Social News 3/11 Heavy rain causes traffic jam in HCM City  The hour-long heavy rain pouring down HCM City this afternoon caused flooding and traffic jams in many streets during peak hours, especially those around the city's International Tan Son Nhat Airport. The traffic jams occured heavily in Binh Tan, Tan Binh, Binh Thanh districts. Streets of Kinh Duong Vuong, Nguyen Van Qua, Au Co, Tan Ky Tan Quy, Cong Hoa, Truong Chinh, Nguyen Thai Binh, Hoang Van Thu and Ut Tich were flooded, blocking the traffic. The congestion lasts until 9pm, blocking the ways to Tan Son Nhat Airport. The streets around Tan Son Nhat Airport were jammed for hours, hindering vehicles from going in and out. Many passengers have to give up taxis to walk to the airport so they will not be late for flight. Vietnam Airlines said that during the rain, from 4pm to 5.10pm, 10 arriving flights were late for 30-50 minutes, another 10 departing flights were delayed from 15 to 20 minutes. Two arriving flights from Melbourne and Thanh Hoa Province were transferred to the airport in Nha Trang City. Other flights after the rain were also affected.  Frozen storage fire destroys all goods A fire broke out at Huyen Cuong frozen storage at about 8am today in the central Ha Tinh Province, destroying a huge amount of seafood and equipment. The cold storage was located in a wholesale market in Cam Nhuong Commune, which has almost all seafood sources of the central coastal Cam Xuyen District in the central province. Some traders at the market, who saw the fire, said they saw columns of smoke rose from the cold storage. They immediately informed the market's management board. The district's firefighters and fire trucks extinguished the fire after 30 minutes. Local people and traders also helped to extinguish the blaze. The cause of the fire is being investigated. Initial damage was estimated at VND700 million (about US$32,000).  Skills USA medal for Vietnamese student Vang Thi Kim Tuoc, a Vietnamese student at Riverside City College has become the most outstanding graphics student after winning gold medals at the Riverside Graphics Contest and the most recently Skills USA in Louisville City, Kentucky. She received a cash prize worth US$3,000 and a trip to the Graph Expo – the world’s largest industry exhibition for graphics communications. The contest attracted roughly 15,000 participants, including 6,000 contestants competing in 99 skills. Despite the advertisement and design industry seeing strong development in Vietnam, little or no sufficient investments are given to product and packaging design, Tuoc said, expressing her wish to support Vietnam businesses involved in this field. Japanese eloquence contest held in Hai Phong A Japanese eloquence contest was held in Hai Phong on November 1 by the municipal People’s Committee and the city chapter of the Japan Business Association (JBA) in Vietnam. Japan is currently the biggest investor in Hai Phong. More than 120 enterprises run projects there, including world leading companies like Bridgestone and Kyocera Mita, according to Yamamoto Akira, chairman of the JBA’s Hai Phong chapter.  The eloquence contest, the third of its kind held so far, has helped fuel cultural exchange and co-operation between Vietnam and Japan, he said, adding that it was also a chance for Hai Phong residents to learn more about Japanese culture and for the contestants to improve their language skills.  The contest’s judges were Japanese experts, including Director of the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam Ando Toshiki, who served as the head of the jury.  In the final round, eight competitors who came from Japanese companies based in the city expressed their love for Japan’s land, people and culture. They also spoke about their lives in Hai Phong and its beauty.  Russian man on Interpol wanted list caught in Vietnam Vietnamese police on October 30 afternoon arrested a Russian man wanted by Interpol when he was hiding in a hotel in the resort beach town of Nha Trang. Denis Nosov, 27, was caught in his rented room in Nha Trang, the police said. Nosov allegedly stabbed and severely injured another man in Russia in March 2014, according to the Interpol. He then fled to Vietnam and moved from place to place before arriving in Nha Trang in August 2015. Khanh Hoa police said they will hand over the suspect to Interpol in a few days. Mekong River future scenarios under spotlight A forum on ‘Mekong outlook: changes and expectations’ was organised in Hanoi on October 29 by the Centre for Humans and Nature.  The forum was held to share analyses and explanations relating to the development of the Mekong River and future scenarios.  Dao Trong Tu, Deputy Director of the Centre for Sustainable Water Resources and Climate Change Response under the Vietnam Irrigation Association, said the increase of cooperation mechanisms to implement the 1995 Mekong Agreement is extremely important to help protect the interests of Vietnam which lies at the end of the course of the river.  Besides that, integrating Mekong cooperation into regional cooperation such as ASEAN, the Greater Mekong Sub-region, forums and bilateral cooperation programmes should be implemented consistently and continuously.  Agreeing with Tu’s opinions, Nguyen Hong Toan, a national adviser in building the development strategy for the lower reaches, said countries along the Mekong River should share interests and costs to boost cooperation.  Integrating Mekong cooperation into the management and development of water resources and other cooperation initiatives is necessary.  Attendees at the forum also discussed and shared their viewpoints on a number of issues such as Mekong hydroelectricity dams, the overall development strategy for the lower reaches of the Mekong River, new thoughts on the future of Mekong hydroelectricity, new developments on the Mekong River and their impacts on the lower reaches and the United Nations Convention on water resources and potential solutions to cooperation on and development of international rivers.  The Mekong River runs through China’s Yunan province, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It’s the world’s 12th longest river and the seventh longest in Asia. NA library’s reading room becomes operational A reading room inside the National Assembly (NA)’s library was inaugurated in Hanoi, on October 29.  NA Office Chairman Nguyen Hanh Phuc said with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Japan’s National Assembly Library, his agency has built the reading room friendly to legislators and readers with interest.  The facility is equipped with advanced devices and divided into separated areas for online search, research, as well as for reading newspapers and magazines, among others.  Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Fukada Hiroshi stated it would enable legislators’ easier access to knowledge and information needed during their policy-making fulfillments.  He expected the reading room to be efficiently operated, facilitating activities of the NA.  Acknowledging efforts made to boost the performance of the NA’s information centre, NA Vice Chairman Uong Chu Luu urged the NA Office to continue efforts to build an e-library.  He proposed the JICA closely work with the NA Office for further cooperation and assistance. Two bodies in shipwreck near HCM City found The bodies of two of the four missing sailors were found as of 8:30 am of November 1 after their ship sank on October 30 in the Soai Rap River near HCM City and Tien Giang province, according to local rescue officials.  As many as 50 rescuers and more than 20 vehicles were deployed from Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau province and the Maritime Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre Zone 3 for the work.  The same day, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Van Cong directly instructed the search and rescue work at the site. The search area has been expanded.  He also visited and presented gifts to a number of the victims’ relatives and infected sailors under treatment in Vung Tau city.  At roughly 9 am on October 30, the vessel Hoang Phuc 18 sunk in the Soai Rap River. There were 17 people onboard.  So far thirteen sailors have been rescued, and two others are still missing. Teacher recruitment violations unveiled Services of more than 200 teachers in primary and secondary schools in Ky Anh District, central Ha Tinh Province were terminated partly due to recruitment violations. "At one time, the former Ky Anh District People's Committee decided to recruit 109 teachers despite already having a surplus of 24. Meanwhile, the Ky Anh Primary needed 77 teachers but the district hired 133," Ha Tinh People's Committee deputy chairman Nguyen Thien said during a meeting earlier this week to discuss the issue. The deputy chairman said that such decisions showed serious misconduct and violations committed during the hiring process by the local People's Committee, as well as the lack of supervision and guidance by the provincial Department of Internal Affairs and education authorities. Thien added that disciplinary action will be taken against a number of the province's officials, who allowed local schools to hire more teachers than required from 2010 to 2014. At the meeting, Ministry of Internal Affairs' Deputy Minister Tran Anh Tuan ordered the local authority to protect the teachers' rights and benefits as stipulated in their contracts. He also urged the province to step up efforts to tighten the hiring process to ensure that careful consideration was given before schools were authorised to sign contracts with teachers. The deputy minister also held a separate meeting with concerned teachers to discuss their employment situation. He encouraged them to take the provincial upcoming recruitment exams and ordered the local authority to assist them. Earlier in May, the government approved a proposal by the provincial People's Committee to establish the town of Ky Anh as an independent town from the Ky Anh District. As a result of the separation, 214 teachers in the former district's primary and secondary schools were told that their contracts were to be terminated due to a surplus in the number of teachers. Government Inspectorate proposes harsher penalties for corruption The Government Inspectorate (GI) is proposing imposing more stringent asset penalties for and the consideration of the responsibility of legal entities involved in corrupt acts to enhance deterrence to corruption and accord with international practices, an official has said.  At a press conference in Hanoi on October 29, Deputy Director General of the GI’s Anti-Corruption Bureau Ngo Manh Hung delineated that with regard to offenders fleeing across borders, many countries are refusing to extradite criminals to nations which maintain the death penalty.  Therefore, the abrogation of capital punishment for corruption criminals could make it easier for Vietnam to track down and extradite violators, he noted, adding that the move is also in line with global practices.  He noted the abolition of the death sentence may represent a lesser preclusion to the crime, stressing the need to supplement other penalties to boost deterrence.  The GI reported that it uncovered four corruption cases involving four individuals and 297 million VND (13,305 USD) during the three-month period through September.  Meanwhile, police enquired into 174 cases involving 442 individuals with alleged corruption and proposed prosecution charges against 50 cases involving 168 persons.  In the third quarter, the inspection sector conducted 2,347 administrative inspections and 51,378 specialised inspections and examinations nationwide, detecting violations involving nearly 5.44 trillion VND (243.7 million USD) and 4,363 hectares of land.   It proposed administrative settlements for 474 collectives and issued 43,558 decisions on administrative punishments for offending organisations and individuals with total fines of almost 1.25 trillion VND (56 million USD).  Inspectors also passed 16 cases involving 10 individuals to criminal investigation agencies and reclaimed nearly 1.06 trillion VND (47.49 million USD) or 63.5 percent of the 1.66 trillion VND (74.37 million USD) set to be recovered, the GI added. Japanese firms seek to adopt IT in agriculture in Ha Nam Authorities from the northern province of Ha Nam held a working session with representatives from Japan’s Aeon Agri Create and Fujitsu companies on October 29 to discuss agriculture development using information technology (IT). Yasuaki Fukunaga, General Director of Aeon Agri Create, introduced IT models for farming in Japan, including smart-phone appliances recording data on plant growth and insects, which will be transmitted to managers. The company also asks farmers to set up a system to monitor food safety from cultivation to harvest, processing and storing. Fukunaga said Aeon Agri Create has built 19 farms equipped with advanced IT in Japan, 15 of which meet GlobalGap standards. A representative from Fujitsu Vietnam pledged to work closely with Aeon Agri Create on the project. Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Mai Tien Dung committed all possible support in land, transport and irrigation to Aeon Agri Create to launch the model in the province. InterContinental Da Nang wins World Travel Awards’ accolade The top-notch InterContinental Da Nang Sun Peninsula Resort in the central coastal city of Da Nang was recently named as Asia’s leading Luxury Resort at the Gala ceremony of the World Travel Awards Asia and Australia 2015, where various sectors in tourism industry were recognised and celebrated. The hillside resort overlooking a sparkling private bay was also crowned with the Asia’s Leading Fine Dining Hotel Restaurant, Vietnam’s Leading Resort and Vietnam’s Leading Spa Resort titles. This year the resort received highest votes from over 650,000 travel professionals and high-end tourism consumers worldwide. Architect Bill Bensley of Bensley Design Studios in Bangkok designed the 197-room resort, located 600 metres above the sea level on the Son Tra Peninsula. InterContinental Da Nang is only 30 minutes from Da Nang International Airport and 45 minutes from the World Heritage Site of Hoi An. Since its opening in June 2012, the resort has received numerous international recognitions for providing quality services and experiences. Hanoi primary pupils educated on money management A programme to provide primary pupils with basic money management skills was launched by Prudential Vietnam and the Hanoi Department of Education on October 29.  The first event of its kind in Vietnam, the “Cha-Ching Programme” is designed to help pupils aged between 7-12 build long-term financial resilience to realise their goals and dreams.  It aims to respond to key discoveries from the Prudential Life Insurance’s initiative throughout Asia, which shows only 13 percent of parents believe that their children have money management skills though up to 96 percent of them consider it is necessary for their children to be equipped with such capabilities.  Through various methods, the programme teaches primary pupils to understand four basic concepts in financial management: earn, save, spend and donate. It is expected to benefit over 50,000 students at 40 primary schools in Hanoi. Two bombs unearthed in Ha Tinh The Việt Nam Bomb and Landmine Action Centre (VBMAC) in the central Hà Tĩnh Province has excavated two unexploded bombs in Can Lộc District. The VBMAC team found the two bombs on Saturday in a field near the National Highway 15. One of them, MK84, was weighing about 900kg and 1m long with a diameter of 30cm. The other weighed about 250kg. All locals had been removed from the area before the team began deactivating the bomb. However, bad weather with heavy rain caused the area to become very muddy hindering the deactivation and excavation. It took two days for the team to unearth and transport them to a safe area. The bombs would be destroyed soon, according to the VBMA. Earlier this month, a 400kg bomb was excavated from the fishing area off the Lach Bang Port, central Thanh Hoa Province. The bomb which weighed about 400kg, was 1.88m long with a diameter of 35cm, was found by a fisherman when his fishing boat was about 12 miles off the port. It was entangled in his net. It was suspected to be a kind of torpedo.  Volunteers to increase security on HCMC buses  The Transport Department of HCM City will hire volunteers willing to work in buses to ensure security of passengers and improve service, from November 1.  The volunteers will work as ticket sellers and conductor's assistants on the bus. Moreover, they will try to prevent pickpockets from robbing passengers. They will be on bus route 152, from the Tan Son Nhat airport to Ben Thanh market. The volunteers are expected to improve the service quality of buses, help the State control real revenues on the buses, and limit the discrimination towards passengers. After a 3-month trial period, and depending on its success, the department will judge the quality of this new service and propose to multiply it on other bus routes. To encourage more people to use buses, the department has thought of launching special buses which will run on priority routes such as Pham Van Dong, Vo Van Kiet, Ha Noi boulevards.  There are nearly 2,800 buses operating on 107 routes with State funding and about 400 buses operating on 32 routes without State funding. From November, to ensure further security, bus companies will install cameras on buses. However, bus travel has not become a popular means of transport of locals due to the problems caused by an increasing number of pickpockets, risk of sexual harassment and impolite conductors and their assistants.  Public security forces of Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia cement friendship Delegations from Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior are making working visits to Laos from October 30-November 1. During their stay, the Vietnamese and Cambodian delegates held talks with Lao Minister of Security Somkeo Silavong, during which the Lao officer appreciated the experience sharing between the three countries’ ministries in charge of security. He affirmed that the activity significantly contributes to further tightening friendship and cooperation between the three ministries. On October 31, a friendship Golf tournament was opened in Vientiane by the Lao Ministry of Public Security in coordination with the Association of Vietnam Investors in Laos (AVIL) and the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV). Many officers from Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security, Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, and Laos’ Ministry of Public Security participate in the event, which was held with the aim of promoting mutual understanding, traditional solidarity and friendship between the three ministries. The event is scheduled to be held in turn in the three countries in following years. Three killed, four injured in crash Three people were killed in traffic accidents occurring on the National Highway No 14 in Duc Phong town of the southern province of Binh Phuoc's B Dang District on Saturday. The accidents happened at 1.30 pm when a seven-seat van driving at high speed from Dak Nong to Binh Phuoc hit a motorbike driving on the opposite side of the National Highway No 14. The collision killed Nguyen Quoc Hong and Huynh Tan Dinh, both 25, who were riding the motorbike. The van then flipped several times before crashing into a roadside tea shop and hitting a woman on another motorbike. The flip killed Pham Thanh Minh, a 27-year-old passenger in the van and seriously injured three other passengers and the woman on the motorbike.  Three die in separate boat capsizings Three people were confirmed dead as two boat capsized on the same day in An Giang and Ha Giang provinces. On Saturday night, a boat carrying a dozen Co To islanders in An Giang to a party overturned, leaving four missing. The bodies of Nguyen Hoang Tuan and Nguyen The Phuoc, both 17, were found yesterday afternoon, said Co To Commune People's Committee Chairman Dang Quoc Tuan. Nguyen Dang Khoa, 31, and Nguyen Van Luan, 12, remain missing. Rescue workers only managed to retrieve the body of Lenh Thi Lan, 37, a junior high school teacher in Ha Giang's Quan Ba District following a boat sinking on Saturday. Another female teacher reported missing, Duong Thi Hanh, 27, has yet to be found. The two victims were among a group of five teachers on a sightseeing boat running on the Thai An hydroelectric reservoir that sank shortly after departure. Investigations into the causes of the two capsizes are on-going.  Vietnam, Cuba exchange press experience The Vietnam Journalists Association and the Union of Cuban Journalists (Upec) exchanged experience in the application of information technologies in the media industry and the training of young reporters during a recent visit of a VJA delegation to Cuba. During the talks between the head of the Vietnamese delegation Pham Van Huan, Editor-in-Chief of the People’s Army Newspaper, and Upec’s first Vice President Aixa Hevia, the two sides held that the Communist Party’s leadership is decisive to the revolutionary press. They briefed each other on the characteristics of the press in their respective countries as well as activities and tasks of their associations in order to raise professional quality and ethics in the new period. During the visit from October 23-30, the Vietnamese journalists also held a meeting with Rolando Alfonso, Head of the Cuban Party Central Committee’s Ideology Commission, who introduced Cuba’s press development policy which is now being compiled. The Vietnamese guests shared Vietnam’s press experience, especially amidst the bloom of information technology and in the context of international integration. They also engaged in an exchange with their Cuban colleagues who once worked in Vietnam during the war against US forces. The delegation visited major Cuba’s press agencies like Granma, Juventud Rebelde, Prensa Latina, Cubavision TV channel and Revelde radio, and several cultural and economic centres in the country. Agreement signed to bring Vietnamese workers in Algeria home An agreement on bringing Vietnamese workers in Algeria home was signed between Simco Song Da - the company that sent the workers to Algeria, and its Chinese counterpart Dongyi Jiangsu Co. Ltd on November 1 in Algier. According to the document, Vietnamese workers employed by Dongyi Jiangsu Co. Ltd in Algeria who want to return home must pay 1,700 USD to end their contract ahead of schedule. Simco Song Da will pay in advance the compensation amount to the Chinese employer and air tickets to help the returnees. In early October, 55 Vietnamese workers contracted to work for Dongyi Jiangsu Co. Ltd in Algeria called for help after being beaten by their employer. The work contract says the workers should be paid based on working days and on a monthly basis. However, when they arrived in Algeria, the Chinese employer wanted to switch to piecework payment. After the Vietnamese workers objected to the change, they were assaulted by the Chinese employer on September 16. Two workers, Dau Hoang Anh and Dao Ngoc Cuong, were injured during the assault. Vietnam, Germany co-operate in water sector Vietnamese and German authorities held a conference in the southern province of Ba Ria – Vung Tau on November 1 to launch their co-operative efforts in the water sector.  Conference attendees discussed co-operation between the German Society for International Co-operation (GIZ), the German Water Partnership (GWP) and the Germany – Vietnam Partnership Project for Competence Development of Vietnam's Water Sector (DEVIWAS) to connect the countries’ water sectors.  The two sides signed three agreements. One was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on co-operation among the GWP, DEVIWAS, and the Academy of Managers for Construction and Cities of Vietnam.  There was also an MoU on co-operation between the GWP and DEVIWAS, the Vietnam Water Supply Association (VWSA) and German company Tilia GMBH. The last was an MoU between Ba Ria – Vung Tau Urban Water Drainage and Development Company, and the Dresden Water Drainage Company.  The two sides are also working to establish a Centre for Water Competence for Vietnam's water sector with assistance from Germany on equipment, technology, training and field trips. Germany will help train the centre’s first 20 lecturers.  The German government has provided 1.5 billion EUR in official development assistance capital for Vietnam in three main fields – vocational training, environment, and climate change response and energy. Malaysia issues new rules for Vietnamese workers Malaysia's Immigration Department has informed the management board of Vietnamese workers in Malaysia that employers have to be responsible for receiving overseas workers in that country.  According to the Department of Overseas Labour under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA), the notice said that from November 1, the duration for employers to receive their employees will be limited to six hours instead of 24, at two Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2). Employers have to be at the airport to receive their employees and it should not be done through a broker firm, it said. The notice also said that if employers did not pick up labourers within six hours of them entering Malaysia, they would be sent back to their countries. To ensure the legitimate rights and interests of workers, the Department of Overseas Labour has asked enterprises which are involved in sending workers for employment to Malaysia to contact the broker firm and employers to coordinate the flight arrival time at KLIA (or KLIA2) to receive Vietnamese workers as required by the Malaysian side. The department also urged enterprises to review the contents of contracts to make it relevant with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Vietnam and Malaysia in August. Under the MoU, the new form of labour contract regulates the responsibility of Malaysian employers, broker firms, Vietnamese workers and enterprises as well as regulations on salary and working hours. Specifically, the new labour contract stipulates that workers have the right to retain their passports and personal documents. Statistics from the MoLISA showed that Vietnam has sent 220,000 workers to Malaysia since 2002 after the two countries signed a MoU on labour cooperation. Dong Van stone plateau turned into national, int’l destination Building and developing Dong Van stone plateau into a national and international tourism destination lied at the heart of a workshop held in northern Ha Giang province on November 2. Spreading over the four mountainous districts of Quan Ba, Yen Minh, Meo Vac and Dong Van in the north of Ha Giang, the plateau is blessed with beautiful nature and cultural diversity from ethnic minority groups. The plateau was recognised as a member of the Global Network of National Geoparks in 2010, becoming Vietnam’s first geological park and the second in Southeast Asia . It is 80 percent limestone and contains the fossils of thousands of prehistoric species from 400-600 million years ago. Secretary of the provincial People’s Committee Trieu Tai Vinh said authorities are mobilising all resources to implement a master plan developing the plateau geo-park in 2012-2020 and with a vision towards 2030. Deputy Minister of Construction Nguyen Dinh Toan suggested Ha Giang effectively coordinate with ministries and departments to build a complete and appropriate strategy to improve the living standards of ethnic minority people and preserve the natural, cultural heritage values of the park. Corruption like cancer cells damaging society, Vietnamese official say Corruption is like cancer cells that can damage and weaken every society, a Vietnamese official told the sixth conference of parties to the UN convention against corruption that opened in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 3.  Deputy Inspector General Le Thi Thuy, head of the Vietnamese delegation, said corruption has become increasingly sophisticated and has appeared in many corners of social-economic life.  “Fully aware of the great damaging effect of corruption, Vietnam has always taken the fight against corruption seriously and considered the implementation of the UN convention against corruption as an important task and a top priority with the participation of people from all walks of life,” Thuy said.  She stated that the results of the implementation of the first stage of the convention affirmed important efforts by Vietnam in the fight against corruption.  The meeting this year focuses on the cooperation of countries and enterprises in the fight against corruption.  The event sees the presence of more than 1,000 delegates who are lawmakers, government officials and members of civil associations, the private sector and media from more than 100 member nations.  The delegates paid a minute’s silence in memory of unfortunate victims in the Russian plane accident in Egypt sky that killed all 224 persons on board.  The UN convention against corruption was passed by the UN General Assembly in October, 2003 and took effect on December 2005.  Every two years, the convention’s member nations convene in order to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of the convention as well as discuss approaches to fight corruption more efficiently. Vietnamese, Czech localities forge partnerships Bac Ninh city and the Czech Republic’s Cheb city signed a cooperation pact in northern Bac Ninh province on November 2.  The two cities first discussed their bilateral agreement in August 2014 before inking a Memorandum of Understanding three months later in Cheb, which is located in the Karlovy Vary region.  Under their newly formed twinning relations, they will support joint activities between the peoples in culture, art, education and sports, among others.  Information exchanges and promotion publications will be a highlight, helping them understand each others’ history and current developments.  They agreed to priority delegation exchanges to build future collaborative programmes with focuses on trade, services, construction, environment, education and culture.  Ten percent of Cheb’s population is Vietnamese. Vietnam, Laos increase sports cooperation Enhancing cooperation in sports and physical training will contribute to fostering the close-knit relationship between Vietnam and Laos. Deputy Director of the Vietnam General Department of Sports and Physical Training Tran Duc Phan made the statement at a working session with Director of the Laos Competitive Sports Department Sengphone Phonamath in Hanoi on November 2. The two sides sought to increase training programme exchanges for athletes and put forth policies to support those with high achievements. Phan assured his guest that Vietnam will do its utmost to help Lao sports advance from athlete and coach training to experience sharing in developing relevant activities between the two nations. Sengphone Phonamath expressed his wish that through the working visit to Vietnam from October 2-5, the Lao delegation will be able to learn from Vietnam’s useful experiences in management, training and in organising international tourneys. He took the occasion to thank Vietnam for assisting Laos in building infrastructure facilities, training coaches and athletes, and organising the 25th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). During their working tour, the Lao officials are scheduled to visit the Lao Embassy in Vietnam and a number of sports and physical training facilities in Hanoi.-VNA Preferential interest comes to forest planters and farmers Households living in remote and mountainous areas will be eligible for loan interest rate of 1.2 percent starting November 2. The rate is included in Decree 75/2015/ND-CP, which focuses on forest protection, afforestation and poverty alleviation from 2015-2020. As such, the beneficiaries will be needy forest-planters and farmers. The Vietnam Bank for Social Policies will lend them credit without requiring collateral. Households obtaining preferential loans to plant trees can acquire a maximum sum of 15 million VND (672.30 USD) per hectare, with durations calculated based on production time and lasting less than two decades. Peers who need capital for animal husbandry may borrow up to 50 million VND (2,241 USD) within 10 years. Canon continues to facilitate children’s learning in Dien Bien Canon Vietnam Ltd Company on October 31 handed over a kindergarten in Pa Khoang commune, Dien Bien district in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien, as part of the “Canon friendship school chain” project.  In addition to the new facility, which comprises three classrooms and a toilet, the company also presented 70 gift sets, including school supplies, rain coats and confectionary for local children. Addressing the ceremony, Canon Vietnam’s Director General Katsuyoshi Soma promised to continue to contribute more to Vietnam education, and to the industrialization, modernisation and development of Vietnam’s society. Earlier, the company handed over Nam Son kindergarten and presented school supplies for Noi Due kindergarten in the northern province of Bac Ninh.  The company has implemented its “Canon friendship school chain” project since 2009 in order to improve the educational environment for teachers and pupils with difficulties, and to encourage the study spirit of pupils. The project has helped build 94 new classrooms, 2 teacher rooms, 14 standard toilets and hand washing areas at 38 friendship schools in 17 provinces in the North and Central region of Vietnam.  Canon has three production facilities in Thang Long (Hanoi) and Que Vo and Tien Son (Bac Ninh province). Seminar seeks to enable energy access for the poor The Government, relevant departments and sectors should design more policies to support energy access for the poor, a seminar in Hanoi heard on October 30.  Nguy Thi Khanh, Executive Director of the Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID) under the Vietnam Sustainable Energy Alliance, said the Government has put forth a number of policies to support the needy.  However, this has yet to satisfy low-income families’ increasing energy demand, she said, proposing that the Government, relevant departments and sectors create more supportive policies in terms of prices, lighting equipment, and building oil and gas stabilisation funds.  Participants recommended installing small hydropower and biogas plants, and subsidising electricity for low-income residents.  Nguyen Tien Long, an energy expert, said public demand for power, coal, gas and petrol was surging.  However, energy access for the poor was limited due to their low incomes, he said. The maximum total annual income of poor families in rural, mountainous areas is 24 million VND (1,080 USD), and average energy expenditures amount to more than 3 million VND (135 USD) per year. This means they’d spend 12.9 percent of their income on energy. IT-based class piloted at Hanoi’s high school Cau Giay High School in Hanoi started using a pilot IT-based classroom model on October 30.  Funded by the Republic of Korea (RoK), it follows standards for educational facilities in the sponsor nation.  The classroom’s teacher uses advanced equipment that can display teaching materials using sound and images, and help students learn with all their senses.  Testing and marking will be done through computer software, while experiments and interactive learning are an essential part of class activities.  Education and Training Deputy Minister Pham Manh Hung said the model enhances Vietnam’s teaching quality. He added that he expected the initiative to be replicated across the country.  According to Hung, the ministry is also carrying out co-operation programmes on education and IT application with the RoK, such as the Virtual University at the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and the e-learning project at Hanoi Open University.  Since 2005, the RoK has helped many countries develop e-learning and IT in the classroom. New flyover put into operation in northern Hanoi Starting on October 30, traffic is allowed to flow on a flyover at the intersection between North Thang Long urban highway and Bac Hong – Van Dien railroad in Hanoi.  The 20-span flyover is 1,000 metres in length with a six-lane approach road that is 393 metres long and 26 metres wide.  It is part of a sub-project worth 354 billion VND (15.86 million USD) that also includes a frontage road and other transport infrastructure.  The facility helps those in Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, Bac Giang, Bac Ninh and Lang Son cut their travel time to Noi Bai International Airport and central Hanoi, as it connects these northern provinces with Nhat Tan and Thang Long bridges.  At the inauguration ceremony, Hanoi People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen The Thao lauded efforts made to complete the construction five months ahead of schedule. PM asks to clarify responsibility for violations of Hanoi building The Prime Minister has instructed the Hanoi People’s Committee to continue steering a probe into organisations and individuals involved in the construction of the 8B Le Truc Street building, which reportedly houses more floors than permitted. The PM’s directive was announced by Nguyen Van Nen, Minister and Chairman of the Government Office, at the Government’s monthly press briefing in Hanoi on October 29. Any violations should be strictly punished, Nen said. According to Nen, on October 26, the Cabinet’s standing members met with the Hanoi People’s Committee, representatives from the Ministry of Construction, and other relevant ministries and agencies to discuss the issue. The PM, who chaired the meeting, blamed the late detection and treatment on weaknesses in State management and requested that solutions to the problem be found as soon as possible. After studying investment licence procedures and the opinions of competent agencies, the leader said the municipal People’s Committee and the Construction Ministry were correct in the licence-granting process. However, the investor deliberately committed serious violations and should be strictly punished, Nen quoted the leader as saying. The PM also requested the investor immediately suspend construction and devise a plan to repair its mistakes. The municipal People’s Committee was tasked with ratifying the plan and closely supervising its implementation. It needed to abide by the licence, and ensure architectural safety and security. The full text of the PM’s conclusion would be posted on the e - government portal, Nen said. The building under construction overlooks the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in central Hanoi. It was reportedly built more floors than permitted. Hanoi authorities said that the building, which will contain a mall, offices and apartments, built an extra five floors more than its original blueprint showed. The blueprint had been given a construction permit by the city and the Government Office in 2013. The building was only allowed to be 53 metres tall – about 16 metres less than the actual height of the building so far. The investor of the building, the Le Truc Garment Co. JSC., was also said to have illegally increased the total number of square footage by at least 6,000 sq metres to about 36,000 sq metres. Those violations had been repeatedly detected by inspectors during the course of construction, but strict punishments were not given, the city authorities said. Border guards rescue four Dao girls from traffickers Vietnamese and Chinese border guards have rescued four Vietnamese girls from the Dao ethnic minority group in northern mountain Lào Cai Province after they were trafficked and sent to China six days ago. Vietnamese border guards or soldiers in Lào Cai Province received a report last Thursday from families of the four girls that they were missing since October 24. The soldiers immediately sent a team to the local area to investigate the case. They suspected it to be a case of cross-border human trafficking and informed their Chinese counterparts. After four days of investigation, the soldiers of the two countries yesterday found four young girls -- Ban Thi T, 15; Nguyễn Thi D, 18; Bàn Thị U, 17; and ND Bàn Thị N, 13 -- being kept captive for sale to a brothel. The four girls were rescued and sent back to their families on the same day. The young girls later said they were approached by two men with whom they got acquainted on a social networking site. The men tried to convince them to visit China. The girls accepted the invitation and followed the men through the Lao Cai Border Gate. But after reaching China, they were kept captive and threatened that they would be killed if they tried to escape. The four girls were to be sold to a brothel. The case is being investigated further. Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Văn Tuấn of the Lào Cai Border Guard Station, said four cases of human trafficking have been detected and dozens of victims have been rescued so far this year.  Promising aquaculture model changes farmer lives Vu Van Khuyen, 46, a fish farmer from Ha Long city, is optimistic that his aquaculture farm will make him huge profits this year. Since taking part in a pilot project initiated by Van Chai-Ha Long Co-operative, which integrates floating fish farms with eco-tourism, Khuyen and 70 other households in the resettlement area no longer have to deal with risks like fish loss and environmental destruction. The project has provided technical assistance since March this year in Vung Vieng fishing village, where fish farmers lived before relocation, aimed at stablising farmers' livelihoods and creating tourism products based on fish farmers' culture. Nguyen Van Cong, deputy director of Ha Long city's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that previously, when fishermen raised fish on their own, some could not expand the breeding area as they lacked knowledge on sustainable breeding. Their outdated techniques caused pollution and damaged the seabed's environment. They also had to catch baby fish at sea to feed breeding fish. About two to three kilograms of baby fish were needed to feed one kilogram of breeding fish, which would lead to an over-exploitation of natural fish in the long term, Cong said. "Quang Ninh People's Committee is willing to instruct fishermen what to breed and what techniques to use for high productivity," he added. Under the project, with the breeders' own investment in fish stocks, they raised nearly 20,000 fish in about 100 square cages. Most of the cages are located on the co-operative's floating wooden houses while the others are attached under the foot of mountains or preserved floating houses where locals used to live. Selecting high-quality breeding fish was also a concern for the co-operative. In 2010, local farmers had suffered heavy financial losses as they purchased cheap breeding fish from Chinese enterprises. Some even lost all their invested money. "The quality of breeding fish is one of key factors that determine output. This season, the co-operative is working to mitigate losses by carefully selecting reliable sources from Thien Loc joint stock company," Tang Van Phien, director of Van Chai-Ha Long Cooperative, said. The fish raised in the farm, mainly ca vuoc (Asian seabass), ca song (garrupa), ca hong (red snapper), are suitable to the Bay's waters and bring high economic profits. One kilogram of Asian seabass can be sold at VND120,000-140,000 (US$5-6), according to the company's experts. Besides fish breeding, farmers cultivate aquatic rong mo (sargassum) in net cages interleaved with fish's cages. The plants, which take from 60 to 90 days to be harvested, are tasty and nutritious food for farmers and tourists. They can also be used to produce cosmetics, Luong Van Thuong, Aquaculture Specialist of Thien Loc Joint Stock company said. "Rong mo also helps to clean waters and provides a healthier environment for the fish," he added. At present, rong mo areas cover about 300 sq.m. Tourists can harvest rong mo with local farmers and then enjoy some dishes made from rong mo on the spot. Despite efforts of the province and the Co-operative to develop the city's eco-tourism, they have learned that tourists expect to have more authentic experiences. "We have conducted many surveys and found that visiting floating fish farms is one of the most enjoyable activities that tourists want to experience", said Don Van Dung, general director of Indochina tourist agency. James Fahn, an American tourist and environment journalist, came back to Ha Long Bay early this month after 20 years. He was surprised at the development of the Bay and praised the new fish breeding model because of its positive impact on the environment. However, he said he hoped to experience a real day of a floating boat resident. "I am a little disappointed. Before the trip, I expected to see the hectic atmosphere in the floating village, but when I arrived, I only saw few farmers there. It looks like a museum to me." The province was determined to invest all necessary money and resources to make this model a success. It has planned to invest VND5 billion ($220,000) to expand the model with many more residents participating in the project, Phien, the Co-operative director, said. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri