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Lighting up dreams of disadvantaged children
Hanoi (VNA) – A festival will be held at the Hanoi Children Palace on Sept. 26 to honour examples of disadvantaged children who overcome difficulties in their life to integrate into the community.
During the day, 250 disadvantaged children from Hanoi and the northern provinces of Hoa Binh, Bac Giang, Thai Binh and Hai Duong will be invited to take part in many activities, including camping and playing traditional games.
They will share their experience and dreams at an exchange and music performance which will be broadcast live on VTV1 channel the same day.
On the occasion, the Vietnam Joint Stock Bank for Foreign Trade (Vietcombank) will present 50 scholarships worth 2 million VND each for 50 orphans and disabled children.-Enditem
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HCM City’s CPI up 0.97 percent in September
HCM City (VNA) – Ho Chi Minh City ’s consumer price index (CPI) in September saw a month-on-month increase of 0.97 percent after declining for two consecutive months.
According to the municipal Statistics Department, the index was up 7.6 percent from a year earlier and 5.54 percent from the beginning of the year.
All 11 groups of commodities in the city experienced price hikes despite the promotion month and ongoing price stabilisation programme.
The biggest price increase was seen in education, soaring 5.57 percent as all schools re-open after the summer vacations, pushing demands for books, stationary and clothes.
The price index in Hanoi , the country’s other economic hub, also increased by 0.96 percent with educational products jumping 7.17 percent from the previous month.-Enditem
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Vietnam supports UN’s measures to meet MDGs
New York (VNA) – Vietnam supports general solutions and specific measures for each millennium development goal (MDG) as proposed in the UN Summit’s action plan, affirmed State President Nguyen Minh Triet.
In his speech delivered at the plenary session of the UN Summit on MDGs in New York on September 20, President Triet spoke highly of positive outcomes in implementing MDGs, which, he said, have contributed to improving the life of hundreds of millions of people, including those in the poorest nations.
The President stressed the most valuable lesson drawn over the past decade, saying the implementation of MDGs must be the focus of international cooperation and development strategies in developing countries.
“Only in doing so can the international community raise the necessary resources for realising the goals, he said.
He reported that Vietnam has fulfilled some MDGs ahead of deadline and is likely to meet the remaining goals by 2015, adding the UN, international organisations and countries acknowledged Vietnam ’s achievements in poverty reduction, primary education universalisation, gender equal promotion, reduction of child fatality, improvement of mother health and prevention of malaria and other diseases.
The President said Vietnam has implemented the MDGs through the institutionalisation of MDGs and integration of MDGs into development strategies, plans and programmes at all levels and encouragement of the people’s involvement.
He expressed his concern over poverty in the world as well as the uneven outcomes in implementing MDGs among countries.
“Without new and stronger measures, it is likely that many regions will fail to realise the goals,” he said.
The President described peace and stability as the prerequisite condition for development, calling on UN members to raise strong voice for peaceful solutions to international conflicts and protest war policies and the use of violence.
Vietnam strongly calls for an end of the economic embargo against Cuba , he said.
The country has enhanced cooperation within the South-South framework as well as with Southeast Asian nations and other regions, he added.
While calling for the facilitation of developing countries’ efforts in making policies and raising management capacity, Triet urged developed nations to carry out their commitments, contributing to concluding Doha negotiations and removing unfair measures in trade.
UN member countries need to devise international and national plans to maintain achievements and meet all MDGs, striving for higher goals, he concluded.-Enditem
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Vietnam attends WIPO Assemblies
Geneva (VNA) – Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Nguyen Quan is attending the 48 th annual meetings of the Assemblies of Member States of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO Assemblies) in Geneva , Switzerland .
At the opening ceremony of the WIPO Assemblies’ two-day ministerial segment on Sept. 20, WIPO Director General Francis Gurry emphasised that i nnovation is central to economic growth and job creation and is the key to competitiveness for countries, industries and individual firms.
It is the process by which solutions are developed to social and economic challenges, Gurry said, noting that innovation needs intellectual property (IP).
Speaking on behalf of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Deputy Minister Quan affirmed ASEAN’s active response to the theme of the meeting “Innovation, Growth and Development: The Role of Intellectual Property and Member States’ National Experiences ”.
ASEAN has recorded many achievements in implementing the 2004-2010 action plan on intellectual property rights, said the deputy minister, expressing his belief in the further development of the relationship between WIPO and ASEAN.
WIPO ministers are scheduled to exchange experiences on their national IP strategies and priorities and discuss orientations for future WIPO activities.
During the events that will last through Sept. 29, Deputy Minister Quan and his entourage will pay a courtesy visit to WIPO Director General Francis Gurry and have working sessions with delegations from the UK , China , the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Japan .
They will attend a meeting between the President of the European Patent Office and leaders of the ASEAN Intellectual Property Office.
A cooperation agreement between the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam and WIPO is expected to be signed on the occasion.-Enditem
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Children with disabilities enjoy rare night out
HCM City (VNA) — If anyone thinks that a barrier exists between children with disabilities and those who have none, they are mistaken.
In fact, most children see those with disabilities as potential friends with whom they can have fun.
On September 19, a gathering of around 100 kids testified to this feeling.
The evening gathering was held as part of Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival), which is a children's festival and falls on the full-moon day of the eighth lunar month.
The gathering took place in the yard of a mansion in District 10 where the Disability Resource and Development is based. The DRD (also stands for Doi Rat Dep) in Vietnamese, meaning Life is Beautiful is a local non-governmental organisation providing support to disadvantaged people.
Visually and hearing-impaired, mentally impaired and autistic children mingled with others from nearby neighbourhoods. They ranged in age from five to 13.
The enclosed yard was fully packed with children. Their boisterous laughter enlivened the space, while their hands were gesticulating wildly.
The kids also spilled onto the passage in the front, which was roofed to provide more space for kids during a lantern-making competition.
They were divided into 20 groups of five and provided with bamboo frames, cellophane of various colours, rayon, scissors and glue to build their own lanterns.
Twenty colourful lanterns of different shapes, most of them lovely animals like rabbit, peacock, swan, bird along with stars and flowers, were hung up in the air after they were completed.
"I wish that all of my friends were as gorgeous as swans in the Mid-Autumn Eve," explained one member of a group, describing the significance of their works to the jury.
All of the kids in the groups held conferences to discuss the significance of their lanterns, according to Nguyen Thi Loi, a fourth-year student specialising in social work at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.
"We just gave them some hints, like what a flower or heart means," she said.
Loi and dozens of other volunteer students were assigned to supervise and support groups of kids.
A flower lantern represented the children's dream to have a beautiful flower to celebrate the festival, while a house-shaped lantern conveyed wishes to live in happiness.
"Every wing of this five-wing star represents each of us, as they have our fingerprints on them," explained one child about his group's work. "It means that when we join hands together, we can make a brilliant star."
Tran Thi Ngoc Anh, who is 10 years old and lives nearby, observed that the children with disabilities had "fun to the max".
"I approached a cute-looking girl and asked her name," she added. "But she just turned back and gesticulated with her hands."
"Even though she knows that I do not understand her language, she did try to reply," she said.
Nguyen Ngoc Ha, 15, who listens and speaks with difficulty and lives at Binh Thanh District's Hy Vong (Hope) School for hearing-impaired kids, said she tried to win the highest prize with her group's lantern, which was in the shape of a fish in the paddy field.
"We love to sing and dance," said Ha, who performed dances and songs to celebrate the moon and legendary figures who live on it.
The party, performances of lovely songs and dances, a fashion show and parade with lighted lanterns were activities that spiced up a fabulous evening for the kids.
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh, a teacher of Hy Vong School who accompanied some kids, said hearing-impaired children were hungry to mix and have fun with other children.
"They rarely set foot out of school, so they never want to miss a chance like this."-Enditem
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Foreign funds pour into coffee processing
HCM City (VNA) — The entry of a few major investors in instant coffee processing has stirred up this market segment in Vietnam , the Dau Tu (Vietnam Investment Review) newspaper reports.
Early this month, an affiliate of the CCL Products Group, one of India 's leading coffee processors and exporters, Ngon Coffee Company Limited, started construction of its plant in Cu Kuin district in the Central Highland province of Dak Lak , the premier coffee growing region in the country.
It is the first foreign invested instant coffee processing project in the province.
Huynh Thi Chien Hoa, deputy director of Dak Lak province's Department of Planning and Investment, said Ngon Coffee Company Limited's 18 million USD project covers 24ha and will source all raw materials from the province.
The factory, which will churn out 10,000 tonnes of high-quality instant coffee per year, is expected to come online next July, she said.
The Vietnam Coffee and Cacao Association (Vicofa) quoted Alan Kaiser, director of the US National Coffee Association's External Relations and Communications, as saying American coffee giants like Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts and Kraft Foods had shown keen interest in Vietnamese coffee during meetings with local exporters held this June in New York .
In April, Bloomberg News quoted Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz as saying the company expected to have "thousands of stores" in China and to enter Vietnam and India in the coming time.
Also in April, Singapore-based Olam International, a global supply chain player in agricultural products, opened its 50 million USD instant coffee processing plant in Long An province's Nhut Chanh Industrial Park after two years of construction.
The 5.3ha plant with 500 local workers is run by Olam's subsidiary Cafe Outspan Vietnam Company Limited.
Olam's representative Raz Kuma said the plant will annually produce 4,000 tonnes, and double output by 2012 based on a further investment of 20 million USD.
Its products will be exported to Europe, Russia , Japan and the Middle East , he added.
Olam operates six coffee and spice processing factories in Vietnam .
Vietnam was the world's largest producer of robusta coffee, the main ingredient for soluble coffee. Moreover, the Vietnamese Government allows the import of coffee beans from other countries, Kuma added.
"The country is also the most cost-competitive producer," he said.
In January, Japan-based Mizuho Corporate Bank signed an agreement to provide credit to Vietnam 's leading coffee exporter, Vinacafe affiliate Tay Nguyen Coffee Import-Export and Investment Joint Stock Company, to help finance further expansion of its trademark in the Japanese market through Japanese importer Marubeni.
According to Vicofa, five of 10 biggest enterprises trading in coffee beans worldwide are now present in Vietnam either independently or as joint ventures.
These enterprises are reported to purchase around 30 per cent of Vietnam 's annual coffee production.-Enditem
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China take Asian junior women’s volleyball tourney
HCM City (VNA) — China ’s team beat rivals from the Republic of Korea in straight sets in the final of the 15th Asian Junior Women's Volleyball Championship at HCM City 's Phan Dinh Phung Gymnasium on Sept. 20.
The Chinese girls with their height advantage got the better of the Koreans to win their ninth title out of ten tournaments since 1992; the only remaining title was won by Japan two years ago in Chinese Taipei.
The Republic of Korea has not won the title since they hosted the tournament in 1980.
The player of the tournament was awarded to Liu Yanhan. The top scorer went to Park Jeong-ah while Mari Horikawa won the best server and spiker. Yang Zhou was voted the best blocker, Wu Bei the best setter while Sumiko Mori won best libero.
Japan overcame Thailand to take the third place and Chinese Taipei beat Kazakhstan to take fifth place.
Vietnam finished eighth after losing to Indonesia in straight sets. The disappointing result is a warning to Vietnam that it needs to invest more in women's volleyball if it wants to maintain its number two rank in Southeast Asia in the future.
The biennial tournament made its debut in 1980 and China have won most titles (9), followed by Japan (5) and the RoK (1).-Enditem
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Traditional music of capital to be released
HCM City (VNA) — A DVD set featuring the traditional music of Hanoi will be released later this month in honour of the capital's millennium in October.
The set, which is the first of its kind, includes four DVDs featuring the history of Hanoi 's traditional music, including songs and music works in different styles performed by veteran and young singers and musicians. Most of them work for the city's traditional theatres.
The DVD-producer Music Publishing House invested a great deal of money and human resources to record and film the artists on stage and in daily life.
The film's directors, People's Artist Tran Van Thuy and Nguyen Si Chung, perfected the film with beautiful scenes and music.
Veteran artists Thanh Ngoan, Xuan Hach, Minh Anh and The Dan, four of the region's leading traditional singers and music players, perform at their best in the film.
"Our artists' performances and talks provide audiences with the knowledge and beauty of traditional music and instruments," said Chung, the film's director.
He also added that through the DVD audiences could improve their knowledge of the different forms of music and could sing traditional tunes.
The film will be available in bookstores to celebrate 1,000 years of Hanoi . The film highlights Ca Tru, Hat Xam and Canh Hong Tu, three popular genres of music in the royal citadel of Thang Long (former name of Hanoi ).
Ca Tru (also known as Hat A Dao or ceremonial singing), an ancient genre of chamber music, features female vocalists who sing while playing music on bamboo tablets.
This was associated with a geisha-like form of entertainment.
The music was inscribed on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2009 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Hat Xam (blind buskers music) is a type of folk music dating from the Tran Dynasty in the 14th century.
It was generally performed by blind buskers who travelled around the citadel to earn their living by singing in common places like markets.
Xam artists often play Dan Bau (monochord) or Dan Nhi (two-chord fiddle) to accompany the song themselves. The most famous surviving artisan of the art form is Ha Thi Cau, a Hanoi resident.
Canh Hong Tu is the kind of music used in religious ceremonies which dates back thousands of years ago in Thang Long. -Enditem
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Record book honours monk
HCM City (VNA) — The Vietnam Records Book has recognised Most Venerable Thich Giac Toan as an individual who translated the most Zen poems written during the Ly and Tran dynasties (10th-14th century) from Han (classical Chinese language) into Vietnamese in the luc bat style (a six-word sentence followed by an eight-word sentence).
The Most Venerable Thich Giac Toan, whose pen name is Tran Que Huong, on Sept. 18, released a book Huong Thien Ngan Nam (The Spirit of Zen in Thousand Years) featuring 120 Zen poems written by Buddhist priests of the Ly and Tran dynasties. It includes 2,783 sentences.
The 700-page book, written from the beginning of the Lunar New Year to July, opens with a poem by priest La Quy and ends with a poem by priest Huyen Quang.
The Most Venerable Thich Giac Toan said he had decided to translate words featuring Buddhism from Han to Vietnamese in “luc bat” because all Vietnamese, from intellectuals to ordinary folk, hear this style of poetry even when they are newborns.
"So a luc bat poem is easy to enter readers' hearts," he said.
The book is a gift to Hanoi to celebrate the ceremony of the city's 1,000th anniversary.
The HCM City General Publishing House will print 15,000 copies of the book. Of those, 12,000 copies will be given to monks and nuns across the country while the remaining will be sold at bookstores nationwide.
The Most Venerable Thich Giac Toan became a monk at the age of 14 in the Mekong Delta's province of My Tho , and in the late 1960s began to write under the pen-name of Tha Phuong Khach. In the 1970s, he issued two poem books including Tang Pham Cho Doi (Gifts for People). In 1980, he changed his pen-name to Tran Que Huong.
The Most Venerable Thich Giac Toan is vice chairman of the HCM City Buddhist Sangha's Executive Board and deputy editor-in-chief of Giac Ngo newspaper.-Enditem
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Volumes up on uncertain start
Hanoi (VNA – Following Sept. 17 strong rally on the HCM City Stock Exchange, the VN-Index opened high at over 462 points but ended session essentially unchanged at 457.87 on Sept. 20.
The volume of trades, however, rose by 10 percent over the previous session level to over 53.8 million shares, with a combined value of 1.46 trillion VND (74.9 million USD).
Advancers outnumbered decliners during the session by 116-93, with five of the ten leading shares by capitalisation posting gains, including Eximbank (EIB), Sacombank (STB), Vincom (VIC), Bao Viet Holdings (BVH) and Phu My Fertilisers (DPM).
Ocean Group (OGC), the most-active share on the southern bourse with 3.4 million traded, lost nearly 2.2 percent of its value.
On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index closed up by 0.35 percent to 133.31 points. Volume reached 52.5 million shares, worth 1.28 trillion VND (65.6 million USD), while advancers narrowly outnumbered decliners by 137-123.
PetroVietnam Construction (PVX) continued to be the most heavily-traded share nationwide, with a volume of over 7.6 million shares. However, Kim Long Securities Co (KLS) saw a notable increase in volume, with over 7.2 million shares traded.
Foreign investors continued to demonstrate faith in the market, however. They picked up a net of nearly 4 million shares on both exchanges, worth a net of 131 billion VND (6.7 million USD). Ocean Group (OGC) was their most heavily-favoured share, with over 1.5 million bought.-Enditem
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