The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD2.5 million grant to assist the Government of Vietnam in providing emergency and humanitarian services to residents affected by the recent floods in the country’s central region.

“We commend the Government of Vietnam for their quick emergency response to the disaster,” said ADB Country Director for Vietnam Andrew Jeffries. “ADB’s grant will augment the wider government response to deliver immediate, life-saving assistance to people who need it the most, especially people who were already experiencing adverse economic impacts due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.”

The grant is funded by the Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund, which was designed to provide support to ADB’s developing members affected by major natural disasters.

Since 6 October, the central region of Vietnam has experienced prolonged and heavy rains, storm surge, and strong winds, leading to severe flooding and landslides. As of 29 October, 214 people have been killed or reported missing, according to the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority.

About 7.7 million Vietnamese live in the areas damaged by the flooding. That includes 1.5 million people in 9 central provinces who were directly affected and about 380,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed.

Provinces, cities ready to cope with storm

Soldiers from the Gia Lai Province Military Headquarters help residents in Kbang District to rebuild houses after the Storm Molave two weeks ago.

 

A tropical depression will strengthen into a storm and directly affect the Central Highlands and the south, areas already hit by previous storms, the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has warned.

In an official document sent yesterday, the committee asked authorities in the regions to closely watch weather monitor developments, inform to owners of ships working on the sea to avoid dangerous areas and actively conduct preventive measures.

Due to the tropical depression, coastal areas from the Gulf of Tonkin to Cà Mau Province could have strong winds of 75-88kph. The sea will be rough with waves about four metres high.

Provinces and cities must be ready in preparing task forces and means for rescue and closely inspect residential areas and where necessary, move people to safer ground ahead of flash floods and landslides. 

Task forces should be on duty all day in dykes, reservoirs to ensure minimal losses. 

They should also plan to prevent inundation in urban areas, and improve spreading information about the storms on multimedia so that local residents will be aware and better cooperate with local authorities to have preventive measures.

After the storms, provinces and cities must be active in overcoming the storms’ consequences to restore production and stables lives.

Lê Thành Ty, deputy director of the Quảng Trị Clean Water Corporation on Saturday told the Nhân Dân (The People) newspaper that after recent storms, so far all residents in the province have had access to clean water.

It was the company’s great efforts because storms had damaged many water supply stations.

To cope with five continuous storms in recent months, workers have taken turns to be on work all day in water supplying plants to bring clean water to residents.

In the central province of Quảng Nam, rescuers continued to search for missing victims in Trà Leng Commune, Nam Trà My District, after two halting days due to bad weather.

A severe flash flood 11 days ago in the commune destroyed 11 houses. The task force saved 33 people, however, nine residents died and 13 are still missing.

Major General Hứa Văn Tưởng, Deputy Commander of the Military Region 5, said the victims may have been swept into the Sông Tranh 2 reservoir.

Tourists killed in Ha Giang traffic accident

Three tourists were killed and four others were injured as their car fell into a ravine in Ha Giang Province on November 8.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, at 10.30 am on November 8, Sung Mi Qua from Lung Tam Village, Ha Giang, was driving six tourists from Danang in his car to visit the Nho Que River. The car suddenly fell into a 40m ravine, killing three people and injuring four others. 

Ha Giang Traffic Safety Committee in Ha Giang sent a delegation to the scene and worked with the local authorities to investigate the case and visited the victims' families.

The car was a UAZ made in 1990. Qua is severely injured and will be tested for drugs and alcohol usage.

The accident scene is particularly difficult to access and the phone signal is weak. 

Parliament continues Q&A activities on November 9

Government members on November 9 are responding to legislators’ questions about issues related to the implementation of the National Assembly (NA)’s resolutions on thematic supervision and question-and-answer (Q&A) activities in the 14th tenure, along with some resolutions adopted in the 13th tenure.

This is the second day of Q&A activities, part of the ongoing 10th session of the 14th-tenure parliament. The session is broadcast live by Radio the Voice of Vietnam, the Vietnam Television, and the NA’s TV channel.

On the first Q&A day on November 6, Deputy Prime Ministers Vu Duc Dam and Trinh Dinh Dung, the ministers of construction; education and training; information and communications; justice; agriculture and rural development; culture, sports and tourism; public security; labour, invalids and social affairs; home affairs; planning and investment; natural resources and environment; and transport, along with Minister-Chairman of the Government’s Office Mai Tien Dung replied to queries about issues within their remit.

Issues under discussion were those attracting public concern, including COVID-19 prevention and control measures, natural disaster and climate change response, funding for the reform of textbooks, the deployment of 5G technology, solutions to create jobs and guarantee people’s livelihoods, national competitiveness improvement, connectivity for development of regions, and ethics of cadres and civil servants./.

PM requires newly-appointed Vietnamese ambassadors to deepen cooperation with foreign countries

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has required newly-appointed Ambassadors and heads of Vietnamese representative offices abroad to work to deepen cooperative ties with foreign countries and territories.

At a reception on November 7 for the diplomats before they take up their duties abroad, the PM stressed that Vietnam is in a very important stage of development that needs great resources. He urged the diplomats to do their best to secure resources for national development, especially Official Development Assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investment (FDI), among others.

He asked the diplomats to closely follow the Party and State’s foreign policy of multilateralisation and diversification of external relations, active and proactive international integration, and being a reliable friend and partner as well as a responsible member of the international community.

The Government leader also said the diplomats should engage in strategic study and forecast work, and research new development models that can be applied in Vietnam.

On behalf of the diplomats, newly-appointed Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi vowed to make the greatest efforts to fulfill the tasks assigned to them by the Party and the State./.

General election begins in Myanmar

A general election in Myanmar, the third of its kind in the past six decades, kicked off on November 8 with over 37 million eligible voters to go to the polls across the country.

A total of 42,047 polling stations opened at 6am (local time). As many as 5,831 candidates from over 90 parties and independent runners are contesting for seats in the election.

The ruling NLD party won an absolute majority of parliamentary seats in the last general elections held on November 8, 2015, and has been running the government since 2016.

To maintain a majority of seats in parliament, the NLD must win two thirds of seats in both houses while one fourth of them have been given to Myanmar army, said analysts./. 

Vietnam records no new COVID-19 case early November 9

No new COVID-19 case was recorded from 6pm on November 8 to 6am on November 9, reported the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control.

The national tally remained at 1,213 infection cases, 691 of them were locally transmitted.

Vietnam went through 68 days without local transmission. So far, 1,070 patients have been recovered.

Among those under treatment at medical establishments, nine tested negative once, 11 twice and eight others thrice, with no one in critical conditions. There were 35 deaths related to the disease, including 31 in Da Nang, 3 in Quang Nam and 1 in Quang Tri.

A total of 14,409 people who had close contacts with COVID-19 patients or entered from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine, including 202 in hospitals, 12,977 at other establishments and 1,230 at homes./.

ASEAN Senior Officials’ Preparatory Meeting held online

The ASEAN Senior Officials’ Preparatory Meeting was held on November 9 via video conference.

According to agenda, several meetings were scheduled to take place on the same day such as the 5th meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Public Health Emergencies, a preparatory meeting of the RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee, and a preparatory meeting of ASEAN senior economic officials.

A wide range of conferences will take place on November 10, including the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the 22nd ASEAN Political-Security Council Meeting, the 28th ASEAN Coordinating Council Meeting, a preparatory meeting of the ASEAN Economic Ministers, the 19th ASEAN Economic Community Council Meeting, and ASEAN Economic Ministers Troika Open-ended dialogue with the Swiss trade minister.

The 37th ASEAN Summit and related meetings will take place from November 12-15 via video conference.

These are the most important meetings during Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship and include the 37th ASEAN Summit; ASEAN 1 Summits with China, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), India, the US, Australia and the UN; the ASEAN-New Zealand Leaders’ Summit to commemorate the 45th anniversary of dialogue relations; the 23rd ASEAN 3 Summit; and the 15th East Asia Summit.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will preside over the events.

PM Phuc and leaders of ASEAN and dialogue nations will discuss the ASEAN Community building progress, work to complete priorities and initiatives in 2020 and promote ASEAN’s external relations, as well as exchange views on regional and global issues.

A record number of more than 80 documents will be submitted to the leaders for approval.

Under the “Cohesive and Responsive” spirit, ASEAN has promoted solidarity and unity to bolster cooperation amidst formidable challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, while consolidating its central role and increasing position on the regional and international arena. To date, ASEAN has basically completed its set targets for 2020. Priorities and initiatives set at the outset of the year have been carried out on schedule, including the mid-term review of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, mapping development orientations for post 2025 period, and promoting ASEAN’s image and identity, among others.

In an effort to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, ASEAN has carried out a wide range of practical initiatives by setting up ASEAN COVID-19 response fund, establishing ASEAN centre for public health emergencies and emerging diseases, developing a framework and plan on mitigating the outbreak’s impacts and pushing ahead comprehensive recovery.

The 37th ASEAN Summit and related meetings are an important opportunity for Vietnam and other ASEAN member states to put forth decisive policies and guidance on ASEAN cooperation and international collaboration and ASEAN’s reactions to regional and international issues, and enhance ASEAN’s proactiveness in response to regional and global challenges./.

Hanoi chairman urges local agencies to solve issues of Soc Son landfill

Nam Sơn Waste Treatment Complex in Hà Nôi's suburban Sóc Sơn District. Photo chinhphu.vn

 

Collecting, transporting and treating waste in Hà Nội must be comprehensively handled to ensure hygiene for people and the environment in the areas surrounding Nam Sơn Waste Treatment Complex in Sóc Sơn District, said Hà Nội People’s Committee Chairman Chu Ngọc Anh.

He issued an urgent request to the municipal offices to implement effective measures to solve issues relating to the waste treatment complex.

A week ago, many streets in Hà Nội’s inner city were piled up with waste because the people of Sóc Sơn District’s Nam Sơn and Hồng Kỳ communes blocked the road to the complex.

This is the second time this year and the 15th time in the past few years that locals stopped garbage trucks from entering the landfill because they were angry about pollution and levels of compensation offered for reallocation.

Hà Nội government has repeatedly promised to resolve people's aspirations but so far, they remain not satisfied.

After two days, the landfill was re-opened.

The chairman said this was an important issue affecting directly people’s lives, the environment and water safety in three communes of Hồng Kỳ, Nam Sơn and Bắc Sơn along with the whole Sóc Sơn District, causing potentially high risks of poor sanitation to Hà Nội, the document said.

Therefore, it needed strong efforts, determination, close coordination of all levels, sectors, relevant agencies and local authorities to resolve the shortcomings and limitations.

The chairman assigned Sóc Sơn District to take responsibility for ground clearance and security in the landfill.

The district will directly instruct communes to realise the ground clearance plan as well as receive and solve the local people’s complaints and requests to avoid more demonstrations at the site.

The district should also put measures in place to stop people from entering the landfill collecting rubbish and scrap to sell.

Hà Nội People’s Committee vice chairman was designated to guide relevant agencies to set up measures to solve the garbage collection and transportation problems in Hà Nội's inner city.

Hà Nội Construction Department and the Urban Environment Company were asked to inspect the city’s garbage depots to ensure safety and hygiene.

The Construction Department in collaboration with Planning and Investment Department will review investors of projects on garbage incineration to propose the replacement of incompetent investors as well as to resolve difficulties and problems during implementation to ensure the projects completed as scheduled.

The departments should report to the city People's Committee by November 15. 

Cần Thơ develops advanced farming techniques to improve value

The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Cần Thơ has developed 183 advanced farming models and six concentrated farming areas, according to its Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

It has also developed 41 safe food supply chains and origin traceability stamps for 292 agriculture, forestry and fisheries items.

It has spent more than VNĐ231.6 billion (US$10 million) since 2017 to develop advanced farming models that meet the standards set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, embrace mechanisation and use advanced techniques like net houses and automatic efficient irrigation.

The use of automatic efficient irrigation has helped reduce costs and increase yields by 20 – 25 per cent.  

The city has mechanised all stages of rice farming, from land preparation and sowing to harvest and post-harvest handling.

The concentrated farming areas grow key crops like rice, vegetables, short-term commercial crops and speciality fruits, and have contracts with agribusinesses to ensure farmers have outlets and get consistent prices.

The city has 214,000ha of land under rice this year, with high-quality varieties grown on 80 per cent of the area.

The city’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries output this year is expected to top VNĐ5.6 trillion ($241 million), up 6.6 times from 2016, according to the department.

Aquaculture

The city has 9,000ha of aquaculture farms and will have an estimated output of 224,000 tonnes this year, up 10 per cent from 2016, according to its Fisheries Sub-department.

Tra fish accounts for about 80 per cent of the total output, and its exports are worth US$500 million a year, or a third of the city’s total exports.

Speaking at a seminar on Tuesday (November 3), Trần Thanh Hải, head of the sub-department, said a breakthrough in tra farming began 20 years ago when Cần Thơ City University in co-operation with research units successfully produced tra fish fry artificially for breeding.

The city has 45 tra processing companies which produce various products for exporting to more than 100 countries and territories, according to Hải.  

But farms still rely mostly on manual labour for certain things like feeding and harvesting and could be mechanised to increase productivity.

The city has two co-operatives and 35 households linked with tra fish processors, and nine companies that breed the fish on a total area of 251ha.

The city has certified and granted codes for 301 tra farms with a total area of 580ha that meet quality requirements in terms of breeding, feeding and use of medicines and chemicals.  

Under a plan to adopt advanced aquaculture techniques, the city will develop a concentrated farming area for producing tra fish fry in Cờ Đỏ District and a concentrated farming area in Thốt Nốt District, each 100ha in size.

It will use modern facilities and advanced farming techniques like recirculating aquaculture systems, aquaponics and biofloc technology to increase yields, prevent diseases and protect the environment.

Nguyễn Thanh Dũng, deputy chairman of the city People’s Committee, said to improve the programmes for adopting advanced techniques in agriculture, more attention should be paid to developing electronic origin traceability for each product and to the quality of animal and aquatic strains and the use of feed.

“These things will help improve the competitiveness and productivity of agricultural products, reduce costs and meet the requirements of fastidious export markets.” 

Asia Agri-tech Challenge 2020 to be launched

A farmer takes care of his orange plants in Thanh Phong Commune, Thanh Chương District in the central province of Nghệ An.

The prestigious Asia Agri-tech Challenge will be launched on November 15th.

The challenge is an initiative of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Value Chain Capacity Building Network (VCB-N).

This is the first challenge of this kind organised by IFAD and VCB-N and this year’s event will revolve around ICT applications in support of agricultural value chain operations.

COVID-19 has disrupted lives and livelihoods. The stress put onto agricultural markets and food systems revealed cracks in the way they operate. Economic misery and even food shortages became real in record time.

The crises can also be a reflection and turning point. Some developments like the use of IT to support agricultural value chains and market systems were accelerated by the crises and are opening up new opportunities.

Interesting developments are on-going such as the application of blockchain technology to enhance transparency along the chain, applications connecting consumers directly to producers, drones doing quality checks during the production process to support certification, peer learning groups and technical advisory services rendered through apps and increasing access to financial services.   

This call challenges private sector companies, academia and development organisations and projects to come up with concrete and practical examples on how ICT solutions can support the development of resilient post-COVID-19 agricultural value chains/market systems that are more resilient, fair and inclusive. 

The Asia Agri-tech Challenge wants to trigger innovation in the use of ICT along the value chains and provide successful innovations in their prototyping / testing phase, provide a platform to showcase their products, while at the same time function as a matchmaking event between developers and providers of innovative ICT solutions and chain actors that look for ways to improve the chain functioning and make it more resilient and future-proof.  

More information can be found at https://www.vcbnchallenge2020.com/

The Challenge is inclusive and open to parties from all over the world and all sectors: private sector (like IT enterprises), start-ups, academia (like academic groups or student teams), development organisations or projects and civil society and non-governmental organisations. Ideally, the presented innovation is in its proto-typing or testing phase or beyond.

The process of participation and competing starts with filling and submitting the Challenge Registration Form found at the end of the webpage https://www.vcbnchallenge2020.com/.

COVID-19-affected poor farmers get support

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Bình Thuận Agricultural Extension Centre have handed over agricultural production equipment and materials including fertilizer (200 tonnes), 195,500 LED lights, water-saving irrigation systems, and other equipment to support the management of 15 dragon fruit cooperatives and their members.

The UNDP said the support is an activity funded by the Government of Japan to ensure that more than 2,000 cooperative households and poor labourers affected by COVID-19 do not lose their jobs.

Due to COVID-19, the export of dragon fruits this year has faced many difficulties, and consumption has decreased significantly. Many members of dragon fruit cooperatives face the danger of having to close down, forcing the reduction of labour. Thousands of poor farmers have had to abandon their planting area or no longer continue to invest in caring for the dragon fruits from the first and second quarters. It has made the lives of the poor farmers who are currently working in these cooperatives very difficult.

A recent UNDP assessment of the effects of COVID-19 and drought conducted in south central Bình Thuận province found that 54 per cent of households are facing these extreme impacts. Therefore, UNDP and the Bình Thuận Agricultural Extension Centre have worked together to support the dragon fruit cooperatives to maintain production linkages among cooperative members and poor farmers who have not yet worked at the cooperative, as well as maintaining jobs for poor workers who are members.

“Members and poor farmers in the province mostly have a small area for dragon fruit cultivation. They work as labour for dragon fruit cooperatives. Through the support to these dragon fruit cooperatives, to help farmers continue to have income, the cooperatives commit to having and will continue to maintain product consumption and secure jobs for workers,” said Sitara Syed, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Việt Nam.

“LED lighting, drip irrigation systems, and other equipment provided by the project will improve efficiency and yields and reduce energy and water consumption. In this way, dragon fruit production will have a reduced carbon footprint, helping Viet Nam achieve its nationally determined contributions (NDC) to reduce carbon emissions,” Syed highlighted.

In addition, the project also supports construction items for preliminary processing houses, cold storage, and other technical assistance, such as training on dragon fruit intensive farming, improving cooperative leadership capacity, electronic software for traceability, and marketing skills through which cooperatives can meet the export standards of dragon fruits to foreign countries, contributing to the expansion of export markets for dragon fruit products. 

Vietnamese man arrested in multi-billion dong drug raids

A Vietnamese man has been arrested in the UK after police smashed an ‘industrial’ scale cannabis operation spanning across England.

The 33-year-old is currently in custody in Birmingham after officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) discovered more than a million English pounds worth of the illegal drug.

His 24-year-old female partner, also Vietnamese, was arrested at the same time and is now being questioned.

Both were detained after a series of raids by police on a number of buildings being used to cultivate cannabis, including a three-storey former nightclub which contained around 1,000 plants worth an estimated VNĐ30 billion.

Other farms suspected of being connected to the gang were found in Birmingham and 180km away in Lancashire.

NCA senior investigating officer Paul Boniface said: “The scale and sophistication of the cannabis farms we have uncovered as part of this investigation suggests a criminal network capable of producing cannabis on an industrial level, generating hundreds of thousands of pounds in profit.

“There is an added layer of exploitation to these types of criminal enterprises, with the networks involved often using individuals who have been smuggled or trafficked into the UK illegally to run their farms.

“Working with our partners at West Midlands Police and Lancashire Police we have been able to dismantle this particular network, make a number of arrests, and our investigation continues.” 

HCMC promotes Reggio Emilia approach in preschools

The Ministry of Education and Training in coordination with the Ho Chi Minh City-based Consulate General of Italy, Italy’s Reggio Children organization and Global Embassy convened a meeting yesterday to introduce Reggio Emilia approach for preschools. 

Nearly 300 educationists and teaching staffs from departments of education and managers of preschools in 37 cities and provinces across the country participated in the meeting.

Speaking at the seminar, Nguyen Ba Minh, head of the Pre-school Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training said that the Reggio Emilia approach has been implemented in 140 nations in the world.

Lately, the Government of Vietnam has taken heed of the approach facilitating preschools' access to advanced educational methods to improve preschool quality and the country's international integration.

He said the Reggio Emilia approach, a student-centered, is an educational philosophy and pedagogy focused on preschool and primary education. The approach has been implemented in several preschools.

Italian Consul General in HCMC Dante Brandi said that concept of creative education has been developing gradually. The method is developed for children with potential creative ability connecting with relations around. Reggio-inspired environment, often referred to as 'the third teacher', is one that is open and free-flowing. It will bring new opportunities for children to experience and develop their creativeness.

At the core of this philosophy is an assumption that children form their own personality during the early years of development and that they are endowed with "a hundred languages", through which they can express their ideas.

A representative of the HCMC Department of Education and Training announced schools will adopt the approach creatively to perfectly suit local education condition.

 

Media leaders call for new association to protect against copyright infringement

Leaders of media agencies called for a new association to deal with copyright infringement at a meeting held by the Authorities of Press, Broadcast and Electronic Information held in HCM City yesterday.

Lê Xuân Trung, deputy editor-in-chief of Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) Newspaper, said: “Media agencies should join together to establish an association aiming to protect our products and brands.”

Tuổi Trẻ has seen more than 16,000 incidences of copyright infringement over the years. The newspaper has discovered fake websites such as tuoitre24h.net and tuoitreonline.vn.

Đinh Đức Thọ, general managing editor of Pháp Luật TP Hồ Chí Minh (Laws of HCM City) Newspaper, said that violators mostly were anonymous information websites, social media platforms, or even other media agencies.

In one month, the newspapers had to deal with hundreds of violations, but only 70-80 violators were finally identified.

Việt Nam Television (VTV) in one month found more than 189,000 incidences of infringement of news videos on social media, websites and mobile apps.

The station is also facing the illegal use of its VTV brandname to establish fake websites, channels on YouTube, and fanpages on Facebook.

Each media agency has established its own group to deal with copyright infringements, but still needs support from state management agencies.

Lê Quang Tự Do, deputy general director of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, said: “The development of technology can help to identify copyright infringement. The association should include participation from state management agencies, journalism agencies and technology companies.”

However, he said he was concerned about the shortage of human resources and finances needed to launch the association.

Hoàng Vĩnh Bảo, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, agreed that it was necessary to have a association to protect media copyrights.

However, he said that media agencies should fight to protect themselves by "educating staff about regulations on copyright, launch a system to trace and deal with infringements, and agree not to use other agencies’ products without permission.”

“Media agencies should also work with state management authorities in amending and implementing laws because only these agencies know what they need and which regulation is not appropriate,” Bảo said.

Seminar attendees said they were also worried that websites, fanpages and apps were using names of local media agencies to upload fake news.

Lieutenant Colonel Đinh Thị Thu Thủy, head of the Hà Nội Office of Cyber Security and High-tech Crime, said that many websites, fanpages and apps were created to spread fake news for anti-State propaganda purposes.

Local media agencies should use high-end technology to protect their copyright and detect infringements and inform authorities, Thủy added.

Leaders of media agencies agreed with Thủy’s ideas, but said the fine for copyright infringement VNĐ3-30 million (US$130-1,300) was too low.

Trung of Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) Newspaper said the authorities should increase the fine and regularly publicise lists of violators as a way to restrict the illegal practice of copyright infringement.

Symposium shares cancer treatment experience

Nearly 1,000 health experts and doctors shared professional experience and the latest scientific research on cancer treatment at a cancer symposium on Friday in Hà Nội.

The two day event, entitled Hà Nội Cancer Prevention 2020, was organised by the Hà Nội Oncology Hospital in collaboration with the Việt Nam Cancer Association.

Speaking at the event, the Hà Nội Oncology Hospital director Bùi Vinh Quang said that over the past years, the Hà Nội Oncology Hospital has applied many new techniques into cancer examination and treatment to meet the increasing demand for medical examination and treatment of people in Hà Nội.

“The hospital always wants to update and share new knowledge with practical value for medical staff in order to increase the quality of diagnosis and effectiveness of treatment, prolonging the life of cancer patients,” said Quang.

Quang added that the conference was an opportunity for health workers and leading experts in the field of oncology nationwide as well as internationally to share their expertise, scientific research, gain new knowledge, apply practice to improve the quality and efficiency of medical examination and treatment for people.

Participants heard that cancer had become a common burden for the world, including Việt Nam. According to statistics from Globocan, in 2018 there were 164,671 new cancer cases nationwide in Việt Nam, of which the number of deaths was 114,871. These statistics have tripled over the past 30 years.

During the two-day event, participants will focus discussions on various oncology fields such as cancer immunity, targeted treatment, advanced radiotherapy techniques, radiotherapy surgery, plastic surgery in cancer treatment, laparoscopic surgery and robot surgery, nuclear medicine, clinical pharmacy and hospital quality management.

Leaders of the Hà Nội Oncology hospital receive the second-class Labour Medal for the hospital’s contribution to the cause of healthcare and protection in Hà Nội. — VNS Photo Thanh Hải
The event also marked 20 years of the Hà Nội Oncology Hospital. On the occasion, the hospital received the second-class Labour Medal from Party General Secretary and State President Nguyễn Phú Trọng for its contribution to cancer prevention for women in Hà Nội over the years.

The Hà Nội Oncology Hospital recently was recognised as a high level hospital with specialised techniques in oncology in Việt Nam. The hospital also directed specialised techniques to help lower level hospitals as well as supporting the National Cancer (K) Hospital in cancer examination and treatment activities.

With 600 beds and nearly 600 staff, the hospital has invested in a modern and comprehensive system of medical equipment to meet all fields of oncology including internal medicine, surgery, radiotherapy, nuclear medicine, palliative care and intervention treatment. 

Cam Ranh Airport to stop flight announcement to reduce noise

Cam Ranh Airport announced that they will stop all flight announcements at the domestic terminal from November 16 in order to reduce noise pollution at the airport. 

Cam Ranh is the fourth airport to stop making flight announcements after Noi Bai, Danang and Tan Son Nhat airports. Many other airports internationally have stopped making flight announcements to improve the general environment.

From November 16, all information about the flights at Cam Ranh Airport will be displayed via the flight information display system in both Vietnamese and English.

Passengers are advised to pay attention to flight details on the airport screens and boards so that they can board the planes on time.

During the transition period, the airport employees will guide passengers on how to read the flight details.

Mater plan for Mau Son national tourism site announced

The Lang Son provincial People’s Committee on November 6 announced the master plan for the Mau Son national tourism site in the period until 2040, which was previously approved by the Prime Minister in October.
The tourist site is located in the Mau Son mountain range, 30km to the east of Lang Son city. The mountain range comprises of 80 mountain peaks at a height of between 800m and 1,000m.

The plan serves as a foundation to turn Mau Son into a national tourist site by 2040, thus contributing to attracting more visitors to the site and the northern mountainous region in general. It also aims to preserve and promote the natural landscapes and cultural identity of the site.

Accordingly, it is envisioned the Mau Son national tourism site will cover the entire Cong Son and Mau Son communes in Cao Loc district, and Mau Son commune in Loc Binh district, along with part of Bang Khanh, Xuan Man, Dong Buc, Huu Khanh and Yen Khoai in Loc Binh districts, a total area of around 14,964 hectares.

Trade, service, culture, sports, religious complexes and accommodation along with a technical infrastructure system serving tourism activities and scientific research will be developed, meeting the requirements need to develop local tourism, maintain security-defence, and create jobs for local workers.

Musical show to raise funds for disadvantaged youth

Doan Ba Corp will organize a musical show in HCMC in late December to raise funds for the construction of a training and vocational center for disadvantaged youth in Vietnam.

As part of the “Viet Musical Show” project, a concert themed “Peace in the Storm” will take place at the HCMC Opera House on December 22 and 23, featuring some 100 renowned artists such as singers Lan Nha, Nam Khanh, Thai Bao Tram, Nguyen Hoang Nam and Nguyet Anh and actresses Trinh Kim Chi, Tuyet Thu and Nhu Phuc.

With composers Dang Buu and Duc Tri in charge of music production, familiar Christmas songs will be mixed in a modern style but still retain their classical touch.

Meanwhile, the performers’ royal European costumes will be designed by Dung Nguyen, enabling the audience to enjoy a Western Christmas atmosphere right in HCMC.

The two gala nights will be followed by a street performance that will take place along busy roads downtown on December 26, entertaining revelers, especially the youth, featuring acappella music. Without instrumental accompaniment, acappella music focuses on vocals and harmonization and is able to bring the performers and audience close together.

Doan Mai Trang, CEO of Doan Ba Corp and founder of the “Viet Musical Show” project, said she has visited and supported many vocational centers for the youth across the country and realized that there are still many youngsters who live a life of desperation, lack family love and feel unsure about their future.

Therefore, she wants to found a professional training and vocational center where underprivileged youngsters are loved and educated to become good citizens and have a brighter future.

The “Viet Musical Show” project is the first step for her and Doan Ba Corp to realize this dream. Besides the “Peace in the Storm” show, the project would involve a series of other events such as seminars and youth clubs.

Trang is the daughter of meritorious artist Doan Ba, former director of the Tran Huu Trang cai luong (southern opera) theater. He was the writer and producer of some 300 plays.

Digital employment training program for disabled people launched

UNDP Resident Representative Caitlin Wiesen (L) and CEO of the Will to Live Center Nguyen Thi Van pose for a photo at the event – PHOTO: COURTESY OF ORGANIZER

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Will to Live Center and the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam jointly launched a digital employment training program for persons with disabilities co-existing with Covid-19 on November 5, through which students will develop digital skills to be able to take up digital employment opportunities.

The 39 students with disabilities participating in the program will further be able to live independently with dignity, support their families and contribute to the digital economy.

“This is what we are contributing to the increased equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities—the indicators of Article 27 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sustainable Development Goal No. 8 on Decent Work for all,” said UNDP resident representative Caitlin Wiesen at the launch ceremony.

“We must ensure that the existing inequalities and risks faced by persons with disabilities are not further deepened by Covid-19 and we can together move forward toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post Covid-19 world, which will also be the theme of the approaching International Day for Persons with Disabilities,” she added.

Two of the key findings of UNDP’s recent study on employment policies and their implementation for persons with disabilities are that reasonable accommodation facilities have not been stipulated under the law and persons with disabilities have not been trained in new jobs to meet the demands of the new labor market.

In this project, the Will to Live Center can become a role model for coming up with reasonable accommodation facilities and providing the latest digital skills for persons with disabilities to integrate into the dynamic economy of the fourth industrial revolution.

“I wanted to go to the university but there is no elevator there and my mom can’t give me a piggyback ride climbing the stairs to my class every day, so I have to stay home,” shared Vo Thi Mien, 19 years old, from Ha Tinh Province.

“I was sad and wanted to integrate into the society. This digital skills training opens the second gate for me. I hope I get a decent job after graduation to support my family,” added Mien.

Addressing the event, co-founder and CEO of the Will to Live Center Nguyen Thi Van gave flower seeds to all the students to be planted and wished them strength to overcome all barriers and move forward.

“Each person has her or his own ability and value. We need to create equal opportunities for everyone to unleash their own potential,” she said.

HCMC boosts training of high-quality human resources
 
The Management Boards of Saigon Hi-tech Park (SHTP) and Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCMC) yesterday signed a collaboration agreement for the period from 2020-2025. This agreement is supposed to promote the establishment of the Eastern Innovative, Highly Interactive Urban Area and the forming of an innovative startup ecosystem for the city, with a clear focus on human resources training.

Accordingly, both partners will cooperate in the three main programs of developing scientific-technological potentials, training high-quality human resources for key industries, and promoting innovative startups.

In the event, Associate Prof. Dr. Huynh Thanh Dat – Director of VNU-HCMC – shared that his organization is identified as one of the national ‘knowledge centers’, with 27 units for training and research conducting and 8 members.

At the moment, VNU-HCMC has over 69,000 students of all levels and more than 1,300 doctorates, 400 professors. It is one perfect place for human resources training for various fields.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Thi – Head of the Management Board of SHTP – introduced his organization’s strengths. SHTP is one of the three national hi-tech parks and is able to offer a suitable environment for hi-tech businesses, greatly boosting economic structure transfer in the local area and the region. It is a place to nurture novel scientific-technological ideas.

The strengths of both partners make them ideal choices for high-quality human resources training to serve the market’s demands in HCMC. It is expected that this cooperation will also promote the commercialization of research results of both partners for the sake of national development.

HCMC People's Committee Head office recognized as national architectural relic

The People’s Committee Building of Ho Chi Minh City

The People’s Committee Building of HCMC has been recognized as national architectural relic, according to the decision No. 3244/QĐ-BVHTTDL issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

The People’s Committee of HCMC has been assigned to manage the relic in accordance with legal regulations on cultural heritages as authorized.

The headquarters of the People’s Committee of HCMC, previously known as the HCM City Hall or “L'Hôtel de Ville” is one of the most ancient architectures in the city. It was built from 1898 until 1909 and designed by the French architect, Femand Gardès, simulating the bell tower style in Northern France. After 1975 until today, the building is the workplace of the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City.

The construction has a tall protruding tower. Two sides of the building are two balanced attics, the left and right sides of the work are lower than the rest. The facade design is a mixture of Baroque, Rococo, and Art Nouveau architectural styles.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism also recognized other architectural works as national architectural relics, including Linh Dong God Temple in HCMC’s Thu Duc District, the Cam Bridge in Nghe An Province, Bach Dang Giang relic site in Hai Phong City, and Xa Tac Temple in Quang Ninh Province.

Postgraduate education to witness several changes in regulations
 
The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has just issued the final draft for the new regulation regarding postgraduate education. Compared to the current one, the new regulation allows more autonomy as well as responsibilities, in accordance with the 2018 Law on Higher Education effective as of July 1, 2019. 

New masters and doctors of HCMC Nong Lam University receiving their degrees on October 31
The Higher Education Department (under MoET) stated that the final draft of the new regulation on postgraduate education aims at adjusting outdated content regarding the admission process, the training of master’s and doctoral degrees, the documents related to the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework (VQF) and the structural framework of the national education system.

Different from the current regulation on postgraduate admission in Circular No.15/2014, which states that enrollment is done only via an entrance examination, the 2018 Law on Higher Education says that other methods like application review or even a combination of both are allowed.

Therefore, the final draft clearly displays the rules and thresholds for this process so that educational institutes can develop their own admission plans, along with accountability when needed.

The final draft also mentions criteria for the postgraduate output. That is all new masters must reach level 4 in the VQF, which is the input standard of doctorate training in Vietnam. What is more, the master training program must follow training standards for either research or application mode. The training time is based on the number of credits and must not be extended by more than 2 years compared with the designed one.

Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy – Director of the Higher Education Department – shared that this draft permits people from different fields from the chosen major to apply for a master’s degree. That means the training procedure should be more flexible, yet still maintain the output quality.

However, the 2018 Law on Higher Education does not allow training sessions to happen outside the main campus or official branches.

There are additional rules to improve training quality for such cases as one instructor approving uncontrollable research of a postgraduate student without specific quality control, and to ask training facilities to specify thesis details (including minimum and maximum length, citing methods in accordance with international standards, citing proportion, and the morality of students in their research process).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, Head of the Postgraduate Training Department of HCMC University of Law, commented that it is appropriate to allow more admission methods for master’s degree training. However, it is also necessary to introduce explicit criteria at least for the application review process for ease of implementation.

She added that the detail ‘Applicants for a master’s degree must have good grade in their bachelor’s degree training’ limits the chances of students wishing to further their educational level. This is unnecessary as training facilities should be allowed to decide the input quality on their own.

Dr. Hoang Ngoc Vinh, member of the Consultation Team under the National Committee on Education Reform during 2016-2021, said that the prestige and training quality should be the priority, not the input quality. Instead, state management units should introduce a quality framework to better monitor the training process as well as ensuring fairness for students.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Van Phuc insisted that the 2018 Law on Higher Education provides educational institutes with more autonomy, along with corresponding accountability. Therefore, quality-oriented adjustments of the circular related to the training process for master’s and doctoral degrees are essential.

Rate of Vietnamese people suffering high blood lipid disorder increases: WHO

The World Health Organization’s study has shown the rate of Vietnamese people suffering high blood lipid disorder increases amongst those aged 35-44. 

More and more young people have high blood lipid disorder because they consume fat food and fried food, fast food but less exercise as exercise helps burn calories and reduce body fat reducing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke, said medical workers.

43-year-old woman in District 2 was diagnosed to have high blood lipid disorder after annual medical check-up. She was shocked as she weighed around 44 kilogram and her Body Mass Index at good level.

According to the National Institute of Nutrition’s survey, around 29 percent of Vietnamese adults have blood lipid disorder; worse, the rate of people with blood lipid disorder in cities is 44.3 percent. More critically, 71 percent of them don’t know they get the disease and don’t think of severe complications.

Vietnamese are used to drink at meetings with friends and spend time playing games on smart phones; therefore, the proportion of obese people has skyrocketed; that’s culprit of blood lipid disorder. Additionally, Vietnamese residents are not used to undergo periodic medical checkups. Lately even children esepcially fat children have the disease ( with 20 percent).

Medical workers advised people to balance their daily diet; for instance, they should not eat animal fat but eat sea fish and nuts. One important thing is that people should take exercise in 30 minutes everyday and quit smoking as well as undergo periodic medical checkups, said Dr. K’Hau from the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Rehabilitation - Professional Diseases.

HCMC proposes to recognize area for future Thu Duc City as first class city

The People’s Committee of HCMC has sent a proposal to the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Home Affairs to consider recognizing the area, where Thu Duc City is expected to be established, as the first class city to create a foundation for Thu Duc City establishment. 

Accordingly, Thu Duc City on the basis of merging three eastern districts of Thu Duc, 2 and 9 will spread over more than 211sq.km and home to more than 1.5 million people, meeting requirements of the first class city.

The new city will be developed into an innovation hub of industry, scientific research and service. It will be designed and built up in accordance with standards of urban planning, quality of life, high quality service to ensure the development of modern industries and meet demands of residents and enterprises.

After receiving the approval, HCMC will set up the urban evaluation and classification project to submit it to funactional agencies to recognize Thu Duc City as as the first class city.

Experts propose solutions to urban infrastructure development in Hanoi

Experts analyzed and evaluated strategic breakthroughs in planning and infrastructure and transport system development in Hanoi.

Urban experts have mapped out some solutions for urban infrastructure development in Hanoi at a seminar recently held in Hanoi.

The seminar titled "Solutions to focus on urban infrastructure development in Hanoi" was held by Kinh te & Do thi newspaper on November 4, with the attendance of Dr. Dao Ngoc Nghiem, vice chairman of the Vietnam Association for Urban Planning and Development, and Mr. Phan Truong Thanh, a transport specialist. 

At the seminar, experts analyzed and evaluated strategic breakthroughs in planning and infrastructure and transport system development in the period of 2015 - 2020.

They agreed that careful planning is a prerequisite and an important factor for solving socio-economic issues.

According to Dr. Dao Ngoc Nghiem, vice chairman of the Vietnam Association for Urban Planning and Development, urban planning, development and management sector in Vietnam have joined the integration process and learned selectively lessons and trends in the world related to building sustainable cities, green cities, and smart cities.

For his part, Mr. Phan Truong Thanh said that local and regional socio-economic development would not be feasible without a comprehensive road network, one of the breakthoughs identified by Hanoi for the coming years.

Besides, Mr. Thanh suggested that priority should be given to the elaboration of mechanisms and policies to lure investment sources and ensure the project’s quality, as well as interests of the investors, the State and the people.

In addition, it is necessary to thoroughly apply information technology in traffic management and operation, strengthen inspection and supervision in traffic works to avoid public capital loss.

Moreover, Mr. Thanh emphasized that urban development and transport infrastructure construction require qualifications and awareness of local residents for effective supervision, especially improving management capacity of the State.

ASEAN basically completes priorities, initiatives in 2020 on schedule: Vietnam spox

The ASEAN Covid-19 Response Fund has raised US$10 million from member countries and partners.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has basically completed priorities and initiatives in 2020 on schedule despite the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, Deputy Spokesman of Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Duong Hoai Nam has stated.

The 10-nation bloc has completed the Mid-Term Review on the 2025 ASEAN Community Vision, and the review of the implementation of the ASEAN Charter, the spokesperson said at a regular press briefing in Hanoi on November 5.

In addition, the association issued the Hanoi Declaration on ASEAN Community Vision 2025, incorporated the subregion development with the common roadmap of building the ASEAN Community for sustainable development goals, and the initiative on building image and awareness of the ASEAN Community.

The spokesperson informed that the ASEAN Covid-19 Response Fund has raised US$10 million from member countries and partners. The regional reserve of medical supplies of ASEAN, the Standard Procedures for Medical Emergency Response, and the ASEAN Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Network for Public Health and new communicable diseases will be launched during the 37th ASEAN Summit.

The 37th ASEAN Summit and related meetings will be held in Hanoi via video conference from November 12 to 15 and presided over by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in the capacity of Chair of ASEAN 2020. These are the most important meetings during Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship.

ASEAN member states will hold summits with partners including China, Japan, South Korea, India, the US, Australia and the UN.

Besides, the RCEP Summit, the Mekong-Japan Summit, the Mekong-South Korea Summit, the 10th Summit between Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam; and the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Summit will also take place on this occasion.

They will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern such as the South China Sea and the North Korean Peninsula.

Under the theme “Cohesive and Responsive,” Vietnam has managed to steer the ASEAN to deal with adverse consequences from the Covid-19 pandemic. The country hosted the 36th ASEAN Summit in June and the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM 53) in September, all via videoconference.

PM approves construction of Rach Mieu 2 Bridge in Mekong Delta

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has approved the construction of Rach Mieu 2 Bridge project connecting the two Mekong Delta provinces of Tien Giang and Ben Tre.

The construction of Rach Mieu 2 Bridge is extremely essential as the current Rach Mieu Bridge is severely overloaded. 

The overloading has caused difficulties in circulation and transportation in the Mekong Delta region, especially during holidays.

The cable-stayed bridge is designed with four lanes and will have a total length 17.5 kilometers and be 17.5 meters in width.

The project, worth VND5.1 trillion (US$221 million), is expected to start construction in 2021 and be completed by 2025. 

Located at the gateways of My Tho and Ben Tre cities, the existing Rach Mieu Bridge has only two lanes, causing regular traffic jams due to the high volume of vehicles and failing to meet the socioeconomic development needs of the regional provinces.

Vietnam Fatherland Front’s 90th traditional day marked

The Hanoi Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) held a ceremony on November 7 to mark the 90th anniversary of the VFF’s traditional day (November 18, 1930-2020).

The event was attended by Politburo member and Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh, Vice President of the VFF Central Committee Phung Khanh Tai, and Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee’s Mass Mobilisation Commission Bui Tuan Quang.

Leaders of the Hanoi VFF Committee recalled the traditions of the VFF, affirming that throughout its 17 congresses, the Hanoi VFF Committee has upheld its role and responsibility in the political system and social life, effectively serving as a close connection between the Party committees, authorities and people.

In the coming time, Hanoi’s all-level VFF committees will boost communication and mass mobilisation to create a high level of consensus in implementing the resolution of the 17th Congress of the municipal Party Committee and the resolutions of the VFF. The units will immediately be proactively and actively engaged in preparing for and successfully organising the elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels (2021-2025 tenure).

On the occasion, Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue presented the Prime Minister’s certificates of merit to President of the Hanoi VFF Committee Nguyen Lan Huong and Permanent Vice President Nguyen Anh Tuan.

At the ceremony, the Hanoi VFF Committee honoured 90 exemplary individuals in the city’s front work and granted certificates to 141 products from the businesses chosen from the “Vietnamese Goods Preferred by Consumers” voting programme 2020.

On the same day, authorities in Tuyen Quang Province also held a ceremony to mark the 90th anniversary of the Vietnam National United Front, the predecessor of the VFF, in the presence of President of the VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Man.

Source: VNA/VNN/VNS/SGGP/VOV/NDO/Dtinews/SGT/VIR