Social News 19/4 Hue winds damage houses   The roof of a school in Phong Hien Commune was damaged by the whirlwind. A whirlwind swept across central Thừa Thiên-Huế Province late on Sunday afternoon, blowing the roofs off 50 houses. No fatalities were reported. Two people were hospitalised for injuries attributed to doors slamming in the strong wind. The whirlwind passed through the province’s Phong Hiền Commune in 10 minutes, damaging another 270 houses and buildings. It also damaged and uprooted many trees and ruined crops. Nguyeãn Vaên Cöï, a local resident, said the strong wind had picked up quickly but had not lasted long. It was said to have been accompanied by torrential rain and hail. The incident, however, brought good news for adjacent communes, as their thirsty rice paddy fields were fully watered. First rains fall on drought-stricken Central Highlands Four drought-stricken provinces in the Central Highlands have received their first rain in six months. Tran Trung Thanh, deputy director of Central Highlands' Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting said rains had fallen in Kon Tum and some districts in Gia Lai Province on April 17. Kon Tum City had highest amount of rainfall with 17mm, while Kon Plong District experienced just 3.2mm. Dak Doa District had 18.8mm of rainfall in Gia Lai Province. While Pleiku City had just 0.7mm. Rains have continued to fall and Ea H’leo District in Dak Lak Province experienced 53mm of rainfall. However, Thanh added that the amount of rainfall was too small and only a quarter of the Central Highlands had benefited. Some severely-affected districts such as Ia Grai and Chu Prong did not experience any rain and the amount of damaged crops has continued increasing. A hail storm with strong winds in Ia Rsai Commune on April 17 also unroofed 50 houses and caused damage estimated in the hundreds of millions of VND. Quang Ngai suffers more drownings Two young children and a teenager drowned in the Sơn Tịnh and Ba Tơ districts in the central province on Saturday. This incident comes just one day after nine schoolboys were found dead while swimming in Trà Khúc River in the province’s Thanh Khiết Village last Friday. The local administration said Võ Tùng Lâm, 4, and his sister Võ Thị Linh Nhi were found dead in a flooded water tank on a construction site in Tịnh Khê Commune in Sơn Tịnh District, where they had been playing during the afternoon. The same day, the local administration of Ba Động Commune in Ba Tơ District announced that Phạm Văn Minh, 19, a 12th-grade student, had drowned while swimming with his classmates in a spring during a camping excursion. The central province is still reeling from the tragedy of losing 12 students to drowning in two days. Statistics from the Ministry of Health revealed that, on average, nine children died from drowning every day last year in Việt Nam. Drowning is one of the main causes of child death in Việt Nam. 11 workers injured in boiler explosion Eleven workers were injured when a boiler exploded this morning at the Wood World Việt Nam JSC in Nam Cấm Industrial Park in Nghi Lộc District, Central Nghệ An Province. Major Nguyễn Trọng Tuệ, head of the Nghi Lộc District Police told the Vietnam News Agency that the explosion occurred at the oil pipeline of the wood press. Authorities have already cordoned off the scene of the accident for further investigations. Rescue teams sent seven workers to the province’s 115 Nghệ An General Hospital and four others to the Hữu Nghị General Hospital for emergency aid and treatment. Doctor Nguyễn Văn Hưng, from the 115 Nghệ An General Hospital, said five among the seven injured workers, who are being treated at the hospital’s ICU were being treated for serious burns on the face, back, hands and feet. Two among the four workers at the Hữu Nghị General Hospital were also in a serious condition. On the same day, the district Vice Chairman Trần Thị Ánh Tuyết went to the scene of the explosion for inspection and paid visited the injured workers at the hospitals. Police arrest four men for smuggling cigarettes HCM City Police yesterday arrested four people involved in a tobacco-smuggling ring and confiscated 900 packages of contraband cigarettes.   Police said that Phạm Tấn Đạt, a 33-year-old driver from Long An Province, had illegally transported 720 packages of Jet cigarettes hidden in a truck. The police also arrested Lê Văn Tám, Nguyễn Thị Mỹ Dung and Lê Thanh Tùng, who were involved in the smuggling ring. More than 200 contraband cigarette packages were found at Dung’s house in District 8 in HCM City. This was the third cigarette-smuggling ring discovered within a month, with a total of 10,000 packages confiscated, according to the city’s Department of Criminal Investigation in Economic Management and Positions. Police are continuing their investigation. US prosecutors have proof to find Minh Beo's guilty of child molestation A Vietnamese entertainer who entered his innocent plea at an arraignment last week in the US now stands little chance of being acquitted as prosecutors have enough proof to find him guilty of child molestation, a local lawyer said. Minh Beo, 38, was arrested on March 25 on three felony counts, including oral copulation of a minor, attempting to commit a lewd act upon a child under the age of 14, and meeting a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct. The Vietnamese comedian, whose real name is Hong Quang Minh,pled not guilty to all charges at April 15’s arraignment in Santa Ana, California. He is scheduled to appear at a pre-trial on May 13, then first-instance court on June 10. There is, however, little likelihood that Minh Beo will be acquitted, despite his plea of innocence, Tu Huy Hoang, a California-based attorney, told a Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper contributor in Santa Ana on April 17. Hoang said he had had dinner with Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, who confirmed that there is enough evidence to convict Minh Beo of child molestation. The parents of the boy the suspect allegedly had had oral copulation with reported the incident to police, and officers used the mobile phone of the alleged victim to text Minh Beo, Hoang said, citing Rackauckas. During the texting conversation, Minh Beo confessed all of his offenses and those text messages are now used as both evidence against and the guilty plea of the suspect. Prosecutors need to have witnesses, exhibits and a guilty plea to find a suspect guilty before a jury. In the case of Minh Beo, the witness is the alleged victim, and the text messages he exchanged with the boy and police officers are exhibits and the guilty plea, according to the district attorney. Prosecutors will present those text messages to the judge to persuade him that they have enough evidence to hand the Minh Beo case over to a jury. Attorney Hoang continued quoting Rackauckas as saying that the jury is likely to find the suspect guilty almost immediately after knowing he is a child sex offender, as the US does not tolerate child molestation. The lawyer concluded that it is unlikely for Minh Beo to be found innocent. “However we have to continue waiting as Minh Beo is in principle innocent until proven guilty,” Hoang said. Minh Beo’s older sister and brother have come to the US, but they were not allowed to either see the jailed sibling or attend his arraignment. The brother, Hong Phuoc Kien, told the Tuoi Tre contributor shortly after the arraignment ended on Friday that he hoped Minh Beo could be granted an acquittal. Kien admitted that his family is unable to afford the US$1 million bail set for his younger brother. The request to cut the bail was rejected at the arraignment as prosecutors were concerned Minh Beo would flee once released on bail. 2 Laos men caught smuggling 12 kg of heroin to Vietnam Border guards in Nghe An Province in central Vietnam have arrested two Laos men for smuggling nearly 12 kilograms of heroin into Vietnam. The suspects, 40 and 45 years old, were caught on April 17 while carrying the heroin and 15,000 ecstasy pills on a motorbike. Officers said the batch was the biggest drug haul seized in the border province this year. Vietnam has some of the world’s toughest drug laws. The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal narcotics is punishable by death. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine also face the death penalty. Annual alumni reunion strengthens Vietnam-RoK ties The Vietnam Alumni Association in Korea (FVSAK) has announced it recently held an annual reunion on April 16 in Hanoi that was attended by more than 250 distinguished alumni and guests of the organization. The gathering, the 10th of its kind, created an excellent opportunity for graduates from RoK universities to meet and catch up on what has been happening in their lives with friend and acquaintances. Speaking at the event, Pham Tien Van, former ambassador to the RoK and vice president of the Association, said the number of Vietnamese students studying in the RoK increased from just 367 in 2003 to 4,451 in 2015. “Many of these students have gone on after graduation to make a significant contribution to the country’s economic integration and serve as a bridge promoting cultural exchange and friendship between the two countries,” said Mr Van. “Vietnamese students not only provided mutual support to each other when they studied in the RoK but also united in strengthening cultural and friendship ties between the two countries post-graduation,” said the Consul General. Nguyen Thanh Long, FVSAK president, said in the 10 years since it was first established, the Association has actively supported Vietnamese students in locating jobs in line with their qualifications and training at businesses, particularly Korean ones. He revealed that in the near future the Association has plans to become even more active in the business community of Vietnam and hold exchanges and meetings to share business experiences of Alumni. Heroic martyrs commemorated in Quang Tri province Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid homage to heroic soldiers who laid down their lives for the fatherland’s independence and freedom in the central province of Quang Tri on April 17. The activity took place on the threshold of the 41st South Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30). The PM and local officials offered incense at the Truong Son National Martyrs’ Cemetery, the Road 9 National Martyrs’ Cemetery, the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, and the war memorial on the northern bank of the Thach Han River. The Truong Son National Martyrs’ Cemetery is the last resting place of over 10,000 soldiers from across Vietnam. Most of them were from Corps 559 – Truong Son Army Corps and sacrificed on Ho Chi Minh Trail during the resistance war against the US. More than 10,000 martyrs were also buried at the Road 9 National Martyrs’ Cemetery. They fought in the Road 9 battlefield and in Laos during a campaign of the anti-US war. Meanwhile, the Ancient Citadel of Quang Tri witnessed a fierce struggle to protect the citadel and Quang Tri township in 1972. Thousands of soldiers laid down their lives during the 81-day battle. The fight contributed to Vietnam’s triumph at the Paris Conference and was a prerequisite for the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975, which completely liberated the South and reunified the country. The memorial on the Thach Han River’s northern bank is also to commemorate thousands of soldiers who were young people leaving their hometowns in the north to join in the resistance war in the south. The Quang Tri Ancient Citadel and the Thach Han River are considered two cemeteries without tombstones in the central province. On this occasion, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid tribute to Party General Secretary Le Duan at his memorial house in Quang Tri – the birthplace of the late Party leader. Tourist on Italian cruise ship rushed to Vietnamese hospital: report An Italian man on a foreign cruise ship was rushed to a hospital in Nha Trang in central Vietnam on April 15 to receive emergency treatment for heavy stomach bleeding. The 70-year-old, only identified as Paccosi, suffered from stomachache and bloody diarrhea at around 1:30 a.m. when the Italian cruise ship Costa Fortuna was on its journey from the southern beach town of Vung Tau to Nha Trang, Tuoi Tre reported. A maritime rescue center in Nha Trang sent a speedboat to bring him to the shore and he was then rushed to Khanh Hoa Province General Hospital. Updates on his condition are not available. The same rescue center on April 12 night also helped save a crew member on a Panama ship. The sailor had his hands crushed by a machine and was rushed to hospital. NGO announces nation-wide cleanup Clean Up Việt Nam Day will be organised on Sunday throughout the country including HCM City, Hà Nội, Phú Quốc Island, and Hạ Long Bay. The Clean Up Việt Nam Day concept is based on a very successful annual event in Australia in which over half a million participants go to streets, parks, beaches, and the bush to clean up. “It is also about bringing communities together and raising awareness of the long-term benefits of keeping our urban and rural spaces free of litter,” Scott Alderson, director of NGO Clean up Việt Nam, said. According to a recent study by environmental organisation Ocean Conservancy, Việt Nam, China, the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia are responsible for as much as 60 per cent of the plastic waste dumped into the oceans each year. Clean Up Việt Nam seeks to engage and inspire youths, families, businesses, and communities to take action in changing the way they dispose waste and look at local community spaces. Crime debated at HCM City forum Police and experts discussed measures to tackle crime in HCM City in a forum held by Tuổi trẻ (Youth) newspaper on Thursday. Representatives from the city police, the people’s procuracy and the Department of Information and Communications joined the forum. Senior lieutenant-colonel Vũ Như Hà, deputy head of the Counsellor Department under the HCM City Police, said that assaults stemmed personal conflicts. Conflict could arise when people drank alcohol and argued, he said. Colonel Nguyễn Minh Thông, director of the Investigation Police Department, said that more than 50 per cent of crimes were committed by those aged between 18 and 30. As many as 63 per cent of criminals in HCM City did not have jobs. “Reducing the number of crimes is not the responsibility of the police only, but also the responsibility of families and schools,” he said. Hà said that the city police had employed different crime fighting techniques. Mobile police worked with traffic police on patrols. The police performed administrative checks at residential quarters and massage parlours and installed cameras at crime hot spots. One difficult problem the police faced was taking drug addicts to rehabilitation centres. Many crimes were committed by drug addicts, but it was difficult to make them go to rehabilitation centres, said Hà. Đoàn Tạ Cửu Long, deputy director of the HCM City People’s Procuracy, said that robberies happened as some shops purchased the thieved goods, but the country lacked regulations and effective measures to manage these shops. Representatives at the conference applauded the installation of CCTV cameras. Lê Thành Hưng, director of the Police Ward 12 in Gò Vấp District, said that the ward had about 2,000 cameras on roads where a lot of traffic accidents and public disorder occurred. The cameras were paid for from funds contributed by local residents and brought significant results. If any crimes occurred, local authorities would arrive after a few minutes, he said. Đoàn Tạ Cửu Long suggested the municipal Department of Information and Communications issue regulations on storing data from cameras as the foundation of prosecuting criminals. Bùi Việt Dương, head of the Post and Telecommunication Division under the municipal Department of Information and Communication, said that the department was conducting a pilot programme of installing security cameras in District 5. The pilot programme was expected to finish in July. If successful, it would be expanded to other districts. HCM City saw more than 1,000 crimes in the first three months this year, a decrease of 377 compared with the three last months last year, according to HCM City Police. Locals want Long Thanh Airport finished soon Most owners of land to be acquired for Long Thành Airport in Đồng Nai Province, 40km away from HCM City, want the airport to be completed at the earliest so that they can move out soon to new residential areas earmarked for them. Ngô Thế Ân, chairman of the Long Thành District People’s Committee, said during meetings between residents and parliamentary candidates and Government working groups, the former expressed support for the airport but grumbled about the fact it has been delayed by over 15 years. According to the provincial authorities, land acquisition for the airport will be divided into two phases, with the total cost reaching VNĐ13 trillion (US$583 million). According to a report from the provincial administration, 4,730 households with nearly 15,000 members in the communes of Bình Sơn, Suối Trầu, Cẩm Đường, Bàu Cạn, Long An, and Long Phước will be affected. In the first stage, 2,557ha of land in Bình Sơn, Long An, Suối Trầu, and Cẩm Đường will be taken over, affecting over 1,800 households in these communes, including 1,000 households having to move from their homes. Total compensation of over VNĐ5 trillion will be paid. Over 2,442ha will be acquired in the second stage, affecting 2,922 families, of whom over 2,500 have to move out. Compensation of over VNĐ8 trillion will be paid. Đồng Nai authorities will build two new residential areas -- Lộc An-Bình Sơn (over 282ha) and Bình Sơn (over 282ha) -- north of Long Thành International Airport. Thousands of chickens, cows die from drought More than 130 cows and thousands of chickens and ducks died from drought in Ea Súp District in the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk, according to the latest statistics from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. The cows and birds died due to a shortage of drinking water and nutrition. In Ia Lốp Commune alone, more than 80 cows died, whereas Ia Rvê Commune had more than 50 cow deaths. Hundreds of hectares of crops were destroyed, and at least 91 wells ran dry. Phùng Ngọc Cường, of Village 8 in Ia Rvê, said he had never seen such severe drought. The commune did not have any grass, so Cường led his 40 cows anywhere they could find food, including garbage. Cường had to buy a rickshaw to carry straw at a cost of VNĐ4 million (US$170) and drill a well, which cost more than VNĐ15 million ($660), to supply food and drinking water to his cows. Phạm Bạo, also of Ia Rvê, said he mixed rice husk with saltwater to feed his cows. Several weaker ones were given restorative medicines and vitamin C. “My cows are worth more than VNĐ1 billion ($44,400), but now no one wants to re-buy them, so I tried every way to cure them,” he said. At present, more than 30 of Bạo’s 120 cows have died, resulting in losses of VNĐ300 million ($13,300). Nguyễn Ngọc Phú, head of the Ea Súp District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the cows died en masse because they lacked nutrition, food and drinking water. They ate so much cassava, so they got indigestion and then died. Many cows in Ia Rvê and Ia Lốp communes died because the communes did not have irrigational systems or reservoirs. The district said it would use spare funds to help local residents drill wells and help them provide food to the cows. The district reported conditions to the provincial authorities to ask for guidance and support, he said. Bee stings send 17 children to hospital Seventeen children and a teacher at a pre-school in the central Nghệ An Province’s Thanh Xuân Commune were hospitalised after being attacked by wild bees yesterday morning. At 8am, Phạm Thị Tuyết, a pre-school teacher, and 20 students were suddenly attacked by wild bees while studying inside a classroom. Local residents helped to drive away the bees, and they took the teacher and students to the communal health clinic for treatment. Five students who suffered from serious injuries were later moved to Hương Sơn District’s General Hospital. Nguyễn Bá Thời, head of the hospital’s Intensive Care and Poison Control unit, said all patients had difficulty breathing, fevers and red spots on their skin. The patients were later upgraded to stable condition, he said. Van Phong Port project revived Nha Trang Port JSC has received a licence to revive Vân Phong Port in the central province of Khánh Hoà, which stalled several years ago after the original investor ran out of funds. Hoàng Đình Phi, deputy head of the Vân Phong Economic Zone – where the port will come up – said an investment certificate has been issued for the VNĐ417 billion (US$18.7 million) first phase of the port. The port, to come up on 42.21 hectares in Vạn Thạnh Commune in Vạn Ninh District, can berth 50,000 tonne vessels and handle 1.5-2 million tonnes of cargo a year. After 2020 the port will get two more terminals that can handle 1-1.5 million TEU of cargo a year. The work will be funded by internal resources (VNĐ200 billion or $8.9 million) and loans or sale of stakes (VNĐ217 billion or $9.6 million), according to Nha Trang Port JSC. The company, which operates a tourist port in Nha Trang, is partly private, with conglomerate Vingroup owning nearly 35 percent. First approved in 2007, Vân Phong International Transshipment Port was to be Việt Nam’s biggest port. Work began in October 2009, but Vinalines called it off after nearly a year due to lack of funds. It hoped to change the design to reduce the cost, but the Government rejected its demand and took away the project from it Nine 6th grade students drown in Quang Ngai River Nine sixth grade schoolboys drowned yesterday afternoon while they were swimming in a section of the Trà Khúc River in central Quảng Ngãi Province’s Thanh Khiết Village. Following investigations by local police, divers discovered the bodies of the nine victims at about 4:50pm after two hours of searching. The victims, who were classmates, were believed to have studied at Nghĩa Hà Secondary School. All of the victims were identified. The families of the victims have taken their bodies to bury. Nguyễn Hữu Cường, a villager, said at 2pm, he passed by the river and saw nine sets of school uniforms, but no children. He called for villagers to dive into the river to find the children. According to Tuổi trẻ (Youth) online newspaper, the river section the students swam in was an area many people had drowned in before. Colonel Võ Văn Dương, deputy head of the provincial Police Department went to the scene to direct the search and console the victims’ families. Presenting his heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families yesterday, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc required the provincial People’s Committee to instruct local competent authorities to quickly visit, console and support the families of the dead schoolboys and take measures to resolve the consequences. The move also aims to proactively prevent drowning accidents among students during the summertime. The PM also called for the Ministry of Education and Training, and People’s Committees of localities nationwide to strengthen the management of students and children, organise safe summer activities, and enhance swimming instruction for students. Statistics from the Ministry of Health revealed that on average nine children died from drowning every day last year in Việt Nam. Drowning is one of the main causes of child death in Việt Nam. Police seize cattle meat, other illegal products Hà Nội’s Market Management Department’s police seized a large number of goods of unknown origin in Ba Đình District yesterday. At the Hưng Thịnh Spice Ltd. Co’s store, the police found some 120 kinds of goods, such as cooking oil, crisp fried powder mix and other kinds of spices and powders used in cooking. The police also found many powder packs without labels or details of their origin. In Hoài Đức District, the market management team’s police discovered thousands of cartons and plastic shells held by the Phát Đạt Ltd Co, which were printed with a fake Đồng Tiền (Coin) trademark. The police also seized some one tonne of cattle meat and internal organs from a truck travelling on Highway 1A in central Quảng Trị Province yesterday. The police ordered the driver to stop to check the goods in his truck and discovered 20 boxes containing the foul-smelling goods. The driver failed to show valid papers for the goods and said he was hired to transport these goods to HCM City. The meat and the organs were later destroyed by the concerned authorities. On the same day, the police in Thanh Trì District of Hà Nội also stopped a car transporting two tonnes of foul-smelling cattle fat for consumption in the provinces. The team seized all the fat and will send it to the concerned authorities to be destroyed. Ha Tinh police seize precious timber Environmental police in Hà Tĩnh central province reported they have seized some 4cu.m. of precious timber in Đức Thọ District’s Thái Yên Commune. The truck contaminating the timber was seized on Wednesday thanks to a tip-off from local residents, police said. The timber was hidden in the bottom of the container truck and covered with tens of tonnes of dried cassava chips. The driver failed to present valid papers for the goods. He told police he had been asked by Quang Minh Ltd. Co. in Lạng Sơn Province to go to Laos to collect the timber and transport it to Việt Nam. After loading the goods at Laos, a man living in Quảng Bình central province paid him VNĐ5.5 million (US$235) to transport the timber to Hà Tĩnh Province, the driver said. The incident is under investigation by the provincial authorities. Cần Thơ to build cable-stayed bridge costing billions The authorities in coordination with the concerned agencies yesterday began work on the construction of some key projects of 2016, including the building of the Cầm Thi cable-stayed bridge. The bridge in this Mekong Delta province will cross the Cần Thơ River and connect the Cái Răng and Ninh Kiều districts and will be 535m long and 20m wide. Its pavements will be 1.5m wide on either side. The project will incur an estimated investment of more than VNĐ670 billion (US$29.8 million) and is being funded by an Official Development Assistance loan. The bridge is specifically designed in the shape of a Vietnamese Đàn Bầu (single-string zither) and will be decorated with cloud and dragon patterns. In addition, lutes, kites, fountains, lighting and laser systems will be also installed. The construction of the bridge that is expected to be one of the highlights of the Mekong River Delta’s tourism programme will start this year and end in 24 months. Heroic martyrs commemorated in Quang Tri province Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid homage to heroic soldiers who laid down their lives for the fatherland’s independence and freedom in the central province of Quang Tri on April 17. The activity took place on the threshold of the 41st South Liberation and National Reunification Day (April 30). The PM and local officials offered incense at the Truong Son National Martyrs’ Cemetery, the Road 9 National Martyrs’ Cemetery, the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel, and the war memorial on the northern bank of the Thach Han River. The Truong Son National Martyrs’ Cemetery is the last resting place of over 10,000 soldiers from across Vietnam. Most of them were from Corps 559 – Truong Son Army Corps and sacrificed on Ho Chi Minh Trail during the resistance war against the US. More than 10,000 martyrs were also buried at the Road 9 National Martyrs’ Cemetery. They fought in the Road 9 battlefield and in Laos during a campaign of the anti-US war. Meanwhile, the Ancient Citadel of Quang Tri witnessed a fierce struggle to protect the citadel and Quang Tri township in 1972. Thousands of soldiers laid down their lives during the 81-day battle. The fight contributed to Vietnam’s triumph at the Paris Conference and was a prerequisite for the General Offensive and Uprising in the Spring of 1975, which completely liberated the South and reunified the country. The memorial on the Thach Han River’s northern bank is also to commemorate thousands of soldiers who were young people leaving their hometowns in the north to join in the resistance war in the south. The Quang Tri Ancient Citadel and the Thach Han River are considered two cemeteries without tombstones in the central province. On this occasion, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid tribute to Party General Secretary Le Duan at his memorial house in Quang Tri – the birthplace of the late Party leader. Congratulations to Cuba on 7th national Party congress The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee has congratulated the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC) on the seventh national congress, which is taking place in Havana from April 16 – 19. Wishing the congress successful, the CPV Central Committee says the event is held amidst swift changes and complex developments in the global political and security situation. The sluggish global economic recovery and climate change, among others, are posing massive challenges to countries around the world, especially developing ones. Braving that fact, the CPC and Cuban people have reaped enormous achievements during the updating of the economic model and gradually broken embargoes imposed for more than five decades. Cuba has continually been a symbol of the revolutionary heroism, the unyielding will and the powerful trust in freedom, equality and dignity for its own and other nations across the globe, the CPV Central Committee says. It expresses the belief that the CPC’s seventh national congress will continue intensifying the “Guidelines of the Economic and Social Policy of the Party and the Revolution” and the targets set up at the first congress, so as to help Cuba take firm steps towards the socialism. In its message, the Vietnamese Party says the two countries have been side by side during the past struggle for independence and freedom and the current national development and protection. It is a rare friendship and solidarity and also an invaluable asset that the two Parties and peoples have nurtured. The CPV Central Committee voices its delight at the growing relations between the two sides, adding that Vietnam always keeps in mind the great support given by the Cuban Party, State and people. It reiterates Vietnam’s consistent stance of continuing to solidify the exemplary fraternal relationship, traditional amity, comprehensive cooperation and constant solidarity between the two Parties, States and peoples. Quang Tri needs to improve its future investment climate: PM The central province of Quảng Trị needs to make greater efforts in improving its investment climate and better facilitate businesses critical to boosting the national and local economies, said Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc during an investment and tourism promotion conference that took place in the locality on Sunday. The large-scale event witnessed the participation of many economists, investors, and representatives from trade promotion agencies, and domestic and foreign businesses. The PM asked Quảng Trị to enhance inter-regional connectivity, develop hi-quality personnel resources and accelerate scientific and technological applications. Ministries and central agencies should continue to support the province to make it more attractive to investment, the PM said. He also called on domestic and foreign companies to come and invest in the locality. In terms of tourism, Quảng Trị should better advertise its brand name while ensuring adequate investment sources and skilful manpower for tourism development, the PM noted. In his speech at the conference, National Assembly deputy Trần Du Lịch spoke highly of the province’s “geographic advantages such as being located on national arterial roads, railways and sea routes connecting Laos, Thailand and Myanmar with the Pacific Ocean through the East–West Economic Corridor.” These reviewed advantages would help the province become an intersection of goods movement along the north–south and east–west routes and facilitate the province’s tourism development, he said. In 2011-15, Quảng Trị attracted 262 domestically and foreign-invested projects with a combined investment capital of about VNĐ50.3 trillion (over US$2.23 billion), according to the province’s People’s Committee. In the first four months, the province granted principal investment certificates to 15 projects with capital totalling more than VNĐ10 trillion (US$444 million). These figures, however, failed to match the province’s potential or the expectations of local authorities, Committee Chairman Nguyễn Đức Chính told the meeting. Looking forward, the province will focus on significantly improving its investment climate, investing in infrastructure and creating favourable conditions for several important sectors to develop, such as support, clean and environmentally-friendly industries “We promise to consider and approve investment registration within 10 days and license foreign workers within four days,” Chính said. A hotline through which the committee chairman could talk directly to investors and assist in removing obstacles for the firms would be set up, he added. At the conference, the committee granted the principal investment certificates to 16 projects with a registered capital of over VNĐ10 trillion. Martyrs commemorated Earlier on the same day, PM Phúc paid homage to soldiers who laid down their lives for the fatherland’s independence and freedom in the central province of Quảng Trị. The activity took place on the eve of the 41st South Liberation and National Reunification Day on April 30. The PM and local officials offered incense at the Trường Sơn National Martyrs’ Cemetery, the Road 9 National Martyrs’ Cemetery, the Quảng Trị Ancient Citadel, and the war memorial on the northern bank of the Thạch Hãn River. The Trường Sơn National Martyrs’ Cemetery is the last resting place of over 10,000 soldiers from across Việt Nam. Most of them were from Corps 559 – Trường Son Army Corps and sacrificed on Hồ Chí Minh Trail during the resistance war against the United States. More than 10,000 martyrs were also buried at the Road 9, National Martyrs’ Cemetery. They fought in the Road 9 battlefield and in Laos during a campaign of the anti-US war. Meanwhile, the Ancient Citadel of Quảng Trị witnessed a fierce struggle to protect the citadel and Quảng Trị Township in 1972. Thousands of soldiers laid down their lives during the 81-day battle. The fight contributed to Việt Nam’s triumph at the Paris Conference and was a prerequisite for the General Offensive and Uprising in the spring of 1975, which completely liberated the South and re-unified the country. The memorial on the Thạch Hãn River’s northern bank is also to commemorate thousands of soldiers who were young people leaving their hometowns in the north to join in the resistance in the south. The Quảng Trị Ancient Citadel and the Thạch Hãn River are considered two cemeteries without tombstones in the central province. President attends ethnic groups’ cultural day President Trần Đại Quang yesterday attended an opening ceremony to celebrate the cultural day of Vietnamese ethnic groups in Hà Nội. From 2009, the Government declared April 19 as the annual cultural day of 54 ethnic groups with the aim of honouring their cultural values, strengthening the great national unity, and promoting patriotism, he said. The President stressed the need to continuously implement effectively the Resolution adopted at the 9th session of the 11th Party Central Committee on the building and development of the Vietnamese culture and people to meet the country’s sustainable development requirements, as well as the cultural development strategy through 2020. He urged people to step up preserving, promoting cultural diversities and building new cultural values while expanding international exchanges. It was necessary to increase the public cultural enjoyment, especially in the rural, ethnic minority, remote, border and island regions, and integrate cultural preservation with sustainable development of economics and tourism, he noted. After the opening ceremony, an art programme took place, featuring the unique culture of 54 ethnic groups across the northern mountainous region, northern delta, central region, Central Highlands, and southern delta. Participants take part in folk games and enjoy food from different regions at the Culture and Tourism Village of Vietnamese Ethnic Groups from April 15-19. A variety of art forms are highlighted such as Lượn Cọi singing of Tày, Nùng ethnic groups, H’Mông panpipe and umbrella dancing, and Khơ Mú folk music, along with xẩm singing – a genre of music once popular in the north of Vietnam, chèo (Vietnamese traditional opera), and quan họ (love duet), chầu văn (spiritual singing), Central Highlands’ gong performance, and đờn ca tài tử (amateur singing) of southern people. Nearly 120 village patriarchs and artisans from various ethnic groups are engaging in cultural activities. Vietnam Buddhist Sangha holds requiem for martyrs in Cao Bang The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) held a requiem for martyrs who laid down their lives for national liberation and defence in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang on April 18. Attending the event at the Phat Tich Truc Lam Ban Gioc Pagoda in Trung Khanh District were war veterans, over 2,000 monks and nuns, representatives from the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Mass Mobilisation, the National Assembly’s Ethnic Council and the Government’s Committee for Religious Affairs. Most Venerable Thich Gia Quang, Vice President of the VBS’s Executive Council and head of the management board of the provincial VBS, said the nation, Buddhist followers as well as the Party and State never forget the contributions of the martyrs. Participants prayed that the fallen soldiers will rest in peace. On the occasion, the VBS and Mobifone presented 2,500 gifts to Trung Khanh district. Construction on a kindergarten worth 2.5 billion VND (113,000 USD) – a gift of the VBS and the National Citizen Bank, also began on the same day. Overseas Vietnamese pay tribute to nation founders Hung Kings Over 1,000 Vietnamese expatriates attended a ceremony at Sapa Shopping Mall in Prague, the Czech Republic, on April 17 to commemorate the death anniversary of Hung Kings and learn about their roots. This is the sixth time the commemoration of Hung Kings, the nation’s legendary founders, has been held in Czech. Participants representing the 65,000-strong Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic offered incense, flowers and Vietnam’s specialties to the Hung Kings. Various foods from localities across Vietnam were also on display at an exhibition on the sidelines of the ceremony, such as Phu Tho’s “ banh day” (round glutinous rice cakes), Quang Binh’s “banh bot loc” (steamed clear tapioca cake), Hai Duong’s “banh dau xanh” (Mung bean cake) and Bac Ninh’s “banh phu the” (husband and wife cake). The Hung Kings founded the first nation in the history of Vietnam, called Van Lang, in Phong Chau, now Phu Tho province. Ruling the country through 18 generations (2879–258 BC), the Hung Kings taught locals how to grow wet rice. They chose Nghia Linh Mountain, the highest in the region, to perform rituals devoted to rice and sun deities. The 10th day of the third month on lunar calendar was earmarked as the national commemorative anniversary for the kings. The worshipping rituals of the Hung Kings are closely related to the ancestral worshipping tradition of most Vietnamese families which forms an important part of people's spiritual lives. It was recognised as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012. Seminar talks “Skills to Succeed” for youngsters The “Skills to Succeed” project– an initiative launched by the Save the Children organisation - was featured at a seminar in the central city of Da Nang on April 18, with a view to better equipping youngsters aged 15-24 with necessary skills before entering the job market. The organisation’s representatives from the US, UK, China, Denmark, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Vietnam shared experience in helping young people find jobs as well as measures to boost ties among policymakers, private sector and youngsters. Erwin Nacuray, Deputy Country Director of the Save the Children in Vietnam, said the initiative aims to equip poor young people with necessary skills, relations and opportunities to find jobs or start their own businesses, thereby improving their income. In Vietnam, the project brought support to over 2,000 young individuals in Da Nang and Can Tho in 2014-2015, over 70 percent of them landed jobs or had their own businesses. Nearly 50,000 in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam have benefited from the programme. Lao, Cambodian students in Vietnam enjoy traditional festivals Over 400 students from Vietnam , Laos and Cambodia have converged at a series of student exchanges organised in Ho Chi Minh City from April 15 to 17 to celebrate Laos ’s Bun Pi May and Cambodia ’s Chol Chnam Thmay New Year Festivals. The three countries’ students have a chance to participate in a number of sport competitions, cultural exchanges and traditional art performances, hosted by the municipal chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU). According to Nguyen Manh Cuong, Secretary of the HCMCYU’s municipal chapter, such exchange programmes create opportunities for students to promote understanding and solidarity among the three peoples. On April 15, Thai and Lao students attending central Nghe An province’s Vinh University gathered to enjoy their respective traditional New Year festivals. This is the 13th year the university has organised an event for Thai and Lao students, designed to help them have warm and happy New Year celebrations and contribute to tightening the friendship among Vietnam , Thailand and Laos . At the event, Vietnamese students joined Lao and Thai friends in ritual activities to wish them good luck and prosperity for the New Year. More than 400 Thai and Lao students are currently studying at Vinh University. Job fair gives hope to people with disabilities A job fair geared toward disabled people was organised in Hanoi on April 15 as part of the activities to celebrate the 10th founding anniversary of the municipal disabled people association. Aiming to create opportunities for the disabled to integrate into society, the fair featured some 32 vocational training centres and employers who expected to recruit 350-400 labourers and 500 trainees. According to Duong Thi Van, chairwoman of the municipal disabled people association, the fair gives a chance to recruiters to carry out their policies for people with disabilities, while helping the needy train for job opportunities. Meanwhile, Dinh Thi Thu Ha from REACH which specialises in providing vocational training and career advice for disadvantaged youth said that most of the disabled are in favour of graphic design and marketing courses. After short-course training, they are introduced to jobs and can work at some design companies, she highlighted, adding that besides job fairs, recruitment oppertunities are also available at vocational training centres’ website. The job fair also comprised activities to popularise products made by the disabled, a forum on disabled people’s business model and exchanges with standout disabled examples who are successful in their business. Northwestern provinces seek solutions for tourism development Tourism officials from northwestern provinces gathered at a workshop in Hanoi on April 15 to seek solutions to draw tourists to a region full of untapped tourism potential. The event was organised by the Steering Committee for the Northwestern Region (SCNR), the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Vietnam Tourism Association in the framework of the Vietnam International Tourism Mart (VITM) that is taking place in Hanoi from April 14-17. Speaking at the conference, Hau A Lenh, Deputy Head of the SCNR, said with a rich and diverse cultural space, spectacular landscape and diverse ecology, the northwestern region has great potential and many advantages to develop tourism. However, great distance, difficult terrains, poor infrastructure and limited resources have been factors preventing the region’s tourism development. Lenh considered cooperation between provinces as a way to overcome challenges and help each province take advantages of each locality’s strong points, adding that some linkage and cooperation models have produced results. According to participants, the region lacks high-class tourism services to keep tourists staying longer. Promotion has not been good as well, with the number of travel firms operating in the region being limited. They said that the region needs to call for investment in tourism and road infrastructure. Localities are also advised to develop distinctive and green products based on the unique cultural values, landscape, and diverse biological environment of the region. According to data from provinces in the region and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the number of tourists visiting the region grows 10 percent on average each year, reaching 8.9 million in 2015. Of which, 1.6 million are international visitors. The region hopes to welcome 2.3 million international visitors and 14 million local tourists by 2020. On the occasion, the SCNR, the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and the Vietnam Tourism Association signed an agreement on cooperation to bring more tourists to the northwest. Vietnam, Laos bolster bilateral relations Lao Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad on April 15 visited the Hanoi-Moscow Complex (Incentra) in Moscow, whose activities, he said, help boost investment cooperation of ASEAN businesses, including those from Laos, in Russia. Le Truong Son, Incentra Director-General, informed the Lao leader of the corporation’s plan to organise a high-quality goods fair of ASEAN member states on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of ASEAN-Russia diplomatic ties with the aim to further enhance bilateral trade ties. He expressed his hope that the Lao Government and offices will facilitate the investment and business of Lao enterprises in Incentra. The Lao Deputy PM stated he believes that the organisation of the fair will offer a chance for ASEAN enterprises to gain access to the Russian market and others in the Eurasian Economic Union. Also on the day, on the occasion of Laos’ traditional Bunpimay New Year festival, Nguyen Hung, Envoy at the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, paid a visit to the Lao Embassy in the country, to extend his New Year’s wishes to the embassy staff. Lao Ambassador Thieng Boupha affirmed to continue close coordination with the Vietnamese embassy to tighten the relations between the two countries and the two embassies in particular. HCM City: Khmer people welcome Chol Chnam Thmay festival Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, President of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Executive Council, has extended his wishes to Khmer people and Buddhist dignitaries on their traditional New Year, Chol Chnam Thmay. Attending an event to welcome the festival at Candaransi pagoda in Ho Chi Minh City on April 16, Most Venerable Nhon affirmed that the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) bears in mind the contributions made by Khmer dignitaries and followers to the development of the Vietnamese nation and the VBS. Member of the VBS Executive Council and head of the Candaransi pagoda, Danh Lung, called on the local Khmer community to take more practical actions to improve their living conditions. They were also asked to be clear-sighted in choosing competent people at the upcoming election of deputies to the 14th National Assembly and members of all-level People’s Councils. On these days, in the pagoda, a wide range of activities are being held, including a Buddha bathing ritual, and a prayer ceremony for war martyrs. Chol Chnam Thmay is one of the most important events of the year for the Khmer community. It usually lasts three days and is celebrated in pagodas. This year’s festival falls on April 13 to 15 (the seventh to ninth day of the third lunar month). VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri