Three dead, three injured in lightning strikes in Lao Cai

Heavy rain mixed with thunder and lightning killed three children and injured three others in the north-western province of Lao Cai on July 19.

The six were struck by lightning at around 4:03pm while they were grazing their buffalo and taking shelter under a big tree in Bon hamlet, Bao Yen district.

The three dead victims were aged from 11-14, and identified as Truong Thi Cau and her two brothers Truong Van Mong and Truong Van Dau from Bon hamlet.

The three injured are Ly Thi Nham, Ly Thi Vinh and Hua Thi Ton.

Bao Yen district provided financial assistance worth VND2 million to each family of the dead victims, while the injured received VND1 million each.

WB funds environmental sanitation project in Dong Hoi city

Central Quang Binh province and the World Bank (WB) on July 20 inaugurated a newly constructed drainage and waste water treatment system in Dong Hoi city, as part of its Environmental Sanitation Project (DAVSMT).

DAVSMT is one of three WB-funded projects on environmental sanitation for central coastal cities, with total investment capital of US$78.5 million, including over US$59 million from the WB’s preferential loans, over US$1.3 million in non-refundable aid and the remainder sourced from local budget.

Construction of the project began in March 2007 and was completed in March 2014.

The project focused on building and upgrading the rainwater drainage system, building a waste water treatment plant, supporting a sanitation programme at schools, supplying garbage collecting equipment and enhancing communication campaigns.

The plant is designed to treat 10,000 cubic metres of waste water per day discharged from 78,000 residents in the city.

The WB appreciated the progress of the project and decided to provide additional funding for the project to implement the following phase.

Youths to play role of UN diplomats

Wearing suits and ties and acting like young diplomats, students from throughout Vietnam will convene in Hanoi on July 26-27 to participate in model United Nations debates on issues pertaining to globalization.

The event – Vietnamese Youth Model United Nations 2014 – is a student-run Model United Nations Conference staged for students aged from 16 to 24 under the sponsorship of the Centre for Community Empowerment (CECEM) and the US Embassy in Vietnam.

This is considered a great opportunity for local students to learn more about the UN and its work.  As the students will play the role of diplomats representing differing UN member countries it also provides an excellent chance for them to learn more about the views and actions of specific member states.

The event aims to encourage youth to address and discuss political and socio-economic issues and develop a global generation of young people who possess good presentation and negotiation skills.

HCM City students join Int’l Free Hugs Day

More than 300 students converged on Tao Dan Park in Ho Chi Minh City on July 20 to hug family members, friends and even strangers in response to International Free Hugs Day.

From Tao Dan Park to other public places throughout HCM City, such as Notre-Dame Cathedral, Ben Thanh Market and Unification Palace, students gathered to offer hugs to all people, from the elderly to kids.

The Free Hug campaign aims to encourage teens to open their hearts and instill enthusiasm and determination in them.

The annual event was observed in Hanoi and HCM City three years ago, and this year it will also be held in central NhaTrang city later this month.

The campaign was first initiated in 2004 by Juan Mann, a young Australian man who gave out hugs in the Pitt Street Mall in central Sydney.

In 2006, a video on Mann’s hugs was posted on YouTube and drew more than 74 million viewers. Following his lead, voluntary organizations in 80 countries, including Vietnam, have organized similar free hugs day.

Improving social welfare in Vietnam

Vietnam spares no effort to complete its social welfare system to provide timely assistance to people, especially those vulnerable to market economy implications.

Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam made the statement at an international seminar in Hanoi on July 19, stressing that social assistance is an important part of Vietnam’s social welfare system.

He said the global economic downturn from 2008 to 2013 negatively affected Vietnam’s economy, and the Vietnamese government has tried its best to improve the living conditions of needy people in society.

However, Vietnam’s social welfare system has several shortcomings that need to be overcome soon to meet the increasing demand of people in the new development stage when Vietnam is developing a socialist-oriented market economy and globally integrating deeply, Dam noted.

UNDP Vietnam Country Director Louise Chamberlain asked Vietnam to identify shortcomings in implementing the current social welfare system to make appropriate changes and draw international experience in order to raise the effectiveness of present social policies.

Delegates exchanged information and made recommendations to improve social assistance activities in the country in the 2015-2020 period.

The seminar was jointly held by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

South Africa helps build kindergarten in Ninh Binh

The South African Consulate General in HCM City has agreed to provide financial assistance to the northern province of Ninh Binh for the construction of a kindergarten for young students.

The 118 square metre school in Gia Tuong commune, Nho Quan district, is expected to cost VND150 million. It will have three classrooms and accommodate 150 local school kids in the 2014-2015 academic year.

The grant of financial assistance was announced as part of the activities marking Nelson Mandela International Day (July 18), commemorating the 96th birth anniversary of the former President of South Africa.

In November 2009, the UN General Assembly declared July 18 "Nelson Mandela International Day" in recognition of the former South African President’s contributions to world peace and freedom.

Forum discusses forest adaptation to climate change

How to develop forest sustainably, adapt and reduce the impacts of climate change was discussed at a forum held in the central highland province of Lam Dong on July 18.

The event attracted nearly 200 scientists, researchers, policy-makers and businesses representatives who have directly managed forest protection in five central highland provinces.

The event offered an opportunity for participants to share forest protection and climate change adaptation experiences.

Addressing the forum, National Agriculture Promotion Centre Director Dr. Phan Huy Thong, emphasized that Vietnam is one of five nations which have been hardest hit by climate change. Therefore, forestry development has played an important role in protecting the environment, conserving biodiversity and reducing poverty.

During the forum, delegates also shared some solutions for climate change response and experiences from the UNs Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries.

Seminar boosts Korean studies in Vietnam

Nearly 100 scholars, scientists and lecturers from leading universities in Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) attended an international seminar on Korean studies in Ho Chi Minh City on July 18.

The seminar was jointly organized by the HCM City-based University of Social Science and Humanity (National University), the Vietnam Association for Korean Studies, and the Korea Foundation.

Dr. Vo Van Sen, Rector of HCM City University of Social Science and Humanity, said the seminar aimed to highlight the important achievements and lessons learned in Korean language teaching and other fields of Korean studies over the past two decades.

Roughly 18 months after the two countries officially established diplomatic ties in 1992, a Korean study faculty was set up at the University of Social Science and Humanity in Hanoi and HCM City.

“Since its inception, the faculty has been instrumental in helping strengthen bilateral relations in both scope and scale,” Dr Sen said.

Many Vietnamese students are keen on Korean studies

In 2011 the Association for Korean Studies was established, which marked a significant turning point for the betterment of Korean studies in Vietnam, Dr Sen said, adding that, a present 15 universities and colleges in Vietnam are teaching the Korean language.

Professor Mai Ngoc Chu, Korean Studies Association Chairman, in turn emphasized the need to conduct an overall assessment on Korea apart from Korean language training, especially when the two countries have lifted their relationship to a strategic partnership.

It is essential to study deeply into Korean history, culture, philosophy and religions as well as the country’s political and socio-economic areas, he added.

Other delegates at the seminar also suggested developing a broader network in Vietnam and abroad to boost Korean studies.

Green tourism festival kicks off in Da nang city

More than 300 people attended the opening day of an open air green tourism festival in Danang city on July 20 as part of activities to promote eco-tourism in the city.

Opening day featured 20 outstanding artworks from a photo contest themed around travel. Attendees also had a chance to hear leading tourism industry experts opine on the importance of green tourism and conservation as well as to participate in innovative games to learn about green tourism.

The event was organized by the Centre for Development of Community Initiative and Environment (C&E) with the support of the UNDP-funded project on strengthening capacity to integrate sustainable development and climate change into planning process.

The event was an ideal place to exchange information among organizations and individuals who are keen on responsible tourism, and promote mutual understanding, especially among youth, about issues relating to climate change, a ‘green’ lifestyle, biodiversity conservation, and preservation of regional cultural characteristics through tourism experiences.

Drug traffickers charged in Nghe An

Nghe An Province police have launched criminal proceedings against three people detained for alleged drug trafficking.

The men are Nguyen Huu Song, 35, and Nguyen Van Tuan, 44, of Vinh city and Tran Quang Anh Dung, 48, of HCM City's District 3.

According to police officials, Song had trafficked heroin from an area bordering Laos in Ha Tinh Province at around midnight on July 14 before boarding a bus to HCM City. When the vehicle arrived in Loi Hai Commune in Ninh Thuan Province, he was arrested by police along with 40 packs of heroin weighing more than 12 kilograms.

Song told police that he had been hired by Tuan to carry the drugs to Dung in HCM City.

An hour later, Nghe An police arrested Tuan.

Dung was later arrested by the HCM City police.

The three also confessed to trafficking 70 packs of illicit drugs to HCM City on two earlier occasions.

Commercial drivers fail health tests

Nearly 1,800 drivers with commercial driving licences failed their health checks in the first half of this year, according the Transport Ministry.

At a conference held in Ha Noi last week to review transport safety control in the first six months of the year, the ministry said that 381 of the drivers tested positive for illegal substances and 1,388 others had other health problems.

More than 129,100 out of 136,130 drivers with commercial driving licences in the country underwent the health examination.

The northern port city of Hai Phong, HCM City, the northern province of Hai Duong and Ha Noi were the localities that conducted the health examination actively and effectively, the ministry report said.

It said the Ha Noi Department of Health asked construction companies to suspend work of drivers who did not undergo the health examination.

Representatives of several transport and health departments proposed the establishment of multi-sector inspection teams to conduct random checks on drivers' health so that those taking illegal drugs can be detected early.

They also suggested control stations be set up along highways to check the drivers' health.

The Transport Ministry recently sent a document to provincial and city administrations to check the records of trainees at driver training centres. Trainees' health certificates issued by unrecognised medical facilities must be rejected, it said.

The list of drivers using banned substances must be sent to the police for supervision and they must be banned from driving. If they are found using banned drugs while driving, their driving licences can be revoked for two years.

Those who have tested positive for banned substances will be allowed to drive again after passing tests done by competent medical facilities.

Vu Van Trien, director of the Health Authority under the Ministry of Transport, said that to improve the effectiveness of drivers' health examinations, they should be carried out under the supervision of concerned agencies.

Stricter measures required to stop highway accidents

The National Traffic Safety Committee has instructed relevant ministries and agencies to strengthen measures to prevent traffic accidents, particularly along national highways.

The move was made following a series of recent serious traffic accidents.

The latest case occurred on Thursday when a 16-seater coach and a lorry collided on the Ho Chi Minh-Trung Luong Highway section in the southern province of Long An, killing four people and injuring eight.

The accidents were mainly caused by traffic violations such as speeding, driving in the wrong lane or changing lane without signalling, according to the committee.

Data from the black box revealed the driver of the coach in the Long An accident was going at speeds of 111km per hour, said chief of the secretariat of the committee, Nguyen Trong Thai.

He added that this was not the first time a serious accident had occured along the Ho Chi Minh-Trung Luong Highway.

On the day the accident happened, traffic police caught 13 traffic violations along the highway, including eight cases of speeding.

The committee's Standing Vice Chairman Dinh La Thang said the Ministry of Public Security should guide traffic police to increase supervision and patrols to prevent and detect traffic violators and strictly punish them.

He urged relevant agencies and authorities to tighten management over transport businesses and ensure drivers follow traffic regulations.

He asked the Highway Management Department under the Directorate for Roads of Viet Nam to provide enough black boxes for transport departments to install on trucks to monitor their journeys.

He also asked for national highways to be upgraded and regular safety-checks on vehicles.

Doctors get training in breast cancer treatment

Hundreds of doctors attended a training programme in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, especially for women who are HER2-Positive, in Ha Noi today on July 17.

The participating doctors came from different hospitals, including the Ha Noi-based K Hospital which specialises in cancer treatment, and the HCM City Oncology Hospital.

The training programme is the third phase of a four-phase project, "We Care for Her," planned for the 2013-2015 period, and includes actions plans developed by the Ministry of Health, the Supportive Fund for Cancer Patients-Bright Future Fund and the Roche Company.

The project was initiated with the slogan, "Together we care for women and prevent breast cancer" through the media and celebrities, as well as the project's major partners, and was conducted in Ha Noi, HCM City, Da Nang, Hue and Can Tho.

The first phase of the project included dissemination of information about early prevention and treatment, while the second phase provided specialised knowledge to advocacy groups that will be trained by instructors from the three project partners.

In the fourth phase, free clinical exams will be given to women in five cities.

Every year about 150,000 new cancer patients are registered in Viet Nam and more than 75,000 patients die from the disease, according to the Ministry of Health.

About 7,000 new breast cancer cases are diagnosed annually in the country, with 35 per cent of them succumbing to the disease.

Nguyen Thi Xuyen, Deputy Minister of Health, said that globally one million new breast cancer cases are detected each year.

"Due to low levels of awareness and lack of resources, people do not know enough about the disease. That's why we hope this project will lead to new results and help people live a healthier life," she said.

Water pollution disrupts lives of Phu Tho residents

Water pollution has disrupted the daily lives, as well as agricultural production, for over 1,200 households in My Lung Commune.

For over a year, residents have had to use polluted water from Ngoi Lao River in northern Phu Tho Province's Yen Lap District.

Ngoi Lao is a river, 76km in length, running through two northern provinces of Phu Tho and Yen Bai.

Le Van Luu, of the commune, said "Rice production in our field has been reduced by half."

"In the past, we harvested about 400 kilos of rice in our 1,080-square-metre field each year, but now it is only 200 kilos," Luu noted.

Water was found to contain mud, oil and impurities, he said.

Tran Van Nguyen, another resident, said his family had to purchase water for drinking and preparing food.

"We have to put a layer of gravel into the bottom of our water tank to filter water for bathing and washing," he added.

Tran Kim Son, vice chairman of the People's Committee of the commune, said that water pollution was causing a major impact on the local people.

Following a recent evaluation by the provincial environment department, the contents of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) was found to be 2.4 times, and biochemical oxygen demand for the five-day test (BOD5) 1.8 times the allowed levels.

The provincial Natural Resources and Environment Department said mineral exploitation and processing along a stretch of river running through nearby Yen Bai Province's Van Chan District were blamed for the pollution.

Bui Tien Vy, vice chairman of the People's Committee of Yen Lap District, said that two environmental departments of Phu Tho and Yen Bai had together created solutions to remove water pollution last October.

"But nothing has changed now," he said.

Vy said the district and local residents wanted the situation to be brought under control as soon as possible.

Bac Ninh: “Milk for schools” benefits 12,000 children

A pilot “Milk for schools” programme in the northern province of Bac Ninh has benefited 12,000 children under six years old, helping reduce child malnutrition rate in the locality significantly.

Do Thi Diep, head of the Nursery Education Office under the provincial Department of Education and Training, said the programme, launched last September, was realised at 24 local nursery schools in a number of districts, including Thuan Thanh, Gia Binh, Que Vo, Yen Phong and Luong Tai.

Under the programme, each child was offered with 200 millilitres of milk free, three times a week, nine months a year.

As a result, the rate of stunted children at the schools dropped to 4.37 percent against the 8 percent rate reported before the programme, while that of weight malnutrition among the group was down to 3 percent.

Bac Ninh plans to expand the programme to all of its nursery schools between 2014 and 2017, with the number of beneficiaries reaching up to 230,000.

The “milk for schools” programme, which has run from 2013 through 2017, costs some 178 billion VND (8.39 million USD), of which 50 percent has come from the local budget, 25 percent from the milk suppliers and the rest from children’s parents and social funding.

Bac Ninh now has a total of 155 nursery schools.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), one-third of Vietnamese children under the age of five are stunted as a result of malnutrition. However, Vietnam is managing to fix the problem.

Data from the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) initiative shows that the rate of child malnutrition in Vietnam is declining by 1.5 percent every year. From 44 percent in 1994, the rate has dropped to under 20 percent at present.

Cambodia vows to assist search for Vietnamese soldiers’ remains

The Military Region 3 of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and six provinces in the region have pledged to continue supporting the search for and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who died in Cambodia during wartime.

At a working session with a Vietnamese defence attaché delegation in Cambodia on July 18, leaders of the military region and the six provinces said that they will provide accurate information about the places where Vietnamese martyrs are buried and implement policies giving incentives to people who join the search operation.

Deputy Governor of Kampong Speu province Pen Sambo affirmed that the local administration always considers the search for and repatriation of Vietnamese soldiers’ remains as an important and essential task so as to express their gratitude to Vietnamese martyrs for their sacrifice for Cambodia’s national liberation.

On this occasion, Vietnamese Defence Attaché Colonel Nguyen Anh Dung presented 58,000 USD to representatives of the Military Region 3 and the six provinces, which will be spent on the search work.

From 2001 to now, in the six provinces of Kampong Speu, Takeo, Kampot, Kep, Preah Sihanouk and Koh Kong, search teams from Vietnam and Cambodia have found and repatriated a total of 3,224 sets of remains of Vietnamese soldiers.

By 2020, the two countries plan to bring home the remains of 4,500 Vietnamese soldiers.-

Project launched to upgrade Phap Van-Cau Gie highway

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai on July 20 attended a ceremony to launch a project on upgrading the Phap Van-Cau Gie highway, the southern gateway to Hanoi, under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model.

The four-lane Phap Van-Cau Gie highway now sees the largest traffic flow in the northern region, which frequently causes traffic congestions.

The upgrade is the second BOT highway project, to be carried out by the Minh Phat Investment and Development Joint Stock Company and the Phuong Thanh Transport Construction and Investment JSC. It will be implemented in two phases with a total capital of over 6.7 trillion VND (315 million USD).

Addressing the event, Deputy PM Hai said once completed in early 2018, the upgraded highway will have six lanes and can serve 60,000 vehicles per day, doubling the current 30,000.

At the same time, the new road will be connected to the Cau Gie-Ninh Binh highway, allowing vehicles to travel at a speed of 100-120 km per hour on the entire route.

Poor kids in Quang Tri receive free milk

The Vietnam Rising milk fund has donated over 72,000 glasses of milk to 800 kids from poor families in the central province of Quang Tri.

Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Minister of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Pham Thi Hai Chuyen, Chairman of the National Assembly Office Nguyen Hanh Phuc and General Director of Vietnam News Agency (VNA) handed over the milk at a ceremony in the locality on July 20.

On the occasion, the fund granted 100 scholarships to local underprivileged kids, whose parents are wounded soldiers and revolutionary martyrs.

The Vietnam Children Sponsor Fund also donated 1.6 billion VND (75,200 USD) to needy children and social welfare beneficiaries in the locality, while the VNA presented 50 million VND (2350 USD) to children of local military men and fishermen.

Established in 2008, the Vietnam Rising fund is supported by the Ministry of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the Vietnam Children Sponsoring Fund and the Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk).

It has provided free milk worth nearly 83 billion VND (3.9 million USD) to about 307,000 disadvantaged children nationwide, contributing to improving their physical and mental condition.

Fatherland Front President visits Ly Son Island

President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Nguyen Thien Nhan on July 19 had a working session with leading officials of Ly Son Island district, central Quang Ngai province, on the implementation of policies supporting aquaculture and fishing activities in the locality.

He talked with local authorities on issues relating to policies on seafood development, credit for upgrading fishing boats and ship shelter on the island.

Nhan acknowledged Ly Son people’s resolve to go out to the ocean, thus contributing to safeguarding the country’s sacred sea and islands.

He also visited garlic farms on the island and encouraged farmers to develop the Ly Son garlic specialty.

On this occasion, the Fatherland Front gave 2,000 national flags to the fishermen to fly on their ships, 200 gift packages to families on Ly Son Island and 300 million VND (14,000 USD) each to five fishermen to build new ships. It also presented 300 million VND to the Ly Son Border Guard to build five houses for soldiers with difficulties.

Nelson Mandela int’l day marked in Vietnam

Representatives from the South African Embassy in Vietnam and philanthropists on July 18 visited and presented gifts to Van Mon leprosy hospital in the northern province of Thai Binh, in response to Nelson Mandela International Day.

The gifts include one tonne of rice, food, clothing, candy and television sets.

It is the first time the day has been celebrated since the death of the South African President, an anti-apartheid revolutionary and philanthropist, on December 5, 2013.

Approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 2009, the day is to honor Mandela and inspire others to carry on his efforts to "take responsibility for making the world a better place, one small step at a time," according to a statement from the Nelson Mandela Foundation Initiative.

The running slogan for this year’s day is “Take action, Inspire change. Make everyday a Mandela Day".

On August 15, the embassy representatives will make a charity trip to Thien Giao centre in the northern city of Hai Phong.-

Naval force equipped with modern vessels

The High Command of Naval Zone 2 on July 17 received two modern made-in Vietnam vessels which were designed for training and combat missions.

According to Luong Viet Hung, Commander of the unit, ships HQ-377 and HQ-378 are part of efforts to modernise the fleet of vehicles run by the High Command of Naval Zone 2 as well as the Naval Force in general.

He also asked Brigade 167, which manages the vessels, to master the vehicles and put them into use as soon as possible.

Measures to curb traffic accidents intensified

Deputy Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee Dinh La Thang has asked relevant agencies to intensify measures to curb traffic accidents, especially on highway black spots.

In his dispatch on July 18, the Highway Management Department is asked to provide data from the camera system to the traffic police to handle traffic violations while the Ministry of Transport enhances inspection of highway infrastructure management to ensure safety and rescue efforts whenever the accidents occur.

Municipal and provincial departments of transport must intensify management on the operation of transport businesses, and update regulations for their staff.

The request came as a number of severe highway accidents were reported nationwide in recent time, mainly due to speeding, driving in wrong lanes or under the influence of alcohol.

In the first half of this year, more than 10,700 traffic accidents occurred nationwide, killing over 3,900 people and injuring over 10,500. Traffic police handled nearly 1.8 million road traffic violations.

Last year, the country recorded nearly 29,400 traffic accidents that claimed the lives of 9,369 people and injuring 29,500 others.

Vocational training for ethnic minority youths

More than 7,000 young ethnic minority people have been provided with vocational training at the Dak Nong Vocational School since 2004.

Rector of the School Nguyen Khai said the students registered to learn professions such as brocade weaving, animal husbandry, and cultivating in over 200 classes.

To save time and money for farmers in poor and remote areas, teachers have made tours of villages, communes and districts to provide them with farming techniques.

According to the provincial Youth Union, the Central Highlands Dak Nong province has 132,000 youngsters, 27,340 of whom are ethnic minorities.

Since 2008, the province has offered training courses for over 9,000 rural people, mostly in ethnic-inhabited areas.

Hanoi invests over 17 trillion to build new-style rural areas

The capital city of Hanoi has spent over 17.1 trillion VND (roughly 1.1 billion USD) building new-style rural areas in the locality, according to the municipal People’s Committee.

Of the sum, 13.4 trillion VND was sourced from the budget of the city, districts and communes and 3.65 trillion VND mobilised from society.

The programme’s criteria on transport were fulfilled by 140 communes, while 103 communes completed irrigation requirements, 355 communes finished electricity criteria, and 350 others successfully set up post offices systems.

The building of new-style rural areas nationwide has recently been asked to speed up.

In his recent Directive 18/CT-TTg on the issue, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung clarified that localities should allocate an adequate amount of budget for the programme. They are also banned from requiring local people make compulsory contributions to the programme.

The national target programme on new-style rural area building, which was launched in 2010, has set 19 national criteria for new rural areas, which cover building infrastructure, improving production capacity, building public works, protecting landscape and environment, and promote local traditions and cultural identities.

So far, 185 communes nationwide have achieved all 19 criteria for new rural areas and nearly 600 others have met between 15-18 criteria. On average, each commune has fulfilled 8.47 criteria compared to 4.7 in 2011.

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