Social News 18/9 Sa Pa strives to become key global tourist attraction    With beautiful landscapes, friendly people and special cultural identities, Sa Pa town in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai has been exerting every effort to become a key tourist attraction in the world.  The information was revealed by Nguyen Huu The, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee at a recent press conference introducing political, cultural and tourist events in the province between 2016 and 2017.  To make the dream come true, Sa Pa is focusing on improving infrastructure, accommodations and services to better serve tourists, especially the building of accommodation facilities of three stars or more, said Ha Manh Thang, Director of the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The upcoming inauguration of the Lao Cai-Sa Pa expressway is expected to make it easier for the town to lure visitors, he added. Located at 1,600 metres above the sea level in Vietnam’s northwest mountains, Sa Pa is a picturesque town famous for its fine, rugged scenery in lien with rich cultural diversity of many ethnic minority groups. Home to many hill tribes, rice terraces, lush vegetation and Fansipan, the highest peak of the country, Sa Pa has become an ideal destination for domestic and foreign travellers.-VNA Tien Giang: Disadvantaged people supported to transform production A project to improve the livelihoods of poor farmers and help them adapt to climate change has aided 2,400 households in southern Tien Giang province from 2013.  Deputy Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Khanh made the announcement, saying the project, named HEIFER, is underway in Phu Thanh and Phu Dang communes, Tan Phu Dong district till 2017.  According to Pham Van Nghi, deputy manager of the project, the project has a total fund of over 18 billion VND (over 806,000 USD), of which 4 billion VND (nearly 180,000 USD) is sourced from local budget and the rest funded by HEIFER Vietnam and the Norwegian Mission Alliance.  The project aims to help locals improve production to raise income and escape poverty through restructuring crops and livestock breeding.  The beneficiaries are provided with cows for breeding and get access to financial services from the Norwegian Mission Alliance Vietnam.  They are also introduced to production techniques to adapt to climate change and knowledge on scientific intensive farming.  The project has invested 3.7 billion VND (nearly 166,000 USD) so far to buy 334 cows, lent 317 million VND (over 14,000 USD) to households to build barns, plant grass and give vaccinations.  More than 5,000 farmers are equipped with business, production and breeding knowledge. World cultural celebrity Nguyen Trai remembered A ceremony to commemorate the 574th death anniversary of Nguyen Trai, a national hero and a world cultural celebrity, was held at Con Son-Kiep Bac relic site in Chi Linh town of northern Hai Duong province on September 16.  As part of the Con Son-Kiep Bac Autumn Festival 2016, the event attracted the participation of provincial leaders, Buddhist monks and followers, together with thousands of visitors from across the nation. Earlier, a literature parade (ruoc van) from Con Son Pagoda to Nguyen Trai Temple was organised with Buddhist and traditional rituals. Nguyen Trai, pen name Uc Trai, was born in Chi Ngai commune, Chi Linh district in 1380. He followed Le Loi in the resistance war against the Ming invaders and made great contributions to the nation’s glorious victories.  He was also the author of a huge volume of literary works, including 110 poems and especially Binh Ngo Dai Cao (Great Proclamation upon the Pacification of the Wu), one of the country’s first declarations of independence.  In 1980, on the occasion of his 600th birthday, Nguyen Trai was recognised by UNESCO as a world cultural celebrity, an eminent military expert and a talented politician. Hanoi launches campaign against dengue, Zika virus Hanoi’s Health Department and authorities of the outlying district of Hoai Duc jointly launched a campaign against dengue and Zika virus disease on September 16.  The department called for the involvement of local authorities and agencies in the effort.  Following the launch ceremony, local communes and districts began an environment clean-up drive, with a focus on residential areas, schools and epidemic hotbeds, and educated the public about precautionary measures.  The department requested overseeing infection cases, taking more samples to promptly discover new infections, and working closely with the media centre for health education to acquire relevant information.  According to the ministry’s Department of Preventive Medicine, since the beginning of this year, the country have recorded 65,339 dengue fever cases, 20 of them are dead, and three Zika infections in Khanh Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Yen.  In Hanoi alone, 1,084 in 29 districts and communes suffered from dengue, down 46 percent from 2015. Hoai Duc district reported 162 dengue cases with 27 hotbeds.  The capital has not yet recorded any Zika virus cases so far. Vietnam’s achievements in ozone layer protection hailed Vietnam has achieved significant results in implementing the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.  The remark was made by delegates to a ceremony held in Ho Chi Minh City on September 16 by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to celebrate International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer (September 16). According to the delegates, Vietnam has cut the consumption of CFC, Halon, and CTC since January 1, 2010 and completely excluded 500 tonnes of HCFC-141b and 500 tonnes of Methyl Bromide since January 1, 2015.  On the occasion, the event’s organising board presented awards to student winners of a drawing contest on ozone layer protection.  The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion.  It came into force on January 1989 and has been ratified by 197 parties, including 196 states and the European Union, making it one of the first universally ratified treaties in the United Nation’s history. Two tonnes of goods of unclear origin destroyed The Market Management Department in the northern province of Hưng Yên yesterday destroyed more than two tonnes of goods with unclear origin. The goods included toys inciting violence, such as plastic guns and swords, which were banned from being sold in the market, and fake and unknown origin cosmetics, such as shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. Last week, local police also seized more than 500 toys of unclear origin for the mid-autumn festival from three local shops. Earlier, the management team stopped a car driver transporting a number of illegal imported toys. The goods were seized because the driver did not display legal documents for the items. The Market Management Department and the local police are stepping up inspection and controlling goods being sold in the local market to ensure safety for consumers and to protect the legitimate interests of enterprises. Photo contest captures ocean glory A photo capturing a woman burning incense and praying for whale’s soul on a beach sunset received Grand Prize in a photo contest held by the US Mission Vietnam. The awards ceremony yesterday honoured the photo’s author, Nguyễn Việt Thanh, who currently works as a photojournalist at Việt Nam News. The whale washed up on the coast of Diễn Châu, the central province of Nghệ An in May. For hundreds of years, every time a whale washed up on the shore of those villages locals would hold ceremonies and bury the whales. They believe whales are protectors of fishermen at sea. “People told me that three whales washed up on the coast in this region in the past 60 years,” he said. That was the first time Thanh witnessed a real whale. Grasping with the tragedy of its death, he immediately captured the moment. “The whale was giant, it’s totally different from what I imagined, because I just watched whales on the TV.” “Through the photos, I want to reflect a long-standing belief of the local people and a call for the ocean environment protection.” Launched last month, the photo contest Our Ocean, One Future received 650 photos sent by 300 amateur and professional photographers nationwide, according to Molly Stephenson, Public Affairs Counselor, US Embassy in Hà Nội. “I know that Vietnamese people who live in the coastal area have a long tradition of worshipping whales, as they believe that the whales will protect them in the sea,” she said. “The photo taken by Thanh is about a dead whale, it’s sad in one way, but it’s a beautiful photo reflecting the Vietnamese culture and belief,” she said. The photo contest was organized as a preface to the Our Ocean conference hosted by Secretary Kerry in Washington, D.C., on September 15-16. It focuses again on the key issues of marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, marine pollution, and climate-related impacts on the ocean. The conference also focuses on youth and the development ofthe next generation of ocean leaders. Book fair offers discounts on novels, textbooks, school supplies More than 300,000 books and 3,000 office and school supplies as well as child’s toys worth VNĐ5 billion (US$220,000) are for sale at discounts of 20-50 per cent at the HCM City Books Distribution (Fahasa) Fair that began on Friday. Authors of Vietnamese books on display include Nguyễn Nhật Ánh, Trịnh Huyền Trang, Trí, Nguyễn Đức Anh, Lưu Quang Minh, Green Star – Thuỳ Dương, Quỳnh Anh Shyn, Thu Hà, Nguyễn Nhật Linh, Tony Buổi Sáng, Nguyễn Bảo Trung, and Gari. In addition to Vietnamese–language books, the fair is selling English textbooks such as Let’s Go 4Ed, Solutions 2Ed, Complete IELTS, Cambridge English Prepare!, Cambridge Young Learner English Test Starters, Movers, Flyers, My Little Island, Family & Friends, Four Corners, and English Grammar in Use. Dictionaries on display include Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, Cambridge Advanced Learner’s, and Oxford Basic English. Children’s books include Wimpy Kid, Harry Potter, Don Diary, and Who Was? series. The fair is being held at the HCM City Exhibition House at 92 Lê Thánh Tôn Street in District 1 until September 25. Students awarded for fine art works As many as seven first, 17 second and 25 third prizes were awarded on September 15 to fine art works by students from 22 art and culture institutions throughout the country. The works have been selected from 230 entries sent to the first contest of its kind hosted by the Hà Nội University of Fine Arts. Organised under the theme “Việt Nam – Country and People”, the works were divided into the three categories of painting, sculpture and graphics. “Through the contest, we can judge the real capabilities of students at art institutions during the past few years,” said Lê Đình Tân, head of the Culture Ministry’s Training Department. “Some of the works are quite good in quality and ideas.” The short-listed works are displayed at the university at 42 Yết Kiêu Street, till September 29. Saigon Classical Music Club holds free concert for students Vocalists and musicians of the Saigon Classical Music Club will stage a free concert for students at the HCM City’s Southern Women’s Museum on September 17.  The event, Recollection-Ghi Dấu Kỷ Niệm (Recollection- Retrieve Memory), will feature La Quế Anh, Đan Cát Vũ, Đặng Trí Dũng, Nguyễn Đức Thịnh and Nguyễn Thành Nhựt, all graduates of the HCM City Music Conservatory. Solo and group performances will include works written by Bach, Franck and Chopin. During the show, artists will also talk about their music to help young audiences. Saigon Classical Music Club, one of the city’s leading groups in singing classical music, offers free shows to showcase their music to students.   The concert begins at 7pm at the Southern Women’s Museum on 202 Võ Thị Sáu Street in District 3. Free tickets are available at the museum. Photo contest reviews significant events Photojournalist Phạm Bằng’s two days with locals and soldiers repairing the damage caused by Typhoon Nida in Bát Xát District in northern Lào Cai Province., left him feeling emotional, with the memories of those days playing on his mind. Titled "After the Flood," the journalist’s collection of photos of the disaster asite in August won gold medal at the journalism photography contest, titled Khoảnh Khắc Vàng (Golden Moment). The award ceremony took place this morning at the headquarters of the Vietnam News Agency. In the two months since the contest was launched, the organiser received 6,343 photos sent by entrants nationwide. Bằng received the highest prize in the category of photo collections. In the single photo category, no entry met the criteria to win the gold medal. Phạm Hoài Nam from Hà Nội and Kiều Anh Dũng won silver medals for their photos of Tây Khe Sim Mine Tunnel, Cẩm Phả, Quảng Ninh and Selfie at Colour Me Run, respectively. Bát Xát District is 24km away from Lào Cai City. Bằng rode a motorbike for the first 12km and travelled by boat and walked the rest of way.  Typhoon Nida brought heavy rain and thunderstorms to northern Việt Nam. Eleven people were killed or went missing in floods in Lào Cai Province. Bát Xát District was severely affected. The flood washed away the bridge to Sủng Hoảng Village, leaving 16 households isolated. Photojournalist Bằng joined a group of authorities who tried to reach the Sủng Hoảng villagers. He clicked pictures and immediately sent them to the Lào Cai Newspaper to report the aftermath of the typhoon. “During those two days, I witnessed firsthand the difficulties the local faced and could especially sense their loss,” Bằng said. “The photo I will remember forever is the one of Tẩn A Mẩy, who lost three members of her family, it was very touching.” The fourth Golden Moments contest was co-organised by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Việt Nam Association of Photographic Artists (VAPA). A large number of journalists, reporters, and photographers from around the country and overseas gathered to present their points of view while reflecting on all aspects of politics, economics, culture and society, as well as science, technology, sports and other burning issues, Nguyễn Hoài Dương, deputy general director of the VNA, said. “The contest offers us a chance to look back and highlight events that took place in the year,” he said. “It also honours the contribution of the journalists who portray truthfully and steadily the events to the readers.” Vũ Quốc Khánh, chairman of VAPA and a member of the judging panel, said the contest comprised photos that influence society. “The entries are of high quality, reflecting significant events that hit the headlines, such as the Formosa case and Hoàng Xuân Vinh’s success. However, there are some photos which had to be ruled out because the photographers retouched the photos, which is not allowed in photojournalism.” Some 71 outstanding photos are on display at the Vietnam News Agency headquarters on 5 Lý Thường Kiệt Street in Hà Nội. 33 rare pangolins released at undisclosed secure site The Save Việt Nam’s Wildlife and Hà Nội Wildlife Rescue Centre released 33 Sunda pangolins (Manis javanica) at an undisclosed secure site yesterday. The pangolins were rescued from illegal wildlife traders in August 2016 by the northeastern Quảng Ninh Province’s Forest Management Department. After a month of being cared at the Save Việt Nam’s Wildlife and Hà Nội Wildlife Rescue Centre, 33 healthy pangolins were sent back to the wild. The collaboration between the government-run Hà Nội Wildlife Rescue Centre and non-governmental Save Việt Nam’s Wildlife is believed to signal new hope for the critically endangered pangolin; the most traded mammal in the world. According to the International Union for Conservation, the species is listed as critically endangered due to high levels of hunting and poaching for its meat and scales, which is primarily driven by exports to China, though local consumption and utilisation also take place across the species’ range. Lack of milk blamed for 'stunted' Vietnamese children Officials say that drinking more milk will help Vietnamese reach a new high. Vietnamese people currently drink 15 liters of milk annually, far below the international average of 103.9 liters, government statistics show. In the Southeast Asian region where people drink about 60 liters per year, the average milk consumption in Vietnam is half of that in Thailand and about one third of Singapore, official figures show. Vietnam has set a goal of boosting the average height of its population by 4cm within the next decade. By 2030, the average Vietnamese man will be 168.5cm tall, and the average woman will be 157.5cm. The World Health Organization has listed Vietnam in the top 20 countries with the highest number of stunted children. About 25% of Vietnamese children, or 1.9 million of them, are on average 10 centimeters shorter than their Asian peers due to malnourishment. The average height has risen only between 1cm and 1.5cm over the past 10 years due mainly to poor eating habits, heath experts said. The typical Vietnamese diet is heavy in protein but lacking in calcium. Traditional meals in Vietnam only meet 60% of recommended calcium requirements. Minerals such as vitamins A and D are also pivotal in determining height, but the daily diet of Vietnamese people only meets about 10% of the necessary amount. Vietnamese people also don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables and they consume too much salt on a daily basis. According to a joint study by the WHO and the Health Ministry, more than half of Vietnamese people are failing to eat at least 400 grams of fruit and vegetables per day, while their average salt intake is 9.4 grams, twice as much as the daily recommended amount. A greater problem for Vietnam is alcohol intake. The average citizen consumes nearly twice as much beer as milk, official figures show, or about 27.4 liters of beer to 15 liters of milk per person per year. Over the past five years, Vietnam has doubled its annual beer consumption to more than 3 billion liters, making its people the heaviest beer drinkers in the region, the third in Asia after Japan and China, and in the world’s top 25 heaviest beer drinkers.  In 2013, the Vietnamese government launched a campaign, which was estimated to cost US$285 million, to improve the nutrition and physical health of its population aiming to increase the average height of 18-year-olds by at least 4cm from the current 164.4 cm for boys and 153.4 cm for girls. Vietnam’s minimum wage non-coowest among Asian apparel exporting countries Vietnam’s non-compliance rate of 6.6% recorded for the minimum wage in the garment, textile and footwear sectors is the lowest among seven garment exporting countries in Asia, says a new report of the International Labor Organization (ILO). The rate indicates that for every 100 wage employees in the sectors, 6.6% earn less than the minimum wage set to protect wage earners from unduly low pay, the report says. It is far better than 25.6% for Cambodia as the second lowest country in the list and almost nine times lower than the highest of 53.3% for the Philippines. While minimum wage compliance is weak throughout Asia’s garment industries, the depth of non-compliance varies among countries. But Vietnam stands out in this dimension. The rate of extreme non-compliance which means wage workers are paid less than four-fifths of the minimum wage in the country is 3.8% and moderate non-compliance (workers paid between 80% and less than 100% of the minimum wage) at 2.8%. On the contrary, the Philippines, India, Thailand, Pakistan, and Indonesia each has a large proportion of garment sector workers who are paid far below the minimum wage. The extreme non-compliance rate in the Philippines and India is 38.8% and 34.9% respectively. About one-fourth of Indonesia’s garment workers earn far below the minimum wage. In all the countries, women in the garment sector are more likely than men to get pay below the minimum wage. With 5.7 percentage points, Vietnam is among the nations with smallest gaps, while the largest male-female non-compliance gap is found in Pakistan, at 60.4%. The report says garment workers with lower levels of education are more likely to earn less than the minimum level. However, the report points out that Vietnam’s minimum wage is relatively low in the garment sector, when compared to other regional countries. “While Vietnam’s data used for this research dated back to 2013, minimum wages have significantly increased for the last three years. So we need to wait for new data to see if the high compliance continues even with significantly increased minimum wages,” Lee said. This indicates the importance for the tripartite partners to develop stronger capacity to make the minimum wage decisions based on evidence and analysis and monitor compliance and effects of minimum wages in the coming years to balance social and economic needs, he said. Vietnam adopts four regional minimum wages ranging from VND2.4 million to VND3.5 million (US$157). These minimum wages are proposed every year by the National Wage Council, which includes representatives of the Government and organizations representing employers and employees. The report says Vietnam’s region-based minimum wages were adjusted up by about 12-15% on a yearly basis between 2014 and 2016 and would continue to go up by 7.3% next year. State-run schools in HCMC not hike tuition fee As per the People’s Committee plan for tuition fee and exemption for some social welfare beneficiaries for next five school years  tuition fee of public schools is maintained unchanged. The city authorities announced its plan yesterday. Yet, tuition fee for schools for continuing studying will be same as its state-run counterparts. Tuition fee is divided into two categories for urban districts and suburban districts. Urban districts include districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Binh Thanh, Phu Nhuan, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, Thu Duc and Binh Tan. Outlying districts are BInh Chanh, Hoc Mon, Cu Chi and Can Gio. For detail, tuition fee for preschools is VND140,000 - VND200,000 (US$6.27-8.96) a month for urban districts and outlying districts respectively, kindergarten tuition fee is VND100,000 – 160,000 per month for urban districts and outlying districts respectively; primary students don’t pay tuition fee. Junior high schools and night classes has tuition fee of VND85,000 – 100,000 monthly. Senior high school students and those who study nigh classes pay VND100,000 – 120,000. For other collection, the Department of Education and Training with the Department of Finance will issue guideline how much and how to use the amount. Schools are asked to publicize tuition fees in its bulletin boards. Apart from which, for next five school years, the city authorities  asked the Department of Education and Training and relevant agencies to work on consumer price index to decide tuition fee and exemption policy for social welfare beneficiaries. Admiring skyline and live music at La Vie En Rose HCMC is home to a wide variety of entertainment services and activities. La Vie En Rose on the 21st floor of Ben Thanh Tower in downtown HCMC is recommended for those finding an elegant and classy place with music of the 1960s and 1970s. The place has a sophisticated combination of a tea room and a trendy bar and lounge inspired by images of roses in two main colors – black and red. La Vie En Rose’s large bar and stage with modern and classic features might impress nostalgic and young people. Ceiling lights are a combination of more than 2,000 tubes linked together to make a sequence of lighting in constant motion. Surrounded by the glass, La Vie En Rose provides an open space to offer a panoramic view of downtown HCMC at night and the skyline of the city. Guests to the lounge can enjoy some promotions, including Happy Hour with 30% off on total bills from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, a Social Sunday program with 49% discounts on total bills from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Sunday, All You Can Drink at VND159,000++ to enjoy a premium red or white wine from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the week. La Vie En Rose – Live Music & Bar managed by Capella Entertainment under Capella Holdings is located at level 21 of Ben Thanh Tower, 136-138 Le Thi Hong Gam Street, District 1, HCMC, hotline: 0936 933 833. Danang requested to report on admin center The Ministry of Construction has written to Danang requesting the central coastal city to report on the plan for using its administrative tower which was put into use just two years ago. The request comes after local media reported problems with the efficiency of the administrative center and Danang’s controversial plan to relocate all the departments of the city from the building over ventilation and traffic issues. Danang is asked to make clear the problems reported and the agency which approved construction of the administrative center tower. The city should also report on the investor; the agencies and companies which evaluated, designed, consulted, supervised and constructed the center; and its location, infrastructure, areas for working and public activities, technologies, services, auxiliary works, and total investment cost. In addition, Danang will have to provide information on the number of agencies and officials working in the center, its management board, management and maintenance costs, and its use efficiency. Danang was told to send the report to the ministry before September 25. Inaugurated in September 2014, the administrative center costing over VND2 trillion (US$89.6 million) has 37 floors, including three basements. It is the workplace for 1,600 officials, including leaders of the city and municipal agencies. Group train ticket bookings for Tet available Saigon Railway Transport Joint Stock Co (JSC) is receiving registrations until September 20 from groups of passengers who want to buy tickets for train services during the Lunar New Year holiday (Tet), which falls early next year. Train ticket bookings for passenger groups apply to workers in export processing zones and industrial parks, military units, and students of universities and colleges. The company sells tickets to groups of at least 20 people from the same company or agency traveling on the same journeys. Ticket buyers are required to make passenger lists for two-way trips and send their registrations plus letters of recommendation from their companies or agencies. Passenger lists must be accurate in terms of name and ID number or other personal documents.  Do Quang Van, branch director of Saigon Railway Transport JSC, said Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) will set aside about 20% of its Tet train tickets for sale to groups of passengers. As for train services during Tet, the branch said trains with even numbers will depart from the Saigon Railway Station in HCMC from 0:00 a.m. on January 1, 2017 to 0:00 a.m. on January 26, 2017 and trains with odd numbers will head from other train stations to HCMC from 0:00 a.m. on January 31, 2017 to 0:00 a.m. on February 13, 2017. Quang Ngai holds tsunami response drill More than 2,000 people in the central province of Quang Ngai participated in a drill in response to tsunami in Tinh Khe commune, Quang Ngai city.  The drill, the second of its kind, aimed to improve the capacity of dealing with tsunamis and carrying out search and rescue activities of local authorities and people, as well as better the reception, treatment and transmission of tsunami warnings and information.  The simulation scenario featured a strong earthquake on Luzong island of the Philippines, which led to unleash waves with up to 8 metres high. The tsunami directly affected coastal localities from Quang Binh to Binh Thuan, including Tinh Khe, Tinh Ky and Nghia An communes of Quang Ngai city.  Locals living along the beaches were evacuated, while ships operating at sea were guided to seek safe shelters. Search and rescue activities were also implemented after the tsunami was over. Meeting marks Armenia’s Independence Day The Vietnam – Armenia Friendship Association held a meeting in Hanoi on September 17 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Armenia’s Independence Day (September 21, 1991). Chairman of the association Nguyen Van Thuan said Vietnamese people always remember the valuable assistance of the Armenian State and people during the struggle for national independence and territorial integrity, which significantly contributed to the establishment of the friendship between the two countries. He also thanked Armenia for supporting Vietnamese students in the country. Armenian Ambassador Raisa Vardanyan expressed his belief that the bilateral ties will thrive in the near future, especially in economy, culture and education. He said his embassy welcomes and supports activities to enhance the Vietnam – Armenia traditional friendship. Vietnam and Armenia set up diplomatic relations in 1992 and since then the bilateral cooperation has expanded across the fields. The two sides have also coordinated and supported each other at international forums. The Vietnam – Armenia Friendship Association in particular has helped maintain and strengthen solidarity, amity and mutual understanding between the two nations’ people.- Packaging firms prepare for exhibition More than 100 executives from Vietnamese packaging businesses took part in a seminar in HCM City on September 16 meant to introduce the 2017 Interpack Fair and Exhibition to be held in Germany. In Vietnam, packaging is among the fastest growing industries thanks to the increasing domestic demand for products as well as exports. According to the German Food Processing and Packaging Machinary Association (VDMA), the Vietnamese packaging industry will grow at 38 percent annually in 2015 –20, and demand for packaging machinery at 25 percent. “The biggest challenge for the Vietnamese packaging industry is low technology,” Richard Clemens, CEO of the VDMA, said. "This prevents the industry from joining the international supply chain". At the seminar, German experts showed off new technologies and materials. German packaging machines have become popular in Vietnam, rising to second place last year with imports of nearly 96 million USD, second only to Chinese ones. Many Vietnamese enterprises have already registered to take part in the 2017 Interpack Fair and Exhibition next May in Dusseldorf, where they will jointly put up a 150sq.m kiosk hoping to enter the European market. Interpack is seeing the highest demand from exhibitors in its over 55-year history. They have already booked 20 percent more space than is available at the 262,400sq.m exhibition centre. Around 2,700 exhibitors from 60 countries are expected to take part. Crowds attend whale worshipping festival in Vung Tau A Nghinh Ong or whale worshipping festival is taking place in Vung Tau city, the southern province of in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, attracting crowds of local people and tourists. The “Nghinh Ong Thang Tam Vung Tau” festival, which lasts from September 11-18, includes rituals such as praying the sea gods, a procession of the whale god from the sea to the Thang Tam Temple and hosting a feast to ancestors and heroic martyrs. The event also features a number of traditional performances including folk games, swimming, and fishing and net-making competitions. Vietnamese fishermen believe that whales rescue people in danger at sea and can bring them a prosperous fishing season. Thus, the annual Nghinh Ong festival offers a chance for fishermen to express their gratitude towards the Nam Hai god (a whale) and the sea gods for protecting and supporting them in their daily lives and at sea, while praying for peace and a good harvest. The “Nghinh Ong Thang Tam Vung Tau” festival was recognised as one of the fifteen biggest festivals in the country by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2000.  Vietnam international law association established The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the establishment of the Vietnam international law association as a socio-occupational organisation in Hanoi on September 17. Speaking at the event, Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh said the establishment of the association is in line with the Party, State and Government’s policy, serves national development, and meet the demand of generations of Vietnamese who study and practise international law in Vietnam. He suggested the association create a forum for foreign law enforcement experts and managers, and work with other legal organisations such as the Vietnam Lawyers Association and the Vietnam Bar Federation to contribute to building the rule-of-law State, improve judicial reform, and make national law conformable to international commitments. He expressed his belief that the association will make significant contributions to the national defence and development as well as the development of the international law community. The executive board of the Vietnam international law association in 2016-2019 tenure includes 21 members. It will focus on studying and popularising international law, supporting the Government’s standpoints at international forums, and cooperating with other organisations and businesses in legal issues, dispute settlement, and global integration. Vinh Long proposes diversifying assistance to ethnic minority groups The Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long has proposed the Government’s Committee for Ethnic Affairs expand forms of assistance to ethnic minority groups.  At a working session with the committee’s delegation on September 16, the provincial officials suggested increasing personnel training for local ethnic minority people and integrating relevant projects and programmes with each other.  Financial aids should serve purposes relating to land, housing, job generation, production and poverty reduction, they said.  According to the provincial ethnic affairs board, Vinh Long has 8,503 ethnic minority households. The province has mobilised different resources to realise programmes and projects aiming to support ethnic minority groups, and provided loans for more than 1,500 local households to help them with production.  Thanks to these efforts, the material and spiritual life of local ethnic minority groups has improved significantly.  At the working session, the committee asked Vinh Long to roll out more support programmes and devise preferential policies to attract investments in ethnic minority-inhabited communes, while increasing the public’s supervisory role to effectively implement sustainable development programmes and projects in these areas. New-style cooperative models needed to improve farmers’ income New-style cooperative models should be created to boost agricultural restructuring, thus helping increase farmers’ their income, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan said at a working session with the Vietnam Farmers’ Union (VFU) Central Committee in Hanoi on September 17. He suggested focusing on training management staff who can forge connectivity among farmers and help them develop agriculture in an effective and sustainable manner. The Politburo has promulgated a Resolution on building new-style cooperatives in agriculture, fishery and craft village, he said, adding that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development along with the VFF Central Committee, Vietnam Cooperative Alliance, and the VFU has worked with local authorities and outstanding farmers, especially in the Mekong Delta – the country’s biggest agricultural hub, on this issue. The union should pay more attention to encouraging farmers to produce clean and safe food, he reminded Chairman of the VFU Lai Xuan Mon said the union has raised over 2.3 trillion VND (more than 103 million USD) to support farmers. The VFU also coordinated with the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) and Vietnam Bank for Social Policies (VBSP) to provide farmers with loans of nearly 80 trillion VND (3.6 billion USD) while connecting with businesses to help farmers buy fertiliser, agricultural machines and equipment. The union also encouraged farmers to actively engage in new-style rural area building, protect the environment and maintain security in their living places, he added. He also pointed out difficulties such as the widening gap between the rich and poor, unsustainable poverty reduction outcomes, small-scale agricultural production, inadequate connectivity in value production chains, poor quality of human resources, and challenges in farm produce sales. Additionally, counterfeit products, food safety, climate change, environmental pollution and diseases are major obstacles to the agricultural development, he noted. Speaking at a ceremony held in Hanoi on September 16 to honour outstanding farm produce in 2015, Mon said the event creates an encouragement for farmers to boost sustainable development. Vietnam is now home to over 10 million farming households. Various activities featured at Con Son – Kiep Bac autumn festival A wide range of activities have been held during the ongoing Con Son-Kiep Bac Autumn Festival 2016 in the northern province of Hai Duong. Around 50 boats along with 350 fishermen and 300 martial artists participated in a military parade on Luc Dau River on September 17. The event aims to re-enact the Tran Dynasty army during the second struggle against Mongolian invaders. Dragon and lion dances and martial art performances made the atmosphere more exciting. Another highlight of the Con Son-Kiep Bac Autumn Festival 2016 was a folk music and dance festival at Kiep Bac Temple on September 16-17. The ritual means to praise Tran Quoc Tuan (or Tran Hung Dao), one of the most revered figures in Vietnam’s history for his leading role in the country’s victories over three major Mongol invasions in the 13th century. Covering an area of more than 8 hectares in Chi Linh town, the Con Son - Kiep Bac historical site is closely associated with the lives and careers of Tran Hung Dao and great poet Nguyen Trai (1380-1442), who was recognised as a Great Man of Culture of the World by UNESCO in 1980. Con Son - Kiep Bac was recognised as a national heritage site in 1962 and a special national heritage site in 2012. The Con Son - Kiep Bac spring and autumn festivals were recognised as national intangible cultural heritage in 2012. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE