The Trust Fund for Forests (TFF) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on April 18 singed three agreements to provide 4.67 million euros for three forestry development projects.

“Caring for disabled people, including the blind, is the Vietnamese people’s a fine tradition and good deed. I hope this should be practised more frequently to help the blind overcome difficulties and integrate well into society,” said Dao Soat, President of the Vietnam Blind Association in a recent interview with VOVNews.

This is a record figure since the first contest was organized in 2003. The figure is expected to rise to approximately 1,000 in early May.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung has demanded that resettlement plans for people who need to relocate when infrastructure projects encroach upon their daily lives be carried out in a manner that is sustainable to their needs.

58 provinces and cities nationwide have vaccinated as many as 70.5 million poultry during the first vaccination phase of 2007.

Vietnam has more than 5.3 million people with disabilities, accounting for 6.4 percent of its total population. Of this total, about 69 percent are of working age. Disabled people have the rights to healthcare services, education, and cultural and vocational training activities which will aid them in seeking employment, receiving equal treatment and fully integrating into the community.

Australia will grant 1.5 million Australian dollars to Vietnam in the next three years to assist the country’s landmine victims, said Greg Hunt, Australia’s Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The Netherlands Government has agreed to finance Vietnam 3.7 million euros to build 140,000 more biogas units for small farms nationwide, said Dutch Ambassador Andre Haspels at a ceremony in Hanoi on April 16 to announce the presentation of Energy Globe Award.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has granted a US$34-million loan to help Vietnam achieve universal quality secondary education and further inclusive social development.

An impressive VND10 billion is contributed by businesses, organisations and individuals to help support the handicapped and orphans at the 4th charity cultural show “One world-One heart” held in Hanoi on April 15.

Some Vietnamese women have decided not to get married as they want to spend their time taking care of orphans at the SOS Orphanage Village in Hanoi, and they have been rewarded with a warm response from children who affectionately call them “mother”.

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (VFF CC) Pham The Duyet has sent a congratulatory message to ethnic Khmer people to mark their traditional New Year Festival, Chol Chnam Thmay, which falls on April 14-15.

Sydney Fred Hollows Fund (FHF) will continue to assist the south-central province of Binh Ding in the blindness prevention programmes, according to Virginia Sarah, FHF Acting Director.

Vietnam’s programme on biological gas for animal husbandry has been given the Energy Globe Award, one of the world’s most prestigious environmental prizes.

Vietnam and the Czech Republic have vowed to intensify their cooperation in environmental protection, focusing on the management of refuse, and waste water to bring degraded areas back to their original state.

The Vietnamese government on April 11 issued a decree on the application of information technology (IT) in government agencies.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the World Bank has signed an agreement on funding Vietnam’s avian and human influenza control and preparedness project in Hanoi on April 12.

In the face of unreasonable increases in drug prices, the Ministry of Health has decided to set up inspection groups and has asked inspectors from local health services to focus on examining the implementation of regulations on controlling drug prices at production and distribution units in Hanoi and HCM City.

A meeting to mark the 32nd anniversary of Truong Sa (Spratlys) Liberation Day (April 29) has been held in Truong Sa Island District off the central coastline of Khanh Hoa province.

Health workers have a perilously high chance of catching blood diseases, including HIV, because of safety limits at Vietnamese hospitals and clinics, according to a recent Government report.

Veterans from Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) who once stood on opposing sides of the American war more than thirty years ago, are now cooperating in an effort to aid the victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin sprayed in Vietnam by the US army.

The contest aims to improve and enhance the quality of educating primary school children who are facing difficult circumstances.

More than 400 Vietnamese students studying in France took part in a number of activities in support of Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange. The event was held on the sidelines of the Vietnamese Student Football Tournament in France on April 8-9.

The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) held a conference in Hanoi on April 10 to review the implementation of Resolution 36 of the Party Politburo regarding overseas Vietnamese and the Government’s action programme to implement it.

Vietnam’s VINASAT satellite system will be launched into the 132 degree east orbital slot, 36,000 km from the Earth, in April 2008. The event is expected to give impetus to the Vietnam telecommunications sector during its integration into the region and the world.

Currently, more than 400,000 Vietnamese labourers are working in 40 countries and territories throughout the world. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs is striving to increase the number of guest workers to export 100,000 labourers a year as from 2010. It set the target of having 1 million regular labourers working abroad every year as from 2015. Can the target be fulfilled?

Over the past years, many local enterprises have become fully aware of the importance of Public Relations (PR) activities. More and more young people pursue this new career. However, they are not receiving proper training.

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Vinh Trong has asked the Ministry of Public Security to look into the shortcomings of the fight against the trafficking in women and children and how to adopt effective measures to put a stop to this kind of crime.

A ceremony marking the birthday of the Goddess of Mercy was held in Central Da Nang City on April 6 as the main part of the Quan The Am Festival.

Vietnam is mobilising all resources to prevent bird flu in human, improve public awareness of the disease, and store enough medicines for possible outbreaks, said Minister of Health Tran Thi Trung Chien at a ceremony in Hanoi on April 6 to mark the World Health Day (April 7).