Social News 13/12 First district-level hospital in country performs open heart surgery   Doctors at Thủ Đức District Hospital in HCM City on Tuesday performed the country’s first open heart surgery at a district-level hospital. The operation was conducted on a 23-year-old man with congenital heart defects. Three years ago, the patient from the south central coastal province of Bình Định was diagnosed with atrial septal defects, a common congenital heart defect that causes shunting of blood between systemic and pulmonary circulation. Recently, his health had deteriorated. The man was admitted to Thủ Đức District Hospital for examination where a Doppler echocardiography showed that he had secundum atrial septal defects 20x23 millimetres in size as well as tricuspid regurgitation, which is an insufficiency of the tricuspid valve, affecting blood flow from the right ventricle to the right atrium. He also was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension. The hospital’s doctors consulted doctors at the HCM City Heart Institute, who worked with the Thủ Đức Hospital doctors to perform the three-hour surgery, which closed the secundum atrial septal defects. The patient is recovering and being monitored at the hospital’s Cardiac Intensive Care Department. Thủ Đức District Hospital has been investing in advanced equipment for a long time, according to Dr Nguyễn Minh Quân, the head of the hospital. The hospital’s doctors, nurses and other staff were trained at the HCM City Heart Institute for more than four years after the city’s Department of Health approved open heart surgery at the hospital, Quân said. Le Quoc Phong re-elected 11th HCYU Central Committee first secretary Le Quoc Phong, First Secretary of the 10th Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) for 2012-2017 was re-elected as First Secretary of the 11th HCYU Central Committee for 2017-2022 on December 12. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Nguyen Ngoc Luong and Bui Quang Huy were also re-elected as Secretaries of the 11th HCYU Central Committee. The 11th HCYU Central Committee comprised of 151 members as announced at the ongoing 11th National Congress of the HCYU in Hanoi on December 12. Delegates elected the 31-member Standing Committee, the four-member Secretariat and the 19-member Inspection Commission of the 11th HCYU Central Committee. The 11th National Congress of the HCYU, which is taking place in Hanoi from December 10, brought together nearly 1,000 delegates representing millions of the union’s members nationwide. Official: Children need safe internet environment Relevant organisations and agencies should join hands to create a safe internet environment for children, said Deputy Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Hong Lan. Lan made the remarks at a ceremony held in Hanoi on December 12 to release the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s annual report “State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a Digital World”. She noted that it is necessary to equip children with necessary skills to access to a safe internet environment and children should be put in the centre when building digital policies. Meanwhile, Youssouf Abdel-Jelil, UNICEF Representative in Vietnam, said that digital technology can make a life change for children who are left behind, particularly disable and ethnic kids and those living in disadvantaged areas. Online protection does not mean to control children’s internet use but protect their safety, he highlighted, adding that the Government need to closely work with the private sector to safeguard children, especially disadvantaged kids. The UNICEF’s flagship report stated that despite children’s massive online presence – 1 in 3 internet users worldwide is a child – too little is done to protect them from the perils of the digital world and to increase their access to safe online content. The report explores the benefits digital technology can offer the most disadvantaged children, including those growing up in poverty or affected by humanitarian emergencies. These include increasing their access to information, building skills for the digital workplace, and giving them a platform to connect and communicate their views. However, millions of children are missing out, the report said. Around one third of the world’s youths – 346 million – are not online, exacerbating inequities and reducing children’s ability to participate in an increasingly digital economy. The report examines how the internet increases children’s vulnerability to risks and harms, including misuse of their private information, access to harmful content, and cyber bullying. The ubiquitous presence of mobile devices, the report notes, has made online access for many children less supervised – and potentially more dangerous. Furthermore, it also recommended that policies need to facilitate internet access for children, protect them from online threats like abuse, human trafficking and online bullying, and safeguard their privacy and identities. Officially connected to the Internet in 1997, Vietnam had 64 million internet users as of June 2017, accounting for 67 percent of the total population. Social media has been popularized with 64 million Facebookers, most of whom are children and teenagers. Seminar spotlights Vietnam’s culture and development issues Vietnam’s development and cultural issues and the world’s experiences were discussed at a seminar jointly held by the Party Central Committee’s Theory Council and the Vietnam National Academy of Social Sciences in Hanoi on December 12. Prof. Dr. Ta Ngoc Tan, vice chairman of the council, said that following the 12th National Party Congress, development and cultural issues have seen new requirements, expecting comprehensive theoretical research and summary to serve the reform cause. The outcomes of the seminar are complete theoretical and practical researches on development and culture, thus laying a scientific foundation for operation of authorized agencies and serving the mapping out of the Party’s policies. Meanwhile, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang Thuan, President of the Vietnam National Academy of Social Sciences, reviewed achievements in cultural development of Vietnam, with promoted traditional values and deep integration into the world. However, Thuan also pointed to negative sides and problems of Vietnamese culture, and even alarming issues. He held that urgent problems in society include degraded morality and weak education. He stressed the need to strictly review the real situation of national culture and learn experience of other countries. Participants at the event discussed a number of lessons from other countries in using culture to sharp development philosophy. USAID continues helping Vietnam Red Cross manage disaster risks The US Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide nearly 800,000 USD for the continuation of a project to raise the capacity of the Vietnam Red Cross and its chapters to manage disaster risks, conduct first aid, and care for people’s health in emergency situation. The expanded phase, to be implemented from September 30, 2017 to 2019, is expected to benefit 13,700 people directly and 30,000 others indirectly in three provinces, which are Hoa Binh in the north, Quang Tri in the central region and Bac Lieu in the south. The project helps make plans to respond to and reduce disaster risks, train teachers and students on water and sanitation-related issues, and hold training courses on first aid and disease prevention. Speaking at the launch ceremony, US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J.Kritenbrink spoke highly of the role of the Vietnam Red Cross in humanitarian activities as well as the outcomes of the project’s first phase. He expressed his hope that the second phase will continue applying community-based approaches to help target communes have better preparations and strengthen resilience to natural disasters. The first phase of the project was carried out from October 2015 to July 2017 in six disaster-prone communes of Hoa Binh, Quang Tri and Bac Lieu provinces with an investment of 500,000 USD. Inspection work has improved, but problems remain The national watchdog has made notable improvements in its work, but the problems of overlapping, delays and corruption persist, the head of the Government Inspectorate, Lê Minh Khái, has acknowledged. Khái’s admission at a meeting held in Hà Nội yesterday to review six and three years of implementing respectively the 2010 Law on Inspection and the 2013 Law on Reception of Citizens. According to the head of the Government Inspectorate, “comprehensive inspections” have been conducted in all areas lying within State management, with a focus on “problematic and controversial cases” that received extensive public attention. These efforts have helped reinforce rule of law and ensure social and legal order, he added. His office, together with provinces and ministries, has been committed to directing quick settlements of complaints and denunciations, with due attention paid to long-standing ones. However, the Government Inspectorate has found numerous cases that continue to pose potential threats to social order and political stability, especially with religious and political elements, the meeting heard. Chairing the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hoà Bình lauded the achievements made in the implementation of the two laws, but urged “timely adjustments and solutions to address weaknesses and limitations,” meeting the people’s expectations and State management’s demands. The Deputy PM asked ministries and localities to strictly follow through on the central-level guidelines and plans, abide by Prime Minister’s orders in improving inspection works of enterprises, and ensure that every step of the inspections and drawing of conclusions is “done transparently, objectively, with clarity on the scale of violation and damages caused.” Deputy PM Bình also stressed the need for follow-up inspections to see whether the violators have corrected themselves after inspection verdicts are handed down. He said this would "ensure that the inspection results are meaningful and are making positive changes". On citizen receptions (meetings organised to receive complaints, petitions and denunciations from the public), Bình said these should be frequent and regular and abide by relevant rules. Ministers, head of ministerial-level agencies, chairpersons of provincial People’s Committees, and directors of State agencies should also make time to meet the public, to “directly engage and converse with citizens,” and hear their concerns and expectations, Bình added. Youth urged to bolster ’revolutionary ideals’ The 11th National Congress of the Hồ Chí Minh Communist Youth (HCYU) opened in Hà Nội yesterday, drawing 999 delegates representing millions of the union’s members nationwide. Addressing the opening session of the congress, Communist Party of Việt Nam General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng lauded the accomplishments of youth and children’s movements as well as the HCYU operations at all levels. The Party chief suggested that in the coming time, the union should pay greater attention to educating the youth on revolutionary ideals, political firmness, morality and lifestyle. The union should encourage and promote patriotism, revolutionary ideals and trust in the political regime among youngsters, he said. At the same time, he also asked the union to improve youngsters’ awareness about shamming information and the spurious, specious arguments of hostile forces, especially those arguments disseminated insidiously via social networks. The HCYU should uphold its central role in youth organisations of the country, while guiding the Hồ Chí Minh Vanguard Children’s Union and working hard to protect and educate children, he said. The Party leader also asked the union to build mechanisms, policies and activities to foster the development of young people in all fields. Nguyễn Phi Long, Secretary of the HCYU’s 10th Central Committee and President of the Việt Nam Youth Federation, said that the congress will review and draw from the work of the past five years and set targets for the 2017-2022 period. The Congress will also make adjustments to the union’s Charter. He reported that youth and children’s movements in the past five years were successful, with 455,000 buildings, including houses and schools, constructed and over 2,200 projects launched in various fields. The voluntary and charity activities of the union drew 16 million participants nationwide, he added. During the last five years, more than eight million youth received career advice, 420,000 received vocational training and another two million were introduced to proper jobs. Up to 14,000 youth economic models and 356 youth cooperatives were also developed during the period, Long said. He said that in the 2017-2022 period the union will focus on fostering young generations with revolutionary ideals, strong political will and patriotism, as well as good health, critical thinking skills and aspirations for a better life and better world. He drafted 11 major targets of the union in the next five years, including proposing 5 million innovation initiatives for different sectors, planting 30 million trees, supporting 1,000 startup projects and providing VNĐ10 trillion (US$444.4 million) in business loans to young people to boost agricultural production and contribute to the country’s economic development. The union also plans to give career consultations to 10 million young people, introduce jobs to 1.5 million others, and admit 5 million more members. Vietnamese students receive AEON Scholarships The AEON 1% Club Foundation, a member of Japanese retail and financial services corporation AEON, granted 60 scholarships to Vietnamese university students at a ceremony held in Hanoi on December 12. Yohsei Honda, Secretary General of the AEON 1% Club Foundation, said the AEON Scholarship is an allowance-based scholarship for university students in various Asian countries and self-financed Asian students studying in Japan. The project, designed to “Support the Dreams of Asian Students”, was started in 2006 in the hope that recipients will play an active role in the future, connecting their home countries with Japan in their respective specialist fields. In addition to year-round financial support, the project offers opportunities for various study curriculums and volunteer activities aimed at scholarship students studying in Japan, and provides support for students aiming to develop into global talent. In Vietnam, the "AEON Scholarship" has been awarded to a total of 626 university students, including two universities in Hanoi since 2012 and two in Ho Chi Minh City since 2011. This year in Hanoi, students from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Foreign Trade University were honoured to receive the scholarships. At the Scholarship Certificate Granting Ceremony, scholarship students gave speeches on their personal dreams and goals. Honda said the AEON 1% Club Foundation was established in 1989 in Japan, has been operating based on 1 percent of pre-tax profit donated by the major AEON Group companies, engaging in projects with three main themes of “Sound Development of the Next Generation, Promotion of Friendship with Foreign Countries, and Sustainable Development of Regional Communities.” A similar scholarship awarding ceremony will take place in HCM City on December 13. Since its establishment, the "AEON scholarship" has supported 5,117 students in 35 universities and colleges across Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and Myanmar. Be smart, watch out for trigbger fingers Trigger-finger and trigger-thumb, the painful condition common in middle-aged women and people with diabetes, may occur in young people who overuse smartphones. VMN, a university student in Giảng Võ Ward, Đống Đa District, who was diagnosed with trigger finger for making repeated finger and thumb movements, usually spent five hours a night using her smartphone for checking Facebook and chatting with her friends.  “I did not expect the habit to cause so much pain,” she said. “It hurt when I tried to extend my fingers. I felt terrible as I could no longer control my hand,” she added. And N is not the only case. VTP, 28, a clothing store owner in District 1, HCM City, told Tuổi trẻ (Youth) newspaper that her fingers suddenly went numb and felt painful when grasping an object.  “I use a smartphone every day with my fingers wiping its touchscreen for hours to check mail, surf webs and send messages. It was a surprise when my doctor announced that I suffered trigger finger,” she said. According to doctor Nguyễn Văn Phú from Việt Nam Sports Hospital, trigger-finger or finger-flexor-tendinitis happens when overuse or injury puts strain on the tendons. It is more commonly found in women than men and occurs most often in people who are in their 40s. Older people are also at high risk of developing trigger finger since their tendons are losing elasticity. However, nowadays, young people, especially those whose work or hobbies require repetitive gripping actions, may also experience the ailment. Phan Vương Huy Đổng, vice head of HCM City Sports Medicine Association, said that a tendon, in its normal condition, glided smoothly through a sheath covering it thanks to a lubricating membrane surrounding the joint. When a tendon sheath becomes inflamed, the inflammation obstructs a finger’s movement, causing the digit to drag through the sheath.  Nguyễn Xuân Anh, head of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery Department at Sài Gòn ITO Hospital, said that people with trigger finger would experience strong pain, particularly in the morning. Therefore, he made the following recommendations. When one first experiences finger stiffness with pains in the hands and finger joints, soak the hands in warm water every morning and move them gently during breaks. Anti-inflammatory medication can also help if prescribed by a doctor. If the symptoms worsen, doctor may offer Cortisol injections or minor surgery to cut open an inflamed tendon sheath. However, Nguyễn Đức Thành from the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at HCMC University Medical Centre, warned that surgery could possibly cause complications, such as finger numbness or inability to keep a firm hold. Therefore, prevention is better than cure. Doctors suggest not to overuse smartphones, avoid activities requiring repetitive gripping and wear anti-vibration work gloves when operating vibrating hand-held machinery. Frequent stretching exercises during break time, moreover, can also alleviate symptoms. According to statista.com, the number of smartphone users in Việt Nam is expected to reach 28.77 million this year, accounting for 28.5 per cent of its population. 65,000 children benefit from nutrition education project Nearly 65,000 kindergarten and primary school students throughout the country have been taught about proper nutrition and physical activities through a programme undertaken by the Việt Nam Red Cross Society and FrieslandCampina Việt Nam. The Project on Nutrition Education and Physical Strength Development in Việt Nam’s Children saw the Red Cross organise talks by nutritionists at 100 primary schools and kindergartens. The talks would end with flash mobs, helping make the whole event fun for the students. The students were taught the formula for health and comprehensive development: eating three proper meals every day comprising all four groups of essential nutrients, namely carbohydrates, protein, fat, and vitamins; drinking two glasses of milk each day; and engaging in physical activities for one hour. The Red Cross also invites nutritionists from the National Institute of Nutrition to train the main representatives of its branches in provinces and cities, who then teach teachers at schools in their locality. More than 250,000 families have benefited from the Project on Nutrition Education and Physical Strength Development in Việt Nam’s Children. The project has also contributed to achieving important targets in a Government programme titled School Milk-For Việt Nam’s Stature, which aims to improve the nutrition and height of kindergarten and primary students by 2020. By 2030 Việt Nam hopes to reduce the rate of child malnutrition to below the global and regional averages. FrieslandCampina Việt Nam this year is collaborating with the Bình Dương Province Health Education and Communication Centre on an education programme on nutrition education and physical development to benefit 10,000 primary school students. The programme is a part of a campaign called Nutrition-Exercising-Healthy initiated by FrieslandCampina based on the concept of daily diet, nutrition and exercise affecting a child greatly. War veterans honour late President Ho Chi Minh More than 500 delegates attending the sixth National Congress of the Vietnam War Veterans’ Association (VWVA) paid tribute to late President Ho Chi Minh at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi on December 13. Present at the event was Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Duoc, Chairman of the VWVA. Veterans later offered incense at the Monument to Heroic Martyrs to commemorate soldiers who died for the cause of national liberation. On December 13 afternoon, the sixth National Congress of the (VWVA) will convene a preparatory meeting. The official congress is scheduled to take place on December 14-15 with the participation of 516 delegates representing nearly 3 million veterans across the country. It is set to review the implementation of the 5th congress’s resolution while discussing plans, tasks and solutions in the new tenure, and will elect a new executive board for the 2017-2022 tenure. In the previous tenure, the association and its chapters made efforts to reduce poverty sustainably, promote charity activities and help each other improve livelihoods. In addition, the VWVA’s chapters worked closely with localities to consolidate the political system at grassroots level and develop a pure and strong association. The chapters also contributed to preventing corruption and social misbehaviour and defeating “peace evolution” schemes to ensure political stability and social order. “Pho” honoured in Ho Chi Minh City Activities to honour the cultural values of “pho” were held in Ho Chi Minh City by the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper and Acecook Vietnam on December 12. The event drew the participation of famous pho restaurants in the city, with dishes made from rice noodles also served to visitors. An exhibition was also held at the event, along with talks from cuisine experts about the development of “pho” and its traits in different regions of Vietnam. On the occasion, Tuoi Tre newspaper launched a campaign to seek recognition for December 12 as ‘Day of Pho’ in Vietnam, aiming to promote the dish. As a symbol of Vietnamese cuisine, “pho” is present across the world. In addition to rice noodles, a few herbs, thinly-sliced beef or chicken and broth as the main ingredients, a slice of fresh lemon and a splash of chilli are indispensable to a delicious bowl of “pho”. Hanoi meets tourism target Hanoi is forecast to serve 23.83 million tourists in 2017, up nine percent year-on-year and one percent compared to the year’s target. The figure includes an estimated 4.95 million international and 18.88 million domestic tourists. Tourism revenue is set to hit 70.96 billion VND (3.12 million USD), up 15 percent from last year, according to the city’s Department of Tourism. Foreign tourists to the city mainly came from China, the Republic of Korea, Japan, France, the US, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand and Canada. According to the Hanoi Tourism Department, tourism management and promotion campaigns have been strengthened. The city has also improved tourism infrastructure and service quality, along with planning and investment in tourism products. The department will work with relevant agencies to step up inspections and ensure the city’s image as a safe and friendly destination. The city hopes to earn about 75.78 trillion VND (3.33 billion USD) from nearly 25 million visitors next year, a growth of seven percent from 2017. Fine art association should emphasise innovation A ceremony was held in Hanoi on December 12 to  celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association. Vo Van Thuong, member of the Political Bureau and head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Popularisation and Education, congratulated the association for its achievements over the past 60 years. “The association should continue to bring creativity into full play, which is associated with the pride and responsibility of artists to build a Vietnamese fine art with both progressive and traditional identity,” he stressed. “The artists should maintain the true, the good and the beautiful while promoting Vietnam’s fine art to the world.” He said the association should encourage artist members to create more works with high quality of ideological message and technique; improve the effectiveness of exhibition activities and develop fine art critics. Since its beginning with just 123 members, the association has vividly depicted the process of building socialism in the north, fighting against invaders in the south and reuniting the country. Many artists visited industrial zones, mines, rural and mountain regions and battlefields to capture the entire country’s fight to win independence and build the nation. Today, the association gathers 1,900 members from across the country, who are joining more and more activities like field trips, camping for painting and exhibiting their works within and outside the country. There remain some shortcomings within the association. Some artists rely on old ways of creating without any innovation. Some have even copied others or violated copyright. Some important topics like farmers, workers, soldiers and people’s security officers have not been taken seriously. The association has been awarded the Labour Order, the Independent Order, the Ho Chi Minh Order, and the Golden Star Order. At the ceremony, the association gave merit certificates to former leaders of the association and some artists with active contributions to the sector. Defence Minister receives Cuban Ambassador Minister of National Defence General Ngo Xuan Lich highlighted the close relationship between Vietnam and Cuba while receiving Cuban Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera in Hanoi on December 12. He said Vietnam remembers the great support of the Cuban Party, Government, people and army for Vietnam’s revolutionary cause and national construction. The minister applauded bilateral defence cooperation, especially several high-level exchanges in 2017. The two sides signed multiple defence cooperation documents, with the most noteworthy being a cooperation plan during 2017-2019 covering 14 spheres, contributing to consolidating the friendship between the two countries and improving their defence capacity, he said. Lich expressed his belief that the ambassador will successfully fulfill her tasks in Vietnam, helping promote traditional fraternity between the two Parties, Governments, peoples and armies. Rivera said Cuba treasures its ties with Vietnam and considers defence cooperation a pillar in the relationship. She also affirmed Cuba’s further support for Vietnam’s national development. Nostalgic concert to honour composer Du One of the most famous Vietnamese romantic songs, Tình Em (My Love), by late composer Huy Du will be performed at a concert held in Hà Nội to commemorate his 10th death anniversary this Friday. The concert, organised by the Việt Nam Youth Theatre and QPVN military television, will take middle-aged music lovers on a trip down memory lane, enjoying both romantic and patriotic songs popular during war time. Huy Du read a poem by an armyman, named Hồ Ngọc Sơn, in the Literature and Arts magazine. The poem was writen when the northern soldier was fighting in the Gia Lai battle in the Central Highlands and received a letter from his wife after a long time. As an armyman himself, Huy Du empathised deeply with the plight of the soldier and set the poem to music in 1962 without using musical notes and adjusting the lyrics. Incidentally, Tình Em was the original title of the poem. After People’s Artist Quý Dương performed the song for the first time, it became a favourite for many generations. But it was not performed as regularly as other songs by the composer, because love-themed songs were not promoted much while the nation fought for liberation of the South and reunification of the country. Born in Bắc Ninh Province, Huy Du went to Hà Nội with his father when he was small. He began to study music and violin. He and his friends established a music band playing at the city’s Old Quater. During the first Indochina War, he joined the Viet Nam People’s Army and headed Army Division 320’s Art Troupe. After the war studied at the Beijing Conservatory of Music from 1956 to 1962, and later worked with the General Political Department’s Art Troupe until 1977. Du wrote and composed about 400 musical works that have contributed to revive the glorious history of the nation. He was honoured with many prizes including the State’s Independence Order and the Hồ Chí Minh Award for Literature and Arts. At the concert on December 15, the songs will be accompanied by a modern orchestra and performed by popular singers and music bands. People’s Artist Lê Khanh will be the MC, telling stories and highlighting milestones to help the audience achieve a deeper understanding of the composer’s life and career. "I will try to lead the audience to get more in touch with the composer’s soul," Khanh said. "The audience will not enjoy the songs but also know more about stories and memories of the composer when he wrote them." The composer’s son, pianist Nguyễn Huy Phương, will play a piece which was written for his mother. The concert will begin at 8pm on Friday,  at the Việt Nam Youth Theatre, 11 Ngô Thì Nhậm Street, Ha Noi. Conference seeks to improve food value chain in Mekong Delta An investment promotion conference to improve the food value chain in the Mekong Delta was held in Can Tho city on December 12, attracting more than 150 experts, businesses and investors from Vietnam and abroad. Speaking at the event, head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency Vu Ba Phu said with favourable business conditions, the Mekong Delta is attracting more and more foreign investors. General Director of Trung An high-tech agriculture company Pham Thai Binh said several enterprises from China, Europe and Australia want to buy Vietnamese rice but the country doesn’t produce enough high-quality rice to meet demand. To improve the product value chain, he underscored the need to create a manufacturing value chain. Bulgarian Commercial Counsellor from the Bulgarian embassy in Vietnam Oleg Marinov said in recent years, the European Union has been the second largest market of Vietnam, behind the US. Two-way trade topped 38.4 billion EUR in 2015, 29.9 billion EUR of which was Vietnam’s exports to the EU. He asked Vietnam’s agricultural sector to step up restructuring of manufacturing and renovate farming and processing to produce high-quality products, thus satisfying demanding markets such as the EU. On the occasion, 10 cities and provinces in the Mekong Delta including Bac Lieu, Can Tho, Ca Mau, Kien Giang, Hau Giang, An Giang, Tra Vinh, Long An, Vinh Long and Tien Giang received investment via 54 food processing projects. Bac Lieu attracted the most with 20 projects. Quang Tri border guards uncover synthetic drug trafficking cases Border guards in the central border province of Quang Tri have discovered two drug trafficking cases from Laos to Vietnam since the beginning of December. On December 12, the drug squad of the Quang Tri border guard force and forces at the Lao Bao international border gate together caught red-handed two drug traffickers, namely Mai Van Nguyen, born in 1979, and Dinh Huu Tinh, born in 1992, from Quang Binh, seizing 2,369 synthetic drugs. On December 8, the forces surprised Pham Van Dung, born in 1993, residing in Lao Bao town for transporting 615 pink synthetic drugs. Dung confessed that he bought the drugs in Laos to sell for drug addicts in Lao Bao town. Further investigations are underway to handle these cases in accordance with legal regulations. Local authorities say that the number of ethnic minority juveniles engaging in drug trafficking at the Vietnamese-Lao border in Quang Tri has increased sharply over the last five years. They also say that efforts to fight drug trafficking in the area have been hampered by a change in rules that determines punishment, including detention, on the narcotics content of the drugs seized. This has created a loophole that traffickers exploit by smuggling reduced quantities of narcotics each time, but increasing the number of cross-border trips. Vietnam’s Quang Trị and Laos’ Savannakhet provinces share a border that is 156km long, with the Lao Bao-Densavan border gate connecting the East-West Economic Corridor. Drug traffickers are taking advantage of the area’s topography to hire Vietnamese immigrants to set up drug trafficking rings for smuggling drugs from Savannakhet into Quang Tri through the Lao Bao international border gate. Japan shares experience in developing food industry The Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) will create opportunities for Japanese businesses to meet with Vietnamese food companies to exchange investment information. Chief Representative of JETRO in Hanoi Hironobu Kitagawa made the statement at a conference on developing Vietnam’s food industry on December 12. JETRO will update information in the field to inform Japanese firms, he said. He noted that many Japanese enterprises want to go to Vietnam to explore the food industry in the country. Deputy head of the industry department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade Bui Truong Thang said the food industry in Vietnam has developed strongly in recent years. The sector has supplied various products for the economy, meeting domestic demand and supplying exports. Many businesses have invested in developing material areas, including the largest dairy company in Vietnam Vinamilk, which boasts 10 large-scale livestock farms nationwide with 22,000 cows. Saka Hrumi, a representative from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, suggested arranging dialogues to forge Vietnam-Japan agriculture value chains. The two countries have held three such dialogues since 2014, he noted, adding that this conference aims to build an agriculture food value chain through cooperation between State and private firms in Vietnam. The event is expected to be held annually as part of activities to realise the bilateral agricultural partnership in the middle and long term, he said. Japanese businesses suggested local authorities provide more financial and technical support policies to establish a waste treatment system to prevent land contamination. At the conference, Japanese companies shared effective business models. For example, vice chairman of the Wagoen Group Kiuchi Hizokazu introduced Japanese vegetable growing technology in Thailand. The group hopes to expand production in agriculture in Vietnam, he added. HCM City beauty salons fined over violations HCM City Department of Health announced on December 12 that it has fined 93 beauty salons for various violations including operating without licenses.   One beauty salon on Ngo Gia Tu Street was fined over VND112m (USD5,000) for working and advertising products without licenses. 54 facilities were fined VND350m, some of which were fined over VND30m. According to the Department of Health, they inspected 150 facilities and fined 93 facilities since August. Most of the facilities lack signboards, provide unregistered services, advertise unapproved products or lack adequate equipment. The municipal Department of Health plans spot checks in 2018 and inspections when there are complaints from the public. The department also proposed to add more regulations about penalties. For example, violating facilities should be publicly named. Work starts on Vietnamese-funded school in Laos Work began on the construction of a high school, a gift from General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, in Laos’ Bolykhamxay province on December 13. Built at cost of 30 billion VND (1.32 million USD), the Sithanaxay school project spans 2,126 square metres. It consists of a fully-functioned four-storey building, which is designed to accommodate eight classrooms, two laboratories, and a convention room. The school will be transferred to the Lao side in late August 2018, prior to the local 2018 – 2019 new school year. Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony, Nguyen Huy Tang, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations, said the establishment reflects Vietnam - Laos traditional and comprehensive cooperation, as well as their Party and Government leaders’ attention to human resources training in Laos. He stressed it is a major project in celebration of the Vietnam – Laos and Laos – Vietnam solidarity and friendship year 2017, which marks 55 years of bilateral relations and 40 years of the signing of the countries’ Treaty on Amity and Cooperation. He asked the project management board under the Office of the Party Central Committee and Company of Economic Cooperation of Vietnam to coordinate to ensure the quality and safety of the project. Bolykhamxay deputy governor Bounma Bouchaleuan noted that the school will help improve the local high-quality educational infrastructure to meet development demand. Border guards asked to play crucial role in safeguarding sovereignty President Tran Dai Quang asked border guards to play their crucial role in safeguarding border and island sovereignty and security during a working session with the Border Guards High Command in Hanoi on December 13. The working session took place on the occasion of the 73rd founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army and the 28th anniversary of All People’s Defence Festival Day (December 22). The President lauded border guards for offering timely advice about policies to build stable border comprehensively and tapping collective power of the entire political system and people in border construction and defence. The force have also actively fought crimes, especially organised, transnational, drug, human trafficking, smuggling and trade fraud crimes while raising public awareness of the Party guidelines and State laws and policies in border and island areas, contributing to disrupting sabotage plots by hostile forces and maintaining stability in border areas. Border guards stepped up activities as part of All People’s Defence Festival Day in various forms and launched programmes and mass movements to reduce poverty, prevent natural disasters and fuel socio-economic development. They were asked to thoroughly grasp and make correct forecasts about situation in border and island areas while working closely with units concerned to fight and promptly deal with contingencies, contributing to maintaining political security and social safety and order, and firmly safeguarding independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the nation. The leader required them to actively advise Party committees and authorities at all levels about strengthening all people’s border guard posture in combination with all people’s national defence and security postures, effectively join social welfare and poverty reduction programmes. Border guards must pay attention to Party building, thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the Resolution on strengthening Party building and rectification adopted by the fourth conference of the 12th Party Central Committee, prevent and drive back degradation in political thoughts, moral virtue and lifestyle, as well as “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” behaviours, and implement Decree No.5-CT/TW of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee on learning and following late President Ho Chi Minh’s thoughts, morals and lifestyle. Further attention should be also paid to border external relations, reinforcing cooperation with forces from neighbouring countries in preventing and combating social vices along the shared border, extending friendship with people and border guards in neighbouring countries, towards building a borderline of peace, friendship, cooperation and development, he said. He expressed his belief that border guards will reap greater achievements to successfully fulfill the tasks of building and firmly safeguarding the nation. Via a teleconference, the President talked with cadres and officials of A Pa Chai, Bo Y and Hon Chuoi border defence stations, expressing his hope that they will help reduce poverty and ensure social welfares to local people. PM encourages youths to become pioneers in all sectors Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged youngsters to become pioneers in all sectors, from socio-economic development to national defence.  “I hope that many young people would become ‘warriors’ in start-up, technology, global trade and national defence,” he said at the closing session of the 11th National Congress of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) in Hanoi on December 13. The leader noted that it is necessary to implement mechanisms and policies, especially at the Governmental level, to promote start-up spirit among youths. He called on young people to contribute more to the nationwide start-up campaign, aiming to establish 500,000 enterprises by 2020 and raise the total number to over 1 million. “The Government will continuously review policies towards youths and issue new mechanisms and policies to promote start-up spirit among youngsters, generate jobs and deal with urgent issues,” the PM said. Besides, young people should be pioneers in applying achievements of the fourth industrial revolution, he said, urging the HCYU to strongly support youths in study and scientific research. Pointing to a range of difficulties and challenges facing the country, especially natural disasters, plus threats of peaceful evolution, corruption and other social bad deeds, PM Phuc underlined the need for young people to be better aware of such issues. He also requested a regular working mechanism between the Government and the HCYU Central Committee and all-level authorities to collect more opinions from youths. During the session, Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam and First Secretary of the 11th HCYU Central Committee Le Quoc Phong signed a Joint Resolution on cooperation mechanism between the Government and the HCYU Central Committee during 2017-2022. The delegates then approved a resolution of the 11th National Congress of the HCYU Central Committee, which sets forth major objectives, tasks and projects for the union in the next five years. Website providing database on martyrs debuts this month A website providing a database on war martyrs and their graves will be launched on December 22, the 73rd founding day of the Vietnam People’s Army, a unit of the Ministry of Information and Communications announced on December 12. The Vietnam National Institute of Software and Digital Content Industry has deployed supercomputers to collate information on martyrs from the database of the Ministry of National Defence’s policy department, significantly reducing time taken to locate documents about martyrs and identify remains. The institute has coordinated with other bodies of the Ministry of Information and Communications, such as the Authority of Information Technology Application, the Department of Information Technology and the Information Centre to build an information network and a national database on the issue. It has also unified the database of the Ministries of National Defence, and Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to develop a website which allows citizens to search for martyrs’ information and receive information from citizens. According to labour minister Dao Ngoc Dung, about 200,000 sets of remains scattered across southern provinces, Laos and Cambodia haven’t been collected, while another 300,000 sets of remains that have been reburied in martyrs’ cemeteries lack information to make an accurate identification. Da Lat seeks feedback on transformation of downtown Authorities in Da Lat, a popular tourist destination in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong, are gathering feedback from residents on plans for the new face of the city’s center. An urban design was presented at the Hoa Binh Theater, located in the heart of the city, for citizens to review and give their opinion on. The scheme is included in a plan for Da Lat and its vicinity by 2030, with a vision towards 2050, and was approved by the prime minister in 2014. A brand new downtown area in Da Lat is considered necessary in order to turn Da Lat into a center of tourism and service.  The city’s center, which houses the famous Xuan Huong Lake and Da Lat Market, is welcoming an increasing number of visitors because of its world class scenery and local shopping opportunities. Local infrastructure, accommodation, and public works do not currently meet the demand, especially on weekends and during holidays. Most businesses in the area still operate separately, and lack cooperation. According to the plan, downtown Da Lat, covering some 30 hectares, will include four main sections, including the Hoa Binh Theater, Da Lat Market, Xuan Huong Lake, and Dinh Tinh Hill.. The Hoa Binh Theater will become a flower square, while its underground areas will also be developed. Dinh Tinh Hill will be preserved, while extra public works and service complexes will be added to the city’s center. Renovations will be done in downtown neighborhoods and streets, namely Nguyen Chi Thanh, Phan Boi Chau, Nguyen Van Troi, and Ly Tu Trong. According to Le Quang Trung, director of the Lam Dong Department of Construction, feedback will collected until December 23. Cambodian alumni delegation visits Vietnam A get-together with Cambodian alumni was held in HCM City on December 12 by the Ministry of Education and Training to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam-Cambodia diplomatic relations. The visiting delegation includes 48 Cambodian alumni, who had studied at universities in Vietnam under bilateral cooperative and scholarship programs over the years. After graduation, many of them returned to Cambodia and have become key government officials. They have positively contributed to accelerating the national construction and development and bolstering time-honoured relationship between the two countries. Nguon Sovanara from the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religion expressed delight at the Cambodian alumni’s Vietnam visit and exchange activities and believed that the traditional friendship and solidarity between the two nations will last forever. HCM City is the first destination of the Cambodian alumni during their visit to Vietnam this year. After visiting tourist attractions, they are expected to leave the city on December 13 for further exchange activities in Tra Vinh, Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Tay Ninh provinces. The delegation will return to Cambodia on December 17. Deputy PM urges efforts to fight smuggling, trade fraud Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình has asked all ministries, sectors and localities to work harder to fight smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods during the coming Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday. In the document sent to Government bodies and localities, Bình, who is also head of the National Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities, said cases of smuggling, trade fraud and fake goods were forecast to get more complicated, seriously affecting market stability, health of consumers and social security. As a result, the committee asked all agencies to intensify the fight against such crimes. Police, market watch inspectors and specialised inspection teams have been asked to co-operate closely to control the domestic market, intensify supervision and handle violations related to smuggling, trade fraud, production and trade of fake goods. Inspection teams are responsible for checking business conditions, products’ origin and labelling to ensure quality standards. Border guards have been asked to instruct all units to co-operate with relevant forces, including public security, coast guard and customs, to detect and handle illegal cross-border goods transportation and trade fraud in border gate areas, canals and rivers, and closely control goods and luggage of passengers at entry or exit via air routes, road and waterway. In particular, sea border soldiers are responsible for strengthening patrol and deterring oil, gas and natural resource smuggling in the northeast and southwest sea areas. The committee estimated that during the first 10 months of this year, as many as 181,000 cases of smuggling, trade fraud and fake commodities were detected, an increase of some 35 per cent compared with the previous year. Total fines amounted to nearly VNĐ19 trillion (US$836 million). Help-Portrait Program gifts 59,292 photos The 8th Vietnam Help-Portrait Program has attracted more than 1,000 photographers and volunteers Statistics reveal that up till now, 59,292 free photos have been gifted to poor people. The 8th Vietnam Help-Portrait Program was held in 15 nationwide provinces and cities of Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, Binh Dinh, Nha Trang, Vung Tau, Hai Phong, Da Lat, Buon Me Thuoc, Binh Thuan, Binh Phuoc, Bien Hoa, Can Tho, An Giang, and Tho Chu Island. More than 1,000 photographers and volunteers participated in the event this year. Untilthis moment, Help-Portrait has already gifted 59,292 free photos to poor people. Being organized for 8 years (2010-2017), Help-Portrait has drawn more and more attention from the public. Each year, nearly 2,000 young people all over the country take part in the program. In addition to the official activities of the event, which happened simultaneously in the country, the groups of volunteers also actively visited poor and remote areas to take free photos of residents there at any appropriate time and gifted them. As usual, at places like hospitals, charity houses, orphanages, and centres for children with disabilities, Vietnam Help-Portrait organized Christmas parties for disadvantaged kids. Particularly, with this year’s topic of “Diary of Smiles”, the organization board hoped that they could bring happiness, smiles, as well as memorable experiences to people via their photos. District 1's authority proposes to expand walking streets to attract visitors Secretary of HCMC’s District 1 Party Committee Huynh Thanh Hai yesterday proposed the city People’s Committee to permit expansion of Nguyen Hue and Bui Vien walking streets to attract more visitors. He was speaking at a meeting with chairwoman of HCMC People’s Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, who was inspecting the district's implementation of Directive 07 by the standing board of HCMC Party Committee about tourist development missions by 2020, yesterday afternoon. According to Mr. Hai, amusement demand in walking streets is very large. Therefore, the district Party Committee proposed the city People’s Committee to permit connecting Nguyen Hue walking with Bach Dang Park to develop an amusement, cuisine and shopping area to serve visitors and residents at weekend nights. In addition, he suggested expanding Bui Vien walking street to Do Quang Dau and De Tham streets, Pham Ngu Lao ward and link the area up to September 23 Park to form an attractive tourist destination. He suggested the city People’s Committee to renew and upgrade operations of Ben Thanh market including Ben Thanh night market because that is not only a shopping place but also a relic site attracting lot of visitors. District 1 is the center of HCMC, where international conferences, important political and social events, cultural and national festivals regularly occur. The district lures millions of domestic and foreign visitors during holidays, New Year festivals and anniversaries annually. Besides Ben Thanh market and Nguyen Hue walking street, it is home to many places attracting visitors such as Notre-Dame Cathedral and Reunification Palace. Concluding the meeting, chairwoman Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam appreciated highly achievements in tourist activities which District 1 has obtained for the last past. That has significantly contributed to budget revenue of the district and the city. She noted that the district should analyze its comparative advantages to utmost promote them and take the initiative in working with agencies and other localities to further develop local tourist products. In the morning on the same day, Ms. Tam worked with District 7 about implementation of Directive 07. The district Party Committee reported that District 7 has promoted its strength to develop waterway tourism in Phu Thuan and Huong Tram wards and exploit waterway transport routes or river bus routes. Still Committee Secretary Nguyen Van Dieu admitted that resources from businesses for tourist development are weak and the qualification of tourist management cadres is limited. In addition, the district has faced other issues such as street littering, street disorder, flooding and traffic jam affecting tourist attraction. Ms. Tam required the district to not only determine its major tourist products but also connect with other services and establishments in the district to better serve visitors. VN manufactures vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) yesterday announced and transferred the virus of foot and mouth disease (MFD) to businesses with a target of manufacturing vaccines against foot-and-mouth susceptible animals and cattle disease. According to Sub-Department of Animal Health Office No. 6, this is the result of several stages of researching the virus in accordance with the recommendations of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The sub-regional animal health office selected the virus type O with a name of RAHO6 / FMD / O-135 in one case the ME-SA / PanAsia to meet the technical criteria for vaccine production under OIE's recommendations. Deputy Head of the MARD's Department of Animal Health Dam Xuan Thanh said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development recognized the type O virus as the copyright of the Sub- Regional Animal Health Department No.6. According to Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, the foot and mouth disease occurred in Vietnam over 100 years ago. For many years, the disease has been causing serious damages for livestock farming; however, Vietnam has still imported about 40-50 million doses of vaccine every year at the cost of about US$ 20-30 million. Dengue costs two lives in Binh Phuoc Province The Department of Health in the southern province of Binh Phuoc today announced hospitals in the province reported two deaths following dengue fever induced complications, one case higher than same period last year. Moreover, the dengue virus infected a total of 1,986 residents during the first ten months. Though the rate of infection of dengue decreased by 37 percent compared to the same period last year and there has been no massive outbreak of the disease in the province, two deaths were reported in districts Hon Quan and Dong Xoai Town. Accordingly, the health sector in province enhanced supervision on mosquito killing duty and cases of infections to soon control outbreaks. Additionally, it has adopted measures to kill the insect plus spraying chemical in districts at high risk. The health sector in close coordination with local administrations in updating information of immigrants to implement proper measures against the disease with locals’ activities. Giant Lantern Festival to light up HCM City The Giant Lantern Festival will light up Van Phuc Urban Area in Ho Chi Minh City’s Thu Duc District from December 8-January 21, 2018. The festival will include a series of cultural activities such as music performances, fashion shows, food fair and others. Artisans spent several months to create lanterns featuring animal shapes; legendary historical figures, such as Son Tinh-Thuy Tinh, Thanh Giong; architectures Thien Mu Pagoda, 9-storey tower and more. The amazing lantern festival aims to welcome the upcoming New Year. Annual VTV Concert to ring in the New Year The annual VTV New Year Concert “Hello 2018” will return to the audience on VTV1 channel on January 1, 2018. The show will feature leading singers in the country, such as Thanh Lam, Hong Nhung, Thu Phuong, My Tam, Thu Minh, Tung Duong… Music lovers will have a chance to enjoy popular Vietnamese and international songs such as Giot nang ben them (Drop of Sunlight on Veranda), Dem nam mo pho (Dreaming of streets), Yesterday, I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing and more. The annual concert will use spectacular visual effects used in motion pictures, said Director Pham Hoang Nam. Minimum wages to rise next year The Government has decided to increase minimum monthly wages by VND180,000-230,000 to VND2.76-3.98 million depending on regions from January 1, 2018. According to Decree 141/2017/ND-CP, employees working for enterprises in region one comprising major cities and provinces will enjoy a new minimum salary of VND3.98 million while the new levels for those in regions two, three and four will be VND3.53 million, VND3.09 million and VND2.76 million respectively. The National Wage Council has approved the new minimum wages after working with relevant agencies. Salaries of workers in normal conditions must not be lower than minimum wages. As for skilled workers, they pay must be at least 7% higher than the minimum wage by region. When raising minimum wages for their staff, employers are prohibited from removing or cutting allowances for workers who work overtime, at night or in a toxic environment. Other allowances, subsidies and bonuses must be maintained as stated in labor contracts, collective labor agreements and enterprises’ regulations. IBM, Five9 to provide evidence-backed cancer treatment AI IBM and Five9 on Tuesday announced their partnership to implement IBM Watson for Oncology – the first artificial intelligence (AI)-driven oncology clinical decision support system that helps doctors advance cancer care for patients – in Việt Nam. Phú Thọ Hospital will be the first in Việt Nam to adopt IBM Watson for Oncology. According to Nguyễn Trọng Huấn, director of software provider Five9, IBM Watson for Oncology provides clinicians with confidence-ranked treatment options and supporting evidence to help them make treatment decisions for their patients. With IBM Watson for Oncology, trained by New York-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, one of the world’s leading cancer centres, physicians can quickly identify key information related to the patient’s medical record, find relevant evidence and explore treatment options. Huấn said profits from implementing IBM Watson for Oncology would be used to support patients using this system. According to the company, IBM Watson for Oncology is being used by some 80 hospitals in 11 countries. It is now available to assist clinicians on breast, lung, colon and rectal, as well as gastric, ovarian, cervical and prostate cancers. Nguyễn Viết Tiến, deputy minister of health, said IBM Watson for Oncology marked a new step in applying information technology in cancer treatment in Việt Nam to enhance quality of healthcare services. VNN