Tin nga('n VN

[Dam Son <son@fermi.phys.washington.edu>]

Culture and sport:

An exhibition of more than 30 paintings by Le Thua Tien and Bradford
Edwards is currently taking place at Blue Space Gallery, 1 Le Thi Hong Gam
Street, District 1, HCMC. Le Thua Tien is a painter of Hue origin, and has
worked for Hue Fine Arts University during the past seven years. Bradford
Edwards, a Californian doctor of communications, is a self-taught painter.
The exhibition will last through April 29. 

"The Sounds of Today" is the name of a musical program to be held on April
25 at HCMC Labor Cultural House, 55B Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District
1, HCMC. The program is expected to be attended by the best singers of the
circles of employees in HCMC, those winning high prizes in musical
festivals and "golden singers" of '95. 

The HCMC Youth League, in coordination with the District 11 Cultural
Company, will organize a children's book fair - Summer '97 at the HCMC
Children's House between May 31 and June 8. 

The second HCMC International Tennis Tournament, sponsored by Heineken,
will take place between April 27 and May 4 at Lan Anh Sports Club, 291
Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, District 10, HCMC. The tournament will be
attended by 32 tennis players (including 12 women) from Cambodia, India,
Iran, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand. The
tournament comprises men's and women's singles and doubles competitions,
with the total value of prizes is US$25,000. At the first tournament in
1995, a Thai tennis player became men's singles champion after defeating a
Vietnamese candidate in the final match. 

According to an agreement recently signed between the Voice of Vietnam
(VOV) and the NHK radio and television station, the Japanese partner will
conduct a broadcasting program entitled "Hanoi-Tokyo radio transmission
bridge" on April 29.  The program, which will be broadcast from 7:00 to
7:30 p.m. from the headquarters of VOV.


Environment:

During the first three months of 1997, the Hanoi Forest Management Bureau,
in coordination with related agencies, uncovered some cases of trading and
transporting rare, precious wild animals. So far this year, the force has
released 900 wild animals of different species back to the forests. Of
these, there were some rare, animals such as spotted panthers, vooc (a
type of monkey), and forest cats. 

Reports of the Hanoi Parks and Greenery Company show that storks are
presently returning to Hoa Binh (Peace) Islet in Lenin Park in Hanoi. The
municipal authorities recently issued a document asking the above company
to stop organizing recreational activities on the islet and its
surroundings to safeguard the habitat of the storks. 

Daklak Province now has only 166 domesticated elephants including 36 in
Don Village, 28 in Ea Sup, 25 in La Village, and 26 in Krong Bong. 


Misc:

Two bronze drums were discovered on April 8 on the Krong Nang Coffee Farm
in the Central Highlands province of Daklak. 

The Hanoi Service of Labor, War Invalids and Social Welfare has completed
the project to eliminate the Giang Vo labor "market" and to provide jobs
for the laborers at the market. 

Many cracks of 0.4mm-0.6mm have been founded on the arch of the machine
compartment of Yaly Hydropower Plant which is under construction. Measures
to overcome the problem are being implemented.

Lightening struck the 100-m antenna of the Post Office in Kontum
Municipality, damaging the mechanical parts of the antenna, nearly 2,000
telephone sets and dozens of TVs of those who live along Le Hong Phong St.
Communication between said Post Office and other localities was
disconnected for two days (April 21 and 22), Kontum Post Office contacted
the Swedish firm Ericsson in Vietnam to repair the remainder in line with
valid contracts.

A scientific conference to report the research and investigation on the
South China Sea conducted last year, by Vietnam and the Philippines, was
held in Hanoi with the participation of several scientists of the two
countries.