Thứ Năm, 8 tháng 10, 2015

Social News 8/10


HCM City to launch electronic bus tickets
Residents in Ho Chi Minh City will be offered a new smart electronic bus ticket to replace the currently used paper tickets, helping to save time queuing up for buying tickets and ticket control.
The BOO (build-own-operate) project on investing in a smart electronic ticket system in public transport was recently approved by the municipal People's Committee with a total investment of over VND321 billion (US$14.44 million).
Under the project, passengers will use a single electronic ticket card and can easily pay ticket fares online instead of queuing up at ticket offices.
In addition, the project will collect information on the transport demand of local people to serve management work and planning in a bid to encourage people to use public transport.
Currently, there are three kinds of bus tickets in Ho Chi Minh City - tickets for students; daily tickets for all passengers and monthly passes.
The use of electronic tickets is expected to save time and money for both passengers and ticket inspectors as well as management agencies.
National Committee on Persons with Disabilities established
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has signed a decision to establish the National Committee on Persons with Disabilities.
According to the decision, the Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will be the president of the committee.
The vice president position will be taken over by the Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs whilst members of the committee will be Deputy Ministers of Home Affairs; Finance; Planning and Investment; Justice; Health; Education and Training; Culture, Sports and Tourism; Construction; Transport; Information and Communication, and Science and Technology, among others.
The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs will act as the standing agency of committee.
The committee is responsible for co-ordinating related ministries, sectors and localities in assisting the PM to direct and address policies relating to persons with disabilities.
It will help convey the PM’s instructions to ministries, sectors and localities in directing the construction of mechanisms and relevant policies on persons with disabilities; promoting the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and recommendations in the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, as well as supervising and evaluating the implementation of Law on Persons with Disabilities
Bomb removed from sea off Thanh Hoa Province
A 400kg unexploded bomb has been excavated from the fishing area off the Lach Bang Port, central Thanh Hoa Province.
The bomb was found on Tuesday by Nguyen Hu Tuan, a fisherman from Dien Chau District, central Nghe An Province, when his fishing boat was about 12 miles off the port.
Tuan said the bomb, which was entangled in his net, was about 1.88m long with a diameter of 35cm and weighing about 400kg.
Right after snaring the bomb, Tuan informed Hai Thanh Commune authority and local border guards who immediately organised an excavation.
The bomb was suspected to be a kind of torpedo and would be defused by a professional bomb and landmine clearance team.
Earlier in August, an unexploded bomb weighing 200kg was excavated from Sepon River in central Quang Tri Province.
The bomb was found on the riverbed by a local who was also fishing in that section in the province's Huong Hoa District. It was also caught in his net.
The bomb was 1.5m long and the bomb clearance staff believed it was dropped by the US Army during the war. The clearance team removed the explosive device to a safer place to defuse it.
Quang Tri was the locality hit the hardest by American bombing during the war. Numerous unexploded devices remain unattended in the province, where over 80 per cent of the country's disabled people live. 
Hanoi police cracks down on modified three-wheelers
Hanoi Police has taken stronger measures to crack down on self-modified three-wheelers that are driven illegally by people posing as wounded war veterans.
In the last two days, Traffic Police Team No. 3 has confiscated 14 such vehicles. Most of these have been structurally changed or camouflaged as wounded veteran's vehicles to carry goods.
"Drivers of vehicles usually swagger around. We had to form patrols to control and co-ordinate with the police along Láng Road to handle such vehicles violating the law," Dinh Tien Vu, Deputy Leader of Traffic Police Team No.3 said.
The flouting of the law by such vehicle owners has happened regularly and it affects the safety and order of transport in the city, making it a matter for public concern, Vu said.
Some are stamped with fake logos of companies run for wounded war veterans in order to deceive the authorities, while others are just revamped old motorcycles with a shipping cargo behind.
Although users of three-wheelers must be war veterans, most offenders are in their youth. Ha Don Tu, a 21-year-old man, was caught while using his three-wheeled motorcycle to deliver ice. Another 47-year-old was caught pretending to be a wounded war veteran.
When caught, some vehicle owners desert their vehicles to avoid paying fines, Vu said.
To curb traffic accidents and congestion, Resolution 32/2007/NQ-CP dated 29 June, 2007, by the prime minister banned three-wheelers from January 2008.
There are about 500 self-modified three-wheeled vehicles in Ha Noi, including 200 owned by wounded soldiers who are legally allowed to use this form of transport. 
Thirteen fishermen rescued off Nha Trang coast
Thirteen fishermen, whose fishing vessel capsized during a tornado on Sunday night in the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago's waters, have arrived safely at Khanh Hoa Province's Nha Trang port.
The fishermen were rescued yesterday afternoon by the Nha Trang Maritime Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre. Their health was said to be in good condition after they were treated on the boat by healthcare workers.
Nguyen Xuan Binh, the centre's deputy chief, said at 6pm yesterday that the centre's ship, SAR 27-01, had approached the distressed vessel and prepared to tow it into the harbour.
Binh said at the time of making the approach, the crew waiting to be rescued appeared tired and mentally unstable.
The boat, BD 97153-TS, had suffered a breakdown at sea some 100 nautical miles off the Khanh Hoa coast when a tornado struck the area on Sunday. 
Ha Noi wants illegal construction in building demolished
The municipal People's Committee yesterday asked the developer of 8B Le Truc Building Project to demolish illegally built floors of the building that exceed the permitted height.
The Le Truc Garment Joint Stocks Company's building is located at 67 Tran Phu Street, which previously was at 8B Le Truc Street, Ba Dinh District, about 400m from the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.
The building, which is under construction, has 19 floors and four basement levels.
It is now 69m tall and has a total floor area of about 3,600sq.m. Compared with the licence issued to the project by the Hanoi Department of Construction in March 2014, the height and gross area of the building were 16m and 6,000sq.m more, respectively, than the permitted level, the People's Committee said in its report to the prime minister last month.
The building was found to be taller than the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the National Assembly building in Ba Dinh District.
A decision signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in 2013, which approved a revision of the master plan of Ba Dinh Administrative and Political Centre by 2020, said buildings in the district were permitted to have only 11 floors.
The Ha Noi People's Committee said that in case the building developer refused to demolish the illegal constructions, the city's construction department and the Ba Dinh District People's Committee would use coercive measures.
The committee also asked the heads of the construction department and districts to closely oversee, detect and punish violations of construction regulations.
Cerebral palsy patient walks after stem-cell treatment
The Vinmec International Hospital today said doctors at the hospital had successfully treated a cerebral palsy patient with stem–cell transplant in Viet Nam.
Nguyen Le Nhat Lam, an eight-year-old girl in Duong Minh Chau District in the southern Tay Ninh Province, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy in 2013. Within a year, Lam could not move her hands and feet and was reduced to skin and bone.
Lam was sent to Vinmec Hospital for stem-cell treatment in July 2014. After receiving four stem-cell transplants in the next one year,
Lam has recovered miraculously. She can now sit up and even feed herself.
"My girl can now walk about 10 steps and has start trying to speak," Lam's father Nguyen Cong Thu said.
The result is part of the state scientific research on using stem cells to treat children, conducted by Vinmec Hospital Director Nguyen Thanh Liem.
Lam is one of thousands of children who are born with cerebral palsy in Viet Nam.
Surveys show that cerebral palsy affects 0.06 to 0.19 per cent of the country's children. About 20 to 70 per cent of the children with cerebral palsy visit hospitals and rehabilitation centres for examination and treatment.
Cerebral palsy is a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Often, the symptoms include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles and tremors. Babies with cerebral palsy do not roll over, sit, crawl or walk as early as other children of their age.
Party officials talk election of NA, People’s Councils deputies
The third working day of the Party Central Committee’s 12 th meeting in Hanoi on October 7 focused its group discussions on a plan on electing deputies to the National Assembly (14 th tenure) and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2016-2021 tenure.
In the afternoon, the Committee convened a plenary session on the plan, chaired by Politburo member and NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung. 
During the week-long meeting, participants will debate the 2015 socio-economic performance, the socio-economic development plans for 2016, personnel preparations for the 12 th Party Central Committee, and elections of the 14 th NA and People’s Councils at all levels for 2016-2021.
In the opening ceremony, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong stressed that the correct assessment of the national socio-economic situation from the beginning of this year until now and for the entire year will serve as a foundation to build and successfully carry out socio-economic development plans for 2016, targets for 2016-2020, and the 2010-2020 socio-economic development strategy. 
Regarding personnel preparations for the next tenure of the Party Central Committee, at this meeting, the Politburo is expected to submit to the Central Committee a report on personnel plans for the Politburo, the Secretariat, and key leaders. 
It is also imperative to create a high consensus on key issues - which will decide the success of the elections of deputies for the 14th National Assembly and members of People’s Councils at all levels for the 2016-2021 tenure, he said.-VNA
Vietnam, Indonesia share law making experience
Vietnam and Indonesia should share more law-making experience in order to harmonise laws among ASEAN member countries as the ASEAN Community is to be established later this year, said National Assembly Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu. 
Meeting with a delegation from the legal analysis agency of the Indonesian National Consultative Assembly, in Hanoi on October 7, the NA Vice Chairman expressed belief that the delegation’s visit will help tighten traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries and the two legislatures in particular. 
He called on both sides to work closely together to deepen the bilateral strategic partnership and carry out activities to mark the 60 th anniversary of the Vietnam-Indonesia diplomatic ties. 
The head of the delegation, deputy head of the agency T.B. Soenmandjaja wished that the two legislatures will further their collaboration by facilitating visits and sharing experience between their agencies regarding the institutional system, State apparatus and Constitution enforcement. 
He asked for cooperation in overseeing the implementation of bilateral agreements for the benefit of the two peoples. 
Earlier, the Indonesian delegation held a working session with the Vietnamese NA’s Law Committee and the Institute of Legislative Studies.-VNA
Young green space lovers keep city's lakes full of life
Blocks of floating aquatic plants have been appearing in Dam Tron Lake, located on Doi Can Street. These plants help protect the lake's eco-system and have been cultivated by a group of environment loving young people in Ha Noi.
The lake cleaning activity, organised by the Lake Project of the United States Embassy in Viet Nam, brings together teenage volunteers on the second and fourth Sunday mornings of each month.
They come to lakes in Ha Noi such as Thien Quang, Giang Vo, Ngoc Khanh, Dam Tron to clean rubbish floating on the lake surface or on paths around the lake.
All members of the team are high school pupils or university students, who not only love the environment but are concerned about water pollution.
"Water pollution can directly impact residents living around the lake as well as the aesthetic beauty of the city. We all aware of the importance of lakes and the urgency to protect them from being contaminated," Le Bich Ngoc, the team leader said.
After seeing plants on the To Lich River grown by the Ha Noi water drainage company since 2014, they learned to make similar blocks.
The plants are placed on nets and surrounded by plastic water pipes. Each plant is put 30cm apart from each other. Each block is tied by wooden sticks and ropes to avoid drifting.
Producing oxygen for the water and providing a healthy living environment for the lake's inhabitants, aquatic plants are considered an environmentally-friendly and money-saving solution. Each block costs about VND500,000 (US$22), including VND25,000 ($1.1) for each plant, and can be used for up to four years.
"The plants have been effective. We can see that there is not any oily film on the lake surface around the blocks," Ngoc said.
Dam Tron Lake is one of many lakes in Ha Noi that have been seriously polluted due to large amounts of rubbish being thrown in by residents as well as nearby restaurants and food stalls.
Since the plants were cultivated, the lake has become cleaner and fewer people dump rubbish in it, a street sweeper on Doi Can street said.
"I really appreciate the group's contribution to the lake," a resident living near the lake said.
Aiming at raising awareness of not only the youth but all of society, the teenage volunteers also run a programme called Blue Pause to call for the help of people who walk around the lake.
Some food and drinks stall vendors near the lake help them clean floating garbage. "If the lake is clean, our stall also benefits a lot and the residents also suffer less from pollution," the owner of a beer stall said.
In the future, the group plans to make plant blocks on other lakes in Ha Noi, as well as collecting plastic bottles and teaching children to make things out of recycled material.
"Many youths see pollution everywhere but do nothing, we choose to take action and make changes to protect the city's green areas, as well as our own living environment," Ngoc said. 
Policy makers, scholars, enterprises discuss energy
Policy makers, scholars and enterprises discussed local content requirements in energy at a workshop yesterday in Ha Noi. Local content requirements (LCRs) are policy measures that require a certain percentage of intermediate goods used in production processes to be sourced from domestic manufacturers.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade workshop aimed to promote sustainable energy development co-operation within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. It also hoped to help create a favourable business climate for energy enterprises.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Cam Tu said at the workshop that energy security played an important role in economic development of any country, especially when energy demand was on the rise and energy resources became scarcer.
He said that some countries used local content requirements in energy, for example they imposed requirements to energy generating devices for wind power, solar power or bio-energy.
Tu said that although the policy aimed to promote domestic manufacturers, overusing the policy could lead to protectionism that was against international commitments.
"It will have negative impacts on free trade processes in the region, hinder global value chains and affect enterprises' efficiency," Tu said.
Nguyen Duc Cuong, director of the Energy Centre under the Viet Nam Energy Institute, said that by 2030, coal fired power will make up more than half of total power generation in Viet Nam. When launching local content requirements, the country could help promote renewal energies projects and clean energy.
However, the imposition of local content requirements can make the power price high and cause negative impacts to the trade and investment environment if market scale is small, workshop attendees noted.
Cuong said that to ensure increased local content and a healthy trade/investment environment, Government should offer incentives in import/ export taxes, land use fees, or low-interest loans for domestic engineering enterprises.
Ronald Steenblik, a researcher from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said that policy makers should consider alternative policies for local content requirements, for example, those that support research and development. 
Work begins on second phase of river pipeline
The second phase of the Da River water pipeline begins construction yesterday in Ha Noi's Thach That District. The $218m project is scheduled to complete in 2019, 
Construction work for the second phase of the Da River water pipeline began yesterday in Ha Noi in the hope to better meet the local residents' need for clean water after several breakdowns of the old pipeline occurred.
Under the second phase, a new 46km second pipeline will be built to support the first one built in the first phase of the project in 2008 in case of any trouble.
In the initial stage, a new 21km pipeline will be built across the Day River (on the land of Quoc Oai and Hoai Duc districts), running parallel to the current one from National Highway 21 to Belt Road 3. It is expected to finish in May 2016.
The remaining part of the new pipeline and a new water treatment plant will be built and is expected to be operational in 2019.
The construction project was invested by Vinaconex water supply joint stock company (Viwasupco) with a capital of VND4.9 trillion ($218 million).
Once the second phase of the project is completed, the water supply capacity of the pipeline will rise from 300,000cu.m to 600,000cu.m per day.
It is expected to meet the local residents' need for clean water in urban centres of Son Tay, Hoa Lac, Xuan Mai, Mieu Mon, Ha Dong and Ha Noi.
The Viet Nam Construction and Import-Export Corporation (Vinaconex), the corporation in charge of the first pipe, was chosen to build the second one. But instead of using the same material as the first pipe, fiberglass, Vinaconex will use cast iron.
"Though cast iron pipe will be more expensive, its quality is higher and construction time is shorter, which will help make the pipe usable sooner," Nguyen Van Ton, Viwasupco's general director said.
"We will continue repairing the first pipeline to ensure that both lines function well and supply enough water for the residents."
In late 2008, the Vinaconex spent VND1.5 trillion ($66.7 million) on the old pipeline, which began delivering clean water from the Da River Water Factory in the neighbouring province of Hoa Binh to families in six Ha Noi districts.
The old pipeline, which was in its first phase, runs for 47km and has the capacity to supply 300,000cu.m of water per day.
Over the past four years, the pipeline transporting clean water from the Da River to Ha Noi broke or leaked 15 times.
Breakdowns have occurred more often this year. The latest incident took place on September 26, when part of the pipeline in Thach That District broke at 3am, causing a water shortage for 70,000 households in the city.
The water shortage forced hospitals in Ha Noi to delay non-emergency surgeries and created hardships for hundreds of patients in hospitals. 
Out-of-date infrastructure pollutes capital's outskirts
Environmental pollution in neighbourhoods on the outskirts of Ha Noi has gotten worse during recent years, said professor Pham Ngoc Dang, director of the Research Centre for Urban & Environmental Development.
He said that population in districts on the edge of Ha Noi has increased rapidly, but the infrastructure, including clean water, sewage and road systems, was out of date, leading to increasing environmental pollution.
Dang added that the environmental pollution started from weak investment and weak management.
Investors have not obeyed regulations related to urban and environment management, he said.
Bach Thuy Hong, a resident who lives in Phung Khoang Village in Nam Tu Liem District's Trung Van Ward, said that the number of buildings and traffic density increased so quickly in the district that the area was always dusty and noisy.
The same situation happened in Phu Do Village which made bun (rice vermicelli) in the district's Phu Do Ward. The village has more than 200 households making 80 tonnes of bun per day. A Vietnam News Agency's correspondent experienced a sour smell that covered the entire village.
Nguyen Tien Manh, a local resident, lamented that the construction density in the village increased by three or four times compared with some previous years, whereas the sewage system was too small so that water overflowed into residents' houses whenever it rained heavily.
Another resident living in Tay Ho District's Xuan La Ward said that the most unpleasant problem was that construction and daily waste was discharged uncontrollably. The problem could lead to diseases, he said.
Professor Dang suggested that besides giving instruction, the authorities should have strict punishment for violators related to urban management, and encourage enterprises and the community to implement policies on environmental management and protection, said Dang.
Nguyen Truong Son, deputy chairman of Nam Tu Liem District, said that Nam Tu Liem District was one of the districts with the fastest urbanisation speeds in Ha Noi with a number of construction buildings.
Recently the district leaders strengthened their inspections even at night.
The inspectors checked construction waste discharge and gave strict punishments to violators, said Son. Education on the issue was also improved.
"But raising people's awareness is a difficult work which requires a long period," he said. 
Hanoi raises 2 mln USD for children’s fund in six years
Hanoi has raised more than 45 billion VND (about 2 million USD) for its Children’s Fund over the past six years, as heard at a meeting on October 6 to review the Fund operations from 2009-2015. 
Local children, especially those from difficult backgrounds, were taken into better care through various childcare and scholarship projects aided by the Fund. 
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Van Suu, however, talked about difficulties to maintain the funding, which is mostly contributed by private donors and businesses. 
He urged the fund managers to coordinate with relevant city bodies and press agencies to ramp up fundraising activities and communication campaigns to better promote them among the public. 
Director of the municipal Children’s Fund Le Thanh Vinh proposed that the city should consider spending 0.5-0.8 percent of its annual budget for childcare projects. 
Every year, the Fund presented gifts to impoverished children, children with disabilities and orphans during Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday, Mid-Autumn festival and International Children Day (June 1) and worked with local hospitals to give free surgeries to poor children who were born with heart and eye defects, harelips and cleft palates. 
It has raised over 8 billion VND (about 356,000 USD) in the first nine months of the year, including 2 billion VND in cash (89,000 USD).
Hanoi, ADB speeds up cooperation ties
Leaders of the Hanoi People’s Committee extolled the highly important role of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the capital city’s socio-economic development while receiving incoming ADB Country Director Eric Sidgwick in Hanoi on October 7.
During the meeting, Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Quoc Hung praised ABD support to the city and Vietnam at large, especially in poverty reduction and clean water supply.
The Vice Chairman also requested the bank continue assisting the city’s potential projects, particularly environmental work.
Eric Sidgwick, in turn, thanked the city for its cooperation and acknowledged the bank’s commitment to support member countries.
He added the ADB is ready to work with the capital city to seek solutions and resolve difficulties relating to administrative procedures to support upcoming projects such as the urban railway No 3 from Hanoi Station to Hoang Mai and the Lang-Hoa Lac water supply system.
The bank’s Country Director lauded the city’s efforts to overcome difficulties and assured reception attendees that the bank would stand side-by-side with Hanoi during the city’s development process.
So far, the bank has supported several projects in Hanoi with total capital of about 2 billion USD, creating jobs for over 20,000 labourers and contributing to the city’s socio-economic development.
OLMD probes abuses under guest worker program
Following reports of contract violations, the Overseas Labour Management Department (OLMD) has sent letters of inquiry to several businesses employing guest workers in Taiwan.
“There have been numerous reports businesses in Taiwan are not fulfilling their part of the bargain,” said OLMD Deputy Director Dang Sy Dung and many are short-changing workers by cutting back working hours and pay.  
Dung said it appears some of the violations result from businesses cutting back production but we need to get a clearer understanding of the situation and that is why we have sent the letters of inquiry.
In addition, the OLMD has urged employment agencies as well as Vietnam Embassy staff to closely monitor the situation and take remedial actions to timely deal with arising issues and protect the legitimate rights of workers.
In its letter, the businesses were requested to respond with detained information regarding specific incidences that occurred over the past three months prior to October 15.
Vietnam Airlines, Citi Vietnam roll out new rewards program
Citi Vietnam and Vietnam Airlines have reinvented their reward programs and now Citi PremierMiles Visa card holders can, if they choose, directly convert PremierMiles into Golden Lotus Miles.
In unveiling the new program on October 7, officials said it is expected to deliver significant value to affluent travellers who will benefit from Citi’s extensive retail network and Vietnam Airlines’ world-class aviation services.
“We are constantly looking for ways to bring new innovative experiences to our customers,” said Citi Country Officer for Vietnam Natasha Ansell.
“Partnering opportunities with premier service providers are part of our strategic approach and we are privileged to join forces with Vietnam Airlines. We are very excited about the combined benefits our shared customers will enjoy.”
Deputy General Director Trinh Ngoc Thanh of Vietnam Airlines in turn said he is confident the venture with Citi will bring about fruitful results through offering best-in-class services, better serving both companies customers.
The agreement will begin in early 2016.
Canada Education Fairs in Vietnam
Canada Education Fairs will take place in Hanoi on October 17 and Ho Chi Minh City on October 18 with a record number of 78 participating Canadian institutions.
This year, students will have the opportunity to meet with many of Canada’s leading universities such as the University of Toronto, the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, the University of Manitoba, the University of Saskatchewan, Concordia University, University of New Brunswick, Queens University, Ryerson University and York University, to name a few.
Students and families are encouraged to take this opportunity to meet directly with Canadian institutions’ representatives, learn about Canada’s education system and study options available, the visa application process and work opportunities for international students after graduation, as well as meet and learn from experience of alumni.
A special seminar on applying for student visas will be led by a Canadian immigration official, aimed at providing the public with transparent and clear guidance on this topic of concern.
Please visit the following website for the detailed program and list of participating institutions : www.giaoduccanada.org.
Iranian arrested for snatching cash at grocery in HCM City
Police have captured an Iranian man belonging to a gang that appropriated VND3.1 million (nearly US$140) from the owner of a grocery in Ho Chi Minh City.
Officers in Binh Chanh District on October 6 said they have handed over Fiyoi Mehraban, 37, holding Iranian nationality, to the city-level police for further investigation on charges of “property robbery by snatching,” pursuant to Article 136 of the Penal Code.
The Binh Chanh police are hunting for Mehraban’s two accessories, who are identified merely as Llim and Symk.
At about 4:00 pm on September 30, the three foreigners arrived at a grocery in Pham Van Hai Commune in Binh Chanh in a car, according to the case file.
Two of the three got out of the vehicle and stepped into the grocery, owned by Nguyen Thi Thanh, a woman.
They then handed Thanh a Vietnamese banknote worth VND500,000 (US$22.3) to pay for two cans of drinks and a pack of cigarettes.
When Thanh gave four VND100,000 (US$4.45) bills back to the foreigners, they rejected and asked the woman to give them two VND200,000 notes.
Thanh’s husband then took out from the cash drawer a wad of notes totaling VND2.7 million (US$120) to search for VND200,000 bills.
At this moment, Nguyen Ngoc Bich, a woman who had fallen victim to the gang, went past the grocery by chance and saw the swindling foreigners.
As Bich shouted loudly asking for help to seize the swindlers, the two foreigners rapidly grasped the wad of cash from Thanh’s husband and two VND200,000 notes from her hands.
Thanh reported the case to police, who launched an investigation and later detained Mehraban at a hotel in District 7. 
Mehraban admitted that he and his two accomplices had snatched money from Thanh and that they were the culprits in many similar cases.
Vietnamese, German universities launch new Summer School
VNU University of Science in collaboration with Germany’s Rostock University are launching the 6th DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Summer School and GIS 2015 Conference on “GIS for Sustainable Development and Integration” from October 6-9 in Hanoi.
This year’s Summer School is expected to attract numerous scientists and participants from universities, institutes, government and non- government organizations inside and outside Vietnam.
This Summer School is the 6th in series of DAAD Summer School and International Conference at VNU University of Science since 2007.
It is addressing its content to upgrade knowledge in GIS, remote sensing with a focus on UAS (Unmanned Airborne Systems), which is a  major concern nowadays to the development not only for one country, like Vietnam but also to many other developing countries.
Prof. Dr Vu Van Manh, Coordinator of the sixth DAAD Summer School and GIS 2015 Conference, said the program, running from October 6-8, is designed to help trainees broaden knowledge about earth science and maintain relationship with German partners to build new projects on earth science and natural science in the time ahead.
Prof. Nguyen Van Noi , Rector of VNU University of Science emphasized the program of its kind has significantly contributed to strengthening the long-standing relationship between German and Vietnamese scientists in observance of the 40th anniversary of the two nations’ diplomatic ties. 
IAAPA inducts Vinpearl Land into membership
Five-star international resort – Vinpearl Land – has been inducted into membership of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), according to a company official.
“We are proud to have been honoured membership into such a prestigious organization and to be recognized by such an esteemed panel of out peers,” said the official in making the announcement.
IAAPA represents 4,800 members from more than 90 countries around the globe including world famous brands the likes of Disneyland, Universal Studios, and SeaWorld.
Membership in the IAAPA entails compliance with the highest of standards by amusement parks and conformance with strict regulations pertaining to quality of services, safety and the environment.
Vinpearl has often been called the leading amusement park in Vietnam by industry analysts with indoor amusement parks in Hanoi, Ha Long, Danang, Can Tho, Bien Hoa, Nha Trang and Phu Quoc.
Vietnamese pilot detained in Japan for “shopping without paying”
A male pilot of the national flagged carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA), whose name is still unknown, has been detained in Japan since Tuesday for “attempting to carry unpaid items out of a local shop”, according to a source of Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.
The man, a member of the flight crew of an Airbus A330 of VNA, was caught red-handed carrying merchandise which he had yet paid for in his pocket while passing through a detector of the shop, the location of which has also not been disclosed.
According to the minutes about the case submitted to the VNA, the male pilot, 56, chose to buy some goods in a shop near the hotel he stayed, but found out he did not carry his passport along.
He then suggested to the store to temporarily keep the goods he had picked and his bag for him so that he can return to the hotel to get the passport.
But when he left the store, the alarm of the detecting equipment went off, and the shop’s employees immediately checked the man to find him carrying some unpaid merchandise in the pocket.
He was later handed over to the Japanese police for detention and investigation.
The source told Tuoi Tre that VNA’s representatives in Japan has offered to pay the administrative penalty, saying the pilot did not deliberately want to take those items without paying.
Talking to Tuoi Tre on this information, a leader of VNA admitted the VNA leadership was informed about the incident.
According to the leaders, VNA’s representatives in Japan are actively working with Japanese authorities so that the pilot can be bailed soon as VNA believe that this behavior is not too serious.
However, until Wednesday evening, the man has yet been successfully bailed out.
Private firm designs $438mn anti-flooding project for Ho Chi Minh City
A private company has submitted to Ho Chi Minh City authorities a project to curb flooding in the inner city areas with a total investment of VND9.85 trillion (US$438.6 million), local media reported.
After considering the project, the municipal People’s Committee has proposed that the People’s Council approve it, Thoi Bao Kinh Te Sai Gon Online (Saigon Economic Times Online) said.
The project was developed by Trung Nam Construction Investment Corporation, a private firm in Ho Chi Minh City.
It is meant to prevent floods caused by high tides in an area of 570km², including the central area of the city and the right side of the Saigon River.
Under the project, six tidal control works would be built in the Ben Nghe, Tan Thuan, Phu Xuan, Muong Chuoi, Cay Kho, and Phu Dinh areas that are located on the banks of the Saigon River.
In addition, a 7-km long embankment system and 68 small sewers underneath it would also be constructed alongside the river.
These constructions are expected to be located in District 1, District 4, District 7, District 8, Nha Be District, Binh TanDistrict, and Binh Chanh District.
The large project is thought to benefit around 6.5 million inhabitants in the city of over eight million.
If approved, the project will be initiated in the BT (Build-Transfer) form within this year and is expected to be completed in 2018.
Site clearance is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2016 at a total cost of around VND1.79 trillion ($79.6 million), according to Trung Nam Construction Investment Corporation.
Over the past ten years, city officials have invested about VND29 trillion ($1.3 billion) in anti-flooding projects, according to news websiteVnExpress.
At a meeting organized in Ho Chi Minh City on September 29 to seek solutions for curbing inundation, Taiwanese Professor Tsai I Chang pointed out that the city’s population has increased by five times since 1975, which causes wastewater volumes to rise correspondingly.
But the sewerage system has not been improved or reformed properly to meet the increasing need for water drainage.
Prof. Tsai also blamed the chronic flooding on loose urban management, random canal leveling, and fast urbanization.
He highly appreciated the city’s two anti-flooding plans, including Plan 752 (using sewers to drain rainwater) and Plan 1547 (preventing floods with embankments and tide control works).
However, due to the impacts of climate change, the two plans should be modified and supplemented to fit actual conditions, he suggested.
Star Cruises mulls over 200 trips to Vietnam next year
Cruise line Star Cruises plans to use its SuperStar Libra and SuperStar Virgo vessels to operate a total of more than 200 voyages from Hong Kong and China to Vietnam’s Halong Bay and Danang in 2016.
This will be the biggest number of Star Cruises’ voyages to Vietnam in 20 years and will quadruple the figure this year. It plans even more voyages in 2017.
Vu Duy Vu, deputy general director of Saigontourist Travel Service Company, a partner of Star Cruises in Vietnam, said the company plans overnight trips for its cruise ships in Vietnam next year instead of arriving and leaving during the day.
The company has asked for the availability of many services including shopping, entertainment and gambling to meet the demand of its passengers. Therefore, representatives of Star Cruises on October 6 met leaders of the northern province of Quang Ninh and will have meetings with the central city of Danang and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) to ask for assistance.
Star Cruises is not the first cruise line to propose onboard casino, shopping and entertainment services for its passengers at destinations. Last year, Royal Caribbean Cruise also met the Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to make a similar proposal but no decision has been made.
Cruise passengers need onboard and on-site services to entertain when their ships stay at a destination overnight but they are not satisfied when their ships dock in Vietnam.
A cruise tourism expert told the Daily that it is impossible to find regulations prohibiting a gambling service on foreign cruise ships anchoring in Vietnam. He noted about 20 years ago local customs officers ordered the closures of casino, liquor selling and duty-free shops on visiting foreign ships for fear of smuggling.
Dementia increases among aging population

Increasing rates of dementia are becoming a concern in Vietnam, according to medical experts.

According to Professor Dr. Le Van Thinh, Chairman of the Hanoi Neurological Association and Head of Bach Mai Hospital’s Neurology Department, said dementia caused by arterial blocks is the second most common cause behind Alzheimer’s globally and is the most common in Asia, including Vietnam.

According to Thinh, the disease often appears in people aged under 65 and the rate of men with the disease is higher than that of women in Vietnam. The disease worsens as patients get older.

Symptoms of dementia include memory loss and decline in language skills or the ability to identify objects.

Tran Vu from the Vietnam Association of Public Health said the association carried out a study on dementia on 3,308 people aged 60 and above randomly selected from six communes and wards across the country this year.

The results showed the rates of dementia in rural areas are 71 percent and in urban areas are 55.3 percent, which rapidly increase among the elderly.

Education also plays a role in the disease, with more uneducated people suffering from the disease than highly-educated people.

Associate Professor Dr. Ho Thi Hien from the Vietnam Association of Public Health, said family plays a central role in caring for the patient and helping limit the disease’s progress.

The care of elderly with dementia in Vietnam is facing difficulties due to limited knowledge of the disease among medical staff while Vietnam does not have a system for supervising and managing the condition, said Hien.

The Vietnam Association of Public Health recommended developing programmes for early detection of symptoms of the disease to intervene early and limit the disease’s progress.

The association also called for programmes to equip medical staff and the relatives of the elderly with better understanding of dementia.

The elderly were advised to inform themselves about the disease to take measures to avoid it, including following a proper diet and taking part in social activities.

Vietnamese expats in Australia raise fund for homeland’s sea, islands

Nearly 25,000 AUD (17.750 USD) was raised by overseas Vietnamese in Australia from September 23 to October 5 to support the “For beloved Hoang Sa and Truong Sa” club.

The fund is to support children of soldiers and fishermen who are safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty.

At fundraising activities in Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane, Truong My Hoa, former Vice State President and Chairwoman of the Club highlighted that the Club, established by the Vu A Dinh scholarship fund in August 2014, has got support from hundreds of individuals and organisations.

She said in addition to 60,000 scholarships presented to needy excellent ethnic students, the Vu A Dinh scholarship fund has carried out a line-up of education projects as well as built schools, sanitation and fresh water facilities and bridges in mountainous and island areas.

Participants expressed their delight at results of the fund and the club’s projects and programmes. They suggested organising more fundraising activities through cultural exchanges and art performances.

On this occasion, Hoa presented the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union’s certificates of merit to the Vietnamese Consulate General in Sydney, the Vietnamese Business Association of Australia (VBAA), the Vietnamese Students Association in Queensland and some individuals in recognition of their contributions to the Vu A Dinh scholarship fund during the 2014-2015 academic year.

VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri

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