New storm likely to hit East Sea; Buddhists show gratitude to ancestors; Seasonal change increases respiratory diseases in children; Vietnam, Laos cooperate in archives; JICA helps train senior executive officials

New storm likely to hit East Sea

A depression formed in the northern part of the East Sea strengthened into a low pressure system on August 21 and is likely to become a tropical storm in the coming days.

At 01.00am on August 22, the system was positioned at 15.8-16.8 degrees north latitude and 115.8-116.8 degrees east longitude, about 450km from Hoang Sa archipelago, with winds gusting at between 39-49kmph near its centre.

In the next 24 hours, the low pressure system is expected to move between west and north-west at a speed of 5-10 kph and to strengthen further. It will cause strong winds and rough seas in the area around the Hoang Sa islands.

Buddhists show gratitude to ancestors

Thousands of Buddhist dignitaries, monks and nuns, and followers attended a festival in HCM City on August 22 to pay respect to their ancestors and pray for peace, happiness and prosperity for their families and the nation.

The solemn ritual was held at Suoi Tien Amusement Park by the HCM City Chapter of the Buddhist Sangha.

It was part of the Vu Lan Festival observed by Vietnamese people on the 15th day of the 7th lunar month to show gratitude to their parents. This year, the festival falls on August 24. According to Buddhist tradition, on that day, the people prepare a feast to offer their ancestors, and support wandering souls.

On August 24, about 500 Theravada Buddhist laymen will conduct a mendicant ritual and sit meditatively, illustrating the hardship Buddhists must experience to reach enlightenment.

The Amusement Park has offered free entrance to pilgrims and donated 300 tonnes of rice to families living in difficulty in HCM City’s neighbouring provinces.

Contest to select best hotel receptionists

Nearly 140 contestants from 26 provinces and cities nationwide will join a contest to select best hotel receptionists in the tourism sector, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).

The event, which will be held from September 12-15 in Hanoi, is part of activities to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi and National Tourism Year-Hanoi 2010. It aims to honour outstanding receptionists who have contributed to improving the quality of tourism services.

The qualifying rounds, which include professional skills and foreign languages, will take place in Hanoi from September 12-14. The top ten contestants will go on to enter the final round scheduled for September 15.

Seasonal change increases respiratory diseases in children

The number of children treated in Hanoi clinics for respiratory diseases surged last week due to the change in weather from summer to autumn.

Each day, Saint Paul hospital in Ba Dinh district and Thanh Nhan hospital in Hai Ba Trung district receive between 200-300 children, many of whom are diagnosed with pneumonia or bronchitis with varying degrees of complications.

Nguyen Tho Khao, director of the North Thang Long hospital, said respiratory diseases can become serious and life threatening, especially in infants below three months of age, malnourished babies, or young children with chronic diseases.

Cold winds and high humidity cause children vulnerable to lung and throat diseases, according to Dr Khao.

Dr Khao added that viruses, including flu, are the main cause of respiratory diseases in children.

Vietnam, Laos cooperate in archives

Vietnam and Laos signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in Vientiane on August 21 to draw up cooperation plans in the archival area in 2011 and the 2011-2015 period.

Signatories to the MoUs were Oun kham L.Southivong, head of the Laos National Archive Department and Vu Thi Minh Huong, head of the State Department for Records and Archive.

Under the MoUs, both sides highlighted the results of implementing cooperation plans in the past and agreed to work closely to put into operation the National Archives Centre in Vientiane in the first quarter of this year.

In addition, Vietnam will continue to help Laos train officials, transfer technologies and use the centre effectively.

The two sides will also ask their governments for permissions to exchange a list of documents relevant to the history of countries and continue to share documents on archival skills, and related activities.

Central African Republic, Vietnam cooperate in job training

The Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and the Minister and Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the Central African Republic, signed an agreement in Hanoi on August 28 to cooperate in job and technical training.

Under the agreement, the two sides will work together to train mineral exploration workers and create a high quality pilot training centre in the Central African Republic.

Vietnam will receive teachers and students from the country to study and work in its training centres and send its experts and trainers to help the Central African Republic improve technical capacity and activities.

Both countries committed to mobilise all the technical and financial resources of their partners, especially the International Organisation of the Francophonie to achieve the goals set in the agreement.

In the future, experts from the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will conduct a field trip to the Central African Republic.

JICA helps train senior executive officials

Sixteen business executives have completed a refresher course funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Addressing the closing ceremony in Hanoi on August 20, Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Sakaba Mitsuo hoped that graduates will become trailblazers in the development of support industries in Vietnam in the near future.

JICA said the organisation will continue support more for other similar courses over the next 4 years. The second course will begin in October 2010, enrolling 25 students.

It is expected that by 2014 about 100 outstanding officials will have graduated from the course.

Japanese relief organisation helps AO victims in Ninh Binh

Japanese Love Vietnam, a Japanese non-government organisation, presented gifts and scholarships to children of AO victims in the northern province of Ninh Binh on August 20.

The organisation offered 6 scholarhips, worth VND1.5-1.8 million each and hundreds of notebooks and school supplies to disadvantaged pupils in two primary schools in Yen Khanh and Son Thanh districts. It also granted permanent monthly scholarship of VND350,000 to one pupil who was an AO victim.

Over the past years, the organisation has sent teams and medical experts to disadvantaged areas in Vietnam to support the local people.

Yato, a representative of Japanese Love Vietnam, said that since both Vietnam and Japan suffered tremendous losses during the wartime, the Japanese want to share sympathy with the Vietnamese through practical activities to ease the pain and encourage the children to achieve their future dreams.

The organistion also visited other cities and provinces including Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Vinh Phuc and Phu Tho.

PV