Social News 8/7 American author John C.Maxwell to visit Vietnam John Calvin Maxwell (born in 1947), an American author, speaker, and pastor, who has written many books on leadership, will have an exchange with Vietnam entrepreneurs at the Adora Convention Centre at 803 Nguyen Van Linh in Ho Chi Minh City on July 24. He will share 40-year research experience in how to promote leadership capacity. Famous books written by John C.Maxwell include ‘The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership' and ‘The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader’. His books have sold millions of copies, with some on the New York Times Best Seller List. He has trained more than 6 million business managers and been named the No. 1 leadership and management expert in the world by many renowned magazines. Mr Mazxell said he devoted all of his life to researching and development leadership arts, especially business leadership. HCM City hotline a hit with public, gets 13,000 calls in 3 months The HCM City administration has received more than 13,000 complaints and suggestions since it set up a hotline three months ago. Võ Văn Hoan, office chief of the city People’s Committee, yesterday chaired a meeting to review the performance of the hotline (08) 88-247-247 team and the outcomes of their actions based on the opinions and complaints. The calls and messages have been mostly about day-to-day issues like pavement encroachment, public disorder, illegal construction, environmental pollution, traffic congestion, security and administrative reforms and conflicts related to land and housing. Most of them had been addressed diligently though some required more time, officials said. According to officials, many callers, thinking that calls on the hotline would be personally answered by the secretary of the city Party Committee, Đinh La Thăng – who ordered its installation – have demanded to speak with him. The hotline team said there were 4,980 such calls and the messages were passed on to relevant authorities. Thăng took over as Party chief on February 5 and has since rolled out a slew of such initiatives to tackle a range of problems in the country’s biggest city. Metal base transceiver station collapses, kills 1 A metal base transceiver station (BTS) atop a 10-storey building in Hà Nội’s Đống Đa District collapsed at noon today, killing one man. The incident happened at 11.45am at Ford Thăng Long Building, 105 Láng Hạ Street, when the BTS suddenly broke into three pieces and collapsed. One of the pieces hit the glass window of offices on the 9th and 10th floors, causing the death of Vũ Văn Hoan, 34, who was working inside his office on the 10th Floor. The victim was sent to a nearby hospital after being hit by the BTS piece, but he did not survive. A doctor who treated Hoan said he suffered severe trauma and a 20-centimetre head wound. The 30-metre BTS was said to be on top of the Ford Thăng Long Building for years. One of the broken pieces from the BTS fell on Láng Hạ Street, but no pedestrians or drivers were injured. A witness said there was no sign of lightning when the incident happened, though Hà Nội experienced continual rain this morning. Further investigation is ongoing. Police bust cross-border drugs ring   Dried herb containing Cathinone - a strong narcotic. The Hanoi Customs Department and the Drug Crime Investigation Police Department announced on July 6 that they have smashed a drugs ring that sent illicit substances into or from Vietnam via international post. First obtaining information on the ring in March this year, competent agencies busted the first shipment with 36 packages weighing 545kg declared to be dried tea or dried plants sent from Ethiopia to nine people on April 15. The Criminal Science Institute under the Ministry of Public Security found Cathinone – a strong narcotic - in the goods. The Hanoi Customs Department coordinated with the drug crime investigation department to establish a specialised team in May to crack down on the case. From May 23 to June 28, the specialised team discovered more batches of goods sent from Singapore to Vietnam or from Vietnam to the US, UK and Australia, all of which were found to contain Cathinone. So far, a total of 199 packages weighing over 2.5 tonnes have been found containing the drug. The senders and recipients of the packages include workers in the postal and tourism sectors as well as one Chinese and four unidentified black men who already left Vietnam. A drug investigator said this is a large-scale nationwide ring, noting that the culprits live in other countries and they only hire Vietnamese to receive or send the drugs. The Hanoi Customs Department has alerted counterparts in Ho Chi Minh City and Hai Phong city on the case. As a result, in mid-May, Ho Chi Minh City also seized five batches of goods with 1.2 tonnes of dried herbs containing narcotic substances. “Gone Through Love” dance performance in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnamese Contemporary Music and Dance Performance “Gone Through Love” performed by the Ho Chi Minh City Ballet Symphony Orchestra and Opera (HBSO) will take place at the municipal Opera House on July 9. The “Vietnamese and international contemporary music and dance” program presenting classical and new compositions by local and international musicians is an annually event in July. The concert will introduce to audiences musical works composed by musicians Nguyen Manh Duy Linh, Dang Huu Phuc, Luu Quang Minh. Meanwhile the contemporary dance performance “Gone through Love” choreographed by Nguyen Phuc Hai and Nguyen Phuc Hung will be performed by young talented ballerina of HBSO, Tran Hoang Yen, Nguyen Thu Trang, Phan Tieu Ly, Sung A Lung, Phan Thai Binh, Nguyen Minh Tam. Entry tickets cost from VND80, 000 to VND550, 000. Using IT in agriculture is imperative: seminar Using information technology in agriculture is imperative for improving productivity and quality and reducing costs to bolster the sector’s competitiveness amid the country’s integration, a seminar heard in HCM City on Tuesday. Từ Minh Thiện, deputy head of the Agricultural High Tech Park of HCM City (AHTP), told the seminar organised by AHTP, Quang Trung Software City, and Global CyberSoft Vietnam (GCS) that technology in the sector is developing slower than in other sectors, while the country’s research and development capabilities lag behind others. With tariff exemption under the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement, the agricultural sector would enjoy opportunities to boost exports, Thiện said. But it continues to face shortcomings in terms of strains, production, harvest, post-harvest, and transportation, he said. Therefore, it needs to develop a hi-tech production chain based on international standards and support farmers access businesses’ supply chain, he said. The main tasks are to build and operate a sustainable goods supply chain for both the export and domestic markets, develop links between farmers, co-operatives and other production groups to expand supply between them and distributors to ensure outlets for their produce, he said. AHTP in collaboration with the Quang Trung Software City and Global CyberSoft Vietnam have piloted the SmartAgri project on cantaloupe at the park since last December. The project has seen early positive results, with cantaloupe output going up by 10 per cent and their quality and weight remaining consistent, he said. Trần Kim Vũ of Global CyberSoft Vietnam said SmartAgri is an agriculture production management system from the nursery to harvest and preservation. It is developed based on the most advanced technologies, including the Internet of Things big data analytics and cloud computing. Traditionally, checking humidity, temperature, and light intensity for plants has been done manually and mainly based on experience, he said. SmartAgri helps collect and analyse the information about temperature, moisture, light, and pH automatically through sensors. This ensures standard environmental conditions for the plants. Its other features include a real-time alert system via SMS, email and alarm and analysis of quantity and quality, he said. It helps establish an agricultural ecosystem for exchanging information, sharing experience and planning production among farmers, retailers, traders, and enterprises, he said. It automates crop, livestock and fishery production processes. The application of this system would help boost both quality and quantity of agricultural produce, decrease costs and improve competitiveness. It would enable production to conform to VietGap and Global Gap standards to enable more exports to difficult markets like the US, Japan, and EU. But the model has only been tested in plastic greenhouse cultivation models, and experts would continue research to come up with new applications appropriate for farmers’ needs, he added. Caravelle hotel chefs win top prize at Việt Nam Young Chefs Culinary Challenge Two young chefs working at Caravelle Hotel, Trần Văn Thiện and Nguyễn Văn Hưởng, won first prize at the Việt Nam Young Chefs Culinary Challenge 2016. The competition attracted the participation of 88 teams of 176 professional chefs under age 28 at hotels, restaurants and vocational training schools in southern provinces and cities. The qualifying round was held on June 15, with 10 teams entering the final round on July 5. The judges in the competitions were renowned culinary artists, including Lý Sanh (president SPC), Bùi Thị Sương, Triệu Thị Chơi and international food expert Nobert Eharbar. Oganised by Nestlé Professional of Nestlé Việt Nam in collaboration with the Saigon Professional Chef’s Guild and the Young Chef’s Club, the competition aims to create a professional playground for young chefs to exchange experiences and develop their occupation. This was the fourth consecutive year that Nestlé Professional organised the competition. Compared to last year’s edition, the number of teams taking part in the contest rose from 56 to 88. Gender issue project at The Factory art center Gender Behaviour, a project that combines sociological research and modern art to raise public awareness about gender issues, will be presented at The Factory Contemporary Art Center on July 9. The event will includet the photo exhibitions Who Are You? by Hortense Plé, a major in plastic arts in France, and What We Talk about When We Talk about Love by Vietnamese photographer Bùi Hoàng Tú. A contemporary dance performance by American dancer and choreographer Emily Navarra will also be on the programme, and a stop-motion documentary video about gender norms will be screened. The event will be held in HCM City from 7-10 pm at 15 Nguyễn Ư Dĩ Street in District 2. The entrance fee is VNĐ100,000 for adults and VNĐ50,000 for students. Monsoon Pool Party: lucky draw, BBQ & hip hop The Hotel Equatorial will host a Monsoon Pool Party on July 9. It will feature tropical house, progressive house, trance and trap music performed by well-known DJ Providence from Singapore, and resident DJs Tpal, Saiser T, Ty Ty, King Lady and MC/rapper F. The event will include a BBQ buffet, a lucky draw, a hip hop dance performance and entertaining activities like an ice bucket challenge and secret treasure. The party will start at 2pm at 242 Trần Bình Trọng Street in District 5. Entrance tickets are VNĐ199,000. They can be bought at https://ticketbox.vn and http://123go.vn or at Balo VNXK in District 1 and Obj Store in District 3. Zero Station flea market for the arts A flea market promoting the arts will open at Zero Station on July 17. The event will feature a photo exhibition Saigon – Here and Now, as well as an arts and crafts market, art workshops, live music performances and a film screening. The market will take place from 10am to 8pm. The venue is at 12 Road 43 Lâm Văn Bền Street in District 7. TV documentary show on Emperor Quang Trung released A documentary TV show on Emperor Quang Trung produced by a private film company in HCM City will be released this month. The 18-part series, Triều Đại Quang Trung-Nguyễn Huệ (The Reign of Quang Trung- Nguyễn Huệ), features the life of Emperor Quang Trung, known as Nguyễn Huệ, who led the Tây Sơn dynasty from 1788 until 1792. The series focuses on Quang Trung, one of the most successful military commanders in Việt Nam’s history, and the famous Ngọc Hồi - Đống Đa victory led by Nguyễn Huệ, who was later proclaimed Emperor Quang Trung over the Chinese Qing invaders in early 1789. The fierce battle on Đống Đa Hill, located in a park in Hà Nội, occurred between Nguyễn Huệ’s troops and the Chinese invaders on the fifth day of the first lunar month. Nguyễn Huệ launched a surprise attack and defeated more than 29,000 invading soldiers. Film director Nguyễn Đức Long and his staff travelled more than 500 sites across the country for filming. “I invited dozens of historians and cultural researchers, including People’s Teacher and professor Phan Huy Lê, historians Vũ Minh Giang and Võ Văn Sen, to complete the screenplay,” said Long, owner of the Việt Long Studio. "We spent more than two years and a big sum to complete the film," Long added, He believes the work will make waves in the local film industry, which is being dominated by commercial productions.   The film Triều Đại Quang Trung-Nguyễn Huệ will be screened at 9:30pm on Đồng Nai Television and Bình Phước Television on Saturday for the rest of this month. While private filmmakers have shied away from making films about historic events, Việt Long Studio, which opened in 2013, produced two historic works over the last three years, including Triều Đại Quang Trung-Nguyễn Huệ. The studio’s previous series, Ký Sự Đường Trường Sơn Huyền Thoại Thời Bình (Report on Trường Sơn Strategic Supply Route In Peace Time), was produced in 2014 and began broadcasting on HTV9 in April.   The show debuted at a time when there was fierce competition among TV stations and film companies. It has attracted many fans in the city and southern provinces. “Our film project, Dũng Tướng Trần Hưng Đạo (National Hero General Trần Hưng Đạo), a 45-part TV historical series, will complete next month,” said Long, adding that his company is working with TV stations to release the film later this year. “Young Vietnamese people, including university students, lack knowledge about their own history while learning the history and culture of China and Korea through their movies every night on local TV stations,” said Nguyễn Đình Huy, head of the National Hồ Chí Minh University’s postgraduate programmes and research affairs department.    "I think filmmakers should produce more historic works because these films will educate youth," he said. Lê Phong Lan, director and owner of the HCM City-based private film company Bản Sắc Việt, said: "We enjoy making historic movies but the work is not easy.” Her studio has completed a 15-part series Dân Tộc Việt-Hành Trình Vươn Ra Biển Lớn (Vietnamese People - A Journey Toward the Ocean) about features challenges and opportunities in a globalised world. The film depicts Vietnamese, and their heroic victories and losses during war. Lan said that her company was interested in making historic films but that it faced difficulties in finance and human resources. She said that cinematography authorities should give priority to support both State-owned and private filmmakers in making films about historic events. Hang drum performance in the Old Qtr Hanoi Social Club will host a hang drum performance by Marco Selvaggio on Saturday. Selvaggio was born in Catania, an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily. Since his childhood, Selvaggio has immersed himself in the world of music and percussion. He began to study African traditional music in 2000. He also began to accumulate knowledge of new African musical instruments in 2005. Over the years he continued to study African traditional music and he had the opportunity to play in several countries all over the world. Selvaggio has been called “hang maestro”, “the enchanter” and “sound hunter” by the international press. His performance at the Hanoi Social Club (6 Hoi Vu Street) will start at 8pm. Tickets are VNĐ100,000 at the door. Master class by award-winning mixologist Award-winning mixologist, Phạm Tiến Tiếp, will share his great passion and skills on mixing cocktails and other drinks at a cocktail master class, which will be held every Saturday at La Plume, an elegant bar and bistro in Hà Nội. Tiếp is the epitome of the rags-to-riches success story. After a difficult childhood, at the age of 15, Tiếp left school and moved to Hà Nội to find a job. He was a shoe shiner, a labourer in a phở stand, and worked at a factory making T-shirts, before enrolling into a training programme in hospitality skills and personal development provided by KOTO, a restaurant and training centre. Working later at Le Pub, a cozy bar for foreign clientele in the heart of city, he found his true love for creating cocktails. In 2012, Tiếp won the best bartender of Việt Nam title with his famous “Phở” cocktail and became the first Vietnamese representative to attend the Global Final of “Diageo Reserve World Class 2012” held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with enrollment of over 50 of the world’s best bartenders. In 2015, Tiếp joins La Plume, where he continues introducing a true mixology culture to cocktail lovers in Hà Nội. By participating in his master class, attendees will have the chance to learn about the origin, history, and distillation of different alcoholic beverages and how to mix them with other ingredients to create a fresh cocktail. Under the guidance of the master mixologist, they will also be able to create their own drink. The class will take place from 2pm until 4pm. La Plume Bar & Lounge is located on the 3rd floor, Press Club Building, 59A Lý Thái Tổ Street. Electronic musician presents ambient live performance Việt Nam’s avant-garde electronic musician and sound artist Trí Minh, together with violinist Trịnh Minh Hiền and a special guest, visual artist Đào Anh Khánh, will present an ambient live performance on Sunday at Manzi Art Space. "One day, the sounds of our neighbourhood shall reach us, not merely through the noises that are present, but also in its silence and subtlety, in the way we look at each other, the way we think about each other," Minh said. The performance, entitled The Other Side of Beauty, will start at 8pm. The concert is part of Manzi’s art programme supported by CDEF of the Danish Embassy. Manzi Art Space is at 14 Phan Huy Ích Street. Surcharge: VNĐ300,000/person (including one free drink). Sanna Khánh Hòa keen to win Asian Futsal qualifying round Sanna Khánh Hòa are eager to win the qualifying round of the Asian Futsal Club Championships in Thailand on July 15. “As we take part in the Asian event for the first time, our goal is to pass the qualifying round,” said coach Đặng Đình Khang. To prepare for the event, the team played two friendly matches with Thai teams. The squad lost to Thai Port Club 2-4 on Tuesday and defeated Nakhon Ratchasima Sat 3 Futsal Club 5-1 on Sunday. Khánh Hòa are in Group D in the coming Asian event, with Al Sadd of Qatar  and Taipower FC from Chinese Taipei. VN to take part in Southeast Asian junior table tennis event Việt Nam will compete in the Southeast Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships in Thailand on Saturday. The team, sponsored by the World Sport Group, compete in two age groups: 14-15 and 16-18. The event will run until July 13. Quang Tri, Savannakhet boost trade union ties The Quang Tri Federation of Labour signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation with the Savannakhet Federation of Trade Unions during talks in the central province of Quang Tri on July 6. President of the Savannakhet trade unions federation Vannalat Hongxathilat said he hopes to learn from Quang Tri’s experience in building grassroots trade unions in businesses and raising funds to implement trade union activities. The same day, the Lao guests met with Permanent Vice Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Duc Chau, who highlighted their visit to Quang Tri as a vivid illustration of Vietnam – Laos friendship and cooperation. Cyclists to compete in race along Hàn River More than 250 cyclists from cycling clubs nationwide will race in the first Cycling Tournament – Asanzo Cup along the Hàn River this Sunday. Chairman of the city’s cycling club Đỗ Anh Tuấn said the race would start from T-bridge in Bạch Đằng Street and wind through Trần Phú, Hàn River Bridge, Trần Hưng Đạo and Võ Văn Kiệt, besides the Rồng (Dragon) Bridge. Each leg will be 5.4km long. The cyclists will be divided into four groups of 18-39, 40-45 and over-51 age categories, as well as the women’s division. The races will vary between four and six laps. Foreign residents and students living and working in the city are eligible to participate in the race, which will start at 5.30am on Sunday. The award ceremony will be held at T-Bridge at about 10am. 50th anniversary of Moriond Meeting marked in Binh Dinh A ceremony to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the “Rencontres de Moriond” (Moriond Meeting) – one of the most widely anticipated annual physics conferences throughout the world- was held in the central coastal province of Binh Dinh on July 7. The event, jointly organised by the Rencontres du Vietnam (Meeting Vietnam), the Ministry of Science and Technology and the provincial People’s Committee, drew the participation of more than 250 domestic and foreign scientists. It is part of the activities held under the framework of the 12th “Rencontres du Vietnam”. In his speech at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam spoke highly of the Meeting Vietnam’s activities in the past years. He affirmed that the Vietnamese Government will facilitate infrastructure development for the operation of International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICSIE) and the Quy Hoa Scientific and Educational Urban Area. In 1966, over 20 physicists from France, Germany and Italy gathered at Moriond village to discuss theoretical physics, practical physics and entertainment integrated with scientific research, sports and tourism. The second “Rencontres de Moriond” attracted more scientists from Europe, Asia, America, Africa and Australia. Professor Tran Thanh Van, who is chairman of the “Rencontres de Moriond” and “Rencontres de Blois”, set up “Rencontres de Vietnam” in 1993 to provide support in science and education for the country. In the past two decades, the “Rencontres de Vietnam”, which is an official partner of UNESCO, has held a line-up of conferences to help young scientists establish contacts with international colleagues. Along with organising thematic scientific schools throughout the country to improve tertiary education, it also granted 25,000 scholarships worth over 200 billion VND (8.97 million USD) to Vietnamese students and provided training in a hands-on approach teaching method for 1,500 Vietnamese teachers.- Painting contest launched to prevent discrimination A contest themed “Painting and composing messages about care and anti-stigma and discrimination against children affected by HIV/AIDS in 2016” was launched on July 7 in Hanoi. The contest was organised by the Department of Child Care and Protection under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs in collaboration with The Family and Child magazine. The contest calls for society to protect and help children affected by HIV while raising public awareness to change attitudes, behaviours and discrimination against them. All Vietnamese and foreign children living in Vietnam aged 6-16 are encouraged to send entries to The Family and Child magazine, at No. 139 Nguyen Thai Hoc street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi, before October 30. Each participant can send a maximum of five A3-size paintings or five messages of less than 50 words. The award of the contest includes two first prizes, each worth 5 million VND (220 USD), four second prizes, each worth 3 million VND (130 USD), and four third prizes, each worth 2 million VND (88 USD). The awarding ceremony will be held in November in response to the National Action Month on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control. Various activities to mark AO Victims’ Day A series of activities will be held in response to the 55th anniversary of the Day for Agent Orange/dioxin (AO) Victims (August 10, 1961-2016), revealed President of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA), Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Rinh, on July 7. Notably, a national “For AO Victims” congress attended by 300 delegates will be organised on July 12-13, as well as an international conference to assess the effects of AO used by the US army during the war in Vietnam, which will be held on August 8-9, he said. Meanwhile, a meeting to mark the event will be held on August 10, which is expected to draw about 1,000 people and will be broadcast live on Vietnam Television Channel 1 and the National Assembly TV. Other activities include an exhibition themed “Agent Orange – Conscience and Justice”, and the handing over of houses to AO victim families in various localities, said Sen. Lieu. Gen. Rinh. On the occasion, the VAVA and the Naval High Command will also present gifts worth 1.6 billion VND (72,000 USD) to AO victims, while the Viet-My steel company will support poor AO victim families to build new houses worth 50 million VND (2,250 USD) each. Through the activities, the VAVA hopes to raise public awareness of the hazardous damage and long-term consequences caused by AO to both people and the environment in Vietnam , said the association leader. This is also a chance for the community at home and abroad to help ease difficulties for the victims and voice support for their struggle for justice. Hòa Bình reports mystery fish deaths Thousands of dead fish and shrimp have been found in the upper section of Màn Stream, the main stream flowing into the Đà River in the northern Hòa Bình Province. Local residents in Cao Phong District’s Yên Lập Commune discovered the dead fish and shrimp floating in the stream on Monday, and said the water had started to smell. The dead fish and shrimp were floating along a few kilometres of the stream, residents said. There were no signs of any slowdown in the mystery fish deaths, they said. Bùi Văn Thủy, a local resident, said he found dead fish earlier on Monday. Foul-smelling scum and foam-like bubbles floated in the water, he said. He was in panic after finding that all fish in his pond had died. Another local resident Lê Văn Biên also said all fish in his pond had died, and that the water had a muddy blue colour and a stench. Such an incident has never happened since he began farming many years ago, Thủy said. After yesterday’s heavy rain, the dead fish were still floating in the water. The people have reported the incident to the local authorities in order to find the cause of the mass death of fish. Gang arrested for cheating people via fake websites Hà Nội police in co-ordination with police in the central Quảng Nam Province have arrested a group of people who set up fake websites to appropriate property. Yesterday, Hà Nội police transferred the seized items to Quảng Nam police to further investigate the method of using the Internet, telecommunications networks or digital devices to appropriate property. Quảng Nam police will continue to investigate and find other people involved in the scam. The arrested people include Nguyễn Ngọc Văn Sỹ, Trịnh Duy Hưng, Trần Quang, Đỗ Thanh Sang and Trần Quang Long. Their ages ranging from 16 to 21. At the police station, the arrested persons confessed that they had not finished secondary school and often gathered at the Internet shop in Duy Xuyên’s District’s Nam Phước township to set up fake websites to cheat other Internet users. The group provided an application form on their website and required customers to reveal their personal information such as phone numbers, accounts and identity cards to receive a ‘bonus’. The ‘bonuses’ offered included motorbikes or cash from large companies and organisations. The cheaters set up some fake websites such as trianquahot.com and vongquayquy3.com to defraud Internet users of their money through their card codes. After receiving personal information from customers on the Internet, the cheaters then phoned the customers to guide them through more steps to receive their ‘bonuses’. According to initial statistics available with the police, thousands of people were cheated of money totalling VNĐ600 million (US$27,000). Grasshoppers destroy 9,000ha forest, crop in Sơn La Grasshoppers have consumed the leaves of some 800ha of crops and over 8,000ha of forest in the northern mountainous Sơn La Province’s Sốp Cộp District since mid-May. Nguyễn Ngọc Tú, chairman of the district People’s Committee, said the grasshoppers had initially only appeared in the villages of Nà Vạc and Pá Kạch in Mường Lạn Commune near the national border between Việt Nam and Laos. Then, they started attacking other areas in the district. According to Tú, the grasshoppers flew to the area from Laos late last year, and local residents had used nets to catch them but had failed to reduce their population. The provincial Agriculture and Rural Development Department had sprayed chemicals to get rid of the grasshoppers, but this move had failed to cull their numbers too. The grasshoppers are predicited to move to the communes of Nặm Lạnh, Mường Và and Mường Cai to find more leaves for food. Read more at http://vietnamnews.vn/society/299186/grasshoppers-destroy-9000ha-forest-crop-in-son-la.html#vPGpPUVUXRgfosRu.99 UNICEF vows to support most disadvantaged Vietnamese children The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other UN agencies pledge to help Vietnam bring their support closer to the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children, said UNICEF representative in Vietnam Youssouf Abdel-Jelil. He made the statement at a ceremony in Hanoi on July 6 to release the report “The State of the World’s Children 2016: A fair chance for every child” in Vietnam. The rejection to give a fair chance for millions of children will create an intergenerational cycle of disadvantage that endangers their futures and the future of their societies, he said. He suggested Vietnam invest in those children now to become a fairer nation for all people. The 2016 report focuses on equality for every child. It affirms that progresses that need to be achieved for the most vulnerable children and their families are a prerequisite condition to fulfil Sustainable Development Goals. The report points out that there are important progresses in saving children, bringing them to school and in poverty reduction. In Vietnam, the poverty rate was reduced from 58 percent in 1993 to 10 percent in 2014. The infant mortality rate also fell from 36 to 10 deaths per 1,000 live births during 1990-2014. The report also makes several recommendations to boost measures to support children, including intensifying information about children left behind, investing in equality and seeking new ways to bring support closer to the most disadvantage children, and encouraging the involvement of all people in the work.- Massive fire engulfs workshops in Bình Phước A huge fire erupted in the Minh Hưng-Korea II industrial zone in Bình Phước Province through the night, destroying workshops of a company with an area of thousands of square metres. The fire was extinguished at 1.30am this morning at the Y&J International Company’s painting workshop in Chơn Thành District’s Minh Hưng Commune. It is estimated that the loss will run into tens of billions of đồng (with VNĐ1 billion is equivalent to around US$45,000). According to the initial information, at around 8.30pm yesterday, some workers detected flames at the company’s premises and quickly ran out to report the matter to the authorities. The flames spread very fast to other workshops, due to the presence of many flammable materials, such as wood and paint, despite the heavy rain which continued for over one hour. Tens of firefighters and local police personnel were mobilised to extinguish the fire, which has still not been controlled completely. After five hours, the firefighters managed to prevent the flames from spreading to other companies’ workshops. The fire completely burned down the material warehouse and other workshops of the company. Fortunately, there were no human casualties. Firefighting teams are continuing with efforts to control the fire and identify the cause. Youths contribute to fostering Vietnam-Laos relationship Young people of Vietnam and Laos discussed how to carry forward their role in promoting friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries as part of an exchange programme in the Lao province of Savannakhet on July 6. They also shared experience in partaking in socio-economic development in their countries. Phosay Xayasone, Deputy Secretary of the Savannakhet provincial Party Committee and Savannakhet Vice Governor, described the programme as a milestone contributing to strengthening the relationship between the two countries. It also aims to encourage the young people to get more involvement in Savamnnakhet’s cause of construction and development, helping create a new image for the locality, he said. Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) Central Committee Nguyen Long Hai highlighted Vietnamese and Lao youth’s contributions to national liberation, unification, construction and defence in each country. The HCMCYU sticks importance to friendship and cooperation between the two countries’ young people and is aware of the need to double efforts to elevate the relations across fields, he stressed, listing a galaxy of collaboration activities conducted by the two youth unions. Hai noted that the exchange programme offers an opportunity for the youths to learn more about culture, history and people of each country. On July 5, the HCMCYU paid a courtesy visit to Santiphap Phomvihane, Secretary of the Savannakhet province Party Committee and Savanakhet Governor, and visited a museum dedicated to the Vietnam-Laos special fighting alliance. Kien Giang joins nationwide blood donation campaign A blood donation event took place in Phu Quoc district’s Duong Dong town in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang on July 6, marking the beginning of the 2016 Red Journey campaign in the South. At the event, donors from all walks of life contributed more than 350 blood units in total for patients at Kien Giang general hospital. On the occasion, the campaign organising board visited and presented gifts to needy patients who are under treatment at the hospital. Themed “Connecting Vietnamese bloodstream”, this year’s Red Journey campaign incorporates 27 separate blood donation events across 27 cities and provinces nationwide. Organised for the first time in 2013, The Red Journey has popularised blood donation activities to around one million people, according to Head of the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion Dr. Nguyen Anh Tri. Vietnam collected 1.15 million units of blood in 2015, surpassing the yearly target by 17.8 percent and up 9.7 percent from 2014. The figure, of which more than one million units came from volunteers, met 60 percent of overall demand for medical treatment. Vietnamese, Lao police seek to foster cooperation The Vietnamese and Lao police held their seventh conference on cooperation in preventing and fighting crimes and ensuring social order and safety in the central province of Khanh Hoa’s Nha Trang City on July 6. Opening the event, Lieutenant General Pham Van Vinh, Chief of the General Police Department of the Ministry of Public Security, said that over the past years, the regional and global security, political situation and social order have developed complicatedly. Besides, trans-border and organised crimes, such as terrorism, drug and human trafficking have directly effected the socio-economic development as well as national security and social safety and order in both Laos and Vietnam, he noted. These events require the police of both countries to ceaselessly renovate and improve their cooperation mechanism and contents, stated Vinh. During the conference, the two sides reviewed their current cooperation and outcomes as well as their experience in the work. They pointed out both successes, and shortcomings, difficulties and obstacles in their partnership so far. Both sides agreed on a number of policies and measures as well as specific targets to further enhance their affiliation efficiency in the future. They will strengthen the exchange of information in investigations relating to drug and human trafficking, terrorism, the environment, smuggling, and the hunt for wanted criminals, thus contributing to safeguarding the social order and safety in both countries. At the same time, they also concurred to focus on cooperation in investigating and searching for wanted crimes fleeing from one country to the other, as well as trans-national swindlers and cyber criminals. They will foster connection in administrative management over social order, while boosting multilateral cooperation with the Interpol and Aseanapol, thus enhance the position, role and influence of the police forces of Vietnam and Laos in these organisations. The conference also includes a number of activities that will last until July 8. The next event will be held in Laos in 2017. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE