Social News 24/8 Telecommunication standardization in Asia-Pacific A meeting of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity( APT) took place in Vietnam’s central city of Da Nang on August 23 in preparation for the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly 2016 and the ITU Regional Standardization Forum. The final meeting aimed to develop and finalize the Preliminary APT Common Proposals for this year’s assembly, scheduled to be held in Tunisia in late October. Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Minh Hong said Vietnam has cooperated closely with other members in the Asia and Pacific region. “The standardization of the IT and communications sectors is of great significance because it will be hard for member countries get connected with each other without common standards and regulations.  There are many working groups at this meeting discussing wireless technology, equipment and network standards,” said Hong. General Vo Nguyen Giap central to Vietnam’s victories A seminar about General Vo Nguyen Giap and Vietnam’s revolution was held in Hanoi on August 23 prior to the General’s 105th birthday anniversary (August 25). Participants discussed General Vo Nguyen Giap’s life and revolutionary career.  "During his revolutionary life of over 80 years General Giap had made extraordinary contributions to the Party, the nation, and the revolution. He was a talented military strategist who developed strategies and tactics for the people’s war in the Ho Chi Minh era," they said. His name is closely associated with the Dien Bien Phu victory, which was a victory of international significance. Associate Professor, Doctor Trinh Thi Hong Hanh from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics said, “The Dien Bien Phu target was not mentioned in France’s Navarre plan, nor in Vietnam’s Winter 1953-Spring 1954 campaign. Why was Dien Bien Phu identified as the last strategic battlefield? That was because of the resolute and far-sighted guidance of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Commander-in-chief of the Vietnam People’s Army, General Vo Nguyen Giap.” Participants affirmed that General Vo Nguyen Giap will forever be an exemplary model and a great cultural and ideological figure. Prime Minister commemorates late President Ho Chi Minh Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc offered incense to commemorate late President Ho Chi Minh at House 67 in the President Ho Chi Minh relic site in Hanoi on August 23. The PM expressed his endless gratitude to the late President for the great services he rendered to the national struggle for independence and reunification on the occasion of the late President’s 47th death commemorative anniversary (September 2, 1969) and the 47th year of implementing the late President’s testament. House 67 in the Presidential Palace is where the great leader lived, worked and passed away. It provides a venue for the Political Bureau’s meetings during the fiercest years of the Vietnam war. PM Phuc met with the staff working in the President Ho Chi Minh relic site, asking them to pay more attention to popularizing the late President’s heritage to help people of all walks of life and international friends gain thorough understanding of the great leader’s life and career and the country’s revolutionary cause. Condolences over death of former Singaporean President Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang sent his condolences to Singaporean President Tony Tan Keng Yam on August 23 on the passing of former Singaporean President S R Nathan. The same day, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc conveyed his sympathies to his Singaporean counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh offered his condolences to Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrisnan. S.R Nathan was the longest-serving President of Singapore from 1999 to 2011. Senior officer meets French group CNIM executive Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Defence Minister Phan Van Giang welcomed Chairman of France’s CNIM Group Nicolas Dmitrieff in Hanoi on August 23, during which he hoped for intensified cooperation in defence industry with France.  At the meeting, Giang emphasised that Vietnam and France have seen positive developments in bilateral relations, including defence cooperation.  He suggested both sides actively learn about each other’s cooperation demands in the field of defence industry, focusing on products that serve defence purposes and socio-economic development as well.  The guest expressed his hope to learn about the demands of the Vietnamese army so as to have cooperation orientations in specific areas in the future.-VNA Forum promotes green, climate change resilient urban Developing Vietnam’s cities toward green growth and adapting to climate change is being discussed at a forum in Tam Ky city, the central province of Quang Nam, that opened on August 23. The two-day event was jointly organised by the Ministry of Construction, the UN-Habitat Vietnam Programme and the provincial People’s Committee. Participants sought to enhance the effectiveness of urban planning and management, and relevant legal framework, better access to urban services such as housing, infrastructure facilities and financial resources. Poverty reduction, environmental protection and climate change adaptation were also debated. Deputy Minister of Construction Phan Thi My Linh underlined the role of urban areas in realising economic and environmental goals, saying that urbanisation gives impetus to economic growth. Over the past years, Vietnam has recorded a fast urbanization rate, from 23.7 percent in 1999 to 35.7 percent in 2015. The rate is expected to reach 40 percent by 2020. Vietnam currently has 787 cities with a combined population of 32 million people. The quick urbanisation has resulted in low-efficient land use, unmatched infrastructure, and low urban competitiveness, causing negative impacts on the people’s living conditions and the economic growth of the cities in particular and the nation in general. Vietnam is among the countries most affected by climate change, and the issue poses new challenges to the nation’s urbanisation process. A representative from the World Bank Vietnam suggested Vietnam devise new approaches in anticipation of difficulties facing in the next 30 years. The WB has pledged support for 30 cities across Vietnam in green and sustainable growth. State audit urged to help prevent corruption National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Phung Quoc Hien has urged the State Audit of Vietnam (SAV) to closely monitor national assets, in an effort to prevent corruption and build an open and transparent financial system. To that end, the agency should operate independently and observe laws as well as audit procedures, focusing on the efficiency and quality of the work, the legislator told the SAV at a working session in Hanoi on August 23. He asked the agency to revamp its apparatus, set up a staff of virtuous and competent auditors, and audit official development assistance (ODA) and build-operate-transfer (BOT) projects as they are of public concerns. Audit results must be publicised via mass media, he stressed. Applauding the SAV’s achievements recorded over the past years the NA Vice Chairman commended the report on the audit of the 2014 State budget presented at the first session of the 14 th NA for the first time. However, he said, the SAV has failed to cover all public property, especially State assets, and huge investments. At the working session, State Auditor General Ho Duc Phoc reported that as of August 15, 2016, the agency dispatched 161 out of the 223 planned audit delegations, approved 79 draft audit reports and issued 38 audit reports. The agency has contributed over 1.1 trillion VND (49.3 million VND) to the State coffer while saving more than 7.2 trillion VND (324 million VND) for the national budget, he said. Phoc noted that the SAV aims to raise the audit quality and efficiency, working as the State’s effective tool in inspecting and supervising the management and use of financial resources and public assets. The agency is gearing towards modernity in a bid to satisfy requirements of national industrialisation and modernisation, in accordance with international practice and standards, he added. Binh Thuan urged to intensify communication on dengue prevention Authorities of the southern central province of Binh Thuan have been urged to intensify public awareness campaigns on dengue prevention, especially in mountainous areas, as cases of infection are rising.  In his tour to inspect disease prevention work in the locality on August 23, Director of the National Hygiene and Epidemiology Institute Dang Duc Anh said many local residents are not active in taking prevention measures. The inspection team detected large numbers of mosquitos and larvae at houses in Phong Nam Commune, Phan Thiet City.  The director also asked the local authorities to keep close watch on the disease development in high risk areas, and pay attention to preparing human resources, medicines and equipment to minimise fatalities. Binh Thuan is one of the localities recording high numbers of dengue fever, with 1,187 cases so far this year, up 2.3 times year-on-year. Most of the cases were in the districts of Ham Thuan Bac, Duc Linh, Phan Thiet and Bac Binh.  Ham Thuan Bac district has the highest number of infections, with 366 cases, accounting for 31 percent of the number of infections in the locality, said the local health sector.  To cope with the situation, the provincial Preventative Medicine Centre launched campaigns to kill mosquitoes and larvae in all the districts.  However, the health sector meets with difficulties in some areas where residents do not make their own efforts to clean up their houses. Some even refuse to cooperate when medical workers come to spray chemicals. Dengue fever is forecast to spread in the remaining months of the year as the rainy season has come. Delta urged to fight poverty Deputy Prime Minister Vương Đình Huệ, who is also head of the South West Steering Committee, yesterday called on authorities in Mekong Delta provinces to do more to reduce poverty, especially among ethnic minorities. He instructed them to closely implement the measures prescribed by the Government’s resolution No.1 on socio-economic development and others to improve the business climate, help enterprises create jobs and step up agricultural production and aquatic breeding by applying modern technologies. He assigned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work with Cambodian authorities to solve neccessary procedures for Vietnamese people who live in Cambodia to ensure that they will have a stable and legal life there. He was speaking at a conference held in Sóc Trăng Province to discuss socio-economic development, including security and settlement of Vietnamese returning from Cambodia. The south-west is home to many ethnic minorities while its infrastructure is limited. Poverty and near-poverty rates here are still high, especially in areas with ethnic minorities and along the border. Sơn Minh Thắng, deputy head of the South West Steering Committee, said local authorities had taken measures to ensure ethnic minorities’comprehensive development. As a result, the poverty rate in ethnic minority areas in the region fell from more than 33 per cent to 13 per cent between 2011 and 2015, he said. "There are more than 19,000 ethnic Party members while seven have been elected to the National Assembly, according to the official. Thái Nguyên, Hà Nội 1 win in national women’s champ Thái Nguyên edged Sơn La 3-2 in round eight of the National Women’s Football Championship in HCM City’s Thống Nhất Stadium yesterday. The win took Thái Nguyên to fourth place with 15 points after five wins and three losses. Striker Nguyễn Thị Đăng scored the first goal just three minutes into the game in a rapid attack. Sơn La team equalised the score just eight minutes into the second half when Cao Thị Biên tapped the ball in from her teammate’s Lò Thị Hồng shot. However, Nguyễn Thị Đăng helped Thái Nguyên lead the score when she buried the ball at the back of the net from Mai Tuyền’s cross before Lê Thuỳ Trang added another goal in the 65th minute. Cao Thị Biên pulled back a goal for Sơn La as she did not make any mistake from a penalty shot in the last minute of the game. Meanwhile, Hà Nội 1 cruised to a 3-0 win over Hà Nội 2 in the all Hanoian game yesterday. Top national team striker Minh Nguyệt netted the ball from Vũ Thị Nhung’s cross in the 40th minute to help Hà Nội 1 lead the scoreboard. Earlier, Nguyệt and her teammates missed three clear chances in the first minutes of the first half. Hà Nội 1 kept on their pressure in the second half. Midfielder Hải Yến launched a cannon to beat Hà Nội 2’s goalkeeper Trần Thị Mận in the 48th minute before adding her second goal in the 67th minute. Biện Thị Hằng completed a convincing win for Hà Nội 1 with a goal in the 85th minute. The win took Hà Nội 1 to the top of the table with 20 points, edging out Hà Nam with a better goal difference. HCM City, who did not play yesterday, ranked third with 17 points. Trấn Biên Temple recognised Trấn Biên Temple of Literature in the southern province of Đồng Nai has been recognised as national historical relic.   Trần Đăng Ninh, the temple’s director, said that the ceremony to receive the recognition Certificate will be held next month.  Trấn Biên Temple of Literature is located in Bửu Long Ward, Biên Hòa City, of Đồng Nai. Being built in 1715 under Lord Nguyễn Phúc Chu, it was the first temple of its kind in the South. It is a place to honour Confucius and also serves as an educational centre. The site, which was destroyed by the French in 1861, was restored in 1998. It has become an important destination to tourists who want to learn more about the history of Việt Nam through the stories of the national heroes and the country’s cultural personalities. Repairs to Vietnam’s notorious internet cable delayed, yet again Work on the undersea connection will be completed on August 25, four days behind schedule. Repair work on of Vietnam’s ruptured undersea internet cable will not be completed until 5.30 p.m. on August 25 due to adverse weather conditions, according to internet provider Asia America Gateway (AAG). This is the second delay announced in three days. On Saturday, AAG said repair work would be completed on August 24, three days behind the original schedule. Typhoon Diamu, which hit northern provinces over the weekend, has hindered maintenance work, according to AAG. In early August, Typhoon Nida broke two segments of the AAG cable, one located 80 kilometers from Hong Kong and the other 32 kilometers from Singapore. In 2015 alone, the AAG ruptured three times, while in 2014 it went down twice. This year, the cable system has experienced problems in March and June, heavily affecting outbound internet traffic. Vietnam has four submarine cable systems, and the AAG was connected in November 2009 with a length of over 20,000 kilometers and a design capacity of 2 terabit/second, directly connecting Southeast Asia with America. In addition to submarine cable systems, Vietnam has a land-based system with a capacity of 120 gigabit/second that goes through China, and there are plans to build another one. Green summer in Dak Lak’s hamlets Every summer, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union organizes a “Green Summer” volunteer program. Temporarily postponing their study plans, students volunteer in disadvantaged hamlets in Dak Lak Province in the hope that they can do something to improve living conditions in the poor rural areas.  Their trips bring along not only knowledge, but also the youths’ enthusiasm for the community.   Every summer, the villagers of Blak and Dac Tuor Hamlets in the remote Cu Pui Commune of Krong Bong District happily welcome young volunteers who come to teach and help them. As soon as they arrived at Dac Tuor’s communal house, volunteers from Dak Lak Pedagogy College grew accustomed to the new place and assigned tasks for each group. Le Thi Lan Huong, a delegation member, said, “There are fourteen people in my delegation who are divided into three groups. One is in charge of education, the other is in charge of logistics, and the last group does tasks requiring more labor. The three members of the education team will teach children." "The logistics group stays at home to do cooking for the two other teams. Tasks like dredging canals require all of us to work together. We’re united and ready to share the simplest things with each other,” she said. Over the course of one month, the young volunteers educated local children, organized entertainment activities for them, cleaned up the environment, and helped disadvantaged families repair their houses. They also visited and presented gifts to families that contributed to the revolution, according to veteran Y Son Hlong of Dac Tuor Hamlet.  He said, “The volunteers have taught the villagers to play volleyball and to sing and have also participated in weeding and cleaning up the environment. Poor families receive lots of support from the volunteers. I’m old and weak, so they help me clear the fields grow rice." "Their enthusiasm has made the volunteer movement to strong. It’s a beautiful image,” he noted. Although their program didn’t last long, their works have left a beautiful impression on the locals.  In one month, 60 volunteer delegations from Dak Lak Province have organized almost 400 summer classes for 8,500 local children and 130 courses to provide 3,500 farmers with education in agricultural techniques for growing coffee, pepper and avocado trees and rice.  They also contributed a total of two million of working days, worth about US$112,000. Vo Van Dung, Deputy Secretary of the provincial branch of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and chief of the “Green Summer” campaign, said, “The one-month volunteer movement has been appraised highly. First, the courses to review what the children learned during the academic year have attracted the participation of many local children. Second, the development and expansion of youth unions and associations at the commune level have drawn crowds of local youths." "In the 2016 “Green Summer” program, in addition to provincial funding, the authorities of communes and districts have more actively mobilized various financial resources for volunteer activities, building roads, irrigation canals, and sports grounds in rural areas, and repairing dilapidated houses for war invalids and martyrs,” she said. Joining volunteer activities offers youths practical experience, develops their creativity, and reflects their sense of responsibility to their homeland. More new buses put into service in HCMC Transport cooperatives May 19 and No. 6 in HCMC on August 22 put into operationa total of 51 new buses on routes No. 3 and 34in an effort to improve service quality and woo back commuters. Of the total number, 34 buses ply Bus Route No. 3 linking Ben Thanh Market in downtown HCMC andThanh Loc in District 12 and 17 buses run on Bus Route No. 34 connecting September 23 Park to Saigon Technology University in District 8.These vehicles are equipped with air-conditioners and surveillance cameras. Dau An Phuc, director of the HCMC PublicPassengerTransportManagement and OperationCenter, said buses have been used for the two routes for years, sotransport cooperativesMay 19 and No. 6 replaced aging buses as a way to improve service quality. Phuc said a recent survey showed a lot of commuters have shunned aging buses. Transport cooperatives’ down payments account for 30% of the total costs of new buses and the remaining 70% comes from loans on which interest is supported by the HCMC government. Transport Cooperative May 19 operates 312 daily services onBus Route No. 3,with the first trips starting at Ben Thanh Market at 4:55 a.m. and Thanh Loc at 4:15 a.m. and the last trips at the two stops at 8:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., respectively, according to Giao Thong newspaper. As for Bus Route No. 34, Transport Cooperative No. 6 conducts 138 services every day.The cooperative said its first bus services depart from September 23 Park at 5 a.m. and the university at 5 a.m. and the last trips leave the two stops at 7 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., respectively. Under a bus service development project approved by the HCMC government in the 2015-2017 period, the city will replace 1,680 aging buses, and there will be 300 locally-assembled vehicles running on compressed natural gas (CNG). As of June this year, the city had replaced 210 out of the 1,680 new buses. However, new buses have not wooed back as many commuters as expected by the city government. Commuter buses served 268.4 million passengers in the first half of this year, down 1.85% year-on-year and meeting only 43.3% of the full-year target of 620 million. Shortage of frontage roads cause traffic accidents: authority The number of traffic accidents on the newly-built Hà Nội-Bắc Giang Expressway has increased, northern Bắc Giang Province People’s Committee announced, blaming a shortage of frontage roads for two-wheeled vehicles. In the document sent to the Ministry of Transport, the committee said that between May 25 and June 25, 14 traffic accidents occurred, killing three people and leaving 13 others injured. The number of accidents increased by eight compared to that of last month. The provincial Traffic Safety Committee said that allowing two-wheeled vehicles to run on the expressway with cars driving 100kph was the main problem. At crossing points between the express road and local roads, many passenger buses were seen recklessly picking up passengers, causing traffic chaos. Reporters observed a high density of vehicles on parts of the road. On seven bridges along the expressway, there were no barriers between vehicles and pedestrians. Lê Ngọc Tuyển, director of the provincial Department of Transport said that any expressway must have frontage roads for two-wheeled vehicles. When the Hà Nội-Bắc Giang Expressway was put into use in early January, the investor had planned to provide a lane for motorbikes. This lane would connect with additional roads to National Highway 1 instead of running on the same road as cars. However, few drivers used the additional road as it took longer than using the expressway. Several industrial zones such as Từ Sơn and Tiên Du are located along the expressway. If motorbikes were banned on the road, workers would find it hard to get to work. To ensure traffic safety, the department asked the investor to reduce the speed limit to 80kph, but received no replies, he said. The 46km Hà Nội-Bắc Giang expressway was built under a BOT (build-operate-transfer) model for a total investment of VNĐ4.2 trillion (US$197.4 million). The 45km-long highway has a speed limit of 100kph. The expressway project was expected handle increased traffic between Hà Nội, Bắc Ninh Province and Bắc Giang Province and reduce accidents and traffic congestion on National Highway 1. Hà Nội transport companies prepare for National Day Transport companies and coach station operators in Hà Nội are preparing to meet the travelling demand that is expected to increase slightly during National Day on September 2. Nguyễn Quốc Uy, director of Mỹ Đình Station told the Giao thông (Transport) newspaper that the coming public holidays consisting of the National Day on Friday and two weekend days would see a slight increase in travel demand. He said that coach fares would not be higher than usual, and so far, there were no transport firms proposing a fare hike. Uy said that the station planned to concentrate on ensuring security and public order during the holidays. “The station managers asked coach operators to make travel for passengers safe and sound,” he said, and added that all coaches would be examined carefully before departure. Nguyễn Tùng Anh, director of the Hà Nội Station Joint Stock Company said that it and other local companies would add more coaches to meet the increased demand. There are 3,100 coaches operating in the city’s stations of Gia Lâm, Giáp Bát and Nước Ngầm daily. Anh said that travel would not increase much as students had just returned to school and the storm season had arrived. He said that the quality of vehicles, fire control equipment, drivers and goods, would be checked carefully. Đào Việt Long, head of Transport Management Division under the city’s Transport Department said that despite the closure of Lương Yên Station late last month, passenger transport from other localities to Hà Nội did not witness much chaos. “Passengers are now familiar with the new routes and new destinations,” he said. Long said that during the holiday, the transport department would grant a badge “Added” to coaches that transport firms wanted to add during holidays. However, the addtional coaches would be allowed to leave from Hà Nội only, and they would get limited entry to the city centre. He also called for people to arrange the scheme season-wise to avoid traffic congestion, particularly on September 1 evening and when the holiday ends on September 4 evening or September 5 morning. Activities mark 71st National Day nationwide Activities are being held across the nation to celebrate the upcoming 71st National Day (September 2). The Ho Chi Minh Youth Union will hold the 4th Congress of young role models in following President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings in Hanoi on August 28-29.  Representatives from the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union told a press conference in Hanoi on August 22 that 445 delegates will attend the Congress under the theme “I love my nation”.  activities mark 71st national day nationwide hinh 0 During the Congress, participants will offer incense at President Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, meet with National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and plant trees.  Art shows will take place at the Hanoi Opera House, the Vietnam Drama Theatre and the Vietnam Cheo Theatre from August 30 to September 1, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said on August 22.  Ho Chi Minh City is also planning activities to mark the 71st anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day, including art shows, fireworks and a bicycle race.  Previously on August 21, the southern province of Khanh Hoa held the programme themed “Colour run – I love my nation” in Nha Trang city as part of activities to mark the 71st anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day.  During the programme, 4,000 young participants made the shape of Vietnam, including the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagoes, and chanted the slogan “I love my nation”.  In the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, a ceremony was recently held to honour young role models in following President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings, and individuals and units with outstanding contributions to new-style rural building in 2016. Northern region warned of landslide The National Hydrology Meteorology Forecast Center reported that medium- heavy rains is going to expand into the north central, west central and northern delta region with the highest rainfall of 20- 50 mm today because of the powerful operation of southwestern monsoon from southward, new tropical low depression zone on the center of East Sea. Serious landsides are alerted in Ha Giang, Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces. The weather situation in the southern territorial water of East Sea and offshore of territorial water from Binh Thuan to Ca Mau, Ca Mau- Kien Giang and Gulf of Tonkin, Spratly Islands will see uninterrupted powerful winds with speed of level 5- 8, big waves of 2- 3 meters and sea rough. The strong operation of southwest monsoon may cause medium- heavy rains, lighting and thunderstorm on the large scale in the southern provinces and cities. Today, the low is near 22-25 degree Celsius and high around 28-31 in the  west northern region. Air moisture is measured at 72- 98 percent. Showery weather, thunderstorm, cyclone and strong wind are also anticipated in the northeast region and Hanoi capital. The highest temperature in the areas is around  29- 32 degrees Celsius, and the lowest temperature at 24 -27 degrees Celsius. The moisture reaches 70- 97 percent. The northern central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien- Hue are predicted suffering showery weather, thunderstorm, and southwest wind of level 2. Meanwhile, the southern central provinces from Da Nang to Binh Thuan will see small- medium rains and thunderstorms at night and sunny weather at daytime. Its highest and lowest temperature is measured at 27- 30 degrees Celsius and 21-24 degrees Celsius respectively. The weather condition in the southern region has experienced small- medium rains, thunderstorms and southwest wind of level 2- 3 in evening. Hanoi Opera House to have more diverse shows Romanian version of Tale of Kieu donated to Ha Tinh province A copy of poet Nguyen Du’s most celebrated work, Tale of Kieu, in Romanian has been donated by Professor Luong Phuong Hau to a memorial house dedicated to him in his hometown province of Ha Tinh. The book was collected in 1978 by Professor Hau, who used to be a lecturer at Hanoi University of Civil Engineering, while he was doing PhD research in Bucharest, Romania. The 13x20 cm book, containing 184 pages in good condition, features the Romanian translation of all 3,254 verses of the Tale of Kieu accompanied by a number of illustrations and the translator’s introduction. The book was published in 1967 by the Bucharest Literature Publishing House with the translation by Radu Moureanu, who translated from Vietnamese scholar Nguyen Van Vinh’s French version. At that time, few Romanians were well-versed in Vietnam culture and not many Vietnamese literary works were translated into the Romanian language. Before the Tale of Kieu, To Hoai’s Adventures of a Cricket had been translated into Romanian. Currently Nguyen Du’s memorial house is keeping copies of the Tale of Kieu in various languages including Russian, French, English, German and Spanish. Exhibition on Hoang Sa, Truong Sa comes to An Giang An exhibition displaying maps and documents on Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos is underway in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang on August 23-27. On display are numerous documents, objects, publications and nearly 100 maps in Chinese, Nom (old Vietnamese writing using Chinese characters), French and modern Vietnamese collected by local and foreign scholars and researchers. The exhibition also introduces a collection of 65 maps published by Vietnam and western countries from the 17th century to date, as well as photos and documents on economic, cultural and social development activities of the Truong Sa island district during the country’s industrialisation and modernisation. These are clear evidence of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the archipelagos. All exhibits will be given to the provincial People’s Committee after the exhibition. The event, organised by the province and the Ministry of Information and Communications, helps raise awareness among all Vietnamese people, particularly the younger generation, on patriotism, national unity and a sense of responsibility. Anti-corruption teams begin inspection trips to Hau Giang, Phu Yen Two working teams from the Central Steering Committee for Anti-Corruption on August 23 began their inspection of anti-corruption work in Hau Giang and Phu Yen provinces.  The teams are among the seven working groups established in late May by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also head of the Central Steering Committee for Anti-corruption (CSCA), to inspect the investigation and judgment of serious and complicated corruption and economic cases of public concern.  The team to the southern province of Hau Giang is led by Chief Judge of the Supreme People’s Court Nguyen Hoa Binh.  Between now and October 20, the delegation will inspect the standing board, interior commission and inspection committee under the provincial Party Committee, the provincial inspectorate, the standing board of the provincial public security force’s party committee, the Party committee of the provincial People’s Procuracy, the provincial civil judgment enforcement agency, the taxation department and the Party committee of Phung Hiep district.  The team to the south central province of Phu Yen is led by Prosecutor General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy Le Minh Tri.  At a working session on August 23 with provincial Party officials, Tri said the team will examine the provincial Party leadership over the discovery and settlement of corruption cases, the confiscation of ill-gotten assets and cooperation between relevant units in dealing with corruption. Thousands of Khmer households get access to power As many as 45,322 Khmer households in the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang have been connected to the national power grid thanks to a project launched in 2011.  Nguyen Phuoc Duc, Deputy Director General of the Southern Power Corporation reported on the project’s outcome at a ceremony marking its completion on August 23.  At a total cost of 368 billion VND (16.56 million USD), the project has built 457 km of medium voltage transmission lines and over 1,437 km of low-voltage cable, exceeding the targets by 153km and 570km, respectively, according to Duc.  It also installed 825 transformer stations with the total capacity of 18.650.5 kVA, an increase of 326 transformers and 7,890kVA compared with the set targets.  Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Ngo Hung hailed the joint efforts made by stakeholders to complete the project on schedule.  Soc Trang is home to around 400,000 Khmer ethnic people, who account for 30.7 percent of the province’s population. Veteran theatre director passes away Talented HCM City-based theatre director Đoàn Bá passed away at 3.55pm on August 21 (local time) in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. He was 78. He was born in the southern Sóc Trăng Province and was the director of Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre for 16 years. He not only was an experienced cải lương (reformed opera) director in HCM City, but was also a sincere teacher at the HCM City Theatre and Cinematography College. He trained various noted drama artistes such as Hữu Châu, Hữu Nghĩa, Quang Minh and Hồng Đào. Bá staged 300 cải lương and drama plays, many of which are considered to be models for the domestic theatre sector, such as Rạng Ngọc Côn Sơn (Bright Gem in Côn Sơn), Tình Yêu và Lời Đáp (Love and Reply) and Kẻ Ngoại Tình (An Adulterer). Noted cải lương artist Minh Vương said, “He changed my artistic life when he gave me the role of Nguyễn Trãi in Rạng Ngọc Côn Sơn. “I was 31 at that time and had only done the roles of handsome gentlemen falling in love with beautiful ladies. “Bá helped me to analyse the character of Nguyễn Trãi so that I could give the role my best. He also let me be creative. Hundreds of shows of the play have been performed in large theatres in the city. The role of Nguyễn Trãi is a significant role in my life. I highly appreciate Bá’s support in the play.” Many artistes based in HCM City have expressed their sadness at Bá’s death on their Facebook pages. Artiste Mỹ Uyên wrote, “Maestro Đoàn Bá, a giant tree of the southern theatre, was my beloved teacher and the teacher of many generations of artistes…” In June this year, the director’s family organised a press conference to announce his plan to stage Ben Hur with the participation of young directors from the United States. That’s why many of his friends and students were stunned on hearing the news. His family members said he was suffering from a serious kidney disease when he visited his children in the United States. His funeral will be held in the United States.  An Giang Airport excluded from priority list A plan to build an airport in the Mekong Delta province of An Giang was excluded from the list of prioritised investments due to concerns that it would be ineffective. The decision was announced yesterday at a conference on development of infrastructure and logistics systems in the Mekong River Delta, jointly organised by the Ministry of Transport and the government’s Steering Committee for Southwestern Region in Cần Thơ City. “The plan to build the airport was proposed by the province’s authority but is not agreed upon by the Government and the Ministry of Transport,” said Lê Đỗ Mười, deputy head of the Transport Development and Strategy Institute. The construction of An Giang Airport, which is expected to cost VNĐ3.41 trillion (US$153 million) by a public-private partnership was earlier put in the list of prioritised investments in the 2016-20 period, according to a draft plan on development of infrastructure and logistics systems in the Mekong River Delta. The airport was planned to cover 230 hectares, serving both civilian and military purposes. As soon as it was made public, the plan drew criticism from both the public and experts as unnecessary and ineffective. Trần Hữu Hiệp, a member in charge of economic affairs of the Steering Committee for Southwestern Region, said the project would require a huge amount of capital while the country still faced many difficulties and the need was not urgent. He pointed out that Cần Thơ International Airport was only about 60km away from An Giang Province while Cà Mau and Phú Quốc airports were a little further. Cần Thơ Airport was upgraded in 2011 to handle 3-5 million passengers and up to 5,000 tonnes of freight per year. However, currently, the number of passengers being handled by the airport was a mere 10 per cent of its designed capacity, he said. “Instead of investing on not-so-urgent projects, we should spend that huge amount of money on unfinished project or to build roads because there are still 60 communes in nine Mekong Delta provinces that are inaccessible by car,” he said. Festival focuses on youth Dozens of bands from cultural houses and centres in HCM City are participating in a four-day music festival at Sen Hồng (Pink Lotus) Stage focusing on youth and patriotism. The event, Tiếng Hát Từ Thành Phố Mang Tên Bác Hồ (Voice of HCM City), celebrates the 71st anniversary of National Day on September 2. It features more than 300 amateur and professional singers, dancers and musicians. Revolutionary music and dances by famous composers and choreographers have been featured. Young artists from HCM City’s outlying districts of Củ Chi, Bình Chánh and Hóc Môn have been performing songs praising the country, soldiers and late President Hồ Chí Minh. The event’s organiser, the city’s Department of Culture and Communication, in co-operation with its partners, will present scholarships worth several millions đồng to children of soldiers.   The festival’s awards ceremony will be held at 8:00pm Thursday night. It is expected to attract more than 1,500 people.  Top legislator pays tribute to late President on National Day National Assembly (NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan on August 23 offered incense to commemorate late President Ho Chi Minh at House No. 67 in Hanoi on the occasion of the upcoming 71st National Day (September 2).  Built in 1967 in what is now the President Ho Chi Minh relic site, House No. 67 was the place where the late President worked and passed away. It was also a meeting venue for the Politburo during wartime.  Talking with staff and officials of the relic site, Chairwoman Ngan recommended that they should continue better performing their assigned duties, including preserving and promoting the value of exhibits that were connected with the late President’s revolutionary activities. She said she hopes they continue helping locals and international visitors to better understand President Ho Chi Minh and his revolutionary career. The Chairwoman was accompanied by NA Vice Chairpersons Tong Thi Phong, Do Ba Ty, Phung Quoc Hien and officials of the NA Office. English writing contest features ASEAN culture An English writing contest for youths themed “ASEAN citizens” featuring Southeast Asian values has been launched.  The contest forms part of activities to celebrate the 49 th founding anniversary of ASEAN (August 8) and the 40 th anniversary of Vietnam–Thailand diplomatic ties.  It aims to create a practical English speaking playground for Vietnamese youths and enhance their understanding of the ASEAN community.  Anyone of Vietnamese nationality aged between 16 and 30 is eligible to register for the contest.  Entries are to be submitted prior to September 10.  Outstanding candidates will be selected to represent Vietnam in educational and cultural exchange programmes across the region. Programme deepens Vietnam – Russia friendship An exchange programme was held in Moscow on August 22 to promote friendship between Vietnam and Russia. Present at the event were Soviet veterans who helped Vietnam during war as well as Vietnamese individuals who made great contributions to national independence. Lai Ngoc Doan, a diplomat from the Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, said the event helped increase mutual understanding between the two countries. The Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association and War Veteran Association affirmed they would make more contributions to developing bilateral relations. Vietnam diplomat highlights potential for cooperation with Singapore Vietnam and Singapore have complimentary economies, creating potential for bilateral cooperation, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Nguyen Tien Minh said on the sidelines of the on-going 29th Diplomatic Conference in Hanoi.  The Ambassador underlined cooperation between Vietnam and Singapore within the framework of free trade agreements formed and developed in the ASEAN Economic Community nations as well as the Trans Pacific Partnership.  Vietnam has rich natural and human resources and wide geographic location while Singapore is financially capable and experienced in economic development, Minh told Vietnam News Agency reporters.  The two nations can collaborate to introduce more products up Singaporean standards to new markets, he added. The Embassy has provided support for Vietnamese firms to connect with Singaporean ones, enhancing domestic businesses competitiveness, the Ambassador said.  The agency has also coordinated with the Singapore Businesses Federation to bring Singaporean business delegations to seek investment opportunities in Vietnam, according to Minh.  The diplomat suggested Vietnamese enterprises take advantage of international and regional integration to create strong and sustainable economic development. Vigilant Coast Guard members save endangered turtles in Quang Ngai Members of the Coast Guard of Quảng Ngãi Province recently rescued six sea turtles that had been illegally transported by a group of local residents. The turtles were weak but still alive. “The first thing we did was to soak the turtles in sea water,” Major Ngô Doãn Tú, deputy head of Bình Hải Coast Guard Station, said. “The turtles, which face risk of extinction, are listed in the Red Book. We’re always happy about rescuing them because we know we’re protecting marine biodiversity.” Phạm Châu, a 55-year-old resident of the commune, was fined VNĐ4.5 million after he was found transporting four turtles.  “I’ve recognised my mistake. Now, I’ll inform the Coast Guard force whenever a sea turtle is captured,” Châu said. Lieutenant Colonel Võ Đức, chief of the Bình Hải Coast Guard Station, said that his soldiers had visited households every week to educate locals in the central coastal commune about marine conservation. Võ Bông, an 85-year-old fisherman, said the Coast Guard had been friendly and the information easy to understand. “I’ve told my family not to catch marine creatures protected by the State,” Bông said. Phùng Đình Toàn, deputy head of Quảng Ngãi Province’s division for exploitation and protection of marine resources, said the Bình Hải Coast Guard Station had contributed significantly to the protection of the sea environment. He said that recently software chips had been attached to the bodies of 10 turtles before being released to the sea. Pertussis outbreaks infect many people in northern province Medical workers have detected 168 infection cases having respiratory disease including 49 people having pertussis in northern province of Cao Bang, said the Department of Health on August 19th. The Ministry of Health set up a mission team including staffs from the Department of Preventive Medicine, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and the National Children Hospital to arrive in the province to supervise and handle the disease. The Ministry of Health order the local health authority to implement measure against the disease, treating patients as well preventing transmission for medical workers.  Free medication should be given to 352 people ( including patients and their relatives who live under the same roof), the ministry said. The ministry asked medical workers should instructed patients to isolate them at home and keep an eye on their health condition daily. Health authority must launch whooping-cough vaccination campaign for all kids from 24 to 48 month old in the locality. Barefoot runners to race on Da Nang beach The central city of Da Nang will host the third Cocobay Da Nang Barefoot Run at Naman Retreat beach resort on Truong Sa Street on August 26. The event's organiser, IndoSun, said the event is free for all, with a race on a pristine beach along with entertainment activities. The winner will walk away with 3 million VND (133 USD), while the runner-up will take 2 million VND and third place wins 1 million VND. The race will also promote cleaning the beach as well as sports training. The 2km race will start at 3pm, with the award ceremony held the same day. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE