PARIS: Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, will represent the country and carry out charity work but not have the official status of First Lady, following opposition to giving her such a title, the presidency announced on Monday (Aug 21). This file photo taken on Jul 14, 2017 shows Brigitte Macron (C), wife of French President, smiling ahead of the start of the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris. (Photo: AFP/Alain Jocard) A proposal by Macron during campaigning earlier this year to create a new First Lady status has been shelved, but the presidency had promised to clarify her position and the resources at her disposal. The former school teacher will have two presidential advisors and her own cabinet, paid for from Macron's budget, and will focus on working … [Read more...]

The French presidency said Monday that Brigitte Macron, the wife of President Emmanuel Macron, would have a official role representing France but would not be paid or have her own budget or staff. A proposal by Macron during campaigning earlier this year to create a new First Lady status for her has been shelved following an outcry, but the presidency had promised to clarify her position and the resources at her disposal. A statement from the presidency said she would "represent France at her husband's side during international summits and meetings" and would also organize meetings at the Elysee Palace. Her work would involve supporting charities and meeting regularly with representatives from organizations working in the fields of education, disabilities, health and child protection. "It's not a legal status but a commitment which concerns Brigitte Macron for the duration of Emmanuel Macron's term in office and will not be binding for her successors," said a source … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – In the hot mid-day sun, a boy walking with a big school bag on the street in front of his shop showed signs of suffering from a heat stroke. Moving gesture: Poor students with bikes they received from Le Van Thai. Photo tienphong.vn Le Van Thai, who saw the boy almost everyday, told him to get out of the sun and rest in his small bicycle repair shop for a while. The boy told Thai that he walked a long way to school and back because his parents did not have enough money to buy a bicycle for him. He said his parents had encouraged him to learn, saying they would save enough money to buy him a new bike one day. The boy’s story took Thai on a trip down memory lane. He was born in 1975 in the central province of Quang Ngai. Like many children in the countryside, apart from his studies, Thai had to … [Read more...]

New adventurous tours in the northern province of Hà Giang will open soon, giving tourists all the more reason to visit. Breathtaking: A tourist looking down Tu Sản Canyon in Hà Giang Province. - Photo bp.blogspot.com This was unveiled at a conference to promote provincial tourism attended by local authorities and travel agents yesterday in Hà Nội. Lùng Khúy Cave, Chiêu Lầu Thi Peak and Tu Sản Canyon are three attractive destinations to be presented to travellers, according to Đặng Quốc Sử, director of the Hà Giang Tourist Information and Promotion Centre. Chiêu Lầu Thi is the second highest mountain in the province at 2,142m above sea level, Lùng Khúy is a newly-discovered cave with impressive stalactites, while … [Read more...]

The kangaroo emblem of 100 per cent Australian-owned SSESteel Limited (THEP UC) celebrates its 20th anniversary this month, marking the presence in the Vietnamese market of more than three million tonnes of Vietnamese and international-standard construction steel products. Leaving marks across Vietnam Australian group Vietnam Industrial Investments (VII) was listed on the Australian stock market in 1995, and has thus far ventured into several business fields in Vietnam. The firm produces construction steel products, welded wire mesh, metal roofing sheets and structure steel under various brands, including THEP UC, Thep Viet Uc, Austnam, TBS, and VRC. THEP UC “Thep Chuot tui” was founded in 1997. Its headquarters is situated in Hong Bang district in the northern port city of Haiphong, and it has five branch offices in … [Read more...]

PARIS: Brigitte Macron, the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, said she will adopt the role of first lady, but only in an informal capacity after opposition to plans to give her an official status. French President Emmanuel Macron (R) and his wife Brigitte Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris in July 2017 (Photo: AFP/Julien de Rosa) Speaking to Elle magazine in her first interview since her husband's election in May, the 64-year-old former school teacher also joked about the young leader's age - 25 years less than her - and spoke glowingly of their marriage. Macron's plans to create an official status and job for his wife as first lady have been shelved in the face of a hostile online petition, but Brigitte said she planned to adopt the role informally anyway. "Like all of those before me, I will … [Read more...]

BARCELONA: A van driver ploughed into crowds of pedestrians on Barcelona's most popular street in broad daylight on Thursday (Aug 17), killing 13 people in an attack claimed by the Islamic State militant group. Medical staff members and policemen stand in a cordoned off area after a van ploughed into the crowd, injuring several persons on the Rambla in Barcelona on August 17, 2017. (AFP Photo/Josep Lago) Police announced the arrest of two suspects, identified as a Spaniard and a Moroccan, but said the driver was still on the run. Witnesses told of scenes of chaos and horror, with bodies strewn along the famous boulevard as other people fled for their lives, screaming in panic. The rampage in a city hugely popular with tourists from around the world is the latest in a wave of attacks in Europe where vehicles have … [Read more...]

Sierra Leone began a week of mourning Wednesday as it emerged that 105 children were among more than 300 people who perished in mudslides and torrential flooding, in one of the country's worst natural disasters. With 600 people still missing in Freetown, President Ernest Bai Koroma described the humanitarian challenge ahead as "overwhelming". He said flags would fly at half-mast and called for urgent help after visiting the devastated hilltop community of Regent on Tuesday. Aid organisations meanwhile warned that the rainy season was not yet over and that more flooding could arrive at any moment in the west African coastal city of around a million people. Officials at Freetown's central morgue said Wednesday that 105 of the more than 300 officially dead were children. An independent but unofficial morgue estimate put the toll at 400 dead. The government of Sierra Leone, one of the poorest countries in the world, has promised relief for what the Red Cross says is more … [Read more...]

In the lead-up to the 2017-2018 school year, Vietnam Investment Review, the press agency of the Ministry of Planning and Investment, has just donated 50 scholarships valued at a total VND25 million ($1,150) to studious pupils with good academic results at Quang Vinh Primary School in the northern province of Hung Yen. Deputy editor-in-chief Nguyen Quoc Viet encouraged the pupils to improve their results further in the new school year Swing for the Kids 2017 hands out 160 scholarships Swing for the Kids 2017 a fun and meaningful competition VIR's Swing for the Kids 2017 teed off Swing for the Kids 2017 set for launching Swing for the Kids 2016 crowns … [Read more...]

Dantri/DTiNews has helped to build 12 classrooms in disadvantaged areas across the country through donations from readers.   Part of Chieng Kheo Primary School located in Pang Sang Village, Chieng Kheo Commune, Son La Province   The classrooms were made from pieces of old wood and could collapse at any time. On August 10 this year, DTiNews started building new classrooms to replace these old ones   Mun Chung Nursery School in Dien Bien Province’s Tuan Giao District with seriously deteriorated classroom. 75 children aged below five studied in three classrooms here. Whenever it was rainy, mud and soil used to flow into the classrooms. Snakes were found in the classrooms for many times. Each child in the school pays VND6,000 (USD0.26) for their school meal a day. However, several children whose parents can’t afford the charge. On August 11, DTiNews began building news classrooms for Mun Chung Nursery School in … [Read more...]

A doctor provides heart check-up to a child in an "Operation Health Heart" programme in Thai Binh Province. (Photo: VNA) Thai Binh (VNA) – Free heart disease screenings were given to poor children under 16 years old in northern Thai Binh province on August 12 as part of a charity project “Trai tim cho em” (Operation Healthy Heart). Over 1,000 children were provided check-ups at the Thai Binh Paediatrics Hospital in the morning. According to the hospital’s Director Doctor Nguyen Thi Minh Chinh, Thai Binh is among provinces with high prevalence of children suffering from congenital heart defects. The Operation Healthy Heart gave an opportunity for those from difficult backgrounds to receive counselling and treatment for the diseases. The programme has provided free life-saving surgeries for more than 100 impoverished children in the … [Read more...]

NDO/VNA – Free heart disease screenings were given to poor children under 16 years old in northern Thai Binh province on August 12 as part of a charity project “Trai tim cho em” (Operation Healthy Heart). Over 1,000 children were provided check-ups at the Thai Binh Paediatrics Hospital in the morning. According to the hospital’s Director Doctor Nguyen Thi Minh Chinh, Thai Binh is among provinces with high prevalence of children suffering from congenital heart defects. The Operation Healthy Heart gave an opportunity for those from difficult backgrounds to receive counselling and treatment for the diseases. The programme has provided free life-saving surgeries for more than 100 impoverished children in the province to date. The programme was initiated by the Viettel Group and by Vietnam Television in 2008 with an aim to support surgery need of disadvantaged children under 16 years old born with heart … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – It took a lot of efforts for Nguyen Thi Hoa, a resident of the northern port city of Hai Phong’s Tu Doi Village, to learn how to use scissors. Nguyen Thi Hoa cuts paper flowers to make a bouquet. — Photo tuoitre.vn Holding a piece of yellow paper in one hand and scissors in the other, the 37-year-old woman cut out identical five-petal flowers, then sewed them onto a plastic bottle and decorated it with colourful beads to make a bouquet. She did it with ease, but that has not always been the case. At the age of three she succumbed to an illness that stopped her growth and left her virtually paralysed. Weighing only 10kg, Hoa’s life has been confined to a small bed. Determined not to let life pass her by, Hoa learned to make crafts and developed a small brand of handmade crafts. … [Read more...]

VOV’s reporter Le Phuong reports on government and community efforts aimed at helping Agent Orange/Dioxin victims. Between 1961 and 1971 the US army sprayed about 80 million liters of hazardous chemicals on one-fourth of Vietnam’s southern area. The defoliant Agent Orange has had long-lasting effects on the environment, the ecosystem, and people’s health. The pain of Agent Orange/ Dioxin 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange/Dioxin and more than 3 million people were victims of chemical warfare. Hundreds of thousands of them died and hundreds of thousands more are still struggling with fatal diseases.  Studies by the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center have shown that Agent Orange/Dioxin causes long-lasting medical and biological consequences that can affect 3 or more generations. The health problems from which AO victims … [Read more...]

VOV’s reporter Le Phuong reports on government and community efforts aimed at helping Agent Orange/Dioxin victims. Between 1961 and 1971 the US army sprayed about 80 million liters of hazardous chemicals on one-fourth of Vietnam’s southern area. The defoliant Agent Orange has had long-lasting effects on the environment, the ecosystem, and people’s health. The pain of Agent Orange/ Dioxin 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange/Dioxin and more than 3 million people were victims of chemical warfare. Hundreds of thousands of them died and hundreds of thousands more are still struggling with fatal diseases.  Studies by the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center have shown that Agent Orange/Dioxin causes long-lasting medical and biological consequences that can affect 3 or more generations. The health problems from which AO victims … [Read more...]

The War Remnants Museum in HCM City’s new showroom called White Doves Carry Peace contains paintings on the theme of peace. A musical performance by Agent Orange victims from the An Phuc Charity, held at the new showroom at the War Remnants Museum in HCM City. The showroom is the joint effort of the museum and a group of Vietnamese and Japanese volunteers who are artists, students and teachers at schools of fine arts in HCM City and in Japan.  “The showroom is a symbol of peace, helping strengthen the friendship between the two nations of Viet Nam and Japan, both of which have experienced heavy loss from wars and have a strong desire for peace,” said Huynh Ngoc Van, director of HCM City’s War Remnants Museum. As a co-founder of the White Doves Carry Peace showroom, Japanese artist Okitani Koji, from Kawachinagano, Osaka and his volunteer team believe that the power of art can help with … [Read more...]

United Nations peacekeeping force vehicles drive by houses destroyed by violence in September, in the abandoned village of Yade, Central African Republic April 27, 2017. Baz Ratner/Reuters. At least 60 people have been killed in recent weeks in fighting between armed groups in Ngaoundaye and Batangafo in the north, Kaga-Bandoro in the centre and Alindao and Gambo to the south, witnesses have told AFP. The fighting is largely between groups on opposing sides of the brutal conflict between Muslim and Christian militias that broke out in CAR in 2013 after President Francois Bozize was overthrown by a coalition of Muslim-majority rebel groups called the Seleka. Groups on both sides are now fighting for control of natural resources -- including gold and diamonds -- and regional influence after a conflict that saw half a million people flee the country of 4.5 million. At least three aid workers from the local branch of the Red Cross were among … [Read more...]

SINGAPORE: An 81-year-old guitar-slinging Singaporean granny has shredded stereotypes to pursue her love of rock music, becoming a sought-after performer and unlikely Internet sensation. Eighty-one-year-old Singapore granny Mary Ho has recorded her own album of Latin music, is often in demand for charity gigs and a video of her playing rock classic 'Need Your Love So Bad' has more than 1.1 million views on YouTube (Photo: AFP/Roslan RAHMAN) Mary Ho's late-flourishing career will reach its zenith Wednesday (Aug 9) when she performs in front of a huge crowd at Singapore's National Day Parade, marking 52 years of the city-state's independence. Grandmother-of-seven Ho only started playing the guitar at 60, fulfilling a lifelong dream to learn the instrument. She initially taught herself from a book with an … [Read more...]

PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron is preparing to backpedal on the issue of creating an official First Lady position for his wife in the face of attacks from left-wing opponents and a petition against the move, officials and reports said. The focus on the First Lady proposition comes at a bad time for Macron as polls show his popularity slipping badly. (Photo: AFP/Eric Feferberg) The newly-elected 39-year-old president had promised in March on the campaign trail to create "a real status" for his wife Brigitte, who is his former schoolteacher. The issue has become a new political headache for Macron after an online petition against creating the role garnered around 270,000 signatures and an opinion poll showed a majority of French people were also opposed. The presidency will clarify Brigitte Macron's … [Read more...]

The camp aimed to inspire the gratitude of youths, students, and Buddhists to grandparents and parents, and respect to the predecessors and those who sacrificed their lives to defend national independence. It also conveyed a message to protect the green environment in all villages and canals in the southwestern region. Venerable Thich Thien Thuan, deputy director of the camp’s organizng board, said that preparations in logistics and recruitment of volunteers began early this year. “The camp is a place for attendees to learn and open their hearts to understand and love each other more. It is different from a course on leading a Buddhist life which would involve stricter discipline. The camp is designed to fit young participants who are active and restless. It offers a comfortable and healthy playground in which to learn about the teachings of Buddhism," he … [Read more...]