Social Highlights for November 19 Reservoir floods spark torrent of controversy Despite parched farmland in many central areas being desperate for water, vegetable farms in lowland areas of central Thua Thien Hue Province have been ruined by sudden floods surging from hydro-power electricity plants. Authorities in Quang Dien District said unexpected floods from local power reservoirs had destroyed 300ha of land used to grow lettuces, green onions and herbs, causing huge losses for local farmers. The district's diminished vegetable supply is expected to influence the local market, causing price increases. The district is assisting farmers by providing seeds for new crops in a bid to secure livelihoods and stabilise the market. Despite the crop losses, authorities are actually happy with the floods, saying they have brought much needed alluvium soil to rice paddies. The district had not been flooded for almost two years and soil had shown signs of degradation, with rice production waning, according to Nguyen Dinh Duc, deputy director of the district People's Committee. Local agricultural officials expected the alluvium layer would benefit rice and vegetable production as there would be less need for the use of fertilisers. The floods, which lasted several days, have also reduced the plagues of rats in local paddies. At the same time, rice farmers in upper areas of the province continue to bemoan the damage caused by rats. Hoang Ba Tuy, a managing member of Thuong An agricultural co-operative said the rats had been wreaking havoc for four years because there had been few floods in the area. According to the Viet Nam River Network, a Vietnamese NGO based in Hue, the constructions of hydro-power reservoirs brought a stop to natural flooding. "The reservoirs of Huong Dien and Binh Dien power plants should share resources with locals by regularly releasing water," said chief network co-ordinator Lam Thi Thu Suu. The province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development estimated a 10 tonne drop in rice production this year because of the rats. Australian art program raises funds to prevent childhood drownings   The Vietnamese Consulate General in Perth has coordinated with the Western Australian Rotary branch on organising an art program raising money to fund swimming and water safety lessons for Vietnamese children. Rotary President David Siddall said Vietnamese children are some of the most vulnerable to drowning in the world, with fatality rates approaching 10 children per day. The art program aims to cover the costs of training two Vietnamese teachers in Perth. Vietnam’s Perth Consul General Le Viet Duyen thanked the charity body for their support and commended the initiative taken to organise the event. Duyen presented an AUD1,000 cheque to Rotary on behalf of a Vietnamese entrepreneur in Perth. The program itself included traditional music and dance performances and a Vietnamese souvenir auction. Vietnam’s Perth Consulate donated handicrafts to the auction. The program raised more than AUD2,000. The Rotary Charity has previously worked with AusSwim organisations and Swim Vietnam to offer Vietnamese teachers swimming and water rescue training that meets Australian standards. The charity has also presented wheelchairs to Vietnamese children in need. Teachers swept away by swollen stream Two teachers were washed away by a sudden flood while crossing Ta Nang stream in K'Bang District to go to school, according to Central Highland province Gia Lai's People's Committee. Heavy rain on Thursday together with water discharged from the An Khe-Knat hydro-power reservoir, are said to have caused water levels to rise, eventually causing the flood. Meanwhile, 10-year-old primary school student, Vuong Thi Thu Thao, in Nghia Hanh district of central Quang Ngai Province, drowned in floodwater on the way to school. Doctors save man from swine flu A 35-year-old man who caught pneumonia after contracting A/H1N1 influenza was saved by doctors at Ha Noi's Bach Mai Hospital. The patient, from northern Hai Duong Province, was admitted to hospital last Thursday with flu-like symptoms, including constant coughing, chest pains and breathing difficulties. He tested positive for A/H1N1, previously known as swine flu. His condition was reported to be stable five days after he received treatment at the hospital. Toy producer fined for dumping waste The central city's People's Committee fined Keyhinge Toys Company VND100 million (US$4,800) for violating environment regulations at Hoa Khanh industrial Park in Lien Chieu district. The wholly foreign-invested toy producer did not distinguish its hazardous waste from other common rubbish. The company had also failed to arrange safe storage and packaging for the waste before dumping. Meanwhile, the People's Committee in northern Phu Tho Province moved to penalise the Thang Long International JSC for releasing untreated exhaust fumes into the atmosphere well above the permitted limit. The fine is said to be VND42 million ($2,000). Eight hospitalised for food poisoning Eight people were admitted to Ha Tinh General Hospital on Sunday after showing symptoms of food poisoning, including fever, stomach aches, vomitting and diarrhea. More than 30 others were sent to Thach Van communal medical clinic also showing similar symptoms. The patients had been eating at a death anniversary at Thach Van Commune in Thach Ha District on Friday. A hospital spokesperson said that all eight people were in stable conditions. The hospitals were unable to identify the specific source of the poisoning due to the multiple items that had been consumed at the event. Vietnam among countries with highest ageing rate Vietnam is among the ten countries with the highest ageing rate from now to 2050, a recent report by the United Nations has shown. This fact was highlighted by Director of the National Geriatric Hospital Pham Thang at the second international conference on ageing in Hanoi on November 15. He said that an ageing population is a global phenomenon and Vietnam is no exception. In 2012, it was officially listed as having a higher number of older people every year. Such a population trend has a profound impact on every nation and its people socially, economically, politically, culturally and psychologically. The health sector will have to cope with this new challenge, he noted. Meanwhile, Director of the Health Ministry’s Department of Medical Services Luong Ngoc Khue reported in more detail about the growing lifespan of Vietnamese people. At present, the average life expectancy in the country is 73, while 50 years ago it was just 40. In that time the global average has increased by 21 years. From 1979 to 2009, Vietnam saw a rise of 1 million old people for each decade. The increase now stands at 1.2 million every two years, bringing the total elderly number now to 8.65 million, Khue stressed. The conference, the second of its kind, included two plenary sessions. It offered a chance for domestic and foreign experts to share experiences and update advanced technology in health services for the elderly. Hydro-power plants have negative impacts Hydro-power projects located in areas of ecological varieties have affected the ecological system and caused losses of water-head protective forests. The assessment was heard at a conference on the protection of Dong Nai River Basin held in Da Lat last Friday. Hydro-power projects located on the upper sections of the regional rivers have negative impacts to the water environment and cause floods in the lower section, said Nguyen Van Thanh from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Thanh was presenting a report titled "Hydro-power Projects on the Dong Nai River Basin and Measures to Minimise Their Impacts on the Water Environment of the River." He said the basin is housing 20 hydro-power projects, 15 of them being operational and the other five are under construction. In related news, in late October 2013, MoIT has rejected projects 6 and 6A from the country's hydro-power development plan. The decision was made after PM Nguyen Tan Dung asked MoIT to re-consider the development plans of hydro-power projects No 6 and 6A and other hydro-power projects along the Dong Nai River in September this year. In an environmental impact assessment sent to the Government Office in early September, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said the two hydro-power projects would remove 372.23ha of forests, including 128.37ha of land in Cat Loc, a core zone under Cat Tien National Park. In its environmental impact report, the investor in these projects (Duc Long Co) pledged to afforest the area, but the investor's report did not show the areas and did not map out plans for afforestation, according to the ministry report. Measures to be taken to minimise the impact on biological diversity were not feasible. The report said no measures were taken to protect and preserve fauna and flora while the negative impact on stream flows in the lower section would affect the ecological systems, water levels and the areas of swamp in Bau Sau Ramsar. In addition, these hydro-power projects would also pose other disadvantages. Work on related support facilities such as transmission lines and roads to support the implementation of these projects will have a negative impact on the environment and socio-economic conditions. It will also affect Nam Cat Tien National Park, it said. The projects could adversely affect the subsistence of local residents who earn their living from farming, aquaculture and fisheries on the lower sections, and thus cause disadvantages for Nam Cat Tien National Park's application for World Heritage status. Overfishing cuts into villagers' livelihoods in Central provinces Fishermen in the central coastal provinces of Khanh Hoa and Binh Thuan are using illegal methods to catch fish near shore, harming marine life and causing environmental pollution. Binh Thuan Province currently has over 200 large-capacity ships, none of which has permission to harvest near-shore sea products, according to provincial Chief Inspector of Fisheries Le Thanh Binh. However, many of them are breaking the law to cast nets close to the coast. Their persistent overfishing of shrimp, crab and other fish puts the area's marine resources at risk of exhaustion, Binh said. They also put locals in danger. Vo Van Suc, a fisherman in Hoa Thang Commune in the provincial Bac Binh District, fell into the ocean when the small bamboo basket he was using to catch snails was overturned by a large ship. Moreover, the overfishing is a serious blow to the approximately 200 households in Tan Thang Commune who subsist mainly on sea products caught near shore, according to unofficial statistics from local authorities. The province's Fisheries Department has punished 124 ships for illegal fishing since 2010, according to local authorities. In Khanh Hoa Province, Le Van Dung, Chief Inspector from the Agriculture and Rural Development Department, told Nguoi Lao Dong (The Labourer) that six large-capacity ships had recently been caught illegally fishing near shore in the provincial Cam Lam District and given a fine of VND2 million (US$95) each. "As many as 20 large ships often operate close to the coast. They swept our fishing nets away and their discharge pulse wiped out the area's aquatic resources," said a fisherman in Van Long Commune in Khanh Hoa Province. Other ships use a stainless steel device to catch clams, muddying the water and causing further environmental pollution. "The muddy water situation seriously damaged nearly 100 cages of lobsters belonging to my family. Lobsters were ill and dozens died every day," said Nguyen Chi Lem, a fisherman and lobster breeder in Van Thang Commune. The province lacks inspectors and equipment to carry out patrols, which would be especially difficult because the large ships operate in a wide range along the coast, Dung said. Additionally, the ships often operate by night, according to Dao Van Luong, Head of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department in the provincial Van Ninh District. Van Ninh District People's Committee Chairman Le Huu Tri pointed out that the individuals working in the ships were doing so because they lived in disadvantaged circumstances, so they should be encouraged to raise aquatic products such as snails and lobsters rather than engaging in illegal fishing. Women's careers face major barriers Women face major disadvantages in both the domestic and international labour market, especially in the context of international economic integration. In Viet Nam, more than 80 per cent of female employees above 15 years old lack technical skills. Moreover, up to 31.6 per cent of women work in fields for which they are not trained. The assessments were announced by Luu Song Ha from the Viet Nam Women's Academy at the first Viet Nam – South Korea Women's Forum yesterday in Ha Noi. Another problem is that few women know English or can use computers, two necessary skills in many industries. Only 32.7 per cent speak English and barely 3.1 per cent are fluent, according to Ha; less than 30 per cent have computer skills. Moo Suk Min from the Korean Women's Development Institute explained what Korea had done to cope with the problem, chiefly establishing the Advanced Institute for Supporting Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET) as well as career development centers at universities. In the meeting, the delegates also discussed the agenda for the second forum in South Korea, which will focus on promoting equality and development for the women of both nations. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed yesterday to promote co-operation in the fields of research, publication, scholarship and information exchange, as well as development projects and forum organisation. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, chair of the Viet Nam Women's Union, which organised the forum together with the Korean Women's Development Institute, said that the relationship between the two organisations had progressed significantly since Viet Nam and South Korea established their diplomatic relationship. Keum Sook Choe, director of the Korean Women's Development Institute, expressed her hope that the forum would open a new chapter in co-operation between Viet Nam and South Korea. Vietnamese citizens in Philippines move to safer cities As many as 48 Vietnamese people in the Philippines were moved from Ormoc City, one of the Philippine localities hit hardest by super typhoon Haiyan, to the cities of Cebu and Bohol. More than ten people arrived in Cebu safely on the Friday night thanks to the assistance of a working group from the Vietnamese Embassy. Several others who were stranded in Tacloban City will go to Manila and return from there to Viet Nam. The list of the Vietnamese citizens has been posted on the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry's portal on consular affairs (http://lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn). Two hotlines, 00639982756666 and 00639286727829, have been set up to handle any related issues. Thai Phung Ne awarded French Legion of Honour Order   Dr Thai Phung Ne has been made a member of France’s Noble Order of Legion of Honour, recognising his contributions to Vietnamese-French relations and electricity cooperation. Ne is a former Minister of Energy and the leading Vietnamese expert on hydroelectricity. His career progressed alongside the development of major hydroelectric power plant projects, including Thac Ba, Hoa Binh, Yaly, Thac Mo, Ham Thuan, Da Mi, and Son La. He was appointed the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Hydroelectricity in 2001. Ne’s work was instrumental to the Son La hydroelectric power plant beginning its operations three years ahead of schedule, earning thousands of billions of Vietnam Dong in national profit. He was presented with the 50-year Party badge and acknowledged as a labour hero of the renewal process for his tireless efforts on behalf of national development. The French Embassy also conferred the Medal of Merit to former State Treasury General Director Nguyen Thi Nhon. Abbott releases first Citizenship Report Abbott Viet Nam has released its first Citizenship Report in Viet Nam on improving health care and enhancing science and technology in the country. The company has provided more than US$9.2 million on improving nutrition, health staff training and community education in Viet Nam during 2011-12. The report documented the efforts of the first clinical nutrition centre based in the Ha Noi-based Bach Mai Hospital which has treated more than 619,000 patients nation-wide with 1,500 doctors. Experts hail success of transplant system Viet Nam has successfully carried out more than 900 kidney, liver and heart transplants, medical professionals told a conference in Ha Noi on Saturday. They also reported that 12 medical facilities throughout the nation were competent at conducting human tissue and organ transplants. Apart from highlighting the health sector's achievements in human tissue and organ transplantation, participants noted that many medical facilities were handicapped with poor equipment and the scarcity of tissue donations. Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Thi Xuyen said the establishment of the National Regulating Centre for Human Organ Transplants indicated the maturity of efforts to use tissue transplants to treat incurable diseases. Vietnamese and Taiwanese experts also discussed demand for corneal transplants. Measles outbreak in Yen Bai Province The northern mountainous province of Yen Bai on Thursday confirmed an outbreak of measles in Mu Cang Chai District. The first case of measles was reported in Nam Co Commune's Da Den village late last month, with 23 cases confirmed across four of the commune's 14 hamlets. The patients, most of whom are under 20 years old, are being treated in the Nghia Lo town General Hospital. Hospital staff have confirmed the patients are now recovering from the condition. Vietnamese, Thai press sustain friendship The journalist associations of Vietnam and Thailand have agreed to continue strengthening and reinforcing their cooperation in the field, looking towards building a sustainable friendship. The agreement was reached at a ceremony held on November 15 in Bangkok to mark the 20th founding anniversary of bilateral cooperation, which has helped tighten the partnership between the two countries. Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA) Thuan Huu highlighted the event as an important milestone in their cooperation, for the sake of the press and the public demand for information. Both Vietnam and Thailand’s press are contributing to the building of a peaceful, stable and thriving Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the establishment of ASEAN Community by 2015, said Minister for the Thai Prime Minister’s Office Warathep Rattanakorn. Recalling the consensus reached by both countries in elevating their relations to the strategic partnership during the Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Thailand, Rattanakorn affirmed that the relationship between the two journalists associations will help promote bilateral cooperation in economics, politics, security and culture. Targeting future sustainable friendship will enable Vietnam and Thailand to consolidate and advance their relationship as set by both leaders, stressed Chairman of the Thai Journalists Association (TJA) Vichai Valaphol. An official member of the Confederation of ASEAN Journalists (CAJ), the VJA has nearly 20,000 members working in media agencies nationwide. It has also expanded ties of friendship and cooperation with regional and international press agencies, especially those from Asia and ASEAN, including Thailand. GD Wasser secures water treatment project in Vietnam   Singapore-based GD Wasser announced on November 18 it will implement a pilot project to improve water and sanitation conditions in Chau Thanh district’s Da Loc commune. The company will build and install two water purification and bottling systems with a design capacity of about 25m3 per day each. These consist two of ten pilot projects in total, planned from GD Wasser to be completed in 2014. The project has been assigned to GD Wasser from an international development non-governmental organization (NGO) with a strong track record in implementing sustainable water infrastructure projects to improve the health and quality of life of communities in Asia. Both systems will be based on the Reverse Osmosis (RO) water purification technology. One of the core advantages of the RO units is that they can be used in a rural setting with very little automation, so that they can be easily maintained by the community. The new plant will serve as a pilot for further projects of similar nature in other provinces of Vietnam while its technical advantage will translate into reduced costs and better quality water for the local community. GD Wasser is a joint venture between three companies: New Asia Investments Pte Ltd (30%), De.mem Pte Ltd (40%) and Glacier SG Pte Ltd (30%). It operates mainly on a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model for providing clean water to its municipal and industrial clients. Asian cities debate urbanisation, energy policies in Hanoi   Leaders of 13 Asian cities are gathering in Hanoi on November 18-19 to discuss urban planning and energy policies in the region. Delegates to the 12th plenary meeting of the Asian Network of Major Cities in the 21st Century (ANMC 21) examine issues arising from the implementation of urban planning and management policies, and propose optimum solutions. They also look at how urban energy affects sustainable development of cities so as to introduce effective energy development policies in the future. In his opening speech, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai expressed hope through the two panel discussions, ANMC 21 members will work out solutions to planning and management issues in urban areas. Asian cities need to find a common ground on the effective use of energy sources to address climate change which is impacting sustainable development of all nations, he said. Nguyen The Thao, Chairman of the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee, pointed to the fact rapid urbanisation over the years has put mounting pressure on Asian cities, requiring them to come up with long-term development plans. He quoted recent surveys saying to achieve green growth, global cities integrate urban planning and management and economic development based on the effective use of energy and low-carbon emissions, into the capacity to adapt to natural disasters.    Delegates will make a fact-finding tour of the Hanoi Old Quarter and other major architectural projects, as well as Savico Megamall to evaluate the city’s urban planning and energy conservation policies. During the two-day meeting, a seminar on Asian investment, trade and tourism promotion will be held on November 19. Delegates will also launch two new projects, with one highlighting education’s role in urban planning and the other building foundations for technology and industry. Hanoi has carried out a number of ANMC 21 projects on developing small- and medium-sized passenger planes, crisis management in Asia, and measures to cope with communicable diseases in Asia. ANMC21 was established in 2001 on the initiative of the Tokyo administration. It has now admitted a total of 13 members to its grouping, namely Bangkok (Thailand), New Delhi (India), Taipei (Taiwan-China), Hanoi (Vietnam), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Manila (the Philippines), Tokyo (Japan, Seoul (the Republic of Korea), Singapore, Yangon (Myanmar), Ulaanbartoor (Mongolia), and Tomsk (Russia). The annual plenary meeting takes place in one of the ANMC 21’s cities on a rotary basis. Hanoi joined this organisation in 2001 and this is the second time it has hosted such a meeting. Vietnamese, ASEAN managers benefit from German training program   The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) has presented graduation certificates to successful students from three ASEAN countries who took part in a vocational training course on climate change and environmentally friendly employment. Nineteen students from Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam, including seven from Vietnam enrolled on a ten-month course run by the GIZ- backed International Leadership Team (ILT) program. The program, conducted in the Republic of Korea and Germany, helps trainees develop leadership skills and understand the relationship between climate change and the green growth strategy as well as the necessary changes required in human resource training and vocational training programmes. During the course, participants had the opportunity to learn from and work alongside experts from businesses and training foundations in Germany and the RoK. After the course, they will continue to implement projects with support and guidance from professional trainers. Seven Vietnamese applicants from Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau successfully completed the course. GIZ has been operating effectively in Vietnam for 20 years, in projects on vocational training, sustainable economic development, environmental issues and health care. Thanh Hoa, Houaphanh unite to fight drug-related crime Border guards from Vietnam’s Thanh Hoa province and Laos’ Houaphanh province discussed the 2013–2014 strategy against border narcotics crime at a meeting on November 15. Measures include initiatives to involve the community in crime prevention, support addicts through recovery, and stop the cross-border trade of illicit narcotics. The two provinces will focus on neutralising drug production at its source and interrupting trafficking chains. Public information campaigns will be expanded, with handouts published in both languages. Progress reports to key central and local officials will also be issued more regularly and rigorously. Officials hope the new campaigns will encourage locals to abandon poppy cultivation and eliminate drugs from their communities. Thanh Hoa and Houaphanh have cooperated on a number of information campaigns in the past. They regularly receive assistance from local residents, including in the October 2012 arrest of a Lao couple intercepted while trafficking 116kg of heroin into Thanh Hoa. Number of HIV cases comes down in Thua Thien-Hue Vietnam’s anti-HIV/AIDS project has helped the central province of Thua Thien-Hue reduce the number of people affected by the disease from 100-132 cases each year during the 2006-2009 period to 70-98 in the 2010-2013 phase. The statistics were released at a recent conference in the locality to review how the project has panned out. Carried out in the province since 2010, the World Bank-funded project has brought about many positive outcomes. Nearly 44,000 drug users and over 127,000 prostitutes received consultancy and more than 1,000 were introduced to medical stations for health check-ups and treatment under the project. In addition to reducing the rate of people living with HIV/AIDS, the project has helped local people better understand the disease and the measures to prevent infections, while reducing cases of discrimination. As of June 2013, the province detected 319 HIV carriers and 143 AIDS patients who are still alive. The virus has killed a confirmed 307 people in the locality so far. The locality will continue directing the Health Department and related agencies to effectively implement the national target programme on HIV/AIDS prevention and control as well as intensifying awareness activities held in the area. According to the Administration of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control (VAAC), as of September 30, there were 218,427 people living with HIV in Vietnam , including 65,729 AIDS patients. The deadly virus also killed 66,116 people nationwide. In the first nine months of this year, the country saw an average of 43 new infections every day, the administration added.- Association hailed for child care National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan praised the Vietnam Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights (VAPCR) for its effective operation over the past five years during its second congress in Hanoi on November 17. She urged the association to continue expanding its network across the country in order to mobilise more domestic and international support for children during the next tenure (2013-2018). The legislator called on the association to get involved in building child-related policies with State agencies and study and supervise the implementation of these laws. “The Party and State have always given special attention to children – the country’s future generations,” she declared. Ngan added that the Government has implemented various programmes and activities for children, such as the National Programme on Child Protection for the 2011-2015 period and the 2012-2020 National Programme of Action for Children. The VAPCR has developed its branches in 25 cities and provinces nationwide and lured many international projects worth tens of billions of Vietnam dong, benefiting over 50,000 disadvantaged children and poor families. In the past, the association has voiced its opinion on child-related policies and programmes and fought child abuse and violence, contributing to the country’s child care, education and protection. The congress elected a new 41-member executive board with Tran Thi Thanh Thanh continuing to hold the post of the association’s president for the 2013-2018 tenure. During the congress, the association received a certificate of merit from the Prime Minister. Outstanding teachers hounoured in Hanoi As many as 160 teachers across the country were honoured at a ceremony in Hanoi on November 17 for their outstanding performance in patriotic and educational campaigns launched by the education sector over the past five years (2008-2013). Addressing the event, President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan extended his best wishes to the teachers on the occasion of the Vietnamese Teachers’ Day (November 20). The Party and Government always consider teachers key and decisive in the country’s education and training cause, he said. The VFF leader praised the sector’s significant and positive contributions to intellectual standards, human resource development, socio-economic growth, political security and international integration. Among the awardees were teachers from remote, border and island areas, who have overcome various difficulties to bring knowledge to their students. At the ceremony, which was held by the Ministry of Education and Training, many exchanged their viewpoints on salaries and social security received by teachers, especially those working at pre-schools and universities.- Dong Nai spends big on vocational training The southern Dong Nai province plans to dole out 1.8 trillion VND (85.7 million USD) to implement its vocational training strategy until 2020 which aims to provide training to 95 percent of workers in local industrial zones. According to Deputy Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Tri, the recently-approved plan is designed with a view to step by step meeting the demand of the labour market in terms of quality, quantity and job structure serving the locality’s socio-economic development. The province will also increase the number of vocational training schools from the current 72 to 110 with over 4,000 teachers by 2020. To improve the quality of training in terms of both theory and practice, Dong Nai province has asked relevant agencies to closely follow the market’s requirements when designing vocational training curricula. The province will also strengthen cooperation with international organisations in this field. According to the provincial Department of Labour, War Invalids and Social Affaris, in the 2012-2013 academic year, the province enrolled nearly 65,000 vocational training students, fulfilling 103 percent of the yearly target. Of the total, 61,700 students graduated, rasing the rate of trained workers to 46.1 percent, a year-on-year increase of 2 percent. In the 2013-2014 school-year, Dong Nai targets 62,800 new trainees, including 10,000 rural workers.- Vietnamese student presented with awards in Australia Vietnamese student Dang Thi Huong has overtaken more than 1,000 foreign students in Australia to receive the ‘Victorian International Student of the Year’ award and the ‘Premier’s Award – International Student of the Year’ at the Victorian International Education Awards 2013. Moreover, she also earned a 20,000 AUD (18,700 USD) scholarship to get into RMIT Melbourne and become a bachelor of Business Entrepreneurship. Sharing her emotions immediately after receiving the awards, Huong said her achievement marks a huge step forward in her study and brings her closer to her dream of getting a bachelor degree. It also shows that good things can come to disadvantaged children if they have a chance to study and strive to follow their dreams, she said. After finishing studying in Australia, Huong wants to return to KOTO Vietnam - a social enterprises training streets children in restaurant and hotels professions - and help needy children change their lives. Dang Thi Huong, born in 1986 in Vinh Phuc province, used to be a trainee at KOTO. She is now pursuing a Diploma in Business Management at Box Hill Institute, Melbourne as well as taking on the role of Media and Communications Manager for KOTO International as a volunteer. Australia is one of the biggest host countries for Vietnamese students, with over 17,500. Before Huong, several Vietnamese students have been recognised with international education awards in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia. Central localities work to enhance tourism connectivity The central province of Quang Binh on November 15 hosted a conference on tourism connectivity between central provinces in a bid to better link travel agencies and hospitality businesses in the region. The conference drew participants from over 100 travel firms spread across Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue, Da Nang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of Quang Binh People’s Committee Tran Tien Dung said that connectivity among tourism sectors in regional province has been limited, with local businesses operating spontaneously and separately. In recent years, Quang Binh has focused on boosting its tourism sector through developing an infrastructure system that matches with other localities, he claimed. Through the conference, Quang Binh hopes to promote its image and introduce unique tourism products, thus attracting more visitors, Dung added. Quang Binh has abundant potential to develop various tourist attractions, including a good base for eco-tourism, culture, history, maritime tourism and resorts. Many new tours have already been opened, including one that explores Son Doong - the largest cave network in the world.- Vietnamese, Thai press sustain friendship The journalist associations of Vietnam and Thailand have agreed to continue strengthening and reinforcing their cooperation in the field, looking towards building a sustainable friendship. The agreement was reached at a ceremony held on November 15 in Bangkok to mark the 20th founding anniversary of bilateral cooperation, which has helped tighten the partnership between the two countries. Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA) Thuan Huu highlighted the event as an important milestone in their cooperation, for the sake of the press and the public demand for information. Both Vietnam and Thailand’s press are contributing to the building of a peaceful, stable and thriving Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the establishment of ASEAN Community by 2015, said Minister for the Thai Prime Minister’s Office Warathep Rattanakorn. Recalling the consensus reached by both countries in elevating their relations to the strategic partnership during the Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit to Thailand, Rattanakorn affirmed that the relationship between the two journalists associations will help promote bilateral cooperation in economics, politics, security and culture. Targeting future sustainable friendship will enable Vietnam and Thailand to consolidate and advance their relationship as set by both leaders, stressed Chairman of the Thai Journalists Association (TJA) Vichai Valaphol. An official member of the Confederation of ASEAN Journalists (CAJ), the VJA has nearly 20,000 members working in media agencies nationwide. It has also expanded ties of friendship and cooperation with regional and international press agencies, especially those from Asia and ASEAN, including Thailand.- Source: VOV/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/Dantri