Social News Headlines 20/3 Rare, 50-kg turtle found in Hanoi   A rare species of turtle was discovered and caught at an eco-tourism park in Hanoi on March 17. The turtle, that weighs 30 kilos and measures 75 cm in length, is a southern Vietnamese turtle with its scientific name Amyda Cartilaginea, noted Assistant Professor Ha Dinh Duc who has studied turtle species for years. He added that the species primarily lives in canals, rivers, lakes and rice fields. In Vietnam, they are usually distributed in the provinces of Thua Thien - Hue, Dak Lak, Lam Dong, and Khanh Hoa. The 50-year-old turtle is thought to have drifted to the park during the recent heavy rain, reported Duc. People are flocking to the park to catch a glimpse of the rare creature. One individual even offered to buy the turtle at a price of VND50 million but the management declined, stating that they wish to release it into Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake to live with legendary Turtle Lord. 2,000-pound bomb disabled in Thua Thien-Hue A bomb weighing 2,000 pounds (907 kg) was safely deactivated in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on March 17. The bomb was discovered by residents in the local Hong Kim commune, A Luoi district, and disabled by sappers from the province’s Military Command and the APOPO mine clearance agency. The German Foreign Ministry will support Thua Thien-Hue with 257,911 EUR (359,940 USD) to implement a project to clear unexploded ordnances (UXOs) in A Luoi district. In 2014, apart from clearing bombs and mines left over from the wars in the district, the project will develop information management tools, build a bomb and mine database, and implement the Information Management System for Mine Action in the locality. A Luoi is the site of many fierce battles during the American war as it is a strategic location on the Ho Chi Minh Trail through which soldiers and supplies were sent from the north to the south. The National Steering Committee for Recovery over the Postwar Bomb and Landmine Impacts reported that about 800,000 tonnes of UXOs are scattering across 6.6 million hectares, or 20.12 percent of the country’s land, putting people in danger every day. Latest statistics show that UXOs have killed more than 42,000 people and injured 60,000 others nationwide. Hanoi to release online passport application Hanoi begins receiving online passport application forms on March 20, returning the passports to citizens via post offices, the Immigration Management Office under the Hanoi Police Department has announced. Agencies, organisations and businesses in the city with at least 10 people in need of a passport can call a hotline (04.39396694) to register, and officials from the Immigration Management Office will come to carry out procedures the next day. Citizens can download the passport application forms from the website www.xuatnhapcanh.com.vn. Applicants must then go to the office with their identity cards and family record books, where photographs are taken and other declarations must be made to verify the information on the online form. When these procedures are completed, the passports are delivered to citizens via the courier service of the Vietnam Military Telecommunications Group (Viettel). The postal rates are VND15,000 and VND20,000 for each passport delivered to urban and suburban districts respectively. Motorcyclists called to turn off engine at stoplights More than 500 activists stood at large intersections in HCMC on March 18 working on an Earth Hour 2014 campaign “20 Seconds For Earth Hour” urging drivers to turn off engines at red lights 20 seconds or higher. The project aims to decrease pollution in the environment due to exhaust fumes. Volunteers in the project also urged residents to participate Earth Hour by switching off unnecessary electronic devices in their houses and businesses. Vietnam Coast Guard deploys new flotilla in Ca Mau The 4th Regional Coast Guard has officially established Flotilla 402, to be based in Ca Mau, the southernmost province in Vietnam. The formation of Flotilla 402 was announced at a ceremony held on March 18 at its base at Hang Vinh Village, Nam Can District. Its mission is to offer advice on the use of vessels and law enforcement resources to the 4th Regional Coast Guard, which oversees the waters to the southwest of Vietnam. The move is part of a roadmap to strengthen the coast guard force and defend Vietnam’s sovereignty over its seas and islands. VN, China police save kidnap victims The Vietnamese and Chinese police have successfully saved two Vietnamese citizens, a businessman and his interpreter, from Chinese kidnappers. According to the police, the two Vietnamese citizens had gone to China in February for a business visit. They were kidnapped by a Chinese ring on March 8. The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of VND7 billion (US$331,800) from the businessman's family. The businessman's wife transferred an amount of RMB60,000 ($96,900) to the kidnappers. As she could not contact the kidnappers after having transferred the money, she then decided to report the case to the police. The police from the two countries are investigating the case. Mushroom samples from 12 enterprises pass tests The mushroom samples taken from 12 enterprises around Ha Noi have reportedly been found safe to eat, according to a recent inspection by the city's Food Safety and Hygiene Sub-department. The inspection was carried out at the premises of two production enterprises, two importers and eight restaurants from February 28 to March 7. Five types of mushrooms were collected from these units and their origins were given the all-clear. Baby kidnapped from HCM City hospital Police in the city said yesterday that a baby had been kidnapped from Hung Vuong Hospital in District 5 on Monday. According to the police, the baby, weighing 2.5kg, was abducted by a woman who told the mother that she would help raising the child. The mother apparently has some mental problems and is a single mom. The case was reported by the grandmother of the infant, 51-year-old Le Thi Kim Dung from Cu Chi District. In January, a newborn baby boy was kidnapped from the General Hospital in District 7 in HCM City. It was later found and safely returned to its mother. Father arrested for thrashing son The local police yesterday arrested Do Van Loi, 46, of the northern Bac Ninh Province, for assaulting his 8-year-old son on Monday and inflicting severe injury. The boy suffered traumatic brain injury and was taken to the Viet Nam–Germany Hospital. The police arrested Loi when he was hiding at a relative's house in the province. After initial investigation, Loi and his wife were imprisoned for illegally trafficking drugs during 2009-13. In the past he has also been charged for attacking on-duty officers. His son was raised by his wife's older sister while the couple were behind bars. After being released from the prison last February, Loi took his son home. It is believed the he had hit the boy on several occasions in the past. The police have gathered ample evidences to prosecute Loi. Poverty reduction in Vietnam: rapid, yet unsteady Foreign and domestic experts shared the view at a March 18 seminar in Thai Nguyen that Vietnam has made impressive achievements in poverty reduction, but the result is unsteady. Statistics show the country’s poverty rate fell dramatically from nearly 60% in 1990 to 20.7% in 2010, with more than 30 million people escaping poverty. Vietnam has also achieved impressive results in education and health care. The enrollment rate in primary education of the poor is more than 90% while that of junior secondary education is 70%. Increased education, diverse non-farming practices, and increased job opportunities at factories have also contributed to poverty reduction. Vietnam is considered a shining example of poverty reduction by many international organisations. Participants pointed out limits in implementing poverty reduction programmes in Vietnam, such as overlapped policies leading to ineffective allocation and the lack of resources. Many localities rely on the State subsidy, and some policies are not in line with reality, alongside poor communications. A Government draft report on the implementation of poverty reduction policies in the 2005-2012 period will be debated by National Assembly Committee for Social Affairs to collate additional opinions for submission to the upcoming legislature session. French medical professionals honoured Three French professors and practising physicians have been singled out for their exemplary contributions to healthcare development in Vietnam. Speaking at the awards ceremony in Paris on March 18, Ambassador to France Duong Chi Dung spoke admirably of the overall assistance that French professors, doctors and experts have accorded Vietnam over the past decade. He said Jacques Lansac, former president of the National College of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of France; Jean-Midel Krivine, former head of the Surgery Department of Emile Roux Hospital in Paris, and Alain Desaulty, former coordinator of the French Otorhinolaryngology Training Program stand out for their exceptionalism. Dung said that since the first inter-governmental cooperation agreement was signed in 1993, healthcare cooperation between France and Vietnam has become a pillar in bilateral cooperation. France has provided first-rate training for more than 2,000 Vietnamese doctors at training facilities in France, who have gone on to become the nation’s leading experts in their chosen fields. Additionally, France has helped upgrade medical facilities, build hospital infrastructure, and transfer technology, contributing to an overall renovation of the healthcare system in Vietnam. Jacques Lansac noted many competent doctors and managers have benefitted from French-medical projects over the past 20 years. It is the reason why France wants to further cooperate with Vietnam in training Vietnamese doctors, he said. Activities to mark 60 years of Hanoi liberation A wide range of cultural, sports and tourism activities will be held in Hanoi from now until October 10 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the capital’s Liberation Day. Following the Dien Bien Phu victory, Hanoi was freed from the French occupation on October 10, 1954. Highlights of the celebration will be a fireworks display and the honouring of outstanding Hanoi citizens. A symposium and an exhibition on the city’s socio-economic and cultural achievements after six decades of development will also be organized. Other events will include a cycling race around Hoan Kiem Lake, a dragon dance performance and a traditional trade village tourism festival. In the near future, Hanoi also plans to hold activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu victory. Laos wishes to study Hanoi’s elective activities Laos wishes to learn from Hanoi’s experience in operating elected bodies such as People’s Councils of various levels. The information was released by Lao National Assembly Vice Chairman Somphan Phenkhamy at a working session with Chairwoman of the Hanoi People’s Council Ngo Thi Doan Thanh in the capital city on March 18. At the meeting, Thanh said that the enhanced cooperation and experience sharing between the two countries’ legislative bodies and all-level People’s Councils have improved their operations. She introduced to her Lao guest the operation model of the elected bodies and experience in organising local authority elections, emphasising the need for the leadership of Party committees, the engagement of the whole political system, and the selection of responsible and experienced persons to join election teams. It is necessary to disseminate information in combination with handling complaints, and increase the inspection and supervision of elected bodies’ operations, she added. Experts shed light on information security Leading Vietnamese and foreign experts are gathering at the Security World 2014 conference in Hanoi on March 18-19 to discuss information security and risk management. They examined how to integrate information security into all dimensions of the business – technology, processes, and behaviours. They also looked at a security and risk management roadmap to support business growth, and methods to measure the value of a business’s information security programmes. They were keen on insightful discussion that keeps governmental agencies, organizations, and businesses updated with leading-edge technology trends and effective information security and risk management solutions to drive strong but yet secured business growth. Security World 2014, themed “Align your information security programs to enable business growth”, aimed to build an effective business networking platform that connects communications and information officials (CIOs), communication security officials (CSOs), and information technology (IT) professionals to discuss and share information security initiatives. Alongside the conference, an exhibition also took place, creating a venue for leading technology corporations to showcase their state-of-the-art security services and solutions in network security, cloud security, identity management, and access control. Security World 2014 is co-organized by General Department of Logistics & Technology - Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam Computer Emergency Response Team (VNCERT) - Ministry of Information & Communications, Vietnam Internet Association, and International Data Group (IDG). According to Kaspersky Security Bulletin 2013, Vietnam was among top countries with highest cyber security threats, ranking 8th in the top 10 rating of leading malware online sources, 6th in top 20 countries with the highest risk of computer infection via internet. The country was placed first in terms of local computer infection levels. Such alarming statistics required Vietnamese organizations to develop and put in place more effective information security programmes, the Kaspersky Security Bulletin reported. Hue hosts conference on Acacia Plantation Forestry As many as 200 domestic and foreign scientists and forest rangers attended a conference themed "Sustaining the Future of Acacia Plantation Forestry" in Hue City on March 18. The event was co-orginised by the Vietnamese Academy of Forest Sciences (VAFS) and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO). Nguyen Phu Hung, Head of Science and Technology & International Cooperation Department  under the  General Forestry Administration, noted the Vietnamese Government has always prioritised forest protection and development and it has introduced a number of policies to encourage all economic sectors to engage in forest development, particularly in forest plantations. Acacia is one of the major forest trees in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. The total area of ​​Acacia plantations in the country  now exceeds 1 million hectares, accounting for more than 30% of the country’s total forest area. The species provides the majority of raw material for the paper industry and paper production, wood chips, and wood products for exports. The total turnover of acacia-made products in Vietnam is estimated at over US$1.5 billion. Through acacia plantations, many Vietnamese farmers have gradually worked their way out of poverty to become well-off. Acacia also contributes to soil improvement and ecological and environmental protection. IUFRO representative Professor Rod Griffin said Acacia species have been domesticated for nearly 50 years. Currently, there are more than 2 million hectares of acacia plantations in Southeast Asia, contributing significantly to the world's wood supply. He stressed that IUFRO acknowledged the contribution by Vietnam and other countries to the development of industries based on Acacia wood. Participants highlighted the importance of research and development of Acacia, aiming to serve forest plantation and wood exports and related industries. They said acacia farming helps support poverty reduction, environmental protection, soil fertility improvement, and gas emissions reduction. They also discussed the sustainable development and management of acacia plantations, and examined Acacia plantation models that can adapt to climate change as well as new technology in the wood processing industry. The conference will last until March 21. Children fund plans to assist 58,000 disadvantaged The National Fund for Vietnamese Children (NFVC) plans to raise 87 billion VND (over 4 million USD) in 2014, up 40.3 percent against 2013, in a bid to care for 58,000 disadvantaged children. The target was set during a NFVC meeting on March 18 chaired by Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan, who is also Chair of the fund. Last year, the fund raised a total of 62 billion VND (2.91 million USD), equivalent to 125 percent of its yearly plan. Its support activities benefited 37,643 children across 63 cities and provinces. Founded in 1992, NFVC aims to mobilise domestic and international resources for programmes to protect and care for children and give them education assistance.- Surgeon allays mothers' deformity anxieties Truong Thi Ut from Binh Chanh District faced a dreadful dilemma. Should she give birth to her six-months old, unborn son if he had a cleft lip, as ultra sound images revealed? Ut decided that the problems facing her boy would be enormous, so she went to Tu Du Obstetrics Hospital in District 1 for a termination procedure. However, when she arrived, a doctor advised her to seek final advice from Paediatric Hospital No.1, which specialises in surgery for cleft lips and palates. There, Ut met Dr Nguyen Van Dau, the head of the ward, who persuaded her not to give up her baby. "I forever remember what he said", she said. "He said I should focus on delivering my baby and that he would take the responsibility for fixing my little boy up." He added that the baby was fully formed, apart from his lip, and had a right to be born, she added. "Dau's encouragement changed my thinking." Three months after the boy was born, cosmetic surgery was performed to repair his cleft lip and palate. "It gives me so much happiness to look at my son's repaired lip," Ut said. Tran Thi Hai Huyen of District 12 also had concerns when she was told her son would be born with a cleft lip. The image of her deformed son tormented Huyen day and night, so she started doing research online. On internet forums, she discovered the odonto-stomatology ward at the Paediatrics Hospital No.1and went there to discuss surgery. Some mothers told Dr. Dau that they were discriminated against by their parents or parents-in-law for giving birth to a child with a cleft lip, implying that the mothers were in some way responsible. There have even been cases of couples divorcing over the issue. Dau said that cleft lips and palates were common in many countries, including Viet Nam. According to the survey conducted by doctors at Tu Du and Hung Vuong obstetrics hospitals, from 2000 to 2005, one out of every 700 babies in Viet Nam was born with a cleft lip or palate. There are many reasons for babies developing cleft palates, including genetic factors, environmental elements and medications taken by the mother. However, if treated, most babies with the defects make a full recovery, according to Dau. Due to lack of money and awareness, especially in rural and mountain regions, babies often receive treatment late - or not at all, he added. Untreated children are often looked on as social outcasts, finding it difficult to get a job or to get married, but Dau said children as old as 16 could be successfully treated. Dr Dang Hoang Son, head of Paediatric Hospital No.1's Ear, Nose and Throat Ward, added that if babies with cleft palates receive treatment early, they would learn to eat and speak well. Another potential problem for young children is middle-ear build up, which can lead to speech and hearing loss. However, this is easily treated and diagnosed with early screening. HCM City urged to enhance heritage values Continuing to use heritage buildings is a good way to conserve them in Viet Nam, especially HCM City, the deputy mayor of a French city yesterday told a round table on heritage conservation and sustainable urban development in HCM City. Gilles Buna of Lyon said the city should carry out extensive research on how heritage buildings can be used in an appropriate manner. With his experience in urban heritage conservation, he urged the city to identify what should get priority when it comes to conservation and how to suitably conserve and enhance urban heritage values in a dynamic and rapidly growing city. Ly Khanh Tam Thao, deputy head of general planning management at the city Department of Planning and Architecture, said heritage conservation in the city, especially of heritage buildings, had been challenged during the process of urban development. The city's responsibility was to contribute to the country's economy and attract more investment, he said, adding that many heritage buildings had been rebuilt completely because of economic imperatives. A survey by the HCM City Urban Development Management Support Centre, better known by its French acronym PADDI, found that more than half of 377 of the city's heritage buildings had been pulled down and rebuilt in the last 20 years. Dr Nguyen Thi Hau, deputy head of the city's Institute for Development Studies, expressed the fear that the remaining heritage buildings would be knocked down and replaced by commercial buildings. Ton Nu Thi Ninh of the Sustainable Development Working Group said conservation of its urban heritage was vital for creating the city's identity. The city once dubbed the "pearl of the Far East" was now just known as a dynamic economic city, she said. Preserving its urban heritage was, however, one of the ways to boost its economic development, she added. Hau said the city should have measures to enhance is urban heritage values. But awareness of heritage conservation in the community is low, she said, pointing out that common people have an important role to play in it. If the community does not participate, conservation is not possible even with good planning, she added. Dr Fanny Quertamp Nguyen, co-director of PADDI, added that conservation should focus not only on individual buildings but also the landscapes around heritage buildings. Dr To Kien of the Singapore University of Technology and Design said the island's experience in urban heritage conservation showed the success of co-operation between the private and public sectors for the task. Its strategies were a good reference point for Viet Nam, he said. But he added that nevertheless the Vietnamese Government and local authorities should have their own ways to reinterpret and reuse urban heritage. Dong Nai rejects reservoir dredging Dong Nai Province People's Committee on Monday rejected the Ministry of Transport's proposal to dredge the Tri An Reservoir bed. Last year, the ministry asked the local government for permission to dredge the reservoir bed to ensure traffic safety and exploit sand, but the committee refused to do so after conducting research on the proposal. The committee said the ministry's project would coincide with a sand-mining pilot project on the Dong Nai River, and the province does not have big ships to do the job. The ministry's waterway department had given approval to Hiep Phuoc Maritime and Investment Development Joint-Stock Company to dredge the reservoir's bed. The two companies did the work for three months, but they exceeded the permissible mining depth. Dong Nai Province then forced the companies to stop dredging and appointed authorities to resolve the matter. Tri An Reservoir, which supplies water to the Tri An hydroelectric power plant, has a total capacity of 2.765cu.km. It was built between 1984 and 1987 and has annual electricity production of 1.7b kWh. At the same time, the HCM City People's Committee has approved a project to dredge a waterway extending from Dong Nai Bridge to Ong Nhieu Canal. The Ministry of Transport awarded the licence after it received approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which had conducted an environmental impact assessment of the project. Dredging, which will upgrade the waterway, will be done over 10 years in two phases. The dredging in the first phase will be 8m deep for ships of 5,000 tonnes and in the second phase 10.7m for ships of 10,000 tonnes. Deputy Chairman Nguyen Huu Tin approved the dredging after reports presented by investors, the city's Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Hiep Phuoc Investment Developing Company and Maritime and Investment Join-Stock Company. Tin asked the department to ban sand exploitation, which can cause landslides and affect residents living along the Dong Nai River. The project is scheduled for completion in 2030. 14 localities suffer bird flu Though 58,000 birds have been destroyed, there are still 24 outbreaks of bird flu in 14 provinces and cities throughout the country, the Department of Animal Health said yesterday. Speaking at the meeting of the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Control, Dam Xuan Thanh, deputy head of the Department, said since the beginning of the year most of the outbreaks were recorded in the south. However, the traditional practice of herding ducks through fields resulted in the spreading of the disease. Now, over 61 per cent of ducks testing positive for H5N1 virus were reported in the nation's southwest and southeast regions, Thanh said. Also, the four provinces reporting eight new bird flu outbreaks are Ben Tre, An Giang in the south, Quang Nam and Binh Thuan in the central area. In central Thanh Hoa Province, the provincial Medical Preventive Centre reported two people had become infected with bird flu A/H1N1. The patients from the province's Ngoc Lac District – a 26-year-old mother and her 5-year-old daughter – were hospitalised last week with symptoms including high fevers, coughs, sore throats and difficulty breathing. Officials said the symptoms appeared after the two ate infected chickens. Local authorities destroyed their chickens, sprayed chemical and examined people who came in contact with the patients to avoid an outbreak of the disease. At the meeting, representatives from the Health Ministry reported that Viet Nam was concentrating on prevention activities to stop the spread of H7N9 bird flu, as 390 H7N9 cases had been reported in China. Conference reviews rural infrastructure project The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held a conference in Hanoi on March 18 to assess the pace of a rural infrastructure project in northern mountainous provinces in 2013. Reports at the conference said by the end of January 2014, ADB approved all 43 investment reports compiled by the project management board. Last year, 206 billion VND (9.8 million USD) in ADB loans for the project were disbursed, representing 117 percent of the figure registered with ADB and 82 percent of that with MARD, the reports said. Project Director Tran Van Lam said in 2013, the project accelerated the bidding process for subprojects. However, some irregularities in the process prompted ADB to suspend the bids from November 2013 to January 2014, affecting the project’s pace. Therefore, in 2014, the project management board will work with the Ministry of Finance and the donor to better the planning, financial management, as well as supervision over the use of loans and work quality, he said. Meanwhile, MARD Deputy Minister Hoang Van Thang asked beneficiary localities to hasten site clearance progress and complete internal monitoring reports so as to speed up the project in the year. The 2011-2016 project is benefiting 15 northern mountainous provinces through upgrading their deteriorated but critical rural infrastructure and improving their capacity of infrastructure management. Son La introduces opportunities to Lao students The northwestern mountainous province of Son La on March 18 held a conference to introduce its higher education and studying opportunities in the locality to students from eight northern provinces of Laos. At the event, which was also attended by the Lao ambassador to Vietnam , representatives of Son La noted that currently, the province has one university, three colleges and three vocational schools with highly qualified teachers and lecturers and modern equipment. Over the past years, the province, which borders Laos , has helped eight northern Lao localities train personnel in many areas such as teaching, agro-forestry, health care, pharmaceutics and economics. From 2008 to 2013, the province offered training courses to 371 Lao students, who received scholarships worth up to 2.2 million VND (103 USD) per month and support in accommodation and travel fees.- Care for people with contribution to nation comes under inspection The Ministry of Labour, Ward Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), in collaboration with the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) will conduct a nationwide assessment of the implementation of policies towards people who rendered services to the revolution in 2014 and 2015. Speaking at an online training workshop on March 18 for those involved in the review, President of the VFF Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan said the drive aims to detect any shortcomings in these policies and their enforcement so that they can be corrected timely. He said this will be the largest ever review of this kind, to be carried out at all 11,000 communes, wards and towns across the country. The Vietnamese Party and State has put in place numerous preferential policies targeting war martyrs and their families, Vietnamese heroic mothers, war invalids, sick soldiers, war veterans affected by toxic chemicals, people who contributed to the revolution and former war volunteers. MoLISA Minister Pham Thi Hai Chuyen affirmed that while the policies have benefitted most people who rendered services to the nation, there are still problems in their enforcement, prompting the evaluation. Municipal and provincial people’s committees are requested to present the outcomes of the review in their localities to the MoLISA and the VFF Central Committee in August 2015. The VFF and the MoLISA will submit results of the check-up to the Government and the National Assembly in October, 2015.- Dredging work in Hau River resumes The project to dredge and upgrade 46.5 kilometers of the Hau River and nearby canals in the Mekong Delta region was resumed on March 15 after years of suspension caused by capital shortage, the Saigon Times Daily reported. It is expected that big vessels can enter the delta region late next year to transport goods, according to the Vietnam Maritime Administration as the project owner. The project’s investment amount has been revised up to 9.781 trillion VND compared to around 5 trillion VND estimated previously. Major components like building a breakwater of 2.4 kilometers and dredging the river for ships of 10,000-20,000 tonnes will be finished late next year. The second phase, to be executed after 2015, will include embankments along the Hau River and Chanh Bo Canal, a station for barges of 500 tonnes, roads along the waterways and connecting roads, and the signal system. The project to dredge the waterway passage to the Hau River was first started in late 2009 and was scheduled for completion in 2012. However, the project was put off due to financial problems. Due to the importance of the passage, the Ministry of Transport had petitioned the Government to resume work on the project. According to the Vietnam Maritime Administration, the volume of cargo transported via waterways in the Mekong Delta in 2012 was only 6.6 million tonnes compared to the demand of 30 million tonnes. Up to 80% of import-export cargoes had to transit in Ho Chi Minh City before being shipped to the buyer, since the Hau River waterway only allows for vessels of 5,000 tonnes, causing the transport cost to surge by 170-180 USD a container. Once the passage is completed, commodities from the Mekong Delta can be shipped directly overseas. In related news, Soai Rap waterway leading to Hiep Phuoc port complex in southern Saigon is expected to open on April 19, slashing the time for vessels to enter the port complex, said the port operator. Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, Deputy General Director of Saigon Premiere Container Terminal (SPCT), told the Saigon Times Daily that Soai Rap waterway will be completed ahead of schedule earlier set for June 2014. The waterway will cut by half the time needed to transport cargo into the port compared to the current passage via the Long Tau River, as well as to assist Ho Chi Minh City’s group of ports in taking larger vessels. Long Tau waterway is 8.5 meters deep compared to 9.5 meters of Soai Rap. The Soai Rap dredging project aims to make Hiep Phuoc the main southern gateway, she added. The project incorporates three phases. The first one aimed to dredge the passage to a depth of 9.5 meters, allowing vessels of 30,000 to 50,000 tonnes to navigate. The second phase targets a depth of 11 meters, handling ships of 50,000 to 70,000 tonmes. The last is 12 meters in depth, accommodating vessels of over 70,000 tonnes. Vessels from the East Sea and the Mekong Delta to Ho Chi Minh City via Soai Rap can shorten the distance, thus facilitating the city’s maritime economy and stimulating development of other ports nearby. “SPCT is the first foreign-invested terminal in Vietnam able to handle 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). It is also connected to other ports such as Phuoc Long ICD, Dong Nai, and Phu Huu to support enterprises with barge services,” said Quynh. At the moment, there are 11 international carriers using the services at the port. SPCT in 2003 saw a throughput of 250,000 TEUs, or nearly 25% of the capacity of the port. “As Soai Rap is widened, the port’s operating costs will drop significantly and transit will be easier,” added Quynh. Khmer farmers assisted to plant seed maize The Southern Seed Joint Stock Company on March 17 launched a project to support famers in the southern province of Tra Vinh, especially Khmer people, in rotationally growing seed maize on 1,100 ha of rice farming area. The project, with the participation of over 2,200 farmers, is being implemented with a total budget of 42 billion VND (1,974,000 USD), of which over 9 billion VND (423,000 USD) is funded by the Vietnam Challenge Fund, which is aided by the UK’s Department for International Development. The programme is scheduled to run until 2015 in Cau Ngang, Duyen Hai and Tra Cu districts, which usually meet with difficulties in supplying water in the dry season. Local farmers who participate in the project are given instructions on methods of cultivation, with the aim of ensuring the quality of output products and lowering costs. They are also being financed to buy fertilisers, pesticides and production equipment. Kim Tran, a farmer in Tra Cu district, said his family has harvested 1.5 ha of yellow seed maize with a productivity of seven tonnes per hectare, making four times the profit than the cultivation of rice.- “Get in touch with maths” exhibition to open in Hanoi The exhibition “Mathematik zum Anfassen - Get in touch with mathematics” will be held in Hanoi from March 26 to April 12. Co-organised by the Hanoi-based Goethe Institute in collaboration with Mathematikum, a science museum in GieBen , Germany, the exhibition will introduce a new and easy way to approach maths, one of the most abstract sciences. Visitors of all ages and education levels will have chances to access mathematics by joining experiments and games such as puzzles, bridge building, watching a bowl race or creating beautiful bubbles. This is a visual approach combining doing, feeling and thinking to create inspiration for this science. The exhibition will present a collection of the most appreciated experiments from Mathematikum, where over 160 mathematical hands-on exhibits are on display. Mathematikum is one of the very first museums on interactive mathematics in the world. It has attracted approximately 1.5 million visitors since it was inaugurated in 2002. Two A/H1N1 cases reported in Thanh Hoa Two A/H1N1 avian influenza cases have been confirmed in the central province of Thanh Hoa, according to a local health official. The patients were Vu Thi Lan (1988) and her daughter Le Vu Lan Anh (2009) from Quang Tien hamlet, Quang Trung commune, Ngoc Lac district, said Director of the local Preventive Medical Centre Ha Dinh Ngu on March 18. Lan’s family raised a flock of poultry which were sick and dead over the last two weeks, then slaughtered the living for food. The patients were hospitalised on March 15 with symptoms including high fever, coughing and respiratory difficulties. They tested positive for the H1N1 virus on March 17. The province has yet to detect any A/H7N9 bird flu cases. The A/H5N1 virus earlier found in poultry in Tan Truong commune of Tinh Gia district has been promptly stamped out, said Ngu. Local authorities are taking all necessary measures such as intensifying around-the-clock inspections, especially at international border gates like Na Meo and Ten Tan in Quan Son and Muong Lat districts respectively, and ensuring medical equipment to contain the spread of the disease. The bird flu outbreak has struck 24 localities nationwide, according to the latest statistics from the Animal Health Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.- Can Tho to finish key sewage treatment project this year The Mekong Delta city of Can Tho is determined to fulfill a wastewater treatment project by the end of this year after a 7-year delay. At a March 18 meeting with representatives from the Germany-based KFW Development Bank , Vice Chairwoman of the municipal People’s Committee Vo Thi Hong Anh said the project must be completed in time “ at any cost”. The 18-million-EUR project, funded by the German Government, aims to collect and treat urban wastewater discharged by local people. With a designed capacity of 30,000 cubic metre per day, it includes three key works such as the Can Tho wastewater treatment plant whose contractor, the Warotec-Haweicco joint venture, has completed only 74 percent of the work. Barriers in administrative formalities together with escalation of prices of construction materials and increasing labour costs hindered the progress of the project. Meanwhile, KFW representatives blamed the contractor for its poor operation, adding that the bank will offer an aid equivalent to 8 percent of the price hike if the investor pledges to complete the project this year. Anh said the slow progress of the project has deprived other investors in the city of their opportunities, and asked the municipal Department of Planning and Investment to scrutinise the KFW’s proposal and collaborate closely with relevant agencies to finish the project.- VCSF targets to sponsor 58,000 needy children in 2014 The Vietnam Children Sponsor Fund (VCSF) will contribute VND87 billion (US$4.1 million) for 58,000 children for 2014. Last year, the fund appealed to the contribution of benefactors with VND 62 billion (US$2.9 million), said Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan. It has spent VND 67.7 billion (US$3.2 million) sponsoring 37,643 children in 63 cities and provinces nationwide. The Eye Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City received humanitarian aid including 1,920 artificial lenses worth EUR 25,461 from Netherland’s Eye Care Foundation for charitable surgeries. The foundation also gave two full scholarships worth EUR42,475 each for students studying optometry in Malaysia. The scholarships are sponsored in cooperation with the Eye Hospital in HCMC and various nongovernmental organizations aimed at raising standards of cataract procedures in Vietnam. NZ launches 2015 ASEAN Scholars awards for Vietnamese The New Zealand Embassy in Vietnam is calling for Vietnamese to apply for the ASEAN Scholars awards to pursue studies at a university in New Zealand for the 2015 academic year. While applicants from all fields are encouraged to apply, priority is given to students in areas of New Zealand comparative advantage and those that are priorities for the Vietnamese Government, including agriculture and rural development, environment, disaster risk management, public sector management, and private sector development. Successful applicants will receive a return travel fare, full tuition fees, an establishment allowance upon arrival in New Zealand, and a living allowance to cover day to day costs. For more information, visit http://www.nzembassy.com/viet-nam. Private hospitals struggle in rivalry While public hospitals endure critical overload, most private hospitals in the country are running below their bed capacity as there is no partnership for patient sharing between the two sectors. Speaking at the conference on public-private hospital cooperation in Hanoi City last Friday, Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien said that all public hospitals have reported bed use capacity over 100%. Big hospitals such as Bach Mai and Cho Ray receive up to 4,000 to 5,000 patients each day while private hospitals are running at 40-60% of their bed capacity. Therefore, a ‘win-win’ partnership between public and private hospitals will help reduce hospital overload like now, she said. Nguyen Van De, director of Hop Luc Hospital in Thanh Hoa Province, said that the nation has 170 private hospitals with the combined investment of over VND300 trillion. This should be is a strong source for hospital overload reduction. Looking into 170 private hospitals, around 50% have closed down or fell into distress due to working below the capacity. If private hospitals go bankrupt, this is a big waste of social resources, De said. Despite running at low capacity, private hospitals have seen no patient sharing from public hospitals. As State budget collection from public hospitals is a goal for localities, it is only possible for patient sharing among public hospitals only. In addition, overloaded hospitals will find it easier in seeking capital for upgrading and equipment purchase, so they do not want to share the number of patients. All these steps are profitable, De said. Vu The Hung, director of Trang An Hospital, said that private hospitals are facing challenges as patients still just believe in public hospitals. Private hospitals also charge higher fees as they have to self-invest in facilities and manpower. Therefore, public hospitals should share patients with private clinics to help them reduce financial burden, Hung said. However, Nguyen Quoc Anh, director of Bach Mai Hospital, said that there are obstacles in the partnership model between public and private hospitals. For instance, there are no financial mechanism for patient sharing and overtime working regulations for doctors. “Besides, service prices at public hospitals are much different from those at private hospitals. Will patients agree to move from public clinics with low hospital fees to private hospitals with higher fees while quality might be just the same?” he said. Tran Van Thuan, deputy director of K Hospital, said that the hospital is willing to cooperate with private clinics in training and technology transfer. However, Thuan was concerned that whether private hospitals are capable of taking over patients from public hospitals. Hot, dry season brings fire to HCM City The scorching sun and high temperatures have brought both uncomfortable weather and risks of fire for the residents of HCM City. Temperatures in HCM City has been upwards of 38 Celsius for this week and will continue in the range of 36-38 Celsius. The Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has said the region is at the peak of dry season and predicted the hot and dry air will spread to the southeast in next few days. Hoang Minh Giam, head of the centre, said the outdoor temperatures could rise to 40 Celsius, especially in April and May. People have been flocking to pools, cafes and supermarkets to get away from the heat. In addition, the weather, along with some careless individuals, has also brought fires. On March 17, buildings on Nguyen Xien Street were burning offerings when the ashes were carried by the wind to a nearby field, where fire broke out immediately, approaching the sawdust-filled warehouse of a furniture company. It took one hour to extinguish the fire, but luckily, no one was injured. The previous day another fire broke out in a field when a man tried to burn electrical cords in order to collect the copper inside. 1,000 square metres of grass was burnt down and the fire almost reached a nearby wood company. On March 13, four hectares of melaleuca forest were destroyed when another fire broke out in Binh Chanh District, despite efforts of hundreds of firefighters from neighbouring districts. The vice chairmen of the district People's Committee, Nguyen Van Truong, said the area destroyed was a local's agricultural land, and the fire may have been caused by human error. Meanwhile, two hectares of sugarcane in Binh Chanh District were also destroyed after a two-hour fire. Previously, on March 4, hundreds of people in Tan Phu District had to escape after their houses were overcome by thick smoke from the burning grassland. One local said, "At first, I thought that someone was just burning their trash. When the smoke became thicker and made it hard to breath, I had to close all the windows and rush my children out. Many other people had to do the same." South suffers from heat waves until May The heat waves that have overwhelmed the South will peak at the end of April  or early May, with the high temperature ranging between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius, according to Southern weather forecast office. Nguyen Minh Giam, deputy director of the Southern Regional Hydro-Meteorological Center, told the Daily on March 17 that the heat in HCMC and other Southern provinces will not ease until early May, and the hot season will last longer than last year with higher temperature. “From now until May, the temperature in the Southeastern region will be around 37-39 degrees Celsius, while that in the Mekong Delta will be around 35-37 degrees. HCMC in particular will suffer from the heat of 36-38 degrees,” said Giam. The heat is also high at night, he said, with average temperature ranging around 26-27 degrees compared to the normal level of 20-22 degrees in the South in previous years. Along with the long-lasting heat waves, the drought and thus water shortage is also more critical compared to last year. According to the center, the temperature in the South on Sunday was highest at 39 degrees in Binh Phuoc Province. The level was 38.5 degrees in Tay Ninh Province, 37.8 degrees in Dong Nai’s Bien Hoa City, and 36.6 in HCMC. Vietnam to face severe weather this year Vietnam may face severe weather this year, with earlier hot and severe droughts in the north and prolonged and serious flooding in the central and southern region, one expert said. Le Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, said that the country will see complicated weather and hydro-graphic developments this year. “Among nine to ten storms may strike the East Sea this year, four to five storms may directly affect Vietnam’s mainland," Hai estimated. Even though the number of storms to hit Vietnam this year may be less than the previous year, the country may also face severe weather in the form of heavy rains in a short time along floods and landslides in some areas, especially in the mountainous areas in the northern, central and central highlands regions. “Northwestern, northern central and southern regions may see early heat with the peak time in the northern region ranging from May to July, and in the central region ranging from May to August,” he noted. From May to October, the country’s average temperature is expected to be moderately higher than past years and the northern region may suffer from hot weather during the period. Droughts have already affected the central provinces of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan as well as several localities in the central highlands and southern regions in the past three months. Due to modest rainfall, the water levels in the rivers of the central region are down between 10% and 85%. “Droughts and sea water encroachment in the central and southern regions may be prolonged until the end of August, while droughts in the central highlands region may last through the end of May or early June,” he added. Source: SGGP/SGT/Nhandan/VNA/VNS/VOV