Ministry of Training and Education has just announced a list of students, who won the best student competition in 2015 on February 3.

This year’s contest attracted 4, 350 participants , who get outstanding achievements in their study at high schools, universities nationwide.

The annual competition is an useful playground, aiming to seek outstanding students for a national academic team to compete at various scholastic events.

2, 165 winners honored this year, including 140 students from Hanoi, 52 students from Ho Chi Minh City, 85 students from Hai Phong, 82 from Nghe An, 81 from Hai Duong and 78 from Nam Dinh and other.

Student Nguyen Tuan Hai Dang from Natural Science Gifted High School won the first prize in mathematical category.

Hanoi team took the leading one of nationwide about number of good students.

Manhunt after bank theft, inside job suspected

A nationwide manhunt is underway for a bank employee believed to have stolen VND17bn (USD810,000) from the state-owned Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Agribank) in HCM City.

Police are looking for Nguyen Le Kieu Quang, who is alleged to have disappeared with the cash, which was taken from the bank's Hoa Hung Transaction Office on January 30. Quang was head of the transaction office.

Agribank had sent an escort team to the Mac Thi Buoi Branch on Hai Ba Trung Street to collect VND17bn. Phu Minh Hoa was assigned as team leader, with driver Nguyen Dinh Cong. Quang unofficially joined the team and, as the most senior employee, told the driver to go to a foreign bank on Hai Ba Trung Street after the money was collected.

Quang allegedly told the others to go away while he exchange the money into Euro banknotes. He said he'd call them after the exchange was finished, but neither Quang nor the money were seen again.

Nguyen Hai Long, deputy director of Agribank, said on February 2 that Hoa did not fulfill his duty as a team leader. An escort team should have one driver, one security guard and one employee of the bank. Hoa did not escort the money back to the office, but instead gave it to Quang, who was not an official member of the team.

Agribank reported the case to HCM City police and to the national police in charge of fiscal, monetary, investment crimes.

Phu Minh Hoa was detained for questioning. The driver and a security guard have been suspended. Agribank has formally dismissed Quang.

"We have sent employees to review and support the work at Hoa Hung Transaction Office so it will be business as usual," the bank said in a media release.

Unvaccinated children put others at risk, official warns

Vaccination programme failures are posing a major risk of spreading potentially fatal contagious diseases among children as small outbreaks spread in the northern region of Vietnam, a health official has warned.

According to the Office of Expanded Programmes on Immunisation in Northern Regions, in January alone the National Paediatric Hospital received 48 cases of whooping cough, compared to 22 cases last year, and 91 measles cases, an increase of 51 cases on the same period in 2014.

Dr. Pham Quang Thai, from the Office of Expanded Programmes on Immunisation, said most children diagnosed with whooping cough and 61 percent of children with measles had not been vaccinated.

Thai said that some parents are scared of immunisation risks, while other parents delay immunisation until their children qualify for five-in-one or six-in-one vaccines.

"Unvaccinated children unintentionally put other kids at risk, especially infants," he said. "We are seeing cases where babies less than two months old are infected with whooping cough."

Vaccination coverage in cities and provinces are at 92 percent, but it is only 80 percent at the district level, and 50 percent in communes. Children in disadvantaged and mountainous areas may not even be vaccinated, Thai said.

Dr. Tran Dac Phu, the head of the Department of Preventive Medicine, said, "Contagious diseases are scattered across the country and have not reached an outbreak level, but it is clear than most of the patients are children whose parents have delayed vaccinations or kids who are too young to be vaccinated.

"We advise parents to give their child full vaccinations in a timely manner. If vaccinations are not in synch, the child is more likely to be infected with measles, whooping cough and rubella."

Pham Thi Que, a parent from Quang Ninh Province, said she had to transfer her child to the Hanoi's National Pediatric Hospital because of whooping cough.

Que said her child had one shot of Quinvaxem, a conjugation of five individual vaccines in one that protect children in infancy from diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B and haemophilus influenza type B. But she did not continue her child's immunisation programme.

"He is two years old and only had one shot of Quinvaxem, but he developed a fever and I did not dare to give him the next shot," she said. ‘’

Charitable programme launched to support disadvantaged children

A charitable programme named ‘Spring for Children’ was launched on February 4, calling for joint support for orphans, disabled children and victims of Agent Orange to enjoy a warm Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday.

The programme is co-funded by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the Association in Support of Vietnamese Handicapped and Orphans (ASVHO), Vietnam’s communications in companion with enterprises (TTV) programme, and Four Seasons of Love Foundation by the Olympia Schools.

Running through until March 28, the initiative is expected to mobilise communities, media agencies, companies and sponsors to donate their own products and services to support disadvantaged children nationwide during Tet. Donations by businesses and philanthropists can be made publicity on website www.sieuthihangdoihang.com and on multiple media channels in support of the programme.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, ASVHO Chairman Nguyen Dinh Lieu stressed the importance of the community-based charitable programme, which has received warm support from many businesses, media agencies, and donors both at home and abroad to help disadvantaged children make positive change to their lives.

Also at the launch, several businesses responded to the fundraising, of which TH Milk JSC donated 18,000 glasses of milk, Four Seasons Love Foundation presented 500 gifts, and many others donated cash and essential goods for disadvantaged children.

Before and after the Tet holiday, a range of activities for children in difficult circumstances will be held, including Tet gift giving, photo exhibitions, and Trans-Vietnam cycling to call on support for the event.

Police detain trucks for dumping industrial waste

The southern Dong Nai province's environmental crime prevention branch caught yesterday three trucks that were trying to dump several tonnes of industrial waste in Trang Bom district's Bac Son ward .

The three trucks were being driven by Nguyen Lam Thanh, Nguyen Van Dinh and Ha Huy Tien from Bien Hoa City.

At the police station, the three drivers said that they had been hired to collect more than 25 tonnes of waste from Seo Rim Vina Company Ltd by a hazardous waste treatment company in Bien Hoa City.

By 5am on Tuesday, they had transported the waste to the Song May brick kiln in Bac Son ward to dump it there.

The police said that the process of dumping the waste had been organised carefully.

The police escorted the three trucks to the Seo Rim Vina Company Ltd for further investigation.

Blaze destroys bag shop in Ha Noi

A blaze destroyed a two-storey house, with a bag shop on the first floor, early today in Ha Noi's Dinh Tien Hoang Street.

Initial investigations revealed that the fire had started on the second floor.

Fire fighters quickly put out the blaze, but the extent of the damage has not yet been indicated.

The gutted house was located next to Ba Kieu Temple – one of the capital's most famous temples, built during the reign of King Le Than Tong (1619 – 1628) to worship Mother Goddess Lieu Hanh and princesses Quynh Hoa and Que Hoa. The temple was unharmed by the fire.

Meanwhile, another fire was reported at a three-storey house in HCM City's Phu Dong Thien Vuong Street. Six fire engines were dispatched to the scene.

No loss of human life was reported in either case. Both cases are under investigation.

Man arrested for illegal weapons trade and production

Police in the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh have arrested a local man in Uong Bi City's Bac Son Ward for illegally storing, trading, and producing weapons.

Nguyen Van Tam, 60, is in custody for further questioning.

On January 30, the provincial Police Department for Investigation of Social Order Crimes conducted a surprise raid on the suspect's house and found weapons, including three shotguns, four self-made guns, 277 bullets in different calibres, and 1.3kg of gunpowder, as well as other gun parts.  

Equipment, such as welding and cutting machines, to create weapons was also found at the scene. All of the items uncovered in the search were seized.

Initially, Tam admitted that he had stored and produced guns and its parts to sell for a profit. Police later found two more guns and some other gun parts.

The case is still under investigation.

One dead, four hospitalised due to limuloid poisoning

One person died, while four others remained in the hospital today after eating limuloids, said Dr Dang Quang Tam, director of the Central General Hospital in this southern province.

All the patients were transferred from the Soc Trang Province General Hospital with symptoms of headache; numbness of the lips, hands and feet; nausea; and difficulty in breathing. Doctors said all four patients were now in stable condition.

This is the first time the hospital has received patients poisoned by eating limuloids.

Several flower varieties to be available during Tet

Local growers have planted flowers, more than half of them being daisies, in more than 900ha in the Central Highland Lam Dong province's Da Lat city for the coming Tet.

The findings of the city's business office said that the local growers have planted a wide variety of daisies and other flowers of the city, such as lilies, orchids, lisianthus and sunflowers, besides carnations to meet the different demands of customers during the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

As planned, the growers will supply about 20 million bunches of lilies for customers throughout the country during Tet.

Currently, a bouquet of lilies costs between VND160,000 and VND170,000 (US$7.5 to $8), while a bunch of orchids costs between VND300,000 and VND1.5 million ($14-$70).

However, the prices will rise during Tet, which falls on February 19 this year.

Six injured as coach and truck collide

At least six people were injured when their coach collided head-on with a truck in the Central Highland Dak Lak province's Ea H'leo commune this morning.

According to witnesses, the accident occurred when the coach suddenly crashed into a motorbike, causing the coach driver to lose control and hit the truck.

The injured were taken to Ea H'leo district's General Hospital for treatment. The accident brought traffic to a standstill for a while.

The local police are investigating the case.

Heroin traffickers awarded death and imprisonment sentences

The People's Court in the northern province of Hoa Binh today handed out a death and imprisonment sentence to two drug traffickers, both from Mai Chau District's Hang Kia Commune.

The death penalty was awarded to Kha A Denh, 41, while his 33-year-old nephew, Kha A Sua, received a two decade-long prison sentence.

According to the indictment, Denh and Sua were caught red-handed while selling 25 packs of heroin, weighing over 8.6 kilograms in Mai Chau District's Tan Son Commune in July, 2014. During the police raid, Sua used a knife to resist arrest and injured an anti-drug police officer during the scuffle.

According to the police's investigation, Denh bought the drugs from Song A Su in the northern province of Son La's Loong Luong Commune and asked Sua to accompany him to sell the drugs to two men, one from the northern province of Bac Ninh and one from Ha Noi.

The drugs were priced at VND150 million (US$7,400) per pack. Denh and Sua were caught by the police, even as the two buyers managed to escape.

Tet programme held for kids at city shelters, rehab centres

Juvenile offenders at rehabilitation centres and children aged 18 and under at city shelters will receive gifts and scholarships during an entertainment programme in HCM City on February 18 (Lunar New Year Eve).

The event will be attended by 1,600 children who live at shelters and rehab centres in HCM City and neighbouring provinces. The event, Mai Am Gia Dinh Viet-Xuan At Mui (Viet Nam Family's Home-The Year of Goat), will be held at District 10's Lan Anh Stage.

All of the children will be presented with gifts, and 17 of them with good school records will receive scholarships worth VND2 million each.

The programme, which includes famous Vietnamese singers, was organised by the Hoa Sen Group in co-operation with Cong An (the Police) newspaper and HCM City Television.

It will be broadcast live on HCM City Television's HTV3 channel.

Traffic safety programme launched

The National Traffic Safety Committee signed an agreement with Viet Nam Automobile Manufacturers' Association today to help disseminate traffic safety information and establish a fund for researching motorbike traffic safety.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of Transport and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Committee, Dinh La Thang said "Traffic accidents are estimated to cause a total damage of VND40 to 60 trillion ($1.8-2.8 billion) each year."

Thang asked the association to collaborate with authorised agencies to research and implement a campaign to ensure traffic safety nationwide by 2020, with a vision for 2030.

The campaign hopes to impart solutions for harmonious development among motorbikes and other vehicles, because 70 per cent of traffic accidents are caused by motorbikes, he stated.

Thang added that producers should gift at least one to two standard helmets to motorbike buyers.

"A standard helmet is one of the main factors that ensure traffic safety," he said.

Thang also directed the association to closely cooperate with the committee and compile a road map for controlling vehicle fumes.

Minoru Kato, general director of Honda Viet Nam and president of the association, said although the association is young, it has played a positive role in building a society in Viet Nam that observes traffic safety.

Le Anh Tuan, from SYM Viet Nam, which is a member of the association, said the association had also spread knowledge about traffic safety among customers, such as instructing them on how to safely drive and how to select standard helmets.

Under the programme, the fund for researching motorcycle traffic safety, which has a budget of VND1.7 billion (US$79,600) this year, will help manufacture motorbikes that are user friendly and safe, he said.

Viet Nam now has about 43 million motorbikes.

Charity programme supporting handicapped, orphans launched

The launching ceremony for a charity programme aiming to raise funds to provide assistance to the handicapped, orphans and Agent Orange victims on the occasion of the Lunar New Year was held in Hanoi on February 4.

Themed “ Spring for the world of children”, the event was co-organised by the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS), the Association in Support of Vietnamese Handicapped and Orphans (ASVHO), the TTV programme, and the “Beloved Four Seasons” fund under the Hanoi Olympia School.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of ASVHO Nguyen Dinh Lieu expressed his hope that the programme will give generous individuals and organizations in Vietnam and internationally the opportunity to alleviate burdens faced by the disadvantaged groups.

Donors may contribute to the programme through the website: www.sieuthihangdoihang.com .

It will run until March 28.

Tet charitable activities nationwide

Provinces across the nation have conducted charitable activities to bring a warm and joyful Vietnamese Lunar New Year holiday (Tet) to impoverished households.

Northern Ninh Binh province has spent over 1 billion VND (48,000 USD) on gifts for local policy beneficiaries and war veterans and volunteers, in addition to presents provided by the State President.

On the occasion, poor families, low-income civil workers, families of soldiers stationed on islands and at border areas, and people living in social care centres received gifts worth between 200,000 and 1.3 million VND (10 - 60 USD) each.

The Women’s Union in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has also given over 350 gifts worth 300,000 (14 USD) VND each to women from poor backgrounds across the province, along with 50 gift packages containing bags and notebooks to poor primary students in Thot Not district.

The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh has raised 12 billion VND (562,000 USD) to provide financial support for disadvantaged households and beneficiary families, 5 billion VND (234,000 USD) of which came from the state budget with the balance donated by the province, organisations and individuals.

According to the director of the provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, 8 billion VND (375,000 USD) worth of presen ts will be handed out to 28,000 local families of war veterans and martyrs, Heroes of the People’s Armed Forces, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and Agent Orange/Dioxin victims.

Poor families, especially those living in remote areas and Khmer ethnic minority communities, also received gifts from the provincial People’s Committee and Fatherland Front Committee.

The Southwest Steering Committee has presented gifts valued at 1 million VND (47 USD) to 100 families in the province as part of the programme “Tet for the poor” and built 15 houses for families of on-duty military men at a total cost of 600 million VND (28,000 USD).

Meanwhile, central Phu Yen province has requested more than 271 tonnes of rice in governmental aid for the holiday to address food shortages following the long and severe drought that damaged 763 hectares of paddy fields last year.

New Year gifts for Mekong Delta poor households

Delegations from the Steering Committee for southwest region on February 4 visited and presented gifts to poor households in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho and Ben Tre province.

The gift packages came on the occasion on the forthcoming traditional Lunar New Year (Tet), the biggest festival in a year for Vietnamese.

Deputy Director of the committee Nguyen Phong Quang extended his New Year greetings and delivered gifts (each worth one million VND) to 100 low-income households in Phong Dien, Co Do and O Mon districts of Can Tho.

The same day, Vo Trong Huu, head of the committee’s Department of Socio-Cultural Affairs presented Tet gifts to 100 underprivileged households in Ba Tri and Thanh Phu districts of Ben Tre, each worth one million VND.

Huu said the committee has received 12 billion VND (560,000 USD) in donations from businesses and philanthropists to support low-income residents during the Lunar New Year.

Tet gifts given to Vietnamese in Cambodia

The Association of Cambodians of Vietnamese Origin in Koh Kong province on February 3 presented gifts to more than 100 poor overseas Vietnamese living in the locality as Tet, the lunar New Year of the Vietnamese, is coming.

The gifts are the association’s efforts to bring joy for the disadvantaged during the Tet festival.

There are now over 1,000 Vietnamese Cambodians in Koh Kong province. Most of them earn their living on fishing and handicraft making with low income.

Since its establishment, the association has provided assistance for overseas Vietnamese and encouraged them to abide by the local country’s laws and contribute to its socio-economic development.

It has also called on donors to raise funds for charitable activities, including providing free health check-ups and treatment for poor Vietnamese and Cambodia.

Programme to improve commuter road sense launched

The National Committee for Traffic Safety (NCTS) and the Vietnam Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (VAMM) are collaborating on a joint programme to raise motorcyclist road sense as formalised in Hanoi on February 4.

Accordingly, effective programmes on road safety communication and motorcycle training currently implemented by NCTS and VAMM members will be expanded, Vice Chairman of the committee Khuat Viet Hung said.

A fund will also be established to provide support for studies on people-friendly motorcycle development policies to be proposed to the Government, he added.

Hailing efforts by the NCTS and VAMM, Transport Minister and NCTS Permanent Vice Chairman Dinh La Thang has asked the two bodies to develop a strategy on traffic safety through 2020 and another on harmonious development of means of transport in Vietnam.

He also requested that manufacturers design more suitable motorcycle models for the nation and detail a route map on controlling vehicle emissions.

The NCTS reported there were 25,322 traffic accidents nationwide last year, killing 8,996 people and injuring 24,417 others. As many as 199,396 cars and 2,597,301 motorbikes were registered during the year.

Binh Dinh fishermen access off-shore ship building credit

The Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) has disbursed the first credit package of 61 billion VND (2.8 million USD) for fishermen in central Binh Dinh province to build new ships serving off-shore operations.

The loan duration is 11 years with an interest rate of 7 percent for the first year. If the debtors are eligible to the State financial assistance policy, they will be exempt from the first-year interest and obtain a 1-percent yearly interest payment.

The loan will cover most of the shipbuilding cost, facilitating the locals to better carry out their business at sea.

According to BIDV Chairman Tran Bac Ha, 23 fishermen have registered for the bank’s credit package thus far.

The package is offered as the realisation of the Government’s Decree 67/2014/ND-CP, which provides basic policies to boost fisheries development, including assisting fishermen in building high-capacity, iron-covered ships designed for offshore fishing, a practice that could earn fishermen higher incomes.

As many as 2,079 new off-shore fishing ships and 205 logistics ships are expected to be built under this decree, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

With a coastline of more than 134km, Binh Dinh has three major ports, namely Tam Quan, De Gi and Quy Nhon.

The province has a fishing fleet of over 7,400 vessels including nearly 3,000 offshore fishing ships with capacity ranging from 90 to over 1,000 CV each.

Anti-smuggling efforts urged during Tet

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a dispatch urging ministries and localities to intensify counter initiatives against smuggling, trade fraud and fake commodities, especially during the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.

Deputy PM Phuc, who is also head of the National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities, requested relevant agencies to strengthen their inspections at border gates, border areas and major markets and quickly work to detect and counter any violations.

He asked that special attention should be devoted to goods in high demand during Tet, including ensuring the safety of beverages, confectionaries, fruits, and food.

Phuc stressed the importance of coordination and sharing information among authorised agencies and localities in anti-smuggling activities, as well as enhancing anti-smuggling communications to raise public awareness and encourage the prioritisation of Vietnamese goods.

Meanwhile, the Deputy PM warned of strict punishments on leaders of ministries and localities for smuggling and trade fraud detection during a working session with key leaders of the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh on February 3.

Quang Ninh, which shares a border with China , handled 2,514 smuggling and trade fraud cases in 2014 including criminal proceedings against 126 individuals, according to a provincial report. Over 76 billion VND (3.6 million USD) worth of goods were seized during the year, it said.

According to the report, as many as 915 cases of domestic trade fraud and tax evasion were uncovered, adding that nearly 60 billion VND (2.8 million USD) were collected as administrative fine with 190 billion VND (8.9 million USD) in reclaimed taxes.

Transmission projects hastened to ensure power supply

Power transmission project progress is being accelerated to ensure an adequate supply of electricity for southern Vietnam, a major energy consuming region.

Data from the Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN) show this the country’s power system has a total design capacity of 34,000 megawatts while demand is only 26,000 megawatts. Southern demand is expected to rise in the coming years.

To ensure sufficient southern power supply in the future, EVN’s National Power Transmission Corporation (EVNNPT) has been implementing a number of transmission projects since 2012, said Chairman of the EVNNPT’s member council Dang Phan Tuong, adding that 14 projects became operational in 2014.

About 20 percent of the electricity consumed in southern Vietnam was sent from the north and central region through the national transmission network last year, he noted.

The network’s transmission capacity from the north to the central region has been increased to 1,800 megawatts and from the central region to the south to 3,100 megawatts thus far, Tuong said, assuring that these figures will continue to grow in 2015.

Meanwhile, the 4,308 megawatt Duyen Hai Power Centre, currently under construction in the southern province of Tra Vinh, is a key facility for southern electricity generation. It covers 878.91 hectares of land in Duyen Hai district and includes four coal-fired thermal power plants.

Two turbines with a combined capacity of 1,245 megawatts are scheduled to be connected to the national grid this year with a third beginning production in 2016, Tuong said.

Looking to transmit power from the centre to regional localities, EVNNPT has to complete the 220 kilovolt lines of Duyen Hai – Mo Cay and Mo Cay – Ben Tre, the 500 kilovolt line from Duyen Hai – My Tho, and the 500 kilovolt Duyen Hai substation, he added.

The Duyen Hai Centre and its Vinh Tan counterpart, which is also currently under construction in central Binh Thuan province, are the only power generators for the south until 2018. As such, this region will require transmitted electricity until 2020.

Dong Nai builds homes for low-income residents

The southern province of Dong Nai began construction on DETACO, a housing project for low-income residents and workers at local industrial parks, in Nhon Trach district on February 3.

The project includes 16 five-storey apartment blocks, offering a combined total of 2,192 flats. The flats will be sold for 200 million VND (9,320 USD) each.

Potential buyers will benefit from a credit package worth 30 trillion VND (14 million USD) with a 5-percent interest rate and 15-year loan duration. Notably, low-income buyers can pay for their homes in instalments.

The project also covers the building of a kindergarten, park, commercial centre, and parking space.

According to the provincial construction department, Dong Nai is conducting 91 housing projects for low-income residents, including five State-invested projects. Currently, 27 buildings of this kind are operational in the locality.

Can Tho fulfils universal preschool education targets

The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho has fulfilled its target of providing universal preschool education for five-year-old children and received approval for its educational development plan for 2020 from the Ministry of Education and Training.

In the announcement ceremony on February 3, Nguyen Viet Dung, Director of the Ministry of Education and Training’s Representative Office in Ho Chi Minh City, spoke highly of the city’s achievement which marks a profound breakthrough in its preschool and general education.

Preschool education lays a solid foundation for children’s physical and mental development, in addition to nurturing positive feelings and creative thinking at an early age. By giving priority to nursery schools, Can Tho has shown its dedication to improving the public intellectual standard and national education quality, he noted.

He also hailed the city’s effort to complete the universal preschool education target a year ahead of schedule.

Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Van Tam committed to making every effort to implement the educational development plan which is focused on building a learning society, preventing illiteracy, improving education infrastructure and teachers’ capacity, increasing the number of children aged 3-4 attending two classes a day for a full school year, and reducing malnutrition rate in children to below 5 percent.

All communes and districts in the city have kindergartens and standard kindergartens, 37 percent of the classrooms are solidly constructed, all kindergartens have qualified teachers and adequate provisions of basic teaching equipment, and 99 percent of the child population attend school.

Nine of the organisations with significant contributions to universalising preschool education were recognised and awarded at the ceremony.

VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri/ND