The construction of the first ultra-clear float glass factory in Vietnam starts in Tan Thanh district, the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, on July 24 (Photo: baoxaydung.com.vn) Ba Ria-Vung Tau (VNA) – The construction of an ultra-clear float glass factory, the first of its kind in Vietnam, kicked off at the Phu My 2 Industrial Park in Tan Thanh district, the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau, on July 24. Phase I of the plant, owned by the Phu My Ultra Clear Float Glass Co. Ltd, will be carried out from now to 2018 and has total investment of 2.6 trillion VND (about 114.4 million USD). When operational, it is set to produce 600 tonnes of the product a day. Phase II will be built from 2019 to 2022, raising the factory’s capacity to 900 tonnes per day. China’s Kaisheng Science & Technology Group Co., one of the three founders of the Phu My company, … [Read more...]

LONDON (Reuters) - Three decades after approval of the first-ever AIDS treatment, HIV medicine is seeing a new wave of innovation with scientists reporting positive data on Monday for improved drug cocktails and a novel experimental vaccine. Adding to optimism is the success of antiretrovirals in preventing infection - an approach known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) - as well as growing hopes for an eventual "functional" cure that may keep the virus at bay without drugs. Researchers believe such advances are necessary to stay ahead of a virus that can all too often develop resistance to medicines, despite the use since 1996 of three- or four-drug combinations that mean HIV/AIDS is no longer a death sentence. "New products are needed. The Achilles heel for us is drug resistance because the virus is incredibly quick to mutate," Linda-Gail Bekker, deputy director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Centre in South Africa, … [Read more...]

The ADC has been investigating zinc-coated steel imported from India and Malaysia. However, only the probe on Viet Nam’s steel has been terminated partially. — Photo hoasengroup.vn Australia’s Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC) has announced a partial rescission of its anti-dumping, anti-subsidy investigation on Vietnamese zinc-coated (galvanised) steel. The ADC, under Australia’s Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, has also been investigating zinc-coated steel imported from India and Malaysia. However, only the probe on Viet Nam’s steel has been terminated partially. Viet Nam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) said the ADC concluded that Vietnamese galvanised steel producers and exporters received countervailable subsidies from the government during the investigation period, but the subsidies were at negligible level. Therefore, … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – The Government Inspectorate (GI) has released findings of egregious wrongdoing in the implementation of a number of BT (Build-Transfer) and BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) infrastructure and environmental projects in Ha Noi City. A view of the extension of Le Van Luong Street in the urban district of Thanh Xuan, southwest of Ha Noi. — Photo: VNA/VNS The GI recommended holding Ha Noi authorities accountable for the faults. The GI said all BT projects were behind schedule and had entailed significant cost overruns. It said contractors were “not sufficiently capable of mobilising capital” and also blamed a “failure to disburse budget in accordance with set schedule.” Seven BT projects caused massive loss – the construction of the Yen So wastewater treatment plant, the Le … [Read more...]

Dong Nai, July 24 (VNA) – The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of the southern province of Dong Nai has approved zoning off 31 large-scale fields to cultivate durian, pepper and cocoa in the locality.  Head of the department Nguyen Huu Dinh said the provincial People’s Committee has authorised 12 large-scale fields with a total area of 5,5000 hectares and expects to draw the participation of 5,000 local households. Meanwhile, investors will work with local authorities and farmers to assess the remaining 19 projects.  The province has carried out large-scale projects, a centralised production model bringing together farmers, businesses, scientists and State agencies to apply technology in farming, since 2014.  Thanks to the model, businesses have secured stable material sources, while famers have grown high-yield crops and improved their incomes, Dinh said, adding that … [Read more...]

The Nobel laureate has planned to partake the scientific workshop on cosmology in Quy Nhon Town of Binh Dinh Province. Deputy Chairman of Binh Dinh province People’s Committee Tran Chau and Professor Tran Thanh Van welcomed Professor Gerard‘t Hooft at the airport. A series of scientific workshops on cosmology are being held in the south-central Vietnam’s Binh Dinh Province at the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE). The first two seminars of the series, “Cosmology” and “Viet Nus 2017,” were organized on Monday at the headquarters of ICISE in Binh Dinh’s Quy Nhon City, tackling the theme of ‘Neutrino: Challenges and Limitations.’ Professor Gerardus ’t Hooft was born in July 5, 1946 in Den Helder, Netherlands. He is a Dutch theoretical physicist and professor at Utrecht University. The Nobel Prize in Physics 1999 was awarded jointly to Gerardus’t … [Read more...]

Vietnamese contestants at the 2017 International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in Indonesia have placed fifth overall by winning four gold medals. All five members won medals at the competition, including four golds and one silver. With the result, Vietnam’s IPhO representatives have followed in the footsteps of their compatriots from the 2017 International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) in Brazil, who made history by becoming the first team from Vietnam to secure third place after winning four gold medals. Vietnam’s physics team, which consisted of five high school seniors from Hanoi, Quang Binh Province and Nghe An Province, were awarded four gold medals and one silver at the competition which concluded on Monday in Indonesia. The 2017 IPhO, held from July 16-24 in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta, saw the participation of 424 pre-college contestants from 86 countries and territories. Vietnam finished … [Read more...]

Vietnam wastes at least 23 trillion VND (1 billion USD) annually on fertilisation, experts said and called for replacement of conventional fertiliser with more hi-tech products. Farmers in Quang Vinh commune in Thua Thien - Hue province work in the winter-spring rice fields. Le Nhu Kieu, vice head of Soil and Fertilisers Research Institute under Vietnam Academy of Agricultural Science, said that about half of the amount of nitrogen fertiliser fed to plants gets released to environment, 70-80 percent of phosphorus fertiliser amount was kept in soil and 50-60 percent of urea fertiliser amount was either evaporated or eroded. On average, in Vietnam, plants and crops received only 35-40 percent of the fertiliser given to them, he said. About 11 million tonnes of inorganic fertilisers are used in the country on a yearly basis, he said. The leaked fertiliser pollutes water, impoverishes soil and makes it hard to restore … [Read more...]

NDO - Prof. Gerardus’t Hooft, the 1999 Nobel Prize laureate in Physics, arrived in Vietnam on July 23 to attend the 'Exploring the Dark Universe' conference held in Quy Nhon city, Binh Dinh province, on July 24-29. The conference, held along with a series of 18 international scientific conferences on the universe, is part of the 13th ‘Rencontres du Vietnam’ programme – 2017 held at the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (ICISE) in Quy Nhon in 2017. Prof. Gerardus’t Hooft is the 11th Nobel Prize winner to come to Vietnam to attend the 13th ‘Rencontres du Vietnam’ programme. The 'Exploring the Dark Universe' conference will also see the participation of 70 scientists from 19 countries across the world. The aim of the conference is to discuss the most recent status in the field of dark matter, a lively and exciting scientific domain related to cosmology, astro-particles and particle … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge - The brothers Vu Ngoc Minh and Vu Hong Anh from Hai Phong City have had great success at international competitions, as have brothers from other Vietnamese families.  Vu Ngoc Minh and Vu Hong Anh The elder brother, Minh, twice won a gold medal at International Mathematics Olympiad (IMO) when he was a student at the High School for the Gifted under the Hanoi University of Education. At the 2001 IMO organized in the US, Minh, who was then in the 11th grade, was the only Vietnamese competitor who won a gold medal. The brothers Vu Ngoc Minh and Vu Hong Anh from Hai Phong City have had great success at international competitions, as have brothers from other Vietnamese families.  One year later, at the IMO in the UK, Minh, together with two team members, won a gold medal, becoming one of the few people who have won two gold medals at IMOs. … [Read more...]

Two months after Islamist militants launched an assault on one of the biggest southern cities in the Philippines, the fighting is dragging on, and President Rodrigo Duterte says he is prepared to wait for a year for it to end. The defence top brass admits it underestimated its enemy and is struggling to finish off the highly organised, pro-Islamic State fighters who swept through Marawi City on May 23 and have held parts of it despite sustained ground attacks by hundreds of soldiers and daily pummelling by planes and artillery. On Saturday, lawmakers approved Duterte's request to extend martial law to the end of the year on the island of Mindanao, granting greater powers to security forces to go after extremists with a reach that goes far beyond Marawi. But it remains unclear how exactly Duterte plans to tackle extremism after troops retake Marawi, where about 70 militants remain holed up in the debris of what was once a flourishing commercial district, along with many … [Read more...]

As Vietnam boosts its industrial capacity and modernises, a critical need for new digital technology presents itself. Industry 4.0 will have a significant positive impact on local firms, and they can expect comprehensive, ongoing support from Siemens. Thanh Dat reports. As Industry 4.0 sweeps the globe, firms who do not embrace the new paradigm will fall behind Martin Hoppe, first counselor of Economic Co-operation and Development at the German Embassy in Vietnam, was pleased with the Siemens solutions showcased at the “Digital enterprise – on the way to Industry 4.0” conference in Hanoi last week. “I am happy that Siemens has presented us with their ideas of what Industry 4.0 can do. Trust me, I am very curious myself,” Hoppe said. The event was organised by Vietnam’s Ministry … [Read more...]

Parents scurrying to send their children to the many life skills classes blooming in the big cities has been a trend that has been picking up lately.  Primary school students in Hà Nội attend a four-day ’Military term’ programme during summer vacation. The programme aims to teach the basic military skills of discipline, performing activities on schedule and teamwork. - VNS Photo Hồng Lan These classes, organised during the three-month summer vacation in Việt Nam, claim to train children on important communication and survival skills that can then be applied to real-life situations. However, are these classes as effective as their numerous advertisements claim? It’s a question that has many parents worried across the cities. … [Read more...]

The GI recommended holding Hanoi authorities accountable for the faults. The GI said all BT projects were behind schedule and had entailed significant cost overruns. It said contractors were “not sufficiently capable of mobilising capital” and also blamed a “failure to disburse budget in accordance with set schedule.” Seven BT projects caused massive loss – the construction of the Yen So wastewater treatment plant, the Le Van Luong Road extension, the southern main road of Ha Tay, a street connecting Le Duc Tho and the new urban area Xuan Phuong, a road surrounding the Chu Van An memorial site, and the Hanoi–Hung Yen interprovincial road. Regarding the main southern road of Ha Tay, nearly all parties involved – the People’s Committee, Department of Finance, Department of Transport, and the investor – were found to be at fault and violating the BT contract terms. The GI also reported that the investor … [Read more...]

Twelve-grader Dinh Anh Dung from Amsterdam Senior High School for Gifted students in Hanoi, twelve-grader Ta Ba Dung from Science Senior High School for Gifted students, twelve-grader Nguyen The Quynh from Vo Nguyen Giap Senior High School for Gifted students in the central province of Quang Binh and twelve-grader Tran Huu Binh Minh from Phan Boi Chau Senior High School for Gifted students in the central province of Nghe An captured four gold medals Twelve-grader Phan Tuan Linh also from Phan Boi Chau Senior High School won silver medal. The event was held in Indonesia from July 16 to 24. Vietnamese students had to compete with 424 candidates from 86 nations and territories for gold and silver medals. Vietnam was ranked the fifth after China, South Korea, Russsia and Singapore. Informed the news of team’s achievement at the International Physics Olympiad, Education Minister Phung Xuan Nha sent his congratulation to the students. … [Read more...]

Progress in beating back the AIDS epidemic risks being eroded by a funding shortfall set to grow under Donald Trump's proposed cuts to global health projects, experts and campaigners warned ahead of a major HIV conference. If adopted by Congress, the 2018 Trump budget could deprive some 830,000 people, mostly in Africa, from life-saving anti-AIDS drugs, according to calculations by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a California-based health policy NGO. "We will see lives needlessly being lost," said Linda-Gail Bekker, president of the International AIDS Society (IAS) hosting some 6,000 experts in Paris from Sunday to take stock of advances in HIV science. "We're not talking about maybe a slowing down... if these (US) cuts come about we could very well see a real turnaround in terms of the progress that has been made," she told AFP. A Trump budget could lead to nearly 200,000 new HIV infections, according to the KFF. It could also leave as many as 25 million couples … [Read more...]

The United States confirmed Friday that it plans to ban its nationals from traveling to North Korea, in the wake of the death of an American student who was imprisoned by Pyongyang during a tourist visit. Travel agencies organizing trips to the isolated country had said earlier Friday they were informed of the impending change. Strict warnings against travel to North Korea had already been in place, but Washington toughened its stance after the death in June of Otto Warmbier. The 22-year-old University of Virginia student was imprisoned for more than a year on charges of stealing a propaganda poster from a North Korean hotel -- and sent home in a mysterious coma that proved fatal. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the new restriction would be formally published in the government's Federal Register next week, and take effect one month later. "Due to mounting concerns over the serious risk of arrest and long-term detention under North Korea's system of … [Read more...]

Vietnam depends heavily on China textile, footwear material Tran Son By Tran Son - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC – The nation’s total textile and footwear material imports from China hit nearly US$888 million in January-September, up around 30.5% compared to the same period of last year. According to data of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, total apparel and footwear material imports amounted to over US$2.7 billion in the first nine months, of which China accounted for 32.5%. Many enterprises in the industry have expressed concerns about the country’s heavy dependence on China as a major supplier of material. In the coming time, Chinese companies are feared to take bigger profit and share in the value chain of the Vietnamese garment and textile industry. Many Chinese enterprises have expanded their business operations in the local market to take advantage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement over which Vietnam is in talks. Texhong Textile, Pacific … [Read more...]

Check out news you should not miss today: Check out news you should not miss today: Society -- Authorities in the southern province of Binh Phuoc on Wednesday seized and destroyed more than 400kg of stale pork and viscera detected at the local Doing Xoai market. -- Many among 79 families who had their houses burned down in the south central Vietnamese beach town of Nha Trang on Tuesday night have been allocated to temporarily stay in the dormitory of Khanh Hoa Medical College. -- Many local express companies have stopped receiving orders a few days ago as transport and delivery was stuck due to high demand during the Tet holiday. -- Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transportation on Wednesday unveiled an online map which can alert users of traffic congestion citywide, in an effort to ease the city’s traffic pressure. -- A bus rapid transit project worth US$70 million is being implemented in the central city of Da Nang, the municipal administration announced on Wednesday. -- … [Read more...]

Good morning from Vietnam! Good morning from Vietnam! Politics -- U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius has praised recent remarkable advancement in Vietnam-U.S. ties and shared his vision on the further enhancement of bilateral relations in an open letter written exclusively for Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Society -- The second diphtheria outbreak in three years has been confirmed in central Vietnam’s Quang Nam Province, where two high school students have been reported dead from the disease so far, according to Tran Khac Phu, director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine. -- Da Phuoc Waste Treatment Complex in Ho Chi Minh City’s Binh Chanh District, which in September was found responsible for the foul smell that had been wafting through the city’s southern end, has announced its plan to gradually employ the incineration method in place of burial to curb the unpleasant odor. Lifestyle -- A VND120 billion (US$5.27 million) aerospace museum will be … [Read more...]