Social News 24/11 Rescuers find third body at mine collapse site The body of the third worker, trapped in a mine collapse five days ago in the northern mountainous Hoa Binh Province, was found by a rescue team early today. The body of Bui Van Quy was found trapped under large rocks, 660m from the tunnel's mouth. The bodies of the other two trapped workers had been found on Wednesday, the day the mine collapsed, and Thursday. The coal mine, owned by Tan Son Co., Ltd in Tan Lac District's Lo Son Commune, suddenly collapsed when a large volume of water burst out at 10am on November 18. Four of the seven workers who were working in the mine at the time managed to escape. Three workers were trapped 400m inside the tunnel. About 500 rescue workers and policemen were sent to the scene, but the rough terrain hampered the rescue work. The accident happened 700m from the tunnel's mouth. The rescue workers had trouble reaching the area where the three workers were trapped as the tunnel was just 2m high and 1.5m wide. Nearly 500 bridges built in Central Highlands Nearly 500 bridges have been built across the Central Highlands, serving the travel of local ethnic minority groups, according to the Steering Committee for the Central Highlands Region. Since 2010, 493 bridges, including 25 suspension ones, have been built in the ethnic minority areas in regional provinces, at a total cost of more than one trillion VND (46.56 million USD) from different resources. From now to 2020, the Central Highland provinces aim to mobilise more than 980 billion VND (43.75 million USD) to build an additional 468 bridges, including 70 suspension ones to serve the locals’ production and living. The Central Highlands has five provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong which consist of 62 districts; 726 communes; and 7,833 wards, hamlets and villages, about one third of which have more than 50 percent of their population being ethnic minority people. Overloaded truck kills 15-year-old One person was killed when an overloaded truck swerved to avoid a wedding tent that occupied half the width of a road on Monday in HCM City. The truck was carrying more than 20 tonnes of steel coil -- almost seven times more than its permitted capacity -- when it crashed in Thu Duc District, the local police said. Five persons were injured in the accident. The truck driver Nguyen Thanh Giang told the police that the brakes of his vehicle failed and he could not stop it, despite making numerous attempts. The truck continued to move for more than 700m, hitting two motorbikes and injuring five people before it hit and killed 15-year-old Nguyen Thi Diem Thuy, who had been forced to walk in the middle of the road to avoid the wedding tent. The truck kept on moving for another 300m before it went over a safety rail and finally stopped by the roadside. The truck driver has been taken into custody for further investigation. The wedding tent was also removed immediately. Project helps to build resilience in disaster-prone areas The Viet Nam Red Cross Society launched a project today to build people's resilience in areas prone to natural hazards in central Viet Nam. The project is likely to benefit more than 430,000 residents of 68 communes and wards in the central provinces. The US$2.5-million project will be funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its five partners, the American Red Cross, Save the Children, Plan International and Catholic Relief Services, besides HelpAge International. The project will focus on improving the resilience of vulnerable households, students and local government authorities towards natural hazards by integrating measures into socio-economic development plans. It will also help vulnerable families to adopt risk reduction measures and help local authorities, people and the private sector to play more active roles in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. The project will be implemented in the four central provinces of Quang Ngai, Quang Nam, Quang Tri and Ha Tinh from October 2015 to March 2017. UNESCO’s 70th founding anniversary marked in Hanoi A ceremony to mark the 70th founding anniversary of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) was organised at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi on November 24. Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh hailed the organisation’s great contributions to the community in the fields of education and culture. He expressed his hope that the organisation will continue promoting a culture of peace, tolerance, and respect for cultures. Head of the UNESCO Office in Vietnam Katherine Muller-Marin affirmed the Vietnamese people are her close friends, and wished that the Vietnamese people continue preserving and promoting their values, including culture and heritage, hospitality, and warm sentiments. On the occasion, the Foreign Ministry presented the Labour Order, third class, to the Thang Long Heritage Preservation Centre and the Friendship Order to Katherine Muller-Marin. Since joining UNESCO in 1976, Vietnam has been actively enhancing cooperative ties with the organisation. UNESCO opened its representative office in Hanoi in September 1999. The country is home to 22 world heritage items recognised by UNESCO, including two natural heritage sites (Ha Long Bay and Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park), five cultural heritages (the Central Sector of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long, the Citadel of the Ho Dynasty, the Complex of Hue Monuments, Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son Sanctuary), and one mixed heritage site (Trang An Landscape Complex). The capital city of Hanoi is the only one in the Asia-Pacific region that was granted the UNESCO’s title “City for peace”. 2016 Global Undergraduate Exchange Scholarship Program seeks Vietnamese candidates The Public Affairs Sections (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City seek candidates for the 2015 Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (UGRAD). First, second, or third-year undergraduate students who demonstrate leadership through academic excellence, community involvement, and extracurricular activities, and who have a good command of English, are invited to apply for the program. The application deadline is 5pm on Friday, January 1, 2016. Funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program provides scholarships for one semester, enabling undergraduate students to study in a non-degree program. The goal of the program is to provide a diverse group of emerging student leaders with a substantive exchange experience at a U.S. college or university. More information about the program, including details about how to apply, is available at http://goo.gl/sAKKLq Italian contributors to Vietnam-Italy bond honoured Vietnam’s embassy in Italy granted the State’s friendship medals and orders to Italian citizens who have substantially contributed to the growth of bilateral ties during a ceremony on November 19. Ambassador Cao Chinh Thien lauded efforts made by the 10 honoured individuals in boosting the two nations’ multifaceted cooperation, saying he believes in their future companionship. Representing the honoured, Sergio Bertorello, a member of the Italy-Vietnam Friendship Association’s executive committee, expressed his thankfulness to the Vietnamese State. He pledged to continue contributing to the bilateral ties. Despite global economic setbacks, Italy’s trade with Vietnam rose 15 percent last year, making the country its fourth-largest EU trading partner. The countries’ two-way trade hit 4 billion USD in 2014, a 17-percent increase from 2013. Southeast Asian, Japanese youth ship leaves HCM City After docking in HCM City for five days, a ship carrying 322 young people from the 10 ASEAN countries and Japan set sail on November 21. Locals bid farewell to the regional representatives during a ceremony at Cat Lai Port. The 2015 Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme, the 42nd of its kind, left Tokyo on November 5 and docked in the Philippines before arriving in Vietnam. It is now heading for Myanmar, Laos and Malaysia, and then returning to Japan for some final ceremonies. Launched in 1974 after a statement was issued by Japan and Southeast Asian countries, the programme aims to promote friendship and mutual understanding among the participating nations, broaden their perspectives on the world and strengthen their spirit of international cooperation. Vietnam joined the programme in 1995 and has thus far sent 600 passengers on board. The ship has docked at the southern hub 13 times since then. HCM City hosts conference on ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community A conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on November 20 focused on the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community (ASCC). At the event, Ha Minh Duc, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ Department of International Cooperation, reviewed the outcomes of the ASCC blueprint from 2009 to 2015, saying that the plan drew the participation of 12 ministries and agencies of Vietnam. It handled 99 percent of actions in the ASCC Master Blueprint. She emphasised the need to build another plan for the ASCC for the next ten years, especially in the context of the ASEAN Community (AC) formation at the year’s end. It aims to balance economic growth and sustainability, as well as enhance regional capacity in response to climate change and health issues, among other goals, she noted. As part of the plan, relevant communications campaigns to raise public awareness, which were restricted in the past, should be prioritised, she said. This will help ASEAN members capitalise on benefits brought by the AC in the long run. The AC comprises three pillars – the Political-Security Community, the Economic Community and the Socio-Cultural Community – and is scheduled to be established on December 31, 2015. Canon Vietnam promotes 3R practice for environment protection Canon Vietnam teamed up with the Youth Union of northern Bac Giang province on November 21 to launch an environment clean-up programme following the well-known 3R practice – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. According to Canon Vietnam, the programme was intended to raise awareness of environment protection among students and teach them how to protect the environment through simple actions in their daily routine. In his remarks at the launching ceremony, Deputy Director-General of Canon Vietnam Niimura Minoru said both urban and rural areas in Vietnam have faced serious environmental pollution. The rural areas have generated fewer amount of waste but have yet developed waste collection and treatment systems, he added. Through the programme, Canon Vietnam called on the public, especially the youth, to act together for the greener planet. It is the firm’s first programme in 2015 which includes two main activities – environment protection education and games – for the students. Volunteers from Canon Vietnam and the local youth union will collect waste and clean up around Tan Thinh Primary School as well as in roads and public spaces in Tan Thinh commune, Lang Giang district. The company plans to carry out the programme in northern Bac Ninh province this month with the participation of 360 local students. It hopes to scale up the event in other northern provinces. PM adopts Korea-funded $12mn clean water project for central island Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved a Korean ODA-funded project meant to provide clean water for residents on an island located off a central province. The project, designed to bring clean water to residents in An Vinh and An Hai Communes on Ly Son Island, situated off Quang Ngai Province, is financed with non-refundable official development assistance (ODA) worth approximately US$10.8 million by the Korean government, according to Nguoi Lao Dong (Laborer) newspaper. The corresponding fund from the Vietnamese government totals roughly US$1.2 million, with half coming from the national coffers and the remainder from the Quang Ngai People’s Committee, the newspaper added. The project, expected to be completed in three years, also aims to enhance life quality and sustainable livelihood for the islanders, particularly destitute households, and supply hygienically-ensured water for daily consumption and production thanks to well-maintained equipment. Ly Son, which is an outpost island, has long been known as a “kingdom of garlic.” Over recent years, the location has gained increasing touristy appeal because of its stunning landscapes formed by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago. HCM City hosts conference on ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community A conference held in Ho Chi Minh City on November 20 focused on the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community (ASCC). At the event, Ha Minh Duc, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs’ Department of International Cooperation, reviewed the outcomes of the ASCC blueprint from 2009 to 2015, saying that the plan drew the participation of 12 ministries and agencies of Vietnam. It handled 99% of actions in the ASCC Master Blueprint. She emphasised the need to build another plan for the ASCC for the next ten years, especially in the context of the ASEAN Community (AC) formation at the year’s end. It aims to balance economic growth and sustainability, as well as enhance regional capacity in response to climate change and health issues, among other goals, she noted. As part of the plan, relevant communications campaigns to raise public awareness, which were restricted in the past, should be prioritised, she said. This will help ASEAN members capitalise on benefits brought by the AC in the long run. The AC comprises three pillars – the Political-Security Community, the Economic Community and the Socio-Cultural Community – and is scheduled to be established on December 31, 2015. Hanoi to bring disadvantaged workers home for Tet The Hanoi Labour Union (HLU) said that it will, for the fourth consecutive year, provide coaches for disadvantaged workers free-of-charge to travel home for the traditional lunar new year celebrations - Tet festival. According to HLU Vice Chairwoman Dang Thi Phuong Hoa, over 20,000 targeted workers, who are working in industrial and processing zones and garment and textile factories in Hanoi, are to be supported this year, significantly higher than last year’s figure. The HLU has asked employers, agencies and businesses to support workers with transport and arrange appropriate leave for their employees. Meanwhile, the labour unions of the city’s Transport Department and the Hanoi Transport and Services Company have mobilised 15 coaches to bring the targeted workers home for Tet holiday. The targeted workers are from Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, who have recorded good performances and active participation in labour union activities. Female workers who are pregnant or are raising young children are also to be given priority. Three routes – Hanoi-Thanh Hoa, Hanoi-Nghe An and Hanoi-Ha Tinh – are being organised to bring home 1,881 workers working in industrial and processing zones and 327 workers working in the garment and textile industry. They will be picked up at the Thang Long and Quang Minh Industrial Parks and the HLU’s headquarters. The HLU will also organise a celebration of Tet for the workers and transportation home before February 6, 2016. Save the Children celebrates 25 years of operation in Vietnam Save the Children, one of the first international non-governmental organisations present in Vietnam, celebrated the 25th anniversary of its operations in Vietnam on November 20. Starting operations in Vietnam in 1990 with activities to support children with difficulties in the central region, to date Save the Children is present in more than 20 provinces and cities across the nation, working in various fields of child protection, children's rights, education, health and nutrition, youth development, emergency relief and climate change adaptation. In the last ten years, the organisation has helped 4 million children have a healthy start, while getting better access to education, avoiding the risk of violence, abuse and exploitation. At the same time, the organisation has provided emergency assistance for over 2 million people to help them overcome the consequences of natural disasters. In policy assistance, the organisation has collaborated with the Government of Vietnam and donors to establish the Bank for the Poor, the predecessor of the current Vietnam Bank for Social Policies, as well as increasing maternity leave for female workers up to six months. It also participated in implementing a programme on teaching Vietnamese as a second language for ethnic minority children. The programme was approved by the Ministry of Education and Training and has been deployed in pedagogic colleges in 33 mountainous provinces in the country since 2014. Speaking at the ceremony, Save the Children's Country Director Gunnar Andersen said that the organisation has witnessed a range of changes and developments in Vietnam. The country has made remarkable progress in socio-economic development and Save the Children is happy as having contributions to the joint efforts to achieve these accomplishments, he affirmed. However, Andersen also pointed out that rapid economic growth has also led to many new challenges as vulnerability, concentrated poverty in ethnic minority communities, and the growing divergence between urban and rural areas. He affirmed Save the Children’s continuous co-operation with the Government of Vietnam and other organisations to address new challenges, supporting vulnerable communities, helping reduce disparities between regions and building a capacity for resilience in communities. Two transportation projects launched in Thai Binh The Ministry of Transport in collaboration Thai Binh provincial People’s Committee held a groundbreaking ceremony for construction of a by-pass road in Dong Hung town and upgrade to a section of Highway 37 with Hoa River Bridge connecting Thai Binh with Vinh Bao district of Hai Phong port city. The four-lane by-pass road for Dong Hung town (Dong Hung district) on National Highway No. 10 measures 6.66km long and 11m wide, being implemented in the BOT form at a total investment of VND436 billion. The road is designed to allow vehicles to travel at a max speed of 80kph and is expected to be finished by Q4 2017. The project upgrading a section of National Highway No. 37 and constructing Hoa River Bridge running through Thai Thuy district has a total investment of VND904.7 billion, of which VND577 billion is for construction costs. It includes a 6.9km long upgraded Highway 37 section with a designed speed of 80kph and the reinforced concrete three-span Hoa River Bridge measuring 874 metre long and 12 metre wide. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai praised efforts by the Ministry of Transport, as well as Thai Binh and Hai Phong authorities in implementing the project on schedule. He stressed the importance of the two projects in improving road networks of the two localities, reducing travel time, and motivating socio-economic development of the southern area of the Red River Delta. The government official asked the contractors to follow the set implementation schedule and ensure construction quality for the projects. He also urged consensus between local residents and State’s policies for land clearance to complete the projects on schedule. 2016 Study of the US Institutes for Scholars & Secondary School Educators launched The Public Affairs Section (PAS) of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City are pleased to announce the Study of the United States Institutes (SUSI) programs for Vietnamese scholars in 2016.  We seek qualified candidates for these programs.   University lecturers and researchers who wish to apply for the programs are invited to complete the application form and submit online to PAS by Monday, December 14, 2015.  Selections will be announced in early April 2016.   SUSI programs are intensive post-graduate level academic programs with integrated study tours whose purpose is to provide foreign university faculty and other scholars the opportunity to deepen their understanding of American society, culture, and institutions.   Knowledge and experience gained from these programs are expected to help the participants to strengthen curricula and to improve the quality of teaching about the United States in their own universities and institutions when they return to their home country.   More information about the program, including details about how to apply, is available at http://goo.gl/kvRsVK Customs officials discover illegal shipment of animal parts Quang Ninh Province's customs officials discovered yesterday nearly 3 tonnes of elephant tusks and pangolin scabs hidden in boxes of frozen goods. Previously, Phuc Thuan Company had declared to customs officials at the province's Hoanh Mo border gate their possession of 1,279 boxes of frozen fish heads, weighing a total of 28,880kg and originating from Taiwan. However, during inspections, customs officials discovered among the frozen fish heads, 860kg of elephant tusks and 2,116kg of pangolin scabs in white nylon bags. Customs officials confiscated the batch of goods. HCM City People’s Court sentences drug smuggler to death A middle-aged female drug smuggler has been sentenced to die by lethal injection for attempting to smuggle six heroin cakes weighing 2.1kg across the border from Cambodia into Vietnam. The People’s Court of Ho Chi Minh City handed down the sentence to Nguyen Thi Be, 57, a resident of Tay Ninh Province on November 23 following a finding of guilty for the offense. Anyone found guilty of possessing more than 600 grams (21 ounces) of heroin, or more than 20 kilograms of opium, can face the death penalty in Vietnam, according to HCM City law enforcement authorities. Nguyen Thi Be appeared flanked by police officers at the sentencing hearing. According to the indictment, Be first became acquainted with Nguyen Van Phu, 51, and Nguyen Hung Loc, 52, both of whom are residents of HCM City, when she was incarcerated in 2006. After release on January 4, 2015, the trio travelled from HCM City to Phnom Penh in Cambodia where they purchased the heroin and attempted to illegally transport the stash back across the border. Law enforcement authorities detected the drugs in Be’s possession hidden camouflaged in with some noodles on a bus she was travelling in and made the bust. 58% of married women in Vietnam are victims of domestic violence Nearly 60% of married women in Vietnam have suffered physical or sexual abuse at least once in their life, according to figures released by a new campaign to stop violence against women. Every one of three women in the world suffer physical or sexual violence, usually from a male partner or a male member in the family. In Vietnam, 58% of married women are victims of either or both kind of violence, which causes them heavy physical and mental damage, officials said at a conference in Hanoi on November 21. The meeting marked the launch of White Ribbon, an Australian campaign to end men’s violence against women, in Vietnam to celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25. A woman from central Vietnam receives treatment for broken bones after beaten by her husband. Photo: Bui Ngoc Long White Ribbon aims to raise the community’s awareness upon violence targeting women and girls and to encourage men’s support in stopping and speaking out about violence. Nguyen Thuy Hien, deputy director of the Hanoi-based Women and Development Center, said at the conference that most victims of gender-based violence have continued suffering the damage. “The ending of violence against women and girls cannot succeed without the participation of men and boys.” Nguyen Bao Thanh Nghi, a sociology professor at Ho Chi Minh City Open University, told Thanh Nien in an interview earlier this year that women’s movements in Vietnam have been going on for years but “they often die prematurely and fail to create systematic and widespread changes” as they cannot get men to join. The global initiative HeForShe, which was launched early this year to seek men’s support for gender equality, has received more than 507,800 supporters in the world so far. But only more than 1,400 of them are from Vietnam. Da Nang to build flyover at busiest roundabout The central city plans to build a flyover bridge at Dien Bien Phu-Nguyen Tri Phuong junction, one of the busiest roundabouts in the city. Director of the city's transport department Le Van Trung confirmed to Viet Nam News yesterday that the project had been approved by the city, and construction was expected to start next year. He said the project was included in the city's sustainable transport master plan, with a total investment of VND150 billion (US$7.14 million). The bridge was designed in a Y shape, measuring 480m in length with two 7.5m wide entrances to the branches. "The bridge will help ease traffic congestion and reduce accidents at the city's main entrance. The roundabout is a major transit point for buses, trucks and container trucks," Trung said. "A cross-over bridge will be built in the area for pedestrians on the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route." The city also plans to build a bridge over the Han River to reduce traffic on the overloaded Han Swing Bridge. Last year, the city put into operation a three-level rail and road flyover at Hue Junction to alleviate congestion. Between 2016 and 2020, the central city also plans to build a 23-km BRT route, with a total investment of $37.5 million, to link the city's downtown, shopping centres, tourist destinations and Hoi An Town in Quang Nam. In 2013, the city's Rong (Dragon) Bridge, spanning the Han River, claimed the American Council of Engineering Companies' Diamond Award in the category for structural systems. The central city's department of transport has registered the Dragon Bridge in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "largest steel dragon." Ha Noi to tighten management of construction In the two years since Ha Noi's authorities started to tighten its management of construction projects, the city has seen a sharp decline in the number of unauthorised construction in comparison to previous years, with the construction authority reporting that permits are now given to more than 90 per cent of construction projects. The head of the city's Construction Inspection Agency Nguyen Viet Dung said his agency has inspected more than 2,000 construction projects in the first nine months of the year, the Nhan dan (People) newspaper reported. This year also marked the second year since the city chose its motto as "Year of urban order and discipline". However, violations including making unauthorised changes and additions to projects' original plans have been on the rise and have become more common in recent years such as the commercial and office building project at 8B Le Truc, Ba Dinh District or the commercial and apartment complex project at 250 Minh Khai, Hai Ba Trung District, which attracted a great amount of attention in the public. In addition, the People newspaper reported an additional 11 units more than what were approved in the original investment license at the Euroland project in Ha Dong District. It also reported numerous other violations including misuse of public space and utility buildings in numerous other projects in the city. The fact that violations could be found in almost every single project once again raised the public's concern over the city's authority competence or willingness to deal with investors, who deliberately erected illegal buildings or misused public space for their personal gain. In recent meetings to discuss projects at 8B Le Truc and 250 Minh Khai, the projects' investors were reported to have said they were willing to comply with the city's order to demolish parts of the structures which was found to be illegal. Head of the city's People Council Committee on Legal Affairs Nguyen Hoai Nam said there were still numerous loopholes and shortcomings in regards of the co-operation between inspection agencies and local authorities. It has led to incidents in which investors were fined for their violations but nothing was done later to prevent them from fishing the illegal constructions. He noted that construction violations were detrimental to the city's effort to maintain urban planning, landscape and architectural integrity. As a fast-growing city, Ha Noi must strive to improve its management capacity of construction projects to avoid incurring large amounts of social costs as well as public discontent associated with those violations. Taiwanese, his Vietnamese wife arrested in countrywide scam Vietnamese police have detained a 34-year-old Taiwanese man and his four local accomplices who belonged to a swindling ring that allegedly posed as police officers to cheat their victims of money. Liu Wei Chun, a Taiwanese; his Vietnamese wife Duong Thi Nguyet, 33; Nguyen Van Mong, 36; Huynh Hoai Minh, 34; and Le Nguyen Kieu Xuan, 30, were all arrested on November 22 in Ho Chi Minh City for investigation, local police have reported. Nguyet, Mong, Minh and Xuan all come from the southern province of Bac Lieu. Police officers said that a member of the ring phoned T.T.N., a 72-year-old woman in District 3, on November 17 to say she was under investigation for “involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking ring.” The ring member then asked N. to transfer VND400 million (US$17,800) to four designated accounts for a probe and said the money would be returned to her within 24 hours if found not to originate from drug trafficking activities. After making bank transfers to all four accounts, N. realized that she had been cheated, so she reported the case to police in District 3 for help. Police then blocked the doubtful accounts, but the ring had already withdrawn VND225 million (more than US$10,000) of the total amount.    The withdrawal was made from an ATM machine in Hanoi, according to investigators. Police continued to track down the swindlers and on November 22, they raided a house in Ward 8 of Bac Lieu City and arrested Minh. They later detained Mong in Bac Lieu, as well as Xuan, Liu and his wife Nguyet in Ho Chi Minh City. According to the case file, in late 2014, after a year in Taiwan, Liu and Nguyet returned to Vietnam, where Liu colluded with a group of swindlers including Vietnamese and Chinese nationals in Hanoi to set up a swindling ring that operated throughout the country, investigators said. Nguyet and her former Vietnamese husband Nguyen Van Nhut then asked Xuan, Mong and Minh to create 24 ATM cards and then sold them to Nguyet and Nhut. She also asked her relatives and acquaintances to open more than 40 ATM cards and sold those to her ring. Nguyet paid VND1-2 million (US$44.5-89) for every ATM card provided to her. The ring used the ATM accounts to receive money transferred by their fraud victims. Nhut, 35, fled when the case was uncovered and is being hunted by police. Police officers are expanding their investigation into the case to track down other members of the ring, identify its victims, and determine how much money the ring had appropriated. US supports disaster risk management The Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) is implementing a US$500,000 project on building disaster risk management capacity funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the aim of establishing a standard process of disaster risk management in Vietnam. It will also utilise a community-based approach to improve relevant knowledge and skills of VRC staff and volunteers, including members of local disaster response teams, community members, school teachers and students. The VRC is intended to provide training on first aid, community vulnerability and capacity assessment, and disaster risk management/climate change adaptation at the national, provincial, and commune levels. The project is expected to benefit an estimated 20,000 people in Bac Lieu, Hoa Binh, and Quang Tri provinces by helping them better cope with natural disasters. US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius noted the VRC has been in the vanguard of local response to disasters. The USAID’s support aims to reinforce vulnerable communities’ resilience against disasters. According to VRC Vice President and General Secretary Doan Van Thai, it was the first time his agency has obtained direct assistance from the USAID. Since 2000, the USAID through its Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance has provided more than US$14 million to address emergency response needs and disaster risk management activities in Vietnam. VN's Northwest seeking tourism aid from HCMC As an economic and tourism hub in the country, HCM City plays a vital role in the development of tourism in the north-western region, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said. The city administration needs to offer more incentives to encourage tourism enterprises and investors to co-operate with localities in the north-west region, Phuc, who is also head of the Northwest Steering Committee, told a conference held in HCM City yesterday to promote investment in tourism in the north-west. It attracted officials from HCM City and 14 provinces in the north-western region as well as inbound and outbound travel agents and tourism investors in HCM City. Phuc urged the city to foster co-operation with the north-west to develop tourism linkages, promote images of the region and its potential to possible investors, and provide training in tourism. "The north-west has huge potential for tourism, but it has yet to be effectively exploited in a sustainable manner." The region is home to more than 30 ethnic groups, a slew of tangible and intangible cultural heritages and famous historical sites and imposing landscapes, he said. Yet tourism accounts for an insignificant part of the region's economy due to poor infrastructure and lack of sophisticated products and professional tourism operators, he said. Last year the region received 8.7 million tourists, including 1.5 million foreign nationals, while the country received 7.8 million international arrivals, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Phuc called on the north-western provinces to consider offering incentives to attract investors in infrastructure, particularly transport, hotels, and eco-tourism projects, and develop specific tourism products and human resource training in tourism. The region has 12 areas earmarked for development under the national strategy on tourism development in the period through 2020, including the Dong Van Karst Plateau, Ban Gioc Falls, Mau Son, Ba Be Lake, Tan Trao, Dien Bien, Hoa Binh Reservoir. Four national tourist attractions that feature in the strategy are Lao Cai city (Lao Cai Province), Pac Po historical site (Cao Bang Province), Lang Son City (Lang Son Province), and Mai Chau District (Hoa Binh Province). HCM City is a key tourist market for other localities in the country, Nguyen Thanh Phong, deputy secretary of the city Party Committee, said. The city has signed agreements with 53 cities and provinces, including four in the north-west: Bac Kan, Lang Son, Phu Tho, and Ha Giang. It would carry out various measures to strengthen tourism co-operation with north-western localities, Phong said. Gang of smugglers to be prosecuted Police investigators from the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) have decided to prosecute Nguyen Van Toi and his accomplices for smuggling contraband from Cambodia to Viet Nam. According to a report from the MPS's investigation agency, it has already commenced criminal proceedings against Toi, the ring leader and his accomplices for illegally transporting goods such as tobacco and motorcycles, and currency across the border at Long An province's Duc Hue District. The decision to prosecute came nine months after Toi and his group were caught red-handed by police while they were smuggling tobacco from Cambodia to Viet Nam in January. Police seized 51,000 packets of cigarettes, 23 motorcycles and other goods. The police report said that the smugglers led by Toi had transported 152 parcels containing over 148,000 packets of cigarettes of various brands since 2012. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri