Social News 2/8 Cam Ranh airport security police established The Security Service yesterday announced a decision by the Minister of Public Security to establish Cam Ranh international airport security police in the south central province of Khanh Hoa. Formerly the airport security police was a part of the Immigration Division under the Khanh Hoa Police Department. At the event, Lt. Gen Vu Thanh Binh who is deputy head of the Security Service required the airport security police to quickly stabilize organization and work with Khanh Hoa police and authorized agencies to keep a close control of entry and exit of Vietnam. They have been asked to ensure transparent operation and close security at the airport. On this occasion, the Security Service announced another decision to appoint Mr. Nguyen Van Quan, deputy head of Noi Bai airport security police to the same post at Cam Ranh airport. Thai police seize four Vietnamese fishing boats Thai marine police on August 1 arrested four Vietnamese fishing boats with 20 crew members accused of illegal fishing in waters off Thailand’s southern province of Narathiwat. The fishermen were taken to Narathiwat police station for questioning. Thai Police said the boats were intercepted by Thai authorities when they were about 30 nautical miles off the Narathiwat coast. One day earlier, Thai authorities seized a Vietnamese fishing boat with four fishermen on board off the Pattani province. A Hà Nội co-operative to refund $76,500 excess water bills   A co-operative in Hà Nội’s Thanh Trì District will return nearly VNĐ1.7 billion (US$76,500) to its customers after it was found overcharging them for the water supply. The Triều Khúc agricultural production and services co-operative, based in Tân Triều Commune, provides water to 3,364 households in Triều Khúc Village. The people were forced to pay extra for three years, from April 4, 2013, to April 30 this year, according to a June report by the finance planning division of the Thanh Trì People’s Committee. The co-operative started supplying water in April 2013, after a Đà River project pipeline was linked to it. The co-operative’s director Triệu Đình Nhã told the Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper that a lack of guidance on how much it should charge the residents for water resulted in the overcharges. “We plan to return the extra amount once and for all from August 10 to 24,” Nhã said. The Thanh Trì People’s Committee asked the commune authorities to monitor the refund process and to report immediately if any violations were detected. No charges or fines have been imposed on the collective so far for the miscalculation. 4-month-old baby dies after Quinvaxem shot in southern Vietnam A 4-month-old baby in the southern province of Ben Tre died on July 29, four days after getting a shot of the controversial 5-in-1 vaccine Quinvaxem, local media reported on July 30. The baby received the shot at a local medical center in Chau Thanh District’s Phu Tuc Commune on July 25 and started to have difficulty breathing the next morning, Tuoi Tre newspaper said. The parents brought the baby to Chau Thanh General Hospital and then Nguyen Dinh Chieu Hospital. The baby fell into a coma and was put on a ventilator on July 27, before being taken home on July 29 morning after doctors had exhausted all options. The baby died on July 29 afternoon. Quinvaxem is a WHO prequalified drug and has been distributed in Vietnam by Berna Biotech Korea Corp since 2010 under a national immunization program sponsored by the global vaccine alliance GAVI. It protects children from two months old against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenza type B. Babies are given the vaccine for free, but it has lost much of the public trust following at least 24 post-vaccination deaths since 2012. In all the cases, the health authorities said there was no problem with the vaccine's quality and its administration. Vietnam provides around 5.5 million Quinvaxem shots every year and up to 200,000 of more expensive alternatives like the French-made Pentaxim, which costs around US$30 a shot. Quinvaxem uses whole-cell preparations in its whooping cough component while costly alternatives use purified antigens, which are considered safer, but their supply is limited. Fire kills 6 family members in southern Vietnam A one-story house in the southernmost province of Ca Mau went on fire early July 31, leaving all six family members dead, the police said. Authorities recovered the charred bodies, including those of two children, just after midnight. “We found them lying scattered on the floor, in the restroom or on the garret,” a firefighter said. Neighbors near the house on Phan Boi Chau Street in Ca Mau’s eponymous town, said they smelled something burning at around 0 a.m. and were trying to alert seven members who were sleeping inside the 100-square-meter house. But only one managed to get out. Local authorities have confirmed the identities of the victims. They are Tran Quang Tien, a local teacher, and his wife Tran Kim Anh, both 59; his children Tran Kim Hang, 28, and Tran Quang Toan, 22; and his grandchildren Tran Thanh Vi, 8, and Quach Gia Hy, 4. Tien’s another son, Tran Quang Minh, was not home when incident happened. Further investigations are underway. Deadly fires are common in Vietnam and are generally blamed on a lack of fire-safety measures. Authorities said they are investigating into the case. Blood drive 2016 wraps up The annual blood donation campaign Red Journey 2016 wrapped up in Hanoi on July 31. Speaking at the event, Politburo member and Chairwoman of the Party Central Committee’s Mass Mobilisation Commission Truong Thi Mai said that the campaign brought hope for millions of patients nationwide. Hailing the volunteers’ efforts, Mai expressed her hope that the campaign will receive more public support soon. She added that the campaign has become an important event, contributing to social security and giving youths and students a chance to do some good to people during summer. A total of 130 volunteers joined the 31-day drive, organised by the National Institute of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, the Nhan Ai Vong Tay Viet Joint Stock Company and VTV News Centre. They toured 27 cities and provinces nationwide to provide advice on blood donation and thalassemia, a genetic blood disease, to 500,000 local people and collected 20,790 units of blood. Since its inception in 2013, the campaign has been held in almost all cities and provinces across the country and gathered nearly 80,000 units of blood. Vietnam collected 1.15 million units of blood in 2015, surpassing the year’s target figure by 17.8 percent and up 9.7 percent from 2014. However, blood shortages, particularly blood type A and O, often occurred in summer and prior to the Lunar New Year. The repetition rate of donations was just above 40 percent, compared to between 60 and 70 percent in Japan, Singapore and Australia. Nam Dinh urged to recover production after storm Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the northern province of Nam Dinh to focus on restoring production after typhoon Mirinae – the first storm hitting Vietnam this year. At a working session with local authorities on July 31, the PM ordered prompt measures to save rice and other crops to avoid food shortage and help farmers normalise their lives. It is necessary to re-grow rice in damaged areas or shift to cultivate resistant varieties to ensure productivity as well as inspect the sea dyke system, especially in landslide areas, he said. As one of the hardest hit localities, Nam Dinh needs to help aquatic breeders to quickly resume production, he added. Enhancing communications to increase public vigilance for proactive storm prevention is one of the most efficient solutions to mitigating the impacts of natural disasters, the PM said. He suggested implementing effectively the agricultural restructuring project, which focuses on growing crops and raising animals that bring about high added value in a sustainable manner. He also emphasised the need to boost afforestation and increase the areas of mangrove and protective forests to cope with climate change. The Government leader asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to build plans to support farmers with rice and crop varieties. Meanwhile, the electricity sector was tasked to restore power for local production and daily lives. He reminded the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting to learn experience from the first storm to have more accurate forecasts to reduce the damage. Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Dinh Nghi said typhoon Mirinae injured four people and caused an economic loss of over 2.38 trillion VND (107.1 million USD) in the province. Heavy rain submerged nearly 76,000 hectares of rice and 3,499 hectares of aquatic farming while damaging close to 8,200 hectares of crops and tens of kilometers of dykes in several districts, he reported. President meets voters in Ho Chi Minh City President Tran Dai Quang met with constituents in Ho Chi Minh City to ease their concerns over a number of socio-economic issues raised at the freshly-concluded first session of the 14th National Assembly. The President cited the Government’s report that public debt made up 62.2 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) by the end of 2015, putting big pressure on the country to pay off debt. The management and use of public debt in Vietnam has yet proved efficient, he said, adding that it is necessary to curb the debt at a safe level to mitigate risks in the coming time. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB), Vietnam was excluded from the countries having high debt burdens, he noted. The President agreed with a majority of voters that the prevention of corruption and wastefulness has reaped significant achievements but it should be further promoted. In the context of regional and global complicated developments, the country proactively and resolutely safeguards its independence, sea and island sovereignty, and territorial integrity as well as ensures peace and stability for national development, he stressed. After the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague issued its final ruling for the Philippines’ lawsuit against China on disputes in the East Sea on July 12, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam had prompt reaction, and Vietnam’s standpoints on the East Sea received international support, he said. He noted that many countries and international organisations have called on the involved parties to attach importance to navigation and aviation safety and security in addition to abiding by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) , and reaching a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) as soon as possible. The President also shared voters’ concerns over the massive fish death in central provinces. He said the Politburo along with Party and State senior officials convened a number of meetings to promptly enact measures to support fishermen in the affected areas while clarifying reasons of the maritime environmental incident. The Government announced the conclusion of the incident, he said, adding that the Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Limited Company was responsible for the incident and pledged to compensate over 11.5 trillion VND (500 million USD), and address shortcomings in the waste treatment system and build synchronous measures to control marine environment in the central region. He stressed the State will examine all environment-related projects nationwide. He affirmed that Vietnam rolls out red carpet for foreign investors for national socio-economic development, however, it is crucial to ensure national independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity as well as benefits and security of the country. The President also clarified voters’ concerns over other matters such as food safety and hygiene, water resources security and protection of consumers’ rights. National Volunteer Award 2016 launched in Hanoi The National Volunteer Award 2016 was launched in Hanoi on August 1 to honour organisations and individuals who actively engage in voluntary activities for the benefits of the community. The award, initiated by the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) and the United Nations Volunteer Programme, will be granted to 10 outstanding organisations and individuals, said Secretary of the HCYU and President of the Vietnam Youth Association Nguyen Phi Long. The organising board will present additional prizes for the best online selected organisation and individual as well as promising ones for sustainable development targets. Awardees are governmental and non-governmental organisations and agencies as well as voluntary groups and clubs operating for at least one year and with a minimum membership of 20. Individuals must be Vietnamese citizens aged 15 years old above living in Vietnam and having at least two years to get involved in voluntary activities across the fields such as health, education, environment, culture, and community development. Foreign citizens must be 18 years old above and have at least one year to work as a volunteer in Vietnam. The submission will run from August 2 to October 30, 2016. The organising board will announce the list of contestants on the website www.tinhnguyenquocgia.vn The awarding ceremony is scheduled for December 5 in Hanoi. Athletes to compete for glory at School Games Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam yesterday kicked off the National School Games in Nghệ An Province. The 19th Games will feature about 4,000 athletes and more than 1,000 coaches, experts and referees from all 63 cities and provinces. They will compete in 15 sports including football, swimming, athletics and martial arts during the 10-day event in Nghệ An and the neighbouring province of Thanh Hóa. Deputy PM Đam welcomed students, teachers and representatives in Nghệ An for the Games and thanked locals for their support in holding the festival. “A person must grow up with rich knowledge and strong physique. Practising sports helps to improve strength to study and work well, construct and save the country,” said Đam at the opening ceremony. The Games, which are held every four years, is a Ministry of Education and Training tradition for students of all ages. It aims to promote solidarity in children through school sports; provide opportunities for athletes to improve their sporting talents and allow them to meet with each other through the tournaments. The Games is also a channel to discover talents who will join national sport teams in the future. In recent ASEAN School Games in Thailand, Vietnamese athletes finished third with 19 gold, 20 silver and 15 bronze medals. The National Games end on August 10. Vietnam Football Federation website hacked Website of Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) was hacked on July 29 night, not long after a cyber attack occurred at two major airport in the afternoon. The self proclaimed Wolf Hacker left a message on the site saying it had been hacked and the content changed along with an image of a wolf. After a few lines in Arabic, a message in English read: “In Syria [we] were living in peace. Look! What those Armed Terrorist Groups have done. They killed thousands of innocent Syrian civilians…we want to say that any one keeps silent today about what’s happening in Syria, are involved in the bath of blood just like armed terrorist groups who are asking for having their fake freedom, the freedom of killing people.” It is not clear if the latest attack and the hackers are related to the previous incident that has caused flight delays at the two international airports of Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat. Previously, Vietnam Airlines' website was also breached at 4 p.m. on July 29 by hackers who changed the site's content with an announcement saying that the site had been hacked and a link to download confidential data of the airline's 400,000 frequent flier club members. An insulting recording about Vietnam and the Philippines was posted, along with a message regarding China's claims to the South China Sea, known in Vietnam as the East Sea. Hacking group 1937cn claimed responsibility for the attack. Screens displaying flight information at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat were seen containing distorted information about the South China Sea. The sound systems were also taken over. Authorities also realized that a strange message had been airing for about four minutes, and turned off the entire loudspeaker system. In late 2014, the website of the Vietnam Football Federation, along with Malaysia Football Federation, was also attacked after a football match between the two national teams. Guards on China border seize three kilos of drugs Border guards at the Mong Cai International Border Gate with China in the northern province of Quang Ninh confirmed on July 31 that the three kilos of white-coloured crystal they had seized earlier were illegal drugs. On July 29, the border guards caught Nguyen Van Van from the central province of Thanh Hoa transporting three nylon bags of the crystal, which was then tested and found to be methamphetamine and anesthetic ketamine. Van confessed to the police that he was paid 10 million VND (450 USD) to transport the drugs from China to the northern city of Hai Phong. The case is under further investigation. Central Highlands targets sustainable development The Central Highlands should mull over its socio-economic development plan for the remaining months of this year to ensure sustainable development, an official said at a conference in Dak Lak province on July 30. Politburo member To Lam, Minister of Public Security and Head of the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands Region, urged ministries and regional localities to seriously implement the Prime Minister’s decision on forest management and protection, closure of natural forests, and sustainable forest restoration. The Steering Committee needs to seek the PM’s approval for an irrigation development plan, as well as propose the National Assembly Standing Committee and the PM add more Government bonds to help the region improve key transport projects, including highways, he said. He called on ministries, agencies and Central Highlands localities to pilot a mechanism on regional connectivity in several fields while implementing effectively the second phase of a public health care project in 2014-2019 and suggested the PM issue new policies to develop education and vocational training in the region and its neighouring mountainous districts. The Central Highlands should better social welfares for families who rendered service to the nation in addition to improving vocational training for rural workers to serve sustainable poverty reduction efforts, he suggested. In the first six months of 2016, the region maintained a year-on-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6 percent despite the impacts of prolonged drought – which caused economic loss of over 5.4 trillion VND (243 million USD). One district and 80 communes in the region have been recognised as new-style rural areas. The Central Highlands is comprised of five provinces: Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum and Lam Dong.- Requiem for AO/dioxin victims held in Hai Phong A requiem was held in the northern port city of Hai Phong on July 30 to commemorate those who died of Agent Orange/dioxin sprayed by US troops during the war in Vietnam. The event was jointly held by the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s Hai Phong chapter and the municipal Association for Victims of AO/Dioxin Victims to mark 55 years of AO/dioxin catastrophe in Vietnam (August 10, 1961). Buddhist monks, nuns and followers offered incense and prayed for the deceased. Most Venerable Thich Quang Tung, Vice President of the VBS Executive Council and Head of the Executive Board of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS)’s Hai Phong chapter, said the requiem is to promote peace, equality, and altruism. Chairman of the municipal Association for Victims of AO/dioxin Victims Nguyen Huu Y described the chemical war of the US army in Vietnam as the biggest of its kind in the world that caused the most destructive disaster in the human history. Nearly 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to the toxic chemicals and over three million people and their descendants suffer from health problems as a consequence of the exposure until today. Hai Phong is home to more than 17,000 AO/dioxin victims, over 7,000 of them are receiving State allowance. French NGO helps poor IT students develop career As many as 55 IT undergraduate students presented their career development orientations at a programme held by France-based non-governmental organisation Passerelles Numériques Vietnam (PN Vietnam) in the central city of Da Nang on July 30. The presentations of the students, who are in their final year and from difficult backgrounds, will be scored based on the assessments of participating partners. The programme, titled “Ket noi huong toi tuong lai” (Connect towards the future), also hosted a discussion on IT and professional working environment between the guests and the students, which provided the students with many practical information and hands-on experience in finding jobs and developing a career. Previously, PN Vietnam has signed an agreement with the Da Nang College of Technology to jointly offer diploma courses in IT to disadvantaged students in central Vietnam. Under the agreement, 45 poor students from seven central provinces have enrolled in a three-year course. Founded in 2006, PN Vietnam now operates in Cambodia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Its mission is to provide education, technical and professional training in the digital sector for underprivileged young people by leveraging their potential and willpower. It will help them develop their employability which allows them and their families to escape from poverty in a sustainable way, and contribute to the social and economic development of their countries. Vietnamese, Russian veteran associations strengthen ties New cooperation agreements between the Vietnam War Veterans' Association (VWVA) and the Russian Veterans’ Union were discussed at a meeting in Moscow on July 29. The VWVA officials visited Russia from July 27-29. Vice Chairman of the Russian union Sen. Lieut. Gen. Vladimir Grebenyuk said the cooperation with the VWVA is helping the union carry out its tasks effectively. VWVA Vice President Nguyen Song Phi expressed his hope that the new cooperation agreements would be signed during the association delegation’s upcoming visit to attend the Russian union’s 60th founding anniversary. Earlier, the VWVA delegation had a meeting with the Association of Vietnamese War Veterans in Russia. Search for Su30-MK2 military plane ends The search to find a Su30-MK2 aircraft that crashed off central Nghe An Province has ended, Duong Minh Hien , deputy commander of central Nghe An Province’s Military Command, told local media on July 29. Naval forces, responsible for retrieving the plane’s debris, have not officially announced whether the wreckage had been retrieved, he said. The Su30 MK2 military plane, coded 8585, of Regiment 923 under Division 371 of the Air Defence – Air Force Service, reportedly crashed into the sea while flying off Nghe An-Thanh Hia provinces, 40km to the northeast of Hon Mat Island . “Some floating pieces have been found by fishermen and have been handed over to border soldiers,” Colonel Hien said. On July 26, a fisherman in Nghe An Province found metal pieces and electric wires, weighing 10kg, and handed them over to soldiers. The fighter jet took off from Sao Vang airport in the central Thanh Hoa Province on June 14 on a training session. When the plane lost contact, the two pilots, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Tran Quang Khai and Major Nguyen Huu Cuong, bailed out and the plane crashed into the sea. Cuong was saved by fishermen, while Khai’s body was found and taken to the mainland four days after the accident. During the search and rescue mission for the plane, CASA 212, coded 8983, of Brigade 918 of the Air Defence – Air Force Service and its nine crew members lost contact while flying south-southeast off Bach Long Vi Island. All nine crew members were believed to have perished , the Ministry of Defence said. Vinh Phuc seeks partnerships with Italy’s Tuscany Vinh Phuc province welcomes all Italian investors, particularly those from the Tuscany region, as its strengths in wooden furniture, footwear and apparels production are similar to that of Tuscany. Chairman of the Vinh Phuc provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Tri was speaking at a recent workshop on investment opportunities in the locality held in Florence, North Italy. He said his locality has set to go industrialised and become an industrial, services and tourism centre of the region and the nation. Vinh Phuc is, therefore, working to attract ODA and assistance from non-governmental organisations, and encourage investors to engage in the development of industrial zones, information technology, machinery manufacturing and assembly, electronics, bio-technology and supporting industries. The province will create the most favourable conditions for investors, as it considers them its trustful and long-term partners, he said. Vinh Phuc and Tuscany - one of the six main economic regions of Italy- hold much cooperation potential in their strengths of garment and textiles, footwear, and chemical and could go into new fields, such as medical equipment and technologies, culture, tourism and farm produce processing, he added. Stefano Ciuoffo, Minister of Economic Development of Tuscany Region, stated that the workshop offered a good chance for both sides to discuss business opportunities and promote potential partnerships. He spoke of potential, prestige and dynamism of Vinh Phuc in attracting foreign investment, while pledging to act to connect Italian and Vinh Phuc enterprises. Earlier, the Vinh Phuc official had a meeting with Tuscany leaders, during which they agreed that the two sides’ relations should be promoted further through the signing of cooperation agreements. A Tuscany business delegation will attend the Vietnam Export 2016 and make a fact-finding tour of Vinh Phuc in November. Construction begins on new overpass in Hanoi The Hanoi municipal People’s Committee on July 30 held a ceremony to start the construction of a flyover bridge in Long Bien district. An overpass with a total length of 216 metres and a width of 12 metres will be built to connect Co Linh road and Vinh Tuy bridge. According to Vu Van Vien, Director of the municipal Transport Department, the overpass is needed because the area hosts dense population and high number of visitors to a cluster of recreational facilities there. The project is worth over 161 billion VND (7 million USD). It is expected to be completed at the end of this year and to be open to traffic on the occasion of 2017 Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday. Vietnam’s Day Against Trafficking in Persons observed A ceremony was held in the northern border province of Lao Cai on July 30 in response to the National Day Against Trafficking in Persons with a view of raising public awareness of the importance of human trafficking prevention and control. Speaking at the event, President of the Vietnamese Women’s Union Nguyen Thi Thu Ha said that the ceremony marked the first National Day Against Trafficking in Persons, which was selected for July 30 by the Government in anticipation with global efforts to combat human trafficking. The union has coordinated closely with relevant agencies in the work, Ha stated, adding that over the past five years, its communication campaigns popularised information related to human trafficking to 14.1 million people. According to Major General Nguyen Phong Hoa, Deputy Head of the Police General Department, the traffickers have traded not only in women and children, but also in men, newborns, and human body organs and these illegal events occurred across provinces and cities. Around 500 human trafficking cases are discovered in Vietnam a year, involving over 700 traffickers and 1,000 victims, he reported. Preventing and combating the scourge requires the involvement of the entire society given its complicated characteristics and long-term effects, said Hoa. He asked police forces to keep a close watch on suspected traffickers in hot spots, especially along the border with China, Laos and Cambodia, as well as coordinating with people’s courts and people’s procuracies to speed up case investigations and prosecutions. Mobile hearings should be held in hot-spots of human trafficking to produce deterrent effect, he said. In another development, Nguyen Van Thinh, Political Counselor at the Vietnamese Embassy in China, said that crimes related to illegal immigration, matchmaking and trafficking women into China, which are committed by Vietnamese, are on the rise. In 2015, 54 cases related to illegal marriage and trafficking were brought to light, with 26 Vietnamese women rescued. In the first half of 2016, 34 women were reportedly cheated to go to China and 18 of them were rescued. According to Thinh, to address the situation, it is important to expand communication on traffickers’ ruses as well as the reality in foreign countries, and at the same time strengthen management and inspections at border gates along the border shared with China. Vietnam enacted the Law on preventing and combating human trafficking in 2012. Also in the year, its government endorsed Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. In 2015, the country signed the ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children. Efforts exerted to surmount Typhoon Mirinae’s consequences The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has sent two working teams to Ninh Binh, Nam Dinh, Ha Nam and Thai Binh provinces to join hands in overcoming consequences caused by typhoon Mirinae that rolled into the mainland from the midnight of July 27. According to initial reports from the local steering committees on natural disaster prevention and search and rescue, Mirinae, the first storm to hit Vietnam this year, claimed two lives , one in Hanoi’s Phu Xuyen outlying district, and the other in Yen Bai province, left one missing in Thanh Hoa province and injured 10 others. The storm caused the total collapse of eight houses, blew off the roof of 4,384 houses. It also sank 12 fishing boats, damaged four transport vessels, flooded 215,289 hectares of rice, damaged 55,283 hectares of vegetables and 34,093 hectares of orchards and killed 13,922 husbandry animals. Many sections of dikes in provinces have been damaged as well. The Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on July 29 sent document No 87 to the local committees in the northern region and Thanh Hoa province to ask for analysis and assessment as well as recommend resolutions to overcoming outcomes. Fashion show-exhibition “Limitless” to open in Hanoi Dozens of creative and trendy fashion designs will be introduced at the Fashion Show and Exhibition 2016 entitled “Limitless” which will be held in Hanoi on August 6-7 by the London College for Design and Fashion Studies-Hanoi. Speaking at a press conference on July 29, the college’s Managing Director Ha Thi Hang said the event will bring together 15 young designers with 15 different start-up ideas. The event will also open an opportunity for designers to exchange, meet enterprises and learn about the market’s pragmatic demand. Designers with outstanding collection at the event will be selected to join the London Fashion Week in the UK next May. Visitors to the event will have a chance to learn about the training work from entrance to graduation as well as receive free consultations on personal style. Fishermen in distress off Tonkin Gulf saved by China The Vietnamese Consulate General in Guangzhou on July 28 assigned two officers to the People’s Hospital in Sanya city, the Chinese province of Hainan, to visit Vietnamese fishermen who were in distress off the mouth of the Tonkin Gulf. While working on the fishing vessel QNg 94764, nearly 25 nautical miles from the Sanya port of Hainan at 7:20pm on July 20, fisherman Ho Thao, 62, native to the central province of Quang Ngai, was unexpectedly hit by a cable. He later suffered traumatic brain injury, haemorrhage and fell into a state of coma. After being informed by the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Department, the Vietnamese Embassy in China sent a diplomatic note to the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Department of Consulate Affairs asking for support in search and rescue. In the evening the same day, rescue boat NH203 accessed QNg94764 and took Ho Thao and three fishermen to the hospital. At 5am on July 21, Thao underwent a three-hour surgery and on July 25, he recovered his consciousness but remains speechless. Representative from the Vietnamese Consulate General to Guangzhou also expressed his deep thanks to the hospital and Chinese authorities for their timely search and medical support. Border marker upgrade helps boost Kon Tum’s ties with Lao localities The completion of increasing and upgrading border markers along the borderline between Kon Tum province and Laos’s Attapeu and Sekong provinces has created new opportunities for cooperation between the three localities as well as between Vietnam and Laos. The Kon Tum provincial People’s Committee held a conference to review the increase and upgrade of the Vietnam-Laos border markers through the province on July 28. Kon Tum province has the borderline of over 280km with Laos and Cambodia. The 142km borderline with Attapeu and Sekong provinces was demarcated in 1979. The project to increase and upgrade border markers along the Vietnam-Laos borderline began in Kon Tum in 2008. After eight years, 81 border markers were planted. At the conference, provincial officials discussed measures to protect the border marker system, build a borderline of peace, and intensify cooperation between the three localities. Vietnam and Laos share a border of about 2,340 km that runs across 10 Vietnamese provinces: Dien Bien, Son La, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Nam and Kon Tum. Under the project, which completed in March this year, 1,002 markers and stakes were planted along the countries’ joint border, compared to only 199 markers before 2008. Dong Thap has 234 more heroic mothers The southern province of Dong Thap on July 29 bestowed the “Heroic Vietnamese Mother” title upon 234 women whose husbands and children laid down their lives for national liberation. Among them, four are still alive. Permanent Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Nguyen Ton Hoang expressed his gratitude for the heroic mothers and fallen soldiers for their sacrifice to the country’s revolutionary cause. He affirmed that the province will continue implementing policies in support of families of people who rendered service to the nation. The locality currently has 1,615 heroic mothers. Cuba’s Moncada Barracks attack marked in Can Tho A meeting was held in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on July 29 to mark the 63 rd anniversary of the attack on Moncada Barracks (July 26) that culminated in the victory of Cuban armed forces against the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. Addressing the event, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO)’s Can Tho chapter Le Thi Thanh Giang described the 1953 attack as a landmark that mirrored the undaunted spirit of Cuban people under the leadership of President Fidel Castro, and provided a premise for Cuba’s cause of liberation, unification and construction. She reminisced about the solidarity between Vietnamese and Cuban people during wartime and highlighted the two countries’ cooperation in culture, economy and social affairs with multiple economic contracts and annual cultural exchanges. A Cuban guest thanked the sentiments Vietnamese people in general and Can Tho residents sent to Cuban people and promised that Cubans in Vietnam will make all-out efforts to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Heroin smuggler arrested in Dien Bien A man has been caught carrying 21 bricks of heroin weighing 7.4kg in Tan Phong hamlet, Si Pa Phin commune, Nam Po district, the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien. Lo Van Dia, 26, who resides in Phongsaly province of Laos, was arrested by the province’s anti-drug police on July 29. Dia confessed that he bought the heroin in Laos and was being on his way to Vietnam when arrested. The case is being under further investigation. Second radar station operational in Da Nang The Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation on July 31 put into operation a radar station in Tho Quang ward, the central city of Da Nang. Construction of the radar station began in late January 2015 at a total cost of more than 217 billion VND (9.8 million USD). The same day, a radar data processing system was inaugurated at the Da Nang air traffic management centre based on the Son Tra peninsula. The facilities aim to ensure safety for flights of the corporation while contributing to managing Vietnam’s airspace, and protecting national security and sovereignty. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam said the Da Nang International Airport, the biggest in the central region, plays an important role in the country’s airport system. It is a hub for passengers and cargo transit in the central region and a gateway for international passengers. In a recent blueprint for tourism growth between 2016-2020, Da Nang expects to receive 8 million visitors by 2020, including 2 million foreigners. The annual growth rate of arrivals is expected to average 12.6 percent. 4.1-km Ca Pass Tunnel opens to traffic The 4.1-kilometre Ca Pass Tunnel, the country’s key infrastructure project that crosses the central provinces of Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa, was inaugurated on July 31. The project aims to replace Ca Mountain Pass and Co Ma Mountain Pass, parts of National Highway 1A, that run through Dai Lanh Mountain and have dangerous bens prone to avalanches and landslides. Work on the tunnel, which includes two parallel tubes, began in September 2014 and was completed two months ahead of schedule. Construction cost 12 trillion VND (533 million USD) instead of 16 trillion VND as initially planned thanks to technical design change. The tunnel helps shorten the time passing the Ca Pass by 80 percent, contributing to reducing accidents and traffic congestion. Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung hailed efforts made by the investor and contractors to put the tunnel into operation. He asked the Ministry of Transportation to work with relevant agencies to provide the best conditions for the investor to operate and maintain the work effectively. Co Ma Tunnel, part of the Ca Pass Tunnel project, was open to traffic in September last year.- FPT’s employees asked to use Facebook at work Vietnamese software giant FPT has asked all its employees to use Facebook at work to enhance the communications network in the corporation and create a connectivity in the working environment with a view to sharing documents or knowledge, according to the website of FPT. FPT General Director Bui Quang Ngoc signed a decision on a project to deploy the application of Facebook at Work to exchange information and coordinate all activities of FPT’s staff. The project aims to improve the efficiency, productivity, innovation, knowledge management and enhance the quality of customer service. Under a plan, FPT will coordinate with its member companies to deploy some related works such as account management of users, admin, and login Facebook at Work of the staff. Central Highlands step up efforts to curb dengue fever Central Highlands provinces have been urged to increase efforts to curb the spread of dengue fever as the number of patients in the region has risen to 6,038, including four dead, a 15-fold increase from 2015, according to t he National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE)’s office in Central Highlands. Dak Lak province has the most reported cases with 2,181, including one dead. Gia Lai reported 2,157 cases and Kon Tum reported 1,400 cases, including two dead. According to reports from relevant agencies, dengue fever has grown strongly in the Central Highlands due to weather helping the growth of mosquitoes carrying dengue fever. The Central Highlands NIHE office recommended the health sector to coordinate with localities to check and zone off residential areas with the most patients to spray mosquito-killing chemicals. Provinces and cities were urged to spread information and call on locals to clear bushes, dredge ditches and collect garbage. Locals were recommended locals to take measures to kill mosquitoes, including wearing long-sleeved clothes and using mosquitoe net, while sleeping to minimise the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes. They were advised to immediately go to the health centres for treatment if experiencing dengue fever symptoms. Number of undernourished people nears 1 million: statistics More Vietnamese people have gone hungry in the first seven months of this year from a year earlier, getting closer to the 1 million mark, the latest statistics show. In July alone, 23,200 households across Vietnam were pushed into hunger, or 97,300 people had to live with insufficient food, Do Anh Kiem, head of the social and environmental statistic division with the General Statistics Office, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on July 29. Compared to July 2015, the number of hungry households rose 5.2 times, whereas the number of undernourished people was 4.9 times higher. In the Jan-Jul period, the number of hungry families was 234,400, up 24.7% from a year earlier. This means as many as 971,000 people living in hunger, a 25.2% increase year on year. The drought crises hitting numerous provinces in the northern mountainous and Central Highland regions are to blame for the rising hunger rate. The unfavorable weather conditions extended the between-crop period, resulting in lower yields. The provinces with the most undernourished households are Dak Lak, Dien Bien, Lai Chau and Yen Bai. In the year to date, those hungry households have received aid, donated by central and local agencies and organizations, totaling 15,400 metric tons of food and VND590 million (US$26,339) in cash. The aid in July was 1,400 metric tons of food. WildAid leads fight to save Pangolins WildAid has launched a new campaign to raise the public awareness about the impact of the consumption of pangolin meat and scales in an effort to reduce demand for pangolin products in Asia. Speaking at the launch on July 29 at the Hanoi Pullman Hotel, WildAid officials said it would work with a network of thousands of media and other partners in China and Vietnam to distribute campaign messages to millions of people. Among them are comedian and TV host Tran Thanh, Miss Universe Vietnam 2015 Pham Huong, singer Thu Minh, government representatives, diplomats, business owners, media partners and prominent members of the general public. Our campaign will aim to have all eight species uplisted to the CITES Appendix I listing, said the WildAid officials. A CITES Appendix I listing acknowledges that the species included in the list are threatened with extinction and either currently are or may be affected by trade; trade is subject to strict regulations, and only authorized in ‘exceptional circumstances.’ Pangolins are small mammals of the order Philodota, often referred to as ‘scaly anteaters’ for their defining physical trait – large, overlapping scales composed of keratin, the same proteins that make up human fingernails as well as rhino horns. These scales serve as a pangolin’s primary defense from predators. When threatened, the animal curls up into a tight ball, with its scales serving as effective armor (the word pangolin comes from the Malay word pengguling, meaning ‘something that rolls up’). There are eight pangolin species, four native to Asia – the Malayan, Chinese, Philippine, and Indian pangolins – and four native to Africa – the White-bellied, Black-bellied, Giant Ground, and Temminck’s Ground pangolins. Unfortunately, demand for pangolin scales, as well as pangolin meat, has caused tens of thousands of pangolins to be poached every year. Some researchers say that pangolins are the most commonly trafficked mammal in the world, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Conservationists are highly concerned about the speed with which pangolins are being extirpated across their ranges. Indeed, rapid action is required to save these animals. In 2008, only two species of pangolin — the Malayan Pangolin Manis javanica and the Chinese Pangolin M. pentadactyla — were classified by IUCN as Endangered. All of the species are now threatened with extinction: the Chinese and Malayan pangolins are now classified as Critically Endangered, the Indian and Philippine pangolins as Endangered, and all four African species as Vulnerable. WildAid is a nongovernmental organization based out of San Francisco, California. Its mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes. WildAid's strategy for achieving this goal is to reduce demand for these products using the slogan: When the Buying Stops, the Killing Can Too. HCM City jump to V.League HCM City FC were promoted to the V.League next season following their 0-0 draw in the 15th round of the First Division match on Saturday in Hà Nội. HCM City scored 36 points to ensure a berth in the national premier tournament, although there are three rounds remaining. “It is due to our great effort during this hard season, although we cannot deny that we sometimes had luck,” said coach Lư Đình Tuấn. “V.League is a much more difficult tournament, as all we have known. We need more support from the city’s fans to help us overcome challenges,” noted Tuấn. In the next round, HCM City will host Đồng Nai at home on August 6. Nam Định, Ninh Bình top HCM City’s int’l competition Nam Định and Ninh Bình won an international track-and-field tournament, which closed at HCM City’s Thông Nhất Stadium on Saturday. After two days of competitions, the two teams earned 11 gold medals, followed by HCM City with six medals. There was only one national record set at the annual event, as Bùi Thị Xuân of Military team set a new record in the women’s javelin at 51.60m. The tournament was held as many countries are preparing for the Rio Olympics, so there were only five international teams participating. Among them, Indonesia took three gold medals, Sri Lanka won two and South Korea earned one. Hải Phòng drop after loss at V.League Hải Phòng officially lost their top position in the V.League after their 1-3 defeat to Quảng Ninh Coal yesterday at Cẩm Phả Stadium. Having 34 points as does SHB Đà Nẵng, Hải Phòng is in second place due to a difference in goals. SHB Đà Nẵng, which beat Hải Phòng last weekend, took a 1-0 win on Saturday over defending champions Becamex Bình Dương. Nghiêm Xuân Tú opened the game’s scoring at the 25th minute with a super free kick which went straight into the net. Then Dyachenko Rodion Sergey made it 2-0 just minutes after the interval. The Russian forward took a ball in the box from striker Vũ Minh Tuấn and netted with a close kick. Hải Phòng worked hard in the second half, but all they could score was one goal by Lê Văn Thắng in the additional time. However, Quảng Binh Coal’s Bùi Văn Hiếu shined two minutes later, scoring the third goal for the host side. The win pushed Quảng Ninh to No 5 in the ranking with 32 points, just two fewer than the top two teams. In another match yesterday, Long An defeated Sài Gòn FC 1-0, giving them a strong lift to escape from the SOS area. Marko Simic netted the only goal just four minutes before the finish, ending Sài Gòn’s losing streak, which continued since the tournament’s second leg period. Long An remain in the second position from the bottom, but now equalized 15 points with the top team, Hoàng Anh Gia Lai, who lost 0-1 to former champions Sông Lam Nghệ An on Friday. “We have had difficulties in players, but all of us always try our best. We need to keep our spirits up for the rest of the season,” said coach Ngô Quang Sang. “We are satisfied with Simic’s effort in practicing and competing. He did a good job this match, scoring three points,” said Sáng, when asked about his new player’s performance, adding that the win would be a strong influence on the entire team to overcome Hoàng Anh Gia Lai and move beyond the relegation area. On the other side, coach Nguyễn Đức Thắng said the loss was partly due to a mistake by goalkeeper Văn Hoàng, who is young to be playing in such a difficult tournament like V.League. And the former national defender also said the loss was in part due to the hot weather, which strongly affected his team’s showing. In other games in Saturday’s round, Sanna Khánh Hòa lost 0-1 to Quảng Nam, although they played on their home turf. FLC Thanh Hóa beat Cần Thơ 3-2 in a match in which players of each side scored in rotation. University launches advanced export manager training course The Vietnamese-German University in HCM City, Leipzig University and the Hinrich Foundation launched an advanced training course in export management on Friday. The course is comprehensive and divided into sections so that students can apply new insights they get immediately to their business. Four sections -- internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises, global marketing, market research, and business development -- will be taught over a three-month period. The training is practical and intensive to enable and support Asian small and medium-sized enterprises to thrive in international markets. At the launch it was announced that the Hinrich Foundation would offer a 70 per cent scholarship to help owners or their top export managers attend the course to develop export capacity and grow the business. The scholarships will be offered to 30 participants. "Since 2008 we have been helping exporters in Vietnam connect with overseas buyers through our Export Assistance Program," Alex Boome, program director of the Hinrich Foundation, said. "Suppliers tell us they need to upgrade their skills and that of their managers – but cannot afford to be out of the office for weeks at a time. This practical programme enables students to learn and apply that new knowledge immediately to their business while keeping up with their day-to-day responsibilities." Miss Universe Vietnam attends meeting as goodwill ambassador Miss Universe Vietnam 2015 Pham Huong attended a launching ceremony for Pangolin protection in Hanoi yesterday held by WildAid and CHANGE as a goodwill ambassador. Comedian and TV host Tran Thanh, singer Thu Minh, and representatives from general public were also present at the meeting. Miss.Pham Huong spent time talking with singer Thu Minh, one of volunteers amongst Vietnamese singers and actors in wildlife protection projects. Comedian and TV host Tran Thanh is also an ambassador of the project. Miss. Pham Huong is proud of to be goodwill ambassador for Wildaid and CHANGE’s project in general and the pangolin protection project in particular. She expected her voice and influence can spread an active massage to the public in curbing pangolin and wildlife consumption. WildAid is an international non-profit organization. Their mission is to prevent the illegal wildlife trade within our lifetimes. It  has launched a new campaign to raise the public awareness about the impact of the consumption of pangolin meat and scales in an effort to reduce demand for pangolin products in Asia. Change is a non-governmental organization belonging to Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Association (VUSTA). Change aims to change the community’s behaviors and media upon environment issue and how to raise young Vietnam people’s awareness in protecting environment and developing initiatives in localities. Globally well-known celebrities namely actor Edward Norton, Prince William and David Beckham also joined in Wildaid’s campaign. "Saigon with vegetarian dishes" features three regions' cuisine Metropole has become a favorite place for Saigonese to taste vegetarian food in full moon day since 2000s till now. The restaurant's chefs always create different dishes for vegetarian buffet each year, aiming to highlight the seasonal variety of dishes. Metropole - its tradename "Saigon with vegetarian dishes" has been launch for over 15 years and is especialy busy during New Year and the Vu Lan season (the seventh lunar month). This year, the restaurant launches vegetarian buffet named "Mother", promosing to bring customers back childhood memories with dishes cooked by their mother. Viet Nam is very rich in vegetables and fruits. It's a healthy source of food that people can have them easily without making too much of an effort to fetch them from a far-away country. 65 vegetarian dishes cooked with clean materials featuring three regions in the country such as mixed noodle, source bean sprouts, frozen meat... will also help customers enjoy healthy food. Besides, the restaurant want to send out a message to customers about the love and respect their mother on the occasion of the Vu Lan season. "Saigon with vegetarian dishes" will officialy open on August 2, 2016 (30th July lunar month) and end on September 1 (1st of August lunar month) at 2nd & 4th floor, Metropole Convention & Wedding Center, 216 Ly Chinh Thang Street, District 3, HCMC. Lunch buffet coupons are sold at Metropole for VND 200,000/pax per adult (from 11:00 to 13:30) and will be VND 280,000/pax for dinner buffet (from 17:30 - 21:00) and VND 120,000 per child.  If a person buys 10 coupons, they will receive an additional coupon at no cost. Countryside young men honored for doing good business The  Communist Youth Union in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday held a meeting to honor 18 young inhabitants in rural districts who are good models in doing good business of agricultural produces, good initiatives and application of advanced technologies and bio-technology in growing and farming. One of the models is Pham Thanh Loc in Cu Chi district who has successfully applied bio-technology like Bioreactor systems in planting flowers and trees. Thanks to application of advanced technology, he makes monthly turnover of VND120 million and  monthly profit of VND40 million. Additionally, he offers employment for 10 local laborers. Moreover, Loc succeeded in making attar  Odora and Ylang to keep mosquitoes away which consumers trusted and selected one of Vietnamese high quality products. Young man Nguyen van Tam in Can Gio District got success in raising tiger shrimp. After touring to highly profitable shrimp farms to learn experience, he decided to breed shrimps in 1.5 ha salt marsh land. He earns the profit of VND40 million for a season. In Hoc Mon District, Vo Thanh Ngan applied technologies on planting grass and making grass carpet which bring him profits of VND200 million a month and employment to 27 laborers in the district. On behalf of city administrators, Deputy Head of Party Committee Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc lauded young men at the meeting and expected them to develop their strength and expand their business to offer employment to laborers. She also proposed local governments and related unions to aid these young men on capital, technology or buy finished products in order to encourage more young people in countryside districts in  doing business for the city’s growth. Photo exhibition on martial arts kicks off A photo exhibition on martial arts in Vietnam and other nations kicked off in Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh province on August 1, as part of activities at the sixth International Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts festival 2016. The exhibition is showcasing over 100 works on the last martial arts festivals, martial arts performances in Vietnam and other nations, and the exchanges between international martial arts teams and Vietnam. The event aims to introduce and promote traditional martial arts in Vietnam and other nations, as well as offer visitors an opportunity to learn more about traditional martial arts and enjoy the gold moment captured by photographers. The exhibition is a part of the sixth International Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts festival taking place in the central province of Binh Dinh from August 2-4. The festival will see the competition of 49 delegations with more than 900 martial arts instructors and artists. Fifteen of the delegations come from foreign countries and territories such as France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, the US and Canada. Charity foundation gives aid to deprived residents in Nghe An Australia’s AusViet Charity Foundation is offering free check-ups and treatment to low-income residents in Nghi Thuan commune of Nghi Loc district, the central province of Nghe An. From August 1 – 3, 34 volunteers of the foundation and 30 medical workers of Vietnam are providing examinations and medications for 1,000 patients. They also plan to give dental treatment and cataract surgeries to about 1,000 residents. The healthcare activities cost more than 100,000 AUD, donated by philanthropists and Vietnamese expatriates in Australia. Meanwhile, medicine and medical equipment were sponsored by Australian companies. The charity foundation is also set to present gifts to 150 deprived families and 1,500 students in Nghi Thuan, which is currently the most impoverished commune of Nghi Loc district and regularly suffer from unfavourable weather conditions. In the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, practical activities have been promoted to support Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims. The province’s association of AO victims has stepped up communication campaigns to call for assistance for the targeted group. More than 6.7 billion VND (300,500 USD) has been donated to the local fund for AO/dioxin victim support so far this year, said Chairman of the association Le Quoc Bao. The organisation has helped build 38 houses, provided 85 wheelchairs and permanently nursed 185 victims. It has also offered check-ups and preferential loans for their income-generating activities, he added. There are over 10,000 AO/dioxin victims in Tien Giang, and most of them come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Vietnamese security youths launch voluntary activities in Laos Over 30 members of the youth union from the Ministry of Public Security have conducted an array of voluntary activities in Laos during their visit to the country from July 28 to August 5. On July 31, with support of modern equipment like scanners, electrocardiographs and endoscopes, the volunteers offered free medical check-ups to 500 local people and security officers in Vientiane. They also provided free medicine for Vientiane residents. Earlier, the delegation also paid a courtesy visit to Vientiane security leaders and had an exchange with local security forces’ youths. They are scheduled to work with some organisations under the Lao Ministry of Security and exchange experience with the youth in the central province of Savannakhet.- VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE