Social News 4/11 Specific policies expected to boost Da Nang’s growth    The Government has issued a number of policies in investment, finance, budget and management decentralisation specifically designed for the central city of Da Nang.  The policies are aimed at boosting the city’s sustainable growth and making it a major urban area of the country and an industrial, trade and service hub of the central region in 2020.  The policies allow the city to borrow domestic loans through issuing local government bonds in line with the law, and by re-borrowing the Government’s loans.  The total loan outstanding must not exceed 40 percent of local budget collection allocated to the city, and stay within the yearly State budget overspending level approved by the National Assembly.  At the same time, the Government will distribute part of central budget to the city to implement trans-regional projects in the form of public-private partnerships, while prioritising capital allocation to the city’s budget to conduct development projects in the city and regional projects. The Government will also call for official devlopment assistance for the city’s major infrastructure projects.  The local government can approve lists of projects and receive non-refundable assistance for projects and programmes regardless of the scale of aid, except for projects related to institutions, religion, legal policy, administrative reform and defence and security which are subject to the Prime Minister’s approval.  The Government will propose Da Nang’s budget supplementation to the NA Standing Committee in line with the Budget Law. The supplementation will be spent on capital construction, infrastructure projects, hi-tech areas building, and other socio-economic and defence, security projects.  In the first year of the new budget policy, the Ministry of Finance will work with other ministries and sectors to make proposals to authorised agencies on the level of supplement to the city’s budget to ensure resources for socio-economic projects and regional projects in central and central highlands regions. Discussion highlights India's film industry A discussion on the Indian film industry was held in Hanoi on November 3 as part of the fourth Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF).  Participants were introduced to the development history of the Indian film industry and cooperation potential with Vietnam in the field.  With a history of over 100 years, India has now become one of the largest film producers in the world with around 1,000 films produced each year. The country’s films have been translated into 30 languages in the world.  Many Indian movies have won prestigious international awards, with a typical example being “Slumdog millionaire” that claimed eight Oscar prizes.  In recent years, more and more Indian films have been introduced to Vietnamese viewers after the successful debut of the “Slumdog millionaire”, such as “The eight-year-old bride,” “My wife is a cop,” and “Dad’s girl.”  Director Truong Ngoc Anh said she hopes to work with Indian partners in film projects, adding that in order to be successful, Indian directors need to study the tastes of Vietnamese viewers and create appropriate screenplays.  Director Bijukumar Damodaran suggested the two sides first cooperate in making artistic films which require less investment and then move into more ambitious projects. Vietnam river exhibition underway in Nha Trang An exhibition on rivers across Vietnam opened at the Nha Trang University in the central province of Khanh Hoa on November 3.  On display are 100 photos selected from more than 5,440 submissions to the Vietnam heritage photo contest this year.  They capture imposing Ban Gioc waterfall in the northern mountainous province of Cao Bang, romantic Huong River in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue and gentle rivers in the south, among others.  The event will take place at the university until November 7 before moving to Nha Trang city’s April 2 Square. The next stops will be Da Nang and Hanoi.  The Vietnam heritage photo award ceremony will be held in Ho Chi Minh City on November 18.  The contest, organised annually by Vietnam Heritage Magazine under the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association, aims to raise public awareness of promoting and preserving cultural and natural heritages. HCM City confirms 9 more Zika cases, raises Vietnam’s total to 39 Ho Chi Minh City reported nine more cases of the Zika virus on November 3, raising the total infections in the city to 30 and in Vietnam to 39. The health department said the patients live in 11 out of the city's 24 districts. Admitting that there are signs of the virus spreading widely across the city, the department has set up six special task forces to prevent new infections and detect new cases. The department said it will fumigate the areas on a regular basis to eliminate mosquitoes, while calling on residents to clean their houses. The population of Aedes aegypti mosquito, a vector species for the Zika virus dengue and yellow fever, has increased significantly in the area since the rainy season. People are advised to have blood tests if they develop rashes together with either high fever, conjunctivitis, red eyes or joint or muscle pains. The city is providing free tests at 30 public hospitals which will send them to the Pasteur Institute's epidemiology center for testing. Tran Dac Phu, director of the Preventive Health Department, said Ho Chi Minh City has a high risk of infection due to its large population, which is around 12 million including migrants. There is a lot of mobility around the city while “hygiene is not very good”, Phu said. Ho Chi Minh City declared a Zika pandemic after confirming the fifth case two weeks ago. Vietnam has confirmed 39 Zika infections in the southern and central regions since the first two cases were discovered in Ho Chi Minh City and the central province of Khanh Hoa in April. Other patients have been hit by the virus in the provinces of Binh Duong, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, Long An, Tra Vinh and Phu Yen . In Dak Lak, a 4-month-old baby has been confirmed as Vietnam’s first case of microcephaly caused by Zika. The health ministry said people should avoid mosquito bites and use condoms to avoid contracting the virus. Health officials said both men and women should avoid traveling to places where Zika cases have been confirmed if they plan to have children. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that women wait at least eight weeks after possible exposure to the Zika virus before becoming pregnant. Men should wait six months. According to the World Health Organization, Zika outbreaks have been reported in around 70 countries and territories. More than 2,000 babies have been born with Zika-related microcephaly or other birth defects around the world, according to the latest WHO report. Brazil has reported over 1,800 cases of Zika-related microcephaly; the US has reported 23. The birth defect appears in 1%-10% of babies whose mothers contract the Zika virus during the first trimester. Thailand reported two cases of microcephaly linked to the virus in late September, which were the first in Southeast Asia. Vietnamese meth smugglers busted at northern border Border guards in the northern province of Quang Ninh have arrested two young Vietnamese men for trying to smuggle 5 kilograms of methamphetamine from China into Vietnam. It is the second meth trafficking case busted in the country this week. Nong Van Dai and Nguyen Ba Hanh, both 22 years old, were arrested with the drugs early Thursday morning in Quang Ninh’s Mong Cai Town, which borders China. Dai and Hanh said they were paid VND10 million (US$441) to carry the drugs from China to Vietnam. On November 1, border guards in the central province of Ha Tinh also arrested a Vietnamese man for attempting to smuggle 3,600 methamphetamine tablets from Laos. Vietnam has some of the world’s toughest drug laws. Those convicted of possessing or smuggling more than 600 grams of heroin or more than 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine face the death penalty. The production or sale of 100 grams of heroin or 300 grams of other illegal narcotics is also punishable by death. Despite numerous executions, drug trafficking continues in border areas. Vietnam man found alive after one week lost in forest A 26-year-old man in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong was found weak but alive after spending a week lost in a local forest, police have announced. Nguyen Quang Loc was suffering from extreme exhaustion, when a search team found him, clothing torn off and body ulcerating, inside the Hoa Bac-Hoa Nam forest in Di Linh District. The man was immediately rushed to the province’s general hospital for emergency treatment, according to Di Linh police. On October 27, Loc and two friends, Nam and Binh, all Di Linh residents, entered the forest to chop bamboo. When night fell and Loc still had not returned to the group’s tent, his friends notified police of the disappearance. Local authorities immediately launched a search party, but it was not until a week later that they found the man, primarily due to the vast area of the forest. It is not immediately clear how Loc survived seven days alone in the forest, or how he lost all his clothes. Pop singer My Linh to perform at Vietnam - Korea Food and Culture festival The Vietnam-Korea Food and Culture Festival 2016, scheduled to open in Hanoi on November 11-13, aims to tighten time-honoured friendship between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea through cultural and culinary activities. The event will draw the participation of famous music bands and singers namely UKISS, Pyeon Seung Yeop, Hari Won, and Vietnamese pop singer My Linh. The three-day event is expected to offer an opportunity for visitors to taste Korean drinks and food at more than 100 pavilions and Vietnamese traditional dishes such as Bun Cha (Vietnamese noodles with pork and herb), Pho (rice noodle soup with beef recipe) and Nem (Spring rolls). Diverse activities will be held during the event including a dance competition K-POP, folk games, make-up tutorials, film screening and fun games for children at a kid zone. The event is co-organised by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam and relevant ministries and departments of both countries. French film “Indochine” re-screened in Vietnam The film “Indochine” directed by French director Régis Wargnie in 1992 that won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 65th Academy Awards will be re-screened in Vietnam on the occasion of the 4th Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF).  The movie will be presented in cinemas throughout the country on November 4. French director Regis Wargnier and actress Catherine Deneuve of "Indochina" has travelled to Hanoi for the film fest which will take place during November 1-5. The movie was filmed in Viet Nam in 1992, mainly in the central city of Hue, Ha Long Bay in the northern province of Quang Ninh, and Ninh Binh Province. The film is the story of French plantation owner Éliane Devries and her adopted Vietnamese daughter, Camille, with the rising Vietnamese resisstance  movement set as a context of the film during the 1930s to 1950s. The 4th Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF) opened at the Vietnam-Soviet Cultural Friendship Palace in Hanoi on November 1. This year’s event themed “Cinema - Integration and Sustainable Development” has been attracting 146 international features and shorts from 43 countries and territories worldwide. A series of activities will be held during the event, such as the sections Competitions; Panorama: Presenting Renowned Films of the World; Country in Focus: Indian Cinema; Selection of ASEAN Films; Selection of Italian Films; Selection of Films From Member Countries of TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership); Selection of Contemporary Vietnamese Films; Film Market; HANIFF Campus and Film Project Market; Exhibition; and Seminars on cooperation of production of films. Violators to be fined via recorded image on Noi Bai-Lao Cai expressway The camera system in the Noi Bai- Lao Cai National Highway started to record image of violations which police will use to issue fines to violators from November 3. The monitoring system of camera images in the expressway comprises six cameras recording speeding, 58 other cameras automatically will record images of traffic violation, control vehicles in and out the expressway and handling outdated road vehicles.  Thanks to high technology, camera can even identify vague plate in dark and bad weather.  Vice Head of the Department of Transport Major General Nguyen Huu Danh said basing on recorded violations, officers in the operator center will report to traffic wardens on duty who will stop vehicles to issue the penalty. In case, violations are not punished in the spot, violating drivers will receive a document writing their violation and fines.  A representative from the Ministry said that after two month pilot, relevant agencies will draw lesson to apply in other expressways. Charity art exhibition to set up bookcase for disadvantaged chidren The Art Steps 5P Studio (5P studio) will organize a charity art exhibition and auction, aiming to set up bookcases for Ta Nung children, from November 6 to 13 at the HCMC Exhibition House, 92 Le Thanh Ton Str, Dist 1. 40 art paintings from the 5P studio’s artists such as  Nguyen Thi Tam, Co Van Hau, Nguyen Nhu Khoi, Tran Thuy Linh, Duyen Tran, Ha Nguyen will be on display at the exhibition. Artists hope through this exhibition they can help Ta Nung children in the Lam Dong province have more books to expand their knowledge; understand the world and culture in various countries across over the world. Ta Nung is remote commune in Da Lat city of the central highlands province of Lam Dong. Over 1,000 ethnic minority families work in the agriculture sector, planting coffee tree, flowers and rice. HCMC sets up six inspection teams for Zika virus disease Ho Chi Minh City Department of Preventive Medicine said that the city reported three more patients who ontracted with the mosquito-borne virus.  The three more patients have brought the total number of infection cases to 20 in the city. As per director of the municipal Department of Preventive Medicine Nguyen Tri Dung, 11 out of 24 districts in HCMC recorded infection cases with two cases in district 2, 4 respectively; one in district 5, 10, Hoc Mon, Can Gio and Binh Tan respectively; three in district 9, 12, Binh Thanh respectively. District 12 has three cases including a pregnant woman. Health workers has sprayed chemicals to disinfect the affected area. Following the development of the disease, the Department of Health has set up six inspection teams in 24 districts. The department also proposed people’s committees to announce district-level epidemic. Red Cross continues supporting flood-affected provinces The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRS) has provided additional 4.2 billion VND (188,160 USD) in goods and cash to locals in the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri help them overcome consequences of the recent devastated flood.  The assistance include nearly 3 billion VND (134,400 USD) in cash, 1,200 packages of family necessity, 300 sets of tools for house repairing, 15 tents, 455,000 water purification tablets, and 501 packages of shampoo.  By November 2, all the aid was transported to the three provinces for the delivery on November 3. The VRS also send two teams to the site to join the delivery.  Along with direct assistance, the VRS also called on the international community to give a hand to the localities to help them in recovery. So far, the VRS has received assistance and commitments from many organisations and individuals with a total aid of over 17 billion VND (761,600 USD).  Earlier on October 16, the VRS also provided relief aid worth 1.97 billion VND in cash and goods to the four provinces of Nghe An, Ha Yinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri to help locals settle their lives. HCM City confiscates illegally-imported guns Local authorities in Ho Chi Minh City on November 2 decided to confiscate a large amount of guns illegally transported to Vietnam, said the Customs Office of the Tan Son Nhat International Airport.  In July 2015, the office worked with the Economic Security Department (A85) and relevant agencies under the Ministry of Public Security to examine three parcels without legal documents on a flight from Turkey to Tan Son Nhat Airport.  After examination, the agencies discovered 94 pistols with laser sights and 472 new cartridge belts along with other components, which were hidden as normal cargo.  The weapons were made in the Czech Republic. Master plan built for relic complex of scholar Nguyen Binh Khiem A master plan will be built for the temple complex dedicated to Nguyen Binh Khiem, an outstanding Vietnamese scholar in the 15th and 16th centuries, in Vinh Bao district of northern Hai Phong city.  The municipal People’s Committee will design the master plan, which will be submitted to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for approval when completed.  Nguyen Binh Khiem (1491 - 1585), also known as Trang Trinh, was born in Trung Am village of Ly Hoc commune, Vinh Bao district.  He was a cultural and educational celebrity, and also a philosopher and poet. He was also called a prophet according to popular belief.  The temple of Nguyen Binh Khiem was recognised as a historical relic site in 1991 and named a relic site of special national importance in late 2015.  The relic complex includes the temple of Nguyen Binh Khiem, the temple of his parents, the tomb of his father, and some other relics relating to Khiem.-VNA HCM City steps up screening for Zika virus Ho Chi Minh City is offering more advice and tests for pregnant women amidst fear of the Zika virus, with 17 cases reported in the southern city by October 31.  Hung Vuong Hospital, which gives check-ups to about 600 pregnant women each day, has provided Zika-related advice and tests since April under Ministry of Health orders. Newly-born babies there are also examined for microcephaly, doctor Nguyen Vu My Linh said.  Similar activities are being carried out at Tu Du Hospital, which specialises in obstetrics and gynaecology.  Deputy Director of the hospital Tran Ngoc Hai said there had been an increase in the number of pregnant women asking about Zika, with one in five women concerned about the mosquito-borne virus.  Whenever an expectant mother shows suspect symptoms, medical workers take samples for testing and give them necessary information, he added.  One problem in screening for Zika is that the symptoms can be mistaken for those of flu, Hai said, advising pregnant women to get regular check-ups and tests when they have any two symptoms among fever, rash, arthralgia or conjunctivitis.  Phan Trong Lan, Director of the Pasteur Institute in HCM City, recommends women who intend to have a baby or are in the first three months of pregnancy avoid Zika-infected areas and mosquito bites.  On October 30, the Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health confirmed Vietnam’s first microcephaly likely Zika case in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak. Cause of woman’s death after childbirth clarified The health department of Bình Định Province yesterday sent a report to the Health Ministry to clarify the cause of a woman’s death after childbirth at the provincial general hospital. The death was determined to be a result of amniotic fluid embolism, resulting in respiratory distress syndrome and acute circulation collapse, the autopsy result showed. Lê Quang Hùng, director of the provincial health department, said the woman’s clinical indicators were normal before the sudden amniotic fluid embolism. Patients with amniotic fluid embolism can rarely be saved, according to Hùng. Relatives of the patient refused to take her body home and did not accept the explanation. They blamed the death on the irresponsibility of the doctors and filed a lawsuit against the hospital. The hospital has sent the lawsuit document to authorised forces for further investigation, Hùng said. The newborn girl, still weak and being assisted with a medical ventilator, is under treatment at the hospital’s paediatric department. Earlier, on October 28, Trương Hồ Thị Lan, 25, a resident of central Bình Định Province’s Quy Nhơn City, was admitted to hospital at 8.30pm to give birth. As per the medical records, Lan was 40 weeks pregnant, and her blood pressure and body temperature were normal. However, at 2am, she had seizures, started drooling, turned purple and her pulse and blood pressure could not be measured. Doctors decided to perform an emergency Caesarean operation. The surgery was completed successfully, but by 3am Lan was in deep coma. She died four hours later. According to medical experts, amniotic fluid embolism is a rare obstetric complication but with mortality rate as high as 80-90 per cent. Exhibition highlights Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements An exhibition on Vietnam’s foreign trade achievements and improved investment environment opened November 2 at Intercontinental Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City within the framework of Vietnam Summit 2016. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the exhibition In his opening speech, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said Vietnam is moving towards its finalization of negotiations for the signing of new generation free trade agreements (FTAs) as well as other trade deals, thus giving it a good opportunity to boost integration into the world economy. exhibition highlights vietnam’s socio-economic achievements hinh 2 On show are 300 photos featuring the tremendous economic achievements the country recorded during the past three decades of pursing the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, investment environment, science and technology and opportunities and challenges for Vietnam in the international integration process. Mr Son also described the exhibition as a pragmatic activity aimed at promoting the image of Vietnam and showing its resolve to go ahead with comprehensive drastic reform in the time to come. Over VND500 bil for upgrading highway connecting HCMC to Tay Ninh The People’s Committee in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday said that a national highway connecting the city and the eastern province of Tay Ninh will be upgraded. As per the plan, the city received bidding document from investors. Because of project document having different scale, the People’s Committee proposed the Ministry of Transport and the People’s Committee in Tay Ninh contributed to opinion for the project. After considering proposals and real conditions in locations of the highway, the city People’s Committee  proposed investment in to expand the road size to 60 meters for the section through HCMC, raise the height of the road and improve sewage chain for the section through Tay Ninh Province. Vehicles will be allowed to travel at up to 80kph on the highway. Deputy PM instructs not to increase price of uninsured medical services Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue, head of the National Steering Committee on Price Management, has instructed not to increase the price of medical services not covered by the health insurance fund this year. That is among the Deputy PM's instructions on price management in the lead of yearend. The Ministry of Health has been required to guide the provincial and municipal people’s councils to prepare a scenario, roadmap and calculate increase levels for uninsured services next year. For insured services, it should work with the General Statistics Office and relevant agencies to count salary and allowance and carefully calculate the increase level as well as time to control inflation. These agencies have been asked to send a proposal to the National Steering Committee on Price Management and the Prime Minister before making price adjustments. In addition, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Social Insurance Agency have been prompted to implement bid invitation to lower medicine prices. According to the instructions, price management should be conducted tightly and drastically to control inflation in accordance with set targets. Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue requested the State Bank of Vietnam to continue curbing core inflation at 1.81-2 percent, stabilize and reduce loan interest rates. The Ministry of Industry and Trade should stabilize the retail prices of necessary items in the remaining months of the year. The ministry and members of the Price Management Steering Board should forecast inflation and put forward a plan to manage necessary item prices within their jurisdiction. The plan must be sent to the Ministry of Finance before November 20, he required. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has been asked to keep a close eye on the world petrol price and coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to manage domestic petrol price as per regulations, reasonably use the price subsidization fund in order not to create the unexpected inflation. Measures should be carried out to balance supply and demand in the market, flexibly manage import quotas especially for sugar to meet surging demand in the Tet holiday season.  Milk products’ price subsidization for children of less than six years old should be continued until December 31. The Ministry of Transport together with the Ministry of Finance should guide BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) investors to reduce toll level for at least 10 toll booths to contribute in inflation control. Da Lat to host 1st Cherry-like apricot blossoms festival The resort towns Da Lat in the central highland province of Lam Dong will organize the first Cherry-like apricot blossoms festival in the middle of January, 2017.  The three-day long event will include a variety of activities, such as cherry blossom tree planting, photo exhibition on apricot blossom, a cosplay festival, taking a visit to Tuyen Lam Lake tourist area where many cherry blossom trees are planted along the lakeside. Mai Anh Dao (Cherry-like apricot blossoms) whose scientific name is Prunus Cerasoides is the floral symbol of Da Lat. Its trunk is like peach, but its flower has 5 petals like yellow apricot flower. All streets in the city are full of the pink flowers when spring comes. The festival aims to honor the beauty of the city’s typical flower and attract domestic and foreign tourists. Corruption suspected at Hai Duong Government positions at Hai Duong Province Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs are suspected to have been sold as it has 44 deputies or heads of offices out of 46 employees. Some people were promoted just three months after being employed. Luu Van Ban, former director of Hai Duong Province Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs alone promoted 44 people to leading positions before being transferred to work as Party Secretary of Chi Linh District. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to inspect the case and report by November 10.  NA Deputy Tran Du Lich commented that "There are too many officials, how can people support them all?" These positions are not fallen leaves by Hoan Kiem Lake that can be picked up and given to everybody. If this case is not dealt with, it will set a bad precedent and have negative consequences. When being questioned how can they work if there are only leaders, Ban said admitted that the number was higher than normal. He said, "If we just think about the number then I'm at fault. But I didn't do it for personal interests. When I promoted them, I did it for the employees and the people. They are young, who had just graduated and had low wages. But they are passionate and want to contribute. I did that to encourage them." Well, he did promote many employees and made the leader team bigger. 44 employees now have higher wages, bonuses and better positions so it's absolutely true that he "did it for the employees”. Those employees are just regular public members before their promotion so it's also true that he did it for "the people". This method is so good why don't we expand it further? For the people in Hai Duong Province, government should promote 2,470,000 people to be leaders at state agencies. Then the whole province will be officials. Ecstasy! It was just three months ago, on August 9, that news broke out that Thanh Hoa Province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has eight deputies even though only three are allowed according to Decree 24 on organisation of agencies under people's committees. Hai Duong Province makes Thanh Hoa case look trivial. On November 10, the inspection will be concluded and everyone can see whether Ban's decisions are really in the interests of the employees and the people. And it is hoped that the comments from NA Deputy Duong Trung Quoc wouldn't come true. "We can't exclude the possibility that the positions were bought and sold. Similar cases have been detected at various agencies when officials abuse their power just before their terms end. The excuse is improving human resources but everyone can see that the positions are sold," Quoc said. Saigon Ranger to get a dose Japanese-Brazilian death metal Neuroticos, a death metal band formed in 2004 by three Brazilian and one Japanese musician in Hiroshima, Japan, will stage a performance at Saigon Ranger on November 6 as part of their Hell in Asia Tour 2016. The band, consisting of vocalist Bruno, guitarist Kleber, drummer Henrique and bassist Junpei, will perform songs on their first extended play Hell in the House Of God, released on June 6. They quartet has toured Korea, the Philippines, Việt Nam and Brazil, among other countries. The performance will start at 5pm at 5/7 Nguyễn Siêu Street in District 1. Tickets at VNĐ350,000 are available at www.ticketbox.vn.  French Institute shows 3 films this month Two comedies and an animation film will be part of the monthly film screening programme at the Institute of Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF) in November. The comedies include Bertrand Tavernier’s Quai d’Orsay (The French Minister) which received three nominations at the 2014 César Awards, including a win for Best Supporting Actor, and Rengaine (Hold Back), a film directed and written by Rachid Djaidani. Minuscule - La vallée des fourmis perdue (Minuscule – Valley of Lost Ants) is a movie version of a French series of short animations created and directed by Thomas Szabo and Hélène Giraud. The films will be screened with Vietnamese subtitles at 3pm every Saturday. The venue is at 28 Lê Thánh Tôn Street in District 1. Entrance fee is VNĐ50,000 and VNĐ40,000 for students.  Europeans charged with bank card fraud in Vietnam Prosecutors in the central province of Khanh Hoa have charged two men from the Netherlands and the UK for using credit cards with stolen account details to withdraw cash in the resort beach town of Nha Trang. Joel David Richards, 25, from the UK, and Rudy Manoel Daas, 32, from the Netherlands, were charged with abusing digital utilities to appropriate property on November 1. The duo used fake credit cards with stolen account information their overseas accomplices had provided to withdraw money from local ATMs. Police in Nha Trang arrested them in December last year after being tipped off by local banks. They admitted having stolen more than VND500 million (US$22,400) in Nha Trang. They said they also withdrew money from other places in Vietnam including Danang, Ho Chi Minh City and Hue. They used account information stolen from France, Germany and the US. Police seized 41 ATM cards, electronic equipment used to make counterfeit cards and VND200 million (US$9,025) from their hotel rooms in Nha Trang and Danang. VFF, German Federation of Social Equality boost ties The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee and the German Federation of Social Equality have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance bilateral ties during VFF Vice President Truong Thi Ngoc Anh’s visit starting from November 2.  Under the MoU for 2016-2020, both sides agreed to facilitate visits to share information and experience. The VFF will support German businesses and non-governmental organisations active in the country while the German side will urge its members to back Vietnamese independent organisations in the fields of education, labour and vocational training.  The federation encourages support for charity projects and Vietnamese nationals living in need.  The two sides will continue promoting joint work in specific areas, contributing to intensifying friendship and cooperation between the two peoples.  Speaking at the signing ceremony, the federation’s President Rolf Rosendbrock said the MoU is the first agreement that the federation signed with a foreign partner.  VFF Vice President Anh expressed hope that ties between the federation and the VFF Central Committee will be tightened, contributing to reinforcing the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Germany.  The German Federation of Social Equality groups more than 10,000 member units operating in the principle of diversity, openness and compassion. It encourages charitable activities, support for the disadvantaged such as the elderly, the sick, children, youngsters and the disabled via appropriate services. HCM City, Bình Dương win time trial titles VUS HCM City defended their men’s team 4km time trial on November 2 in Hòa Bình Province. The reign champions’ quartet of Lê Văn Duẩn, Mai Nguyễn Hưng, Trương Nguyễn Thanh Nhân and Nguyễn Trường Tài met no worthy rivals during their race, grabbing their sixth consecutive title. Đồng Tháp and Military came second and third. Later, the women from Bình Dương easily won the 3km time trial after their main rivals from An Giang withdrew. Đồng Tháp and VUS HCM City were runners-up. In the men’s doubles 500m, VUS HCM City’s Lê Nguyệt Minh and Nguyễn Dương Hồ Vũ successfully brought home the gold. Nguyễn Minh Triết and Nguyễn Thành Tâm from An Giang bagged the silver, while Đỗ Tuấn Anh and Nguyễn Vũ Linh of Đồng Tháp won the bronze. Duo Nguyễn Thị Thật and Phương Trang kept An Giang on top of the ranking with their sixth title in the women’s doubles 500m. Athletes are participating in the men’s and women’s 150km mass start for both individual and team titles from Kỳ Sơn District to Mai Châu District to Hòa Bình City. Vietnamese, Cambodian provinces boost exchanges Front organisations in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang and the Cambodian provinces of Takeo and Kandal have agreed to further cooperation in the next year, especially in promoting people-to-people exchanges and building a borderline of friendship.  The consensus was reached at a conference in Long Xuyen city, An Giang province, on November 3 between the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Solidarity Front for the Development of the Cambodian Motherland of Takeo and Kandal provinces.  During the conference, the front organisations discussed and agreed on the content of the cin 2017, including the dissemination of information about new laws and the exchange of visits and delegations among the three provinces.  Participants stressed the importance of ensuring security and social order along the shared borderline and foster cross-border trade links.  They held that the fruitful affiliation between the front organisations of An Giang, Takeo and Kandal provinces over the last two years significantly helped strengthen the friendship and cooperation between the localities and the two nations in general.  Based on the obtained results, the provincial front organisations signed a memorandum of understanding on building a borderline of peace, friendship and cooperation for mutual development. Red Cross continues supporting flood-affected provinces The Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRS) has provided additional 4.2 billion VND (188,160 USD) in goods and cash to locals in the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri help them overcome consequences of the recent devastated flood.  The assistance include nearly 3 billion VND (134,400 USD) in cash, 1,200 packages of family necessity, 300 sets of tools for house repairing, 15 tents, 455,000 water purification tablets, and 501 packages of shampoo.  By November 2, all the aid was transported to the three provinces for the delivery on November 3. The VRS also send two teams to the site to join the delivery.  Along with direct assistance, the VRS also called on the international community to give a hand to the localities to help them in recovery. So far, the VRS has received assistance and commitments from many organisations and individuals with a total aid of over 17 billion VND (761,600 USD).  Earlier on October 16, the VRS also provided relief aid worth 1.97 billion VND in cash and goods to the four provinces of Nghe An, Ha Yinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri to help locals settle their lives. Bà Nà golf course voted the best New Golf Course in Asia Pacific The Bà Nà Hills Golf Club has been awarded ‘Best New Golf Course in Asia Pacific’ and ‘Best Golf Course in Việt Nam – the 1st Runner Up’ at the 2016 Asian Golf Awards. Deputy director of Đà Nẵng city’s Tourism Department Nguyễn Xuân Bình said the results were announced at the 2016 Asian Golf Awards Gala Award Presentation Ceremony in the Royal City of Hua Hin, Thailand last weekend. The 165ha Bà Nà Hills Golf Club, situated 25 minutes away by car from Đà Nẵng’s centre, opened in April and is the first golf course in Việt Nam allow golfers night access due to its state-of-the-art lightning system. The course, which was designed by former world No 1 Luke Donald, features 18 tour-calibre holes, stretching 7,858 yards from the championship tees. The Đà Nẵng-based golf course is already among the the most favourite golf sites in central Việt Nam along with Greg Norman’s Đà Nẵng Golf Club and Nick Faldo’s Laguna Lăng Cô in Thừa Thiên-Huế and Montgomerie Links in Quảng Nam Province. The Bà Nà Hills GC is managed by IMG and owned by Sun Group, one of the leading property investors in Việt Nam. In 2012, the Montgomerie Links golf course was included in the Forbes Travel Guide list of Asia’s 10 Most Elite Golf Courses and was named Việt Nam’s best course. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE