A festival and cultural exchange entitled “War Memories and a Desire for Peace” will be held in the central province of Quang Tri to mark the 62nd anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27).

The Prime Minister has approved a project to improve public awareness and community based disaster risk management.

The Director of Central Hygiene and Epidemiology Institute, Dr. Nguyen Tran Hien said on July 14 that therapeutic treatments for A/H1N1 infected patients are paying off, with most recovering quickly and no fatalities reported so far.

Ho Chi Minh City will be turned into a greener, bigger urban zone with the city centre being expanded in all four directions, linking up with urban areas in neighbouring provinces, according to recent re-zoning plans.

The Ho Chi Minh City Computer Association (HCA) presented 32 gold medals and 34 Top ICT Vietnam Cups to information and communications technology (ICT) companies in recognition of their contributions to the development of the sector on July 14.

The Ministry of Public Security on July 14 announced the establishment of an amnesty consultancy council in preparation for the second amnesty this year, which will fall on September 2 (Vietnam’s National Day).

The 2009 International Conference on Information Technology and Communications opened in the central city of Da Nang on July 14.

The Ho Chi Minh City Computer Association (HCA) presented 32 gold medals and 34 Top ICT Vietnam Cups to information and communications technology (ICT) companies in recognition of their contributions to the development of the sector on July 14.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in cooperation with the Ministry of Health is setting up safety and hygiene standards for imported meats and viscera.

The Outgoing Russian Ambassador to Vietnam, Vadim Seraphimov, was awarded the Medal for Peace and Friendship among Nations by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisation (VUFO) on July 14.

A campaign will be launched on August 10 to mobilize support for victims of Agent Orange (AO).

Six officials of the Ministries of Transport, Health and Public Security and the National Committee for Traffic Safety are attending a 10-day training course on traffic safety which will close in Washington DC and Phoenix city of Arizona State on July 17.

A two-month campaign to tackle the trafficking of women and children will start next week.

According to the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL), more than 100,000 workers lost their jobs in the first half of this year, including more than 35,000 in Hanoi and 20,000 in HCM City. The rest belonged to Binh Duong, Danang, Hai Phong and Hai Duong.

An annual meeting has been held in the capital City of Seoul between The Voice of Vietnam (VOV) and Korea’s Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC).

The Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and head of the Vietnamese Students Association, Nguyen Dac Vinh, received World Federation of Democratic Youth chairman Tiago Vieira in Hanoi on July 13.

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan will hand over gifts to poor families, which served during the country’s revolutionary wars in the north-western provinces of Dien Bien and Lai Chau during her visit to the areas from July 13-15.

Vietnam will host the Presidential and Secretary General’s meeting of the Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN)’s humanitarian associations over August 13-14.

As of July 13 afternoon, 247 patients out of the total 299 confirmed cases of A/H1N1 have been discharged from hospital, according to the Health Ministry.

Orange Day will be observed in Vietnam for the first time on August 10 to gather domestic and international support for victims of Agent Orange/dioxin.

Vietnam plans to send 90,000 workers abroad to work under contract this year. However, it is a big challenge for the labour sector as it only exported 33,435 workers in the first half of this year, meeting 37 percent of the yearly plan.

A US$150,000 project to build kindergartens for ethnic minority communities in the Central Highland Province of Dak Lak has been signed recently between the provincial People’s Committee and the United Nations High Commissioner for Regugees (UNHCR).

Tropical storm Soudeler hit the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong city, then weakened into a tropical depression on July 12, according to the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Centre.

An additional 10 patients tested positive for A(H1N1) flu on July 12, bringing the total of confirmed cases to 295 by 5 pm the same day.

A ceremony was held in central Da Nang city on July 12 to inaugurate the city’s Orthopaedics-Rehabilitation Hospital.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade have awarded its insignias to six overseas Vietnamese in Canada in recognition of their contributions to the development of the country’s industry and trade.

A seminar was held in the central city of Hue on July 10 to examine ways of addressing unexploded cluster bombs and other ordinance left in Vietnam.

Storm Soudeler ripped through the northern coastal region on the afternoon of July 12 and lashed the area with heavy rains, according to the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Centre.

Health officials on July 11 confirmed six more cases of A/H1N1 influenza infection, bringing the country’s total number of positive cases to 285.

Vietnamese paediatricians have performed free surgery on nearly 100 children with congenital defects in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang.