Lao Cai hammered with flash floods, landslides

Flash floods and landslides triggered by a storm struck the northern upland province of Lao Cai early last Friday, leaving three people dead and seven others missing as of the end of the day.

According to the provincial committee for natural disaster control, search and rescue, there are five people injured, more than 20 homes washed away by floodwaters and buried by rockslides, 450 other houses flooded and two suspension bridges damaged.

Preliminary statistics showed more than 100,000 hectares of just-cultivated rice was inundated and over 1,000 hectares of aquaculture damaged. Total damage is estimated at about VND200 billion.

Nguyen Anh Tuan, director of the Lao Cai Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, told the Daily last Friday that Sapa, Bat Xat and Bao Thang districts of the province were hit by heavy downpours on late Thursday and early Friday.

Flooding in the Coc San stream area and a sludge overflow from a nearby hill on Friday submerged the Coc San water plant under water and sludge, the committee said.

The water treatment plant with a daily capacity of 18,000 to 20,000 cubic meters has stopped operation as a result. It might take at least three days to get the facility resuming water treatment.

Due to rising water levels in the Red River, floodwaters have been ebbing slowly.

National Highway 4D was struck by landslides. Nearly 100 tourists, mostly foreigners, were stranded on the road on Friday and taken to Sapa District safely in the afternoon.

Cyber-scammer gets 14 years in prison

he People’s Court of Hà Nội yesterday sentenced Lâm Phúc Hùng, 57, of Đống Đa District, to 14 years’ imprisonment for using Internet and digital tools to appropriate VNĐ80 billion (US$3.6 million).

Hùng was the leader of a gang that specialised in trading hotel reservation codes across the world under multi-level marketing activities, the Công an nhân dân (People’s Public Security) online newspaper reported.

The indictment said Hùng was the director of the Hà Nội-based Southeast Asia Diamond Holiday Co Ltd, which was advertised online as an affiliated partner of the United States-based Diamond Holiday Travel Corporation.

According to the company’s advertisement about the ‘profitable tourism programme’, customers could join the programme by paying only US$325 and enjoy services at three-star or five-star hotels and resorts for four days and three nights worldwide.

The customers were also promised rewards ranging from $1,000 to $40,000 if they successfully convinced others to participate. Most of the participants did not travel anywhere or receive any rewards.

The programme involved about 11,600 participants during its operation between February 2010 and November 2011.

The court also sentenced Hùng’s eight accomplices, including Nguyễn Thị Bắc, Phạm Hồng Thanh and Nguyễn Thị Ái Dân who received jail terms of 13, 10 and nine years, respectively. Others received sentences ranging from 30 months in probation to seven years in prison for the same charge.

The court case started on July 18 and ended yesterday afternoon.

Hà Nội to check safety of old buildings

The Hà Nội administration will conduct initial inspection of the safety of old buildings across the city from August 16 to December 16.

This includes residential buildings constructed before 1994, and office buildings and villas constructed more than 60 years ago.

Detailed assessments of the safety of these old residential buildings are scheduled to be made next year.

The decision follows the signing of an official document recently by Vice Chairman of the capital’s People’s Committee Nguyễn Thế Hùng, which aims to ensure the safety of local residents living in and around old buildings in the city.

HCM City marks India’s 69th Independence Day

The Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations and the Vietnam-India Friendship Association’s Chapter in Ho Chi Minh City held a ceremony on August 8 to mark the 69 th Independence Day of India. 

Addressing the event, Huynh Thanh Lap, President of the chapter, highlighted the traditional friendship between Vietnam and India through the two countries’ history, together with similarities in culture, art and religion. 

In recent years, the ties have progressed significantly, with the increased exchange of high-level delegations as well as the signing of many bilateral cooperation agreements and close coordination at international and regional forums, he noted. 

Since the two countries set up their strategic partnership in 2007, their cooperation has thrived in all fields, with two-way trade increasing year by year and expected to reach 2 billion USD by 2020, said Lap. 

He added that besides economic partnership, bilateral affiliation in other fields including culture and education has also brought the two countries closer together. 

Smita Pant, Indian Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City, stated that India and Vietnam have a shared brotherhood and comradeship based on mutual trust and support during wartime as well as in national construction in each country. 

Over the past years, the two countries have fostered their cooperation in various fields, including defence, security, trade, investment, science and technology, human resources training, and education, she said. 

She also held that cultural exchange activities as well as people-to-people contacts between the two countries have helped develop their traditional friendship.

Thai Binh urged to grow faster through agriculture

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the northern province of Thai Binh to speed up agricultural restructuring and strive for a production value of between 400-500 million VND (22,420 USD) per hectare by 2020. 

During a working session with provincial leaders on August 8, the PM pointed out that the province’s agriculture sector has faced poor organisation of its retail system, together with ineffective business investments to the sector. 

The re-organisation of agriculture has remained limited, he said, noting that in spite of a rise in budget collection, the domestic accumulation of the province’s economy has stayed low. 

He suggested that Thai Binh encourage the stronger engagement of businesses in agriculture, while streamlining the administrative system to make the local government more transparent and friendly to locals and enterprises. 

At the same time, Thai Binh should speed up the transformation of its production structure, associating agriculture growth with climate change response, while effectively exploiting its advantages in coal and gas resources, and calling for the contributions of large firms to the locality’s growth, he said. 

He also asked Thai Binh to speed up the application of advanced technology in production. 

The PM highlighted Thai Binh’s glorious tradition, which was once the country’s largest rice production hub, as well as the province’s contributions to the success of the country’s revolution by sending food and a large number of soldiers to the battle fields. He asked the provincial government to pay special attention to policy beneficiaries and give better support to revolutionary contributors, especially in housing. 

He also lauded Thai Binh for a good performance in implementing the new-style rural building programme, adding that if the province fulfils its targets of having 267 communes meeting the programme’s standards at the end of this year, Thai Binh will be the leading locality nationwide in the field. 

Currently, 164 communes, or 62.4 percent of the province’s total communes, have been recognised as new-style rural area. 

He also pledged to give timely support to the province to overcome the recent Typhoon Mirinae, which caused heavy losses to the production and growth of the province. 

Before being devastated by the typhoon, Thai Binh was one of the Red River delta localities to record high growth in the first half of this year at 8.03 percent, its highest growth in five years. The production of rice, the province’s strong product, yielded at 7.15 tonnes per hectare. 

Meanwhile, its budget collection reached 85 percent of its estimate, a rise of 23 percent year on year, while the number of newly-established firms increased 40 percent. 

However, Typhoon Mirinae, which hit the province in late July, flooded 50,000 hectares of rice fields, destroyed 7,000 hectares of fruit trees and over 10,000 hectares of aquaculture farms, with total losses estimated at about 2.5 trillion VND. 

Along with support to surmount the disaster’s aftermaths, Thai Binh’s leaders asked for the Government’s approval of a number of major infrastructure projects, including a coastal road linking the northern province of Quang Ninh to the central province of Thanh Hoa that would cross through Thai Binh for 44.5km, at a cost of 5.66 trillion VND. 

On the occasion, PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc witnessed the signing of a cooperative document between the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Thai Binh People’s Committee on supporting local businesses. 

Earlier, he offered incense to heroic martyrs at Thai Binh Martys’ Temple, where more than 51,000 fallen soldiers from Thai Binh are worshiped. 

Currently, more than 32,000 wounded war veterans are living in the province, together with nearly 29,000 veterans exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin.-VNA

More policies needed to attract talented Vietnamese expats home

Vietnam should have more policies to attract talented Vietnamese expats to return home to contribute to the country’s development, heard a roundtable between Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha and experts in Hanoi on August 8.

Nha said attracting talented overseas Vietnamese to serve in the education and training cause will help solve challenges the country faces when it integrates deeper into the international community.

The work will focus on two main groups: experts, scientists and individuals who have academic prestige in the world; and those who graduated with masters or doctorate degrees abroad, he said. adding that to make the policy successful, it is important to create a good working environment for those returning.

Earlier, the Prime Minister entrusted the ministry to coordinate with relevant bodies to propose mechanisms, policies and measures to effectively employ and attract overseas Vietnamese students right after their graduation.

The PM also underlined that the ministry should attach special importance to detecting, training and employing talented people, helping to bolster the country’s international integration. 

Among experts attending the event were Director of the Vietnam Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics (VIASM) Professor Ngo Bao Chau, Rectors of the Hanoi Technology University of Science and Technology Hoang Minh Son; and Editor-in-chief of Global Learning and Global Citizenship Education under the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Nguyen Anh Tuan.

Wedding des Arts to kick off this month

Wedding des Arts will be the main theme of a free-entrance Honeymoon Wedding Perfect (HWP) event in HCMC and Hanoi later this month, where grooms and brides can take a look at the latest trends of wedding in HCMC.

The wedding fair in HCMC on August 12-14 and Hanoi on August 26-28 will highlight white, champagne gold and lavender blue as the typical colors of wedding trends in 2016-2017 since many celebrities have chosen those tones for their special days in the world.

At the 8th edition of the HWP, the organizers will unveil HWP Luxury Travel that arranges luxury honeymoon packages. HWP Luxury Travel will join hands with some leading resorts and hotels like Banyan Tree Lang Co, MGallery Phu Quoc, Naman Retreat, An Lam Ninh Van Bay, and Ana Mandara to offer 20 packages for honeymooners as well as pre-wedding events or anniversaries of couples.

The HWP at the Diamond Place at 15A Ho Van Hue Street in HCMC’s Phu Nhuan District will also showcase nearly 100 leading brands in the tourism industry and services to visitors. 

Before the wedding fair kicks off, the organizers launched a HWP Perfect Couple 2016 contest with the presence of 130 couples in both Hanoi and HCMC. The winning couple will be named in HCMC on August 13 and prizes are valued at up to VND200 million (or nearly US$9,000).

The wedding website hwp.vn coming online with the launch of the contest has lured over 30,000 members in just one month. Those who want to get a free wedding HPW 2016 catalogue can register at http://hwp.vn/wedding-des-arts.

The HPW 2016 will take place at Melia Hotel Hanoi.

Training course held for overseas Vietnamese teachers

More than 50 overseas Vietnamese teachers from 13 countries and territories are participating in a training course in Hanoi from August 7 – 21.

The event was organised by the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) and the Ministry of Education and Training.

Deputy Chairman of COVA Tran Duc Mau said this year’s programme drew the biggest number of participants yet.

Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Le Ba Trinh said teaching the mother tongue to Vietnamese expatriates is one of the major concerns of the Party, State, Government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to maintain the language among the overseas Vietnamese community.

The trainees have an opportunity to share experience and join fact-finding tours to study Vietnamese culture and history.

A workshop was held as part of the programme to highlight the advantages as well as the difficulties in teaching Vietnamese and promoting the country’s culture and history to expatriates.

Vietnamese students in US meet in fourth gathering

The Vietnamese Youth and Students Association (VYSA) in the US held its fourth gathering at George Mason University in the US state of Virginia from August 5-7, attracting more than 400 Vietnamese students across the country.

A highlight during the event was a seminar: “Vietnam development initiative”, co-organised by the VYSA and the Vietnam Initiative Group. It focused its discussions on Vietnam’s socio-economic and cultural developments, thereby proposing ideas on how the Vietnamese nationals could contribute to the homeland.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Pham Quang Vinh said Vietnam is the ASEAN’s largest source of students in the US with 19,000 people.

As part of the event, a writing contest featuring solutions to Vietnam’s development was also held.

The competition “Vietnamese Talents” also provided an opportunity for Vietnamese students in the US to meet and exchange with each other.

On the occasion, the VYSA held a charity fundraiser and a student football tournament, and launched a business challenge competition: “Vietnam Challenge 2017”.

Head of the permanent Vietnam mission to the United Nations, Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga also attended the gathering.

Int’l workshop to address AO/dioxin consequences held in Hanoi

An international workshop was held in Hanoi on August 8 to share research outcomes on Agent Orange (AO) consequences and discuss measures to help Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims.

The event saw the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, former Japanese Prime Minister Yuki Hatoyama, representatives from foreign embassies in Vietnam, Vietnamese agencies, and domestic and international scientists and social activists.

Addressing the function, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam emphasised the Vietnamese State, Government and people wish that all war victims, especially AO/dioxin victims, receive sufficient support to have a better life.

Therefore, Vietnam has conducted multiple pragmatic and effective activities to assist the victims while calling on the international community, countries, organisations and individuals at home and abroad to join efforts in overcoming the consequences of the toxic chemical sprayed by the US during the war, he said,

He hailed the Vietnam Association of Victims of AO/Dioxin’s (VAVA) for organising the workshop on the occasion of 55 years of AO catastrophe in Vietnam (August 10,1961-2016), while thanking scientists and social activists for raising their voice to demand justice for Vietnamese AO victims.

The Deputy PM described the workshop as a practical activity that promotes drives for the victims, calls for solidarity, and for the prevention of the use of chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

The function offers an opportunity for domestic and foreign scientists, managers and social activists to exchange scientific research, to help make it clearer the severe consequences the chemical had on the local environment and on humans.

The participants proposed countermeasures and called for more material and spiritual support for the AO victims, as well as the public’s backing for their fight for justice.

They held that a lot of jobs are still left to be done in order to deal with the consequences of AO/dioxin in Vietnam, stressing the need to use suitable technologies to decontaminate those areas with high dioxin concentrations and minimise the number of people still being exposed to dioxin.

The most important task is to complete policies on caring for and supporting AO victims, they said, adding that all the tasks require a great endeavour by Vietnam and the assistance of the international community.

From 1961 – 1971, US troops sprayed more than 80 million litres of herbicides, 44 million litres of which were AO, containing nearly 370 kilograms of dioxin, over southern Vietnam, according to the VAVA.

As a result, around 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to the toxic chemical, about 3 million of them became AO victims. While tens of thousands of people died, millions of their descendants are living with deformities and diseases as a direct result of the chemical’s effects.

Pre-birth, newborn screening helps reduce child deformities

As many as 80 percent of the 40,000 children born in the Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital every year receive pre-birth and post-birth screening for deformities detection, according to a senior official of the hospital. 

Le Thanh Thuy, Director of the hospital’s centre for pre-birth and newborn screening, said that screening is important in the early diagnosis and treatment of a number of serious diseases, to avoid grave consequences in both the mental and physical development of children. 

Currently, the centre can detect 35 different diseases in infants through screening, including cardiac isssues and Sickle Cell Disorder, Thalassemia and other haemoglobin disorders. The diseases can be completely treated if diagnosed in time, Thuy said. 

According to the World Health Organisation, about 8 million children worldwide are born with a disorder every year, accounting for 1.73 percent. As many as 95 percent of those disorders can be healed with timely intervention.

Dong Thap takes measures to prevent erosion

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has begun taking measures to prevent erosion at the banks of the Tien and Hau Rivers.

According to Nguyen Trung Ngay, Director of the department, land erosion at the banks of the two rivers has been caused by the increasing speed of currents, the increasing boating traffic, climate change, and the illegal exploitation of sand.

In order to prevent erosion, it is necessary to implement both construction and non-construction methods, said Vo Thanh Ngoan, Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

For non-construction measures, the province will ask localities to keep a close watch on the situation, plant warning boards and raise public awareness of the work.

The province’s steering committee for natural disaster prevention and search and rescue should regularly examine and conduct surveys on the river bank erosion to report to the provincial People’s Committee for timely solutions.

For construction measures, the province will continue implementing projects to solidify the river banks in Sa Dec city; Chau Thanh, Lap Vo and Hong Ngu districts; and Cao Lanh city.

Dong Thap has carried out a project to measure and predict river sections prone to erosion to recommend solutions. It has also proposed the Government provide it with over 876 billion VND (39 million USD) to deal with the problem.

The length of the Tien and Hau Rivers running through Dong Thap totals 158 kilometres with hundreds of branches. In 2015, more than 35 kilometres of river banks were eroded, affecting 35 communes and wards in the province.

Deputy PM wants action on dengue fever

Deputy Prime Minister Vũ Đức Đam has asked Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) provinces to take drastic measures to stop the spread of dengue fever in the region.

He said at a conference on strengthening dengue fever prevention work held by the Ministry of Health (MoH) in Đắk Lắk Province on Sunday that localities should closely monitor the situation to detect and treat the disease early as well as to limit and control the disease outbreak.

The Deputy PM requested the provinces intensify their communication campaign to raise public awareness on disease prevention. Local residents are encouraged to spray chemicals to wipe out mosquitoes and larvae and throw away used water containers.

Hospital and healthcare units have been asked to prepare adequate medical materials and facilities for receiving and treating patients with an aim of minimising fatalities.

The Provincial health department has been requested to instruct and inspect localities about supervision as well as provide preventive and treatment plans to help them battle the dengue fever outbreak.

According to Trần Đắc Phu, head of the Preventive Health Department, the Central Highlands region has so far reported more than 7,410 dengue fever cases, including four deaths. Gia Lai Province recorded the highest number of infections with 3,081 cases, followed by Đắk Lắk, Kon Tum and Đăk Nông with 1,865 cases, 1,387 cases and 1,079 cases, respectively.

The rate of dengue fever infections in the region remains high, at about 168 cases per 100,000 people. The disease has occurred in 48 out of 50 districts of four Central Highlands provinces namely Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Đắk Lắk and Đắk Nông.

The outbreak of the disease in the region was attributed to the acute drought, which forced local residents to increase water storage, providing the perfect conditions for the development of mosquito larvae.

In addition, the low awareness of local residents on disease prevention was also a reason for a surge in dengue fever cases.

Earlier last week, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc had sent a dispatch requesting provinces, cities and relevant sectors nationwide to implement measures to kill mosquitoes and mosquito larvae with traditional methods or chemicals in their homes. Places of high risk of dengue fever were construction sites, those with a high density of population or water shortage and areas with unhygienic conditions, he said.

People with dengue symptoms, such as high fever, headache and muscle or joint pains, should go to hospitals immediately for examination and treatment, instead of administering self-treatment at home.

The health departments at localities have been asked to work closely with the mass media to provide timely and sufficient information about dengue fever and measures to prevent it from spreading in the community.

Đồng Tháp Province told to prepare for landslides

The Đồng Tháp Province administration has ordered relevant agencies to take immediate measures to prevent landslides along the banks of the Tiền and Hậu rivers, which threaten thousands of lives.

Due to the increasing flow rate, heavy river traffic, climate change, shrinking rivers, and illegal sand mining, landslides are occurring more often, Nguyễn Trung Ngay, director of the province Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said.

Since Đồng Tháp is located in the upper reaches of the Mekong River where the water flows rapidly, landslides are inevitable.

This year nine landslides have damaged three hectares of land and caused losses of over VNĐ10 billion (US$448,400), Ngay said.

Recently some people living in Cao Lãnh City’s Ward 11 were evacuated due to high risk of landslides.

According to Võ Thành Ngoan, deputy director of the province Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, many measures are needed to reduce landslides, including putting up warning boards and carrying out campaigns to raise people’s awareness of landslide prevention.

The province will continue to reinforce river embankments in Sa Đéc City and tackle erosion in Châu Thành, Lấp Vò and Hồng Ngự districts and others.

It has asked the Government for VNĐ876 billion ($39.28 million) for landslide prevention works.

Hot comedian and Vlogger join in new film

Comedian Trấn Thành and Vlogger An Nguy will star in a film to be screened during Christmas Holiday.

Thành plays a role of a famous singer while An acts as a fastfood seller. They have a love affair which is full of romance, challenges and mysteries.

Entitled Chờ Em Đến Ngày Mai (Waiting For You Until Tomorrow), the film was adopted from a novel by veteran director Lê Hoàng.

Work on the film project, directed by Đinh Tuấn Vũ, will start on August 22.

Thành works as a movie actor, MC, comedian and singer. He has won many awards throughout his career. Meanwhile, An is a famous and inspirational video-blogger with a devoted young audience. 

Scientists still uncovering AO harmful effects

Hundreds of scientists from around the globe have gathered for a workshop in Hanoi to speak about the continuing harmful impact of Agent Orange (AO) that US Air Forces sprayed during the Vietnam War.

Speaking at the opening, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam thanked those in attendance for raising their voice in support of AO victims resulting from the past resistance struggles.

The workshop held on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of AO/Dioxin Disaster in Vietnam, he said, aims to expedite a remedy for AO victims and issue a call for solidarity in preventing the use of chemical weapons or other weapon of mass destruction in future wars.

Mr Dam said the Vietnam government and its people hope all war victims, especially AO victims, would receive support to have a better life.

The government and social organizations have held a number of practical activities to assist AO victims and have called on international communities and organizations to join hands to deal with its horrific consequences, said Mr Dam.

It has been announced that participants at the two-day workshop running August 8-10 will listen to roughly 30 reports by attending scientists regarding continued research and their evaluations of the consequences of AO.

Hanwha plans waste water treatment project in HCM City

Leader of the Republic of Korea’s Hanwha conglomerate said that the company wants to invest in a waste water treatment system for the Tan Hoa – Lo Gom canal in Ho Chi Minh City.

At a meeting with Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee Vice Chairman Le Van Khoa on August 8, Hanwah Vice President Choi Chul Soo said the group is undertaking procedures to submit the project to the municipal authorities for approval. 

Choi said the company is ready to invest in other projects of the kind in the city, as well as to cooperate with Vietnamese partners in building new urban areas. 

On his part, Vice Chairman Le Van Khoa said the city supports Hanwha’s wastewater treatment project for Tan Hoa – Lo Gom canal, adding that the municipal government will always creates favourable conditions for investors. 

He also asked Hanwha to cut construction costs of the plant as well as seek preferential capital to implement the project.

HCM City wrestling with congestion at airport entrance

Residents of Ho Chi Minh City are still waiting for competent authorities to come up with prompt and permanent solutions to regular traffic congestion at the entrance of Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reporters, severe traffic jams have occurred on multiple streets near the airdrome, namely Truong Son, Hong Ha, Bach Dang, and Tran Quoc Hoan.

A hike in the number of travelers coming and leaving the airport has exacerbated the issue.

According to the municipal Department of Transport, the number of visitors at the international airport totaled 26.5 million as of March this year, exceeding the venue’s capacity of 25 million passengers per annum.

The figure is anticipated to reach 30 million by the end of this year, heightening pressure on the entrance to the airport and nearby roads in terms of traffic flow.

One of the primary reasons for congestion is that the facility can only be accessed via one street and the surrounding infrastructure is poor in quality.

Plans to upgrade infrastructure on the roads as well as the airport entrance have not materialized in accordance with the original schedule, failing to provide a resolution to the issue.

A team of officials from the Ministry of Transport, led by a deputy prime minister, have been charged with planning a 10-year solution for tackling traffic gridlock at the Tan Son Nhat entrance while waiting for the completion of Long Thanh International Airport in neighboring Dong Nai Province.

Several projects set up by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport have also been submitted to the municipal People’s Committee, including the construction of two flyovers to the domestic and international terminals.

The resolution of regular congestion at nearby intersections will also be addressed.

The building of new streets and the expansion of existing routes are also included in the projects with competent authorities currently conducting surveys in preparation.

Hoang Hoa Tham Street in Tan Binh District will be widened as a new airport terminal is expected to be built along the road.

According to Bui Xuan Cuong, director of the municipal Department of Transport, elevated highways connecting the Lang Cha Ca Roundabout in Tan Binh District and the Phu An Bridge in Binh Thanh District will be constructed as a permanent solution for relieving traffic overload to the airport as well as metro stations in the future.

New buildings near the airdrome could also contribute to traffic jams in the area, Lam Thieu Quan, one traffic expert, explained.

“Construction of such facilities should be limited to prevent further gridlock at the entrance to Tan Son Nhat,” Quan said.    

Int’l physics conference opens in Quy Nhon

Professor Tran Thanh Van has delivered the keynote address kicking off the Meet Vietnam Association annual physics conference in Quy Nhon at the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE).

In his opening speech, Professor Van welcomed the more than 55 scientists in attendance from 25 nations to the 12th edition of the conference.  The purpose of the dialogue running August 8-13, he said, is to serve as a bridge connecting collaborating scientists on matters pertaining to planetary science and space.  

This year, scientists speaking at the event have put together a compelling proposal that outlines multiple topics for potential collaborative research regarding ambitious activities related to exploring the solar system with robots and humans.

It is the aspiration of ICISE, he noted to serve as a catalyst for domestic and international scientists, enabling them to cross-team and utilize interdisciplinary research to push the boundaries of science in the exploration of the stars.

Chairing the meeting is Professor Nick Cox (Institute for research in astronomy, planetary studies and IRAP, Toulousse University-France), he said, with special presentations by famous physicist Josef Hron (Australia), Jacco Van Loon (UK), Paola Marigo (Italy) and Pham Thi Tuyet Nhung (National Academy of science and technology of Vietnam).

Since 1993 the Rencontres du Vietnam, which is an official partner of UNESCO, has organized international scientific conferences and schools to foster exchanges between Vietnamese or Asia-Pacific scientists and colleagues from other parts of the world.

The construction of the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science Education (ICISE) in the city of Quy Nhon had the ambitious objective to focus on developing Science and Education, helping Asian students and scientists meet with the international community, bringing the opportunity to accelerate their knowledge.

Vietnam Airlines launches “Golden Autumn 2016” programme

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has launched its annual “Golden Autumn 2016” programme for both domestic and international routes.

Accordingly, passengers can purchase air tickets at a starting price of VND449 for a return ticket on some international routes and VND299,000 for a one-way ticket on a number of domestic routes (Danang - Buon Me Thuot/Da Lat/NhaTrang/Pleiku/Haiphong, and Ho Chi Minh City - Nha Trang), from August 15-28 and travel during the period from August 15, 2016 to March 31, 2017.

The price excludes tax, fees and other surcharges. This is a conditional ticket and it does not apply to flights during the peak season.

The tickets will be sold via the website: www.vietnamairlines.com or Vietnam Airlines agents from across the country.

Draft decree levies fee for exploiting water resources

Any organisation or individual exploiting or using water for hydropower projects might have to pay for the right to exploit the nation’s water resources, as per a decree being drafted.

However, they exclude organisations or individuals running hydropower projects related to national defence or security.

It is one of three entities scheduled to pay to receive the right to exploit water resources under this draft decree compiled by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which also regulates the levels of fees that an individual or organisation has to pay.

The decree was established with the concept that water resources are a national property, therefore, any individual or organisation wanting to exploit it, has to pay to use it. The draft decree’s major goal was to raise public awareness on the efficient use of water.

Following the draft decree, individuals and organisations wishing to exploit surface water, underground water, or seawater, for non-agricultural purposes, would also be charged a fee.

The same fee was expected to apply to anyone who used over 100 cubic metres daily of underground water for aqua farming, breeding cattle, or watering plants such as coffee and cashew.

HCMC Young Creativity Contest 2016 launched

The eight young creativity contest under theme of “Municipal urban planning and development” was jointly held by the Young Science and Technology Development Center and the Vietnam Youth Union of Ho Chi Minh City.

All Vietnamese people between 6-35 years old and those who are studying, working and living inside or outside homeland are encouraged to take part in the contest.

The annual contest aims to encourage and promote young people's creativity, seek new ideas, creativities or practical solutions for the municipal urban planning and development such as five canals restoration of Tau Hu- Ben Nghe, Doi- te, Tan Hoa- Lo Gom, Nhieu Loc- Thi Nghe, Tham Luong- Ben Cat-Nuoc Len, moving residents who live along the city’s canals and others out of the center city.

The entries can send to No. 1 Pham Ngoc Thach Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1 or its website: www.khoahoctre.com.vn. by September 20, 2016.

Scenic carriage promoting central heritages launched

Hue Tourist Company Limited has cooperated with Hue Railway Station to launch a train coach called “Central Heritage” linking Hue city and Da Nang city on August 8.

The coach on the train SE1 between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City includes seven 4-bed cabins. Ticket costs VND155, 000 per person.

The new service will give visitors a chance to enjoy beautiful landscapes on the road, such as Tam Giang Lagoon, Lap An Lagoon, Lang Co beach and Hai Van tunnel pass. It also aims to promote heritage sites in the central region.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE