Balloon explosion injures three

A balloon explosion in Hai Phong's Hung Nhue Vuong Street left three people seriously injured and a 14sq.m apartment with no roof.

Vuong Hong Tham, 43, and his two nephews had pumped more than 40 balloons for the first-day ceremony of a nearby school. The balloons had been released to the roof, touching an electric bulb and triggering a mass explosion.

Tham was taken to nearby Viet-Tiep Hospital, while his two nephews were transferred to Ha Noi for treatment of serious burns.

Overseas studies can be expensive

Parents wanting to send their children overseas to study should ensure that such education is an "integral part of their strategic financial plans," a banker says.

Vineet Vohra, Regional Head of Wealth Development for the Asia-Pacific Region, for the HSBC Group, one of the world's largest banking and financial organisations, said children's education is a top priority for Asian parents, many of whom see overseas studies as guaranteeing them a secure, positive future.

However, such education does not come cheap and its "total costs are not controllable," he said, explaining more than just tuition fees should be factored into the planning process, "such as living costs, exchange rates and inflation."

An HSBC research has found that Asian parents planning to send their children to study in Australia, the US and UK should expect to pay at least US$30,000 per year on average.

The bank said in a press release on Tuesday that in a review of data on higher education in thirteen countries and territories around the world, Australia topped the list with combined average costs of university fees and living expenses of more than [US]$38,000 per year for international students.

It was followed by the US with total costs of more than $35,000 per year.

Total costs that international students in Ivy League universities have to pay reach more than $58,000 per year, it said.

The UK, with total costs at more than $30,000, was the third most expensive destination overall.

International student costs in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Hong Kong are all above $20,000, as a result of higher cost of living in these three premier emerging market destinations, the HSBC report said.

The research also showed that the majority of students in Asia, especially Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, prefer vocational courses. Seven in 10 (74 per cent) of students in the top 10 courses in terms of enrolment are taking vocational courses, compared to five in 10 in the US, UK and Canada on average, HSBC said.

Engineering ranked as the top choice of courses in Singapore and Taiwan, and second in Hong Kong.

In Hong Kong, half of the top 10 courses are vocational, including business management, engineering, health, IT and education/ teachers training.

Six in 10 students are studying these courses, the bank said. In Singapore, seven of the top 10 courses include engineering, business and administration, accountancy, IT, architecture and building, law and medicine. Almost eight of 10 students are studying these courses.

In Taiwan, six of the top 10 courses include engineering, business and administration, health, IT, design and education science. Almost eight in 10 students are studying these courses.

Taiwan awards disadvantaged kids

The Taiwan External Trade Development Council (Taitra) on Wednesday awarded three outstanding projects in the second phase of its charity

campaign called "Taiwan Excellence Cares".

With the goal of supporting disadvantaged children, the three winners were chosen from a total of 20 projects, which had been selected online

among many others by more than 400,000 people in the first phase of the campaign.

The participants in the campaign have implemented their projects and plans using Taiwanese-made cameras, tablets and computers to teach disadvantaged children in Ha Noi's SOS Children's Village and HCM City's Mai Tam Charity House how to make paper products.

The award for each winner will be US$2,000 and a trip to Taiwan in October. Winners will also receive funds to expand and implement their projects in Viet Nam. They are financially supported by nearly 30 Taiwanese brandnames.

$2m to build hygienic slaughters in Hue

The central province of Thua Thien – Hue has decided to spend VND45 billion (US$2 million) on hygienic slaughter houses from now until 2020 to boost food hygiene and safety.

The province plans to build 43 slaughter houses with a total area of 81,720sq.m with a capacity of 4,000 pigs, 157 cows and 13,200 poultry per day.

Korean-Vietnamese families reunited online

A trade union organisation called the UCC in the Republic of Korea (RoK) this week facilitated online meetings between Vietnamese women married to RoK men and their families back home.

A total of 40 Vietnamese brides were given the chance to talk with their relatives via video link during the reunions, which took place from September 4-6.

The UCC also runs volunteer activities, such as repairing houses for Vietnamese-Korean families and donating computers for disabled people in Vietnam

Vietnam Buddhist Sangha makes European tour

A Buddhist delegation led by the acting Standing Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) and General Secretary of the Sangha’s Executive Council, the Most Venerable Thich Thien Nhon, is undertaking a faith propagation tour to Europe.

In Berlin , the delegation presided over the Vu Lan religious festival, with the participation of Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany Nguyen Thi Hoang Anh.

During the festival, followers and overseas Vietnamese in Berlin listened to the Buddhist leader explaining the meaning of the festival - an occasion for people to express their gratitude and love toward their mothers.

Earlier, the delegation visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Germany and worked with the country’s Vietnam Buddhist Association.

The delegation also attended Vu Lan festivals in several German cities, including Nuernberg and Erfurt , as well as other cities in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic , from August 23-30.

On September 1, the delegation arrived in France to continue its European tour.

Da Nang children called to wear helmets

A campaign is underway in the central city of Da Nang to encourage children aged six and above to wear helmets on the road.

Under the third phase of the campaign, local police will increase patrols and deal with traffic violations according to a project on promoting action on child helmet use across the city.

Four municipal districts have got involved in the project so far this year, namely Lien Chieu, Son Tra, Cam Le and Hoa Vang.

To reap the best results, the city’s education and training sector came up with an idea to organise a festival for primary school pupils to raise their awareness of the importance of wearing helmets, and launch a campaign to present helmets to underprivileged children.

It is also working with school managing boards to encourage helmet usage among students during their flag-saluting ceremony and civic activities.

Launched by the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIPF), the campaign is being carried out in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City.

Power transmission capacity enhanced in Ha Tinh

The National Power Transmission Corporation (NPT) energized successfully a 2000A-series capacitor at the 500 kV Ha Tinh substation on September 4.

To increase transmission capacity for 500kV Da Nang-Ha Tinh section, four 2000A-series capacitors will be installed at Ha Tinh, Vung Ang and Da Nang substations.

The upgrade transmission capacity project is worth of over 397 billion VND (18.6 million USD) and carried out by the Power Transmission No. 2, with equipment supplied by General Electric.

Vietnam Electricity has been implementing a number of projects to increase the transmission capacity of North-South 500kV power line.

HCM City improves health of poor people

The poor and those living near the poverty line in Ho Chi Minh City will enjoy free healthcare under a drive launched on September 4.

Beneficiaries include those earning less than 12 million VND a year (570 USD), poor families of war heroes, homeless elderly, orphan children and those with disabilities. They will receive health check-ups, medicine and insurance cards for free.

Those in need of regular examinations will also benefit from the drive – a joint effort of the Ho Chi Minh City chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the Department of Health.

The city will fund 50 percent of the value of each insurance card while private hospitals and clinics will be called on to fund the remainder.

To improve the health of local citizens, a campaign to say no to unsafe vegetables, banned food additives and unhygienic slaughter of poultry and cattle will also get underway.-

Cancer remains public’s great concern

Cancer, one of the burdens shouldered by the global health sector, was put on the table at an international seminar in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on August 30.

The event, co-organised by the Vietnam Cancer Association, Hue Central Hospital and Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, saw the participation of over 400 delegates both from home and abroad.

Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duy Thang, Deputy Director of Hue Central Hospital, said cancer is one of the world’s leading killers after heart disease, with about 12 million cases recorded every year, resulting in 7 million deaths.

According to the doctor, in Vietnam, the figures stand at around 150,000 and 70,000 respectively.

Although the national target programme on cancer prevention has existed for many years, Vietnam’s health sector still faces a lot of challenges in fighting the deadly disease, Thang noted.

He pointed to overcrowding in cancer departments of hospitals and health centres as a pressing issue.

The seminar received 100 scientific reports from domestic and international cancer experts, under which they sought ways to treat various types of cancer.

Participants were updated on early detection and new treatment methods for lung, gastric and nasopharyngeal cancer.

According to the World Health Organisation, lung, stomach, liver, colon and breast cancer cause the most cancer deaths each year, which are projected to rise to over 13.1 million in 2030.

Ha Nam, Hiroshima to cooperate in water issues

A representative from Japan’s Hiroshima province on September 5 presented to the People’s Committee of northern Ha Nam province a proposal on enhancing bilateral cooperation in water supply and wastewater treatment.

Hiroshima is interested in investment projects in Ha Nam and wants to share its experience to better run them, said Yoshio Sato, an official from the Hiroshima Department of Commerce, Industry and Labour.

He urged the two sides to work together on cooperation orientations and measures as well as specific projects, so that Hiroshima can choose suitable firms to collaborate with.

In the short-term, the Japanese prefecture will focus on water plant building and upgrading projects in Duy Tien district and Phu Ly city, and a wastewater treatment plant at the Dong Van 3 Industrial Zone.

The same day, representatives from Swing Corporation, a renowned Japanese company specialising in water supply and treatment, visited the areas allocated for the aforesaid projects.

Ministry of Health launches ‘Text to Donate’ campaign for cancer

The Ministry of Health has called on people throughout Vietnam to make donations to a national charity fund via text messages to help poor cancer patients cover their treatment costs.

Each year in Vietnam, there are around 150,000 new cancer patients and over 75,000 die of this fatal disease, according to the Ministry of Health.

In recent years, cancer has become increasingly prevalent among people of all social strata regardless of their age, residential area and income both in Vietnam and around the world, a health official added.

In Vietnam, the majority of cancer patients are poor people and usually diagnosed with the disease at the final stages, which plunged them into misery.

Therefore this campaign is expected to help poor cancer patients relieve their burden of treatment, which is usually beyond their reach.

The campaign is running from September 1 to October 10. For each text message containing the code NMTS sent to 1405, VND10,000 (US$0.47) will be donated to the fund.

Benefactors can also donate by transferring their money to the fund’s bank accounts or sending their money directly to the fund office at 43 Quan Su street in Hanoi.

Malaysian to hold health workshop

The Malaysian Healthcare Travel Council, which comes under the Ministry of Health, will hold healthcare consultations for Ha Noi residents at a workshop in September 14.

Two doctors from Kuala Lumpur, Ho Kean Fatt and Kelvin Tan Chee Ling, will offer information on early symptoms of cancer and advances in radiotherapy.

They will also introduce new ways of treating cancer and provide consultations for participants.

The workshop, which is being held in collaboration with Insmart Company, will be held at Lane 12 Lang Ha Street, Ha Noi.