Social News Headlines 17/6
Bac
Ninh to get free wi-fi in public areas
People
will get free wi-fi Internet access at governmental offices, public places and
tourism destinations in the northern
province
It is
part of a project passed by its People's Committee on June 11 to have wi-fi in
the province.
The
Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications (VNPT) will invest nearly VND10 billion
(over US$476,000) in building technological infrastructure and installing
equipments as well as providing training courses for staff and managing the
project in the province.
The
People's Committee also said it would support VND150 million (over $7,000) per
month to maintain the service for five years.
According
to the project, there will be 50 spots covered with wi-fi, including 16
outdoors places installed with free signals. At the remaining places, users
will get cards to access the Internet.
People,
who access government and provincial portals in the area covered by wi-fi, will
get it free.
VNPT Bac
Ninh will give 600 free accounts to access the Internet with cards worth from
VND100,000 ($4.76) to VND300,000 ($14.28) per month for some agencies and
tourist groups to enhance information technology applications and boost
tourism. Bac Ninh is expected to be the sixth tourism destination in Viet Nam providing free wi-fi, after Hoi An, Da Nang , Hue
Microsoft
hosts ‘cloud' workshop
The
Ministry of Information and Communications, in collaboration with Microsoft,
organised a workshop on openness and cloud computing for creating an open,
flexible and secure e-governance cloud platform.
In line
with new trends in global IT, Viet
Nam Viet Nam
G-Cloud
solution will facilitate information exchange between management agencies, and
between public service agencies and citizens. This, consequently, will shorten
service time, save costs and make the process more transparent.
At the
deployment, in a "government cloud", ministries and department can
interact and share cloud infrastructure to enhance management and
administration performance while being secure at the highest level.
Poor
households to receive telecom subsidies
Minister
of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son said the ministry would
conduct new regulations on subsidised telecom charges for poor households this
year.
The
northern Hoa Binh Province
In a
meeting with Minister Son, Hoa Binh province representatives said only some 68
out of 210 communes in the province have broadband services.
Many
locals have no access to broadband service due to the complicated terrain.
Those
living in communes with economic difficulties, along with those living in 23
communes near the Da river reservoir also have no broadband services.
K+
announces full World Cup coverage
K+ has
announced early this week that all K+ subscribers will be able to enjoy all 64
football matches of 2014 FIFA World Cup.
In
addition, K+ is also launching a special promotion programme for football fans
in harmony with the atmosphere of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
TV
viewers may choose to watch football matches live on K+1 and K+PM or on VTV's
channels including VTV3 and VTV6.
The
central city of Da Nang and Electricity of Viet
Nam (EVN) planned to connect the Cham
Islands
The
project will supply power to 3,000 islanders based 18km off the coast of Hoi An, and help to boost tourism.
"We
have been in discussions with EVN and looking for investment from the State
Budget to fund the VND390 billion (US$18.6 million) project. EVN will provide
15 per cent of the investment capital, while the remaining funds will come from
Quang Nam Province
"The
project will provide power for local islanders 24 hours a day and limit
emissions from diesel-driven generators on the island, which has been
recognised as a world biosphere reserve by UNESCO," Dung said.
According
to deputy head of the city People's Committee's economic affairs bureau, Do
Dinh Pho, islanders currently used power from diesel generators for seven hours
per day, while renewable energy sources were falling short of demand.
"The
island has built a solar power station with a 28KW capacity that supplies 100
households in Bai Huong Commune. The VND6 billion project, which was
sponsored by SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency), was
built in 2010, but is unreliable due to lack of sunlight," Pho said.
"Wind
power is also an option, but turbines are only able to power single households
with a limited supply," he said.
Pho added
islanders have to pay VND4,500 per kilowatt for the diesel power source, while
the State Budget subsidized VND2.4 billion for the price every year.
Meanwhile,
a multi-fuel generator project designed to provide power from wind, solar and
diesel is still incomplete.
Last
year, the island was given access to fresh water for the first time when an
80,000-cubic-metre reservoir was built to provide fresh water for the island
and its eight surrounding islets.
Local
authorities are also piloting a solar-powered seawater filtration system which,
if successful, will provide more freshwater to local peoples.
The
city's vice chairman said that environmentally friendly technology solutions
such as wind power and solar energy were the area's top priority.
US$40,000
award for rotavirus vaccine research
A series
of research projects carried out on the rotavirus infection and the development
of a more effective vaccine in Vietnam
An award
ceremony was held by Hanoi National University
and Bao Son Group in Hanoi
The
success of the study has brought Vietnam
Especially,
the production of rotavirus vaccine has helped Vietnam
The study
has been conducted by Associate Prof. Dr Le Thi Luan and a group of researchers
from the Centre for Research and Production of Vaccines and Biologicals.
Launched
since 2011, the Bao Son Award aims to honor excellent projects of high
scientific value and practical application which contribute to national
development.
Three
scientific projects have been honoured with this award so far totaling
US$80,000. The Bao Son Award 2014 will be launched next month.
Cardiovascular
intervention discussed in Khanh Hoa
As many
as 800 leading domestic and foreign cardiovascular experts are attending the
4th scientific conference on cardiovascular intervention which opened in Nha
Trang, central Khanh Hoa province on June 14.
Ass.
Prof. Dr Vo Thanh Nhan, Chairman of HCM City’s Cardiovascular
Intervention Association said that the content of this conference is based on
scientific criteria, and advanced practice, adding that it consists a number of
plenary sessions and related workshops focusing on all aspects of acute heart
and vascular care.
In
particular, at the event, cardiovascular experts are demonstrating the tricks
of the profession and applied advanced techniques on five patients in Khanh Hoa General Hospital
A series
of reports on the latest research on the treatment of cardiovascular diseases
will also be introduced by Vietnamese and foreign experts coming from France,
Japan, Australia, Ho Chi Minh city, Can Tho and Hanoi.
The
conference runs until June 15.
Central
region faces big challenges in erasing leprosy
The
central region, particularly the Central Highlands, is facing big challenges in
further reduce the incidence of leprosy, a conference heard on June 13.
Hundreds
of researchers and doctors attended the 17th Dermatology Conference of Central-Central
Highlands region held in the central province
of Binh Dinh
According
to reports at the event, the average annual detection rate of leprosy cases in
the central region has been kept at under 1 per 100,000 since 2005, but the
rate is higher in several Central Highlands provinces. Kon Tum recorded the
highest rate of 2.79 per 100,000, followed by Gia Lai with 2.04 per 100,000.
Most newly-discovered leprosy cases are in remote mountainous areas. In
particular, the number of child patients of this disease in the first five
months of this year increased by 3.17 percent compared to the same period last
year.
Regional
doctors blamed the situation on a lack of dermatologists at district and
communal clinics, while local people have little knowledge of the disease,
which keeps them from receiving prompt diagnosis and treatment.
They also
voiced concern about the appearance of some rare skin diseases in the region.
Participants
agreed on the need to increase training for local medical workers and expand educational
campaigns on leprosy in remote areas, while focusing efforts on detecting new
cases and preventing the spread of infection.
A forum
held in Tan An city, Long An province, on June 13 discussed the promotion of
environmental protection and biodiversity in submerged inland eco-system areas
in the Mekong Delta.
Held by
the World Wildlife Fund, the event brought together a crowd of domestic and
foreign experts who discussed improving sustainable livelihood models in the
region.
Participants
discussed regional planning and the management of aquaculture resources, while
proposing plans to build and perform regional strategies in the above-mentioned
fields.
Deputy
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen urged relevant
ministries and sectors and the regional localities to raise public awareness
about using sustainably ecological services in submerged areas to conserve
biodiversity and adapt to climate change.
He also
stressed the need to conduct investigations and gather statistics on natural
resources, especially biological ones, in submerged areas in the region.
The
regional localities should foster international links in the environmental
field and effectively use foreign assistances to protect biodiversity, Tuyen
suggested.
The
Mekong Delta region, with about 3.9 million ha of submerged area, is the
largest plain in Vietnam
The
region’s food output accounts for over 50 percent of the entire country, and 90
percent of Vietnam
The two
sides reached the consensus at a June 13 working session between a visiting
delegation of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and its
Italian counterpart in Rome
They also
agreed to prioritise their labour cooperation in the coming time and pledged to
work more closely with each other at international forums such as the
Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The
Italian side, led by Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policies Franca
Biondelli, introduced the Vietnamese delegation its Public-Private Partnership
vocational training model and policies as well as experience in labour market
management.
Chuyen
informed the host of the latest developments in the East
Sea , stating China ’s illegal placement of the oil rig Haiyang
Shiyou-981 and its provocative acts in Vietnam
Vietnamese
students honoured at Russian Olympiad awards
Five
Vietnamese students walked away with honours at the 13th Russian Olympiad which
was wrapped up in Moscow
First
prize in public speaking went to Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, an 11th grader from
Nam Dinh-based Le Hong Phong high school. She was also presented a certificate
of merit for the best answer in the “Reading Comprehension” category.
Another
11th grader Nghiem Ba Tri from Hanoi-Amsterdam high school swept the poetry
reading and general examination categories with two first prizes.
The six-day
gruelling contest attracted over 200 students from 29 countries around the
globe competing in an array of educational categories including lectures on
western topics, Russian pronunciation, young speaker and young poetry reader.
Sanitation
workers hold their breath
The
request was made after the HCM City Urban Environment One Member Co, Ltd
(CITENCO) sent a petition to the committee and the city's Department of Natural
Resources and Environment about its contracts for supplying sanitation
services.
CITENCO
and the department have signed a contract to provide basic services such as
collecting and dumping garbage.
In the
past five months, the company has provided services worth more than VND300
billion (US$14.2 million). However, it has not received any payments.
The delay
has seriously affected the enterprise and at least 1,800 sanitation workers
have not been paid for five months.
The
department said that legal procedures were holding up payments.It said it had
not yet been authorised to sign the contract with the company. Thus, there was
no legal basis for the department to pay the costs.
To solve
the problem, the municipal People's Commmittee deputy chairman Nguyen Huu Tin
has agreed to authorise the department to sign the contract with the company.
He also
asked the department to hire an experienced consultancy unit to bid for
collecting and transporting garbage from 2015-20.
Currently,
about 7,500 tonnes of garbage is produced in HCM City
Few
punished for child abuse: seminar
Parental
awareness of child sexual abuse and its consequences is very low, especially in
rural areas, Ngo Thanh Thuan of the Can Tho Family Planning Association, said
at a seminar yesterday in HCM
City
At the
conference on child labour and sexual abuse, Thuan said that many parents were
afraid to accuse offenders, who are often neighbours or relatives.
Young
children were sometimes threatened by offenders, she said, adding that they did
not understand the issue and were afraid to speak to the parents about abuse.
In rural
areas, children in families with financial difficulties who leave for bigger
cities to earn money are at a high risk of sexual abuse.
According
to the Ministry of Public Security, there were 1,000 sexual abuse cases each
year from 2006 to 2011, of which 65.9 per cent were rape cases.
In HCM City
Thuan
said that sexually explicit videos on the internet and the profusion of
smartphones contributed to child sexual abuse.
Pham Thi
Kim Yen of Vinh Long Province
The
conference was part of a project to enhance the enforcement of children and
teenagers' rights, carried out by the non-governmental organisation Tuong Lai
Centre for Health Education and Community Development.
The NGO
is sponsorsed by the Justice Initiatives Facilitation Fund, a joint programme
between the governments of Viet Nam ,
Denmark , Sweden and the EU to support justice-sector
reform in Viet Nam
No
railway platform tickets
Viet Nam
Railways has decided to stop charging people who want to enter train stations
to pick up or see off their relatives and friends.
The move,
directed by Transport Minister Dinh La Thang in a recent meeting with Viet Nam
Railways, aims to improve customer services in the railways sector.
Following
the decision, people will be issued free passes when they want to enter a train
station to pick up or see off relatives or friends.
The
incident that triggered the change occurred on May 25, when a man at Ha Noi
Train Station tried to purchase three tickets to get into the station for
VND2,000 (9 cents) each.
He
attempted to pay the vendor with a VND20,000 (US$1) note, but was rudely told
to go and find smaller currency. This led to the man sending a text message to
Minister Thang to report the case, and the ticket vendor was subsequently
disciplined.
Viet Nam
Railways has instructed train stations to set up 24 hour hotlines to deal with
customer complaints.
Train
station staff have also been asked to sign a commitment to treat customers
politely
Streptoccoccus
suis kills 58-year-old man
The
Preventive Health Centre in central Thua
Thien-Hue Province
The
58-year-old resident, who lived in the province's Huong Toan Commune, died
three hours after being hospitalised at the local Hue Central
Hospital
Last
year, a total number of 16 people in the province became infected with S. suis.
Three
suspects arrested for looting assets in Formosa
Police
from the central Ha Tinh Province's Duc Tho District have remanded into custody
Dang Anh Hung, 23, for looting assets on May 14.
Hung
admitted to the police that he took advantage of a social disorder on May 14 to
steal the assets from Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Co Ltd in the Vung Ang
Economic Zone.
Previously,
the police found in Hung's house two laptops, a camcorder, a DVD player and
mini loudspeakers, as well as two universal serial buses.
Police
from the province's Cam Xuyen District today arrested Trinh Xuan Canh, 32, and
Nguyen Huu An, 30, for looting assets from Formosa
project invested by Taiwan (China
The
police also seized a 200-metre electric wire and a Panasonic welding machine
from the two suspects.
On May
14, a parade in the economic zone opposing China 's
illegal placement of a drilling rig in Viet Nam
Some
people took advantage of the situation to set fire to the houses of foreign
workers and stole the company's assets.
Gov't
calls for tests on truck drivers
The
Government Office has released a notification requesting the increased
supervision and check-up on the health of truck drivers.
According
to notification No. 4047, the number of traffic accidents from the beginning of
the year until now has decreased against the same period last year. However, it
remained a "worry" as the number of traffic accidents were still on
the higher side.
It also
said that many accidents occurred due to the driver's stressed mental
condition, or loss of control at the wheel.
Deputy
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who is also chairman of the National Traffic
Safety Committee, requested chairmen of local People's Committees and heads of
local Traffic Safety Committees, to urgently direct relevant State agencies to
complete the health examination of truck drivers within their areas of
responsibilities.
They have
also been requested to report to the National Traffic Safety Committee and the
Transport Ministry before July 15.
The
Deputy PM also said cities and provinces that had failed to organise health
examinations for truck drivers needed to immediately start the work.
The
Ministry of Health was requested to urgently develop and issue a decree stipulating
the health standards for truck drivers, and regulations for the alcohol test on
drivers of public vehicles. It was requested to complete the task within the
third quarter of the year.
The
Ministry of Transport was requested to co-operate with the Health Ministry, to
step up inspection and supervision over the health examination for truck
drivers, including conducting surprise examinations and repeated checks to
ensure strict action against health clinics that granted health certificates
illegally.
The
Ministry of Information and Communications was asked to direct the media to
continue their coverage of traffic safety issues and raise public awareness. —
VNS
Summer
heats up rabies threat
With the
onset of hot weather, the country faces a high risk of rabies though this year
the number of fatalities has come down by almost half to 22, according to the
Preventive Medicine Department.
Of the
deaths this year, 19 occurred in northern Viet Nam
Last
year, 99 of the 261,000 people who were bitten died.
Figures
from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology show that Viet Nam
Tran Dac
Phu, the department's head, said rabies claims the most lives of any infectious
disease in the country, killing on average100 people per year. More than 90 per
cent of rabies cases had been linked to dogs, he said, warning that
unvaccinated dogs were spreading the disease.
He
explained that most of the fatalities were occurring in northern provinces
Last
year, only 46 per cent of pet animals had been vaccinated against rabies.
Nguyen
Trung Cap, deputy head of emergency at the Ha Noi-based National Hospital
People
who are bitten on the face or neck should get the vaccine within 12 hours, he
added.
Associate
Professor Dr Tran Nhu Duong, deputy head of the National Institute of Hygiene
and Epidemiology, warned that the hot and humid conditions between May and
August would be conducive to the development of the virus.
Rabid
dogs were visibly more aggressive and more eager to bite people than normal
dogs, he said.
The high
risk of a rabies outbreak was also being aided by people allowing their pets to
wander outside their homes un-muzzled, heightening the risk of the disease
spreading among cats and humans, he said.
If bitten
by a dog or a cat, people should use water or soap to clean the wound,
decontaminate it with 45-70 per cent alcohol, and go to the nearest health
centre to receive the vaccination, he added.
Illegal
elephant tusk seized in Kon Tum
Local
border soldiers in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum
Hoang
Dang Bao, head of the Bo Y International Border Guard Station, said the man
smuggling the tusk, A Chap, 30, was a resident of the village. Chap said he had
brought the illegal ivory in from Laos
The
estimated value of the ivory is about VND1 billion (US$47,000).
Ten
tonnes of chicken seized in Quang Binh
Police
seized about 10 tonnes of chicken being transported on a truck in central Quang Binh
Province
The
origin of the frozen chicken could not be verified and the haul was being taken
from Ha Noi to central Da Nang
City
Ho Quoc
Khanh, the truck's driver, said he had been hired by a woman in northern Hai Phong
City
The case
is under investigation.
Overloading
regulations get blame for slow flow of goods
The
tightened controls on overloaded trucks, enforced by the Transport Ministry
since April, has been blamed for the increase of goods unloaded at ports in the
northern city of Hai Phong
At Dinh
Vu Port, there are now 12,000 containers being stored, which is one-and-a-half
times higher than usual. This has resulted in a shortage of space, making it
difficult for the port to receive additional shipments. Other ports, including
Hong Dieu, Vat Cach, Le Quoc, Duy Linh and Tien Manh, report having similar
storage problems for the past two months.
President
of Hai Phong Association of Road Transport Companies, Le Van Tien, said that
since the ministry tightened controls over the loading of trucks on the
nation's roads, as many as 60 per cent of container trucks belonging to local
firms are no longer qualified to carry containers.
"Most
of the trucks were registered to carry much less weight than the load of
containers," he said.
In order
to have the trucks lawfully run on the roads, transport firms had to shift to
using other trucks or arrange for trucks that were suitable for the goods they
were carrying, Tien said.
He said
that investment to comply with these changes has been difficult for the firms
because most face shortages of funds and suffer from increased fees and fuel
costs.
"A
road map is needed for the firms to adapt," he said, implying that the
ministry's overloaded truck regulations have been carried out too quickly.
Hoang
Minh Tuan, president of northern Lao
Cai Province
In the
past, the Transport Ministry paid improper attention to truck loading, leading
to the large increase in overloaded trucks traveling on roads – which is blamed
for causing damage to the nation's roads.
Deputy
director of Hai Phong Transport Department Nguyen Duc Tho said that his office
asked the Transport Ministry to upgrade loading and unloading systems at inland
water ports and railway stations in the city to reduce the burden on road
transportation.
The city
also urged the improvement and construction of railways that linked the major
sea ports.
Tho said
that municipal authorities asked port operators to make full use of their
capacity in transferring goods.
"Goods
owners will be fined if they have their goods remaining at the ports for
excessive periods," he said.
Port
operators were encouraged to help goods owners and transport firms with
transport costs so that goods could be moved out of the ports as soon as
possible, Tho said.
People's
Committees of District 5, District 12 and Tan Phu in HCM City yesterday signed
support agreements with the Hoc Mon District People's Committee to help the
later's communes implement new rural area programme in 2014-15.
Under the
support agreement between District 5 and Hoc Mon, District 5 supports Xuan Thoi
Dong, Ba Diem and Thoi Tam Thon communes.
Meanwhile
District 12 helps Dong Thanh and Xuan Thoi Thuong communes. Tan Phu helps Nhi
Binh, Tan Xuan and Xuan Thoi Son communes.
The three
districts will spend a total of VND2.1 billion (US$100,000) to support the
eight communes building new houses and repairing dilapidated houses for the
poor, providing scholarships for poor students, health insurance cards for the
poor and monthly allowance for the poor.
Tan Phu,
for example, will help build four new houses worth a total of VND160 million,
repair eight dilapidated houses at a cost of VND160 million, provide monthly
allowances for eight poor households worth a total of VND24 million, provide 21
scholarships worth a total of VND24.8 million and 29 health insurance cards. On
May 19, District 6 signed a support agreement with Hoc Mon to support Tan Thoi
Nhi and Tan Hiep communes in building new rural programme. District 6 will
spend about VND680 million to support Tan Thoi Nhi and Tan Hiep communes.
The
support agreements are under the City Party Committee's policy of supporting
communes that participate in new rural area programmes.
In
2010-13, Hoc Mon's first commune - Xuan Thoi Thuong - was selected to implement
in the national new rural programme. The commune has fulfilled all 19 criteria
set under the programme, which include proper transportation and irrigation
facilities, housing development, poverty alleviation, environmental protection
and social and political stability.
In 2013-15,
Hoc Mon has implemented the new rural area programme in other nine communes
which now achieve from 10 to 15 of the 19 criteria.
Hoc Mon
has 11 communes and Hoc
Mon Town Hoc
Mon Town
Farmers
in suburban districts like Binh Chanh, Thu Duc, Cu Chi and Hoc Mon are
abandoning traditional crops to grow flowers and ornamental plants to earn a
higher income.
Farmer
Nguyen Van Lu of Cu Chi District's Tan Thong Hoi village, for example, started
his orchid garden five years ago after losing money cultivating rice.
Lu said
the land in his village was unfavourable for rice cultivation as it was often
flooded in the rainy season.
He and
his neighbours have for years tried to find appropriate crops that would bring
them good income.
Lu took a
free training course, and then grew orchids and earned VND1billion (US$ 47,390)
a year on one hectare.
Dendrobium,
Mokara and Vanda are popular orchids planted in HCM City
Nguyen
Van Trong in Go Vap District's Ward 12 grows hoa dong tien (gerbera) and earns
VND500 million a year.
The soil
and climate of the city are suitable for flowers and ornamental tree
cultivation, officials from the department said.
In 2006,
the city had only 1,115 ha of flowers and ornamental trees.
The
city's Biotechnology Centre each year opens many classes to offer instruction
in hi-tech cultivation and grafting methods to farmers to help them reduce
investment costs and increase production.
The
centre plans to import several new species of orchids from other countries this
year.
The city
in recent years has offered bank loans with preferential interest rates to
farmers involved in flowers and ornamental tree cultivation.
Last
year, 213 farmers received bank loans totalling more than VND300billion
(US$14.2million).
Souce: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét