Social News 31/10 RADCC project brings clean water to 6,500 Ben Tre households The project “Building response capacity, recovery and adaptation to disaster risks and climate for men and women” (RADCC) has helped 6,500 poor households in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre get access to clean water over five years of implementation. According to a statement of Oxfam Vietnam sent to the Daily last Friday when a conference on the implementation of RADCC project was being held in Ben Tre Province, the project has been carried out since 2013 in 15 communes in Binh Dai, Ba Tri and Thanh Phu districts. Thanks to the project, waterborne diseases have decreased from 15% to 5%. Nguyen Van  Buoi, deputy director of the Ben Tre Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said over 3,000 goats and 6,000 water tanks have been handed over to poor households. Thousands of vulnerable people have been equipped with knowledge and skills of disaster mitigation and climate change adaption. The project also helps women participate in making important decisions with 60% of women attending workshops at their communes. Their roles in livelihood activities have been integrated into socio-economic development plans. Income of 11,000 poor workers with 60% of them being women has increased thanks to livelihood models adapting to climate change. Especially, the number of poor households receiving support from the project has reduced by 14%. Nguyen Thi Le Hoa, deputy director of Oxfam in Vietnam, said she was delighted at benefits of the project. The support of the provincial authorities and the enthusiastic participation of local people in the project will help more people benefit from the project, thus contributing to the sustainable development of the province. According to Oxfam Vietnam, the project, jointly implemented by Oxfam and the Ben Tre Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, has been funded NZD4.5 million (US$3.07 million) by the New Zealand Government. More pork traders adhere to city’s traceability program   Pork traders at Hoc Mon and Binh Dien wholesale markets in HCMC have fully complied with traceability rules of the city government after being given a few more days. Le Van Tien, deputy director of the Hoc Mon Market Management and Trade Company in Hoc Mon District, said a delegation of the HCMC Food Safety Board and the market management board have inspected and found that 99-100% of traceability tags on pigs sold at the market have as sufficient information as required. There are 5,000-5,700 pigs brought into Hoc Mon Market a day including 3,100-3,200 pigs from Long An, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh and Binh Duong provinces, and 1,900 others from slaughterhouses in Cu Chi and Binh Tan districts of HCMC. The company has taken measures to encourage vendors to participate in the pork traceability program. The remaining traders said provincial veterinary agencies have not worked with them to supply sufficient product information. A representative of the Binh Dien Market Management and Trade Company in District 8, which consumes 3,000 pigs a day, also agreed that traders have implemented the program more seriously after being given more time. The percentage of pigs wearing approved traceability tags increased from 36% on October 21 to 99.7% last Thursday. The market management board also imposed stricter rules on pig traders. From October 21 to 25, traders had to wait for 30 minutes to two hours to enter the market if their pigs did not wear eligible traceability tags, and since last Thursday, traders have not been allowed to sell products without clear origin. On October 15 and 16 at Binh Dien Market, more than 2,900 pigs were detected not wearing the approved traceability tags and only 22% of 5,000 pigs brought into Hoc Mon Market had sufficient data. The management of the two wholesale markets then gave ultimatums to traders, giving them a few more days to comply or have their businesses suspended. Logo contest launched to celebrate 45 years of Vietnam - Belgium relations The Embassy of Belgium in Vietnam and the University of Industrial Fine Arts will hold a week-long logo design workshop from October 30 within the framework of a logo design contest marking the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Belgium and Vietnam next year. The workshop will be presided over by Belgian Ambassador H.E. Jehanne Roccas and Dr. Nguyen Xuan Nghi, Rector of the University of Industrial Fine Arts. Through the week-long workshop, conducted by Arno Heeren, a Belgian professional graphic designer, the Embassy seeks to give students from the university the opportunity to harness their creative potential and gain a critical insight into modern logo design. With knowledge and inspiration gained from the workshop, the students will then design their own logos for the contest. The winner will be selected through a Facebook contest and a jury comprising Ambassador Roccas, a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and professionals. The winning design will serve as the official logo for all celebrations linked to the anniversary. The winner will be offered on-the-job-experience through a two-week internship at the creative PR agency Happiness Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, founded by Belgian Alan Cerutti. Friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Belgium and Vietnam have been developed over the last 44 years since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1973. This year, the two are also looking back on 40 years of the presence of Belgian development cooperation in Vietnam. Belgium has taken pride in supporting the development of Vietnam in a number of areas. In particular, it has assisted the education sector through scholarship programs and knowledge exchange. More than 2,000 Vietnamese have received a Belgian education to date. From being long-standing partners in development cooperation, Belgium and Vietnam have been maturing bilateral ties in different sectors. The workshop is an occasion for Belgium to reiterate its support towards education in Vietnam and honor 45 years of diplomatic relations with the country. Cho Ray Hospital receives recording certifications in organ transplant Leading Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City honorably received certifications for eight records in organ transplants at the fourth meeting of organ transplantation in the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau.  The Vietnam Society of Organ Transplantation and Cho Ray Hospital organized the event, one of the annual activities to update local organ transplantation and an opportunity to exchange experience with international counterparts. At the meeting, the Vietnam Record Book Center gave recording organ transplant certifications in Vietnam. This is the first time records in medicine field at the sector’s meeting to honor contributions of medical workers. Cho Ray Hospital was given eight record certifications for individuals and teams of surgeons including “The first hospital performs kidney transplant from brain-dead donor”, “ The first hospital performs kidney from donor whose heartbeat stopped”. Professor Tran Ngoc Sinh was certified as “ The first surgeon to carry out kidney transplant from brain-dead donor “ and “ The first surgeon take and transplant kidney from clinically dead people. The Surgery Department was given record of “The Department performs most kidney transplantation in the country” while the organ coordinating department was recorded as the department transport donated organ in longest distance from South to North for saving people. Its head was given a recording certification also. Head of the Surgery Department Professor Thai Minh Sam was certified as the first surgeon conduct cross-kidney transplantation in the country.  Australia, US provide air ambulance training to Vietnam Medical experts from Australia and the US organised a training course on October 30 to provide air ambulance training to doctors of the Military Hospital 175, under the Ministry of Defence. The training course is part of technical assistance for Vietnam's level 2 field hospital in its peacekeeping missions at the UN. The course lasts from now till November 6, with the participation of representatives from several units such as the Vietnam Military Medical Academy, Level- 2 field hospital, Regiment 917 of Air Force Division 370. During training, Australian experts shared their expertise in air ambulances and the standard operating procedures (SOP) for air ambulance operations in South Sudan. In addition, there are a number of training flights at Bien Hoa airport to help trainees practise emergency skills on different planes and helicopters. US experts will also hold some training sessions in emergency skills for traumatic injuries, and dealing with major injuries. Upon completion of the training, Vietnamese doctors will be assessed for an international certificate, to be awarded prior to the implementation of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan. Colonel Nerolie McDonald, Australian Defence Attaché in Vietnam, said he believes that the training will help Vietnam fulfill UN peacekeeping operations. Female artists nationwide meet at "the colors 2017" exhibition “The Colors 2017” art exhibition was opened this afternoon at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Hanoi (66 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street).  The exhibition displays 40 artworks of 15 female artists across over the country such as Ha Khanh, Bui Mai Hien, Nguyen Thi Lan Huong, Tran Thanh Thuc, Nguyen Thi My, Ngo Hai Yen and Tao Huong (Hanoi);  Nguyen Thi Tam, Tran Thuy Linh, Dang Thi Duong, Cao Thi Duoc (HCMC); Nguyen Thi Hue, Ngo Dinh Bao Vy, Ton Nu Tam Hao (Hue) and Ngo Thi Xuan Thu (Gia Lai).  The exhibition lasts until November 5. Abandoned infant rescued by locals An abandoned infant was rescued by locals in Trảng Bom District in the southern province of Đồng Nai. On Sunday, Nguyễn Thị Trang, head of Sông Trầu Commune Women’s Union, announced that the baby’s health had stabilised following four days of care. On October 25, a resident heard strange sounds coming from a waste bin, which led to the discovery of the baby girl, who was wrapped in a plastic bag, without any information attached. Immediately, the women’s union and Sông Trầu Commune’s Department for Children Protection transferred her to the Trảng Bom District Medical Centre for a check-up. According to Trang, the local authority is making announcements hoping to find the infant’s family. After one week, if there is no response, it will begin procedures for adoption for couples unable to have a biological child. Walk raises funds for disadvantaged youth A 3-km charity walk was held on Sunday as part of an effort to raise VNĐ500 million (US$21,929) by December to benefit disadvantaged youth from five social welfare centres in HCM City and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province. The walk attracted more than 500 attendees, including adults and children. Participants included representatives from HCM City Department of Culture and Sports and District 7 People’s Committee staff and their families as well as friends and partners of Kingsmen Vietnam Co Ltd, and youth from social welfare centres. The walk in District 7 was part of Kingsmen Vietnam’s corporate social responsibility campaign. The company is part of the Kingsmen Group, which provides communication design and production services. After the walk, a pop-up store road show will begin in November at major shopping malls in HCM City, including Saigon Centre, SC ViVoCity and Crescent Mall, selling mass-produced Humpty Dumpty statues to raise funds from the public. The statues were designed by five winners from the five social welfare centres in the Humpty Dumpty Design Contes Int’l seminar talks competition management in telecommunications The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC)’s Authority of Telecommunications held an international seminar in Hanoi on October 30 on competition and telecommunications rates management.  Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung said telecom providers are competing with each other by providing below-market rates and regular promotions, adding that if this prolongs, they will easily go bankrupt.  In order to grow sustainably, he suggested they take new approaches to corporate governance and sales to better serve customers.  The MIC will stand side by side with telecom companies to develop services and adopt technological advances for the country’s economic development, he said.  Ashish Narayan from the International Telecommunication Union’s Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific said competition now covers not only prices but also transmission capacity and services innovation.  Participants shared the view that anti-monopoly must be put in top priority to create a transparent market, thus ensuring the benefit of customers.  Vietnam now records 70 telecommunications firms, including 37 ones receiving infrastructure licenses and 33 others offering telecom services.  As of the late June, there were 124 mobile phone subscribers, 50 mobile broadband subscribers and 11 fixed broadband subscribers per 100 people.  Last year, the sector’s revenue grew by 7.5 percent from the previous year.   The event will last till October 31, focusing discussions on business activities and technological advances in the field to catch up with Industrial Revolution 4.0. Art exchange program on Vietnam-Russia friendship An art exchange program to mark the 100th anniversary of the Russian October Revolution was held on October 29 in Hanoi by the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and the Russian Embassy in Vietnam. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu, and VOV President Nguyen The Ky were among the attendees.  The program entitled “October songs echo” featured the path from the October Revolution to the Vietnamese Revolution and Vietnamese and Russian melodies. Documentaries produced by VOV recreated the historical period 100 years ago.  Phan Quang Minh, who studied in Russia for many years, said that this program is practical in connecting Vietnamese and Russians. He recalled his youth in Russia and remembered sentiment of the Russians, including Russian teachers, for the Vietnamese students.  Tân wins title at Trạng Cờ Đất Việt Tôn Thất Nhật Tân of Đà Nẵng won the third Trạng Cờ Đất Việt, a year-end Chinese chess tournament for eight best athletes in Ninh Bình Province. At the matches held on Sunday, the 41-year-old won two games and drew one in the group round. He then beat Nguyễn Anh Mẫn, also from Đà Nẵng, in the semi-finals and overcame Trần Quốc Việt from Bình Dương to take the title. Tân became the third winner of the tournament after Phạm Quốc Hương of Hà Nội in 2013 and Trềnh A Sáng of HCM City in 2015. Tân was the first runner-up in 2015. Trạng Cờ Đất Việt lured more than 600 athletes competing in the qualification rounds. They then advanced to the finals of three regions. The regional champions and runners-up and two wide-card holders participated in the national finals. Tân was the central region winning master. Vinh Long boosts residents’ access to clean water A clean water supply system began operation in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long on October 30. With capacity of 240 cubic metres per day, the system will benefit 600 households in Long Ho district’s Dong Phu commune. The facility had total investment of more than 4.1 billion VND (180,482 USD), of which over 2.2 billion VND (96,844 USD) were sourced from US-based Latter-day Saint Charities, and the rest from the provincial budget. Secretary of the Dong Phu Party Committee Dao Trung Nen said the commune’s only groundwater plan failed to meet the demand of local residents, thus they still had to pump water from rivers, ditches for use. The new system will help alleviate the situation and improve locals’ health, he added. Le Van Hau, deputy head of the provincial union of friendship organisations, said the agency will continue raise funds for more clean water works to be built in the locality. Vinh Long has a total of 122 rural water supply stations, with 72.2 percent rural households using the sources. The rate is expected to increase to 98.2 percent by the end of 2017. Exhibition spotlights Vietnam-Laos special solidarity An exhibition highlighting the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos opened on at Kaysone Phomvihane Museum in Vientiane, Laos, on October 30. The event, co-organised by the offices of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Central Committee, is part of the activities of the Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year 2017 and 72 years of the military alliance between the two countries. Opening the exhibition, Khampha Phimasone, deputy chief of the LPRP Central Committee’s Office, said that more than 400 exhibited photos, documents and items introduce major events and partnership between the two Parties and States, as well as outstanding achievements of each country. Historical turning points and important events of Vietnam and Laos during national defence and construction are also spotlighted. The exhibition also shows main foundations for the development of the special ties and fighting alliance between Vietnam and Laos, along with the role of Presidents Ho Chi Minh, Kaysone Phomvihane and Souphanouvong as well as leaders of the two parties and generations of Vietnamese and Lao people in growth of the ties. Khampha Phimasone said that the event is a chance for people of the two countries to get deeper understanding on the special relations between the two countries, thus working together to nurture and develop the ties. The exhibition stays open until the end of this year. Int’l conference sheds light on Binh Dinh’s ancient ceramics An international conference has held in Quy Nhon city, the central province of Binh Dinh, to look into ancient ceramics dating back to the Kingdom of Champa many centuries ago. Scholars from Vietnam, France, the US, Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, the Philippines and Brunei shared their research findings about ancient ceramics in Binh Dinh and the relationship between Vijaya capital of Champa Kingdom and Thang Long capital of Dai Viet, now Vietnam. In the past, Binh Dinh was Vijaya capital of the ancient Kingdom of Champa. From the 11th to the 15th centuries, Vijaya was the most important political, economic and cultural centre of Champa. From the 10th to the 13th centuries, the Vijaya Dynasty built big citadels such as Cha, Do Ban, and Thi Nai as well as towers like Canh Tien, Phu Loc, Duong Long, Binh Lam and Thu Thien here. The area which is now Binh Dinh is also known as an ancient ceramic centre with six concentrated production workshops under the Vijaya Dynasty. A number of excavations in Vietnam and other countries have showed that Binh Dinh ceramics were also shipped to many countries from Southeast Asia to the Near and Middle East. However, most of foreign experts as well as collectors still believe that those ceramic products came from China. Meanwhile, the creators of Binh Dinh’s ancient ceramics remain a controversial problem. There are three suppositions that they could be Chinese, Cham or Vietnamese people. In October 2017, the Research Centre for Imperial City under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences and the Binh Dinh Museum excavated the archaeological site of Go Cay Me in An Nhon township of Binh Dinh. They found many kilns and ceramics in various styles, including the Cham, Vietnamese and Chinese styles. Prime Minister calls for proactive response to natural disasters Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on October 30 conveyed a message to mark the 20th year of devastating Typhoon Linda – the worst to strike the Mekong Delta in 100 years, in which he called on people to stay vigilant and play a more active role in response to natural disasters. The powerful, unexpected and unusual Typhoon No.5, also known as Linda, tore through the Mekong Delta, rarely hit by storms, during the night of November 2, 1997, PM Phuc said in the message. The typhoon caused heavy losses of life and severe property damages, especially for Ca Mau province, he recalled, adding that thousands of fishermen and boats sank at sea while many houses and regional infrastructure were destroyed. Two decades later, the pain of families who lost kith and kin in the storm is still there and on behalf of the government, Phuc extends his deepest condolences and sympathies to all affected people. He also acknowledges the efforts made by soldiers and disaster response forces in providing relief to the victims. The PM went on to say that natural disasters have become much more complicated and hard to be predicted in recent years while climate change impacts, forest degradation in coastal protected areas, erosion and sea level rise are among factors increasing vulnerability when natural disasters hit the delta. “As lessons learnt from Typhoon Linda, I call on people, soldiers and disaster response forces nationwide, including from the Mekong Delta, to be vigilant, get prepared for and proactive in response to natural disasters so as to minimize losses,” he wrote. Natural disasters in Vietnam have killed hundreds of people and destroyed thousands of houses, causing an economic loss of over 35 trillion VND (1.54 billion USD) since the beginning of this year. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, heavy rains and floods on August 2-3 and October 9-10 in Thanh Hoa, Hoa Binh, Yen Bai and Son La provinces left 91 people dead or missing and 356 houses completely damaged or lost. It estimated total property losses at over 8.5 trillion VND (377.7 million USD). Vietnam highlights women’s role in realising development goals Vietnam highly values the achievements gained in the implementation of the United Nations (UN)’s “women, peace and security” agenda, which makes significant contributions to realising sustainable development goals. The statement was made by Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Head of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the UN at an open debate recently held by the UN Security Council. In her speech, the Ambassador shared her concerns over challenges posed for women and condemned cruel acts such as forcing and recruiting women and girls to conduct terrorist attacks. She called for stepping up efforts to ensure women’s benefits and integrate gender issues in all fields of building peace and preventing conflicts in a consistent and inclusive manner. Ambassador Nga also highlighted the remarkable role and contributions of Vietnamese women to the cause of national building and development and the State policies to tap women’s potential and creativity and increase their position, material and spiritual life as well as promote gender equality and advancement of women. Vietnam is strengthening coordination with the UN to prepare for the dispatch of the first female soldiers to join the UN mission in South Sudan, she said, adding that other nine servicewomen are ready to take on tasks at the level-2 field hospital in South Sudan. Nearly 90 member nations participating in the open debate pledged to promote the leadership and involvement of women in preventing and addressing conflicts and restoring peace. Vietnamese, Lao supreme courts strengthen cooperative ties Supreme People’s Courts of Vietnam and Laos have agreed to continue exchanging delegations at all levels to share experiences in trial, court management and judicial reform. The consensus was reach at the talks between Deputy Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam Nguyen Thuy Hien and her Lao counterpart Khampha Sengdala in Vientiane on October 30. The two officials expressed their delight at the sound cooperation between the courts in personnel training, research and experience sharing, especially after the two Supreme People’s Courts inked a cooperation agreement in 2008. They affirmed that the collaboration has brought benefits to the two countries’ court systems, contributing to traditional cooperative relations between Vietnam and Laos. Both sides agreed to develop a project on supporting Laos to establish administrative courts under the people’s court system. The same day, the Vietnamese delegation is scheduled to meet with Lao Minister of Justice, Prosecutor General of the Lao Supreme People’s Procuracy and Chief Judge of the Lao Supreme People’s Court. The delegation will share judicial experiences with Lao courts on October 31. Vietnam, China hold stage exchange programme Art troupes of Vietnam and China are holding a stage exchange programme featuring their traditional dramas. The programme is being co-organised by the Vietnam National Drama Theatre, the Vietnam National Tuong (classical drama) Theatre and several art troupes from China. After a show by a Chinese opera theatre troupe from China’s Guangdong province on October 28 evening, Hanoi’s audiences will be entertained with traditional puppet and classical drama performances by artists from both countries at Kim Ma Theatre tonight (October 30). A Chinese classical drama on Buddhist monk Xuan Zang and his journey to the west will be brought to the stage by an art troupe from Nanning city, China’s Guangxi province, at the same venue the following night. Various activities marks Vietnam-Algeria 55th diplomatic ties The Vietnamese Embassy in Algeria held a ceremony in Algiers on October 29 to mark the 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Algeria diplomatic relations. At the event, a special publication on Vietnam-Algeria relations was introduced, along with the screening of “Fleur de Lotus”, a film by an Algerian filmmaker on a romance between an Algerian soldier and a Vietnamese woman during the war in Vietnam. A conference on cooperation between the two countries was also held, together with an exhibition showcasing photos and publications on diplomatic ties between the two countries, and a banquet hosted by the embassy. Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Pham Quoc Tru said that Vietnam and Algeria have enjoyed sound relations even before they set up diplomatic relations in 1962. The two countries have supported each other not only in their past struggle against invaders, but also in national development. Vietnam was among the first countries to recognise the provisional government of Algeria in 1958. Only a month after the two sides set up diplomatic relations, Vietnam opened its embassy in the country, said the diplomat. He also noted that the two countries have signed about 30 bilateral cooperation agreements in various fields, while the Vietnam-Algeria Inter-Governmental Committee meets every two years, boosting bilateral partnership. For his part, Boumedienne Guennad from Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted the warm sentiments that people of both countries have for each other as well as achievements in bilateral partnership over the past 55 years. He expressed his belief that bilateral ties will thrive in the future, especially in diplomacy and trade. Statistics showed that two-way trade between Vietnam and Algeria has grown well every year, reaching about 270 million USD in 2016 and is likely to hit 300 million USD in 2017. The two sides are working together to raise the figure to 1 billion USD in 2020. Algeria is currently the third largest partner of Vietnam in Africa. FrieslandCampina brings over Dutch farmers to share expertise in VN Farmers in HCM City and a few provinces where cows are raised for dairy received training in the implementation of best practices from their Dutch counterparts. The programme was run by Agriterra, which is a Netherlands’ agriculture agency founded in 1997 to promote, facilitate and support lasting co-operation between rural organisations in the Netherlands and in developing countries, in co-operation with FrieslandCampina Vietnam from October 16 to 27. The Dutch farmers were chosen by Agriterra. Like during previous training programmes, they visited dairy farms at times when Vietnamese farmers milked the animals to study their techniques and take samples of milk for making tests on somatic cell counts (SCC) and bacterial levels. They then collaborated with experts from FrieslandCampina Vietnam to tailor a training programme based on practical cow raising techniques for the Vietnamese farmers. The programme was aimed at improving milking techniques to reduce the somatic cell counts and bacterial levels in the milk. The Vietnamese farmers learnt best practices in raising and will now train others to help improve the country’s dairy cow farming industry. They were also trained in advanced technologies for raising cows to raise productivity and ensure high quality of milk. Wim Van Ittersum, one of the Dutch farmers, said he was back after three years in Việt Nam and was impressed that local farmer’s techniques had been improved, leading to higher quality and quantity of milk, which is bought by FrieslandCampina. The programmes are being carried out as part of an agreement FrieslandCampina Vietnam signed with Agriterra in 2012 to sustainably develop the dairy farming industry in countries where it has operations to improve the lives of farmers there. Vietnam cultural festival in RoK bonds two peoples   A Vietnamese cultural festival was held at Sejong University, the Republic of Korea (RoK) on October 29 under the auspices of the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK, as part of activities to mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The event, the seventh of its kind, was attended by thousands of Vietnamese labourers, students, members of Vietnam-RoK multicultural families and representatives from local authorities. Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tu lauded the Vietnamese community’s efforts to organise the festival, expressing his hope that it will help bolster bilateral relations in various fields, especially people-to-people exchanges. The two countries elevated their ties to a strategic partnership in 2009 and have enjoyed fruitful cooperation in people-to-people exchange and culture, he affirmed, adding that the festival will promote understanding between the two peoples.  Nguyen Ngoc Cam, Honourary Mayor of Seoul and Chairwoman of the Vietnamese Association in the RoK, stressed the significance of the festival in popularising Vietnamese culture to RoK friends and tightening ties between the two countries.  Meanwhile, Kim Yong-han, an official from the Seoul government, spoke highly of the Vietnamese Association’s development over the years, contributing to strengthening friendship between both sides.                                                   She committed to doing her utmost to help Vietnamese people integrate into Korean society.                                                     Members of the association were honoured at the event for their efforts to introduce Vietnamese images and culture to international friends.  Besides activities including art performances, traditional cuisine and folk games, the festival also featured an exhibition on Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos, affirming Vietnam’s sovereignty of the two islands. Sci-tech development projects in south-eastern region reviewed About 1,090 projects of scientific research and technological development have been implemented in five provinces and cities in the south-eastern region in the period of 2015-17, according to a seminar themed “Promoting regional linkage” held late last week. The seminar, jointly organised by the Ho Chi Minh City’s People’s Committee and the Ministry of Science and Technology, heard that each locality used up to between 60-70 percent of the local budget for research projects that deploy and apply science and technology. Speaking at the seminar, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Pham Cong Tac, said the south-eastern region has a number of advantages to develop the local service and industry sectors, but it also is facing many problems, especially those related to the inter-provincial connectivity. He said provinces and cities should enhance co-operation with each other regarding scientific research and technological applications to create an industrial value chain and promote local products with unique values, thus improving competitiveness at international markets. In addition, sharing scientific research and technological developments among localities is necessary to avoid wasting investment and time, as in the case of duplicated projects. The localities should establish steering committees to make supporting policies for start-up projects. It was necessary to build an information infrastructure system that could be easily accessed by localities for management and operations, which would create linkages for the region, Tac said. Nghe An should make methodical steps to develop: Party leader The central province of Nghe An should develop by making firm, instead of hasty, steps, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong told local officials on October 29. Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Dac Vinh reported that Nghe An recorded average gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth of 7.67 percent in 2016 and 2017 with GRDP pace estimated at 8.13 percent this year. Per capita GRDP is about 1,500 USD, up 12.5 percent from 2015. Despite difficulties, local industrial production has performed well, rising by 14.17 percent in 2016 and 2017 on average, while retail sales increased some 16.2 percent and exports rose 25.3 percent. The number of tourists to Nghe An also grew by an average of 15 percent over the two years. He noted the province has enhanced Party building at all levels. It has gained initial success in following late President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, morality and lifestyle, helping to prevent the degradation of political thought, morality, and self-transformation among Party members. Asking Nghe An not to pursue “hot” growth, Party General Secretary Trong described the marine pollution caused by steelmaker Formosa, based in the neighbouring province of Ha Tinh, last year as an “expensive lesson”. He told the province to make methodical steps. He and other central officials expressed hope that Nghe An would develop more strongly so as not to lag behind other provinces. The leader suggested it fully tap its strengths while reforming its mindset and capitalising on ties with central agencies and nearby provinces. The General Secretary expressed his belief that with its achievements, experience, potential, and determination, Nghe An will become the economic locomotive of the northern central region. Also on October 29, the Party leader attended a programme marking 49 years of the Truong Bon Victory at the Truong Bon national historical site in Do Luong district, Nghe An province. On October 31, 1968, 13 of the 14 youth volunteers of Company 317 were killed by US bombing in this area, a few hours before the US declared a halt to the bombing of the north of Vietnam. Since then, Truong Bon has been a symbol of the bravery of Vietnamese youth volunteers. From 1964 to 1968, the US dropped 18,936 bombs and tens of thousands of rockets onto Do Luong district, including Truong Bon area. However, tens of thousands of Vietnamese soldiers, youth volunteers and locals persisted in fighting the enemy and securing the route for trucks carrying support to the southern battlefield. Conference seeks to strengthen women’s role in digital economy A conference on “Businesswomen in the digital economy” held recently in Hanoi highlighted the need for women-owned businesses to take advantage of opportunities created by the advancement of digital technology, e-commerce, and online marketing amidst the 4th industrial revolution. The conference intended to offer opportunities for female entrepreneurs to access information and share their experiences in the digital economy.  Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), called on female entrepreneurs to improve their knowledge and skills to keep abreast of market changes, as the digital economy demands businesswomen’s creativity and flexibility. Addressing the difficulties and challenges that female workers must overcome in the digital economy, Dao Hong Lan, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said the ministry was ready to strengthen co-operation with national and international agencies to enhance the participation of women in the digital economy, contributing to ensuring the goal of gender equality in Vietnam. Clair Deevy, head of Economic Growth Initiatives for Asia-Pacific at Facebook, introduced the programme #SheMeansBusiness, which launched in Vietnam in September. The initiative aims to equip women entrepreneurs with the knowledge, connections, skills and technology required to build and grow their business online through a series of workshops, training sessions and online resources. Forty percent of pages on Facebook are women-owned, and new data indicated that women-owned pages have grown more than 60 percent year-on-year. In Vietnam, the number of women-owned small business pages increased by a factor of 2.5 over the previous year, Deevy added. The conference highlighted the growing need to ensure women’s economic empowerment as means of achieving greater growth overall. “There is international consensus on the fact that the full and equal participation of women in the economy is necessary to achieve economic growth, poverty reduction and the overall sustainable development of nations,” Elisa Fernandez Saenz, head of office, UN Women Vietnam said. “Women entrepreneurs are an essential talent pool that can bring great value added to Vietnam’s economy.  Reducing barriers for their participation, development of skills especially in STEM fields, and promoting their access to greater markets, especially in the digital economy, including through the use of social media for business and growth, must be promoted.” The event was organised by VCCI, in accordance with VWEC and Facebook. It drew the participation of 200 women representatives and entrepreneurs from ministries, departments and associations. PM hails Saigon Hi-Tech Park achievements, confers Labour Order Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has called on the Saigon Hi-Tech Park to accelerate R&D to expand the number of technological inventions and innovations made by Vietnamese companies. Speaking at a function held there yesterday to mark its 15th anniversary, he praised the HCM City-based park’s remarkable achievements. It houses 128 hi-tech manufacturing, services, research and development, training and incubation companies in the SHTP with a total investment of US$ 7 billion. Phúc underlined the vital role of the park in attracting investment, creating a favourable environment for R&D, training, and incubation of high-tech enterprises and other start-ups. He advised it to offer incentives to attract quality human resources, including foreign scientists, and strengthen collaboration with universities and enterprises to train scientists and engineers. The SHTP has gradually become an attractive location for foreign investors, and now boasts the presence of many global corporations and technology companies, who have invested in manufacturing high-tech products here. They include Intel, Samsung, Sanofi, Schneider, Jabil, Microchip, Datalogic, Rockwell Automation, Nidec, Sonion, Nipro, and Microsoft. The annual output of its tenants has been growing steadily, and has risen from US$ 0.5 billion in 2010 to $7.6 billion last year. It is expected to top $12 billion this year. By 2020 its annual revenues are projected at around $20 billion, or around 10 per cent of the city’s GRDP. The main reasons for the rising output are that the key products made in the zone meet global standards and the increasing value of R&D in its products, which is several times higher than for products in other industrial zones. Since 2010 a total of 38 projects and enterprises have been incubated here, and the park now has many domestic high-tech brands such as FPT, Minh Nguyên, and Nanogen. The park management has closely worked with the HCM City National University and several research institutes and universities to establish the Science City Study Technology North East City. The companies based in the SHTP employ more than 36,700 workers, including more than 400 foreigners. The number of highly skilled workers has increased gradually, and now accounts for 30 per cent of the workforce. The park contributes 30 per cent of the city’s total exports. City authorities have approved Saigon Hi-Tech Park No.2 on an area of 200 hectares in District 9. The PM awarded the park the Labour Order, first class, for its contributions to the country’s hi-tech development. Earlier, on Saturday, Phúc visited South Korean footwear company Tea Kwang Vina in Biên Hòa Industrial Park 2 in Đồng Nai Province. He met with officials from the Việt Nam General Federation of Labour and local authorities to discuss the condition of workers in the park and their career development. HCM City lead vovinam championships medal tally HCM City topped the National Vovinam Championships, which concluded in Bình Dương Province yesterday. The city’s athletes pocketed 15 gold, one silver and two bronze medals. Cần Thơ came second with seven golds, and Thanh Hóa were third with five titles. The tournament saw several surprises when defending champion in the men’s 57kg category Trần Anh Tuấn of Thanh Hóa was defeated in the quarter-finals. Young martial artist Nguyễn Hữu Lực of HCM City took his first national gold. Lê Văn Nam, also from Thanh Hóa, overcame many senior rivals to win the men’s 54kg class.  According to Nguyễn Văn Chiếu, vice president cum general secretary of the Việt Nam Vovinam Federation, teams showed great progress in the championship. It meant that vovinam had strongly developed in the localities, he said. It is a good sign for the Vietnamese martial art, which is expected to become popular in the world in the future, he added. The national championship was held from October 25 to October 29 with the participation of 380 artists. They competed for 48 sets of medals in 26 categories of combat and 22 disciplines for both men and women. FV Hospital to provide free corneal transplant surgeries FV Hospital announced on October 28 that it will partner with Dr. Donald Tan to provide free corneal transplants to three Vietnamese patients. This is the first time FV Hospital has established a charitable surgical program to share in social responsibility and help sight-impaired people. Patients will not only receive a transplant from Dr. Tan, the world’s leading ophthalmic professor, but also receive special care at FV Hospital, accredited by Joint Commission International (JCI), the leading healthcare accreditation with rigorous international standards in quality and patient safety. Dr. Nguyen Thi Mai, FV’s Head of Ophthalmology, and FV Hospital’s nursing team have previously gone to Vinh Chau in the Mekong Delta’s Soc Trang province to conduct examinations on corneas. After establishing the facts and comparing many sources, the team eventually confirmed that there are special circumstances in need of support. Dr. Tan will soon perform three transplants on the same day. Two patients will receive free corneas and surgical and hospital fees. One will receive a free cornea and receive a 30 per cent discount on the surgical and hospital fees. A fourth will also receive free treatment, but not until January. The total cost of these corneal transplants is about $44,000, while Dr. Tan’s services would normally run to $17,600. FV Hospital will cover hospital expenses and meals, as well as the travel and accommodation costs of the patients, which total about $17,600. The program also received funding from Asia Cornea Foundation in Singapore and eye drops from the Santen Pharmaceutical Company in Japan and Kamala in Ho Chi Minh City. The collaboration between FV Hospital and Dr. Tan has contributed to the reduction of corneal blindness among underprivileged patients in Vietnam. FV was selected by the Ministry of Health (MoH) to support it in developing all-round healthcare standards for Vietnam. The ministry has allowed the hospital to import corneas as well as granted a practice license to Dr. Tan’s corneal transplantations at the hospital. Corneal sources for patients are imported from major corneal banks in the US and Singapore, which have the world’s best treatment and preservation of donated corneas. Dr. Tan is the President of the World Corneal Society and Senior Partner of Eye & Retinal Surgeons (ERS), a private ophthalmic group in Singapore. He also formed the Asia Cornea Society (ACS) and the Association of Eye Banks of Asia (AEBA), dedicated to developing new treatment methods to mitigate corneal blindness. He ranks among the leading international doctors in the field of advanced corneal transplantation and refractive surgeries. Overseas Vietnamese raise fund for building bridges in disadvantaged districts Overseas Vietnamese in France organized a program to raise fund for the construction of bridges in rural districts in Vietnam on October 28.  The event was held in Ho Chi Minh City with the participation of French Consul in HCM City Vincent Floreani; vice chairman of the National Committee for Overseas Vietnamese in HCMC Tran Hoa Phuong and around 100 Overseas Vietnamese living in France, the US and Australia.  Engineer Nguyen Van Cong in France, representing for overseas Vietnamese to build bridge in countryside districts said that for 13 years, overseas Vietnamese residing in many nations acorss over the world have contributed to construct 236 cement bridges in disadvantaged and remote areas nationwide. The average length of bridges is 6, 000 meter with total investment of VND32 billion ($1,408,738). At present, the organizers have received as many as 350 appeals for help of building bridges in remote areas. Speaking at the event, Consul Vincent Floreani showed his deep respect to overseas Vietnamese people’s contribution for the country. Construction of bridges in countryside areas has helped locals in these areas to travel safely, adding that  this actvitiy has strengthened France-Vietnam relationship. At the event, VND 105 million and $2,000 were collected for the works. Overseas Vietnamese engineers have directly designed and built the bridges, pledging their life span would be 40 years. Many people have no car purchase intention because of traffic jam: survey About 49 percent of residents in Hanoi consider abandoning cars because of travel problems such as traffic jam and parking places while 52 percent have no intention of buying cars in the upcoming time. According to a survey conducted by Audience Project and Uber Vietnam Company, the ratios are 48 percent and 47 percent in HCMC. Residents in Hanoi and HCMC take an average of 58 minutes and 51 minutes a day to overcome traffic jams. About 65 percent of respondents in the survey said that traffic jam was the biggest trouble while participating in traffic and 63 percent believed that the second biggest trouble was looking for parking places. In HCMC, the rates are 62 and 75 percent respectively.      “Int’l Walk to School Month” launched Some schools will take part in the campaign “Walk to School Month” in response to the "International walk to school month" campaign launched by the Department of Education and Training in Ho Chi Minh City and the Traffic Safety Steering Board Committee.  In its document, the Department requested its sub-divisions to participate in the campaign starting from now till November. Some selected schools in HCMC located in convenient traffic areas will call for participation of students and parents by walking to school. In the ceremony to salute the flag on Mondays, school managers will explain the meaning of the campaign and how students can take part in the campaign. Outside schools, there will be poster of the campaign to raise students and parents’ awareness of the campaign. Each student is encouraged to write a poster of their own about the benefit of walking to school through  their awareness of safe traffic for pedestrians and how to walk safely in roads through extra-activities in schools.      2,414 students receive scholarships from SPA The Ho Chi Minh City's Studying Promotion Association (SPA) yesterday held a ceremony to mark its program  and offer scholarships to needy but good students.  Since 2000, the association has given scholarships to 2,414 good students from low-income families worth VND21 billion ($924,415). The scholarship-giving program was sponsored by 592 individuals and groups of beneficiaries. In the academic year 2017-2018, the program continued offering scholarships to 123 freshmen who received the scholarships for the first time and 458 sophomore, third-year , fourth-year and fifth-year students totaling VND1.8 billion. On the occasion, the association also congratulated 166 graduates who had received scholarships in previous years. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Thu praised the association and its program's contribution in the city’s studying promotion movement. In addition, Ms. Thu proposed the association to provide consultation of improving quality of learning promotion program for the local authority to prevent dropout because of financial problem.       Vietnam’s provincial department head stripped of post over ‘dishonest asset declaration’ The director of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the northern province of Yen Bai has been reprimanded and transferred to another position, as punishments over his failure to fully declare his asset holdings. Quy received the warning decision and will no longer work as the environment department head, Yen Bai chairman Do Duc Duy confirmed late Friday. The official came to the public’s attention in June after local media outlets revealed that a 1.3 hectare villa complex in Yen Bai City was owned by his family Quy claimed that he had borrowed about VND20 billion (US$887,000) in bank loans, another sum from friends, and saved since he was young in order to build the property. He has been transferred to work as the deputy head of the office of the province’s decision-making People’s Council. The punishment came after the Government Inspectorate found that Quy has made multiple violations, including the dishonest declaration of his villa complex. According to findings of the four-month investigation, publicized by the government inspectors on October 23, Quy had not declared several portions of his assets since 2014, in violation of Directive No.33 of the Politburo. In Vietnam, officials are required to write down a list of assets they own in their profiles. In 2014, the official failed to declare 1,200 square meters of land and over 59,000 square meters of agricultural land, along with a bank loan worth VND3.8 billion (US$166,884). In 2015, over 13,000 square meters of residential land, 41,000 square meters of agricultural land, a VND6 billion (US$263,502) bank loan, and some VND1.9 billion (US$83,442) gifted by his parents were also not declared. In 2016, after Quy was appointed director of the provincial environment department, he failed to make known of over 7,900 square meters of residential land, 27,336 square meters of agricultural land, a 600 square meter house in Minh Tan Ward, Yen Bai City, more than VND9 billion (US$395,253) worth of bank loans, and 60 taels of gold borrowed from his friends. Official documents state that the land is owned by his wife, Hoang Thi Hue. The Government Inspectorate considers Quy’s dishonest asset declarations a serious violation and has ordered a suitable penalty. Vietnam to install automatic ticket gates at major train stations Starting from November, train stations in Hanoi, the central city of Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City will feature automatic ticket gates in a bid to increase service quality of the Vietnam Railways. The upgrade is meant to provide customers with better and friendlier service, as well as to ensure security at these stations, according to the state-run Vietnam Railways, which manages the country’s north-to-south train route. At the Hanoi station, there will be six lanes with ten automatic ticket gates to serve passengers, whereas the terminal in Da Nang will have two lanes and three gates, and Ho Chi Minh City, three lanes and five gates. Passengers can scan their printed or electronic tickets at these automatic ticket gates to enter platforms for boarding their trains. As the technology is quite new to some Vietnamese passengers, attendants will be on duty that those three stations to provide help, especially to the elderly, the disabled or pregnant women. At many railway stations, namely Lao Cai, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Dong Hoi, Hue, Nha Trang, and Dieu Tri, passengers now have to present their tickets before entering the check-in gates, instead of showing the tickets to the attendants before boarding. There will be waiting areas in front of check-in gates for relatives, friends, or people coming to the stations to pick up or say goodbye to the passengers. The new rule spares train attendants from checking passenger tickets again before they enter the train cars. Upon boarding, any on-board passengers suspected of not having proper tickets or having no tickets will be checked by the train attendants. French film Ciel Rouge officially screens in Vietnam “Ciel Rouge” (Red Sky), a film shot entirely in Vietnam in the early years of the Indochina War, was officially screened on October 27 in Vietnam. The film is the work of renowned French filmmaker, Olivier Lorelle, who has won several prestigious awards. Over 20 years after French films set during the war in Vietnam such as “L’Amant,” “Dien Bien Phu,” and “Indochine,” French film makers returned to Vietnam to produce a sentimental drama titled “Red Sky,” a war time romance. Filming got underway in 2015, and all scenes were filmed entirely within Vietnam, featuring an interesting and unique perspective about the Indochina war in 1946. The film tells a love story about French solider, Philippe, and a Viet Minh girl named Thi. During his mission in Vietnam, Philippe was forced to torture the young Vietnamese girl. He was touched by the girl’s resilience and escaped with her to the deserted forest. Aside from its romantic love story, “Red Sky” captivates audiences with shots of the stunning landscapes of Bac Kan and Ha Giang in Vietnam, with one particularly scenic view of Ba Be lake, where love blossoms between the young couple. VNA/VNS/Tuoitre/VOV/SGGP/SGT