Social News 19/10 Vung Tau mass fish dead caused by lack of oxygen   A lack of oxygen was the main cause to the recent mass death of more than 250 tonnes of farmed fish along the Cha Va River in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau according to local authorities in their report released Monday.  In their report announced at a meeting yesterday by director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Tran Van Cuong, investigation results of tested water samples showed that heavy rains had brought a large amount of water into the river and made the saline and oxygen levels decreased. "Fish then stopped eating and died en mass," Cuong said. The report said that some 254 tonnes of farmed fish of 90 households in Long Son District had died en mass since October 10 with an estimated loss of VND 29 billion (USD1.31 million). Farmers had laid out their dead fish on part of Highway 51 in Vung Tau City on October 13 to protest, demanding compensation from local seafood processors for polluting the water.  Farmers brought their dead fish on part of Highway 51 in Vung Tau City on October 13 to protest, demanding compensation from local seafood processors for polluting the water of the Cha Va River.  The farmers claimed that farmed fish along the Cha Va River have been dying in mass amount due to the polluted river which has recently turned black with a foul smell. The claims are similar to last September’s mass fish deaths in the region, when tonnes of fish died and caused farmers a loss of nearly USD800,000. Ministry tightens hospital transfers The Ministry of Health has requested hospitals to tighten their regulations on the transfer of patients for treatment at clinics outside the hospital and have proper punishments for violations. According to Deputy Minister of Health, Nguyễn Viết Tiến, inspections, monitoring and information from patients show that after initial examination and diagnosis, many public hospital staff deliberately recommend patients have treatments at other hospitals or clinics. In a directive sent to directors of centrally run and provincial hospitals, as well as heads of local health departments on Monday, the ministry clearly stated the situation and asked for tough measures to rectify it, in order to ensure the safety of patients and minimise risks that may arise when patients have treatment at inadequate medical facilities. The ministry asked the heads of hospitals to seriously direct, review and take strict disciplinary actions against the doctors and medical workers’ illegal introductions and transfers, as well as strengthen the management of patients’ examinations and treatment at their hospitals. Hospitals suffering severe overloads can transfer their patients to other medical facilities that are their local satellite units if the units meet the requirements of professional skills, equipment and infrastructure. The Ministry of Health requested hospitals to have a contractual responsibility and develop mechanisms on the management of patients between hospitals and satellite units. Dubious herbal meds harm kidneys Patients with chronic kidney failure are putting their lives at risks when they use herbal medicines of unclear origin, a nephrologist said.   Within the first week of this month, the Kidney–Dialysis Department of Thống Nhất Hospital admitted three patients with chronic kidney failure for emergency treatment. Their kidneys got weaker after using herbal medicines of unmarked origins. A 74-year-old patient in HCM City (whose name was not specified) got acute kidney failure due to a severe inflammation of the renal tubes and bought herbal medicines from a charlatan in hopes of easing limb pain. His body swelled after three days of using the medicine. He got a dialysis at the hospital, but his kidneys never completely recovered. Another patient, aged 87, used to drink powder ground from rhino horns in hopes of easing joint and back pains. After three months, she felt weaker and tired of eating. Results from a medical examination at the hospital showed a significant decrease in her kidney functions, despite them being healthy at previous checkups. Nguyễn Bách, head of the department, said that each month the hospital’s kidney clinic treats an average of 2,000 patients with kidney failures. Of those, some 20 patients got their kidneys severely damaged by medicines of unclear origin, he said. Some got hospitalised for long-term treatment, some must rely on dialysis for the rest of their lives. Speaking at a conference on drug quality and origin control last month, Trương Quốc Cường, head of the Drug Administration of Việt Nam under the Health Ministry, announced that traditional herbal medicines of poor quality dominated the domestic market. More than 80 per cent of the 60,000 tonnes of herbal medicines consumed in Việt Nam each year are imported, most of them illegally, he said. Phạm Vũ Khánh, head of the Traditional Medicine Association, said that only 2.3 per cent (some 1,400 tonnes) of herbal medicines consumed in the country are imported with clear origin, which implies rampant smuggling. There are two groups of patients who often got sudden renal failures due to the exploitation of unprescribed allopathic medicines, traditional herbal medicines, dietary supplements of unclear origin, medical liquor and rhino horn powder, according to Bách: elders who suffer from chronic joint and back pains and youth who want to improve their health and physiologic capabilities. Bách said that medicine users should be wary of suspicious medicines, conduct thorough research about their origins before using them and only use medicines that are prescribed by doctors. To prevent acute kidney failure complications, patients with kidney failure should not buy or use anti-inflammatory medicines without doctors’ prescription. Traditional medicines should be purchased at certified medical centres in order to reduce health risks. Timber loggers encroach on Ea So The expansion of artificial forests and roads around Ea Sô Natural Reserve in the Central Highland province of Đắk Lắk has been blamed for the increased encroachment by timber loggers. Vice director of the natural reserve Nguyễn Quốc Hùng said on Tuesday the natural reserve shared an approximate 20km border with Krông Pa District of Gia Lai Province in the north. The district has seen natural forests being replaced with rubber farms, which help loggers easily penetrate to the core of the natural reserve. Hùng said the loggers, usually in groups of 10 or 20, rode motorbikes and carried guns while entering the reserve for logging and hunting. To the east, the natural reserve shares a border with Sông Hinh District of Phú Yên Province. There are four timber processing workshops on the forest edge that allegedly consume illegally-logged timber. The Krông H’năng Hydro Power Plant on Krông H’năng River, built in 2007, dried up the lower part of the river, and is a new path for encroachers to enter the natural reserve, according to Hùng. The Ea Sô Natural Reserve also shares a border with Krông Năng and Man Đrắk in Đắk Lắk Province, where ethnic groups, including Tày, Nùng, Ê đê and M’nông live. The ethnic groups usually go into the forest for hunting or to burn land for cultivation. In the first nine months of this year, forest rangers in the natural reserve detected 35 cases of illegal logging and penalised 38 people for chopping, transporting timber and carrying weapons. Since 2011, they have busted 67 cases involving 81 loggers, 43 vehicles and seven sawing machines and seized more than 7,300 cu.m of timber. Vũ Đức Minh, head of a forest protection station, said the rangers faced high pressure with increased encroachment by illegal loggers. They had also assigned staff to the border areas to timely detect illegal loggers, Minh said, adding that there were no roads for patrolling, causing difficulties for them. Meanwhile, he said, loggers took advantage of the increasing water level of Ea Pich River and Krông H’năng River to transport the timber. Ea Sô Natural Reserve’s managers and local forest rangers requested further cooperation among provinces to better protect the natural reserve from illegal loggers.  Worker at railway work dies due to fall A worker at Hà Nội’s Cát Linh-Hà Đông Urban railway construction site died in hospital this morning after falling from a height of 5m onto the road on Sunday afternoon. Director of Railway Project Management Unit (PMU) Lê Kim Thành confirmed this morning that male worker Lê Văn Linh, 19, of central Hà Tĩnh Province, was working at the Văn Quán Terminal construction site when he missed a step while coming down. Thành said following the accident, the PMU has asked constructors to review work safety and called on workers to improve awareness and obedience of work safety regulations. Phạm Văn Tiến, head of the Emergency Department in Military Hospital 103, said the worker was hospitalised with injuries, in particular a head injury. Earlier too, urban railway work has resulted in fatal accidents worrying commuters traveling under the construction site. On November 6, 2014, one person died and two others were injured after being crushed by a steel beam that dropped from a crane at the construction site of a railway bridge in Thanh Xuân District. On December 27, 2014, scaffolding and a frame under construction at the project’s terminal in Hà Đông District collapsed while workers were pouring concrete. The debris damaged a taxi with four people inside and seriously injured nine construction workers. No fatalities were reported. On August 25, 2015, a 2.5m steel bar fell onto the bonnet of a four-seater car on Hà Đông’s Quang Trung Street. Again the passengers were lucky to escape without injury. The authorities ordered a halt to the construction work. The final railway beams of the Cát Linh-Hà Đông urban railway were inserted one week ago, completing the basic infrastructure of the skytrain project. It is expected that by the end of this year the project will complete construction, including all concrete work, stations and paths. Equipment will be installed from January next year, taking some six months. The railway will be open for use next September. The elevated railway project began in 2011 with investment of US$552 million, of which $169 million came from Chinese official development assistance.  Four crewmen rescued off Quảng Bình coast Four crewmen safely reached land in central Quảng Bình Province yesterday after their cargo ship was washed away 100km away from the coast, local borderland security said. The men are being treated at a local general hospital. However, their ship with one crewman and 1,000 tonnes of clinker was still missing. A huge flood engulfed the province’s Quảng Trạch District early morning on October 15, washing away ship HD2155 while it was attempting to anchor at Cửa Gianh Port. After 40 hours of search operations, borderland security and local rescue forces found four crewmen floating in the water close to Lệ Thủy District. According to the survivors, their ship and four others arrived at the port after loading commodities on board. Two of the five ships were washed away by the strong waves, two others returned to land safely and one ran aground on the shoal. The clinkers are owned by the Trường Thành Company. Search of the missing ships and the crewman is ongoing. More than 2,500 Nghệ An workers end strike More than 2,500 workers of Matrix Vinh Ltd Company – a toy producer in Bắc Vinh Industrial Zone in central Nghệ An Province – ended their strike and resumed work yesterday. The workers had been on strike for 14 days, calling on the company to improve working conditions and wages. Following negotiations, the company leaders agreed to increase the lunch allowance of workers from VNĐ12,000 to VNĐ15,000 per meal, consider increasing the salary according to seniority, reduce quota of products made in some stages and install more punch clocks for employees. The workers said they went on strike because of the harsh working conditions and high pressure of product quota, while allowance was minimal. They had complained several times to the company’s leaders but were ignored. The province’s Labour Department, representatives from the Bắc Vinh industrial zone and the company organised negotiations between the company leaders and workers. Matrix Vinh Ltd Company, a wholly foreign invested enterprise operating since 2011, produces toys for export.  Photo collection of Áo Dài displayed in Đà Nẵng An exhibition featuring 110 photos and documents of Vietnamese Áo Dài (long dress) starts today at this central city’s museum and will run through October 31. The exhibition, organised by the city’s museum, the HCM City’s War Remnants Museum, Áo Dài Museum and HCM City’s Cultural Heritage Association, displays the history of  Việt Nam’s fashion and the importance of the Áo Dài in the country’s development. The exhibition, entitled "Vietnamese Long Dress Passes through War", showcases different periods of the country’s development. The photos and exhibits also tell stories of the fashion during the American War and daily life of Vietnamese women wearing  Áo dài at weddings, meetings and every day life. Gift market busy ahead of Vietnamese Women’s Day Huỳnh Tuấn Nam of HCM City was choosing gifts for his mother and wife for Vietnamese Women’s Day on October 20 at a shopping mall in District 7. “With many beauty products and jewellery and clothes available here, I do not know which gift to choose,” he said. He said he might buy a skincare product for his mother and a silver bracelet for his wife. “I think my mother and wife will be surprised with the gift. “I will buy a bouquet for my two beloved women on October 20.” Nam is not the only man in Việt Nam to buy gifts for the occasion. Since flowers remain among the most popular gifts, florists are offering bouquets at prices ranging from a few hundred thousand đồng to over VNĐ1 million (US$44.8). An employee at a flower shop in Tân Định Market said the most popular bouquets are those priced at VNĐ200,000-VNĐ300,000, while only a few order those costing VNĐ500,000 and above. Most supermarkets and shopping centres in the city are offering a wide range of gifts and services to satisfy all kinds of needs on the occasion. They have also launched programmes to attract customers. Big C supermarket chain is offering discounts of up to 49 per cent on more than 1,000 items from 200 famous brands, including skincare and hair care products, cosmetics, fashion products, and accessories under its “Tôn vinh vẻ đẹp Việt” (honouring Vietnamese beauty) programme. It is also gifting 10,000 handbags to customers who buy VNĐ400,000 or more worth of the discounted fashion products. As part of the programme, the Beauty Fair at all Big C outlets will offer women customers free consultation on make-up, skin care and hair care. Korean supermarket chain Lotte Mart is also offering discounts of 5-49 per cent together with gifts on more than 1,000 products, including beauty products, fashion garments and others. Lotte Mart is organising a series of activities to mark Vietnamese Women’s Day at its stores nation-wide, enabling women customers and their families to take part in painting classes and cooking contests and enjoy Acoustic music performances. It has also slashed prices of daily products like cooking oils, seasoning, fish sauces, dish washing liquids, detergents and others. Co.opmart and Co.opXtra supermarkets are offering big discounts on food and cosmetics on the occasion. From now until October 20 hundreds of makeup, skin, body and hair care products from famous brands will be discounted by 10-35 per cent together with attractive gifts. Co.opmart and Co.opXtra are also offering various gift packs at VNĐ44,000-127,300 to meet all kinds of needs. They are also offering discounts on more than 1,000 essential products, including 10-20 per cent on fresh foods, up to 43 per cent on fashion products and up to 45 per cent on household appliances.  Viettel’s Myanmar subsidiary wins company-wide football tournament Mytel, Viettel’s Myanmar subsidiary, won the 2016 Viettel World Cup by beating Viettel Hà Nội 3 – 0 in the final, and with it prize money of US$10,000. The final round of the event begun in Hà Nội on October 4 and 34 matches were played out. Around 100 teams had competed in the qualifying round three months ago and 17 teams from 11 countries on three continents qualified for the final round. The tournament, organised by the military-run company, is held every two years for all its subsidiaries world-wide. “The event offers a chance to bring together all of Viettel’s brands in the world for a united activity,” Hoàng Sơn, deputy general director of Viettel, said. “It aims to connect Viettel’s officers in both domestic and international markets closely with each other.” Mytel is a newcomer, with Viettel announcing only last March plans to invest US$1.5 billion in Myanmar. Four Japanese encephalitis cases reported in Kon Tum Four cases of Japanese encephalitis have recently been reported in the Tây Nguyên (Central Highlands) province of Kon Tum, local health officials said yesterday. The provincial health department said four patients were residing in the districts of Sa Thầy, Tu Mơ Rông, Đăk Hà and Đăk Glei each. The cause, according to health officials, was poor environmental hygiene and local authorities’ neglect of the vaccination programme. The province’s Preventive Health Centre was coordinating with medical centres of the four districts to implement disease-prevention measures. The centre urged locals to get vaccinated to limit the spread of the disease. The department said it was alarmed to see cases of Japanese encephalitis since there was no cases in 2015 in the province. Vietnam fish sauce found with excessive arsenic content: survey Nearly 70% of fish sauce samples taken in a recent survey by the Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association (Vinastas) have been found to contain excessive amounts of arsenic, the non-profit organization has said. The survey covered 150 samples produced by 88 different fish sauce manufacturers and found that only 16.67% of the products met Vietnamese standards, Vinastas told reporters in Hanoi. According to the test, 67.33% of the samples contained more than the maximum allowable arsenic content limit of 1mg per liter. Amounts found in the surveyed products ranged from 1 to 5mg/l. The samples were collected from fish sauce products available at trade centers, small markets and food stores in ten different provinces and cities. The test focused on five parameters, among them nitrogen and arsenic contents and labeling, with 83.33% of the samples failing to meet standards on at least one parameter, according to Vinastas. “The most noticeable violation was in the real protein content of products being much lower than claimed on the label,” the association commented. The news of excessive amounts of arsenic in fish sauce, a daily condiment in Vietnamese cuisine, should leave the public shocked. Vuong Ngoc Thuan, Vinastas deputy general secretary, reassured a press conference that the arsenic found in fish sauce is in its organic form. According to the World Health Organization, arsenic is highly toxic in its inorganic form, and long-term exposure to arsenic from drinking-water and food can cause cancer and skin lesions. It has also been associated with developmental defects, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity and diabetes. “There were no traces of inorganic arsenic found in the surveyed fish sauces,” Tuan said. “So it can be confirmed that Vietnamese fish sauces remain safe.” However, Tuan added that the manufacturers’ incorrect labeling of the protein content means Vietnamese consumers are overpaying for fish sauce. “Consumers shouldn’t be buying a product with a low protein content at the same price as one with a high protein content,” he said. The Vietnam Food Administration said it is also reviewing the fish sauce market and will report their results to the government. Fish sauce, an amber-colored liquid extracted from the fermentation of fish with sea salt, is a must-have condiment for Vietnamese families, with 95% of households using the product in their meals, according to Vinastas. Vietnamese people consume some 200 million liters of fish sauce a year, but only 50 million liters of it is produced in the traditional way through fish fermentation. The rest is industrially manufactured by mixing fish essence, flavoring, coloring, preservatives and sweetener. In July another Vinastas survey found that more than 30% of coffee consumed daily in four Vietnamese provinces and cities had a low caffeine content. The survey indicated that 30.04% of the samples taken had a caffeine content of less than one gram per liter. Five samples were found to contain no caffeine at all. Monstar invited to ROK as guest of honour The Vietnamese band Monstar has accepted an invitation to serve as guest of honour at a Hallyu K-Drama Gala Dinner on November 11 in Seoul, the Republic of Korea (ROK). The Korea Tourism Organization extended the invitation to both Monstar and Korean music band Davichi to stage special performances harmonizing Vietnamese and Korean music at the event. The event is a special gala dinner honouring individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the development of the tourism industry between the two countries. Monstar was formed in September 2016 and is comprised of three members – Erik, Nicky and Key. Their first music video entitled Baby Baby has drawn many viewers. BRG Golf Hanoi Festival set to tee off November 28 Hundreds of golfers from around the globe will compete at the first-ever 2016 BRG Golf Hanoi Festival offering total cash and prizes valued at US$291,599 (VND6.5 billion). The competition, which runs from November 28-30, offers local and foreign golfers a chance to play some of the best courses in Southeast Asia such as the BRG Kings Island Golf Resort, BRG Ruby Tree Golf Resort, and BRG Legend Hill Golf Resort. Fantastic prizes are on offer for the 54 Hole 2016 BRG Golf Hanoi Festival Champion, Best Daily Gross and Net Scores and Daily Skills prizes to name only a few of the many prize categories. The winners of the competition will be honoured at an Award Gala dinner at the Hilton Hanoi Opera Hotel with total cash and prizes to include a Honda CRV for a Hole-in-One and big dollar vouchers for goods at BRG Coastal City and Oriental Westlake. Khanh Hoa bans floating restaurants The local authorities of the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa have banned floating restaurants for safety concerns. The decision was made following the recent sinking of a floating restaurant Vinh Hy Bay in Ninh Thuan Province which killed 2 guests in July. There are 50 floating restaurants operating in Nha Trang, Cam Ranh and Ninh Hoa. The ban will affect businesses’ operations. However the provincial government has decided to suspend the operation of floating restaurants aiming to prevent the likelihood of similar incidents happening again, according to Deputy chairman of Khanh Hoa Province’s People Committee Tran Son Hai. Vietnamese farmer honored by FAO Marking the World Food Day, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific have just held a solemn ceremony in Bangkok capital of Thailand  to offer the "Model Farmer” award to five outstanding farmers from 45 countries across over the world. Ms. Pham Thi Huan, also known as Ba Huan - Director of Ba Huan Company who is the first Vietnamese female farmer received the prestigious award. The award aims to honor enterprises' achievements with their non-stop positive contributions for other farmers and the community. Vietnam Airlines offers special services for passengers with disabilities The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines announced that it will offer free of charge services supporting disabled passengers starting in the middle of October.  Accordingly, passengers with disabilities, such as deaf, blind, physically challenged, and the elderly will receive free assistance in the airline’s terminals and on their flights. The carrier will provide wheelchairs to passengers with moving difficulties and free transportation of guiding dogs, reserves a priority counter for travelers who require special assistance. Guests must state their health conditions and order special services 8 hours prior to the departure of a domestic flight and 24 hours before scheduled departure time of an international flight. Vietnam Airlines also offers a discount of 15 percent for economy tickets on some domestic flights to bring more opportunities for passengers with disabilities.  Vietnamese film honoured at San Francisco Int’l New Concept Film Festival 2016 Vietnamese movie, “Huong Ga” (Rise) by director Cuong Ngo, has won Best Vietnamese Film at the San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival 2016 in the U.S. The Huong Ga (Rise) is a story of Dieu, one of Viet Nam's most notorious female gangsters. Earlier, Cuong Ngo's film “Huong Ga” won the Best Feature Southeast Asia Panorama award at the Festival of Globe Awards 2015 held in California, the US. Actress Truong Ngoc Anh won an Excellent Achievement Award at the festival for her role. This year’s event attracted nearly 100 films throughout the world that competed for Best Picture Award (Feature Film), Best Documentary Award, Best Commercial Award, Best Animation Award, Best MTV Award, Best Short Native Film Award and others. The film festival has been approved by the US government and held three times in San Francisco. It is for filmmakers all over the world and encourages young and first-time filmmakers to show their new productions. HCMC to build low-cost homes for workers The government of HCMC has told the Department of Construction to draw on experiences from neighboring Binh Duong Province to build cheap homes for factory workers. The department is also tasked with working with relevant agencies to create favorable conditions for enterprises and individuals to build and upgrade dormitories for workers, and gauge the demand of workers for buying and renting homes. Those housing projects should be developed near schools, healthcare facilities, supermarkets and traditional wet markets. The city government asked the departments of construction and planning-architecture, District 7 and the Labor Union to adjust a plan for Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone to set aside land for building social homes for workers. In April last year, 5,000 social homes measuring 30 square meters each were inaugurated in Binh Duong Province, offering accommodation for 15,000 workers. They cost VND90-150 million (US$4,000-6,700), excluding value added tax. These homes are part of a bigger project worth VND12.1 trillion to develop 64,700 budget houses on 240 hectares to meet the housing demand of workers in the province. Flood tides submerge major streets in town Flood tides on October 17 peaked at 1.68 meters in the downstream areas of Saigon and Dong Nai rivers, submerging many streets and low-lying areas in HCMC. The flooding is forecast to continue into on October 18. The southern weather center said the flood tides would remain high until tomorrow evening before they subside slowly. At least nine roads were flooded when tides peaked at 1.5 meters, according to the HCMC Steering Center for the Urban Flood Control Program. The two heaviest inundated roads were Luong Dinh Cua in District 2 and Huynh Tan Phat in District 7, while flooding on the other seven streets was less severe, namely Nguyen Van Huong, Hanoi Highway, National Highway 50, Le Van Luong, Tran Xuan Soan, Provincial Road 10 and Road 26. Since Sunday the flood tides, coupled with heavy rain, have submerged many other roads under water such as Hiep Binh, Kha Van Can, Nguyen Xi, Nguyen Huu Canh, Ung Van Khiem and Xo Viet Nghe Tinh. Notably, Huynh Tan Phat Street in District 7, stretching about 13 kilometers along Nha Be and Saigon rivers, has also been flooded. While tides reached their peak at Nha Be Station early on October 17 morning, many sections of the street were inundated, causing traffic congestion for two hours. Vietnam, RoK work to develop high-quality workforce The findings of a research project on high-quality human resources development, conducted by researchers from Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK), were reviewed at a workshop in Hanoi on October 18.  Hosted by the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics (HCMNAP) and the Korean International Cooperation Agency as part of the Development Experience Exchange Partnership programme for the vision of Vietnam , the event allowed policy makers and scientists of the two nations to share experience and information in the field.  In his speech, HCMNAP Director Nguyen Xuan Thang highlighted the decisive role played by high-quality workforces in promoting international integration and improving competitiveness of a country.  Vietnam needs to develop policies on human resources, especially those with high quality, to realise national development targets, he said. Starting from late last year, the project looked to create policies on high-quality human resources development suitable to Vietnam through applying the experience of the RoK.  The project focused on studies concerning high-quality human resources for sustainable growth and development and training high-quality personnel for the Government and State-owned enterprises. The study’s findings are expected to contribute to training high-quality human resources and building relevant policies in Vietnam, towards helping the country implement its 2010-2020 socio-economic development strategy.- Vietnamese, Russian electricity trade unions forge cooperation The Trade Union of the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) and the All-Russian Electric Trade Union (ARETU) have signed an agreement on delegation exchange for 2016-2021. The document was reached by ARETU President Vakhrushkin Valeriy and EVN Trade Union President Khuat Quang Mau in Hanoi on October 17, Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper reported. It is expected to enable the two trade unions to learn from each other’s experience while consolidating their solidarity and unity. On this occasion, the two sides informed each other about their trade unions’ organisation and operation, and shared experience in protecting legitimate rights and interests of labourers.- Italy helps Tay Ninh in flood early warning and wastewater treatment Vietnam and Italy have signed a memorandum of understanding for the projects – Flood Early Warning System (phase 2) and Wastewater Treatment System (phase 1) in Tay Ninh province. Presence at the signing ceremony were Vietnam Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen The Phuong, Italy Ambassador to Vietnam Cecilia Piccioni, leaders of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and chairman of Tay Ninh People’s Committee Pham Van Tan. Accordingly, Italy will provide Vietnam with 13.7 million euro, of which 4 million euro will be for strengthening the flood early warning system in central and southern regions and 9.7 million euro will be for improving environment sanitation in Tay Ninh.  After implementation, the projects will help Vietnam build multi-sensor hydrometeorological monitoring networks to improve the quality of weather forecasts to mitigate the impact of natural disasters and deal with environmental pollution and flood in Tay Ninh. Route reconstruction faces financial difficulties Heavy rainfall and floods over the last few days have damaged several national and provincial routes in the northern province of Bắc Kạn. Reconstruction work is progressing slowly. Landslides were reported at several places on the National Route 3B stretch that runs from the province’s Ngọc Phái Commune to Tuyên Quang Province. The Kéo Mác and Ba Bồ passes are the most damaged, with a landslide volume of up to tens of thousands of cubic metres of soil and rocks Though the stretch was built earlier this year and has not been opened for use, soil and rocks are now covering its surface, making it impossible for vehicles to pass through. The management unit of the route has mobilised people and machines to clear the scene. However, landslides can reoccur due to the stretch’s weak soil foundation. The stretch cost VNĐ400 billion (US$17.9 million) to be built. Nông Văn Chiến, deputy director of Hồng Hà Construction Joint Stock Company, said floods the last time had caused landslides at more than 10 points on a route that the company managed, with the total rock amount at some 10,000 cubic metres. With the responsibilities of managing, repairing and maintaining the provincial routes, the company’s equipment and human resources are always prepared to deal with the aftermath of landslides and reconstruct the routes, he said. However, the company is struggling with a tight budget, Chiến said. The province still owes the company reconstruction fee of VNĐ22 billion ($990) over the last three years, he said. Landslides also occurred at several stretches of provincial route 258, National Route 3B and National Route 279. At some places, half of a hill collapsed and covered the route’s surface, leaving no way for vehicles to pass through. Đào Kiên Cường, deputy director of the province’s transport department, said the mountainous terrain in the province made it easy for landslides and rockslides to take place during the rainy season. Reconstruction work faces several obstacles due to the limited annual financial support from the State, he said.  Việt Nam – Luxemburg sign deal on securities, financial co-operation The governments of Việt Nam and Luxemburg recently signed a protocol about the VIE032 project “Capacity Improvement in Finance” to support the State Securities Commission in its implementation of the Việt Nam Stock Market Development Strategy 2016-2020. With three major parts, the project will help the commission to complete the Stock Market Law along with guiding documents. It will also help local lecturers and create an information technology system for better management and protection of investors. The project will establish the Việt Nam – Luxemburg Alumni group to create linkages for financial co-operation among the two nations, promote business activities among the two nations’ business communities, and open opportunities for studying and learning in Việt Nam and Luxemburg in an aim to improve human resource quality in the financial sector and stock market. Nam Dinh province embraces traditional values Located in the southeast of the Red River Delta, Nam Dinh province retains many traditions, customs, beliefs, festivals, traditional crafts, and historical and cultural relics. The province has become a popular tourist destination in recent years. Nestled about 100 km to the south of Hanoi, Nam Dinh is easily accessible by train, car, and motorbike thanks to very good roads from Hanoi.   The province has nearly 4,000 historical and cultural relics including Phu Day temple, and Co Le, Keo, and Luong pagodas and Ngoi bridge and the Nam Dinh flag pole which carries rich cultural value. Many local relics are closely associated with famous Vietnamese figures including Nguyen Hien, Luong The Vinh, poets Tu Xuong and Nguyen Binh and former Party leader Truong Chinh.  There are more than 70 craft villages involved in woodcarving, lacquer, rattan weaving, and ornamental tree plantations. More than 100 traditional festivals take place in the province every year attracting thousands of visitors. The Phu Day temple, Tran temple, Vieng market, and the seal-opening festivals are among the most popular.  Do Vu Loi of the National Architecture Institute said “Its cultural heritage and religious establishments are advantages for Nam Dinh in developing its tourism. Cultural relics and their significant values date back to the Ly, Tran, and Le dynasties. Many studies on the value of this heritage has been carried out. Tapping this heritage could bring major cultural and social benefits to the province”. Historical and cultural relics from the Tran dynasty have enabled Nam Dinh to develop a form of spiritual tourism. Festival and craft villages have also been promoted for tourists.  Nguyen Cong Khuong, Head of the Tourism Section of the province’s Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said “Nam Dinh is the homeland of the Tran dynasty. 750 years ago, the Dynasty was established and flourished here. Thus, the province has rich cultural resources. There are many traditional festivals that are closely associated with the local relics, many of them are spring and village festivals. The wet rice culture is well reflected in local festivals and the arts such as water puppetry art and the duck catching festival. Craft villages are also one of our tourist attractions”. Nam Dinh province has a coastline of 72 km along which many marine tourist sites were set up including Thinh Long tourist site in Hai Hau district and Quat Lam in Giao Thuy district. In particular, the Xuan Thuy National Park with an ecosystem of mangrove forests is a destination for migrant birds.  It is the first Ramsar site in Vietnam and Southeast Asia and also a favorite destination for visitors. Nguyen Phuc Hoi, Vice Director of Xuan Thuy National Park said “Xuan Thuy National Park is a submerged land located on the estuary. Its typical ecosystem is the submerged ecological system representing northern Vietnam’s sea and includes mangrove forests, lagoons, and sand banks. The park still retains the ecological system of the Red River mouth region”. Local rural villages with their customs and traditions typical of the Red River Delta civilization are ideal for tours. Local specialties such as beef noodle, the wet rice paper spring rolls of Khe village, and Siu Chau peanut candies are among many attractions of Nam Dinh province. National TV Channel for Central Highlands launched The national television channel for the Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) Region, VTV5 Tay Nguyen, officially made its debut at a ceremony in the city of Buon Ma Thuot in Dak Lak Province on October 17. Launching VTV5 Tay Nguyen aims to reflect comprehensively on life and the socioeconomic situation in the five provinces of the Central Highlands Region. Meanwhile, the channel also helps to meet the demand for information on the culture of minority ethnic groups in the region. The channel promises to become an important channel to disseminate the Party’s line and the State’s policies among people from all walks of life. At first, the VTV5 Tay Nguyen channel will spend four hours per day broadcasting programmes in eight ethnic minority languages from the Central Highlands Region, viz. E De, Ba Na, Gia Rai, M’Nong, Co Ho, Gie Trieng, Xo Dang and Chu-ru. Additionally, the channel will televise news in Vietnamese. Audiences can track the VTV5 Tay Nguyen channel via the digital terrestrial transmission and cable transmission systems in the Central Highlands provinces or VTV5 Tay Nguyen online through handheld devices with VTVGo application. The same day, the terrestrial digital broadcast station was inaugurated. The Central Highlands includes Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong provinces. Vingroup to offer charity surgeries worth VND300 billion for policy beneficiaries Vingroup’s Thien Tam (“Kind Heart”) Foundation will provide sponsorship worth VND300 billion (US$13.5 million) to offer free surgeries to policy beneficiaries, including the poor and contributors to the national revolution. The sponsorship was announced on October 17 under the framework of the programme launching the Month of Action for the Poor, organised by the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee on the same day. Accordingly, the money will be used to cover 70-100% of the costs of surgeries provided for poor patients, revolutionary veterans, heroic Vietnamese mothers, war invalids, sick soldiers and those who enjoy the same policies as war invalids in the two years of 2016 and 2017. Charity operations will be performed by the Vingroup-run Vinmec International General Hospital system in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the cities of Ha Long, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc. The medical faculties prioritised for medical checks-up and treatment include oncology, cardiology, organ transplant, regenerative medicine, external urology, orthopaedic, external digestion, diagnostic imaging and gynaecology. Addressing at the programme responding to the Vietnam Day for the Poor (October 17), Vice President of Vingroup Le Khac Hiep noted that the free surgery programme was among the many charity programmes implemented by the Kind Heart Foundation to support disadvantaged people and contributors to the nation. He said he believed that with the companionship of the VFF and the Health Ministry, the programme would save more patients and change more fates by making people healthier and happier. Earlier, the Kind Heart Foundation financed the building and provision of medical equipment for twenty hospitals and medical clinics in isolated areas. Annually, the foundation also works with local hospitals and Red Cross societies to implement many free medical treatment programmes for the poor across the nation. RMIT students win first prize for chess collection A group of three design students at RMIT Vietnam pocketed first prize worth VND70 million for “The Legends” chess collection in 3D printing technique at Sense of Vietnam, a contest in the framework of Vietnam Creative Festival 2016. Nguyen Anh Duy, Tran Le Bao Quan and Pham Ngoc Ha came up with an idea of printing prominent characters in Vietnam’s history and fairy tales like Lac Long Quan and Au Co, Hai Ba Trung (Trung twin sisters who fought the Chinese invaders), Thanh Giong (one of the four eternal saints in Vietnam’s folk religion, the ancient Co Loa rampart and Yet Kieu (a hero in the Tran Dynasty). Those symbols represent king, queen, knight, rook, bishop, and pawn on a chess board. The group chose these six characters for sketches and 3D model creating and printing in 3D. The final step was to unframe, rub, polish and color every detail. Nguyen Anh Duy said the group expected to promote the image of Vietnam to the world. “The application of traditional culture to a creative product to deliver a message of no limit between generations, races, languages and especially the folk culture is never be out of date,” he added. Apart from entertainment features, the chess collection has its educational and inspirational meanings. The contest was aimed to create a platform for people to have creative perspectives about Vietnam via all senses. In the aftermath of floods Floods induced by downpours over the past few days – said to be the heaviest over the past five years - in coincidence with water discharged from hydropower dams are devastating central Vietnam, with scores of people feared dead, tens of thousands of houses submerged meters deep, and hundreds of thousands of fowls and thousands of big cattle drowned or swept away, let alone crops and assets gone with the floodwaters. The losses are tragic and unspeakable. Financial assistance and other forms of relief aid will – after the floods recede - surely be flowing to the poverty-stricken people still reeling from the environment pollution caused by steel maker Formosa. But, no matter how generous people from around the country are, and no matter how the Government helps the victims rebuild their lives, the people in the calamity-prone central region can hardly have their wounds healed in the aftermath of the floods if radical changes are not made. In fact, people in the central region have for years feared for their lives upon disasters – both natural and man-made. A senior leader of Ha Tinh Province complains that Ho Ho hydropower dam abruptly discharged water at up to 1,800 cubic meters a second on Friday night, aggravating the people’s helpless situation caused by floods due to heavy rain. It is noted that six years ago, water discharged from this very dam already sent tens of thousands of people into deep agony. That is to say an avoidable calamity is now repeated. But Ho Ho is not a single case. One can mention Boc Nguyen, and Upper Song Tri as culprits making flooding in the central region go from bad to worse. In the aftermath of the floods, therefore, the Government needs to map out a new zoning plan with a long-term vision – taking into account all possibilities of climate change – to construct new works to cope with flooding caused by extreme downpours in central Vietnam. In the aftermath of the floods, therefore, authorities must take a tough stance against hydropower operators who do not pay due attention to people’s safety. Dams must either be strengthened or torn down if their conditions fail to resist floods of 50-year high. Don’t mention five-year-high floods as force majeure. President attends Hanoi armed forces’ anniversary Ensuring safety for Hanoi is a key task of municipal armed forces, President Tran Dai Quang said at a ceremony on October 18 to mark the 70th anniversary of Hanoi’s armed forces. He said Hanoi is the country’s administrative and political centre, and a culture, education, science-technology, economics, and international trade hub. Therefore, it is imperative for the city’s armed forces to guarantee safety for Party and State’s organisations, he added. The President requested the armed forces work with police to ensure social order and safety, and diplomatic activities while holding exercises to prevent disturbances and terrorism. Established on October 19, 1946, the Hanoi armed forces made significant contributions to wars against France and the US, especially the “Hanoi-Dien Bien Phu in the air” victory in 1972. After the country’s reunification in 1975, the Hanoi armed forces have strengthened cooperation with relevant forces to defeat the plots of hostile forces and joined efforts to develop society and the economy. On the occasion, the Hanoi armed forces received the Military Exploit Order, first class. HCM City offers condolences for Thai King’s death Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Dinh La Thang received incoming Consul General of Thailand in the city Ureeat Ratanaprukse on October 17, offering his condolences on the passing of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.  King Bhumibol Adulyadej, a symbol of national unity in Thailand, passed away on October 13. He officially came to the throne in 1950 and was the world’s longest-reigning monarch at his death.  At the meeting, Thang lauded the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Thailand.  The municipal administration is committed to improving the investment environment to support foreign investors, including those from Thailand, he stressed.  He wished the newly accredited diplomat will fulfill her duties, helping to solidify HCM City’s relations with Thai localities, as well as the two countries’ connections.  Ureeat Ratanaprukse thanked HCM City for aiding Thai investors and hoped that municipal authorities will continue supporting the Thai Consulate General to fulfill its duties to foster bilateral relations. Flood victims receive nationwide support Organisations and individuals across the country are supporting locals in the central region overcome the consequences of recent floods. Director of the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRC)’s Disaster Management Department Tran Quoc Hung said the VRC has offered assistance worth 1.97 billion VND (88.3 million USD) in cash and goods for four central provinces, including Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri. The VRC has also coordinated with the National Humanitarian Portal 1400 to launch a programme raising funds for flood victims, said Vice President and Secretary General Doan Van Thai. All money collected will be used to support 10,000 affected families in central Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien – Hue provinces, he said, adding that the programme starts from October 18 to December 16, 2016. The Ministry of Information and Communication, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour are also engaged in the efforts. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has directed ministries and agencies to support central localities to resume the operation of health, education, transport, and irrigation facilities to stabilise local lives and production. The National Steering Committee for Search and Resuce along with the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security are searching for missing people and ensuring safety for the search and rescue forces. Prolonged rains and floods have already hit the northern central region hard. Heavy rains and floods in the central region, including the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue, have claimed 25 lives and injured 18 others. Four others have been reported missing, according to the latest report from the National Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Prevention and Control. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has sent an urgent message, asking relevant ministries, agencies and local authorities of provinces from Nghe An to Thua Thien-Hue to promptly take measures to help those affected resume their normal lives. They were required to mobilise all available forces, including soldiers and police, to continue searching for the missing, visit flood victims’ families, provide essential food and clothing, clean the surrounding environment and take measures to prevent outbreaks of flood-borne diseases. The Prime Minister has also called on people to give donations to affected families in these provinces. Thua Thien-Hue conservation centre woos visitors Since the start of 2016, the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC) has received almost two million visitors, including 1.43 million foreigners, an increase of 36.5 percent year-on-year.  Till the end of 2016, along with holding some exhibitions on the relics, the HMCC is carrying out the “Promote service for tourism” plan, using community and businesses resources to promote the relics’ values. The revenue earned by the plan since the start of the year reached 11 billion VND (493,130 USD).  The centre is also considering opening the Imperial Citadel at night, completing the brochure of An Dinh Palace and designing souvenirs to promote royal antiquities.  The third phase of Gold Tourism Week at Hue heritage sites will be held from December 24 to 30. During this time, visitors to Hue monuments will receive discounts on tickets to cultural destinations.  The centre has invested nearly 5 billion VND (224,100 USD) in small restoration works at relics and infrastructure to serve visitors.  The centre has also preserved intangible heritage. The Hue Royal Traditional Theatre has more than 100 trained and experienced performers, experts and artists, with dozens of traditional ritual songs and royal dances to be delivered to visitors. Asia-Europe music festival’s concert comes to Vinh Phuc A concert was held in the northern province of Vinh Phuc on October 17 as part of the second Asia-Europe New Music Festival and the 34th Asian Composers League (ACL) Festival and Conference. Artists from Laos, Cambodia, Japan and Vietnam got engaged in the event themed the melody of friends. The ACL accepted Vietnam’s membership to the association in Tokyo in November 2014 and proposed the Vietnam Musicians’ Association host the two aforesaid programmes from October 12-18 in Hanoi and Vinh Phuc. Nearly 200 musicians and singers from 30 countries and territories participated in the events. Themed “Music – Convergence and Pervasion”, the festivals include a series of 11 main performances of symphony, chamber music, chorus, opera and ballet, as well as two workshops on Asian – European New Music and Vietnamese Monochord or “Dan Bau”.- Cleft lip, palate surgeries offered free of charge Việt Nam-Cuba Hospital in collaboration with Operation Smile Việt Nam launched the eponymous orthopaedic surgery programme yesterday to help children with congenital hare-lip in the northern region. The Operation Smile programme is an annual activity aiming at helping underprivileged children. Those born with cleft lip, cleft palate, or both, may suffer from a range of issues including, but not limited to, malnutrition, respiratory failure, speech difficulties and recurrent ear inflammation that may lead to hearing loss. In addition, patients with these congenital defects are likely to develop psychological issues, especially with regard to appearance, self-esteem, confidence and relationships The 2016 programme is expected to offer corrective surgeries to some 120 children. Besides free surgeries to eligible patients, within the framework of the 2016 programme, free screening, counselling, treatment and medicines will be provided to 120 children from the northern provinces of Lai Châu, Bắc Ninh, Vĩnh Phúc, Hưng Yên and Thanh Hoá, as well as Hà Nội City. “During the last three decades, with the help of voluntary doctors and people’s donations, Operation Smile Việt Nam has realised the dreams of hundreds of unfortunate children and their families,” Nguyễn Việt Phương, vice president of Operation Smile Asia-Pacific and chief representative in Việt Nam, said. “Our desire goes beyond merely increasing the surgeries we can offer every year, we seek to build a world where no children will be born with such deformities,” he added. Since 2014, in Việt Nam, 900 children with cleft lip and palate have received examinations and 500 kids from poor households have been operated. Cleft lip and palate deformities affect one out of 700 newborn babies in Việt Nam. Missing boy’s body found The body of an eight-year-old boy who was swept away on Sunday was discovered by a herdsman yesterday, 3km from where he went missing in the southern province of Bình Dương. His body was found in an empty land plot next to a section of the Nhum River that passes through dormitory B of the Việt Nam National University - HCM City in Dĩ An Commune, Nguyễn Thanh Phong, the commune’s People’s Committee, said. The boy, Hoàng Xuân Hiếu, was playing in the rain with three friends when he was swept into a manhole on Street No. 4 late Sunday afternoon, following the prolonged heavy rainfall that flooded the province’s streets, according to witnesses. His three friends were rescued by citizens in time. The province’s rescue forces mobilised hundreds of people to help find Hiếu along the 5km stretch of the Nhung River, which runs from the commune to Thủ Đức District of HCM City. Tuyên Quang TV tower goes up in flames A fire occurred at a height of 30m, around the middle section of the television tower in northern Tuyên Quang Province yesterday afternoon. No casualties were reported. Witnesses said they heard a loud boom of an alleged explosion before seeing smoke and fire from the television tower. Colonel Phạm Đinh Bá Tiên, head of the Fire fighting police, Search and Rescue Department, said initial investigation revealed that the fire originated from paint buckets that were used to repaint the tower. The province’s Information and Communication Department affirmed that the fire did not affect TV broadcasting activities. MoIT supports Thừa Thiên Huế in monitoring sea fish The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) will connect local distributors, dealers and retailers throughout the nation to assure they provide safe seafood from central Thừa Thiên Huế Province. The ministry said it would take these steps, after inspecting the quality, as well as hygiene and safety for 490 tonnes of sea fish caught offshore of Thừa Thiên Huế and stored at four enterprises in the province. Earlier, the enterprises had proposed that the state offices provide support for them in monitoring the seafood inventory, including providing connections between seafood suppliers to domestic and foreign markets, and financial assistance for the province in trade promotion activities related to storage and consumption of seafood. To ensure the safety of the inventory, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has required the provincial Health Department to soon announce the results of the quality, hygiene and safety of seafood inventories. Then, the ministry would connect with distributors, dealers and retailers nationwide to sell safe seafood stored in Thừa Thiên Huế. For seafood not meeting safe standards, the ministry would require the province to destroy the fish and offer compensation according to existing regulations. In the meantime, the ministry has continued communications regarding demand and supply, to create favourable conditions for the consumption of quality seafood in the central provinces. OVs in Germany support flood victims in central region The overseas Vietnamese community in Germany has raised more than 26,000 Euro for flood victims in the central region and the amount is expected to increase in the near future. Representatives from Vietnam organizations and businesses in Germany convened an urgent meeting at Dong Xuan Commercial Centre in Berlin on October 17 for the support of flood victims in Vietnam’s central region. An organization board was set up for this purpose. OVs across Germany can either donate money directly at Dong Xuan Commercial Centre at weekends (October 22-23 and 29-30) or send to the organizing board’s account coded Frauenverrein Dong Xuan Berlin e.VDE 61 1009 0000 2600 8870 01 on October 17-31. The total amount will be announced on the mass media and the organizing board will send the money directly to flood victims. On the first day of the launch campaign, the organizing board raised 11,300 Euro, including 5,000 Euro from Dong Xuan Company led by Nguyen Van Hien’s family. Earlier, on October 16, the Nghe An women association contributed 5,000 Euro and the Golf Berlin Club donated the same amount.  Renewal – A realized dream The past 30-year renewal has enabled Vietnam to escape poverty and backwardness and become a dynamic, middle-income country. An exhibition entitled “Renewal – A journey of dreams” reveals how renewal has changed Vietnam. In a 200-square-meter exhibition hall at the National Museum of Vietnamese History, the renewal spirit is being revived through documents, objects, and recordings.   Pham Thi Mai Thuy, Head of the museum’s Education and Public Relations Department, said the idea of holding an exhibition like this began in 2015 and received advice from Prof. Graeme Were, a lecturer at Queensland University, Australia.  “No exhibition can adequately reflect the achievements of 30 years of renewal. We target those who are over 40 years old, lived through the subsidy period, and witnessed Vietnam’s transition to the renewal period. We also target young people who were born during the renewal process", Thuy said.   One of the two main themes of the exhibition is “Renewal for advancement”. Former Party General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh said “We must save ourselves before God can save us.” In the exhibition, Mr Linh is shown visiting rice fields with farmers, leading the fast-paced reform which involved the joint efforts of the leaders and people. Another theme is “Renewal, integration, growth, and strength.”  Thuy also said reform and integration has made the Vietnamese people more dynamic and has opened more opportunities for Vietnam’s development.  Renewal changed Vietnam and improved the Vietnamese quality of life from healthcare to education and culture. This has empowered Vietnam to achieve its goal of becoming a prosperous people, and strong, fair, democratic, and civilized country”, she noted. The majority of exhibited items were donated by individuals.  “Being part of the research team has taught me more about renewal. In interviews, politicians and ordinary people revealed their personal feelings about that period. I will always remember the merits of the pathfinders of our nation. We owe our lives today to their daring ideas and actions”, said Nguyen Thi Dinh, a museum employee. There is a special space at the museum where visitors can share their memories and answer the question “How has renewal changed your life?” The exhibition “Renewal – A journey of dreams” will run until the end of this year at the National Museum of Vietnamese History in Hanoi. Film screening for visually impaired students Launched six months ago, a project to screen films for visually impaired people is being jointly implemented by Cinestar, an entertainment and film publication company, and Ho Chi Minh City’s Blind People’s Association. The Cinestar cinema in Nguyen Trai Street in Ho Chi Minh City is crowded   every   Saturday   morning.   But   today   it has welcomed 200 visually impaired students of the Nguyen Dinh Chieu  School. They stood in line and came in to watch the animated comedy adventure film Zootopia,   which   has   high-quality   sound   and   voice-over   to enable the   students to absorb the movie’s content in detail. When the film ended, the children talked animatedly about it.  Student Le Minh Hoang expressed his feeling “This is the first time I have had an opportunity to go to the cinema and watch a film with such high-quality sound. I liked the film’s music the most. I hope my friends and I will have more chances to watch educationally entertainment films.” Visually impaired students are served with popcorn during the screening. (Photo: vietnamnet.vn) Because he is blind, Tran Thanh Lam never thought he would watch a film. But now his dream has come true. Lively voice-overs allowed the students to catch every detail of the film and understand the film’s characters. Lam said watching a movie at the cinematheque was a special experience that has helped him become more self-confident.  In addition to selecting an appropriate film with clear dialog, the organizing board brought in somebody to describe the film’s context, the characters’ clothing, and the atmosphere of each part of the film in voice-over to help the students understand the movie better. Hai Dat, the voice-over person, describes how he prepares for each screening “Before doing the voice-over, I search on the Internet for more information and preview the film once. Then I do a summary so that the voice-over can convey the message of the film to the students.” Nguyen Thi Lan Hanh, a member of Cinestar’s management board, said the project aims to provide visually impaired people the same entertainment opportunities sighted persons enjoy. Two days a week Cinestar offers free screenings for visually impaired students of the Nguyen Dinh Chieu School, the Binh Minh School for disabled children in Tan Phu district, and the Sponsor Center for Foster Children in Go Vap District in Ho Chi Minh City. Each screening is attended by 200 children. Cinestar provides free drinks and snacks. According to Hanh, the project has been implemented in HCMC and neighboring provinces for schools and organizations of the blind. This is the way of showing social responsibility.  She said she hopes the project will expand as the community recognizes its importance. Chinese driver flees after fatal hit-and-run in southern Vietnam A Chinese driver crashed his car into a Vietnamese on motorbike in the southern province of Binh Duong on October 14 and fled the scene immediately, with the victim pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The foreign driver has been identified as 41-year-old Zhang-Xu of Chinese national, according to initial police report. Zhang was driving his four-seater car on 22/12 Street in Binh Duong on Friday night when he crashed into the motorbike of Tran Tan Hung, 31, who was traveling opposite. The car and the deformed motorbike are seen at the site of accident in Binh Duong Province, located in southern Vietnam, on October 14, 2016. Hung, hailing from the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang, died en route to hospital. Upon the accident, the Chinese man was seen getting off his car and fled, according to local eyewitnesses. At the site of accident, the car is seen in the middle of the street, with the motorbike severely deformed after the crash. Eyewitnesses said the car was traveling at high speed and crossed the lane to the opposite side of the road, before crashing into the motorbike. Police are investigating further. Criteria for new-styled rural communes in 2016-20 announced The Prime Minister has issued a set of criteria for a new-style rural commune in the 2016-2020 period, covering 19 different fields with specific targets in planning, socio-economic infrastructure, economy and production, as well as culture, society and environment.  General and specific targets in each criterion are designed to suit particular regions: northern midland and mountainous, Red River delta, northern central, south central coastal, Central Highlands, south eastern and Mekong Delta regions.  The socio-economic infrastructure group comprises eight specific criteria for transportation, irrigation, electricity, school, cultural infrastructure, rural trade infrastructure, information and communications, and residential housing.  The economic and production organisation group includes four criteria on income, poor households, employed labourers, and production organisation, while the socio-cultural and environment group aims at objectives in education and training, health care, culture, environment and food safety, political system and law access, and defence and security. A new-style rural commune must have asphalt or concrete roads to the district downtown allowing cars to travel in all seasons. Per-capita income of locals is at between 36-50 million VND depending on each region while the poor household rate is at 6 percent under the multidimensional poverty line.  The environment and food safety criteria will look to the rate of households accessing clean water, the proportion of production and business facilities observing environmental protection regulations, as well as the ratio of sanitary bathrooms, toilets and water containers, and the number of food production facilities meeting food safety rules.  The recognised communes should also have pure and strong Party organisations and authorities, as well as locals’ good access to legal regulations, no domestic violation and adequate support to vulnerable people.  Relevant ministries and agencies are tasked to issue instructions guiding the implementation of the criteria.  The PM also asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to summarise the guidance to issue a handbook and deliver it to localities. The Ministry is hoped to make advices on advanced criteria for communes that have already been recognised as a new-styled rural area.  The PM’s decision, which will be effective from December 1, 2016, will replace the Decision 491/QD-TTg dated April 16, 2009 and Decision 342/QD-TTg on February 20, 2013 on amendments to a number of criteria on the national standards of new-styled rural areas. Deputy PM inspects storm prevention in Hai Phong Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has asked authorities of the northern port city of Hai Phong to take preventive measures and do everything in their capacity to deal with typhoon Sarika, the seventh hit the nation this year. During his tour of the city on October 18 to inspect preparations for the storm, he urged the locality to swiftly call on ships operating in the Gulf of Tonkin to find shelters, and consider banning cargo and tourism vessels from sailing if necessary. Localities were required to focus on evacuating locals working on boats, aquatic farms, low-land areas and regions prone to landslides, and ensuring safety in mines, ports and tourism sites. The locality must keep a close watch on the storm, and intensify inspection of dykes, embankments, and reservoirs, he stressed, adding that attention should also be paid to water drainage to protect rice and vegetable fields. Pupils in Hai Phong would stay at home on October 19. According to the municipal Steering Committee for natural disaster prevention, research and rescue, by 5pm on October 18, all the ships and boats operating offshore the local waters docked safely, and residents in low areas and those vulnerable to landslides were moved to safer zones. The municipal People’s Committee will arrange 4,000 people, 1,000 vehicles and over 500 ships, and prepare food and medicines for research and rescue activities, towards effectively tackling the storm. Storm Sarika is forecasted to enter the Gulf of Tonkin and head toward Vietnam’s coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Nam Dinh on October 19 with winds up to 165km per hour, according to the National Forecast Hydrometeorological Forecast Centre. It is said to be the most dangerous and strongest storms to hit Vietnam in recent years. The centre warned that the storm would bring heavy rain of 200-300mm for northeastern and northern central localities. The rains could bring floods to these localities and mountainous areas are warned of flash floods and landslides. The National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and the National Steering Committee for Search and Rescue Operations have held a teleconference with authorities of 22 localities from Hai Phong to Quang Binh to discuss measures to cope with the storm. People nationwide lend helping hand to central provinces Individuals and organisations nationwide are lending a helping hand to rainstorm-struck residents in the central region.  On October 18, the Office of the Party Central Committee raised a total of 450 million VND (20,450 USD) in support of the victims.  At the event, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong also expressed his sympathy with affected families.  At the President Office, President Tran Dai Quang, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh and staff donated at least one-day salary at the fundraising.  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also launched the campaign at the Government Office and urged individuals and organisations nationwide to join the effort.  From October 18, relief goods will be given priority seats at the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, low-cost Jetstar Pacific and Vasco flying from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City to the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri.They will enjoy free tickets, surcharges and related fees.  In the central province of Quang Nam, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dinh Van Thu signed a decision to set aside 230 million VND (10,400 USD) from the local budget to support Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Nghe An and Quang Tri.  The provincial chapter of the Vietnam Fatherland Front also received donations from philanthropists nationwide through banking account 3761.0.1002234.91049 at the local State Treasury.  Domestic donors could send financial donations to the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VRS) at bank accounts 124 0202 005 348 (VND), 124 0202 018198 (USD) and 124 0202 006862 (EUR) provided by the Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank).  Relief goods could be sent to VRS No.82 Nguyen Du, Hanoi or the southern representative agency No.201 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, district 1, Ho Chi Minh City, starting from October 1 to the late November.  Those abroad could send to Agribank accounts 124 0202 005348 (VND), 124 0202 006675 (USD) and 124 0202 006862 (EUR).  The VRS Central Committee also coordinated with the National Humanitarian Portal 1400 to launch a SMS campaign which is underway from mid-night of October 18 to mid-night of December 16, through which people nationwide could text “UH” and send to 1404, each worth 18,000 VND (0,81 USD). All proceeds will be sent to the victims.  Earlier on October 16, the VRS Central Committee decided to offer 1.97 billion VND (89,000 USD) in cash and kind to Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri.  More than 7.4 billion VND (33,600 USD) has been raised so far. Central provinces reconnected to electricity grid The Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) said that the group fixed problems and resumed power supply to the central provinces of Nghe An and Thua Thien-Hue.  In Ha Tinh province, only one commune in Huong Khe district and one commune in Vu Quang district have yet to be reconnected to the grid.  Meanwhile, in Quang Binh province, the EVN Quang Binh restored all main medium-voltage lines and resupplied electricity for Dong Hoi city and Quang Ninh and Minh Hoa districts.  Electricity has not returned to its normal level in Le Thuy, Bo Trach, Quang Trach and Tuyen Hoa districts, which are still inundated.  The EVN Quang Tri also resumed electricity supply to almost all affected areas.  The EVN is instructing its affiliates to quickly fix problems caused by rain and flood in the central region in order to bring electricity back to local people right after water recedes. Religious dignitaries join environmental protection Religious dignitaries and followers in the southern region will be equipped with knowledge and skills in environmental protection and climate change mitigation during a four-day training course in Ho Chi Minh City. The course, starting from October 18, is jointly held by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the Nordic Assistance to Vietnam/ Norwegian Church Aids (NAV/NCA). Apart from knowledge about community-based environmental protection and disaster risk management, the course participants will be guided how to implement environment projects. They will also study the Law on Environmental Protection, the Law on Natural Disaster Prevention and a project on improving public awareness of community-based disaster risk management. Nguyen Thi Hong Cam, NAV/NCA Deputy Director in Vietnam, pledged to support environmental protection and climate change mitigation activities of religious organisations while building pilot models in this regard. She called on religious dignitaries and followers to coordinate with relevant local agencies in developing plans on environmental protection and disaster risk management. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE