medical schools have witnessed a fall in the number of students applying for nursing.

In 2021, 1,150 health workers in the city left their jobs. But so far this year, despite the pandemic being brought under control, the figure has continued rising.

Experts worried that the health sector needs to take drastic action to improve the situation, including pay rises for medical workers and better working conditions.

Can Tho to build embankment along erosion-prone Tra Noc River

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho will build an embankment to prevent erosion along the Tra Noc River in Binh Thuy district in 2023-25 at a cost of 270 billion VND (10.9 million USD).

The funding will come from the central and local governments.

The municipal People’s Committee has allocated 100 billion VND.

It has assigned the Departments of Planning and Investment and Agriculture and Rural Development to oversee the construction and ensure the project is completed on schedule and meets quality requirements.

A two-kilometre embankment will be built along the river between the Xeo May and Rach Chua bridges in Tra An ward.

The city is increasingly suffering from erosion along its rivers and canals, which cause severe damage to property, according to its steering committee for natural disaster prevention and control and search and rescue and civil defense.

There have been nine cases of erosion affecting 268 metres so far this year that caused five houses and parts of 16 others to plunge into the river.

It has petitioned the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and relevant ministries to allocate funds for building four embankments with a total length of 5,150 metres at a cost of 750 billion VND (30.1 million USD). They will be built in Binh Thuy and Vinh Thanh districts.

Supervision over foreign entrants with monkeypox symptoms to be tightened at Noi Bai Airport
 
The medical quarantine area at the Hanoi-based airport has been equipped with billboards and where communication leaflets on epidemic prevention instructions are distributed.

International passengers with monkeypox symptoms will be isolated, closely supervised, and sent to the hospitals from Hanoi-based Noi Bai International Airport, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).

Vuong Anh Duong, the Deputy Director of the ministry's Department of Medical Examination and Treatment Administration, said the arrival area and the quarantine zone at Noi Bai International Airport meet the demand for quarantining monkeypox-suspected cases.

Moreover, he added that billboards are hung to reinforce communication to passengers about monkeypox, and communication leaflets for epidemic prevention instructions are distributed in the medical quarantine zone.

Especially the Hanoi Center for Disease Control (CDC) has arranged a Medical Quarantine Department with 30 employees working in three shifts per day at all locations exposed to contact with international visitors upon arrival in Vietnam.

Nguyen Hai Nam, head of the Department of International Health Quarantine under the Hanoi CDC, said that any member of the flight crew or passengers suspected of carrying monkey pox would be isolated immediately.

Binh Duong razes large-scale children trafficking ring

The Department of Public Security of Binh Duong Province has just launched criminal investigation into a case of “Trafficking children under 16 years old” and “Falsification of documents and papers of Government agencies, organizations” to continue to clarify subjects involved in the large-scale children trafficking ring nationwide.

The information was provided by Colonel Tran Van Chinh, Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Public Security at a press conference yesterday on socio-economy situation in Binh Duong Province in October of 2022.

Accordingly, through the testimonies of arrestees, there have been 31 cases of infant trafficking. Of these, only seven case have been identified.

According to the Department of Public Security of Binh Duong Province, the trickery of subjects involved in the criminal ring was looking for those unaffordable for nurturing their newborns and connecting them with those in need to make a profit.

Currently, the Binh Duong Province Department of Public Security is collaborating with functional forces of provinces and cities nationwide to continue the investigation and clarify the criminal case.

Source: VNA/SGT/VNS/VOV/Dtinews/SGGP/VGP/Hanoitimes