Lauching ceremony for a book on President Ho Chi Minh’s life and career in Telugu language (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Many activities were held abroad to mark the 127th birthday of late President Ho Chi Minh (May 19). The Vietnamese Embassy in Argentina and the Argentina-Vietnam Cultural Institute (ICAV) on May 19 held a series of activities to promote the land, people and culture of Vietnam on the occasion of the late President’s 127th birthday. Late President Ho Chi Minh’s life, revolutionary career as well as his ethics was highlighted at the activities. A representative from the embassy affirmed that the Vietnamese beloved leader has inspired liberation movements all over the world and been a source of encouragement for Vietnamese generations. The same day, the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba and the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) laid flowers in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his monument in Havana capital. Vietnamese Ambassador to … [Read more...]

Vientiane (VNA) – As many as 300 former Lao students, who studied in military schools in Vietnam, met at a get-together in northern Luang Prabang province, Laos, on May 19. The event was part of activities to celebrate the Laos-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year 2017. Speaking at the meeting, Major General Sonethong Phomavong, deputy head of the General Politics Department of the Lao People's Army, underlined the significance of the event, saying it offered a chance for former Lao students to reminisce unforgettable memories of Vietnamese teachers, officers and people, who helped them during the time they lived and studied in Vietnam. Those who studied in Vietnam have been holding important duties and positions, and many of them became senior officers, commanders in the Lao People’s Army. They are playing a vital role in strengthening and nurturing the special solidarity and time-honoured relations between the two countries. Former Lao military students are very proud … [Read more...]

Hanoi (VNA) – President Tran Dai Quang has asked artists and writers to show stronger performance in implementing the Party and State’s orientations in building literature and art in the new period as well as developing the culture and people of Vietnam to suit the requirements of the country’s sustainable development. The President made the request while addressing a ceremony in Hanoi on May 20 to honour 18 authors winning the 2017 Ho Chi Minh Award and 95 others with the State Award on literature and arts, the two noble awards for outstanding authors. The State leader noted that the literature and art of Vietnam have inherited and promoted the patriotism and humanism of the nation, while closely attaching to the revolutionary career of the Party and nation. They are a sharp tool in the cultural and ideological battlefield, significantly contributing to the victory of the struggle for national liberation, reunification as well as construction and defence, he said. … [Read more...]

The magazine initially consisted of 52 pages, including covers, and used to hit a record circulation of 130,000 copies, whilst also being amongst the most widely circulated monthlies in Vietnam. Nhan Dan Monthly was upgraded in 2012, now featuring 68 pages with a more attractive design and content to meet the new demands of the internet age and readers’ expectations. Speaking at the function, Nhan Dan’s Editor-in-chief Thuan Huu said Nhan Dan Monthly was designed as a magazine to carry in-depth reports and analysis on notable events happening within that month. He praised the remarkable efforts of the magazine’s reporters, editors and collaborators in the past two decades, especially in the last five years of its renovation, helping to turn Nhan Dan Monthly into a beautiful magazine with rich and in-depth contents. For her part, head of Nhan Dan Monthly Phan Thanh Phong stated that the magazine has been able to create and maintain its identity because it has been … [Read more...]

Chairman of the city’s People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Hanoi’s leader has promised to solve all issues in the daily lives of all workers in the city soon, including shortages of housing, cultural activities, kindergartens and medical centres at industrial zones. Speaking at a dialogue between the city and nearly 1,000 workers representing more than 150,000 workers from industrial zones (IZ) and processing zones in the city at Noi Bai Industrial Zone on May 19, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung said he would direct sectors and agencies to work on the issues right after the meeting. At the dialogue, Chung talked to workers and listened to their questions and comments on lifestyle, insurance, healthcare and education. He affirmed that the city serves the people and businesses to the utmost in line with the Government’s instructions. He added that the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour has … [Read more...]

The only survivor in a recent truck accident that claimed two lives in the northern province of Hoa Binh was left speechless seeing locals rush out to loot products on the vehicle, instead of helping them. The only survivor in a recent truck accident that claimed two lives in the northern province of Hoa Binh was left speechless seeing locals rush out to loot products on the vehicle, instead of helping them. A truck was transporting rice bran on the National Highway 6 in Quy Hau Commune in Tan Lac District at around 1:45 am on Thursday when the driver lost control and crashed into a mountain. Only one of the three people in the cabin survived the crash, albeit with multiple injuries. The sole survivor immediately called for help, only to see dozens of local residents and passers-by jostle to the street to loot the bran bags scattered around the road, he recalled. Some of the looters even deployed cargo motorbikes to take home as much of the rice bran as they could. A police team … [Read more...]

A three-hour rain on Friday’s afternoon caused flooding and traffic congestion in many areas in eastern Ho Chi Minh City, with District 9 and Thu Duc District being the most affected. A three-hour rain on Friday’s afternoon caused flooding and traffic congestion in many areas in eastern Ho Chi Minh City, with District 9 and Thu Duc District being the most affected. The area surrounding the Rach Chiec Bridge in Thu Duc was submerged under 1 meter of rainwater for hours, stalling countless motorbikes with some being swept and hurled down by the torrent. Many people had no choice but switching off their bikes’ engine and walking the vehicles over the inundated areas. Many streets in District 9 including La Xuan Oai, Do Xuan Hop, and Le Van Viet also fell victim to the deluge, with numerous trucks stalled in the water. Bikers and motorists had to deal with strong water currents at various hilly areas of Vo Van Ngan and To Ngoc Van Streets, with heavy flooding … [Read more...]

HÀ NỘI - Hà Nội's top politician has promised to solve all issues in the daily lives of all workers in the city soon, including shortages of housing, cultural activities, kindergartens and medical centres at industrial zones. Speaking at a dialogue between the city and nearly 1,000 workers representing more than 150,000 workers from industrial zones (IZ) and processing zones in the city at Nội Bài Industrial Zone yesterday, Chairman of the city's People's Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung said he would direct sectors and agencies to work on the issues right after the meeting. At the dialogue, Chung talked to workers and listened to their questions and comments on lifestyle, insurance, healthcare and education. He affirmed that the city serves the people and businesses to the utmost in line with the Government's instructions. He added that the Việt Nam General Confederation of Labour has agreed to spend VNĐ700-800 billion (US$31.1-35.5 million) to build housing for workers in Hà Nội. … [Read more...]

HÀ NỘI -This year's Búa Liềm Vàng (Golden Hammer & Sickle) Press Awards will be open to all Vietnamese citizens at home and abroad, instead of only journalists like in last year's competition. The information was announced yesterday at a press conference on the competition in the capital city, on the occasion of the 127th birthday of late President Hồ Chí Minh's birthday. The competition's second year is among the events to mark the the 87th anniversary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (February 3, 2017). Speaking at the press conference, Phạm Minh Chính, Poliburo member and head of the competition organising board, said the Press Awards comes after the success of the first one last year. "Last year's event contributed to the work of Party Building and Rectification - a regular and key task of the Party. At the same time, it has further sharpened the Party's determination to fight and to win", Chính emphasised. "The theme for this Press Awards this year will continue to focus on … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HCM CITY - The Vietnamese Government should intervene to reduce the rate of caesarean section deliveries, which has seen an upward trend globally, including in this country, an International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) official has said. Professor Gerard H.A.Visser, chairman of FIGO's Committee for Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health, said world-wide there has been an explosion in caesarean deliveries, ranging from 50 per cent in south-eastern Europe to 60 per cent in some Latin American countries. In Việt Nam, the rate was 33 per cent in 2008, he told an annual Việt Nam-France-Asia-Pacific Conference that ended yesterday. According to the Ministry of Health, the rate was only 12.4 per cent in 2003. Visser said the incidence of C-section has nothing to do with evidence-based medicine. "It has more to do with the doctor's salary, the lazy doctor who does not want to work at night, the doctor who has lost his/her skills to attend a vaginal … [Read more...]

Ho Chi Minh City will start work on a slew of necessary traffic infrastructure projects to meet residents’ travel demand from now until the end of this year. Of them is Vam Sat 2 bridge linking Ly Nhon commune up to the center of Can Gio district and downtown HCMC. The project will contribute in meeting surging traffic demand in the area, facilitating seafood farming, exploiting tourist potentials and boosting socio-economic development in the commune and the island district. Urban Traffic Management Board Zone 4 is preparing for a groundbreaking ceremony in the third quarter this year. In the northwest gateway to the city, Urban Traffic Management Board Zone 3 will start building two works to improve urban planning and gradually develop the city traffic system as per plan in the same quarter. The first project will expand To Ky street to improve traffic capacity and reduce flooding in the route and part of Dang Thuc Vinh street and build technical infrastructure works … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - Three recent gas asphyxiation deaths in Hải Dương Province has raised alarms about the risks of building substandard biogas systems in rural areas, local authorities and experts said. Three men in Gia Xuyên commune died last week after jumping into their house's biogas tank to make repairs, according to local officials. A provincial Police representative said examination and autopsy report showed that the victims died of poison gas asphyxiation, chiefly methane. In a biogas system, organic waste gets turned into methane gas, which many people in rural areas use for cooking and heating. A family member of the victims told the Nông thôn Ngày nay (Countryside Today) newspaper that the three men built the biogas tank themselves without guidance or consultancy from authorised agencies. When the tank was blocked, they jumped in without checking whether the tank had poisonous gas or not, he said. Chairman of People's Committee of Gia Xuyên Commune Hồ Văn Tân said … [Read more...]

Workers attend the Excellent Skills Competition held by Gia Định Textile & Garment Corporation. -VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Vũ Viet Nam News Gia Lộc HCM CITY - Nguyễn Thị Lương, 34, of Cầu Tre Export Goods Processing Joint-Stock Company has shown creative skills in her work to help raise labour productivity for her company. Lương, a graduate of Food Industry College's two-year training course in chemistry, has helped improve molds for compressed tea and knives for cutting bitter melons. The molds for compressed tea, which have been used since April 2012, have raised productivity from an average of eight tea bricks made per hour to 13 per hour. Lương's initiative helped save VNĐ100 million (US$4,385) in a five-month period. In 2012, Lương also conducted research on knives to cut bitter melons, but initially her results weren't successful. Nevertheless, her company's managers encouraged her to continue. Named one of "60 excellent young workers" in the country this year, she was … [Read more...]

According to Indonesian authorities and environmentalists, Katsuhide Naito, believed to be a major player in the wildlife-smuggling trade, was detained at Jakarta's main airport as he was about to board a flight to Tokyo with about 250 animals hidden in his bags. A spokesperson for the Wildlife Conservation Society said the reptiles are stuffed into four suitcases and one box, four are dead. Before arriving in Jakarta, Naito had been in Medan, Sumatra island. He could face up to three years in prison if found guilty of breaking Indonesian wildlife laws. He was arrested in 2005 in Australia for attempting to smuggle reptiles into the country from Indonesia. Indonesia is home to vast rainforests and various exotic animals, but wildlife smuggling is challenging law enforcement efforts. VNA/VNP … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News ĐÀ NĂNG - After 18 months of construction, Đà Nẵng International Airport officially launched its new terminal at a ceremony held yesterday. The project is a key part of preparations for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Summit, which will be hosted in the city this November. The new terminal, which covers an area of 21,000sq.m, with total investment of VNĐ3.5 trillion (US$155 million), offers 82 counters for check-in, check-out, migration and immigration, as well as 10 boarding gates that will accommodate six million passengers per year, and serve 1,600 passengers at peak hours. General Director of the Đà Nẵng International Terminal Investment and Operation, Lê Khắc Hồng said the introduction of the new terminal would help ease the overloading that occurred at the old terminal. He said that Đà Nẵng Airport is already overloaded with an estimated 6.5 million arrivals per year. "The new terminal will have seven more hangars bringing the total to 21, an … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News LÂM ĐỒNG - Three years ago, Lê Quốc Đức, a 30-year-old man in Đà Lạt City of Lâm Đồng Province, decided to quit his white-collar job at a State-owned company to become a farmer. With only basic knowledge of gardening, the master-degree holder put all of his efforts into learning how to grow organic vegetables. By late 2016, he had his own organic vegetable farm. The hydroponic farm located in front of Love Valley in the city's District 8, has become a tourism hot-spot due to its modernity and cleanliness. Standing in the middle of his 1,500 square metre farm in heat of nearly 40 degrees Celsius at noon, Đức patiently and carefully catches insects on his lettuces. "I spend most of my time here, everyday from dawn to dust. Gardening is much harder than working in offices, but I'm satisfied with it," he said to the Lâm Đồng newspaper. Several years ago, Đức visited hydroponic vegetable farms, which became popular among farmers in Đà Lạt, and quickly fell in … [Read more...]

On the evening of May 19, a ceremony was held at Vo Nguyen Giap Square in Thai Nguyen City located in the northern province of Thai Nguyen to mark 70 years since Uncle Ho and the resistant Party Central Committee and Government arrived at the Dinh Hoa Safety Zone (ATK) to set up a resistant base against the French colonialists (May 20, 1947-2017). Delivering his speech at the event, Vu Hong Bac, Chairman of Thai Nguyen People's Committee reviewed historical events on May 20, 1947 when Uncle Ho arrived at Dinh Hoa ATK to lead the resistance war. Here, many important decisions concerning the destiny of the nation have been made. Particularly, on December 6, 1953, when the Politburo decided to launch the Dien Bien Phu Campaign, resulting in an earth-shattering victory that ended the nine years of hard-fought resistance. Speaking at the event, Politburo member and National Assembly Deputy Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong said that the ceremony aimed to remember the glorious history and increase … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - An annual programme honouring national spirit and patriotism, called Việt Nam's Glory, will be held tomorrow at the Friendship Cultural Palace in Hà Nội. The programme, themed "Việt Nam's Glory - 30 years after reform", will also be broadcast live on the national television channel, VTV1. Trần Văn Thuật, vice president of the Việt Nam Confederation of Labour, said the programme was held for the first time on International Labour Day on May 1, 2004. In 12 years, 179 collectives and individuals with excellent achievements and contributions to building and defending Việt Nam have been honoured. This year's programme aims to honour collectives and individuals who have made special contributions to socio-economic development, science, technology and security, and national defence. Editor-in-chief of Lao Động (Labour) newspaper, Nguyễn Ngọc Hiển, said that this year's programme has new features compared to the 12 previous. Previously, individuals and groups who … [Read more...]

Ha Tinh (VNA) – A ceremony was held in Huong Son district, the central province of Ha Tinh to commemorate and rebury remains of some volunteer Vietnamese soldiers fell down in Laos. Addressing the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Ha Tinh People’s Committee Dang Quoc Vinh showed gratefulness to heroic martyrs who shed blood for the Vietnam-Laos solidarity. Vinh thanked the Lao side for coordination and support in searching, repatriating the remains of the martyrs to their homeland. Earlier on May 18, a requiem for the martyrs was held in Ha Tinh. In the dry season of 2016-2017, Ha Tinh team for searching and repatriating martyrs’ remain brought home 12 sets of remains of martyrs from Laos. Since 1999, Ha Tinh has repatriated 750 sets of remains of Vietnamese martyrs from Laos to rebury in Vietnam, including 503 sets from Bolykhamsay, 118 from Vientiane capital city and 129 from Vientiane province.-VNA … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - Beginning Friday night, traffic on the historic Long Biên Bridge, a symbol of the capital city, will be limited to carry out recoating of the bridge's concrete surface. The municipal Department of Construction said the new material used for the coating is Carboncor asphalt, originally a South African technology which has been transferred to Việt Nam. The new material is considered by the Ministry of Construction to be a "superior" variant compared to traditional asphalt concrete, as it is affordable, more environment-friendly and easy to apply. During construction, barriers will be put up on the left lane of the railway track to stop traffic moving in the Hà Nội-Long Biên District direction. On the right lane, bicycles can move in either direction, while motorbikes are only allowed to move in the Long Biên-Hà Nội direction. Construction is scheduled to take place between 10pm and 4am, starting from May 19 until May 31. Built from 1899 to 1902 by the French … [Read more...]