Social News 29/9 Indonesian handed 4 month sentence for drug trafficking The Hanoi City People’s Court on September 27 sentenced Indonesian citizen Triwenning Puji Astuli to four months imprisonment for drug trafficking. On September 12, police officers in the Hoan Kiem District in co-ordination with relevant authorities caught 27-year old Astuli red-handed at the Royal Palace hotel attempting to conceal 4.929 kg of heroin in six comic books. The police investigation found that Astuli was employed by an African citizen named Staenly to transport the comic books containing the drugs from Malaysia to Hanoi for delivery to a third party. Astuli admitted to previously having been employed by Staenly to transport drugs to Malaysia, China and Hong Kong (China). Each successful transaction earned her US$250. Vietnamese man hits US$228.4 million Powerball jackpot Lottery officials have announced Vinh Nguyen, an Overseas Vietnamese (OV) residing in the US, has matched all six numbers to claim the US$228.4 million California Powerball jackpot. Vinh spent a grant total of US$30 to purchase 15 Powerball lottery tickets at Dehoff’s Key Market in San Mateo City, California. He hit the Powerball jackpot on Sept 25 and elected to receive the payoff over a 30 year period rather than in a lump sum. Vinh is a nail maker and has been playing the lottery for the past five years. He said he was elated and surprised to receive the huge reward and added he has not made any plans on how he is going to spend it yet. The Dehoff Key market also gets US$1 million for selling the winning ticket. Materials prove Vietnam’s island ownership in East Sea An exhibition documenting Vietnam’s sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos is ongoing in the southernmost province of Ca Mau, with materials tracing back to the 16 th century and a six-volume atlas compiled by a famous Belgian cartographer. Visitors will catch a glimpse of photos, documents and 100 maps written in Han-Nom (ancient Vietnamese script based on Chinese characters) and French language, mostly published from the 17 th - early 20 th century. An extensive archive of administrative documents signed by the Nguyen kings from 1802 to 1945 is also worth seeing, making it as a testament of Vietnam's ownership of islands in the East Sea. Noticeably, a Chinese collection of four atlases and 30 maps also proves that Hoang Sa and Truong Sa are beyond the so-called “historical evidence of China”. World atlas Universel, drawn by the late cartographer Phillippe Vandermaelen and published in 1827, describes that Hoang Sa archipelago belongs to the former Empire of An Nam, now Vietnam. Vietnam has established and exercised its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos without hindrance at least since the 17 th century. According to Vietnam’s feudal state history, thousands of sailors overcame roaring waves and storms to survey sea routes, plant milestones and erect steles affirming national territory in Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, and mine marine resources at orders by Nguyen Lords. Their missions were full of dangers, and many of them never returned to land. The event will run until October 1. Hanoi organises drill on Ebola prevention The Hanoi Department of Health on September 27 ran an exercise to prepare medical staff for a possible Ebola outbreak in case the virus, which is spreading rapidly across West Africa, enters Vietnam. A simulation scenario was created in Uy No commune, Dong Anh district, implying that a Vietnamese guest worker returned from Ebola-hit Nigeria and developed symptoms of fever, headache and muscle aches. Responses were carried out with joint efforts by the patient’s family, local authorities and hospital staff. Speaking at the event, Deputy Head of the municipal Health Department Hoang Duc Hanh called upon the involved agencies to remain prepared to tackle the virus if it occurs in the country. A short training course on preventive measures and responses against Ebola virus was organised in the Central Highlands province of Dak Nong from September 22-27. The current outbreak of Ebola, which is spread via contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, such as sweat and blood, has killed at least 3,091 people in West Africa, according to the World Health Organisation’s statistics on September 26. No Ebola infections have been reported in Vietnam so far. Vietnam-UK agree to cooperate in vocational training The Viglacera Vocational College and Proskills UK  have signed a vocational training. Dr. Tran Ngoc Tinh, the Principal of Viglacera Vocational College, said the cooperation agreement is a continuation of its strategic aim to take the lead among Vietnamese colleges in providing vocational training in the construction materials field. Since May, the College and Proskills have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening and developing vocational training skills in the construction materials field in accordance with international standards and a contract on building a vocational training program in line with international norms. Both sides also inked an 18-month contract to provide consulting services and support training. Proskills UK specialises in training in terms of construction, mineral exploration, and interior decoration and is certified by the UK Government. It also has expertise in designing vocational training programs in compliance with businesses’ environment to improve staff’s qualifications, working efficiency and product quality. Pham Vu Quoc Binh, Deputy Director of Vocational Skills Department under the General Department of Vocational Training, affirmed that cooperation between Viglacera and Proskills is of great significance to the nation’s construction material sector. Nguyen Van Thao, Vietnam Ambassador to the UK said there is great potential for cooperation in training between Vietnam and the UK. Hanoi casts the spotlight on gender inequality In observance of International Day of the Girl Child (October 11), a rally and march were held in Hanoi on September 28 to raise awareness of gender imbalance at birth in Vietnam. In Vietnam, gender imbalance in the sex ratio at birth increased from 106.2 boys /100 girls in 2000 to 113.8 boys/100 girls in 2013. The trend is forecast to continue and if timely measures are not undertaken to rectifiy the situation, it is predicted that by 2050, Vietnam will have 2.3 million to 4.3 million men unable to find wives. Arthur Erken,  Chief UNFPA Representative in Vietnam said Asia now lack 117 million girls, which is the result of gender discrimination. The alarming situation will undoubtedly have more serious detrimental ramifications in the long term, he says. He said the selection of fetal sex before birth has become popular in many Vietnamese families where women lack their independent rights in terms of finance and society and this too is contributing to increased gender imbalance at birth. Solutions should be worked out  in the context of promoting socio-economic development and human rights to ensure dignity and rights of women and children are safeguarded. Girls or boys deserve to get equal love and have equal opportunities during their lifetime, he added. Nguyen Quoc Cuong, Vietnam Farmers’ Association (VFA) Chairman said the association and Vietnam’s Women Union (VWU)  are committed to raising awareness of its members and cadres on the importance of combating gender inequality. RoK-Vietnam cooperation in publishing children’s books The Vietnamese bookstore, Alphabooks, on September 28 signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement in Hanoi to publish children’s books with Kyowon, the largest book publisher in the Republic of Korea. The signing ceremony marked a milestone in the cooperative relations between Alpha Books and Kyowon and a bright prospect for enhanced cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK. Nguyen Canh Binh,  Alphabooks Director said Kyowon is the RoK’s largest children’s publishing house, whose books have nurtured the hearts of children for generations, equipping them with necessary knowledge and skills to become good citizens. He expressed his wish to bring valuable and modern books with rich knowledge and life skills to Vietnamese children. Jeff Mah, International Rights Manager of Kyowon in turn provided an overview of the Vietnam publication market, introducing its goals when approaching the market, and shared experiences in publishing children’s books. Kyowon is among top 50 children's book publishers in the world selected by French magazine Livres Hebdo and the US Publishing Weekly. Last year, Alpha Books became the first publisher to exclusively exploit Kyowon’s education and children's books in Vietnam. World Rabies Day reflects need for vigilance Rabies is one of the world’s older animal diseases, which continues to cause the deaths of 55,000-60,000 people annually, mostly in Asia and Africa, said speakers at a meeting held in Hoa Binh City in response to World Rabies Day 2014 (September 28). All mammals can be infected with rabies, which causes acute inflammation of the brain, and most infected animals can transmit the rabies virus to other animals – including pets and people. Vietnam has experienced a sharp decrease in rabies fatalities over recent years. From 1991 to 1995, rabies caused an average 400 deaths per year. From 2010 to 2012 the number of deaths fell to 100 per year and in 2013 the death toll was 105. So far this year, there have been 50 reported deaths from rabies, a significant drop compared to last year. On average, the number of rabid dog bites is estimated at over 300,000 every year and the country spends more than VND300 billion per year for rabies vaccinations. National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology Head Nguyen Tran Hien said World Rabies Day presents an opportune occasion to remind everyone of the impact the rabies virus continues to have on wildlife, domestic animals and humans and the importance of being cognizant of the dangers. Since 2013, Hoa Binh has reported 12 deaths and thousands of people suspected of having been bitten by infected dogs have received vaccinations. The event was organized by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the representative office of Sanofi Pasteur Company in Vietnam. Boosting ties with World Federation of Trade Unions President of the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) Dang Ngoc Tung hosted a reception for General Secretary of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) George Mavrikos in Hanoi on September 26. In their meeting, Tung gave an overview of his organisation’s operations and thanked the WFTU for its active support for the VGCL in recent years. He expressed his belief that the friendship and cooperation between the two sides will be deepened through the exchange of information and mutual support at international forums. For his part, George Mavrikos said that the WFTU, which was founded in 1945 in Paris, now comprises some 90 million trade unionists in 126 countries. Appreciating the VGLC’s role in safeguarding the rights and interests of Vietnam’s working class and labourers, he said the confederation has made substantial contributions to the improvement of labourers’ livelihoods and the country’s national development. The General Secretary said the WFTU is willing to provide multi-faceted assistance to the VGLC while holding out hope that both sides will increase the exchange of delegations and experience in an effort to strengthen trade union organisations. Tra Vinh farmers sell clay despite warnings Despite warnings from local authorities, many farmers in Tra Vinh Province's Chau Thanh District are continuing to sell clay dug up from their rice fields after they have harvested crops. Officials have told farmers that digging up the clay could cause flooding, and that the clay, which is taken from areas 0.1-0.45 metres deep in their rice fields, has nutrients needed for the next season's crop. Farmers sell the clay, which is used to make bricks, to supplement their income. In Chau Thanh, clay is being sold mostly in Song Loc, Luong Hoa, Luong Hoa A communes. Farmers can earn about VND100-120 million (US$4,700-5,700) from selling clay taken from one hectare. Some farmers sell clay to remove it from their rice fields, as they are located in a high area, which hinders irrigation. Several farmers said the yield of their clay-mined rice fields had been higher in fields where the alum in the soil had not leaked out. However, Huynh Quang Nhuong, an agricultural official of Song Loc Commune, said most farmers suffered losses in clay-mined rice fields, especially during the summer-autumn rice crop season. In the summer-autumn rice crop, clay-mined rice fields flood when there are heavy rains, causing rice plants to fall, resulting in lower yields. Nguyen Chi Hiep, chairman of the Song Loc Commune People's Committee, said farmers had to pay higher labour costs for planting and harvesting rice on these fields as agricultural machines could not enter the fields. In addition, farmers have to use a higher quantity of fertilisers to plant rice on these fields. In Song Loc Commune, clay has been dug up and sold in fields covering a total of more than 400 ha of 2,400ha of rice fields over the past five years. The Chau Thanh District People's Committee has told farmers who want to remove clay to lower their rice fields to get permission from local authorities. However, many farmers have ignored the order. The Chau Thanh District's Natural Resources and Environment Bureau has fined 31 people for illegally mining clay. Fines have totalled VND300 million ($14,280) since 2013. Tran Van Dieu, deputy chairman of the district's People's Committee, said the committee had instructed commune authorities to tighten the management of mined clay and strictly punish violators. Customs authorities search for products with gutter oil Reports of recycled waste oil being found in Taiwanese canned foods have prompted the Customs Department to step up inspections of cooking oil-based products imported from the territory. Officials will hold imported goods at border gates, only allowing them into Viet Nam if test results meet food safety and hygiene standards. Earlier this month, the Viet Nam Food Administration (VFA) banned and recalled Taiwanese canned foods that reportedly contained recycled waste oil. Also called gutter oil, the substance contains sludge from gutters, restaurants and other places where grease builds up. The Ha Noi-based Taipei Economic and Cultural Office told the VFA that Cuu Huong Commerce and Service Company Ltd. in HCM City purchased canned products from Wei-Chuan Food, a Taiwanese company allegedly involved in the gutter oil scandal. The list of goods reportedly containing the oil included 240 boxes of canned pickled cucumber with pork and 240 boxes of canned minced meat with chili. An investigation by the Food and Drug Administration in Taipei found that fragrant lard oil produced between March 1 and August 29 could have included gutter oil. HCM City to cut down 215 evergreens The HCM City Department of Transport plans to cut down some 215 evergreen trees on Nguyen Van Huong Street in District 2 to ensure public safety after digging works and flooding affected their roots and weakened them. Most of the trees on the street are Khaya senegalensis (meliaceae) with an average height of 8-10 metres and 40-50cm across, and they will be replaced with giant crape-myrtles. Fifty trees would be felled this year starting in October and the remaining would be cut down by 2016, Tran Si Thang, deputy director of the department's Urban Traffic Management Unit No.2, said. Inundation and drainage and other infrastructure works had affected the roots of the trees, making them unstable during rains, he said. Though his agency routinely cut branches to reduce the risk of the trees toppling over, six had fallen this year, he said. The unit had recommended the felling to ensure the safety of people travelling on the road, he added. HCM City customs officers seize elephant tusks Customs officers at Tan Son Nhat International Airport yesterday reported the seizure of 59 illegally-transported elephant tusks weighing more than 40 kilos and worth more than VND2.4 billion (US$114,300). The tusks were part of a batch of goods from Africa that were declared as cashew nuts and hidden in cashew packs. The case has been placed under further investigation. So far this year, the airport's customs officers have reported six cases of illegal ivory transport and seized more than 300 kilos of tusks worth up to VND18 billion ($857,100). Man charged with assaulting doctor Ha Noi's Hai Ba Trung district police have charged Do Manh Tuan, 26 with a public order offence after he allegedly assaulted a doctor in a hospital last weekend. Dam Thi Thu Thuy, 26, took her son on Saturday to Thanh Nhan hospital for an exam. After Dr. Pham Thanh Tung, 28, suggested transferring the child to a more advanced hospital, Tuan, who claimed he was related to Thuy, hit Tung with his hands and insulted him. Tuan has a history of drug addiction and a criminal record. High-speed ferries open up Ly Son Island The central island district of Ly Son has added more high-speed boat trips between the island and Quang Ngai Province's Sa Ky Port. Before the change, two boats travelled from the island to Quang Ngai every day, transporting about 1,500 passengers. The district People's Committee has now added two extra boats every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, bringing the total to four for those days, said Pham Thi Huong, the vice chairwoman of the district's People's Committee. Last year, the committee opened a new sea route connecting Ly Son Island to An Binh Islet, about three miles away. Two vessels carry 100 passengers per day. Islanders used to take their own boats to the islet. The committee also unveiled a VND400 million (US$19,000) reception area spanning 200sq.m at Ly Son Port. Ly Son Island, a tranquil destination 30km off the province's coast, is home to about 2,100 residents. Most make their living fishing, and farming garlic and spring onions. Later this month, a VND652.5 billion (US$31 million) power installation project will bring electricity to the island for the first time. Centuries-old houses and the Am Linh Pagoda, built in the 17th century during the Nguyen dynasty, make the island a hot spot for adventure travellers. Pink-eye swamps many hospitals The Ministry of Health yesterday asked relevant agencies and departments to prevent pink-eye from spreading by helping hospitals and health clinics set up isolated treatment areas. The number of people going to hospitals for examination and treatment has dramatically increased since early this month. The northern province of Ninh Binh saw about 2,500 cases in the past two weeks. The ministry asked hospitals and health clinics to distribute medical masks to pink-eye patients. It also required preventive health centres in localities to inform people in hot spots such as kindergartens, schools and public areas about how to prevent the disease. An eight-month-old baby in HCM City died from hand-foot-mouth disease as she had atypical symptoms, leading doctors to diagnose her condition incorrectly. On September 20, the baby was sent to Children's Hospital 2 after several days of fever. She was diagnosed with a sore throat and prescribed medicine. Doctors asked the patient's family to keep watch for symptoms of hand-foot-mouth disease. However, the baby came down with high fever and trouble breathing and died. Truong Huu Khanh, a doctor at the hospital, said that this was an atypical case of hand-foot-mouth disease. Typical symptoms included hand and foot shaking, quick breathing and respiratory failure. Children with these symptoms must be hospitalised as soon as possible, he said. The city has seen about 6,800 cases of hand-foot-mouth disease this year. Vietnam seeks to improve health care for elderly Measures for improving health care for Vietnam ’s aged population were the focus of a conference organised by the Ministry of Health and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Hanoi on September 26. Addressing the event, Head of the ministry’s Treatment and Examination Department Luong Ngoc Khue said care services for the elderly in Vietnam have improved, benefiting more than 2 million people on a regular basis. However, statistics show that Vietnam has one of the world’s top ten most rapidly aging populations. More than 90 percent of the elderly requires daily support. Medical expenses for this group are 7-10 times higher than for young people. UNFPA Deputy Representative in Vietnam Ritsu Nacken said each Vietnamese elderly person suffers from an average of 15.3 diseases during his or her lifetime, a number which is much higher than in developed countries. According to Prof. Pham Van Thang from the National Geriatric Hospital , in addition to infectious diseases, the elderly often suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer, and require medical care for the rest of their lives, he said. Conference participants suggested Vietnam diversify its health care services, develop models for caring for the elderly in hospitals and at home, and provide training courses for volunteer carers. Vietnam issued the Law on the Elderly in 2009 and established the National Committee on Aging, as well as launched a national action programme for the elderly. Vietnam-Sri Lanka Friendship Association debuts The Vietnam-Sri Lanka Friendship Association (VSLFA) was established at a congress in Hanoi on September 26 in an effort to strengthen bilateral cooperation in politics, economics, trade, culture and other fields. At the ceremony, Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Nguyen Thi Hoang Van said the inception of the association marks a milestone in the friendship and people-to-people diplomacy between the two countries. She expressed her hope that the association will carry out a wide range of activities to promote multifaceted cooperation for mutual benefit and for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large. Sri Lanka Ambassador to Vietnam Dr K.G Ivan Amarasinghe in turn stated the embassy is eager to work with the VUFO and the VSLFA in implementing programmes to further strengthen bilateral ties. On the occasion, S. Sudasinghe, Deputy General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka and Secretary General of the Sri-Lanka Solidarity Association, was awarded the Vietnamese State’s Friendship Order for his active contribution to fostering friendship and cooperation between the two countries. Sudasinghe has translated many books on Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh into Sinhala language. PM attends ceremony connecting Cua Dai bridge spans Cua Dai bridge in central Quang Nam province, an important link in the north-south coastal road, got final link on September 28 under the witness of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung. The Cua Dai bridge project comprises a bridge and two roads connecting Hoi An ancient town, a World Cultural Heritage site, and Duy Xuyen and Thang Binh districts with a combined length of 18.3km. It was built at a total cost of 3.45 trillion VND (162.15 million USD). Speaking at the event, the Government leader highlighted the significance of the bridge in Quang Nam ’s socio-economic development, saying that once completed, the project will create a new momentum for the development of the province’s eastern coastal area. He asked local authorities and units involved to work hard to swiftly put the bridge into operation. The bridge is scheduled to open for trial run in March 2015.- Thua Thien-Hue boosts efforts to build new-style rural areas The central province of Thua Thien-Hue aims to meet all 19 criteria of the national new-style rural area building programme in 8 out of 92 communes by the end of 2014. A total of 19 communes in the locality meet 15-18 criteria, while 59 meet 10-14 criteria. So far, only two communes in the city meet all 19 criteria of the programme. The communes are working hard to achieve the remaining criteria, focussing on upgrading and developing basic infrastructure, such as schools, roads and medical stations, as well as increasing environmental protection measures. In 2014, local authorities earmarked 83 billion VND (over 3.9 million USD) for 52 infrastructure projects in 41 communes, including the construction of 19 kindergartens, a primary school, 19 roads and four irrigation projects. In addition, over 80 billion VND (3.76 million USD), sourced from the local sustainable poverty reduction programme, was invested in 111 basic infrastructure projects in disadvantaged communities and coastal areas. The national programme on building new-style rural areas, initiated by the Government in 2010, includes 19 criteria on socio-economic development, politics, and defence, aiming to boost rural regions of Vietnam. The list of criteria includes the development of infrastructure, the improvement of production capacities, environmental protection, and the promotion of cultural values. Disaster-resistant housing assistance benefits disadvantaged in central region Approximately 40,000 poor households in Central Vietnam’s flood risk areas are to receive assistance to build storm-resistant homes in an effort to ensure their safety and help them escape from poverty, a conference heard in Quang Nam province on September 26. According to a decision by the Prime Minister, the beneficiaries will be provided with 12-16 million VND (752 USD), allocated from the State budget. Additionally, they can also borrow a maximum of 15 million VND from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies at an interest rate of 3 percent per year over a 10-year-period. Minister of Construction Trinh Dinh Dung addressed the conference, organised by his ministry, and called upon local authorities to map out precise implementation plans, accelerate the design process for models specific to each area and culture, and timely solve difficulties arising during implementation. This programme is an expansion of a Government project on housing for people in flood-hit areas, piloted in seven central provinces since 2012. According to a survey, 700 households now have safe shelters that are resistant to storms and floods. OVs attending VFF 8th congress support the homeland The government will work diligently with Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) from around the globe to shape policies and mechanisms ensuring they are an inseparable part of and important resource for the homeland. The statement was made by State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) Chairman Vu Hong Nam at a September 28 meeting with OVs attending the 8th Congress of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF). Nam said the successful VFF Congress showed unanimity of Vietnamese people both at home and abroad in their commitment to reinforce national unity and national construction and defence. OV delegates expressed with unanimity their hope that the country will continue to develop and flourish in the coming time. Tran Ba Phuc, from Australia, said the OVs community is very pleased with the revised Nationality Law and believes in the Party and State’s leadership. He hoped that the COVA continues to organise more seminars and conferences to solicit more input and involvement from OVs around the globe. Domestic programmes such as Vietnamese people using Vietnamese products are warmly responded to by the OVs community. Through such programmes, OVs feel they actively are contributing to the development of a strong and healthy homeland. Source: VNN/VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/ND