Social News 16/10 No trace of missing sailors in Japan: spokesperson Japanese patrol forces have found no hint of three Vietnamese sailors who went missing from a Taiwanese fishing vessel off the coast of the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido, said the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Hai Binh. Binh said at the ministry’s regular press briefing in Hanoi on October 15 that the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan and the Vietnam Economic and Culture Office in Taipei are working with relevant sides to search for the missing sailors and clarify the cause of the incident. The embassy is also working with competent Vietnamese and Japanese agencies to keep the spirits of other sailors up. Taiwan’s ship Hsiang Fur Far reported that on the night of October 8, three Vietnamese crew members – Le Van Thuc, Thieu Dinh Thuong, and Nguyen Dinh Nga – jumped into the sea, about 12 kilometres from Hokkaido’s Shiraoi Port. The Japan Coast Guard deployed five ships and two planes to search for the sailors soon after they were informed of the case. The Taiwanese ship carries a total of 61 crew members, including 21 Vietnamese, 23 Filipinos and 14 Indonesians. Winners of water and sanitation photo contest announced   For Clean Water Resources wins the grand prize in the sanitation categordy of the Water and Sanitation Photo Contest. (Source: worldbank.org) “Water and Life” and “For Clean Water Resources” have been named as the winners of the Water and Sanitation Photo Contest 2015, co-organised by the World Bank (WB) in Vietnam and VNPhoto- an online forum for photography lovers.  The WB said on October 14 that the contest aims to raise awareness among rural and urban communities of using fresh water, conserving water resources, improving hygiene and environmental sanitation and related issues.  16 out of 256 submissions have been selected to receive awards in two categories: water and sanitation. In the Water category, “Water and Life” depicts a woman scooping clean, clear water out of a small well into a basin. “The photo shows the connection between clean water and life, while at the same time depicting the scarcity of water resources,” said Nguyen Quang Vinh, Senior Water and Sanitation Specialist for the World Bank . Regarding the photographic techniques, Vinh said the picture’s strong colors, contrast, and composition of this photo have attracted viewers’ eye to the subject .  Meanwhile, “For Clean Water Resources”, winner in the sanitation category, was praised by judges for its meaningful story and excellent technique. By capturing a great moment of the two janitors fishing garbage out of the river, the picture urges people to think about environmental protection, said Nguyen Duc Chi, administrator of the VNPhoto Forum.  In addition, a popular vote was held through World Bank Vietnam’s Facebook fanpage to determine People’s Choice Awards. The photo “Behind Industrialisation”, showing a person working on a dumping ground in the southern province of Tra Vinh, won both third place and the “most shared” photo on Facebook. Receiving 570 likes, the photo “In the need for clean water” submitted by Pham Nhut Thuong won the “most liked” photo award. 45th UPU letter writing contest launched The Ministry of Information and Communications launched the 45th Universal Postal Union (UPU) national letter writing contest at the Tran Dang Ninh secondary school in Nam Dinh city, the same name province. Themed “Write a letter to your 45 year-old self”, the contest is open for Vietnamese students from 10 to 15 years old. The handwritten entries must not already be published in any newspapers or books and they should be under 1,000 words.  Participants could submit their writings to the organising board until February 10 next year. The original version and English or French translation of the best letter at the national level will be submitted to the global contest. Additionally, the organising board will award promising prize for the first time to the entries selected to the final round. On the occasion, the organising board presented the prize of the 44th competition to Truong Hai Nam, an eighth grader at the Nguyen Huu Loc secondary school in Thanh Hoa province. Nam won the consolation prize at the international round. Rotor installed for first turbine at Lai Chau hydroelectricity plant Contractors successfully installed the rotor of the first turbine at the Lai Chau hydroelectric plant on October 14, the Electricity of Vietnam said the same day. The group said this marks an important step toward the goal of putting the turbine on a trial run at the end of this year, three months ahead of schedule. Following the installation of the 1,000 tonne rotor, the heaviest among the equipment at the plant, the EVN instructed the project’s management board and contractors to review the entire progress to prepare workforce for the construction of other items in service of the first turbine’s power generation. The Lai Chau plant, located in the upper reach of the Da River, has three turbines which will supply more than 4.6 billion kWh of electricity to the national power grid when all of them become operational. With the test run of the first turbine slated for the end of this year, the plant is expected to be completed in 2016, a year ahead of schedule, thus serving socio-economic development of the northeastern region. The project’s construction began in Nam Nhun district, the northern province of Lai Chau, in January 2011. Son La – Lai Chau 500 kV transmission line completed Work finished at the Son La – Lai Chau 500 kV transmission line on October 14, 16 days ahead of schedule. The National Power Transmission Corporation under the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN-NPT) commenced the project in December 2013 with total investment of 4 trillion VND (178.5 million USD). The 158.5 km line helps transmit electricity generated from the Lai Chau hydropower plant and small and medium-sized hydro power plants in the northwest region to the national grid. The Lai Chau hydro power plant has a capacity of 1,200 MW and can supply 4.6 billion kWh of electricity a year once all its three turbines are put into operation. Its first turbine is expected to start trial run at the end of this year, three months ahead of schedule. New kindergarten for worker housing complex in Hanoi A kindergarten was inaugurated on October 14 in the housing complex for workers in the Bac Thang Long Industrial Zone, the country’s first large-scale housing project for workers.  The Kim Chung Nursery School, covering an area of 5,300 sq. metres will provide care for around 220 children.  The Kim Chung social housing project in Kim Chung commune, Dong Anh district, built in 2007, targets to provide housing for 11,520 workers. Roughly 4,000 of them have settled down in the facility.  The city has instructed relevant agencies and local authorities to accelerate the construction of relevant public facilities, such as cultural houses, more nursery schools and sport space, which should be completed by 2016. Hanoi steps up efforts to improve life of the elderly Hanoi is taking in a wide range of steps to better the lives of the elderly, who account for a growing proportion of its population.  Elderly people make up 10.5 percent of Hanoi’s population. There are 728,000 people aged 60 and above. Of these, 1,270 are over 100 and 31,000 are living in poverty or near poverty.  The city has issued health insurance cards for 64.8 percent of the elderly living in poverty and those who are disadvantaged or suffering from leprosy.  Hospitals and health centres in districts and communes co-ordinated with local associations of the elderly periodically examine and make health records for the elderly.  This helped medical professionals diagnose people with diseases early and provide proper treatment.  The city has also worked to improve older people’s mental and emotional wellbeing. It organised 85 models for taking care of the elderly in the community.  Phuc Xa ward in Ba Dinh district, for example, implemented a model called Taking Care of the Health of the Elderly in the Community from 2013 to 2015. It was designed to help older people gain access to proper health services, get advice on taking care of themselves and prevent diseases.  For the programme to be implemented effectively, the ward often held training classes for employees on policies and laws relating to the elderly.  Phuc Xa ward’s staff, organisations and unions frequently visited the elderly and organised many activities, such as marking the International Day for the Elderly or bringing in exemplary old people to society.  This year, Ba Dinh district will organise many activities to improve care of the elderly.  Cu Thi Hau, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly, said Hanoi was one of localities that had done well to care for and ensure the rights of the elderly.  Hanoi has the highest allowances for the elderly: 350,000 VND per month (16 USD) per person, said Hau.  The Hanoi Association of the Elderly has also made positive contributions, calling on people to build a civilised city, protect the environment, build new rural areas, and ensure security and social reconciliation. Singapore gives jail terms for shop’s employees cheating Vietnamese A Singapore court on October 14 issued the jail terms for four employees in an electronics shop, which cheated many foreign visitors including a Vietnamese one who bought an iPhone 6 there last year, according to Singaporean news website Channel News Asia. Accordingly, the four defendants who worked for Mobile Air shop in Sim Lim Square trade center were sentenced four to 14 months of imprisonment on charges of cheating. Koh Guan Seng, 38, was sentenced to 14 months jail,  Kam Kok Keong, 31, was sentenced to 11 months' jail, Kelvin Lim Zhi Wei, 32, was sentenced to four months' jail, and Lim Hong Ching, 34, was sentenced to six months' jail, Channel News Asia reported. According to the prosecution, the four defendants were hired by Jover Chew Chiew Loon, 33, as salespersons in Mobile Air shop. A screenshot of the page Kang created to raise fund to buy a brand new iPhone 6 to send to Pham Van Thoai as a gift to say apology to him on behalf of the people of Singapore, and express the hospitality of the people of the Southeast Asian city-state. Chew, the shop’s owner, taught the four men to cheat unsuspecting customers so that they would receive a 40% commission of the profits made from their sales, which amounted to SGD16,149, by using unscrupulous sales tactics from April to October 2014, Channel News Asia reported. At the court, deputy prosecutor Eunice Loh recommended severe penalties to deter those who intend to perform such frauds in the future, Singaporean media reported. The Singaporean public took notice of the fraudulent behavior of Mobile Air store in October last year after the shop paid back 1,010 Singaporean dollars to a customer in coins. A month later, Vietnamese tourist Nguyen Van Thoai went there to buy an iPhone 6, and was cheated. Thoai, 28, was asked by Mobile Air Pte Ltd in Sim Lim Square to sign some worded invoice in English, a language Thoai barely understands. He thus was forced to pay an additional USS$1,500 for a 1-year warranty. The tourist then went down on his knees, begging the store to return him the money but failed. He eventually left the shop with USS$550 poorer, and with no iPhone 6. In November last year, Thoai told a Chinese-language Singaporean newspaper, Lianhe Zaobao, that he had bought a new iPhone 6 with the money he received from a Singaporean businessman, and will not receive any further assistance. "I've been cheated US$550, so I'll only get US$550 from a kind person, and I will receive no more. I am grateful for your kindness, but I just want to get the right amount I lost," Thoai told the newspaper. It is expected that the trial for the shop’s owner, Jover Chew - who faces a total of 28 charges, will take place on October 28. Students make study tour of Huawei facilities in Beijing Twelve Vietnamese students have arrived in China to participate in a two week study tour of Huawei facilities in Beijing and Shenzhen and gain some insight into Chinese culture. The Huawei Telecom – Seeds for Future – program seeks to develop ICT talent, transfer knowledge, promote a greater understanding of, and interest in, the telecommunications industry and encourage regional building and participation in the digital community. The program offers the undergraduate students the opportunity to travel to China for a two week period. During the first week, participants will be Huawei’s guests in Beijing for an immersive introduction to the Chinese language and culture. In week two, participants will stay in Shenzhen and work with the Huawei team in their Chinese Headquarters, learning about the company’s international culture, strategy and values, and receive technical training in the industry. The students have been selected from three universities – the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Natural Sciences and FPT University. Dengue fever cases continue to climb Dengue fever has reached an alarming level in HCM City, with 775 cases reported last week, a rise of 157 compared to the previous week, according to a report from the city's Preventive Medicine Centre. As of October 8, HCM City had more than 11,400 cases of dengue fever, an increase of 85 per cent compared to the same period last year. Five dengue-related fatalities were reported. Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFM) is also on the rise, with nearly 6,400 cases reported as of October 8. Last week, the city had 446 cases of HFM, an increase of 31 per cent compared to an average of 340 cases in each of the previous four weeks. Six cases were reported at kindergartens last week.  Kien Giang officials jailed for embezzlement The People's Court of the southern Kien Giang Province yesterday sentenced 50-year-old Le Van Tuyen, former head of Tan Hiep district's agriculture and rural development department, to 15 years imprisonment. He was given four years in prison on charges of "abusing his position and power while on duty" and 11 years for "intentionally violating the State's provisions in economic management, causing serious consequences". Three other defendants, who were former officers of the department, were sentenced 11 to 15 months in prison for "intentionally violating the State's provisions in economic management, causing serious consequences". They are Nguyen Van Cuong, 42, Ta Minh Chau, 48, and Nguyen Huu Thuc, 34. In 2009, these four men caused a VND744 million (US$34,400) loss to the State budget by submitting fake documents to appropriate money for constructing two canals which they had not completed. From 2010 to 2011, as guarantor of the Kien Giang development investment fund, Tuyen abused his power as director of technical consultation and agricultural service centre, to borrow over VND4.4 billion from Vietcombank's branch in Kien Giang province. He spent nearly VND1.7 billion ($75,600) to buy pesticides and rice without making a noting in the centre's financial report. The rest was used for personal purposes. In 2012, he embezzled another VND4 billion ($178,000) from the Kien Giang development investment fund. He used this money to pay off the bank debt in 2010. The remaining was used for personal purposes. At the hearing, Tuyen was also ordered to return VND4 billion to the fund.  Bach Mai doctors successfully handle two complicated cases Doctors from the Ha Noi-based Bach Mai Hospital have successfully treated two patients with serious complications, the hospital's Deputy Director, Prof. Mai Trong Khoa said yesterday. In the first case, 31-year-old Hoang Ngoc Yen from Ha Noi, who has been suffering from kidney failure for the past seven years, gave birth to a baby boy. Khoa said it was quite an achievement because only one to seven per cent of women with kidney failure could get pregnant. The hospital's artificial kidney ward has recorded five patients being pregnant during the treatment with a dialysis machine since its establishment 40 years ago. But Yen was the first woman in Viet Nam to have a baby while being treated with a dialysis machine, Khoa said. She undergoes dialysis three times a week. Dr Nguyen Huu Dung, head of the artificial kidney ward in the hospital, said a special team was set up to supervise Yen's condition every day, including her weight, blood pressure and amniotic fluid. Yen gave birth to a 1.5kg boy on September 6 this year. He now weighs 2.1kg. The second case is of 28-year-old Chu Tien Long from the northern Vinh Phuc Province, who had a tumour in his spinal column. The tumour had blocked his nervous system, belly and vein system. A six-hour surgery, conducted on September 27 to remove the tumour, was successful, exceeding the doctors' expectations. Long was in stable condition and would be able to work normally after being discharged from the hospital, doctors said.  Women under-represented in local elections: report says Women are under-represented in local elections, according to a report released yesterday at a policy dialogue in Ha Noi. Forty per cent of women said someone else had voted on their behalf in the last election, the report found. Proxy voting by family members is legal in village-level elections in rural areas and at the residential-group level in urban areas. The report was conducted by Oxfam Viet Nam and the UN Development Programme in Viet Nam with participation from 106 people in the first six months of the year in three provinces: Hoa Binh, Quang Tri and Ninh Thuan. The report aimed to analyse citizen participation in the policy-making process, and provide recommendations for improved governance in Viet Nam. It also found that citizen monitoring of local governments' performances was not effective. Voters saw education level and trust as the most important characteristics in choosing elected representatives, rather than their positions on policies, according to the report. Citizens in Quang Tri said that candidates for village head should be hardworking, successful and active in community events. Andrew Wells-Dang, the report's research team leader, said the report also gave recommendations to the Government. It recommended ending the practice of proxy voting to ensure the direct voting rights of women in accordance with Constitutional requirements for "universal, equal, direct and secret suffrage," he said. It also suggested forming a citizen supervision committee under the oversight of the People's Councils, which could help citizens monitor officials' performances. Speaking at the policy dialogue, Dinh Xuan Thao, head of the National Assembly's Institute of Legislature, said that in June the NA adopted the Law on the Organisation of Local Government. Following the law, People's Committees and People's Councils are required to hold at least one meeting to answer questions from local citizens each year. The move aimed to improve the accountability of local authorities, Thao said. Nguyen Thi Le Hoa, associate country director of Oxfam Viet Nam, said the report was released in preparation for the 12th National Party Congress and elections for a new National Assembly for 2016-20 set to be held in 2016.  Fire destroys warehouse in Thanh Hoa A massive fire, which broke out at about 10pm yesterday in the central Thanh Hoa City, destroyed a warehouse with an area of nearly 1000sq.m and two cars. The damage was estimated to be worth more than VND10 billion (US$450,000). The warehouse, located in Phu Son Ward, was owned by Dong Bac commerce and construction limited company. Several gas stoves, televisions, refrigerators and speakers, besides cars, confectioneries, drinks and a lorry loaded with several gas tanks were stored inside. Dozens of fire engines and hundreds of firefighters, soldiers and policemen were sent to the site. The walls and metal roof of the warehouse were demolished so that the firefighters could spray water to extinguish the fire. The team finally put out the fire after five hours, by 3am today. Some firefighters were exhausted and suffered slight injuries. People living in houses located opposite to the warehouse said they heard a massive explosion last night, and then saw a 10m-high blaze rising from the warehouse. The cause of the fire is being investigated.  Obstacles prevent necessary treatment of autistic children Misperception, lack of early detection and low awareness of parents are the main obstacles that hinder the social integration of autistic children in Viet Nam, experts said at a recent seminar on autism in Ha Noi. Speaking at the seminar, which was part of an event held on Sunday for 300 families with autistic children to interact and discover, health experts said that the biggest challenge in tackling autism was the limited understanding of autism spectrum disorders. Autism was often perceived as sickness and a ‘domestic problem' rather than a long-term developmental disability which needs support from the government, they said. The experts also said it was difficult to access services for early detection, early intervention and social inclusion due to lack of services, low awareness of people and discrimination. Many parents were unaware of the signs of autism to take early action; development screening has not been incorporated into routine care for young children. In addition, intervention services for children were insufficient and exceed the affordability of many families, they said. Dr Nguyen Thanh Mai, a pediatrics lecturer of Ha Noi Medical University, said in the courses for doctors, her university had recently added to the curriculum the content related to examination and diagnostics to detect early signs of autism. However, doctors in remote and disadvantaged areas did not often have opportunities to update knowledge on this issue, she added. One of the solutions given out during the event is the launch of a software which allows parents, caregivers and health workers to screen for early detection of developmental disorders and autism spectrum disorders. The software also provides information for early intervention at home, help researchers and software developers to better understand the current status of the child to make appropriate interventions. Experts also said the government should pay more attention to the children and families of children with autism as it has for deaf children to reduce pressure for families with children with autism. Dr Hoang Yen, senior lecturer at the Institute of Education Management under the Ministry of Education and Training said the programme could help parents access and detect early signs of autism in their children with five red flags which health organisations recommended. Yen said that parents or anyone who wanted to learn about the programme could find it online at a365.vn, adding that the programme was popular and good for parents. The event was jointly held by the Centre of Creative Initiatives in Health and Population, Viet Nam Autism Network and Ha Noi Club for Children with Autism. Although there is no official figure of children detected with autism in Viet Nam so far, the National Hospital of Pediatrics (NHP) reports increasing numbers of patients every year.  Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association in Hokuriku established The Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association in Japan’s Hokuriku region made debut in Toyama city on October 14.  The association, which counts entrepreneurs, politicians, scholars and local residents in Hokuriku among its membership, will work to further enhance friendship and cooperation between the region and Japan with Vietnam through economic, trade, investment activities, cultural and educational exchanges, and human resources training.  Speaking at the event, the association’s President Matsumura Yoshiaki affirmed his intention to coordinate closely with the Vietnam Consulate General in Osaka to make the association grow and contribute to the bilateral friendship and cooperation.  On this occasion, Governor of Oyabe city Sakurai Morio announced a plan to lead a 15-member delegation to visit the central province of Thanh Hoa in mid-November as the first activity of the association.  Hokuriku region, located on the northwest, comprises Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui prefectures, and boast a developed manufacturing industry and agricultural production.- Vietnam to slash visa fees in November to boost tourist arrivals Vietnam will cut visa fees for several types of international passport holders and overseas Vietnamese next month, in the latest effort to boost the country’s foreign arrivals. Starting November 23, the single-entry visa will cost US$25 instead of the current $45, whereas the fee for multiple-entry visas with validity of less than three months will go down from $95 to $50, according to a circular by the Ministry of Finance. Foreigners will still have to pay $95 for the multi-entry visa with validity between three and six months, and $135 for between six months and a year. The fee for a visa valid for between one and two years is $145, and from two to five years, $155. “The visa fee adjustments are intended to boost tourism,” an official from the ministry’s tax policy department told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday. “We have referred to the visa fees in other regional countries to decide on the new rates for Vietnam.” For tourists who enter Vietnam and continue traveling to Laos and Cambodia, then come back to Vietnam to return to their home countries, the visa fee is $5 instead of $45 as currently charged, the official added. Such a policy was immediately praised by local travel operators who said the change is more convenient for international customers. Many tourists visit Laos and Cambodia after touring Vietnam, but return home via Vietnam, which is now connected to more international flights than the other two countries, according to travel firms. The lower visa fees for this kind of travel will encourage more travelers to visit Vietnam on a typical three-country package, they told Tuoi Tre. Vietnamese tour operators also said the cheaper visa fees are good news for the industry, at a time when Vietnam waives visas for fewer countries than their Southeast Asian peers Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. The Southeast Asian country currently applies a one-sided free-visa policy to eight countries, including Japan, South Korea, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Russia, and Belarus. In addition, Vietnam also has a visa-free policy for nine Southeast Asian countries, including Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines. In July, the country started waiving visas for five European countries, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Vietnam is making the effort to win back foreign visitors, after international arrivals dropped continuously for 13 months from May 2014. Some measures, most noticeably the visa-free travel policy applicable to those European countries, have paid off as tourist numbers began bouncing back in July. In September, Vietnam received more than 626,000 international visitors, up 8.3 percent from the same period last year, according to the General Statistics Office. The total number of international tourist arrivals in the first nine months of the year was 5.7 million, down 5.9 percent from a year earlier. Outstanding Vietnamese farmers honoured Sixty three outstanding farmers were honoured at a ceremony held in Hanoi on October 14 for their significant achievements in 2015. The event, organised on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam Farmers' Association (VFA) (October 14), saw the presence of National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung. The winners for the Outstanding Vietnamese Farmers 2015 title are those who think creatively in agricultural production and business, while also having inventions being effectively applied in production, making significant contributions to the construction of modern rural areas and national security. Speaking at the award ceremony, NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung praised the efforts and contributions made by the 63 outstanding farmers who are striving for agricultural and rural industrialisation, and modernisation over the past years. The NA leader stressed that the Party and State always pay special attention to agriculture, farmers, and rural areas, affirming these as the top concerns in national strategic policies.  Vietnamese farmers have always played an important role in the national reform process and sustainable socio-economic development, he added. NA Chairman Hung also expressed his belief that Vietnamese farmers would continue to promote their heroic tradition in the context of deeper international integration, and exert more efforts in grasping opportunities, proactively enhancing their knowledge as well as applying technological advances to production, thus improving the quality and competitiveness of their agricultural products. Overhead train prototype for Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway to be displayed The overhead train prototype for the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway project will be showcased at the Giang Vo Exhibition Centre in Hanoi from October 20, 2015 to January 20, 2016 to collect public comments. According to the Hanoi Railway Project Management Unit, the rail carriage prototype was completed and transported from China to Hai Phong port and will be sent to Hanoi in the next few days. In late September, several images of the prototype were released by the project management unit which received controversial opinions from the public about technical aspects and design. As scheduled, 13 trains will be manufactured by China's Beijing Subway Rolling Stock Equipment Co. Ltd for the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway project with a total value of over US$63 million. Each train is 20m long consisting of four carriages made from stainless steel. The railway project measures 13km with a 1.435mm track gauge, allowing a maximum speed of 80km per hour. The rail route begins at Cat Linh Street in Dong Da district and ends at Yen Nghia bus station in Ha Dong district, including 12 stations and a depot. Exceptional biotechnological talents honored in Hanoi U.S. agrochemical and agricultural biotechnology firm Monsanto and Vietnam University of Agriculture (VNUA) have announced winners of the Monsanto-VNUA scholarships for 2015- 2016. The scholarships were presented to five outstanding students and three research groups in the second year of the award in Hanoi on Monday.  In a bid to nurture young talent in agricultural biotechnology and encourage future innovations in the field, the scholarships provide tuition assistance worth VND42.5 million to individual students, and research funding of VND26.5 million to research groups. The awards are also accompanied by an internship opportunity at Monsanto Vietnam.  VNUA and Monsanto have discussed their long-term partnership which involves students gaining valuable experience from Dekalb Vietnam (Monsanto), as well as real field experience through visiting and connecting with farmers through regular site trips. In the first year of the scholarship, the two student recipients had excellent academic records and the distinction of achieving the university’s highest rankings. Such financial aid also opens up new opportunities for the awardees to pursue overseas training courses via access to enhanced learning resources and research materials. Announced in September 2014, the Monsanto-VNUA scholarship program is aimed at promoting excellence in agricultural biotechnology. Through this program, Monsanto has granted US$75,000 in financial aid for five consecutive years to VNUA undergraduate students selected based on their academic excellence in the field of biotechnology. Drought seen triggering hydropower water shortfalls Hydropower plants in the central region might lack dozens of billions of cubic meters of water this year due to drought caused by the El Nino phenomenon. Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) said last Saturday that water flows into the hydropower dams in the northern and central regions were normal in the first quarter of this year. However, water levels of the dams, especially in the Central Highlands region, in the months of dry and flooding seasons are lower than the average of previous years due to the El Nino. EVN said the water volume of the hydropower reservoirs by the end of September had been 22 trillion cubic meters lower than that in the same period last year. According to energy experts, the El Nino phenomenon has negatively influenced the operations of hydropower plants even in the flooding season, leading to lower electricity output generated by this source that accounts for 35-40% of the country’s total electricity output. Earlier EVN forecast Vietnam would face electricity shortages of five billion kWh until the end of this year due to unfavorable weather conditions. To cope with the El Nino impact, EVN said it will continue regulating water at reservoirs to ensure sufficient water supply for electricity generation and cultivation in downstream areas this month. The group is well prepared to provide coal supply for thermal power plants including Duyen Hai 1 and Vinh Tan 2 to ensure sufficient electricity for the south.  Besides, EVN will accelerate construction of power projects at Vinh Tan and Duyen Hai power centers; Thai Binh and O Mon 3 and 4 thermal power plants; and Song Bung 2, Trung Son and Bac Ai hydropower plants. EVN put the nation’s electricity consumption at 24,790 MW per day in October, while the national grid can supply 28,000 to 29,080 MW. Binh Duong opens major road to traffic Binh Duong Province on October 13 put into use the first phase of My Phuoc-Tan Van road worth VND825.6 billion (US$36.9 million), thus facilitating traffic between the center of the province and neighboring localities. Built by Becamex IDC Corporation, the first-phase road section stretches 16 kilometers from Road DT 741 to An Phu Roundabout. It is part of My Phuoc-Tan Van road capitalized at VND4.3 trillion and designed to be 62 kilometers from Bau Bang to National Highway 1A. The road will have six lanes for vehicles to travel at a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour. The My Phuoc-Tan Van road will pass through major industrial parks in Bau Bang, Ben Cat, Thu Dau Mot, Thuan An and Di An in Binh Duong Province. It is expected to help ease traffic congestion on nearby roads and facilitate goods transportation in the area and the southeastern region. Becamex IDC chairman Nguyen Van Hung described the new road as a key route of the province that links Ho Chi Minh Highway and National Highway 1A and the transport network of southern major economic zones. When completed, it will reduce vehicular traffic on National Highway 13 and Road DT 743. As the road connects the province with a number of ports, it will help vehicles save up to 30% of travel time and 20% of transport cost. Tran Thanh Liem, vice chairman of Binh Duong Province, said the My Phuoc-Tan Van road will become an important route for transporting import and export goods, especially agro-aqua-forestry products. On the same day, the province started to widen Road DT 743 to six lanes at a cost of VND1.3 trillion. The two-phase road is 12.3 kilometers from Ong Cu Temple to Song Than Overpass. In the first phase, a 7-kilometer section from the T-junction at Tan Dong Hiep Park to Song Than Overpass will be upgraded. The remaining section will include a number of overpasses in An Phu Roundabout, Intersection No. 550 and Song Than Intersection. Hung said the expanded road links various industrial parks of the province with HCMC and other localities. It will connect to My Phuoc-Tan Van road and the Trans-Asia Highway. When in place, the road project will improve the province’s traffic network and spur social-economic development. No trace of missing sailors in Japan: spokesperson Japanese patrol forces have found no hint of three Vietnamese sailors who went missing from a Taiwanese fishing vessel off the coast of the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido, said the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson Le Hai Binh. Binh said at the ministry’s regular press briefing in Hanoi on October 15 that the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan and the Vietnam Economic and Culture Office in Taipei are working with relevant sides to search for the missing sailors and clarify the cause of the incident. The embassy is also working with competent Vietnamese and Japanese agencies to keep the spirits of other sailors up. Taiwan’s ship Hsiang Fur Far reported that on the night of October 8, three Vietnamese crew members – Le Van Thuc, Thieu Dinh Thuong, and Nguyen Dinh Nga – jumped into the sea, about 12 kilometres from Hokkaido’s Shiraoi Port. The Japan Coast Guard deployed five ships and two planes to search for the sailors soon after they were informed of the case. The Taiwanese ship carries a total of 61 crew members, including 21 Vietnamese, 23 Filipinos and 14 Indonesians. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri