Social News 9/3 5 poisoned by pufferfish, 3 critically ill   Patients are treated for poisoning from pufferfish at the Cần Thơ General Hospital, Cần Thơ Province. - Photo zing.vn Five men were poisoned after eating deadly pufferfish, the Cần Thơ City General Hospital said on Thursday morning. Three of them are critical. The victims, aged between 32 and 44, were transferred from their hometown to the Hậu Giang Province Hospital at 6pm on the previous day. According to the families of the patients, the five men caught the poisonous pufferfish in the field and cooked fish soup for lunch, which they ate together. Some six hours later, all of them started experiencing stomach ache and nausea, following which they were rushed to the hospital. While two persons had mild symptoms, such as numb limbs and stiffened jaw, three went into a coma after heart and respiratory failure. According to doctors at the Cần Thơ hospital, the three patients have little chances of survival. Poisoning from pufferfish is not rare in Việt Nam. Last October, one fisherman was killed, and five others were poisoned after eating the fish.  Seminar seeks enhancing empowerment for rural women Vietnam is taking active and drastic actions to enforce laws and policies on gender equality and achieve sustainable development goals, with a focus on rural areas, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Doan Mau Diep affirmed.  At a Hanoi seminar on March 8 seeking ways to enhance empowerment for rural women for the sake of sustainable development, he said the legal corridor has increasingly improved to enhance empowerment for rural women in every social aspect, notably the National Target Programme on Sustainable Poverty Reduction and New Rural Construction that focuses on vocational training for rural workers, as well as prevention of violence and abuse.  Co-organised by the United Nations in Vietnam; the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the National Committee for the Advancement of Women in Vietnam, the event attracted leaders of ministries, agencies from 20 cities and provinces, and socio-political organisations in the country.  Pham Thuy Trang from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Department of Legal Affairs said the ministry issued the action plan on gender equality for 2016-2020 and incorporated the issue into legal regulations.  Participants discussed the lives, labour, job and social welfare for rural women at a time when Vietnam strives to deliver on sustainable development goals and international commitments to promote gender equality and empowerment for women.  They suggested creating favourable conditions for women and children in rural areas to actively engage in deciding on policies that impact their lives, increase the capacity of adapting to climate change and environment degradation via facilitating women’s access to finance, sustainable energy, information technology and social welfare.  Statistics from the General Statistics Office showed that though agriculture contributed 16.3 percent of the gross domestic product in 2016, up to 41.9 percent of workforce joining agricultural production. Among 26.2 million women workers, nearly 44 percent were working in farming.  In rural areas, women working in agriculture accounted for 63.4 percent compared to 57.5 percent in men. Thousands of people join Bulgarian rose festival in Hanoi Thousands of people on March 8 attended the opening of the second “Bulgarian Rose Festival with Friends 2018” at Hanoi’s West Lake Water Park. The event, which runs until March 11, is organised by the Embassy of Bulgaria in Vietnam and the Agricultural Genetics Institute (AGI) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to celebrate the National Day of Bulgaria (March 3), and the 68th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. On display are different varieties of rose, including thousands of rose trees from Bulgaria and many Vietnamese varieties which have been grown for dozens of years, especially a 200-year-old rose tree, along with some other kinds of flowers. Additionally, the festival attracted the participation of Vietnamese rose garden owners and rose trading companies to exhibit their products such as those from Xuan Quan garden in the northern province of Hung Yen, Rose Park Company, Grin House, Ho Tay (West Lake) flower valley and Thang Long bonsai group. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Ngo Van Quy affirmed that the “Bulgarian Rose Festival with Friends 2018” contributes to the enhancement of friendship between Vietnam and Bulgaria.  The event drew the participation of various Bulgarian artists such as famous singer Rado Petrov and Khoro Pudin folk dance group.  A number of cultural and art performances will be held during the festival, including traditional street festivals and customary performances of both Vietnam and Bulgaria, a parade of roses, music and food events. There will also be Queen of Rose beauty contest, a contest for the most beautiful rose, rose dancing, an atmosphere of nostalgia for Bulgaria for those who have worked, studied and lived in the country, street music and magic performances. Products from roses such as essential oil, perfume and tea will also be introduced at the event.  Bulgaria has been famous for rose festivals in the Rose Valley for centuries. Since 1903, this traditional festival has been held on the first Sunday of June and attracted millions of tourists from all over the world. In 1971, it became a national festival. Photo contest on rural women, sustainable development launched The UN Women, with the support of the Australian and Canadian embassies in Vietnam, on March 8 launched a photo contest on Vietnamese rural women and sustainable development. The competition, which forms part of activities marking International Women’s Day, aims to recognise Vietnamese rural women’s contributions to national socio-economic development, and improve public awareness of their contributions.  Vietnamese citizens of all ages are encouraged to participate in the contest, with photo focusing on the themes: rural women and technology, rural women and sustainable agriculture, rural woman with natural disasters and climate change, rural women in business and cooperatives, rural women in leadership and decision making, and gender equality between rural men and women.  There will be one first prize worth 10 million VND (440 USD), a second prize worth 7 million VND (308 USD), a third prize worth 5 million VND (220 USD) and a prize worth 5 million VND selected by the public. Outstanding works are scheduled to be displayed on Vietnamese Women’s Day which falls on October 20. Entries should be submitted before June 8, 2018 via the email unwomen2010@gmail.com with the subject of “Photo contest on rural women and sustainable development.” Contestants can also send CDs/DVDs to the UN Women Vietnam at 304 Kim Ma Street, Ba Dinh district, Hanoi.  A report of the General Statistics Office in 2016 showed that women constitute the main workforce in agricultural production, especially in rural areas where 63.4 percent of women working in the framing sector as compared to 57.5 percent of men.   However, rural women and girls are among those who are most likely to suffer from poverty and lack access to production resources such as land, technology and financial, educational, healthcare and other social welfare services. They are also hardest affected by climate change. Quang Tri: FSC forest management certification for 22,000 hectares of forest Over 22,000 hectares of forest in the central province of Quang Tri received the FSC forest management certification, which means the forest land has been managed in a way that preserves natural ecosystem while benefiting local livelihood and ensuring economic sustainability, as of March, 2018. Accounting for 40 percent of the nation’s total FSC forest area, Quang Tri province is taking the lead in FSC forest development. Over 20,200 hectares of FSC wood have been planted by Ben Hai, Duong 9 and Trieu Hai forest firms while nearly 1,900 hectares have been developed by 570 households in Vinh Linh and Hai Lang districts. The local agricultural sector is striving to have more than 42,000 hectares of forest certified as FSC wood. According to head of Vinh Linh district’s agriculture and rural development office Le Tien Dung, each hectare of FSC forest generates an income from 18-21 million VND, three times higher than normal economic forest. The local wood production industry has been thriving thanks to the high-quality wood from the FSC forests. The province’s wood-based products like Medium-density fibreboard (MDF), butt-joint board and wood pellet have gained foothold in fastidious markets like the US, the EU, Japan and the Republic of Korea. There are ten principles that any forest operation must adhere to before it can receive FSC forest management certification. Those cover a broad range of issues, from environmental impacts to community relations and workers’ rights. Quang Tri province is currently housing over 334,000 hectares of forest land, 171,000 hectares of which are zoned off for forest plantation. Vietnam an important partner in Japan’s Asia medical cooperation strategy Japan’s Asia Health and Human Well-Being Initiative regards Vietnam as a country with great potential for cooperation with Japan in terms of health care, said Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Japan Tran Ngoc Phuc. “This is a basis for setting up a Vietnam committee on the initiative, Phuc said at a seminar on the initative in Tokyo on March 7. He also highlighted the role played by Vietnamese expats in Japan in implementing the Initiative, expressing his belief that the association will play an active role in giving consultations related to health care collaboration between Vietnam and Japan. Hosted by the Japanese Government, the seminar discussed ways to boost bilateral and regional cooperation in projects and business activities to deal with challenges related aging-population in Asia.  It also focused on how to achieve sustainable development goals set by the United Health Care (UHC) programme.  According to the Headquarters of Health care Policy under the Japanese Government, the initiative aims to build a healthy and dynamic society where people have effective life and good health, thus contributing to promoting economic growth.  Koji Fujimoto from the Headquarters of Healthcare Policy said the initiative targets future collaboration between Japan and other Asian countries, including Vietnam, in issues related to health care for the elderly.  Participants to the meeting shared experience in health care for the elderly in Asian countries such as Vietnam, China, the Philippines and Malaysia.  Originally started in May 2016 under the Headquarters for Health Policy, the initiative aims to support Asian aging societies by providing Japanese knowledge and expertise on nursing care and social welfare systems. It also creates links between governments, enterprises, and associations to develop new business opportunities.  Japan’s health care services providers for the elderly are interested in expanding their activities in Vietnam to meet the increasing demand in the market which is at the forefront of super-aging society. Activities mark International Women’s Day in Cambodia Many activities were held in Cambodia to mark the International Women’s Day on March 8, including celebrations hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy and the General Association of Vietnamese Cambodians (GAVC).  Addressing the ceremony at the Embassy, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh highlighted the significant outcomes of gender equality movements at home, and praised great contributions of Vietnamese women to their families and the nation.  At a meeting held by the GAVC, the association’s President Chau Van Chi applauded practical activities of the Vietnamese Women’s Association in Cambodia and overseas Vietnamese women in general who have joined hands with the association and relevant agencies to help those in difficult circumstances and organise exchanges with women’s associations in the homeland.  The association has helped its members develop household economy and contributed to preserving Vietnamese traditional culture in Cambodia and enhancing the solidarity and friendship between the two countries, he said.  On this occasion, the Cambodian Government also held a grand meeting on Koh Pich island with the participation of thousands of women.  Addressing the event, Prime Minister Hun Sen laid emphasis on enhancing women’s role in economic activities, which he said will help bring political power for women. He called on people to join hands in the fight against gender inequality. Portal on martyrs, graves, cemeteries to be announced in July Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung and Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan co-chaired a meeting in Hanoi on March 8 to discuss a plan on building a portal on martyrs, their graves and cemeteries.  Speaking at the event, a representative from the Vietnam Post Corporation (VNPost) said the portal needs a software to collect and search data, supplement and verify data at the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA)’ Department of National Devotees. It will also provide and handle information from the public, give support in offering incenses and renewing graves during festivals and holidays.  As scheduled, units concerned will collect data and develop the software in March – April, refine the software in May-June, and launch the portal in July. In late 2018 – 2019, more data will be updated.  Several opinions suggested that the portal should use the same domain thongtinlietsi.gov.vn built by the MoLISA, the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Information and Communications.  Minister Tuan asked the VNPost to study how to search data in the simplest and fastest way. Minister Dung requested the Department of National Devotees send notices to the Secretaries of the Party Committees and Chairmen of the People’s Committees of cities and provinces nationwide directing the Departments of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs to work closely with the VNPost on data collection. The portal should be announced before Day of Invalids and Martyrs (July 27), he said, noting the work as a tribute to those who rendered services to the nation. According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), Vietnam has more than 9 million revolution contributors, including 1.2 million fallen soldiers, 127,000 Heroic Mothers, and 800,000 war invalids.  Over the past 5 years, over 75,000 sets of remains of fallen soldiers have been found and reburied. Of the total, 16,600 sets of remains were repatriated from Laos and 15,100 sets brought back from Cambodia. The Party and State’s preferential policies have benefited 95.75 percent of the revolution contributors. Caring for revolution contributors is an important and frequent political task of the Party and State. Blood donation festival opens in Binh Phuoc The Red Spring Festival 2018 took place in the southern province of Binh Phuoc on March 7, attracting over 800 young people and volunteers to donate blood.  Opening the festival, the organising board presented certificates of merit and gifts to five families, five collectives and 66 individuals in honour of their achievements in voluntary blood donation.  Nguyen Thi Thuan, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial Red Cross Society, said volunteers donate nearly 12,000 blood units each year, 70 percent of them are frequent donors.  At the event, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Tien Dung launched the blood donation campaign calling on walks of life to raise humanitarian sense and donate blood to save people.  On the morning the same day, the organising board collected 450 units of blood. Vietnamese students vie for Russian scholarships As many as 117 students at high schools across the country joined a physics Olympiad held in Hue city, the central province of Thua Thien-Hue to vie for chances to study in universities in Russia. Fifteen most outstanding contestants will receive scholarships to study in leading technology universities of Russia. The exam questions are made by Russian experts and translated into Vietnamese. This is the second time the competition has been held in Thua Thien-Hue.  In 2017, 170 students won full scholarships to study at Russia’s leading universities through Olympiads. Can Tho studies Israel’s post-harvest technology The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho wants Israel, with modern technologies in various fields, to transfer its agricultural technology to help the city reduce post-harvest losses, heard a seminar held in the city on March 7.  At the seminar, entitled “Post-harvest technology of Israel - Key to success”, Nguyen Phuong Lam, Vice President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI)’s branch in Can Tho, said that the Mekong Delta region harvests some 20 million tonnes of rice every year, which 20 million tonnes worth 3-3.5 trillion VND (132-154 million USD) is lost after harvest. Local agricultural products have decreased in both volume and value due to environmental pollution, exhaustion of underground water and infertile soil after a long time of cultivation, he said. Yaniv Tessel, head of the Economic and Trade Office of the Israeli Embassy in Vietnam, underlined that technology innovation has been defined as a key orientation of Israel, especially in agriculture as deserts cover two thirds of its land, resulting in water scarcity for farming. Drip irrigation, net houses as well as smart management of husbandry have been effectively applied in the country, he said. Dr. Ron Porat from Israel’s Volcani Centre said genetic modification technology and UV disinfection have been deployed in Israel’s agriculture to extend the shelf life of agricultural products.   Measures to ensure environmental hygiene to control the decomposition of farm produce, he said, adding that these technologies will be gradually transferred to Vietnam via bilateral cooperation agreements. Programme supports women in border, island areas The Vietnam Women’s Union and the Border Guard High Command launched a programme to improve the life of women in border and island areas in the northern mountainous province of Lang Son on March 7 in response to International Women’s Day (March 8). Addressing the event, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh said the programme has significant meaning, which aims to bring the better life for women in the areas, contributing to the implementation of the sustainable development goals with no one being left behind. She called on departments and localities to continuously join hands to carry out the programme to improve the quality of life for poor women, especially those living in border areas. President of the Vietnam Women’s Union Nguyen Thi Thu Ha stressed the crucial strategic position of said border areas, and said there are 435 land border communes nationwide, including 267 disadvantages ones. The Party, National Assembly and Government have put forth specific policies for border areas; however, the proportion of poor households in the region remains high, she noted. Therefore, the programme in 2018-2020 period is considered an important activity to support underprivileged women across 90 border and island communes to escape from poverty, develop production, and build new rural areas, she added. On the occasion, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh planted a commemorative tree at Dinh Lap town and presented 220 scholarships worth 286 million VND (12,584 USD) of Vietnam Children’s Fund to needy students in northern border communes. The Vietnam Women’s Union and the Vietnam Red Cross Society coordinated with the national humanitarian information portal to launch an SMS campaign from March 7 to May 6, 2018 to support livelihoods of poor women in border areas by texting “BC” to 1409. Each message is worth 20,000 VND.  The Border Guard High Command granted 684 million VND (30,096 USD) to assist women living under the poverty line in four communes in Lang Son province. Meanwhile, the Vietnam Women’s Union presented gifts worth nearly 800 million VND (32,000 USD) to poor women in Bac Xa commune. Da Nang promotes image via fireworks festival The central city of Da Nang aims to promote the Da Nang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) to foreign friends and the city’s image as a leading destination of festivals and events in Asia, a municipal official said at a press conference on March 7. According to Director of the Da Nang Department of Culture and Sports Huynh Van Hung, the festival, themed “The Legend of Bridges”, will kick off on April 30 and end on June 30 with the participation of Vietnam and seven foreign teams. It is hoped to attract additional thousands of visitors to the city. Fireworks shows of the host and Poland will take place on the Han River on April 30, while those of France and the US are scheduled for May 26, Italy and China’s Hong Kong on June 2, and Sweden and Portugal on June 9. The two most excellent teams will display their fireworks to entertain the audience on June 30. All firework performances will be broadcast live. A string of activities are expected to be organised on the sidelines of the fireworks competition, including a food festival, a flash mob dance performance for students, and a street carnival show. Held for the first time in 2008, the event, formerly known as the Da Nang International Fireworks Competition, has emerged as an important cultural and tourism event, contributing to cultural exchanges and wooing many foreign tourists to Da Nang and Vietnam. From 2017, the annual event has become a two-month festival in order to lure more visitors to the city. Da Nang welcomed 6.6 million visitors last year, an increase of 19 percent against the previous year. Programme supports women in border, island areas The Vietnam Women’s Union and the Border Guard High Command launched a programme to improve the life of women in border and island areas in the northern mountainous province of Lang Son on March 7 in response to International Women’s Day (March 8). Addressing the event, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh said the programme has significant meaning, which aims to bring the better life for women in the areas, contributing to the implementation of the sustainable development goals with no one being left behind. She called on departments and localities to continuously join hands to carry out the programme to improve the quality of life for poor women, especially those living in border areas. President of the Vietnam Women’s Union Nguyen Thi Thu Ha stressed the crucial strategic position of said border areas, and said there are 435 land border communes nationwide, including 267 disadvantages ones. The Party, National Assembly and Government have put forth specific policies for border areas; however, the proportion of poor households in the region remains high, she noted. Therefore, the programme in 2018-2020 period is considered an important activity to support underprivileged women across 90 border and island communes to escape from poverty, develop production, and build new rural areas, she added. On the occasion, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh planted a commemorative tree at Dinh Lap town and presented 220 scholarships worth 286 million VND (12,584 USD) of Vietnam Children’s Fund to needy students in northern border communes. The Vietnam Women’s Union and the Vietnam Red Cross Society coordinated with the national humanitarian information portal to launch an SMS campaign from March 7 to May 6, 2018 to support livelihoods of poor women in border areas by texting “BC” to 1409. Each message is worth 20,000 VND.  The Border Guard High Command granted 684 million VND (30,096 USD) to assist women living under the poverty line in four communes in Lang Son province. Meanwhile, the Vietnam Women’s Union presented gifts worth nearly 800 million VND (32,000 USD) to poor women in Bac Xa commune. Japan – Vietnam table tennis friendly exchange in Ho Chi Minh City The Japan – Vietnam table tennis friendly exchange took place in Ho Chi Minh City on March 7 on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.  Speaking at the event, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports Mai Ba Hung said the event contributes to fostering the friendship between the two nations and table tennis exchange between Ho Chi Minh City and Japan.  Japanese Deputy Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City Kazunori Hosoya said via exchanges and short-term training courses, Vietnamese and Japanese table tennis players and coaches will have chances to improve skills.  Japanese table tennis players also plan to exchange with audiences in the city. Tra Vinh: AMD project helps farmers adapt to climate change The “Adaptation in the Mekong Delta” (AMD) project will splash out 35 billion VND (1.54 million USD) from the climate change adaptation co-sponsoring fund (CCA) to support 1,400 households and 168 cooperative groups in Tra Vinh province in climate change adaptation in 2018. According to Huynh Nghia Tho, Director of the AMD Tra Vinh’s coordinating board, the CCA has operated between 2015 and 2019 with total non-refundable aid of 47 billion VND (2.07 million USD). The fund aims to encourage local farmers to apply rational production models to create sustainable income. Poor and near poor households as well as cooperative groups in the 30 targeted communes will be given non-refundable aid equivalent to 50 percent of total planned production and business costs. Accordingly, maximum financial support for each household is 30 million VND (1,320 USD) while that for each cooperative group is 750 million VND (33,000 USD). Priority has been given to clean and water-saving vegetable cultivation, rice farming under the system of rice intensification (SRI) and extensive aquaculture farming. The AMD project in Tra Vinh has been implemented in 30 communes of seven districts during 2014-2020, benefiting around 15,000 poor and near-poor households. Its total budget is 521 billion VND (22.92 million USD), including 233.5 billion VND from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)’s loans, 126.5 billion VND (5.57 million USD) from the IFAD’s non-refundable aid, 79.5 billion VND (3.49 million USD) from the Vietnamese Government and the remaining from the beneficiaries. The overall goal of the project is to develop sustainable livelihoods for rural residents in a changing climate and enhance the public’s capacity to adapt to climate change. Photo exhibition on Truong Sa to tour Hanoi, Hung Yen, Lam Dong A photo exhibition themed “Truong Sa Vitality – the Colour of Youth” will be held in Hanoi, Hung Yen and Lam Dong from March 9 to April 22. The exhibition is part of the “Truong Sa xanh” (Blue Truong Sa) held by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Naval High Command. It aims to raise the awareness and responsibility of the community, especially youngsters, in protecting the national sea and island sovereignty as well as managing and using maritime resources in an effective and sustainable manner. This is also a chance to mobilise resources for the programme and raise funds for the application of science and technology in Truong Sa to ease difficulties for soldiers in DK1 platform, including producing water filter machines to turn seawater into drinkable water. More than 150 photos will be introduced during the exhibition, showing the daily life of islanders and soldiers in Truong Sa, especially DK1 platform, as well as voluntary activities of the youth in the areas. A number of maps affirming the national sovereignty over Truong Sa archipelago, along with numerous documents showing the country’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa archipelago will be also on display. Vietnam, Good Neighbors International work to improve cooperatives The Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development and non-governmental Good Neighbors International (GNI) signed a pact on March 7 to develop new cooperative models and farm produce value chains in Vietnam. The agreement will support the establishment and operation of agricultural cooperatives and development of farm produce value chains in areas where the GNI is running its income-generation projects. Between 2018 and 2020, the two sides are set to build a suitable action plan, carry out research and surveys on demand and consumption of agricultural products, promote the products, and help producers build trademarks for their goods. Ma Quang Trung, Director of the Department of Cooperatives and Rural Development, said only 38 percent of Vietnam’s 12,000 cooperatives are working effectively. Vietnamese cooperatives often have small scale, and their members earn low incomes and face various difficulties in selling their products. According to An Yong Sic, chief of GNI representative office in Vietnam, the organization has collaborated with more than 1,000 farmers in Thanh Hoa, Hoa Binh, and Tuyen Quang provinces, and with a numbers of shopping malls and convenience stores in Hanoi. Currently, many of the farmers’ goods are on shelves of Kmart, Lotte mart, and Vinmart stores in the capital city. Established in 1991, GNI implements community development projects globally to improve quality of life and access to education, as well as to provide aid in areas of civil unrest or natural disasters. Opened in 2005, GNI Vietnam has initiated many programs in underprivileged areas of the country, including sponsorship, case management, education and protection, health care, water-sanitation, income generation, raising awareness of local residents, and emergency relief. Work starts on new building of Hanoi University of Science Construction of the first building serving teaching and research activities of the Hanoi University of Science (HUS) under the Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) started on March 7 in Hoa Lac urban area. The building, named HT1, is located in Zone 4 of the HUS construction project, is part of another project on building new VNU headquarters in Hoa Lac. The HT1 construction is the first activity that the VNU has deployed since the university took over the VNU building project in Hoa Lac from the Ministry of Construction in January 2018. The five-storey building, dedicated to the Faculty of Mathematics, Mechanics and Informatics, has a total ground area of 14,330 sq.m. It is built at a total cost of 113.9 billion VND (5 million USD) and scheduled to be finished in 2019. The HUS construction project, approved by the Construction Ministry in December 2014, is set to serve the training of 12,800 university students and 2,000 high school students. It covers 65.1ha of land and has total investment capital of 3.1 trillion VND (136.5 million USD). It consists of nine zones, from Zone 1 to Zone 9, divided according to their functions. VNU Rector Nguyen Kim Son said the VNU is also making preparations to start the building of other facilities this year such as those of the University of Engineering and Technology, the International School, and the Tran Nhan Tong Institute. Covering more than 1,000ha of land, the VNU project in Hoa Lac comprises 21 sub-projects and is designed as a high-quality university city. Some facilities of the project have been put into use. Rural women feed the country, lack support Việt Nam has achieved remarkable economic growth thanks in part to the significant contribution of the agriculture sector over the past 30 years. Despite the drastic changes, however, rural women still face numerous difficulties and challenges. Experts agreed on that point at a policy event on “Empowering Rural Women for Việt Nam’s Sustainable Development” held in Hà Nội on Thursday. The event was organised in commemoration of International Women’s Day by the United Nations in Việt Nam together with Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and the Việt Nam National Committee for the Advancement of Women. According to the General Statistics Office’s 2016 report, although agriculture accounted for only 16.3 per cent of Việt Nam’s GDP, 41.9 per cent of the labour force engaged in the agricultural production. There are 26.2 million female labourers in the country, of which 44 per cent are engaged in agriculture.  But, the report said, rural women often work at low-quality, unstable jobs with little access to social protection services. Although vocational training for rural women has been prioritised, such trainings are usually short-term. As such, women still face difficulties finding a decent job after the trainings. Moreover, their access to resources such as land, technology and financial services is also very restricted. Besides, rural women are severely affected by climate change. However, their contributions to and experience in responding to climate change and natural disasters have not been adequately appreciated. Doãn Mậu Diệp, deputy minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, said, "Today’s discussion is a good opportunity to promote the role and contribution of women and girls in rural areas, to review the successes as well as the challenges in achieving gender equality towards the advancement of women, and to find solutions to enhancing the empowerment of rural women and girls in the coming time”. Kamal Malhotra, United Nations Resident Coordinator to Việt Nam said, “The agenda for sustainable development aims to build a future that leaves no one behind.” “Only if we eliminate structural barriers and discriminations in law and practices to ensure equal opportunities and results for women, can we change the lives of rural women and girls,” he said. Participants gave recommendations and suggestions on empowering rural women in Việt Nam, including requiring both targeted action and mainstreaming gender perspectives into all efforts in national planning, decision making, policy formulation and implementation; promoting an enabling environment for rural women and girls and their organisations to fully and actively participate in the decisions, policies and institutions that affect their livelihoods; building the resilience of rural women and girls to climate change and environmental degradation; and strengthening the capacity of national statistical offices and other relevant institutions to collect, analyse and disseminate sex- and age-disaggregated data and produce gender statistics to support policies and action for rural women and girls.  Elected officials learn about IECD An introductory session for elected officials on Integrated Early Childhood Development (IECD) was held on Tuesday by the National Assembly’s Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children, in partnership with the Ministry of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) and UNICEF. The session aimed to increase awareness among National Assembly (NA) members on the importance of IECD and obtain their commitment to promote IECD in the work of elected bodies. “Having the IECD programme in place is important. Equally important is to ensure it is put into operation on the ground. Effective implementation of IECD will require the strong attention and engagement of elected officials in reinforcing their oversight and ensuring the programme is fully financed, well-coordinated and scaled up at a national level,” said Ngô Thị Minh, Deputy Chairwoman of the NA’s Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children. IECD refers to a comprehensive care and development approach for children from birth to eight years of age. It enables families to access multiple services for their young children and themselves in a cohesive way. The integration of the services seeks to maximise the impact of different early childhood disciplines with a clear focus on the child, within the context of their family and community. In Việt Nam, major gaps remain in supporting the cognitive and emotional development of girls and boys, especially for those under eight years of age. Close to 25 per cent of children under five years of age suffer from stunted emotional and educational growth. Approximately 72 per cent of preschool age children (aged from three to five) and 9.4 per cent of kindergarten age children (aged under three) do not attend any formal pre-learning programme. Every year, about 2,000 children experience violence and abuse; 170,000 children are without parental care; and many are injured, including drowning, one of the leading cause of death in children. The importance of investing in early childhood development has been increasingly recognised by Việt Nam, with the passage of Party Resolutions regarding the care, protection, education and health and nutrition of children, the approval of the Law on Children in 2016, which is the primary piece of legislation for the protection, care and education for children including infants, and the passage of the Law on Health Insurance offering free healthcare for children under six years of age. “The National Assembly of Việt Nam has a vital role in promoting the nationwide implementation of Integrated Early Childhood Development, bringing together different agencies that play a critical role in the life of a child. Failing to have a strong commitment to invest in and implement IECD would come at a great cost with poor learning, slow physical growth, lower wages, higher unemployment, and increased dependence on public assistance that weigh down economic and social progress for everyone”, said Yoshimi Nishino, Acting Deputy Representative of UNICEF Việt Nam. Đà Nẵng launches energy planning project The central city Đà Nẵng launched the Calculator Việt Nam 2050 project in energy management with technical and financial assistance by the United Kingdom in a ceremony yesterday. The project will help support the city as it build up strategic policy and plans for sustainable energy management that aims to reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions to reach a green growth target. The project will help local engineers calculate energy consumption with a data system and calculation formula including Excel and Webtool versions. Đà Nẵng was selected as the first city in Việt Nam to implement the pilot project in energy management. The city plans to inaugurate its ‘green city’ status by 2025. Businesses in Đà Nẵng have been called on to develop environmentally friendly technologies to help reduce GHG emissions by five per cent by 2020. According to a survey of 20 businesses in Liên Chiểu Industrial Zone in Đà Nẵng, energy-based production activities including that of cement, rubber and steel, emitted 27,800 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2013, accounting for 78 per cent of GHG emissions at the IZ. The city aims to reduce emissions to 25,300 tonnes by 2020, and power consumption at IZs will be limited to 45.2 million KW/h by 2020. In 2012, Đà Nẵng was one of 20 Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) cities chosen to carry out a Low-Carbon Model Town Project involving smart grids and renewable power generation. The city had already cut 12,000 tonnes of carbon emissions through a pilot project in the 2008-11 period. HCM City Paediatrics Hospital gets nuclear medicine unit The Paediatrics Hospital in HCM City’s Bình Chánh District has set up the first nuclear medicine unit for treating children in the south. On March 6 and 7 doctors at the hospital performed nuclear medicine imaging on 15 child patients with renal diseases like hydronephrosis, which is the swelling of a kidney due to a build-up of urine and happens when the urine cannot move from the kidney to the bladder because of a blockage or obstruction, and diseases related to bones. They performed it with assistance from Chợ Rẫy Hospital doctors and Taiwanese experts. The technique uses radiopharmaceuticals known as radioactive tracers to examine the function and structure of organs and tissue more accurately than traditional imaging methods like CT Scan, MRI, and X-ray. According to RadiologyInfo.org of the Radiological Society of North America, radioactive tracers are typically injected into the bloodstream, inhaled or swallowed. They travel to the area being examined and give off energy in the form of gamma rays, which are detected by a special camera and a computer to create images of the inside of the body. According to the hospital’s Facebook page, nuclear medicine is used mostly for diagnosis of thyroid cancer and evaluation of kidney functions. The hospital will use it for diagnosis of cardiovascular, digestive, and nervous ailments and others. Dr Nguyễn Xuân Cảnh, the consultant at the hospital’s nuclear medicine unit, said paediatrics hospitals in the city take an average of 10 patients daily to Chợ Rẫy Hospital for nuclear medicine. But since March 6 its patients are no longer taken to Chợ Rẫy, he said. In the past there were worries about using radioactive medicine on children, but research showed its radioactive dose is lower than that of X-rays. In Việt Nam, many central-level hospitals such as Chợ Rẫy, Bạch Mai in Hà Nội and others have developed nuclear medicine units with modern equipment. Deputy PM calls for tightening control of unauthorised vehicles Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình has asked agencies to tighten regulations on traffic order and safety to keep unauthorised vehicles off the roads. He made the request following a serious incident which left one person dead and 19 others were injured. The accident occurred on March 1 after a 45-seater coach, travelling to Kon Tum from the central coastal province of Quảng Nam, overturned and plunged into an abyss alongside the Lò Xo Pass in the Central Highlands province of Kom Tum’s Đắk Glei District. The dead victim was identified as the coach driver, Vũ Văn Huy, 34, from Hà Nam Province. Initial investigations revealed that a problem with the vehicle’s gears may have caused the accident. According to Nguyễn Hữu Hùng, director of Kon Tum Province’s Transport Department, the vehicle was not authorised to operate on the route as the vehicle’s global positioning systems were not working.  The Deputy PM, who is also chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committe, praised the Traffic Safety Committee of Kon Tum Province, Dak Glei District, locals and relevant forces who participated in the rescue efforts to reduce damage to people and property. He ordered the People’s Committee of Kon Tum and Hà Nam provinces to direct its police force to promptly investigate the accident. The responsibility of the vehicle owners should be clarified and due punishment should be imposed, Bình said. The Deputy PM asked the Ministry of Transport to study the supplementary design standards and a more sustainable structure for installation at the curves with steep drops to prevent serious accidents. The ministry was also assigned to review the contents of the draft decree on business and conditions of automobile transportation of businesses to ensure traffic safety and order. It should be submitted to the Prime Minister this month.  Flames engulf power plant in Trà Vinh Fire broke out at a thermal power plant in the southern province of Trà Vinh on Wednesday morning. There was no immediate report of casualties or injuries in the blaze. The fire reportedly started at around 10.30am when workers were welding at the under-construction flue-gas desulfurisation (FGD) area of the Duyên Hải 3 coal-fired power plant in Duyên Hải Township. The panic-stricken workers tried to escape the scene as firefighters tried to contain the blaze. They also ensured no persons were trapped inside. The flames were put out around noon. The power plant management board on Wednesday afternoon released an official notice on the fire, confirming there was no immediate report of casualties or injuries in the incident. It also said that all equipment at the construction site was insured. Police arrest drug dealer after 6-year chase A drug dealer of a cocaine ring, who underwent plastic surgery for six years to escape the police, has been arrested. Đỗ Thành Nam, 30, is believed to be the main suspect in a huge drug smuggling case, which has been investigated by Quảng Ninh police since 2012, online newspaper zing.vn reported. This is the largest ring in the history of drug crimes, led by a woman named Nguyễn Bích Ngọc. So far, the investigation agency has prosecuted 147 defendants and seized 112 cakes of heroin, 115,000 synthetic drugs and more than VNĐ20 billion (US$888,900). Upon investigation, police identified Ngọc and her ring members transporting more than 32,000 cakes of heroin, 500,000 tablets of synthetic drugs and 40kg of crystal methaphetamine. Ngọc and other members of the ring were arrested, but Nam managed to flee. Police in Quảng Ninh province has been on his trail since the end of 2012. During his hiding, Nam headed an organisation to transport drugs from the northern province of Sơn La to Hà Nội and then to Cao Bằng Province. In September 2017, Hà Nội police busted this organisation. They arrested three members and seized 15 cakes of heroin, a gun and a grenade. Nam, however, managed to escape again, so there was a second special arrest warrant for drug trafficking issued against him. To avoid being apprehended by the police, Nam changed his name. He took on different names and forged personal identification documents. He even underwent numerous plastic surgeries to avoid arrest. According to police, Nam was arrested while hiding in a hostel in HCM City. In the past six years, he had cut off all contact with the outside world. Food, or any other information, was exchanged through his girlfriend’s driver, a police official said. Police are further investigating the case. 2 policemen injured in car chase Police in the southern Bình Dương Province arrested two persons on Wednesday during a car chase, which left two policemen seriously injured. The incident occurred on Wednesday morning when a traffic patrol team from the provincial traffic police office was patrolling on Mỹ Phước - Tân Vạn Street. They noticed suspicious signs in an Innova car and ordered the driver to stop. As the driver ignored the request and drove away, the patrol officers used two special motorbikes to chase the car. However, a Ford suddenly crashed into the motorbikes from behind, seriously injuring the two officers who were then transported to the hospital for treatment. Later, more than 30 policemen and special vehicles were dispatched to pursue the drivers. The chase lasted for nearly 20km before the driver of the Innova was stopped. The Ford’s driver tried to escape towards Đồng Nai Province. But the car hit a street lamp post when it arrived at an area near Tân Bình Ward, adjacent to Đồng Nai Province. The two drivers have been taken into custody. Thousands of packets of smuggled cigarettes were found inside the cars. Bình Dương Police said they were investigating the case. Xone radio offers content on new mobile app Việt Nam’s number one national radio channel, Xone, has launched its first ever mobile app. The app features high-end, live-streamed, native radio content, exclusive Xone video content and the latest information on what’s happening in the music and entertainment scene in Việt Nam. Xone users can listen to their favourite music and also watch and engage with their favourite Xone Radio MCs and guests. “The way we’re listening to music in Việt Nam is changing, and Xone Radio is changing with it,” Andrew Homan, CEO of Xone Radio, said. “We’re excited about our new app as it makes it even easier to access your favourite content wherever you are. We’ve seen significant growth in listeners to the station for several years, and with a dedicated mobile app, we expect that to increase even faster.” Xone FM can now be heard on the new frequencies of 96 FM in Hà Nội and 87.7 in HCM City, as well as on its website, xonefm.com. Since beginning in 2006 as the country’s first commercial station, Xone Radio has become one of Việt Nam’s leading content creators. Jutatip Manneephan wins first stage of Biwase Cup Jutatip Manneephan won the first stage of the Bình Dương international women’s cycling tournament Biwase Cup yesterday. Manneephan, who won the gold medal in the Asian Games in 2014 in the road race category, finished first in the 66km stage around Thủ Dầu Một City. The Thai player temporarily took the yellow jersey and green jersey award. The event drew 138 cyclists from nine foreign clubs and nine local crews. They will cover 841km, passing through Đồng Nai, Lâm Đồng, Khánh Hòa, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu, Bình Dương and other cities and provinces. Today, cyclists will compete in the second stage from Đồng Nai to Lâm Đồng, a trip of 93km. HCM City open futsal tournament for women starts The HCM City Open Women’s Futsal tournament, LS Cup 2018, has started at Thái Sơn Nam Gymnasium in HCM City. The tournament, which is the leading event for Vietnamese female players, on Wednesday drew the participation of six teams including Hà Nội, Phong Phú Hà Nam, TNG Thái Nguyên and Sơn La. Teams are competing in a round robin format. The top two will enter the final match. The winner will walk away with the bonus of VNĐ20 million (US$870). The event’s best players will be selected to take part in the upcoming Asian Women’s Futsal Championship. On the opening day, defending champions District 8 easily beat District 1 3-1. Phong Phú Hà Nam also crushed Sơn La with the same score of 3-1. Thái Nguyên tied with Hà Nội 3-3. HAGL beat Đồng Nai at U19 national event Hoàng Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) defeated Đồng Nai 2-1 in the Group B of final round of the National U19 Football Tournament at Tự Do Stadium in Huế City on Wednesday. With good physical strength and skills, Đồng Nai blocked nearly all attacks of HAGL, who are considered the candidate for the event’s trophy. Although HAGL controlled the, they were powerless to find the way to the box of Đồng Nai. After the break, coach Guillaume Graechen of HAGL had several substitutes in his line up. This improved HAGL’s play. In the 50th minute, from a corner kick, midfielder Hồ Minh Quyền put his header past the goal keeper of Đồng Nai and opened the score for HAGL. Quyền’s goal inspired HAGL to play more aggressively. In the 57th minute, Đồng Nai’s goalkeeper made an error with a player of HAGL in the penalty area. In the 11m spot, Bảo Toàn succeeded in raising the score to 2-0 for HAGL. Đồng Nai made every effort to seek goals and in the 86th minute, Lý Hùng Thành narrowed the gap to 1-2. In another match, Sông Lam Nghệ An lost to Viettel 2-3. The event, which has the participation of eight teams, will conclude on March 15. Hà Nội beat HCM City at U19 event Defending champions Hà Nội defeated HCM City 8-1 in the opening match of Group A in the final round of the National U19 Football Tournament. The match was held at Tự Do Stadium in Huế City on Tuesday. Hà Nội proved their power with a goal by Nguyễn Hữu Tuấn in the third minute. Five minutes later, the capital team doubled their score, thanks to Lê Văn Xuân. Xuân scored his goal following a confused situation ahead of the box of HCM City. Before the end of the first half, Xuân completed his hat-trick with two more goals in the 21st and 40th minute to help his team take a 4-0 lead. After the break, Hà Nội continued to dominate the game and there was no improvement in the performance of HCM City. In the 53rd minute, Nguyễn Văn Minh scored the fifth goal for Hà Nội. A little more than 10 minutes later, Xuân scored his fourth goal in the match. In the 87th minute, the score was 8-0 in favour of Hà Nội. HCM City’s efforts to narrow the gap were repaid by a goal from Nguyễn Hữu Thường in the extra time of the second half. In another match, hosts Thừa Thiên Huế lost to Đồng Tháp 0-2. Hà Nội will face Đồng Tháp on Thursday, while HCM City will play against Thừa Thiên Huế. Seven teams are competing in the final round alongside Thừa Thiên Huế. The tournament will conclude on March 15. After this tournament, the best players will be selected for the Việt Nam U19 team to compete in the International U19 Football Tournament, which will be held in Pleiku City in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai from March 21-31. VNN