Social News Headlines 22/3 Hi-tech criminals jailed for 72 months The municipal People's Court on Wednesday sentenced two defendants to 72 months imprisonment for unlawfully appropriating property via the web. Nguyen Tong Hai, 23, of Ha Noi's Hoai Duc District and Quang Minh Hai, 25, of northern Vinh Phuc Province's Tam Dao District were sentenced to 42 and 30 months jail. The two defendants also were forced to pay compensation for the money they unlawfully appropriated. It was reported that the two men created false websites with similar interfaces and content from VTC Technology & Digital Content Company, a member of the Viet Nam Multimedia Corporation - VTC, defrauding game players more than VND81 million (US$3,800) between March and June last year. Vietnam among countries most burdened with TB Vietnam ranks 12 th among 22 countries most burdened with tuberculosis (TB), heard a conference in Hanoi on March 20 to assess TB prevention in 2013. Reports at the function said every year, Vietnam sees 130,000 new TB patients and 3,500 others suffering from multidrug-resistant TB. Some 18,000 people die of the disease in the country annually. The World Health Organisation said TB is the second leading infectious cause of death while multidrug-resistant TB is present in almost all countries. Dr. Nguyen Duc Chinh from the management board of the National Tuberculosis Programme said in 2013, the programme covered all communes nationwide, and up to 90.9 percent of new patients with sputum smears that tested positive for acid-fast bacilli were treated successfully. Notably, the number of new patients has fallen in the past years, he added. In 2014, the programme plans to further ensure people’s access to high-quality Directly Observed Treatment and Short Course (DOTS) services, and manage the situation of drug-resistant TB and patients infected with both TB and HIV.- Police seize 326 mislabelled electric bikes The police and market watch officers in the northern Hung Yen Province yesterday seized 326 electric bikes which had been mislabelled by the Detech Automobile and Motorbike Limited Company. The bikes, worth a total of VND 3 billion, or US$142,800, had the label "GIANT" but the company, based in the province's My Hao District, failed to show any legal document that allowed them to use the label. The company authorities admitted to the police that they had attached the labels on some of the bikes. The police are conducting further investigations. International Day of Happiness observed in Vietnam “Love and sharing” was the theme of a ceremony in Hanoi on March 20, which was held in Vietnam for the first time in response to International Day of Happiness. Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Dam Dam said happiness is celebrated on March 20 as each year on this date a universal phenomenon occurs - the sun is on the same plane as the earth’s equator so that day and night are of equal length, creating balance in the earth’s celestial coordinate systems. Vietnam observes the day with the hope for a world of peace, sustainable development, freedom and happiness without wars and poverty, the official said. According to him, people’s happiness has motivated Vietnam to reform, fulfilling the target of a wealthy people, a strong, democratic, fair and civilised country. Vietnam has proven itself as a responsible member of the international community for peace, cooperation, development and prosperity, Deputy PM Dam noted. He called on people to join hands in socio-economic development and poverty reduction, especially among those living in difficulty, while upholding the traditional values of the nation. Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said his ministry has organised various activities to popularise International Day of Happiness, as well as the Party and State’s policies and laws on social welfare. On this occasion, the ministry presented awards to winners of a writing contest on happy families. The annual celebration was founded in June 2012 by the United Nations General Assembly. As many as 193 member countries, including Vietnam, have pledged to jointly build a merrier world. In 2012, Vietnam was ranked as the world’s second happiest country by the UK’s New Economic Foundation, behind Costa Rica.-    Essential preparations for 2014 Vesak finalised Vital preparations for the United Nations Day of Vesak (Buddha’s Birthday, Enlightenment and Passing Away) celebrations, slated for May 7-12 in northern Ninh Binh province, have been completed. The information was announced at the International Council for Day of Vesak’s (ICDV) second conference held in Hanoi on March 20. According to the event’s organising board, the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) in coordination with relevant authorities and localities have devised plans to ensure security, traffic safety and food assistance for the event. Addressing the conference, ICDV Vice President, Venerable Dr. Tampalawela Dhammaratana expressed his pleasure with the preparations, believing that the event, themed "Buddhist Perspective towards Achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals", will be successful. The event, to take place in Bai Dinh pagoda, is organised by the VBS in collaboration with the ICDV. It will help raise Vietnam’s responsibility in the United Nations as well as introduce to international friends the image and culture of the country, especially Vietnamese Buddhism’s incessant development over the past 2,000 years. The celebrations are expected to welcome around 5,000 guests, including 1,500 from 95 countries and territories worldwide. This will be the second time Vietnam has hosted the event. In 2008, the Vesak celebration in Hanoi witnessed the participation of over 600 Buddhist delegations from around the globe. Southern heat wave drives more patients to hospitals The prolonged heat wave over the last few days in HCM City and other southern provinces has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of patients at hospitals. Temperatures are expected to continue to rise as peak period of the dry season begins in April, said Nguyen Minh Giam, deputy director of the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Centre for the southern region. The average temperature of the region measured by weather stations has been 37 degrees Celsius in recent days. The temperature in HCM City has been as high as 38 degrees Celsius, and in Tay Ninh Province 38.5. Binh Phuoc Province's Dong Xoai Town recorded a high of 39. "In HCM City, the temperature is not much different from last year. However, due to the road surfaces that absorb heat, it could go up 2-3 degrees," Giam said. In the next few days, temperatures are expected to be 37-39 degrees Celsius, with few clouds and no rain. The peak period for high temperatures is from April to the first half of May. The influence of solar radiation and tropical depression from the West will cause high temperatures to rise and fall, with each peak period lasting from five days to one week. The heat has caused a patient overload at local hospitals. Children's Hospital 1 in recent days has received up to 7,000 patients compared to the normal level of 5,000. At Children's Hospital 2, the number of children with respiratory diseases has increased dramatically. Normally during the week, the inpatient figures are 120 but that has risen to 200, including many children with severe pneumonia. The Polyclinic Hospital in Binh Duong City is also overloaded, with hundreds of children affected by viral fever, upper respiratory tract infection, diarrhoea, measles and food poisoning. The number of adult patients is also increasing in major hospitals in HCM City. Normally, Cho Ray Hospital receives an average of 2,600 – 2,700 patients per day, but last week, the number of patients increased by 22%. At the HCM City Medical University Hospital, the increase is up to 10% over last week. According to Au Thanh Tung, chief of Clinic Services of the hospital, the heat not only affects those with a chronic disease but also healthy people. To increase resistance, the elderly should eat soft and diluted foods, and drink plenty of water, said Nguyen Trung Anh, of Geriatric Hospital Central. OPEC fund helps build roads in Quang Nam Construction started on two roads in Phu Ninh district, central Quang Nam province on March 20 under a project funded by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The project costs 13.9 million USD, of which 11 million USD comes from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) and the remaining investment from the State budget. The 9 metre-wide roads will have a total length of nearly 22 kilometres. Once completed in late 2015, they will connect Phu Ninh district with Tien Phuoc district and Tam Ky city. Tra Vinh striving to provide electricity to Khmer households The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh is investing 112 billion VND (5.25 million USD) to bring electricity to over 6,000 households of Khmer people in its remote districts. This includes the construction of some 250km of power grid and the installation of 137 transformers with a combined capacity of 3,000kVA. The work is expected to complete by the end of this year. This is the second phase of a larger project which aims to connect 20,000 households to the national grid. The first phase was started in July 2011. The provincial Department of Industry and Trade said the first phase helped bring electricity to over 93 percent of the households of Khmer people in Tra Vinh and when the second phase is completed, the figure will be more than 95 percent.- Mekong Delta strives to reduce malnourished child ratio The health care sector in the Mekong Delta region will work to reduce the ratio of malnourished children to 12.5 percent this year, 1.5 percent lower than that of 2013, the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region has revealed. In order to reach the target, 13 regional localities will strive to raise their 2014 GDP growth to 9-10 percent, increasing locals’ incomes and speeding up poverty reduction and socio-economic development programmes, especially in poor and remote areas, according to the committee. A decline in the number of poor households from 7.2 percent to 6 percent, as well as employment support for women are two other targets that are expected to increase the level of care received by children. Meanwhile, the local health workers will also give mothers advice on scientific childcare methods, while speeding up vaccination programmes for children to prevent a number of pandemics to which they are vulnerable, the committee added. In addition, expecting mothers will also be provided with regular inspections, vaccinations and nutritional supplementation, together with advice to prevent malnourishment in newborn babies. Khmer women in Tra Vinh and Soc Trang provinces will also receive training sessions on nutrition, according to the committee. Vietnam, Lao localities enhance education ties The Lao province of Xaynhabuly wants to boost its educational collaboration with Vietnam’s northern province of Yen Bai in a long-term manner, heard a working session between the two sides’ educational officials. At the working session in Yen Bai on March 19, the delegation from the Xaynhabuly Department of Education and Sports thanked Yen Bai province and its Teacher’s Training College for helping educate students from the Lao province. Since 2006, the Yen Bai Teacher’s Training College has received and trained 117 students and 10 officials from Xaynhabuly province. As for the 2013-14 academic year, it has received 34 students from the Lao locality. As many as 130 Lao students are now studying in Yen Bai. Last year, the province was honoured with a first-class Labour Medal presented by the Lao Government in recognition of its contribution to further enhancing Vietnam-Laos friendship.- National programme to target drug resistant TB The national tuberculosis prevention and control programme will be expanded and improved to better control drug resistant forms of the disease, officials said on March 20. At a workshop held by the Ministry of Health to discuss TB prevention and control efforts for the next two years, officials said the programme would focus on providing high quality services in all areas of the healthcare system this year. The programme will ensure that patients receive better care at private health clinics as well as hospitals, officials said. More studies will be done on new advances in diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the disease, the workshop heard. It also heard that about 90,000 prisoners at 47 institutions will be given periodical TB check-ups this year. Last year, the national programme was carried out in every district, commune and ward nationwide. About 91% of newly infected patients were successfully treated, said Nguyen Duc Chinh, a member of the national programme’s management board. Despite these efforts, Vietnam ranks 12th among nations with high TB rates. About 130,000 new cases and 18,000 deaths are reported each year, according to the World Health Organization. In 2013, about 12 million people around the world were infected with TB. TB, an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, most commonly affects the lung. It is transmitted from person to person via droplets from the throat and lungs. The symptoms of active TB of the lung are coughing sometimes with sputum or blood, chest pains, weakness, weight loss, fever and night sweats. PM urges public sector clean-up Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructed all ministers to identify and dismiss under-performing public servants in order to improve the quality of public services. The PM stated on Wednesday that all ministries and localities must maintain discipline in public services. The state agencies should comply with regulations involving recruitment, training, assessment, appointment, promotion, and the salary policy of public servants, he asserted. The PM also instructed ministries to issue regulations on commendations and reward those who detect and denounce any wrongdoings in the public services. The PM noted that the Ministry of Home Affairs will issue a policy to dismiss under-performing public servants, including those who are not of sound character. Public servants whose skills and background knowledge are not suitable for their current position and are not required for another position will also be dismissed. The ministry will cut down on public employees whose performance fails to meet the professional standards required for their positions. The Ministry of Home Affairs completed a draft decree to be implemented by 2020, to slash 100,000 employees of State-owned companies and State organisations in February. The draft decree is expected to cost the government VND8 trillion (US$380.95 million). The public has been invited to voice their opinion on the decree. Starch plant makes way for housing A factory in northern Thai Nguyen Province producing cassava starch has been forced to close down after failing to stop discharging untreated waste water into the environment. The waste is reported to have a revolting smell. However, despite its bad track record, the company, owned by Son Lam JSC, has now been given approval to develop a 10- hectare housing complex adjacent to the site. Provincial authorities said the factory owners may face a fine of up to VND854 million (US$40,100) for pollution breaches. It is also likely to be forced to repair serious environmental damage that it has created. A report from the provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment showed that the factory, located in Dong Bam Commune, had never built a waste-water treatment system despite commitments made in 2006. Each year, the factory is believed to have discharged between 20,000 and 30,000 cubic metres of untreated waste water into the surrounding environment. This is reported to have caused serious pollution to Linh Nham and Mat Rong streams and created a horrible odour. Since 2008, the department, in co-operation with the Ministry of Public Security's Environment Crime Prevention Police Department, has fined the factory's owners a total of VND250 million ($11,750) for its slack behavious. The department said that it had told factory management many times to stop polluting the environment, but nothing was ever done. Last January, it was discovered that underground pipes had been laid to discharge waste water into neighbouring streams. Results of tests reveal that water samples contained quantities of nine chemicals that were 10 times above approved levels. The factory was fined VND75 million ($3,520) and ordered to dig up the pipes. Stable price goods to have new logo The HCM City price-stabilisation programme is to launch a logo to label stabilised goods this year. The logo will help customers recognise price-stabilised goods more easily and extend the reach of the programme to more city residents. This is one of many plans to establish this year's price-stabilisation programme, which were reported at a meeting held by the municipal People's Committee on Tuesday. Under the programme, which will begin in April and end on March next year, the city will continue to stabilise the price of four essential groups – food and foodstuff, milk, medicine and school supplies. The quantity of price-stabilised goods will account for 25-65 per cent of the market demand. Seventy two firms have registered to participate in this year's programme which has a total investment capital of VND8.15 trillion (US$38 million), up VND6.19 trillion against last year. Participating firms will be provided soft loans to help carry out the programme. As with last year, and in-line with the campaign slogan, "Vietnamese people give priority to using Vietnamese goods", Vietnamese price-stabilised goods will be prioritised over imported products. This year, the programme will focus on improving the production capacity of agriculture co-operatives, ensuring all price-stabilised agricultural products are produced under Vietnamese Good Agriculture Practices (VietGAP). At the meeting, Nguyen Thi Hong, deputy chairwoman of the municipal People's Committee, said the supply of price-stabilised goods into the market should be diversified. If the programme could sell price-stabilised goods to clinics, collective kitchens, industrial parks and export processing zones, it would be a huge victory for the programme, she said. The programme is now in its twelfth year and HCM City currently has 7,783 shops selling price-stabilised goods. Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/SGGP/ND