Vietnam emphasises obligation to solve disputes peacefully at UNSC debateAmbassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Head of Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, stressed the obligation of each and every State to solve disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law while attending a UN Security Council debate on May 17. Themed “Upholding International Law within the Context of the Maintenance of International Peace and Security”, the UNSC open debate attracted delegates of over 70 member states. Delegates agreed that international law plays an indispensable role in preserving the rule-based international order, and serves as a foundation for international peace and security. However, the respect for international law is facing numerous challenges. In this context, the international community, especially the UN Security Council, must continue to uphold and promote the compliance with the international law, and the implementation of Security Council resolutions.

Nguyen Nhat Nam wins stage, secures yellow jerseyNguyen Nhat Nam finished first at the eighth stage of the Return to the Countryside cycling tournament to take the yellow jersey off the leading athlete yesterday. Nguyen Nhat Nam cross the finish line of the eighth stage of the Return to the Countryside cycling tournament. Nam’s remarkable performance not only brought him the stage win but also pushed him to top of the overall ranking. He replaced Quach Tien Dung of the Military Zone 7 who held the yellow jersey from the fourth stage. The next stage is 100km from Moc Hoa District of Long An Province to Hong Ngu District of Dong Thap Province.

Vietnamese actress debuts in Cannes as producerVietnamese actress Nha Phuong has appeared at the Cannes Film Festival to screen short film Infill & Full Set at Festival Corner. Actress Nha Phuong is present at Cannes Film Festival 2018 to show her short film Infill and Full Set. "The short film brings me to Cannes," said the actress. This year, other short film Pas D’yeux (Faceless) by Nguyen Phan Thao Dao will also be screened at the corner. Hai Phuong (Furie) is on sale at the film market in the framework of the Cannes Film Festival 2018.-VNA

English tutor fined, training centres dissolvedVietNamNet Bridge – An English tutor in Hanoi was fined for using inappropriate terms to address her student and running tuition classes without a licence. A still from the footage which shows an English tutor in Hanoi verbally fighting with one of her students. — Photo vietnamplus.vnInspectors from the Ha Noi Department of Education and Training on Tuesday imposed VND5 million (US$220) on Nguyen Thi Kim Tuyen and VND20 million ($880) on the MST English Training Institute where she was director. The department also decided to dissolve all three English training centres under MST. It concluded that the three MST English training centres, located in narrow alleys, were not registered for foreign language training.

Vietnam to host event on rice bran oilVietnam will welcome over 200 experts and researchers from around the world to participate in the fifth International Conference on Rice Bran Oil in Hanoi from May 23-25. Themed “Rice Bran Oil - The World’s Premium Healthy Oil”, the seminar will discuss strategies to promote the development and utilisation of rice bran oil and improve its branding and trade in the international market. This is the fifth year IARBO (International Association of Rice Bran Oil) has organised the conference to promote the production of rice bran oil in its five member countries of China, India, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam. The event will be attended by representatives of the world’s leading rice bran oil producers, such as Thailand’s Medifood, Japan’s Tsuno and Oryza groups, and more. Cái Lân Oils and Fats Industries Company, which owns refined rice oil brand Simply, said its refinery required modern machinery and advanced technology to keep intact the nutrition of Gamma-Oryzanol and balance fatty acid groups in rice oil.

Economic alliance members in central region fight, don’t uniteVietNamNet Bridge - The link among economic and industrial areas in the Central Region Key Economic Zone remains very weak after 10 years of development. The EZs and IZs have been playing an important role in the development of local economies, generating jobs and accelerating economic restructuring. The EZs and IZs have been playing an important role in the development of local economies, generating jobs and accelerating economic restructuring. “We need another approach to IZs, EZs, foreign investment and key economic zones so as to change the situation,” he said. An analyst pointed out that it is still unclear what ‘region’s key economic zone’ means.

DR Congo Ebola outbreak: WHO in emergency talks as cases spreadThe World Health Organization (WHO) is to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the risk of Ebola spreading from the Democratic Republic of Congo. It can spread rapidly through contact with small amounts of bodily fluid, and its early flu-like symptoms are not always obvious. WHO has previously admitted that it was too slow to respond to a deadly Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2014-2016 that killed more than 11,000 people. Senior WHO official Peter Salama said the spread to Mbandaka meant there was the potential for an "explosive increase" in cases. The 2014-16 West Africa outbreak became particularly deadly when it spread to the capitals of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

US$2 billion for One Commune, One Product programmeThe Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) launched the One Commune, One Product (OCOP) programme worth nearly 45 trillion VND (about 2 billion USD) on May 17. According to the Central Coordination Office on New Rural Development, OCOP is an economic development programme in rural areas focusing on increasing internal power and values, contributing to the implementation of the National Target Programme on New Rural Development for 2016-2020. Specifically, there are 2,584 products in food, 1,041 in beverages, 231 in herbals, 186 in fabric and garment, 580 in souvenirs – interior décor, 201 in rural tourism services. As of late April, 60 out of 63 cities and provinces built the frame OCOP programme at the provincial level, 30 of which already completed the programme design and 28 others are collecting feedback before approval. It will also develop 500 SMEs and cooperatives joining the programme, boost trade and marketing of OCOP products, and offer training to 1,200 State management officials and executives of firms and cooperatives.

President Tran Dai Quang hosts Cambodian Foreign MinisterPresident Tran Dai Quang on May 17 hosted Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn who is in Vietnam to co-chair the 16th meeting of the Vietnam-Cambodia Joint Commission on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technological Cooperation. President Tran Dai Quang (R) receives Cambodian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak SokhonnThe State leader congratulated Cambodian people on the achievements they have obtained, while showing his delight at the growth of the Vietnam-Cambodia partnership in all fields from politics, diplomacy, defence to economy, trade and investment, benefiting people of both sides. He asked Minister Prak Sokhonn to convey his regards to King Norodom Sihamoni and expressed his wish to welcome the King to visit Vietnam latter the year. For his part, Minister Prak Sokhonn noted that Vietnam and Cambodia jointly held many specific activities to mark the Friendship Year 2017 and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. The Vietnamese leader also suggested that Minister Prak Sokhonn continue contributing to the reinforcement of the sound neighbourliness, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and long-term sustainability between Cambodia and Vietnam.-VNA

Vietnam has invested in 196 projects in Cambodia with total registered capital of 2.94 billion USD, mostly in agro-forestry sector, making Vietnam one of the five biggest foreign investors in Cambodia. At the same time, Cambodian firms have invested in 18 projects in Vietnam with combined investment of 58.12 million USD. Vietnamese investors in Cambodia have been highly valued by Prime Minister Hun Sen and other Cambodian leaders for significant contributions to the socio-economic development of Cambodia. Every year, Vietnam has granted hundreds of scholarships to Cambodian students, while Cambodia has also helped Vietnam in personnel training. Vietnam and Cambodia will continue enhancing ties among localities and within the framework of the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam triangle development.

Vietnamese track-and-field athletes head to TaiwanViet Nam will send 11 athletes to take part in the Taiwan Athletics Open later this month. Bui Van Dong is one of Vietnamese athletes at the coming Taiwan Athletics Open. — File PhotoThey will compete in different events of men’s and women’s long jump, 400m, 4x400m relay, women’s high jump and women’s 100m hurdle and 200m at the Taipei Stadium. According to the organisers, the meeting, on May 25-26, is considered the most important event for many East Asian and South East Asian countries. Many Asian elite athletes use this meeting to reach qualification standard for Olympic Games, World Championships and Asian Games.

China car app Didi updates safety measures after murderChina's leading car-hailing firm is overhauling its service following the murder of one of its users. The proposals were made 10 days after a 21-year-old air stewardess was killed after booking a ride via Didi Chuxing's Hitch app in the city of Zhengzhou. Didi Chuxing claims to be the world's largest ride-hailing service, with more than 450 million users and 21 million drivers. The young woman - Li Mingzhu - was found dead earlier this month after hailing a Hitch service. The Hitch service has previously faced criticism from users who complain that the app allows drivers to leave comments on their profiles regarding their appearance.

Hanoi’s violations in managing big-sized advertising billboardsInspectors in the capital city have pointed out a series of violations committed by the municipal Department of Culture and Sports in managing large-sized outdoor advertising billboards, Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported. Among 319 licenced applications inspected, 221 applications failed to show documents to prove the right of owning or using advertising billboards following the Advertising Law. The number of over-sized advertising panels increased from 67 in 2014 to 190 in the middle of 2016. Local authorities of Soc Son District where the airport is located said that the booming of the advertising billboards is “out of control”. However, managing advertising panels are the responsibility of local authorities.

HR qualities come under the spotlightGlobal co-operation and education are the keys to improving the quality of Viet Nam’s human resources in the digital age, Australian and Vietnamese experts agreed at a panel discussion in Hanoi yesterday. Viet Nam is experiencing a period known as the “golden population structure”. The requirements of socio-economic development puts pressure on Viet Nam to dramatically increase the number of skilled workers available. He said Vietnamese workers are knowledgeable but have problems with their skills. According to World Economic Forum, Viet Nam ranks 64 out of 130 nations for the World Human Capital Index 2017.

Mekong Delta needs new vision of tourism development: BCGRepresentatives of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) have suggested Mekong Delta localities set forth a new vision and solutions for tourism development. They suggested Can Tho, as the central city of the region, focus on natural exploration, entertainment and cultural experience while developing tourism. They said with pristine islets like Con Son, Con Au, Con Khuong and Tan Loc, along with orchards, Can Tho is suitable for leisure tourism and natural exploration. The number of tourist arrivals surged 40 percent to 7.5 million, while tourism revenues rose 61 percent to 2.9 trillion VND (127.6 million USD). The city aims to serve 2.45 million holiday-makers overnight in 2018, up 28.9 percent against 2017.-VNA