Social News 3/10 Former Housing Group General Director stands trial    Chau Thi Thu Nga at the trial   The Hanoi People’s Court on October 2 opened the first instance trial on Chau Thi Thu Nga, former Chairwoman and General Director of the Land and Housing Construction and Investment JSC (Housing Group) and her nine accomplices on the charge of swindling to appropriate assets.  The accomplices are four former Directors of Housing Group Nguyen Truong Son, Le Hong Cuong, Nguyen Vu Hung and Phan Thanh Tuyen; two former Directors of Housing Group Real Estate Trading Floor Nguyen Thi Tinh and Luu Thi Thuy; former chief accountant of Housing Group Pham Thi Thu Hanh; former Director and chief accountant of Housing Group Dinh Phuc Tieu; and former acting chief accountant of Housing Group Doan Thanh Thuy.  The court summoned 521 victims, including Hai Au Company and 68 other companies and individuals with related interests and obligations.  According to the indictment, Nga instructed the publishing of false information on the legal status and progress of the B5 Cau Dien housing project on the Housing Group’s website, for the purpose of wooing buyers of future apartments in the project.   She also created a model of the project based on the unapproved planning and displayed it at the headquarters of Housing Group. At the same time, Nga also instructed the planting of poles at the B5 Cau Dien project area to win buyers’ trust.  Between January 1, 2009 and July 30, 2013, Nga and her accomplices signed 752 contracts worth more than 377 billion VND (16.6 million USD) with apartment buyers at the projects. However, the project has not received approval and not carried out by now. After that, Nga returned just nearly 29 billion VND (1.26 million USD) to 43 buyers, and could not pay back the remaining 348 billion VND (15.4 million USD). She had no apartments to hand over to customers, neither. Despite being aware of the fact that the project has not been approved and granted construction licence, the nine former company execs helped Nga to cheat buyers.   The trial is scheduled to last until October 20. Bad weather causes cracks on Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm – Đình Vũ overpass The two 15m cracks on the surface of Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm – Đình Vũ overpass in northern Hải Phòng City’s Hải An District may be caused by bad weather and deep excavation. This was concluded on Monday, after officials of the city’s Department of Transport, the main investor of the overpass, conducted a field test and met consulting units and contractors to figure out the cause of the two cracks. Even though its surface has been carpeted and road lanes have been marked, the overpass has not yet been handed over and operated since some areas are still under construction. Lưu Quang Bôn, vice director of Bạch Đằng Construction Corporation and the project’s contractor, said that as soon as they spotted the cracks in the two bridgeheads, they notified the Hải Phòng City Department of Transport. However, at present, they are awaiting solutions from consulting units. “We guarantee that the main structure of the overpass is technically correct. We suspect that bad weather and deep excavation under the two sides of the bridge caused the cracks,” said Bôn. The city’s Department of Transport announced that they would collaborate with the contractors and consulting units to fix the cracks within a week, at the latest. The Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm - Đình Vũ overpass is aimed at improving the 356 route from Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm intersection to Đình Vũ street. The investment of VNĐ1.3 billion (US$57 million) is mobilised from the state and local budgets as well as other legal capitals. The project’s investor is Hải Phòng City Department of Transport and it is being constructed by the Bạch Đằng Construction Corporation and 12 Bridge Corporation. The 252.2m overpass is designed with seven arches, using a reinforced concrete girder. Construction on the project began on March 3, 2017, and was supposed to be completed in six months. Natural forests under Flitch project being destroyed Forests under the Flitch project in Tân Lương Ward, Sơn Hội Commune, Sơn Hòa District, are being destroyed to expand the planting area of acacia trees. Forests for Livelihood Improvement in the Central Highlands, also known as Flitch project, aims to improve forest cover; strengthen the capacity of management and utilisation of forests and forest land for organisations, communities and households; and sustainably manage and preserve biodiversity to improve people’s income. The project is being implemented in 60 wards of 22 districts in the provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Đăk Lăk and Lâm Đồng, as well as Phú Yên and Đăk Nông. Thanks to the project, Huỳnh Văn Trọng’s family was given 6.69ha of land, while the family of Nguyễn Thanh Hà, deputy head of Sơn Hội Ward People’s Committee, Sơn Hòa Commune, was given 13.327ha of land. After being granted land use rights in 2010, the two families started planting trees in 2012. Until September 2017, they proposed to exploit the plantation forests of acacia trees and were granted approval by the Sơn Hội Ward People’s Committee. However, in reality, they cut down hundreds of natural forest trees to expand the area of acacia trees. The deforestation has upset several residents. “The local authority prohibits people from cutting down trees in natural forests. Now, the destruction is happening publicly. The two families also hired trucks to gather wood along the Xuân Phước-Phú Hải road in Tân Lương Ward,” Nguyễn Văn Quý of Sơn Hội Commune said. According to another resident Nguyễn Thành Đáng, several local families have not been given any farming land, while local officials and their relatives are always prioritised. Further, people are also not allowed to enter the woods. Meanwhile, the public deforestation issue has not been resolved. On the other hand, Nguyễn Thanh Hà claimed his land was officially given by the authority. “I don’t know whether we cut down trees legally. However, as the document issued by Sơn Hội Ward People’s Committee allows us to exploit the planting area of acacia trees, we do it,” he added. Trần Ngọc Tây, head of Sơn Hội Ward People’s Committee, stressed that the ward had never permitted exploitation of natural forests. Additionally, Hà only asked to cut down acacia trees. According to Lê Văn Bé, head of Phú Yên Province’s Forest Protection Department, the department is conducting an investigation into the two families. About the Flitch project, Nguyễn Lý Nguyên, director of Phú Yên Province’s Agriculture and Rural Development Department, said the department had handed over plantation forest cover under the Flitch project to local authorities. However, some families flouted regulations, cutting down trees in the natural forest besides exploiting the plantation forest area. The department asked authorities of Đồng Xuân, Sơn Hòa and Sông Hinh districts where the Flitch project is being implemented to manage and protect the forest area and request people not to cut down trees in the natural forest. Trần Hữu Thế, deputy head of Phú Yên Province People’s Committee, ordered the Agriculture and Rural Development Department to collaborate with the provincial Forest Protection Department and Sơn Hội Ward People’s Committee to resolve the deforestation issue. Gia Hoét 1 levee breaks A portion of the Gia Hoét 1 dyke in Châu Đức District’s Quảng Thành’s Ward broke on Monday, flooding the residential area and sweeping away people’s cattle and assets. The levee breach was caused by the rising water level following heavy rainfall on September 30. According to funtional forces, at the time the dyke started breaking, the water level was 137.8m, higher than the inital design. Bùi Chí Thành, secretary of Châu Đức District People’s Committee, said it moved 25 families in danger to safe areas. The levee breach flooded 17ha of farming land in Quảng Thành, Xuân Sơn and Bình Trung communes and submerged people’s assets. The Gia Hoét 1 dyke is located behind Quảng Thành Ward’s residential area. Nearly 100 volunteers, troops and policemen collaborated to deal with the levee failure. Germany’s vocational training regime ‘good but does not suit’ The German vocational education and training system, known as the dual training scheme, has proved highly effective it that country, but Vietnam finds it difficult to apply the system. Phan Kim Ho from the Supporting Committee for Vietnamese People in Germany said under the dual training scheme, students both learn and work at enterprises and vocational schools. After three years, they will take a graduation exam at the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce, and if qualified they are fir for jobs in the real world. Students are often proficient at many employment tasks, able to create value for enterprises after around just two years. Fresh graduates can easily land jobs, and therefore, Germany has a low unemployment rate and highly skilled workers, he said at a conference on vocational training in Dong Nai last Friday. The cornerstone of the dual training scheme is that enterprises have to accompany schools during the training process. Enterprises not only accept students for their internship program but also pay them salaries. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, it is tough to find internship places for vocational students, due to a slew of reasons. For example, enterprises will have to take a great deal of time to instruct fresh graduates, affecting their jobs without gaining any benefits. Trinh Thanh Toan, vice rector of Hoa Binh Xuan Loc Vocational College, said if the school has a close relationship with a certain company, it will be easier for students to take internship there. Besides, he said, Vietnamese young people lack curiosity and creativity, and they seem not interested in reading books, showing a low level of self-study. Dong Nai Province has an abundant source of workforce, with nearly two million people in the working age. However, the labor quality and structure have not been adequate, according to Mao Quoc Chung, head of Vocational Training Division under the provincial Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs. In particular, he said, around 42% of laborers in the agriculture sector have not undergone any training. The quality of workforce is low, and unskilled laborers make up 32% while trained workers account for 53%. Overall, he stressed, the province is facing a shortage of skilled employees and technical workers. Besides, even those workers who have been trained have not met the requirements of enterprises regarding their professional and soft skills. At the conference, the committee handed over copies of the book “Co Dien Tu” (mechatronics) to 11 vocational schools in Dong Nai. The book is published by Nhat nghe tinh (Master One Trade) bookcase of the Saigon Times Foundation, an arm of the Saigon Times Group, in partnership with the committee. President congratulates children on Mid-Autumn Festival President Tran Dai Quang has sent a letter of congratulations to Vietnamese children at home and abroad on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on October 4 this year. He said the Law on Children took effect from June 1 this year with a number of new and specific regulations on child rights and responsibilities of educational organisations, agencies and institutions as well as families and individuals in implementing the rights of children. The President wrote he was very happy to see children in natural disaster and flood areas had overcome difficulties to pursue learning.  He welcomed children representing their peers nationwide to attend the fifth National Children’s Forum to discuss the prevention of child abuse and violence. The President called on children to make more efforts to become good citizens and contribute to building a beautiful and rich country. Held in the 15th of the eighth lunar month, Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important and meaningful festivals in Vietnam. Toys and lanterns are an integral part of the mid-autumn festival parade. To the sounds of the drumbeat, children hold colourful lanterns and march on roads, and that is the most interesting part of the mid-autumn festival celebration. Traditional games will be played such as carrying rice across a bamboo bridge, see-saw, wooden horse, jumping-in-sack race, tug of war, stick-and-ball, clay crackers, board games and blindfolded drummer. Workshop highlights non-violence philosophy of Indian leader The Embassy of India in Vietnam and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS) jointly held a workshop titled “Mahatma Gandhi: The Saint from Gujarat” in Hanoi on October 2. The event aimed to mark the 148th birth anniversary of Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi (October 2, 1869), 45th anniversary of Vietnam-India diplomatic ties (1972), and 10 years of the International Day of Non-Violence (October 2). It gave an insight into the life of Mahatma Gandhi – a great national leader of India who is famous for the philosophy of “non-violence”. Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Parvathaneni Harish said the workshop creates an opportunity for Vietnam and India to honour their friendship as well as commemorate the great father of India. On the occasion, the Vietnamese version of the book “The Essence of Hinduism” by Mahatma Gandhi was introduced to local readers. The over 400-page book is divided into five main parts highlighting the philosophy of Gandhi. It is part of a project sponsored by the VASS entitled “Knowledge about Hinduism and Hinduism in Vietnam”. Football tournament in RoK raises fund for poor students     A football tournament for Vietnamese people in the Republic of Korea (RoK), the fourth of its kind, was held in Osan city, Gyeonggy province, on October 2 to raise fund for poor students at home. Addressing the opening ceremony, First Secretary of the Embassy of Vietnam in the RoK Cao Minh Duc highlighted the significant contributions the Vietnamese expatriates have made to the host country. Duc expressed his hope that the Vietnamese community in the RoK will continue enhancing their solidarity in the country while providing practical assistance for disadvantaged people at home, pledging that the embassy will continuously support such activities. Chairman of the Council of Osan city Hwan Son-Cheong extended his thanks to the overseas Vietnamese community for their contributions to the city and vowed to continue facilitating their living and working, thus promoting the Vietnam – RoK relationship, particularly in the people-to-people diplomacy. Nguyen Ngoc Cam, President of the Association of the overseas Vietnamese people in the RoK, said the event will be annually organised in the coming years. Last year’s tournament raised nearly 10,000 USD, which was used to build the Truong Xuan Primary School in Quang Ninh district, the central province of Quang Binh. The proceedings of this year’s event will be spent on building a boarding house for students at Tra Don school, Tra My district, the central province of Quang Nam. Currently, more than 150,000 Vietnamese people are living and working in the RoK, with one third being guest workers. The number is increasing fast together with strong development of the strategic partnership between Vietnam and the RoK, particularly in people-to-people diplomacy. Scholarships given to female students in Ben Tre The Ben Tre Women’s Association, on October 2, presented 200 Nguyen Thi Dinh scholarships for outstanding female students across the Mekong Delta province. The total value of these scholarships exceeded 200 million VND (8,800 USD).  The Nguyen Thi Dinh scholarship has annually been awarded to local female students at the beginning of a school year since 1996. Its recipients have to date amounted to more than 4,000. Sponsored by the German organisation Kinderhilfe Hyvong Vietnam eV, the fund aims at helping disadvantaged learners to pursuit education. Ingrid Sperling, head of the organisation, said her agency will continue backing the fund in hope of no girls quitting schools due to financial difficulties.- Tay Ninh: Tan Nam upgraded to international border gate The Prime Minister has approved a proposal to upgrade Tan Nam auxiliary border gate in the southwestern province of Tay Ninh into an international one, a local official has said. The Tan Nam border gate in Tan Binh commune, Tan Bien district, is opposite to Mien Chay border gate in Cambodia’s Pray Veng province. The border gates are some 150 kilometres from Ho Chi Minh City and 120 kilometres from Phnom Penh. The international border gate pair is of significance, facilitating trade and economic activities of local people while shortening time travelling from the Vietnamese southern hub to Phnom Penh as compared to travelling through Moc Bai international border gate. Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Tran Luu Quang said at the committee’s meeting on October 2 that the province will recommend the Government to build Tan Nam into an eco-tourism border gate as it is located in Lo Go-Xa Mat national park. It is necessary to develop traffic roads and technical infrastructure to meet operation demand of an international border gate, he added. Tay Ninh province will house three international border gates, including Moc Bai, Xa Mat and Tan Nam and four major border gates - Ka Tum, Chang Riec, Phuoc Tan and Tong Le Chan and 11 auxiliary border gates along the border with Cambodia. Cham people in Ninh Thuan celebrate Kate festival The ethnic Cham Brahman people will hold the Kate festival, their most important event in the year, in the central province of Ninh Thuan from October 19-21.  Major activities will take place in temples, towers and central areas in villages and towns on October 19 morning.  Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Van Binh said a ceremony to receive a certificate recognising the Kate festival as a national tangible heritage will also be held in Po Klong Garai and Po Rome towers and Po Inungar shrine on October 19 morning.  Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chau Thanh Hai said visitors to the event could witness rituals such as a costume procession, the opening of tower gates, genie statue bathing as well as enjoy Gi Nang drum and Saranai horn sounds. Falling on the first day of the seventh month of the Cham calendar, Kate is the most popular Cham festival in Ninh Thuan. It reminds the ethnic Brahman community of their ancient gods and delivers wishes for bumper harvests and the growth of all beings.    The Cham people have several distinctive festivals including the Ramuwan, the Rija Nugar, and the Chabun. There are about 153,000 Cham people in Vietnam, including approximately 72,500 people in Ninh Thuan. Over 43,000 of them, scattered across 12 communes in seven districts, follow the Brahmin religion. Hanoi hosts 321,000 foreign visitors in September The capital city of Hanoi welcomed 321,000 foreign visitors in September, representing rises of 5.9 percent compared to the previous month and 89.2 percent year-on-year. The September figure brought the total number of foreign holidaymakers in the first nine months of 2017 to almost 2.65 million, up 27.6 percent as compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, the number of domestic tourists to Hanoi was 829,000, rising 0.9 percent year-on-year. In the January-September period, Hanoi served about 7.37 million domestic visitors, up 4.2 percent compared to the corresponding period of 2016. Earnings from accommodation, food and travel services in September reached 5.28 trillion VND (232.32 million USD), increasing 12.1 percent year-on-year. Since the start of the year, the total revenue hit 45.32 trillion VND (1.99 billion USD), up 9.6 percent compared to last year. Over the years, Hanoi has been chosen among most attractive destinations in Asia and the world by the prestigious travel magazines and websites, including TripAdvisor. Fund helps bring joyful Mid-Autumn Festival to disadvantaged children The National Fund for Vietnamese Children has supported over 6,600 disadvantaged children nationwide with 2.6 billion VND on the occasion of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. From September 29 to October 1, the fund held various festive activities to children ahead of the festival. On September 29, it held a festival for 400 children, including 200 from the Dan Lai ethnic minority group in Con Cuong district, the central province of Nghe An. During the event, the fund presented 150 scholarships worth 1 million VND each to children with outstanding academic performance, along with 600 gifts, 200 school kits and 50 bicycles to local children. On September 30, the fund gave 418 gift packages valuing 300,000 VND each to children in Son Duong district of the northern province of Tuyen Quang and 100 scholarships and 300 gifts to poor children in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre. Meanwhile, the fund has also organized various activities to give a joyful Mid-Autumn festival to children in various localities, including Hoa Binh, Thua Thien-Hue, Ha Nam, Hanoi, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Phu Tho and Bac Giang. Central Highlands Dak Lak province lures numerous projects The Central Highlands province of Dak Lak has attracted numerous projects by domestic and foreign investors in recent years, according to the provincial authorities.  In the first nine months this year, the province lured 48 projects with a total registered capital of more than 3 trillion VND (132 million USD), up three projects and marking a 2.4-fold increase in value year-on-year.  Most of them focus on farm produce processing, animal feed, commerce, services, industry and renewable energy.  The province agreed to present certificates allowing investment to build solar power plants in Buon Don, Ea Sup districts by Xuan Thien Ltd company, TH True Milk and the US’s AES Group.  It has provided investors with information about the business climate, incentives, procedures and a list of projects in need of capital while clearing arising barriers.  Dak Lak is now home to 12 foreign-invested projects worth 171.448 million USD, mostly in farm produce processing, animal feed, trade and export-driven floriculture. Impoverished farmers build homes for those more needy For more than a decade, a group of nearly 20 farmers has been travelling through the Đồng Tháp Mười wetland to build houses for those even less advantaged thhan themselves. On a scorching hot noon in mid-August, a dozen middle-aged men labored to unload heavy logs of eucalyptus wood from a rumbling truck. The men were drenched in sweat but appeared strangely content. The reason for their satisfaction was simple: "The woodpile we have today will be enough to build several houses for poor people,” explained one. Nguyễn Văn Hoàng, the head of the An Hoà Commune’s Red Cross society in the north of Đồng Tháp Province, is also head of the “charitable house group”. He travelled to the Cambodian-border commune of Thường Thới Tiền some 40km away to buy the logs for VNĐ 30 million (US$1,320). “The money came solely from donations. People see that we are capable and that the work we do is decent so many have contributed. The only concern is that we won’t have the strength to build houses any more, not the lack of funds,” Hoàng told the Tiền Phong (Vanguard) newspaper. The charitable house group was formed more than ten years ago. When members first solicited donations, many people were visibly hesitant because they were not sure their money would be used for the right people. “When doing charity work like this, money matters must be transparently clear or else people will not be convinced,” Hoàng said. The initial group was smaller, but its results drew additional members. At present, the group boasts 18 members, with the oldest in their late 70s and youngest one being 55. Every day, the men carry out a "to do" list of tasks – chopping trees, shaving logs, building wooden frames, transporting the material to the needy and starting construction. The group has also asked for donations to build several small bridges – crucial for a region criss-crossed by rivers, canals and other water channels – as well as hundreds of bikes and thousands of notebooks for poor students at the start of the new school year in September. Hoàng said after receiving donations from benefactors who live as far as HCM City, the group buys wood from orchards, then carries out a survey before construction. The houses the group builds are mostly stilt houses or one-floor wooden houses, with an area of 30-32 sq.m each, covered with corrugated metal roofs. On average, the group builds some 150 charitable houses a year at a total cost of VNĐ 3 billion ($132,000), each costing around VNĐ 20-35 million ($880-1,540). Nguyễn Văn Quý, vice chairman of An Hoà People’s Committee, said the group’s efforts in replacing makeshift houses is helping the locality achieve new rural standards. The Vietnamese have a saying: “The whole leaf covers the torn ones”. In other words, those with more means help those with fewer. In the case of the charitable house group, the saying could be modified to say “the torn leaves cover the even more torn ones” to more accurately describe the situation. According to Hoàng, members of the group are all poor, however, their children are grown up and established, so now they have time to help those even poorer than them. Nguyễn Thanh Tâm, 61, doesn’t have any agricultural field to speak of. His three children, already married and working in HCM City, send money back to their parents. “We are poor, no doubt about that, but luckily, we do not have to worry about hunger, we still have a decent house. Many others are facing more difficulties than us, so we try to help them as much as we can. This way, we also accumulate good karma for our children,” Tâm said. Other members, like Nguyễn Văn Tèo and Dương Văn Tài, are in the same boat, their sole income being from children’s support, but that doesn’t deter them from helping others. “No one lives forever, so just do whatever is useful to society while you still can, and for the younger children to follow,” Tài said. According to Tài, none of the group’s members worked professionally in carpentry. “At first, the wood look really ugly, but time has honed our skills. And moreover, this is volunteering, without any training whatsoever, so the recipients of the houses don’t even want to complain, just having a sturdy house to live in is enough for them,” Tài said. Over time, word spread and residents from far and wide – even from other provinces like Kiên Giang or Bến Tre – have come to seek the group’s help. The group verifies their status and gets to work. Nguyễn Văn Thành from Phú Thành B Commune of Hồng Ngự township is one of the many who have received the group’s help. Thành and his wife don’t own any land, they have four young children and have been living on a decade-old decrepit boat floating on a sedentary nearby river.  “Having a house on land is a life-long dream of mine, but after years of working it still remains so distant. I can barely keep my family fed. Now, me and my wife no longer have to worry about our daughter falling into the river or the strong waves sinking the boat,” Thành said.  Design contest inspires disadvantaged kids Children who live at five social welfare centres and shelters in HCM City and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province took part in a Humpty Dumpty Design and Painting Contest from September 17 to October 1. From this contest, five winners were chosen by the contest’s jury and the public, which will vote via social media from October 2 to 9. The four centres and shelters represented include Thủ Đức Youth Village, Linh Xuân Children with HIV/AIDS Care and Welfare Centre, HCM City SOS Children’s Village and Vocational Education Centre for Youth in HCM City, and the Children Social Welfare Centre in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province. The children were under the mentorship of film director Việt Max, fashion designer Thủy Nguyễn, animation artist Phan Vũ Linh, and Kingsmen Vietnam’s design manager Nique Choo. The winning designs will be mass-produced and sold to the public at pop-up stores set up by Kingsmen Vietnam at high-traffic shopping malls in HCM City in November and December to raise funds for the centres and shelters. Trần Công Hưng, aged 9, of HCM City SOS Children’s Village in Gò Vấp District, told Việt Nam News: “Through the mentorship, my friends and I were taught how to design and use different colours to paint the concrete statues.” Film director Việt Max said the contest was a chance for young people to discover their artistic abilities. “Art helps them show their creativity.” Nguyễn Đắc Chiến, who specialises in education for children at the village, agreed, saying that the activities helped the children develop their intelligence and personality. Kevin Cheon, executive director at Kingsmen Vietnam, said that everyone should have an equal opportunity to pursue their dreams under any circumstance. The contest aims to create a sustainable platform to empower and inspire less privileged youth to nurture their creativity and explore future career opportunities, Cheon said. The contest is part of a campaign organised by Kingsmen Vietnam, a communication design and production company headquartered in Singapore, and endorsed by HCM City People’s Committee and the city’s Department of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs. The campaign aims to raise VNĐ500 million (US$22,026) from September to December. Humpty Dumpty is Kingsmen’s mascot. Doctors removes huge tumor, save 4-year-old’s life K (Cancer) Hospital’s doctors have successfully removed a 3kg tumour, saving the life of a four-year-old boy -- one of the hospital’s most successful surgeries, so far. The patient is Bá Minh Đức from Hải Bối Commune, Đông Anh District, Hà Nội. Some months ago, his parent found he had developed unusual health symptoms, such as various illnesses and loss of sensation in his feet. After visiting several hospitals, doctors detected a huge tumour that was occupying most of his abdomen. Some hospitals refused to perform surgery on him because they felt he was too young to be put under anesthesia for so long. On August 30, Đức was sent to K Hospital where doctors decided to remove his tumour to save his life. A 3kg tumor was removed from his abdomen following a six-hour surgery conducted by a team of doctors led by hospital deputy director Nguyễn Đại Bình. “The surgery’s result is beyond our expectation. The doctors’ team saved his life,” Bình said. Đức is currently under close supervision in the hospital’s ICU although his test results have returned normal. Bình said Đức will still have to fight hard to overcome the disease and required huge support from doctors and the community in the future. Five crew members saved from sunken vessel Five crew members from a sunken vessel were rescued and taken back to the mainland Monday morning, the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre Zone 3 said. The fishing vessel sank off the coast of Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province at 6.30pm on Sunday due to strong winds and big waves. A rescue ship was mobilised when the centre received information about the sunk vessel. At 7.30pm, all the crew members were saved and sent back to the mainland for treatment. Nguyễn Đình Kết, captain of the vessel, said that it sank so quickly that the crew members could do nothing but jump out. On the same day, the centre announced that it had found the body of a crew member, who had fallen into the sea on Friday. At about 5pm, Võ Hải Biên, captain of a fishing vessel, fell into the sea while anchoring his vessel on Bến Đầm Bay in Côn Đảo District. The body was taken to the local authorised agency. Hải Phòng ferry port in need of upgrade Gót-Cái Viềng Ferry Port in northern Hải Phòng City needs to be expanded and upgraded to ease overloading, local transport experts have said. The port is the only port pick up and drop off point for passengers to Cát Bà Island. Nguyễn Văn Hiệp, deputy director of Hải Phòng Waterway Transport JSC, said the overloading began after the Tân Vũ-Lạch Huyện Bridge was put into use early last month, connecting Hải Phòng City and Cát Hải Island. Previously, residents and tourists had to take two ferries -- from Hải Phòng City to Cát Hải Island and then from Cát Hải Island to Cát Bà Island. Passengers usually had to wait for their turn to get the ferry to the island. However, since the bridge was built, a large number of passengers have been visiting Cát Hải Island, causing serious overloading on Gót-Cái Viềng Ferry Port, especially on weekends. The line of cars waiting for their turn to get on the ferry to Cát Bà Island was reportedly one kilometre long. Hiệp said the company has mobilised five more ferries, raising the total number of ferries of nine, to curb overloading. However, the situation has not improved. Nguyễn Thành Nghiệp, head of Gót-Cái Viềng Ferry Port, said that the number of passengers has significantly increased, therefore the port mobilised all its employees, with co-operation from the local authority and local police, to ensure smooth traffic. The distance between ticket booths to the waiting house was only 200m; however, the road was very narrow, causing serious congestion when vehicles entered or left the area. Worse, the port’s capacity was only two ferries at a time. Thus, the waiting house was always full, he said. The other ferries had to anchor near the port, affecting the waterway traffic. Experts said it was necessary to upgrade the road connecting the ticket booths to the waiting house of the port at the earliest. The port was also in need of expansion for more ferries to anchor and pick up/drop off passengers.  Book about 18th century VN wins award A collection of seven books featuring the history, politics, economy and culture of Việt Nam in the second half of the 18th century by Vietnamese-American researcher Nguyễn Duy Chính has been awarded Best Book for 2017 by the nonprofit group IRED Institute of Education and the Phan Châu Trinh Foundation in Việt Nam. The award, first given in 2011, is for books in the fields of research, economics, management, education, self-development or life values, literature and children’s books. Chính was born in 1948 in Sơn Tây Province (now Sơn Tây town of Hà Nội), and moved with his family in 1954 to HCM City. In 1979, he studied in the US, and now lives in California. He began to conduct research on the history of Việt Nam in 2002, publishing research works Xưa & Nay (Past & Present) and Nghiên Cứu & Phát Triển (Research and Development) under the Thừa Thiên-Huế Province’s Science and Technology Department. He has released 10 books on Việt Nam in the 18th century. The award for the best book in the education category was given to Nước Đức thế kỷ XIX – Cuộc cách mạng giáo dục khoa học & công nghệ (Germany in the 19th Century – The Revolution of Education, Science and Technology) by Nguyễn Xuân Xanh. The 295-page book was published by the Dân Trí (People’s Knowledge) Publishing House last year.    Author Trần Mai Anh received an award for her children’s book Hành Trình Yêu Thương – Nhật Ký Thiện Nhân (Love Journey – Diary of Thiện Nhân), while Tình Cát (Love and Sand), a romantic novel by Nguyễn Quang Lập, was recognised as the best book in the literature category. The organisers also granted prizes to Phạm Sỹ Thanh and Alan Phan for books on economics and management, respectively. The award for books about self-development or life values was shared by authors Nguyễn Vĩnh Nguyên, Huỳnh Trọng Khang and Nguyễn Lân. Philosopher Bùi Nam Sơn, a member of the organisation’s board, said at the awards ceremony in HCM City on Sunday that the Best Book Awards introduce readers to “quality and significant publications, as well as promote people’s reading habits and elevate their reading taste.” At the ceremony, the organiser launched a special programme called “Books for Prisoners”, which will collect books from the community to donate books to prisons nationwide. Books on law, education, vocational guidance, lifestyle, history and culture are encouraged. “The programme is expected to create opportunities for prisoners to re-educate themselves,” Sơn said. Arts programmes feature Vietnamese culture in Cambodia A variety of art performances featuring Vietnamese culture will be presented at Việt Nam’s Cultural Week, which is being held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The event is being jointly held by Việt Nam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of diplomatic relation between the two nations. According to Vietnam National Music Song and Dance Theatre director Nguyễn Quang Vinh, nearly 40 theatre artists will perform in two grand programmes -- the inauguration of Việt Nam’s Cultural Week and the arts programme for the Vietnamese community in Phnom Penh. The artists will present typical art performances representing the traditional cultural values of Việt Nam to the audience. Vinh also said the áo dài, the Vietnamese traditional dress, and the conical hat will serve as typical cultural ambassadors to portray Vietnamese beauty this week. The event also features other representative images and traditional values from across the country, such as the lanterns or the collection of traditional musical instruments. “If the performances at the inauguration of Việt Nam’s Cultural Week focus on introducing the cultural essence of Việt Nam to both Cambodian and international friends, the programme for the Vietnamese community at the Vietnamese Embassy in Phnom Penh is expected to evoke the affection and nostalgia of the Vietnamese living abroad.” Vinh said. Addressing rehearsals of the art performances, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vương Duy Biên highly appreciated Vietnam National Music Song and Dance Theatre’s efforts. “Việt Nam’s Cultural Week in Cambodia is a meaningful cultural and political event, contributing to improving relations between the two nations. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare and present truly distinctive arts programmes featuring Việt Nam’s colours and soul to introduce to international friends,” he said. Việt Nam’s Cultural Week in Cambodia is on until October 6. Vietravel wins ‘Best Travel Agency’ at Asia-Pacific’s travel industry awards Vietravel was recognised as ‘Việt Nam’s Best Travel Agency’ at the TTG Travel Awards Ceremony in Bangkok on Saturday. The award marks the fifth time the company has received the honour. The annual TTG Travel Awards, regarded as the Asia-Pacific’s most prestigious travel industry awards, honours stellar organisations and individuals in four categories: Travel Supplier, Travel Agency, Outstanding Achievement and Travel Hall of Fame. At the 28th awards ceremony, Vietravel took home its title after receiving the highest number of votes travel consultants, tour operators and destination management companies.       The annual search for Asia Pacific’s most outstanding travel organisations, spanning two months from May to July, calls upon industry professionals to name travel suppliers in the region who have risen above the competition and surpassed expectations. For Travel Supplier Awards, only votes cast by travel consultants, tour operators and destination management companies count towards the final result. For Travel Agency Awards, only votes cast by hoteliers, airline staff, car rental companies, cruise operators, national tourism organisations, GDS companies and all other travel professionals count towards the final result. During the first nine months of this year, Vietravel offered tours for 550,000 guests, a 125 per cent increase compared with the same time last year. The company reached the significant figure thanks to its diversified tour products and service. Vietravel is the company offering the sole transportation service for the Asia Beach Games 5 held in Đà Nẵng last September. At present, Vietravel has more than 40 offices and branches nationwide and in some foreign countries including Cambodia, Thailand and the US. The company plans to continue opening representative offices in other countries, aiming to be the first multi-national tourist company of Việt Nam by 2020. First photo contest on elderly people launched The Health Ministry and General Office for Population- Family Planning have launched an online photo competition on the role of senior citizens in response to International Day for Old Persons (October 1) and the Action Month for the Vietnamese Elderly. The contest is set to run from October 2 to 31, with awards to be announced and presented between November 5 and 10. All Vietnamese nationals and foreigners living in Vietnam are eligible to send their entries to the email address nguoicaotuoi2017@cpcs.vn. Each person can submit a maximum of 3 entries, with each entry not exceeding 7 photos. Submitted photos need to have titles and captions having less than 200 words in Vietnamese. Their contents are recommended to focus on promoting the role of the elderly and communal assistance toward the group. Further information can be found on www.cpcs.vn or www.facebook.com/cpcs.vn.  Vietnam has about 10.1 million senior citizens, accounting for some 11 percent of the population. The figures are expected to rise to 19 million people and 17 percent by 2030, and 28 million people and 25 percent in 2050. UNFPA helps Vietnam in data use for plan, goal implementation The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is going to assist Vietnamese agencies to collect and use high-quality data to serve the implementation of development plans and the Sustainable Development Goals until 2021. The project has recently been approved in principle by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. It aims to support in the supply and use of high-quality data and evidence on population and development so as to serve the making and monitoring of the implementation of socio-economic development policies, strategies and plans and the SDGs in Vietnam for 2017-2021. It will be funded with more than 5.14 million USD through non-refundable official development assistance, along with nearly 11 billion VND (484,000 USD) of Vietnam. Under this project, new technologies will be applied for the 2019 census to improve data collection and census findings provision.  The project will help publicise some findings of the national action programme on civil registration and statistics, while building criteria for sustainable development statistics. It will also provide information for Party, National Assembly and Government agencies and propose recommendations to assist the making and enforcement of policies relevant to population and development. Diageo donates computers to Ninh Thuận schools Diageo Vietnam Company Ltd has donated 108 used computers to schools in Ninh Thuận Province for the 2017-18 academic year. The 103 laptops and five desktop computers have been provided so that students and teachers have more tools to improve the quality of learning. Diageo has donated hundreds of computers to students and people with disabilities throughout the country, often their first. With community support activities part its operational strategy, Diageo has carried out a number of charity programmes, including “Water of Life”, which has since 2011 provided thousands of families and students in schools in remote areas in Ninh Thuận with access to clean water, and “Plan W - Empowering women through learning” in 2013-2017. Time stood still for Tuấn Idol What do you do when you buy a watch that turns out to be a dud? A man whose Facebook moniker is Tuấn Idol came up with an unusual way to handle the dispute with the watch store, although its effectiveness is in doubt.  He went along to the Đăng Quang Watch store on Trần Duy Hưng Street in Hà Nội’s Cầu Giấy District accompanied by a posse of scantily dressed young women. As seen on the video clip that has gone viral in recent days on social media, Tuấn and the women stood outside the shop and used a microphone and loudspeaker to demand justice. Tuấn bought an Epos watch at the Đăng Quang Watch store, a famous chain with 86 stores across the country, for VNĐ56 million (US$2,400). He said that after using it for three days, the watch appeared to have tired itself out and the hands stopped moving. Tuấn took the watch to the store and asked to replace it or get his money back. However, the store demanded that he pay an additional VNĐ10 million ($440) for a new watch. A representative of the store said Tuấn used the watch for 13 days, from September 14 to 27, during which the watch acquired many scratches. The extra charge was for the scratches, he said, a compromise that would ensure the rights of both sides. Tuấn was not appeased and appealed to the local police. Resolution of the case is pending. Embezzling for cosmetic surgery The Cần Thơ City Police intends to prosecute a local woman for embezzling VNĐ8.4 billion (US$373,300) from her employer. Võ Thị Hồng Yến, 33, was the head of the Finance Division at the Cần Thơ Vocational Tourism College. According to the police investigation, from September 2010 to July 2016, Yến took advantage of her position to fake salary and allowance reports, receipts for stationery and school upgrades, in order to steal the money. Yến, according to police, used some of the money allegedly spent on a school makeover for a different kind of makeover: cosmetic surgery.  However, her new look is unlikely to be of much help in jail where she seems headed, proving that corruption is ugly, no matter how you look at it. Are animals more equal than humans? Quang Hưng Commune has gone to the dogs. Or, more specifically, the pigs, chickens and ducks. Many spacious houses in the commune in Phù Cừ District, the northern province of Hưng Yên are now home to these animals instead of people. Has the small commune witnessed an Animal Farm style uprising? Have the pigs declared all animals equal? Not quite, as shockingly, an administrative cock-up has led to residents of the commune being forced to trade places with their livestock. Bureaucratic madness in Việt Nam you say? Surely not! Unfortunately it’s true; Hưng Yên People’s Committee issued an instruction on March 26 last year, asking local residents to destroy their houses that were build on land zoned for agricultural purposes. To avoid destroying perfectly good houses, residents of the commune moved their animals into the houses, and started living in the animals’ old cages, meaning the lucky animals now live in houses worth some VNĐ1 billion (US$44,400) each. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development did recently run a campaign to ‘save the pigs’, but no-one said anything about housing the pigs. Thanh Hoa shoe workers strike against company's poor treatment Nearly 6,000 workers at the Venus Vietnam Shoe Company in the northern central province of Thanh Hoa went on strike on Monday to ask for better treatment and policies.  Nearly 6,000 workers at the Venus Vietnam Shoe Company gathered at the company's headquarters in Thanh Hoa Province to ask for better treatment and policies on October 2. The strike started right at the morning working hours at 7 am when hundreds of workers gathered at the gate of the company and voiced their demands. The strike soon attracted thousands of other workers who walked out to join the protest. According to the workers, they objected to the company's parking ban announced a day earlier which said the parking area would be turned into a restaurant and workers must find a place outside the company to park their vehicles.  "Although the company said they would provide VND50,000 (USD2.20) each a month to pay for parking fees, but we don't agree because the factories are very far from parking lots outside and this would affect our working hours," a worker explained. Besides the parking problems, the workers also demanded the company to ensure other legitimate rights including providing enough drinking water, increasing meal allowances for workers doing overtime, upgrading the seriously deteriorating canteen, and ensuring unemployment benefits. "We have to give three days notice if we want to ask for a sick leave," another worker said. "We often have to work three to four extra hours until 9-10pm but are not provided with an additional meal. And when the company lacks of work, they ask us to stay home and then deduct the days from our annual leave." The workers also demanded that the company makes sure that managers will not abuse and insult their staff.  A provincial union official Le Van Giang had been sent to work with the company and workers.  ​In Vietnam, flight ticket agents sell passenger info to airport transport services Several flight ticket agencies in Vietnam have been caught selling passenger information to local taxi and transport services. The practice is most noticeable at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, followed by Cam Ranh Airport in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa. On the morning of September 20, Tran Hoang Tung got off his flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and received a series of phone calls and text messages advertising taxi services. Answering one of the calls, Tung talked to a man who introduced himself as a telephone operator at Noi Bai Connect. Noi Bai Connect is designed to link flight passengers at Noi Bai with local taxi services. “Did you board the Vietjet flight that took off at 11:45 pm? A car will be picking you up at 1:45 am. Please leave your phone on,” the employee said. As per the arrangement, Tung was picked up by a driver named Hoang. “Noi Bai Connect is well known in Hanoi as it is able to update passenger information after they book a flight.” Hoang elaborated. Ten telephone operators at the company work around the clock to call and send messages to introduce transport services to flyers, he added. The cabby said he had to pay VND1 million (US$44) upfront to be granted an account that enables him to access flyer information. After being updated on the flight schedules, Hoang and thousands of other cabbies start a ‘reverse auction,’ in which whoever names the lowest fare ‘wins’ a passenger. “This ride costs VND280,000 [$12.32], of which I will only get VND190,000 [$8.36] while the rest will be claimed by Noi Bai Connect,” Hoang told his passenger. Taxi drivers in Hanoi are also able to obtain flight schedules of passengers via other channels, with Zalo, a Vietnamese mobile-based free texting and calling app, the most common. Drivers are required to pay a fee in advance, with 15 percent of their fare sent to the providers of the passenger information. Khanh, another cabby, revealed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that he was using the Hanoi-based VG Company. Every cabby is required to pay the service provider an upfront fee of between VND300,000 ($13) and VND500,000 ($22). The firm receives a commission by deducting the advance payment from drivers. Within the months of July and August, Khanh received the information of 55 passengers of Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet flights, including names, phone numbers, flight numbers, and times of arrival. The business license of Noi Bai Connect reveals its headquarters are at 352 Buoi Street in Ba Dinh District. However, an investigation revealed that the firm is based on the first floor of a building at 45 Nguyen Trai Street, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi, which is actually a pizza shop. Trang, an employee of the company, said that it has connected about 2,000 drivers with passengers and been cooperating with local flight ticket agents. A typical ride from Noi Bai to downtown Hanoi provided by Noi Bai Connect costs about VND200,000 ($8.8), Trang said. The driver will claim VND120,000 ($5.3), while the other VND80,000 ($3.52) is shared equally between the company and its partnered ticket agencies. Meanwhile, an employee from VG Company said that all information is only shared internally. Several ticket agents have been cooperating with more than one service at a time, meaning passengers are likely to be contacted by multiple phone numbers after getting off their flights. According to C., a staff member of SM, a Hanoi-based ticket agency, multiple businesses have proposed deals with them. “We pick the firm that names the highest commission,” C. added. Fahasa holds German book fair in HCM City The HCMC Book Distribution Corporation (Fahasa) in conjunction with the Goethe Institute in Ho Chi Minh City is organizing a German book exhibition on Nguyen Hue Boulevard in District 1. The book fair is taking place from now until October 8, featuring more than 10,000 copies of German books in various fields such as literature, textbooks, references and children’s books. All book titles are from Germany’s leading publishers such as Cornelsen Verlagskontor GmbH, Hueber Verlag GmbH & Co. KG and Ernst Klett Sprachen GmbH. On the occasion, Fahasa will offer a 10% discount on all German book titles on display at the bookstore. The leading book distribution company is preparing to launch the second German book stall at Fahasa bookstore in Hanoi, creating opportunities for those loving the German language and culture to improve language proficiency and boost cultural exchange, the Vietnam News Agency reports. Nguyen Hue Fahasa Bookstore is located at 40 Nguyen Hue Boulevard in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1.     British Council holds education show in three big cities The British Council Vietnam will organize the UK Education Exhibition 2017 at Lotte Hotel in Hanoi on October 7, InterContinental Asiana Saigon in HCMC on October 8 and at Novotel Hotel in Danang on October 12 from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., with around 60 UK universities, colleges and high schools taking part. Those interested in UK education can learn more about information on various undergraduate, postgraduate, pathway programs as well as domestic programs leading to UK-accredited degrees aside from looking for scholarship opportunities. Visitors can talk with Living Books, known as Vietnamese alumni and students currently studying in the UK, who are willing to share their learning and job-seeking experiences and stories about university life in the UK. One of the highlights of the event is the UK cultural corner with its theme “Harry Potter”, allowing exhibition-goers to get a glimpse of the UK culture and lifestyle in celebration of the 20th anniversary since the first book in the Harry Potter series was published. Interested people should register and search for scholarships at https://vn.edukexhibition.org/vi-vn. VNN