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Three scientists receive France’s Order of Merit
Hanoi (VNA) – The French Embassy in Vietnam on June 17 presented France’s Order of Agricultural Merit to three Vietnamese scientists for their significant contributions to the development of agronomy in Vietnam and the world.
The awardees include Dr. Nguyen Dang Vang, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Scientific and Technological Committee, who is ex-Director of the Animal Husbandry Science Institute, Professor Nguyen Van Bo, President of the Vietnam National Agricultural Science Institute, and Dr. Vu Chi Cuong, Deputy Director of the National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS).
According to the French Ambassador to Vietnam, Francois Girault, the Order of Agricultural Merit manifests recognision and a source of encouragement to individuals who make important contributions to researching, training and developing agronomy in Vietnam as well as in the world./.
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Cambodia sends soldiers to UN-led exercise in Thailand
Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia on June 16 sent 47 soldiers to Thailand to take part in the Ayara Guardian 2011, a multi-national peace-keeping exercise, which runs from June 13 to July 1.
Seeing off the soldiers at the Phnom Penh International Airport , Prak Sokhon, Secretary of State for the Council of Ministers and chairman of the National Coordination Committee of the United Nations Peacekeeping Operation, said that the exercise would be a good chance for Cambodian troops to learn from senior military trainers from the US , Indonesia , and the UN.
In addition, the participation in international exercises will help Cambodian soldiers strengthen their military capacity and also keep up with advanced military skills from other countries, Prak Sokhon said.
Tthe Ayara Guardian 2011 in Thailand is held by the UN./.
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Hanoi youths expand ties with Indochinese peers
Hanoi (VNA) – The Hanoi chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union has officially set up cooperative ties with its Phnom Penh counterpart during its June 9-15 working trip to neighbouring countries.
The Hanoi and Phnom Penh young people agreed to exchange visits annually along with conducting cultural exchanges, cadre training assistance, coordination in educating traditions for young people, and forging entrepreneurial linkages.
While in Phnom Penh, Hanoi youths laid flowers at the Memorial Monument to Vietnamese volunteers fallen in Cambodia and also visited the Toul Sleng prison where the Pol Pot regime tortured and killed tens of thousands of Cambodian civilians.
In Laos, Hanoi young people and their Vientiane peers discussed future cooperative activities, including the building of a website and organisation of Vietnamese language courses for the Vientiane Youth Union.
Hanoi youths pledged to continue maintaining annual visits and organising voluntary teams to Laos, and training Lao youth union officials.
The two sides affirmed that youth cooperation of the two capital cities is important to the two countries’ youth relations as well as bilateral ties./.
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Stone stele restored at Hue Royal College
Thua Thien -Hue (VNA) — The Bia Thi Hoc (stele that celebrates studying), which stands in front of the Quoc Tu Giam (Royal College) for sons of the state under the Nguyen dynasty, was unveiled on June 16 following a full restoration.
The stele was inscribed with King Tu Duc's (1829-83) article and four poems that celebrate and encourage studying and ask students to work hard, with a view toward becoming virtuous, knowledgeable people not tempted by fame and fortune.
The monument represents the great historical, cultural and artistic value of the country's last dynasty, and is integral to the citadel complex, which was named as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO.
The stele was restored as part of a Polish scheme for international aid last year, with a total investment of 600 million VND (29,000 USD), of which the Polish Embassy donated 18,700 USD.
The money was spent on strengthening the stone stele and erecting a roof to shelter it from weather.
Phung Phu, director of Hue 's Monuments Conservation Centre (MCC), praised the cooperation between Vietnam and Poland in restoring and conserving cultural heritage sites in Hue . The working relationship dates back to 1983 following UNESCO's appeal for international assistance to conserve Hue 's royal monuments.
"The stele project marks the return of Polish experts to conservation work of cultural heritage sites in Hue and the country as a whole," he said at the inauguration ceremony.
Polish ambassador Roman Iwaszkiewicz and director Phu also signed a deal to restore Linh Tinh Mon, one of the main gates of the Royal College , at the ceremony.
The Polish Embassy will contribute 25,500 USD toward the total investment of 86,600 USD needed to restore the gate. The project is expected to start in July and is set for completion by the end of the year.
The project aims to restore the delicate decoration of the gates, conserve the remainder of the monuments and transfer Polish techniques to local conservationist workers.
Linh Tinh Gate stands at the bank of the Perfume River and opens a path leading to Van Thanh Gate, the main gate of the Royal College . It symbolises Vietnamese appreciation of studying and students.
Once completed, the gate will become a landmark monument decorating the bank of the Perfume River . It also marks a step further into full restoration of the entire Royal College .
Noted for its advanced conservationist science, Poland in the 1980s and 1990s assisted Vietnam in major restoration projects./.
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Parents blamed for children's accidents at home
HCM City (VNA) — The carelessness of parents has been blamed to an increasing number of injuries of children, the HCM City Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, has said.
At a workshop on prevention of child accidents held recently in HCM City , Phan Thanh Minh, head of the department's Children Protection Office, said the number of children injured at home has increased year-by-year since 2005.
More than 22,400 injuries from accidents occurred in 2005, and the number increased to 26,800 in 2009 and 25,000 in 2010, according to reports from hospitals in the city.
Residents' awareness about accident prevention and the risk of accidents in the home is still low, although the city has implemented many programmes on accidents and injury prevention as well as disseminated information on safety at home, Minh said.
She discovered during field trips that many households in the districts of Binh Chanh, Cu Chi and Hoc Mon had unsafe conditions.
For example, children could reach and play with chemical sprays easily and the electrical system, including circuit breakers or sockets, were not covered.
In addition, ponds and lakes around the home were not protected by barriers, Minh said.
Currently, the city has 33 areas where trains travel without a surrounding fence, causing danger to children.
The department's report showed more than 43,000 injuries caused by accidents among children under 14 years old occurred in 2010, an increase of nearly 2,000 over 2009.
Among them, the number of accidents caused by falls was high, followed by traffic accidents.
Minh said that the city this year would focus on guiding families on ways to increase safety in and around the home.
Families with children under 14 years old should arrange furniture and other items that could cause harm to children out of their reach, she advised.
They also should regularly check the electrical system in their home to ensure safety for children, she added.
Moreover, the department will work with some hospitals in the city to provide knowledge of first aid to teachers when accidents occur in schools.
The department also will submit to the People's Committee a plan on how to improve living environment in the city, especially its areas with rivers and rural areas./.
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FIFA boosts support to Vietnam
Hanoi (VNA) - FIFA had approved the fourth phase of a project to nurture football in Vietnam , a source from the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) said.
The project was initiated by FIFA President Joseph S Blatter in 1998 with the aim of helping developing countries foster a football culture among their youngsters. So far, it has provided funding for the construction of the VFF's headquarters, a youth academy, training facilities and a coach for the men's national team.
An official from the VFF said FIFA had approved its Goal Project 4 during a meeting in Zurich earlier this month.
FIFA will allocate funds to Vietnam , which will be used to invest in two floodlighting systems for artificial pitches in Hanoi , as well as a fitness training facility.
FIFA provided 375,000 USD for the VFF headquarters during the 1998-2003 period, and another 600,000 USD for the youth academy between 2005-07./.
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VN elected to UNESCO culture diversity committee
Paris (VNA) – Vietnam has been elected as a member of the inter-governmental committee of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions of the UNESCO.
Vietnam , together with China and Laos , will represent the Asia-Pacific in the committee.
The election took place at the third plenary session of the Convention member countries held in Paris on June 14-15.
At the session, Vietnam delivered a presentation on its experience in preserving and promoting culture diversity./.
BUSINESS
Shares rise on confidence increase
Hanoi (VNA) — The VN-Index advanced 0.84 percent to close on June 16's trading at 445.17 points – the first rising session of the week – while liquidity continued to decline.
On the HCM Stock Exchange, 34.5 million shares, worth 572.9 billion VND (27.8 million USD), changed hands, representing a decline of 31 percent in volume and 33 percent in value.
Advancers outnumbered decliners by 152-71, blue chips leading market rebound. Eight out of 10 of the largest capitalised shares, including real estate developer Vincom (VIC), hit the ceiling price of 5 percent for the fourth day in a row.
Saigon Securities Inc (SSI) shares were the most actively traded with 2.6 million exchanged on June 16, closing at the ceiling price of 19,900 VND (0.97 USD).
Only insurer Bao Viet Holdings (BVH) decreased 1.8 percent while dairy giant Vinamilk (VNM) closed unchanged.
On the Hanoi Stock Exchange, the HNX-Index climbed 1.21 percent to close on June 16's session at 78.68 points.
Trading value exceeded that of the HCM City market, reaching 720 billion VND (35 million USD) on a volume of 58.3 million shares, a rise of around 22 percent in both volume and value compared to Wednesday.
Gainers narrowly outnumbered losers by 141-139, with Kim Long Securities (KLS) shares continuing to be the most heavily traded nationwide by a volume of 7.4 million.
Foreign investors returned as net sellers on the HCM City bourse after just one session of net buying, unloading over 4.5 million shares, worth 44.6 billion VND (2.2 million USD). Foreign investors remained as net buyers on the Ha Noi bourse, picking up just over 2 billion VND (102,400 USD) worth of shares./.
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