Viet Nam News QUẢNG BÌNH - Authorities in central Quảng Bình Province has given their nod to the proposal to install a ladder system inside the world's largest cave - Sơn Đoòng Cave. Oxalis, the sole tour provider for expedition programmes in the cave, and Howard Limbert, a cave expert in the team of the British Cave Research Association that discovered the cave, have proposed installing ladders inside the cave to protect the stalactites from visitors. According to the proposal, the ladders will help visitors overcome a high stalactite wall, called "Việt Nam's Great Wall." The wall is vulnerable to pressure and the ladders will help visitors climb it without touching the stalactites. The ladders are also expected to help speed up emergency medical aid for visitors who accidentally get injured inside the cave. In addition, the ladders will reduce the duration of time visitors spend inside the cave, which means less impact on the entire cave. The two ladders will be 65m and 25m in … [Read more...]

Trần Hoàng Ngân, director of Hồ Chí Minh City Cadre Academy, talks to Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper about the need to focus more investment in agricultural development - Viet Nam's primary industry A switch from industrial focus to agricultural focus The overall picture of our country has changed notably in the course of industrialisation and modernisation. Much agricultural land has been revoked for industrial parks or real estate. However, in many places, for one reason or another, large land areas have been left fallow. It is reported about $150 billion from Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been poured into many sectors, including industry, services, real estates and others. But, the dark side of the story is our environment has been seriously violated in many places. It is undeniable that FDI projects in the industry have provided jobs for many people and contributed up to 70 per cent for national export turnover and 18 per cent of GDP. And, thanks to FDI, Việt Nam has become a … [Read more...]

Việt Nam's total sand resources are an estimated 2.3 billion cubic metres. With the current pace of construction, experts warn that the sand supply will likely be exhausted in less than 15 years. Dr Lê Ái Thụ, chairman of Việt Nam Asociation of Economic Geology, and Dr Thái Duy Sâm, vice chairman of Việt Nam Building Material Association, spoke to the Vietnam News Agency about the necessity of finding alternative materials to replace natural sand. Many agents and contractors have claimed that the constant sand price increase over the past several months has been due to tight management of the Government and local authorities over sand exploitation. Can you explain? Lê Ái Thụ: A sudden increase in sand prices can have many different reasons. I think it is necessary to conduct surveys and investigations to have reliable answers. Thái Duy Sâm: Sand is an indispensable material to produce concrete, mortar, bricks and floor levering. Our country has become familiar with using … [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...]

HCM City - Financial inclusion has been an accelerating global phenomenon recently, with financial services being provided at affordable costs to disadvantaged and low-income segments to increase earnings, alternate social capital flow and promote economic growth, a conference heard on May 19 in HCM City. Speaking at 'Digital technology - the great engine of accelerating financial inclusion in Việt Nam,' Assoc Prof Nguyễn Kim Anh, deputy governor of the State Bank of Việt Nam, said: "Financial inclusion will contribute to implementing 7 out of 17 sustainable development goals by 2030 and poor countries might achieve breakthroughs in financial inclusion. "Digital technology will help banks accelerate financial inclusion, expanding their financial services to remote and rural areas, saving expenditure and developing sustainably." Nguyễn Thị Hòa, deputy head of the central bank's Banking Strategy Institute, said: "Good financial inclusion is able to promote economic growth, create … [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...]

HÀ NỘI - The National Assembly's first meeting session this year will be focused on scrutinising and voting on 13 draft laws, announced NA Deputy General-Secretary Lê Bộ Lĩnh yesterday. The 3rd meeting of the 14th NA will kick off next Monday, May 22 until June 21 with 23 working days, Lĩnh said in a press conference. "The NA will focus its attentions on legislative work during its first meeting of the year," he said. The laws that will be brought to the table for approval include the draft law on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the law on planning and the amending law on State compensation liability. The NA will also discuss five other laws including amendments to the law on public debt management and the law on denunciation. A change for this upcoming NA meeting is more time for Q&A sessions. The cabinet will be questioned for three days instead of two and a half as in the last NA meeting, according to Lĩnh. Pending protest law NA General-Secretary Nguyễn … [Read more...]

HÀ NỘI - Representatives from 21 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) have shared their experiences in promoting trade and innovation, as well as exploring activities that APEC can undertake to boost innovative growth in the region. The discussion took place at the APEC Symposium on Trade and Innovation on Friday in Hà Nội, as part of the APEC Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) Meeting to be held on May 20-21. In his opening remarks, Minister of Industry and Trade Trần Tuấn Anh said trade, among other important enablers, plays an essential role in determining an economy's innovation policy and strategies; while innovation, in return, contributes to promoting trade among economies. "Given the evolution in the global and regional economy and the dramatic transformation brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, economies are seeking to drive economic growth with innovation as one of the important enablers," Tuấn Anh said. Innovation - generally … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - The National Junior Volleyball Tournament will kick off today in the central province of Quảng Trị. The tournament will see 10 men's teams competing, including HCM City, Thể Công and Bình Dương, along with five women's teams, such as Thanh Hoá, Vĩnh Long and Bình Điền Long An. To prepare for the tourney, teams had training sessions with each other to hone their skills. Khánh Hoà and Bình Điền Long An are the favorites to win in the men's and women's category. The best volleyballers will be chosen for the national teams to compete at the upcoming international tournament. It will end on June 2. - VNS … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - Võ Thị Kim Phụng took the lead of the Asian Continental Chess Championships' Women's Category in China yesterday. Phụng beat Indian Ramesh Babu Vaishali in the eighth round to lead with seven points. She will meet Mary Ann Gomes of India in the next round. Guliskhan Nakhbayeva of Kazakhstan and Gomes are second and third with 6.5 points and 5.5 points, respectively. Two other Vietnamese masters Hoàng Thị Bảo Trâm and Phạm Lê Thảo Nguyên sit in fifth and sixth place. Trâm tied with Lei Tingjie of China, while Nguyên drew with Gomes in the seventh round. They now both have 5.5 points. Trâm will face Nakhbayeva of Kazakhstan, while Nguyên will play with Swati Ghate of India in the ninth round. In the Open Category, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi of India leads. He crushed Jinshi Bai of China in the eighth round, leaving him with six points. Gujrathi will next meet Yu Yangyi of China. Vietnamese representatives, Nguyễn Ngọc Trường Sơn and Trần Tuấn Minh are in 18th … [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...]

Viet Nam News A schoolgirl in the southern province of Bình Định has legs that have not grown properly. Nguyễn Thị Mai Gái was not happy at school. Those sad days ended when a nice child decided to be her friend and help her. Other children started to do the same, which made Gái become happier. By Ánh Hường Over the past eight years, Nguyễn Thúy Nga has carried her best friend and classmate, Nguyễn Thị Mai Gái, to school every day, over a distance of more than four kilometres. "I have always been ready to be by Gái's side and take her everywhere she wants. Unfortunately, due to a deformity, she is unable to use her legs. So, I wanted to become her 'legs'," says Nga, a ninth-grader at the Cát Hải Secondary School, in the southern province of Bình Định. Gái is the oldest child of four and was born with a deformity in her legs meaning she is unable to walk. All of Gái's daily activities need the support of her parents and grandmother. "I couldn't go out like other people, which … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - Việt Nam's first oil refinery operator Bình Sơn Refinery and Petrochemical Co Ltd (BSR) has planned its domestic initial public offering (IPO) with 5-6 per cent of its capital in the fourth quarter of the year. The information was announced on Thursday. BSR, which owns the US$3-billion Dung Quất Oil Refinery, added that the remaining shares would be offered to strategic investors. Trần Ngọc Nguyên, BSR's general director, said it has selected a consultancy firm to implement divestment plans at the three capital contribution units of PV Building, PMS and PVOS to prepare for the IPO. Answering a question on the modest rate of the IPO, Nguyên said BSR had carefully considered the number of offered shares and taken note of recommendations from the consultancy firm. Nguyên added that all information on business value and offered price would be announced next week after receiving approval from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The IPO will be divided into two … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - The customs authority has striven to shorten the time for carrying out customs clearance of goods across borders to 70 hours for export goods and 90 hours for import goods by the end of this year. The General Department of Customs (GDC) on Wednesday said in its report that the authority would continue its renewal and modernisation process while reducing paperwork and cost of administrative procedures to follow Government's Resolution No 19-2017/NQ-CP on improving the business environment and enhancing national competitiveness in 2017 and orientation to 2020. Accordingly, the time for customs clearance of goods across the border would be shortened to 60 hours for export goods and 80 hours for import goods by 2020. The set targets were much higher than those of 2016, requiring the sector to make greater efforts. According to the Việt Nam Logistics Association's (VLA) statistics in 2016, the time to clear exports is still high -- up to 108 hours -- and 138 … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News Named after the country's first president and designed by military genius Gen. Võ Nguyễn Giáp, the Hồ Chí Minh Trail ran over 20,000km through Việt Nam, Laos and Cambodia. During the American War in Việt Nam, the trail, despite heavy bombardment and even the use of chemical weapons by the Americans, never ceased to function as a crucial lifeline that connected the country's North and South. Everyday, supplies and soldiers were sent down the trail. The several-months long journey was perilous, due to American bombers' constant raids, minefields, electronic fences, tropical diseases and poisonous insects. Soldiers considered it a test of resolve, one to help them get ready for the long fight ahead to win their people's independence and unite their country. The soldiers were not alone on the trail. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers took part in building and repairing the trail. Thousands of them never made it back home, and far many more were seriously injured during … [Read more...]

The Toyota Junior Football Clinic & Camp 2017 is scheduled to kick off from June 4 to August 30 in four big cities. - Photo tuoitre.vn Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - The Toyota Junior Football Clinic & Camp 2017 is scheduled to run from June 4 to August 30 in four cities: HCM City, Đà Nẵng, Thanh Hóa and Hà Nội, the event's organising board has announced. This is the programme's third year, thanks to the support from the Ministry of Education and Training, to train students with passion for football in the age from nine to 12. Nguyễn Hồng Sơn, former famous footballer, continues to be head coach this season. The event has three main activities: selection rounds in big cities; seven days training camp in HCM City from July 30 to August 6 for the best 30 participants. The seven days of touring and friendly matches in Japan will be held on August 23-30 for the best 18 participants selected from training camp. Especially, the organisers will give a special award for the best five young … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News YÊN BÁI - Yên Bái Tourism Year kicked off with art performances and cultural activities on Friday night in the northern mountainous province. More than 300 professional artists including singer Trọng Tấn, Minh Tuyết, Đăng Dương and Tùng Dương joined the performance themed Lung Linh Sắc Màu Yên Bái (Glamourous Yên Bái). The event also features Inh Lả Ơi, a traditional folk melody of Thái ethnic minority in Yên Bái Province, performed by American singer Kyo York. Along with music and art, the characteristic images of Yên Bái - rice terraces, ban flower (orchid tree flower - the signature flower of the region) and stilt houses were also featured to bring audiences a sense of Yên Bái and the northwest region. The event also gathered Miss Tourism winners from previous years to showcase a fashion collection named Colours of Northwest of designer Việt Hùng. The collection depicts the unique beauty of 30 different ethnic minorities and the landscapes of northwestern parts of … [Read more...]

Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI - Việt Nam beat Chinese Taipei 5-4 in the third match of Group B of the 2017 Asian Football Confederation U-20 Futsal Championship in Thailand yesterday. This win has helped Việt Nam edge a step closer to a place in the tournament's quarter-finals. The win also sees Việt Nam move to second place in the group with seven points, one behind table toppers Indonesia - who are assured of a place in the last eight - and crucially two points ahead of Japan, who they will face today knowing that a draw or better will be enough for them to progress. Despite having recorded two successive defeats heading into the game at Bangkok's Hua Mark Indoor Stadium, Chinese Taipei were quick out of the blocks against Vietnam as goals from Huang Chieh, Lai Ming Hui and Tan Wu-ling helped secure a 3-0 lead within the first ten minutes. However, Việt Nam responded with Dương Ngọc Linh and Vũ Ngọc Lân's efforts in the first half, before hauling themselves level, courtesy of Nguyễn Tuấn … [Read more...]