Himalayan thangka art to be showcased in VietnamHanoians will have the chance to witness the artistic and religious values of Himalayan thangka art and see artists at work using traditional materials from Nepal. — Photo courtesy of the organiserApproximately 80 thangka paintings will be showcased at an exhibition on June 2-3 in Hanoi and on June 9-10 in HCM City. This is the third time Himalayas Viet Nam has organised the event to exhibit and introduce thangka art in the two major cities. Aimed at giving art enthusiasts a chance to understand the art of enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism, the event will see the participation of some of the most talented thangka artists, including Shrestha Bibek. He is a leading artist at Images of Enlightenment, one of the most prestigious art schools in Nepal, where large thangka paintings for Nepali and Tibetan monasteries are made.

World Cup 2018: BBC iPlayer to stream matches in 4K HDRThe BBC is to stream dozens of World Cup matches live in 4K resolution and high dynamic range colour (HDR) to UK-based audiences in June and July. The BBC is promoting the trial as providing the "best ever picture quality" iPlayer has offered. BT began screening live sport in 4K in 2015, and Sky followed a year later, but neither do so in HDR. Restricted viewAll 29 of BBC One's World Cup matches are scheduled to be made available in 4K and HDR. "But it's an interesting way for people to see the World Cup."

Blockchain heats up Vietnam’s technology circleVietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam has recently become a blockchain R&D center in the region. Blockchain can be utilized in many fields, including agriculture productionVietnam has recently become a blockchain R&D center in the region. HI-TEK applies blockchain technology to book rooms and air tickets online which can connect 800,000 hotels and provide 150,000 flights all over the world and apply for visas. RELATED NEWS Vietnam lags behind Thailand in use of blockchain in agriculture Blockchain technology traces farm produce origin in VietnamMai ChiThe Blockchain Festival Vietnam organized by Huobi, one of the financial service providers, on May 24-25 in HCMC was the latest event related to modern technology. The event aims to connect leading experts in blockchain technology in Vietnam and the world.In late April, the Vietnam E-commerce Association (Vecom) set up the Blockchain Sub-association.

Vaping - the rise in five chartsFor travellers looking forward to their summer holidays, what to pack can be a source of stress. In an open system, the liquid that is vapourised can be refilled manually by the user. Closed system e-cigarettes use ready-made refills, which screw directly on to the e-cigarette's battery. Most e-cigarettes are purchased in-storeMost e-cigarette users buy their devices in specialist shops, according to a report published by Ernst & Young. In 2015, 35% of e-cigarette users surveyed across the UK, France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Russia and South Korea bought their devices in e-cigarette shops.

Quang Nam: resorts ‘swallow’ forests, ‘block’ seaVietNamNet Bridge - In the central province of Quang Nam, protective forests have been cleared to make room for resorts, while tourism projects have blocked the way to beaches. Resorts eat into protective forestsTwenty years ago, the entire coastal poplar forest from Da Nang to Hoi An was felled to make room for tourism projects, a part of the ‘revolution’ in the tourism industry initiated by Quang Nam province and Da Nang City. A multi-million dollar road with four lanes, called the ‘5-star road’ linking Da Nang and Hoi An was built. Twenty years ago, the entire coastal poplar forest from Da Nang to Hoi An was felled to make room for tourism projects, a part of the ‘revolution’ in the tourism industry initiated by Quang Nam province and Da Nang City. The poplar forest, which prevented wind, sand and sea wave attacks for many generations, no longer exists.

Education Ministry draws up exam scheme reform, then quickly recalls itVietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Education and Training’s (MOET) decision to withdraw an examination reform plan has posed a question about the ministry’s way of renovating education. “In the decision on recalling the plan, MOET wrote that the last exam was organized well and satisfied people. The Ministry of Education and Training’s (MOET) decision to withdraw an examination reform plan has posed a question about the ministry’s way of renovating education. The development of exam question bank that serves the 2018 high school finals is expected to cost VND84.7 billion. RELATED NEWSSchools ponder ban on entrance examsStudents prepare for this year’s tough high school entrance examsThanh Lich

Doctors warn foods no way to treat dehydrationVietNamNet Bridge – Doctors in Hanoi have warned parents to be more cautious when treating their children with food products that claim to contain Oral Rehydration Salts. It is important to prepare ORS strictly according to instructions to treat children with rehydration. It is important to prepare ORS strictly according to instructions to treat children with rehydration, he said. Patients need to drink hundreds of ml of ORS to treat dehydration,” he said. Many parents mistakenly believe that ORS-containing foods are the same as ORS prescribed by doctors, he said.

VietNamNet to merge with Vietnam Post newspaperThe electronic newspaper VietNamNet will merge with the Vietnam Post newspaper to become VietNamNet newspaper under a new decision issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on May 30. Accordingly, VietNamNet newspaper will be a public non-productive entity operating under the Press Law and relevant regulations. It will offer VietNamNet and Vietnam Post printed publications, and maintain the current Infonet e-newspaper as the electronic version of the Vietnam Post newspaper. Other publications include newspapers under associations that wish to be part of VietNamNet newspaper. VietNamNet newspaper is entitled to inherit all legitimate rights and obligations of Vietnam Post newspaper and VietNamNet e-newspaper.

1,200 people take oral prophylaxis to reduce risk of HIV infectionVietNamNet Bridge – Nearly 1,200 people at high risk of HIV have enrolled in a pilot oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) programme in Vietnam to reduce their risk of infection, according to the Viet Nam Administration for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC). Since 2015, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended the use of PrEP as part of a combination HIV prevention strategy that includes the use of condoms for people at substantial risk of HIV. The rising number of young addicts taking methamphetamine and other types of drugs poses challenges for rehab programmes and management of former addicts, Khiet said. The city is home to 19 State-owned and three private rehab facilities offering compulsory and voluntary rehabilitation programmes for drug addicts. Nguyen Thi Thu, deputy chairwoman of the city’s People’s Committee, said the high rate of relapse was the most serious challenge faced by rehab programmes.

Government issues warning on router-hacking virusThe Ministry of Information and Telecommunications’ Authority of Information Security on Tuesday warned that routers and storages in Viet Nam have been exposed to the VPNFilter virus. The VPNFilter virus has affected over 500,000 routers and storages in many countries, including Viet Nam. — Photo vov.vnThe virus has affected over 500,000 routers and storages in many countries, including Viet Nam, it said. The most vulnerable devices are Internet-connected routers and storages produced by popular brands like Linksys, Mikro Tik, Netgear, and TP-Link. The Authority has warned about lopes and weaknesses in the information security sector over the past few years.

Special class of Vietnamese UN Peacekeeper in Central AfricaJoining the UN peacekeeping force is not only the responsibility but also a great honour for each Vietnamese officer. One of such soldiers is Lieutenant Colonel Le Ngoc Son who devoted time to teach many children in Central African Republic. At a class of Lieutenant Colonel Le Ngoc Son and Central African children, the Vietnamese teacher is patiently teaching in English, sometimes in French, or even with some vague words that he learnt from the locals. Son said his fellow officers were so surprised when he said he was teaching local children. As a father of two little children, Son often tells his kids of those peers in one of the most difficult countries but are passionate for learning.

Couple turn hotel into place for orphansA couple has turned their hotel into accommodation for nearly 40 orphans and lonely elderly people. Just a few hundred metres from the popular tourist site Dai Nam, the Ngoc Quy hotel is built on nearly 1,000 square metres with 50 rooms. In 2012 while the hotel was faring well, the owners decided to use the hotel as a centre to take care of orphans and lonely elderly people. “Since I was a child, I have always wanted to help orphans and lonely elderly people. I also provide charity acupuncture for free and just receive vegetables, diapers or milk for the children,”said Do Thi Quy, a philanthropist.

Vietnam works to tackle alarming smoking issuesSupport hotlines have been set up and a tax hike has been mooted to tackle smoking in Vietnam, where more than 100 people are killed by smoking-related diseases per day. Smoking-related data in VietnamEvery year, Vietnam records approximately 40,000 smoking-related deaths. In 2015, Vietnamese smokers spent 31 trillion VND (1.36 billion USD) on tobacco, while total treatment expenses for smoking-related diseases exceeded 23 trillion VND (1.01 billion USD). An average tobacco pack is sold in Vietnam at fewer than 20,000 VND (0.87 USD), with the lowest price of 6,000 VND a pack. According to the World Health Organisation’s 2017 data, Vietnam was among 15 countries worldwide with lowest prices set for tobacco.

Ford's gear-box scandal reaches VietnamIn the afternoon of May 28, 76 Ford owners using Powershift gear-boxes filed a lawsuit against Ford Vietnam Ltd. at the Hai Duong People’s Court for the defective powershift gear-boxes and bad after-sales services at official dealers. These 76 people have purchased Ford vehicles manufactured between 2011 and 2017 by Ford Vietnam. Regarding Binh's complaints, Ford Vietnam's representative confirmed to VIR that: "We have many times worked with Binh to resolve the issue, but failed. zing.vn quoted Ford Vietnam’s representative as saying that ACCC’s decision only related to Ford branches in Australia and the country’s regulations. Regarding the gear-box failures in Vietnam, Ford Vietnam’s representative said: “We are continuing to work in accordance with the company’s policies to resolve any customer's complaints.”VIR

High-schooler offered scholarships by 11 US universitiesA pupil in HCM City has been offered various scholarships by 11 universities which are ranked by US News and World Report as among the 100 best colleges and universities in the US. Based on the achievements, Thanh was offered the highest merit-based scholarships. All 11 universities offered Thanh scholarships that are 50% to 90% discounts on tuition fees for four years. For example, the University of Denver offered USD104,000 in scholarships while the State University of New York - University at Buffalo offered a USD37,000 subsidy. However, his dream was realised after Heart of the Youth project for disabled children affected by the Agent Orange.