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Youth colour obstacle rush in Hanoi promises to be loads of fun

Approximately 3,000 young runners are expected to turn out for this year’s annual charity colour obstacle run on August 6 at the Hang Day Stadium in Hanoi, which promises to be bigger, better, louder and more colourful than ever.

Unlike a typical run there will also be loads of obstacles to manoeuvre around on the course including such things as car tires, ropes, water balls, and coloured powder, say the organizers.

All proceeds will be used to support children suffering from cancer and those at the National Institute of Haematology of Blood Transfusion as well as to build schools for remote communities in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien.

The annual run is part of the Connecting Vietnam Youth project founded by Global Shapers Community - Hanoi Hub in collaboration with the Vietnamese Student Associations in the UK, US, Australia, France, the Republic of Korea, Hungary, Singapore and Veoxbridge.

Kon Tum border guards seize over 10,000 synthetic pills

Border guards in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum have arrested a Lao man on July 31 for trafficking in over 10,000 tablets of synthetic drugs.

Theo Ef, 49, from Thaphabath District, Borikhamxay Province, Laos was caught red-handed at 5.30pm at Iec village, Bo Y commune, Ngoc Hoi district, Kon Tum province when he was transporting 10,020 tablets of synthetic drugs.

The border guards also detected many sharp knives and other weapons while searching his car.

All legal procedures are being completed to, together with evidence, be handed over to relevant agencies for further investigations. This is the largest amount of drugs that has been seized in recent years in the Central Highlands region.

1 person dies after brakes fail on car in northern Vietnam

A 29-year old man was pinned against the roadway, killing him, after the brakes on a car failed, reported the Zing online newspaper.

The crash happened on National Highway 1A in the district of Quang Xuong in Thanh Hoa Province shortly before 10:45am on Monday, July 31.

According to police officials, the driver of the car, Nguyen Bac Ha, 59, from the district of Dong Da in Hanoi crashed into a rickshaw and three people after its brakes failed.

Bui Van Duong, 29, died at the scene, while Bui Thi Tra My, 19, and Bui Van Nghia, 41, were rushed to the Thanh Hoa General Hospital.

The driver did not suffer any injuries.

Alcohol appears to not be a factor in this crash.

No other information was immediately available.

Ben Tre: Company fined for violating regulations on environmental protection

The Bến Tre People’s Committee has fined a company in Bến Tre City more than VNĐ350 million (US$15,400) for violations related to environmental and water protection.

The Trung Nhạc Co Ltd was fined more than VNĐ350 million (US$15,400) for violations related to environmental and water protection.

The information was released by Nguyễn Văn Chinh, director of the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

The People’s Committee also asked Trung Nhạc Co Ltd in Sơn Đông Commune to strictly implement waste water treatment based on its commitment.

Earlier, from January 20 to February 21 this year, the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment conducted an inspection at the company on environment protection, water and land use and management.

The inspection showed that the company had several faults, including not conducting regulations related to environmental protection, discharging waste water exceeding regulated level by five times and repeating its violations five times despite penalties from the department.

The company processes fruits and vegetables, manufactures products from coconuts and sells agricultural material. The company started operations in January 15, 2013, with capacity of 40-50 tonnes of raw coconuts per month, equaling 480-600 tonnes per year.

The company submitted a detailed proposal on environment protection to the provincial authority in 2015 to get approval for raising its capacity to 800 tonnes per year. However, the proposal was not approved by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, because even with a capacity of 600 tonnes per year, the company did not comply with regulations related to environmental protection and regularly discharged untreated waste water into the environment.

Specific support needed for disadvantaged labourers

Policies that aim to support disadvantaged labourers should cater to each type of labourer in society, experts have said.

Some 13 million disadvantaged labourers were recorded in the country until the end of last year, accounting for 25 per cent of the total labour force, according to the Institute of Workers and Trade Union.

Out of those 13 million, some 4.2 million are labourers with disabilities, 6.5 million are poor and one million are migrant workers. Some 180,000 have HIV/AIDS and 190,000 others are drug addicts and sex workers.

Eighty per cent of disadvantaged labourers in Việt Nam reside in rural areas, with low education levels and no vocational training. Some 21.8 per cent are illiterate and 40 per cent have never had a job, Dr Vũ Minh Tiến, vice director of the union, said.

“Without stable jobs, income and business capital, their lives are approaching a dead-end,” he said at a conference on policy recommendations to ensure the livelihoods of disadvantaged labourers in the 2015-30 period and beyond on Monday in HCM City.

Despite the State’s loan support policies, there were no markets for the products produced by these disadvantaged labourers, hence they got stuck in the vicious circle of debt, unemployment and poverty, Võ Văn Tấn, chairman of the labour federation of the city’s Cần Giờ District, said.

The migrant workers were having trouble with household registration policies, lecturer Vũ Văn Hiệu from Tôn Đức Thắng University said.

“The household registration book should not be used as a tool to classify citizens, discriminating against migrant workers and preventing them from approaching job opportunities and basic social services,” he said.

The vulnerability of disadvantaged labourers should be the central point of policies that aim to support and sustain their livelihoods, according to experts.

Occupations provided for these labourers should be recoverable from occurrences, not dependent on outside support, and able to yield sustainable productivity and long-term benefits, they said.

Efforts made to supply power to southern island communes

The Electricity of Vietnam’s Southern Power Corporation (EVN SPC) has conducting a number of projects to provide power services to island communes in the southern region.

EVN SPC is working with Sun Group in implementing a project to connect Hon Thom commune in Phu Quoc district in Kien Giang province with a total investment of 283 billion VND (12.45 million USD).

The project will build 9.27km underwater cable and 22kV transmission line to provide power for 97 households in Hon Roi and about 1,000 others in Hon Thom island commune, which is expected to complete in late 2017.

At the same time, EVN SPC is carrying out another project in Kien Giang’s island communes with a total investment of 1.35 trillion VND (59.4 million USD), which is scheduled to complete by 2020.

Meanwhile, the second 220kV Kien Binh-Phu Quoc transmission line in Kien Giang is scheduled to be launched this year. The 73km line has total investment of about 2.43 trillion VND (106.92 million USD).

The EVN SPC is also reviewing the power network in Kien Giang, aiming to ensure safe and stable power supply to Phu Quoc in 2018 at a cost of 250 billion VND (11 million USD).

Last year, the firm finished two project bringing electricity to 1,956 households in Lai Son island commune and over 500 households in Hon Nghe island commune of Kien Giang province.

Earlier this year, the firm also put into operation a power supply project in Son Hai island commune of Kien Giang to serve 560 households.

Traffic congestion around Tan Son Nhat airport hard to solve

Traffic congestion in the area around Tan Son Nhat International Airport will be hard to solve overnight as the number of passengers going through the airport this year is estimated at 36 million, far exceeding the airport’s capacity, said Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the HCMC Department of Transport.

At a conference on HCMC’s social and economic performance on Friday, Cuong said the airport has a designed capacity of 25 million passengers and one million tons of cargo until 2020, but that capacity is far outpaced by the current demand. He said the city has plans to invest in 22 projects to upgrade traffic infrastructure around the airport.

“Some of the projects have been put into service but traffic congestion in the airport area remains grave. Therefore, the city should speed up the construction of the remaining projects, both inside and outside the airport,” he said.

On the morning of July 28, a heavy traffic snarl occurred on the roads leading to the airport, including Cong Hoa, Truong Son and Tran Quoc Hoan streets as well as Lang Cha Ca intersection and Hoang Hoa Tham overpass. From 9 a.m., thousands of vehicles could hardly move from and to the airport although traffic police were there to help guide and redirect traffic.

Footwear factory in HCM City catches fire

A fire continues to rage at a footwear production company in HCM City early this morning, August 1.

At around 4 am this morning, the fire started at Tuan Thong Footwear Company at Vinh Loc B, Binh Chanh District.

At 9 am the fire seemed to have been nearly curbed, but suddenly spread to an underground oil tank, causing the blames to become more violent.

Many fire engines and more than 100 fire fighters have been sent to the site, but to date, the fire has not yet been dowsed. It continues to threaten dozens of neighbouring households.

Colonel Le Tan Buu, Director of the HCM City’s Fire Prevention and Control Police was on site to monitor the situation.

Under the instruction of Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Le Thanh Liem, more than 10 nearby households have been moved to avoid the possible dangers caused by the fire.

More than 10 nearby households have been moved to avoid the possible dangers caused by the fire.

The cause of the incident has not yet been identified.

Some days ago, fire also destroyed a confectionery facility in Hanoi’s outlying district of Hoai Duc on Saturday morning, killing eight and seriously injuring two.

A worker of the company Kieu Tien Vinh was detained after being blamed for setting fire to a styrofoam ceiling while he was welding, resulting in the fire.

Tay Ninh looks to develop sustainable tourism industry

The People’s Committee of southwestern Tay Ninh province held an international seminar on July 31 to introduce its tourism potential, advantages, and development prospects.

Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Van Tan told participants that located within the southern key economic zone, Tay Ninh shares a 240-km border line with three provinces of Cambodia. It is home to a series of tourist destinations, including Ba Den mountain, Dau Tieng lake, Cao Dai Holy See, and Lo Go-Xa Mat National Park.

Tay Ninh has defined tourism as an important economic sector, which has accounted for about 2.75 percent of its gross regional domestic product in recent years, he said.

However, the industry has yet to fully tap its potential, Tan added, citing a number of reasons, including the lack of a long-term strategy, infrastructure facilities and appealing tourism products.

Dr. Nguyen The Du from the Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management talked about shortcomings of tourism services in Tay Ninh.

According to him, local tourism infrastructure facilities, such as hotels and restaurants, remain inexpensive and cater mainly to residents and irregular visitors, while travel agencies lack capacity to offer professional services.

Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association Nguyen Huu Tho made suggestions for the development of the local tourism sector, which include building a green Tay Ninh city, teaching English for young people, and preserving the Cao Dai Holy See.

Huynh Vinh Ai, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, recommended the province to seek consultancy from domestic and international experts to design a sustainable tourism development plan.

Free wifi provided to workers in industrial, export processing parks

Employees in industrial parks and export processing zones in Ho Chi Minh City can access wifi as companies roll out nearly 1,000 free Wi-Fi in these places.

In the worker dormitory of Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone in District 7, Wifi operators yesterday began running free wifi in workers’ condos with a bid to help reducing daily activity cost for workers and easily surfing internet to broadening their knowledge and entertain.

War Invalids and Martyrs Day marked in Germany

A ceremony was held in Cottbus city of Germany on July 30 to mark the 70th anniversary of the War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27).

The event, organised by the Tan Trao Society and veterans, families of war invalids and martyrs in Cottbus city and neighbouring regions, was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Doan Xuan Hung, Vietnamese Defence Attaché Trinh Quoc Viet and the embassy’s staff.

Addressing the event, Nguyen The Hung, head of the organising board, said that war invalids and family member of fallen combatants, including those in Germany, have set good samples in the cause of national construction and development in the peaceful time.

He expressed his hope that the ceremony, together with other activities, would help young generations better understand and remember the sacrifices of heroic martyrs and wounded veterans.

Over the past years, the society has mobilised resources to build houses of gratitude for disadvantaged families at home, Hung said.

Ambassador Dao Xuan Hung called on the overseas Vietnamese community to provide practical support for needy families of fallen combatants and war invalids in Germany, and expressed his hope that they would unite with each other to contribute to the development of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Germany.

During the event, a number of wounded veterans and families of fallen soldiers were honoured with insignias by the society.

Previously, a similar ceremony was co-organised by the Embassy and the Vietnamese War Veterans’ Club in Berlin-Brandenburg at Dong Xuan Trade Centre in Berlin to mark the occasion.

Da Nang: More transformer station serving APEC operational

The Ngu Hanh Son 110kV transformer station in Da Nang was put into operation on July 31 to ensure sufficient power supply the APEC Leaders’ Meeting and related events to be held in the central city in November.

The station, the eighth and last of its kind to serve APEC meetings in the city, is located in Khai Tay 2 hamlet, Hoa Quy ward, Ngu Hanh Son district. The automated station has a capacity of transformer up to 80 MVA.

It is expected to ensure safe, continuous, and stable electricity supply for socio-economic development in Ngu Hanh Son district, while assuring adequate power for coastal resorts, FPT urban area, buildings and Da Nang University.

In order to better serve APEC meetings, the Da Nang Power Company will complete 22kV works. Continuous power supply will be ensured for the entire city from October 25 through November 15.

Workshop discusses sustainable energy development

Coal-fueled electricity plants have still failed to meet power demand in Vietnam, which is forecast to grow 10 percent annually during the 2010-2030 period.

Experts shared the view at a workshop themed “Sustainable energy development - Technology perspective” in Hanoi on July 31.

Currently, many coal-fired power plants in Vietnam have yet to reach its maximum capacity, while others have operated for nearly half a century with outdated technologies.

Tran Dinh Sinh, Vice Director of the Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID), suggested that once new plants are built to replace old ones, they should use advanced technologies to reduce environmental pollution.

In addition, Vietnam should pay due attention to efficient management, development and exploitation of energy sources, he added.

The country expects to generate 265 billion kWh of electricity in 2020 and 572 billion kWh in 2030, thus the development of new power sources and renewable energy are a must apart from thermal power.

To Quoc Tru, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Energy Science Council, proposed increasing the production of renewable energy to limit the use of coal-fired power.

Participants said sustainable energy development is common trend on the globe. Thereby, they recommended the issuance of regulations that force investors to use advanced technologies to reduce environmental pollution.

Cambodian leaders receive Vietnamese delegation

Cambodian leaders have received a delegation of former voluntary soldiers, experts and policy beneficiary families led by President of the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Association (VCFA) Vu Mao, who is in Cambodia from July 28 – August 3 at the invitation of the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Association (CVFA).

At a reception on July 29, President of the Senate of Cambodia Samdech Say Chhum affirmed that Cambodia and its people always bear in mind support by Vietnamese officials, experts and voluntary soldiers in toppling the Pol Pot genocide regime and fueling development in the country at present.

He spoke highly of the VCFA’s contributions to raising young generations’ awareness about the bilateral friendship and solidarity and how to promote such relationship in the future.

Vietnam is helping Cambodia train thousands of students, which provides an important workforce source for Cambodia’s future development, he said.

Meeting the delegation on July 31 morning, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and CVFA President Men Sam An wished that the VCFA would serve as a bridge linking the two peoples, particularly young generations together, in order to further foster bilateral traditional friendship.

Vu Mao briefed the hosts about the VCFA’s activities over the past years, adding that the association is launching the campaign “Nurturing Friendship” among Cambodian students in Vietnam.

He said former Vietnamese voluntary soldiers, experts and policy beneficiary families always look forward to returning to Cambodia and are delighted to witness positive changes in the country.

The delegation is scheduled to offer incense and lay a wreath at the Vietnam-Cambodian Friendship Monument in Phnom Penh, meet Great Supreme Patriarchs Tep Vong and Bour Kry, and visit several tourist attractions in the capital city.

Ho Chi Minh City develops social housing

Ho Chi Minh City aims to build about 20,000 social houses, 35,000 concentrated residential places for workers at industrial parks and 10,000 others for students during 2016-2020.

To that end, the city will classify subjects to social housing, targeting revolutionary contributors, low-income earners, the poor, those near the poverty line, workers in and outside industrial and processing zones, and officials, according to Tran Vinh Tuyen, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee.

The houses will be built in different areas to serve different purposes and sold at prices ranging from 300 million VND (13,200 USD) to about 1 billion VND (44,000 USD), he said.

At the same time, the locality will adjust the State budget for social housing, accelerate administrative reform to make it easier for relevant investment procedures, and publicise the list of eligible social housing projects.

The national housing development strategy targets 12.5 million sq.m of social and affordable housing by 2020.

Contest teaches kids skills against sexual abuse

Inmates aged between 10 and 20 living in HCM City’s shelters and disadvantaged children taking part in welfare projects were taught how to protect themselves from sexual abuse in a contest held on Sunday.

The contestants performed plays, songs, and fashion shows on the topic of protecting children.

The most impressive play was staged by children from Hoa Hồng Nhỏ Shelter in District 7.

It was about a woman who borrowed money to gamble. After running up large loans, she tries to force both her two daughters, one a child, to have sex with lenders.

The older sister refuses to accept this and the two complain to the police.

The play’s message is that when anyone faces a risk of sexual abuse, they should not hesitate to report to the authorities.

Sexual harassment on public transport and ways for children to protect themselves was highlighted through the plays in the contest.

The contest also told the children about their rights under the new Law on Children, which came into effect in June.

A 15-year-old boy who takes part in the HCM City Child Welfare Association’s Tre Xanh project -- whose beneficiaries are orphans and people whose parents are in prison -- said in real life he often faced the situations highlighted in the plays.

The contest had taught him how to recognise and avoid the threat of sexual abuse, he said.

Lương Thị Thuận, chairwoman of the HCM City Child Welfare Association, said: “Relevant agencies are paying close attention to helping children protect themselves from abuse. The whole community is joining hands for this task, but it is important for children to know how to protect themselves."

The contest was held in co-operation with Dynamo International-Street Workers Network.

New State budget rules start today

Starting today, establishments that draw funds from the State budget will have to publicise their budget estimates and balance every quarter under a new Circular of the Ministry of Finance.

Establishments can publicise the information at meetings, post the information at their headquarters or issue publications on their budget estimates and balance.

Budget-related information can also be publicized through the media or on company websites.

Relevant ministries, agencies and People’s Committees at all levels are responsible to examine the publication of State budget estimate and balance of establishments within their jurisdiction.

Violators will be punished in line with current regulations.

The publication of information must be done no later than 15 days after the end of the quarter and the six-month period.

In another regulation that kicks in August 15, the Electricity of Việt Nam will be allowed to adjust the average electricity retail price every six month under a decision issued by Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc. The price change must be done transparently, publicly and within the price framework regulated by the Prime Minister.

If the electricity price is increased 10 per cent higher than the current rate or affects the macro-economy, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will co-ordinate with the Ministry of Finance to inspect and review the price adjustment to submit to the PM for consideration.

Also from August 15, monthly pensions, social insurance allowances and social allowances will increase by 7.44 per cent for eight groups, including public officials, workers, soldiers, police and those receiving pensions for occupational accidents and diseases.

Malaysian fisherman sent home

The Border Guard High Command of the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung tau on August 1 handed over a Malaysian fisherman, who was in distressed in Vietnam’s waters, to the Malaysian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

Suhaimi Bin Muhamad, born in 1976, was rescued on July 23 by fishing boat coded BV 96868 TS when he was drifting at sea in bad health condition.

He was then taken ashore by a rescue ship of the Maritime Rescue Centre Zone 3 before being handed over to the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Border Guard High Command.

Zahirudin Abd Wahid, Vice Consul General of Malaysia in Ho Chi Minh City, thanked the Vietnamese side for rescuing and caring for the Malaysian national.-

Children prove talent combining mathematics and fine art

The most creative children were awarded in the final round of the contest titled “Critical thinking through painting 2017”, which was held on Sunday at the Việt Nam University of Fine Arts in Hà Nội.

The contest was organised by Mathnasium Vietnam, a centre that aims to introduce children to new and creative methods in learning mathematics.

In the final round of the contest, children had to draw paintings which include a circle, square, rectangle, logenze, trapezium and other shapes.

The first, second and third prize went to children whose paintings have the most original idea, the most interesting style and the most variation in colours.

Eleven-year-old Lê Phương Thảo from Hà Nội won first prize for her painting with the most original idea.

This final round attracted the participation of 200 candidates aged 5-15, from Hà Nội, Hưng Yên, Hải Phòng and Đà Nẵng, out of 2,000 contestants participating since the eliminator round in mid July.

Besides this, there were 10 consolation prizes for creative drawings and 10 hope prizes for the drawings that were the most amusing.

Organisers said the contest aims to affirm that mathematics is not so “dry”, and that it can even be very “artistic”. Through the contest, children can develop different skills including creation and logical thinking that are important for their success in the future. It can help children be more confident, more creative and continue to apply to logical thinking in mathematics as well as in arts and in life.

This is the second year Mathnasium Vietnam has organised this contest for children in the north of Việt Nam. In the first edition of this contest in 2016, thousands of children competed in different rounds.

The contest is highly appreciated by parents because it created an interesting playground for children.

“I thought that my daughter didn’t want to learn mathematics because this subject is difficult. But through the contest, I found that mathematics has high practicality, not only in life but also in the arts, in particular in painting,” Vân Anh, a mother of a girl who participated in the contest, said.

“While participating in this contest, my daughter could paint her dreams in vibrant colours. I hope that the contest will be organised in the coming years, so the children can prove their talent in painting and in learning mathematics.”

The total value of the awards at the contest goes up to VNĐ100 million (US$4,400). Mathnasium Vietnam began operating in HCM City in March 2011. Mathnasium currently has 34 centres in the country with 10,000 students studying. Mathnasium first appeared in the United States and was developed by mathematics professor Larry Martinek.

Photo exhibition on Vietnam-Laos relations opens in Xiang Khouang

A photo exhibition highlighting the fine relations between Vietnam and Laos and between Ho Chi Minh City and Xiang Khouang province opened on July 31 in the Lao province.

Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Huynh Cach Mang said that the bilateral friendship was founded by late Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh and his Lao counterpart Kaysone Phomvihane and has been nurtured by generations of Party and State leaders and peoples.

The relations are a precious asset and an important factor for each country’s revolutionary triumph and development, he affirmed.

The official, who is also President of the Vietnam-Laos Friendship Association’s Ho Chi Minh City chapter, said that the exhibition and the launch of a children’s reading room at the library of the Xiang Khouang province are gifts from the city to Xiang Khouang, thus helping the two peoples understand more about the close relationship between the two countries.

The library of the Xiang Khouang province was a gift from former Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and was constructed by Ho Chi Minh City and the Lao province.

Over 5,000 people to walk for AO victims, disabled people

More than 5,000 people are expected to join a charity walk at Dam Sen park in Ho Chi Minh City on the morning of August 5.

The event is organised by the municipal Red Cross in support of agent orange (AO)/dioxin victims and disabled people.

Last year, a similar walk helped the organisation raise more than 1.3 billion VND (57,200 USD) to aid about 2,800 AO/dioxin victims and provide nearly 750 million VND (33,000 USD) worth of wheelchairs for the disabled.

US National Defence University delegation visits Vietnam

Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Phuong Nam, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), hosted a reception in Hanoi on July 31 for a delegation from the US National Defence University (NDU).

At the meeting, Nam expressed his hope that through this trip, the US officers will learn about Vietnam and the VPA, thus contributing to cooperation between Vietnam and the US as well as between the two armies.

General Gregory S.Martin, a senior lecture of NDU’s Capstone Course, who is also head of the delegation, said the visit is an important part of the Capstone Course’s curricular, helping the members to learn more about the regional situation and Vietnam’s concerns and priorities.

At the meeting, Nam answered the US officers’ questions regarding the regional situation, Vietnam’s foreign and defence policies and potential for defence cooperation between the two countries.

Austria – the fifth largest trade partner of Vietnam in the EU

Austria is 5th largest trade partners of Vietnam from the EU, with a trade value of US$3 billion last year and US$1.5 billion in the first half of this year, according to the General Department of Vietnam Customs.

austria – the fifth largest trade partner of vietnam in the eu hinh 0 During the first half of this year, Vietnam’s imports from Austria were worth US$192.7 million, while exports reached US$1.3 billion.

Telephones and components ranked first among major export products to Austria with US$1.1 billion, accounting for 81.5% of total export value and up 16.32% compared to the same period last year. Machines, equipment and tools came second among export items, however they saw a high growth of 73.03% to US$20 million, followed by garments at US$19.9 million (up 32.64%).

It is noteworthy that ceramic goods were new among products that shipped to the European country in this period.

In general, most export products to the market in the first half of this year enjoyed a positive growth (66.6%), and only 33.3% suffered a decline, of which, wood and timber products saw the deepest fall at 31.12%.

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City battle dengue fever

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are in a battle against a dengue fever epidemic that has already affected tens of thousands of people across the country.

Despite a large number of patients, experts have warned that the mosquito-borne disease has yet to enter its peak season.

Over 5,000 cases have been recorded in Hanoi, two of which have been fatal.

Several districts in the capital have seen a ten-fold increase of patients compared to the same period of last year.

According to Nguyen Van Kinh, director of the Hanoi-based National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, over 250 people are admitted to the infirmary for dengue fever on a daily basis.

“We have added 1,000 beds and 280 doctors and nurses to provide treatment for patients suffering the disease,” Kinh said.

The Hanoi Center for Preventive Medicine under the municipal Department of Health has sent employees to spray mosquito repellent at locations at high risk.

In Ho Chi Minh City, major clinics including Children’s Hospitals 1 and 2, and the Hospital for Tropical Diseases are close to being overloaded by the large number of patients from the metropolis as well as other southern provinces.

About 11,195 cases have been recorded in the southern hub as of July 29, up by 24%, the municipal Department of Health reported, adding that four people have been killed by the disease this year.

Families have taken all types of measures to prevent mosquitoes from reproducing as a way of protecting themselves against the illness.