Social News 19/4 New Zealand Education Fair 2018 charmed parents and students The New Zealand Education Fair 2018 held in Ho Chi Minh City (April 7) and Hanoi (April 8) attracted more than 1,000 participants and offered a holistic experience of being a student in New Zealand. With more than 60 top institutions from New Zealand, this fair brought useful information and attractive activities such as simulated classrooms guided by Kiwi teachers as well as informative consultancy with New Zealand education experts and alumni. The New Zealand Education Fair is an annual event organised by Education New Zealand with the support of the New Zealand Embassy (Hanoi) and the New Zealand Consulate (Ho Chi Minh City). This is one of the largest in-market educational promotional events in the calendar year in Vietnam. New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Wendy Matthews said in her opening remarks:   “As you all may know, we saw a 60 per cent increase in the number of first-time Vietnamese student visas to New Zealand in 2017 and those numbers have continued to grow through the first quarter of 2018. This New Zealand Education Fair is one of our commitments to strengthening education relationships as well as increasing the number of Vietnamese students studying in New Zealand.” This year marked the largest amount of registrations from New Zealand institutions. More than 60 institutions, including universities, ITPs, PTEs, and high schools sent representatives. “We are thrilled to have such a wide selection of New Zealand education institutions attending our upcoming Fairs in Vietnam. Prospective students and parents will not have a better opportunity to speak directly with the institution representatives and learn why New Zealand’s education system is ranked at the very top for preparing students for the future,” said Ben Burrowes, Education New Zealand’s regional manager, Southeast Asia. Noticeably, the Fairs successfully organised simulated New Zealand classrooms for both high school and tertiary institutions hosted by Kiwi teachers and demonstrated New Zealand’s unique and world-leading learning environments. The 30-minute classes provided snapshots of the education system recognised as the world’s best by The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2017 Educating for the Future Index. The lessons did not only focus on theory, but also helped students develop personal skills such as teamwork and problem-solving. Instead of learning by subjects, students acquired new knowledge through project-based methods. Nana, a grade 10 student from Minh Khai High School, said: “I used to study in a primary school in New Zealand and I will be back to New Zealand for high school. This simulated classroom is really similar to what I experienced in primary school. The interaction of teachers and student is very comfortable, like we exchange knowledge—it is very unlike the relationship between trainers and trainees.” Nguyen Hung (one of the parent-visitors) said: “I am impressed by the classroom’s decoration as well as arrangement of round tables and how students are divided into small groups. This helps students easily interact with each other when studying. Every member can easily see and talk to each other, and so can the teacher.” Julie Saikkone, representative of Westlake Girl’s High School, shared her thoughts: “We do not only focus on developing study skills, but we also concentrate on outdoor activities, especially arts and sports. We strongly invest in infrastructure such as installing manmade-grass for hockey, football, tennis, and cricket. And we are one of the top 5 national team in rowing. Air New Zealand continues to be the sponsor of New Zealand Education Fair. This year the company offered two return flights and promotion packages to New Zealand to two lucky draw winners. VOV to introduce Vietnamese and Egyptian culture and music    Radio and television programs will help Vietnamese and Egyptian peoples gain more insights into culture, music and life of each nation, said Vice President of the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) Nguyen Xuan Huy at the working session in Cairo with leaders of Egypt National Radio on April 17. He said that both sides commit to making concerted effort to promote practical and effective cooperation in the time ahead VOV Vice President Nguyen Xuan Huy and the VOV delegation have met with Head of the International Relations in the Egyptian Radio & TV Union (ERTU) Basma Habib, Chairwoman of the Egypt National Radio Nadia Mabrouk and Head of the television sector at the Egyptian Radio and Television Union Magdi Lashin. At the working session, Mr Huy affirmed that VOV is willing to cooperate with Egyptian media agencies in sharing information and realizing the Memorandum of Understanding signed between VOV and Egypt National Radio in 2017. Both sides committed to exchanging radio and television programs on culture, music and tourism in the coming time to deepen mutual understanding between the two peoples. vov to introduce vietnamese and egyptian culture and music  hinh 1 Chairwoman of the Egypt National Radio Nadia Mabrouk reaffirmed her commitments to enhancement of cooperation between the two radio agencies, especially in association with political and cultural events and celebration of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. Both sides will also cooperate in strengthening the exchange of reporters, sharing experience in the application of science and digital technologies for the development of the two countries’ national radio agencies . vov to introduce vietnamese and egyptian culture and music  hinh 2 VOV Vice President Nguyen Xuan Huy said as a multimedia communication agency, VOV will fully utilise the resources provided by Egyptian radio and television stations. On the occasion, VOV delegation also visited the Egyptian department for the application of science and technology in broadcasting and television. Taste of Mongolia at Windsor Plaza Hotel    Chef Dagvadorj Lkhagva and Chef Usbold Tumurbaatar will introduce Mongolian traditional dishes at Café Central An Dong from April 20 to 29 From the vast and open sweep of the Mongolian steppe, hardy nomadic people have developed a cuisine unique in the world, and this will form the center-piece of Windsor Plaza Hotel’s Mongolian Culinary Fair. At Café Central An Dong at Level 4, Windsor Plaza Hotel in HCM City’s District 5, from April 20 to 29, guests will be treated to two different buffets of traditional Mongolian fare presented by two visiting guest chefs from the country’s capital, Ulaanbaatar. Chef Dagvadorj Lkhagva is the Executive Chef at the Blue Sky Hotel & Tower, where Chef Usbold Tumurbaatar is also the Chef De Partie. Both men have a deep knowledge and understanding of the culinary traditions of their homeland, while also benefiting from extensive training and experience in Europe. Some of the traditional dishes for guests to enjoy include smoky ox tongue, char grilled BBQ lamb skewers, spinach dumpling soup or baked meatballs with egg and bone marrow. Desserts are also a highlight, with offerings including iced honey and yoghurt, barley flour truffles with chocolate or dried milk curds. This unique gastronomic adventure is available Monday to Friday from VND468,000 per person at lunch and from VND698,000 per person at dinner. Both include a free flow of German beer and house red and white wine. On the weekend, diners can enjoy lunch from VND518,000 per person and dinner from VND798,000 per person, including a free flow of sparkling wine, house red and white wine and German beer. 4 crewmembers rescued in Đà Nẵng    One of the four crewmembers gets treated after the rescue.  Four crewmembers of a boat that sank in the sea off central Đà Nẵng City were rescued on Tuesday, according to Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre No II. The boat, coded ĐNa 90765 TS, sank at some 8pm on Monday while going offshore for fishing. The four boatmen clinked to a coracle to survive, but their health began to deteriorate after spending several hours in the sea without food and water. However, another boat, coded ĐNa 90279 TS, found the victims and rescued them offshore. The Việt Nam Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre rescued the crewmembers onshore on Tuesday evening. They are undergoing treatment. Tien Giang to apply Zalo in building smart urban model    A signing ceremony for an agreement between the Tien Giang Provincial People’s Committee in the Mekong Delta and Zalo, regarding the deployment of public administration and e-administrative services, took place within the framework of a conference held on April 13 at the Tien Giang Provincial Conference Center on implementing the “Building My Tho into a Smart Urban Area in 2017-2020” project. In attendance was Mr. Tran Thanh Duc, Vice Chairman of the People’s Committee, Ms. Le Thi Kim Xuyen, Director of Zalo’s 4.0 Project, and many officials of all levels. Developing e-government is one of the matters Tien Giang province is focusing on in building an intelligent urban model, along with surveillance cameras, smart traffic networks, smart education, and smart tourism. Local people can access zalo.me/hcctiengiang or search for “Tien Giang Province Public Administration Portal”. Existing services include document search by receipt code or QR code and latest news on the socioeconomic situation, administrative reform, and new policies in the province. Other services in smart urban planning, such as smart travel, smart camera, smart traffic, smart education, and bus maps will be integrated into Zalo in the future. Building a smart city poses the challenge of local people being able to keep pace with technological development. Mr. Tran Van Dung, Director of the province’s Department of Information and Communications, said Vietnam’s IT system is developing very well, especially its broadband infrastructure and the greater use of smartphones. Interaction with the government and utilizing information systems that benefit the people is becoming increasingly straightforward. “The Smart Urban Model is designed to help citizens interact with authorities and access accurate information, and is geared towards every individual and household,” said Mr. Dung. Measures discussed to promote occupational safety for young workers    Secondary level students will be soon offered a safe work skills course as part of their education. Experts gathered at an international forum held in Hanoi on April 16 to discuss measures to promote occupational safety and health (OSH) for young workers in Vietnam. The event was co-organised by the Department of Work Safety (DWS) under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and the International Labor Organisation (ILO) under the theme of “A generation of safe and healthy workers”. According to ILO statistics released at the event, about 350,000 people die each year from occupational accidents and about 2 million die from work related illnesses. In addition, more than 313 million workers have suffered severe injuries and lost their ability to work due to occupational accidents. Currently, the world has 541 million young workers (aged 15-24), including 37 million child labourers. Child labour represents more than 15% of the workforce around the world and young labourers face a higher risk of occupational injuries and work related illnesses than those over 25 years of age. In Vietnam last year, 9,143 victims suffered from 8,856 occupational accidents nationwide. As a country with a large number of young labourers, Vietnam has issued a range of policies and regulations aimed at ensuring OSH for young workers, but there are still many difficulties and limitations in preventing and reducing occupational accidents, said Head of the DWS, Ha Tat Thang. He identified factors that could make young Vietnamese workers vulnerable. For example, young workers are in their physical and psychological development stage, with a lack of work experience and training, as well as with limited awareness of work-related hazards and negotiation skills. However, young employees still accept dangerous tasks or unsafe working conditions to earn their living. Thang said that there is currently a need to raise awareness among young workers, especially those working in the agricultural sector, to help them better understand the basic concepts of OSH, in addition to the use of safety equipment. He added that when providing training and information for young workers there should be a focus on the negative consequences of occupational incidents as well as on the requirements for better OSH. Valentine Offenloch, Programme Officer from the ILO’s Safe Youth Work Project, proposed that Government and State management agencies integrate OSH into educational programmes at all levels to promote the rights and obligations of workers and employers. She also suggested promoting skills development for identifying, removing, and controlling hazards and risks for young workers in Vietnam. Deputy Head of the DWS, Nguyen Anh Tho, said that for many years, the Government has allocated a budget to develop training programmes on OSH for students at vocational training centres and colleges. The programmes will be soon offered at secondary and lower education levels to equip learners with safe work skills, she added. Experts at the forum exchanged lessons aimed at promoting a campaign for tackling challenges, raising awareness, and improving working conditions to ensure OSH for Vietnamese young workers. Bidding document of My Thuan – Can Tho Highway project sold The Transport Ministry's Thang Long project management board has sold bidding document to select investors for the My Thuan – Can Tho Highway project from April 15 to May 15. Transport Minister Nguyen Van The said that the highway building can last longer than planned because it takes time to treat weak ground. He asked related agencies to quickly start the construction; first of all, they should put the work out to tender in the second quarter this year to select investor. In the next time, the Thang Long management board will send its document to the Transport Ministry and the Prime Minister about mechanism relating to fee collection of Ho Chi Minh City – Trung Luong highway to support the new project. The 23.6 meter long My Thuan – Can Tho highway will start at the National Road No. 80 intersection and end at Cha Va – National Road No.1 intersection in the Mekong delta province of Vinh Long. In the first stage, the highway will be built with four lanes and designed vehicle speed of 100km per hour. The construction of the My Thuan- Can Tho Expressway on a build-operate-transfer basis costs over VND5.4 trillion (US$211.7 million). Scandal of cryptocurrency transactions by Ifan group worsens    Diep Khac Cuong denies the rumor that he was co-founder of Modern Tech Company On April 12, the fraud of ifan group accused of tripping 15 trillion dong is worsening when several investors strongly protested to Diep Khac Cuong's comments that he was not the co-founder of Modern Tech Company and not involved in the Ifan group project. Diep Khac Cuong on April 9 was blamed for involving in the scandal of cryptocurrency transactions by Ifan group that led to the loss of VND15 trillion. He then denied the rumor that he was co-founder of Modern Tech Company ( Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies trading company). Ms. NC, a large investor in the Ifan project, said through a friend's recommendation (who was close to the founders of Modern Tech), she believed in the promise of buying virtual currency IFan and Pincoin with the interest rate of 48 percent per month. Thus, she invested in Ifan project. Ms. NC confirmed that she then attended the workshops in which and Diep Khac Cuong and other organizers of the Ifan project reported a "dream vision" of trading cryptocurrencies. "In those workshops calling for investment with the participation of several hundred people, Mr. Cuong introduced himself as the Chairman of the Ifan Project, guaranteeing that this project would be highly profitable," said Ms NC. She also affirmed that Cuong could not be unrelated and innocent as he explained. Similarly, another investor named NV also confirmed that  Diep Khac Cuong, singer Dam Vinh Hung and many other celebrities attended the event. When interviewed by TV and press reporters, these two people also talked about the Ifan project. In particular, Cuong lectured that those who would make investment on the projects would get high profits. Believe in these words, Mr. NV borrowed money from friends and relatives to buy virtual currency but so far they have not received any profits, facing the risk of losing several billion dongs. "Mr. Cuong’s statement that he was unrelated in the scandal is unreasonable”, said he. “It is known that Mr Cuong is still holding money from investors, " said NV. He added that, just because they believed in Mr Cuong, hundreds of people decided to invest in the project. So far, they have defaulted. Basing on the above arguments and evidences, Ms. NC and many other investors are consolidating legal documents and evidences and making denunciations to the police. In Hanoi, there are people who were cheated by Ifan group. The victims said that the people directly calling for investment in the ifan virtual currency project are Diep Khac Cuong and Le Ngoc Tuan (Tuan-Euro – based in 24 Thai Thinh, Nga Tu So district, Dong Da district, Hanoi). Modern technology has been pushing investors, buy virtual currency ifan as a valuable stock, but instead of issuing stock, Modern Tech spent this money to raise capital. The company strives to invest in virtual currency, with Ifan achieving the lowest return of 48% per month with a payback period of up to 4 months. If an investor invites other people to participate, they also receive a commission of 8%. In another development, on April 12, Director of the Information and Communication Department of HCM City, Duong Anh Duc, informed the reporters of SGGP newspaper, the Department would review and resolutely sanction all the propaganda, advertising of virtual currencies trading. The propaganda, advertising as well as the purchase, sale of digital currencies, virtual currencies on the Internet are considered illegal and will be punished according to regulations. On the same day, Department of Information and Communication also announced some information related to the management of cryptocurrencies. Accordingly, today's most popular virtual currencies can be classified into digital money (money generated from algorithms) and virtual currencies. At present, more than 1,000 types of digital money, virtual currencies have been created and are circulated, some popular digital money are Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin. These currencies are not geographically limited. National laws are different from country to country in relation to the recognizing and legalizing of such virtual currencies. However, according to Vietnamese law, organizations and individuals are not allowed to use, trade in digital money or other similar cryptocurrencies to pay for goods or services. The use of virtual currency is a violation of law that may be prosecuted for criminal liability. Although there have been many warnings, many people in Vietnam still make investment and transaction of cryptocurrencies. Therefore, there has been many deceptive cases relating to multi-level business, purchase of virtual items online. Many cases that have been handled by the authorities shocked public opinions... The common pattern in these scandals is that people believe in the promise of high profit and they then suffered financial losses themselves. Once more, the Department of Information and Communication recommends organizations and individuals not to conduct propaganda, advertising as well as participate in the purchase and sale of digital money, cryptocurrencies on the Internet. People should be alert, raise vigilance and awareness that the investment, this kind of business is not recognized by law, the Department concluded. Photo exhibition on Vietnamese-French leaders meetings opened in HCMC    The exhibition is opened to every one, with large-size photos hung on the surrounding walls of the French Consulate General in HCMC The French Consulate General in HCMC is hosting a photo exhibition on meetings between Vietnamese and French leaders to mark the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic ties and five years since the two countries set up strategic partnership. The large-size photos are attached on the surrounding walls of the French Consul General’s residence on Le Duan Street in HCMC’s District 1 for public viewing. All of them have the official logo of the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic relations. Featuring meetings between Vietnamese and French leaders over the past 45 years, the exhibition mirrors the steadfast friendship between the two countries. Speaking to the Daily, French Consul General in HCMC Vincent Floreani said all of the meetings have played important roles in maintaining and promoting the relations between Vietnam and France. However, he was impressed the most by the meeting between former Vietnamese President Le Duc Anh and former French President François Mitterrand in Hanoi in February 1993 because this was the first visit to Vietnam by a leader of a Western country after 1975. The diplomat also highlighted the meeting between General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and French President Emmanuel Macron in March 2018, which summarized the Vietnam-France relations in nearly half a decade and marked five years since the two countries became strategic partners. “The greatest achievement of Vietnam and France over the years is that our relationships have always been going up, covering all levels, from the governments to localities and citizens, and all sectors, from economic development to politics, science-technology, healthcare and education,” he said. According to the French Consul General, in addition to this photo exhibition, there will be a lot of other activities to mark the 45th anniversary of Vietnam-France diplomatic relations in the coming time. He hoped there will be more meetings between leaders of the two countries in the future, contributing to deepening their friendship. Code literacy training project launched in Mekong Delta    Owner Larter (4th L), senior manager of government affairs at Microsoft Corporation, and TDF general manager Nguyen Van Hanh (6th L) cut the ribbon to launch the Enabling Boat project Microsoft Vietnam and The Dariu Foundation (TDF) launched the “Enabling Boat” project last week, aiming to support disadvantaged youth in the Mekong Delta to get access to computer science and code literacy. Enabling Boat will be carried out in three Mekong Delta provinces of Vinh Long, Tien Giang and Hau Giang as part of the annual project “Youth Spark Digital Inclusion”. Microsoft Vietnam and TDF will provide computer skills and code literacy training courses for 35,000 students, of which 10,000 students will be trained with Scratch and Kodu. Besides, more than 200 local teachers from the three provinces will be engaged in Training of Trainers (ToT) and participate in training workshops that aim to share experience in teaching methods of computer programming. The project is also expected to create an environment for rural students to develop critical thinking, logic skills, creativity, and problem solving skills, and motivate them to build their future with technology. “Thanks to Enabling Boat project, I had a chance to participate in the Hour of Code program. It was very exciting to learn coding with Minecraft Education. I hope this project can help me achieve my dream job as a programmer in the future,” said Nguyen Thi Tieu Yen, student of Luu Van Mot High School. According to the Digital Transformation Study in Asia Pacific 2018 conducted by Microsoft and IDC, one of the biggest barriers to digital transformation is the lack of skills and resources. “What we should care is to ensure every individual, especially the young generation, is prepared with the right skills for the future. Technology is the key to economic transformation and Microsoft is here to help,” said Pham The Truong, general director of Microsoft Vietnam. Sharing about the cooperation with Microsoft, TDF general manager Nguyen Van Hanh wished to continue to receive support from Microsoft to accompany the rural students and teachers in the programming language training, thus improving educational level in the Mekong Delta. Danang resort and hotel launch promotions to celebrate fireworks festival    The Novotel Danang and the Premier Village Danang Resort are offering a number of promotional programs for the upcoming DIFF 2018  To mark 10 years since the first Danang International Fireworks Festival (DIFF) and the creation of the brand name, the Premier Village Danang Resort is offering the promotional rates starting from VND12.5 million, including daily buffet breakfast and complimentary DIFF 2018 tickets. The promotion is applicable for bookings from now and staying period during DIFF event days. The Novotel Danang Premier Han River also runs some fantastic promotions to celebrate the milestone. Starting from April 30 to the end of June 2018, the Novotel Danang will select six prime locations in the hotel for the best viewing of the fireworks. Located on the fourth floor and 29th floor, the Splash pool, the Square restaurant and Premier Lounge will be converted into exclusive venues to watch the fireworks. These three locations will be opened to public. Additionally, private viewing rooms will be available in the hotel’s Oasis Spa room, selected meeting rooms and Corner suite room. Over the past eight events, DIFF has constantly reinvented itself and has now developed into a world-class cultural and tourist event that is hosted annually from April to June. DIFF 2018 themed The Legend of Bridges will take place from April 30 to June 30 and comprise spectacular fireworks nights and a series of side events. Danang launches electric vehicles to serve tourists    Leaders of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and Danang City at the electric vehicle handover ceremony  Danang City will put electric vehicles into use to take tourists to places of interest within the city and World Heritage sites in neighboring Hue and Hoi An, said a leader of the central coastal city. Ho Ky Minh, vice chairman of the city government, announced the news on April 16 at a handover ceremony for four Mitsubishi electric automobiles along with two electric adaptors and accessories valued at US$400,000. This handover is the next step under a cooperative program between Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to foster the use of electric vehicles in the country, Minh added. Speaking at the event, Kunihide Kume, deputy general director of Misubishi Motors Vietnam, explained why Danang City was chosen to be the first pilot place. Danang and surrounding areas are home to a lot of renowned tourist attractions, and the city has sufficient infrastructure suitable for driving tourists to faraway places, not only being limited in the city. In the years to come, leaders of MMC and the Danang Department of Industry and Trade will work together to launch more electric vehicles for tourism as well as social life in Danang, which will contribute to lowering carbon dioxide emissions, said Kume. At the event, MMC handed over two i-MiEV electric vehicles, two Outlander PHEV hybrid vehicles, and two rapid adaptors to Danang. While the i-MiEV can travel 60-70 kilometers for a single charge, the Outlander using hybrid technology will recharge itself while in use, so the latter can be used for a long-way drive. Sustainable agro-project benefits 27,650 farmers in Can Tho    Some 27,650 farmers in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho benefited from VnSAT  Some 27,650 farmers in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho benefited from the Vietnam Sustainable Agriculture Transformation project (VnSAT) over the last two years, heard a meeting in the locality on April 17. Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Dao Anh Dung highlighted the significance of the project, noting that the the largest official development assistance agricultural project in the locality must be implemented in to bring maximum benefit to local farmers. According to Dung, Can Tho was allocated about 210 billion VND (more than 9.2 million USD) for the project, which is mainly used to invest in infrastructure development for farmers’ organisations and cooperatives. Nguyen Thi Minh Hieu from the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said as of April 2018, the VnSAT’s management board in Can Tho organised 550 training courses for 24,300 farmers. Nearly 33,000 ha of cultivation land in the locality is using sustainable rice cultivation solutions. The model helps reduce production cost by 4 million VND per hectare and increase profit by 6 million VND a hectare compared to other cultivation methods. As many as 16 cooperatives in Vinh Thanh, Thoi Lai and Co Do districts of Can Tho have joined the project. They have been provided aid worth in excess of 70 billion VND (over 3 million USD) to build infrastructure and purchase equipment for post-harvest processes. In 2018, VnSAT hopes to aid nearly 14,000 more local farmers, helping increase profit by 20 percent for each hectare of cultivation area. An additional 311 training courses on farming techniques will be also held in the year. After two years of implementation of the project in the Mekong Delta, the total area of rice in the model purchased by enterprises was 23,000ha out of 50,000ha of the project's target and profit increased by 14 percent. Specifically, average profit of areas of rice involved in the project in the region averagely increased by 14 percent, from 33.1 million VND (1,454 USD) per hectare to 37.1 million VND (1,630 USD) a hectare. VnSAT, part of the World Bank’s national cooperation strategy, is implemented in five Central Highlands provinces and eight Mekong Delta localities from 2015 to 2020 with a total capital of more than 300 million USD, of which 230 million USD comes from the bank’s preferential loans. Its objectives are to help promote agricultural restructuring through increasing the sector’s institutional capacity, renewing sustainable cultivation methods and raising the value chain for rice production in the Mekong Delta and coffee crops in the Central Highlands. Fifth Vietnam Book Day opens in Hanoi    Visitors at the event  The fifth Vietnam Book Day kicked off in Hanoi on April 18, in the presence of Vo Van Thuong, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education. Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan said through four years of organisation, the Vietnam Book Day has become a cultural event to promote reading culture in the community. It also contributes to supporting books for localities in the remote and ethnic minority areas which are thirsty for information and knowledge, he added. According to the minister, this year’s event is held at a larger scale than previous years, with nearly 20 events, including the introduction of the book “Industry 4.0, revolution of convergence and saving”, talks on “Books – culture, development and integration” and “picture book markets in Vietnam and the Republic of Korea”, and other activities such as games, painting contests, and lucky draw. As an important activity of the Book Day, a book festival themed “Book and Family” will run until April 24 to foster connectivity between authors and readers as well as encourage and develop reading culture among the community to build a learning society. It features over 100 pavilions of nearly 80 publishers nationwide, showcasing 50,000 book titles of various genres. Exchanges between authors and readers and an introduction of popular books are among the highlights of the festival. In 2014, the Prime Minister decided to take April 21 as Vietnam Book Day in connection with the debut of the Book “Duong Kach Menh” (The Revolutionary Path) by President Ho Chi Minh, the first work written in Vietnamese and printed by Vietnamese workers (April 21, 1927). The fifth Vietnam Book Day will last until April 22 at the Thong Nhat park. Students off due to scrap dump fire    Fire engulfs a scrap dump in Nha Trang City. - Photo news.zing.vn Over 500 students of Vĩnh Ngọc primary school in Nha Trang City of central Khánh Hòa Province were ordered to stay home on Wednesday morning. The move was intended to prevent the children from inhaling toxic smoke from a nearby scrap dump fire. Flames had engulfed a 500sq.m scrap dump in a residential area some 100m from the school in Xuân Lạc 1 Hamlet of Vĩnh Ngọc Commune early Wednesday morning. Witnesses said the fire started in the dump and spread quickly. Dark smoke was reported. There were no injuries so far. Firefighters faced difficulty in extinguishing the flames because of the flammables such as plastic bottles and styrofoam boxes spreading across the site. As of 4am, the fire had reignited and covered almost the entire dump. Lê Văn Mỹ, chairman of Vĩnh Ngọc Commune’s People’s Committee, told Thanh Niên (Young People) newspaper that the fire was under control by 7am. The case is under investigation. 1 killed, 3 injured in steel factory collapse    An under-construction steel factory collapsed due to strong wind in BìnhDương Province, killing one and injuring three others. One person was killed, and three others were seriously injured when an under-construction factory in Bến Cát Town in southern Bình Dương Province collapsed on April 17 afternoon due to strong wind. The injured are undergoing treatment at the provincial hospital. The factory, belonging to an individual company, was located in Mỹ Phước 3 Industrial Park, according to police in Bến Cát Town. “The workers were working on the construction of the steel factory. It was raining, and the wind was strong, which knocked down the factory,” a police source said. “One of the workers could not run fast, and an iron bar fell on him, resulting in his death,” he added. Police in Bến Cát Town and Bình Dương Province reached the spot to inspect and investigate the matter. At 7pm on April 17, police gathered information from witnesses for the investigation. Quang Ngai prevents illegal fishing in foreign waters    The docking area for fishing boats in An Hai commune of Ly Son district, Quang Ngai province The central coastal province of Quang Ngai has deployed tough measures to stop illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in foreign waters, especially after the European Commission (EC) issued a “yellow card” warning to the country’s fishery sector. Besides increasing communication campaigns for fishermen in coastal districts and communes, the province has enhanced surveillance of offshore fishing boats and will revoke operation licences of violating fishermen and vessels. Criminal punishment will be applied if ship owners deliberately repeat violations. Le Bang, a fisherman from Tinh Khe commune, Quang Ngai city, said fishermen should catch fish in Vietnamese waters, adding that they will lose all their property if arrested in foreign waters. Nguyen Quoc Chinh, Chairman of An Hai fishery trade union in Ly Son island district, said his union has raised fishermen’s awareness about the serious consequences of fishing illegally in foreign waters, including inspections on all of their aquatic products and even bans from exporting. Meanwhile, deputy head of the local seafood department Phung Dinh Toan said the department has promulgated regulations of the Law on Fisheries 2017 for fishermen. The EC issued a "yellow card" warning to Vietnam in September 2017 after the country failed to demonstrate sufficient progress in the fight against IUU fishing. On December 13, 2017, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued a directive on some urgent tasks following the EC’s warning. The whole political system, from the central to local level, and fishermen of Vietnam have taken actions to fight IUU fishing. There have been an array of measures, including supplementing anti-IUU fishing regulations, enforcing issued regulations, disseminating solutions to fishermen and relevant parties and enhancing cooperation with coastal and island countries to prevent IUU fishing. Solutions sought to drought, saline intrusion in Mekong Delta   At the workshop Measures to deal with drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta region were discussed during a workshop in Bac Lieu province on April 14. Orgnaised by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, the event drew experts, scientists and managers from research institutes and universities, and representatives from regional localities such as Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Kien Giang. Experts assessed solutions to adapt to drought and saltwater intrusion in this year’s dry season, while discussing the efficiency of transformative economic models that have been implemented to address the problem. Coastal provinces in the Mekong Delta are mostly affected by salinity intrusion and climate change. Scientists said the best solution is to plant crops able to adapt to climate change. Associate Professor, PhD. Vo Cong Thanh from Can Tho University stressed the need to pay more attention to building infrastructure. Climate change response infrastructure projects must be effective, he said, adding that they should also not affect the environment. Duong Thanh Trung, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Bac Lieu province, said the locality will restructure many production areas. The province is concentrating on transforming ineffective rice production areas into the rice/shrimp rotation model, he noted, adding that nearly 40,000 ha is applying the model. The locality will replicate this model, while stepping up the transfer of science and technology and apply effective rice growing models, he said. The Mekong Delta, the country’s largest rice granary, comprises 12 provinces and one centrally-run city with a total area of 40,000 square kilometres and a combined population of 18 million. It has been tasked with ensuring the country’s food security. However, it is also one of the most affected by climate change, rising-sea level and saltwater intrusion. By mid-2016, the Mekong Delta faced serious drought and saline intrusion. This year’s dry season, drought, saltwater intrusion and riverbank and coastline erosion, is also extreme. At present, saline intrusion is infiltrating regional localities, affecting a large area of rice and vegetables. Singapore’s KinderWorld opens int’l school in Can Tho    At the press conference  Singapore’s KinderWorld Education Group and agencies of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho held a meeting on April 17 to discuss activities of the Singapore International School based in the city for 2018-2019. It is the first KinderWorld international school in the Mekong Delta. The school sprawls across 2.6ha in An Binh ward, Ninh Kieu district and is capable of hosting nearly 1,300 pupils from preschool to pre-university levels at a total cost of nearly 200 billion VND (8.88 million USD). The first stage of construction is underway on a site of about 1.4ha with 19 classrooms, a multi-functional hall and a playground and greenery that could serve about 450 pupils. The school will enroll students in bilingual courses for pre-school, elementary and secondary levels for 2018-2019. In the future, pre-university and international courses will be launched. Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Truong Quang Hoai Nam said cooperation between Can Tho and KinderWorld will contribute to improve education quality in the Mekong Delta and Can Tho. Gifts presented to children with cleft lip, palate    Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha visits and presents gift to a patient (Source: laodongxahoi.net) Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Ha visited and presented gifts to children who are receiving treatment for cleft lip, cleft palate and odontogenic cysts at the National Hospital of Odonto – Stomatology in Hanoi on April 17. Gifts worth 500,000 VND (22 USD) each were granted to 58 children from Hanoi and the northern provinces of Phu Tho, Bac Kan, Lao Cai and Dien Bien, who received surgeries funded by Operation Smile Vietnam – a nonprofit medical service organisation. Some 2,000 babies are born with cleft lip and cleft palate every year in Vietnam. Since 1994, the National Fund for Vietnamese Children (NFVC) has run Operation Smile to provide cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries for children. To date, nearly 30,000 children have benefited from the programme. The NFVC has also mobilised resources to provide post-surgery assistance for children, thus helping them practice pronunciation and integrate into the community. Sales at HCM City tourism festival exceed VND83 billion   Businesses participating in the Ho Chi Minh City tourism festival carried out sales in excess of VND83 billion, a year-on-year rise of 38%, according to preliminary reports from travel businesses. The four-day festival wrapped up on April 15, drawing 320,000 visitors, more than 9,000 of whom booked tours with participating businesses. In addition to special tourism promotion programs and a ceremony recognising the top tourism brands of 2017, the festival included art performances, a singing festival, a forum on online tourism trends, a ceremony to announce a tourism innovation startup contest for 2018, and a conference reviewing the ‘HCM City-Binh Thuan-Lan Dong” tourism development triangle program. At the closing ceremony, Bui Ta Hoang Vu, director of the HCM City Department of Tourism, said the large-scale professional pavilions at the festival demonstrate the impressive growth of municipal tourism businesses and the close cooperation on tourism between HCM City and other localities. The festival provided an excellent opportunity for provinces and cities, as well as businesses, to show off their latest products, said Mr Vu. VNN