Social News 7/8 Int'l driver licences to be issued Viet Nam will start issuing international driving licences on October 1 when Circular 29/TT-BGTVT takes effect, according to the Viet Nam Road Administration. Nguyen Van Quyen, Deputy Head of the administration, said the circular was issued in line with the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic Viet Nam signed. The administration is inviting tenders for the provision of equipment and software before holding training classes for transport departments in provinces and cities. Provinces and cities were asked to prepare facilities and staff to implement the issuing of international driving licences on schedule. Clogged arteries killed detainee, says autopsy Autopsy results have been released in the death of Nguyen Quang Truong, 43, a local resident of Quoc Oai District in Ha Noi, who died while detained by the police. The autopsy, performed by the People's Army Institution of Forensics at the request of the deceased's family, indicated that he had died of atherosclerosis and did not suffer any injuries inflicted by external forces. The autopsy, witnessed by the deceased's family and their lawyers, was performed on Tuesday afternoon. Last Friday, police arrested Truong and five other local residents for intervening in the implementation of a court order, which had settled a land dispute between two local households. After Truong showed signs of breathing difficulties on Monday morning, the police at the local station transferred him to Quoc Oai General Hospital for treatment. However, he died on the way to the hospital. The police immediately opened an investigation to determine the cause of death. The file of camera recordings from the police station was sealed and reviewed. In addition, investigators conducted interviews with a number of police officers at the station and other detainees who shared the cell with Truong. The police said they were willing to fully co-operate with the People's Army Institution of Forensics to determine the cause of Truong's death and handle the case in accordance with legal procedures and current regulations. Truong's family has received his body, and his funeral began on Wednesday. Truck firms face heavy fines for overloading Transport companies using overloaded or oversized cargo tanks to carry excessive cargo could have their business licences revoked, the Ha Noi Department of Transport said. At a press conference on Tuesday, Department Chief Inspector Tran Dang Hai said the department had proposed a number of measures to the Ministry of Transport to end the illegal practise. Transport companies whose trucks did not obey cargo capacity regulations – including deliberately carrying more cargo than allowed or replacing trucks' original tankers with bigger ones – must be forced to stop operations, Hai said. When enterprises were found violating the regulations twice, the department would ask authorised agencies to refuse to grant the enterprises licences until they solved the problem. The department would also ask the Viet Nam Register to stop granting certificates of technical safety and environmental protection to violators, Hai said. Figures from the department showed that in the first seven months of the year the police cracked down on nearly 3,000 trucks, fining them a total of VND18.7 billion (US$860,000). Hai said traffic police would continue to patrol key routes in and out of the city and use inspection cameras to catch violators. In response to questions on concrete mixer trucks driving on illegally on streets where they're banned, Department Deputy Director Nguyen Hoang Linh said that while concrete mixer trucks are banned on about 70 per cent of Ha Noi streets, they were allowed to drive into the inner city after 9 p.m. due to high demand from construction sites. Also, some construction projects for security and defence needed to be completed as soon as possible, making it necessary for the trucks to violate the law. Linh also said the department would install global positioning systems (GPS) on buses in order to fine transport enterprises and drivers for reckless driving. Legal education and support comes to residents nationwide The Vietnam Lawyers’ Association (VLA) has thus far set up 54 legal consultation centres nationwide as part of a project on legal education and assistance for the public, as heard during a conference reviewing the partial project outcomes from 2013 – 2016 held in Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu on August 6. As many as 3,200 consultants worked within the centres, recording 163,000 disputes among locals successfully mitigated during the 2009 - 2014. About 116,000 individuals, including impoverished residents received legal assistanceduring the period. According to VLA Vice President Le Minh Tam, the project has contributed to raising awareness among different agencies on the role of providing local access to legal knowledge and assistance. Capacity building programmes for VLA members to carry out the initiative have also been prioritised, said Tam. However, weak coordination and management have led to slow project implementation in some localities, the improvement of which should be a focus moving forwards. On the occasion, the VLA organised a training course for heads of its chapters across the southern region. Efforts needed to observe labour law Speeding up the implementation of the Law on Social Insurance will enable millions of labourers in non-official sectors to access social insurance, securing themselves and the society, said Bui Sy Loi, Deputy Head of the National Assembly Committee on Social Affairs. Currently, only about 20 percent of the country’s work force has social insurance, forecasting a heavy burden on the State to care for millions of workers retiring without pensions, he noted at a conference on August 5 to discuss measures to realise the revised Law on Social Insurance and complete labour-related laws. He stressed that reinforced efforts from State agencies, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labour and employers are needed to popularise the revised Law on Social Insurance, approved by the National Assembly in November 2014 and going into effect on January 1, 2016 with new policies. It will help expand the number of people with social insurance, said Loi. According to experts, the new law aims at two major goals: ensuring social security access for people through the expansion and adjustment of policies for larger coverage of social insurance; and guaranteeing the balance of the social security fund by building a suitable roadmap to amend pension calculation formulas. During the event, participants also pointed out difficulties and challenges facing the implementation of the revised law. They also proposed policies to enhance the role and responsibility of trade unions in observing labourers’ rights. They highlighted the need for continuous completion of legal regulations on labour to meet requirements of labour development and international economic integration. Art education pushed forwards at Vietnam Fine Art Museum The Vietnam Fine Art Museum (VFAM) and Belgium’s Royal Museum of Mariemont have collaborated to expedite programmes to develop art museum education at the VFAM under the cooperation framework 2013-2015. VFAM Director Phan Van Tien made the statement at meeting to review the project’s outcomes held in Hanoi on August 6. Over the past three years, experts from Belgium have shared experience with Vietnamese museum officials in tapping the value of exhibited artwork at the museum while building suitable programmes for visitors. Some 11 programmes on studying Vietnamese culture through exhibits were successfully organised for primary students and families. The programmes – which are based on history, nature and society – will stimulate children’s thought and artistic innovation while encouraging them to enrich their knowledge and respect national heritage values. Children also have a chance to develop their artistry and teamwork skills through the programmes. Kien Giang fosters cooperation with Cambodian localities Sharing a 56.8-kilometre borderline with Cambodia, the southern province of Kien Giang is in a favourable position to develop friendly relations with Cambodian localities. In recent years, officials and border guards of the two countries have regularly held meetings to share information and resolve arising problems related to border issues. Additionally, localities along the border set up twin relationships with Cambodian villages to jointly maintain border security, foster economic ties between the two peoples and prevent cross-border smuggling. In the last 5 years, the province has launched over 20 campaigns to offer free medical examinations to more than 3,000 impoverished households in Cambodia. From 2013 to 2014, Kien Giang and Cambodian border provinces recorded a bilateral trade revenue of more than 267 million USD. Electricity lights up communes in Lai Chau All communes in the northern province of Lai Chau were connected to the national grid six months earlier than expected, as heard at a ceremony to mark the event in the locality on August 6. Addressing the ceremony, Director of the Lai Chau Power Company Cao Ngoc Lac highlighted the significance of the event, saying it contributes to bringing practical benefits to people across the province, especially those in remote areas. Power facilities help improve living conditions for locals in rural and ethnic minority-inhabited zones, he reported, adding that his company will intensify rural electrification programmes in Lai Chau, focusing mainly on hamlets and villages that do not yet have access to electricity. The unit will also continue with a project to expand and upgrade electricity networks in remote areas in the locality towards bringing electricity to 100 percent of hamlets and villages in Lai Chau by 2018. It also targets to supply electricity to almost all individual households by 2020. So far, nearly 1,600 kilometres of medium-voltage power lines, over 1,290 kilometres of low-voltage power lines and 682 transformer stations have been constructed and installed around the province, providing electricity for more than 77,000 customers. On the occasion, the Prime Minister, the Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) Group and the provincial People’s Committee presented certificates of merit to organisations and individuals in recognition of their contributions to fulfilling the project ahead of schedule. Major transport projects to benefit Tien Giang A series of transport projects with total investment amounting to trillions of dong are near completion in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang, which is expected to bolster local socio-economic growth. As the gateway to the Mekong Delta, transport demand in Tien Giang province is huge, but traffic flow was hindered by several bottlenecks in both the road and canal systems. Some of the new projects are expected to remove these problems. The My Loi Bridge spanning Soai Rap River, built at a total cost of 1.3 trillion VND (59.6 million) USD in the form of BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer), is scheduled to open to traffic this September, replacing the old ferry service and allowing smooth traffic flow on the National Route No.50. Another major point of traffic jam, the Cai Lay town on the National Highway No. 1, will also be cleared up soon when a 1.4 trillion VND (64.2 million USD) bypass road is put into use by the end of this year. Water traffic on Cho Gao Canal has been improved remarkably with the completion of phase 1 of a 2.26 trillion VND (103.6 million USD) project to upgrade and expand the canal, one of the main waterway routes in the province. Phase 2 of the project is set to begin soon. Meanwhile, the Trung Luong-My Thuan Highway project has been resumed since February with the goal of becoming operational in 2018. The two-lane road has a total investment of 14.6 trillion VND (669.7 million USD). ASEAN community programme held in Hanoi The programme “For an ASEAN Community of Solidarity and Development” took place in Hanoi on August 6, attracting diplomats and representatives from Vietnam’s friendship associations with ASEAN member states. The event, co-hosted by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), the Vietnam-ASEAN Friendship and Cooperation Association and Vietnam friendship associations with ASEAN member states, was concurrent with the 20 th anniversary of Vietnam’s membership in ASEAN and the 48 th founding anniversary of the bloc. In his speech, VUFO President Vu Xuan Hong called on the union’s staff, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and all walks of life to increase their understanding of the upcoming ASEAN Community and Vietnam’s involvement in its formation. For his part, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Vietnam has been a responsible member of ASEAN since its entry on July 28, 1995. ASEAN has become one of the top trade partners of Vietnam with Vietnam’s trade with the bloc hitting 42.12 billion USD last year, over 14 percent of its total trade. Cooperation within the bloc across environmental protection, climate change response, education, health care, labour, culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges has come to fruition, making it easier for Vietnam to respond to challenges and provide for its people. He also hailed the Vietnam-ASEAN Friendship and Cooperation Association and the Vietnam’s friendship associations with regional member states for their role in fostering mutual solidarity, friendship and cooperation. The Deputy PM expressed his strong confidence that he will see achievements across the board once the ASEAN Community debuts later this year. He reiterated that the Vietnamese government will help people from all backgrounds to positively contribute to the Community. Founded on August 8, 1967, ASEAN has grown into a regional comprehensive partnership and an integrated and vibrant political-economic entity grouping 10 Southeast Asian nations, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. As a large market with over 600 million people and an economy worth nearly 3 trillion USD, ASEAN is current the seventh largest economy globally and forecast to become the fourth largest by 2050. Project eyes formation of eco-friendly industrial zones A workshop was held in northern Ninh Binh province on August 6 to introduce a project to implement the eco-friendly industrial zone initiative for sustainable industrial zones (IZs) in Vietnam launched by the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). With 4.5 million USD in funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and UNIDO, the three-year project will promote the transfer, application and dissemination of technologies and cleaner production methods to minimise hazardous waste, greenhouse gas emissions and water pollutants as well as help properly manage chemicals in IZs in Ninh Binh, Da Nang and Can Tho. Heinz Leuenberger, Technical Chief Consultant of the project, briefed participants on the project as well as its positive benefits. Accordingly, the project will design and approve policies and regulations on the criteria of an eco-industrial zone and increase the capacity of building and managing eco-industrial zones for IZ management offices at central and local levels. Participants agreed that implementing the initiative is significant to sustainable and comprehensive industrial development in Vietnam and will contribute practically to implementing the country’s green growth plan and strategy. According to Director of the Cleaner Production Centre under the Hanoi University of Science and Technology Tran Van Nhan, initial results of a survey conducted by the project’s expert delegation in the Khanh Phu IZ in Ninh Binh revealed that all surveyed companies are capable of transferring their production and saving 5-10 percent of energy and 10-30 percent of water. Experts urge better nutrition for Vietnamese children About 2.1 million or 24.9 per cent of the Vietnamese children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition, according to statistics from the National Nutrition Institute. In addition, 1.2 million or 14.5 per cent of the country's children are underweight. That means one in every four Vietnamese children under the age of five suffers from malnutrition, while one in every six children is underweight. The statistics was announced by Dr Nguyen Thi Lam, deputy head of the National Nutrition Institute, at a workshop on the effect of probiotics on children's nutrition, immune and digestive systems. The workshop was held by the Institute of Medicine Application yesterday. Lam said malnutrition made children more vulnerable to diseases due to their weak immune systems. Malnourished children are also prone to iron-deficiency anemia, vitamin A and calcium deficiencies, leading to rickets and zinc deficiency. Parents should pay more attention to food consumed by children and prevent malnutrition by adding probiotics to their diet, Lam said. Probiotics are live bacteria and yeast that are beneficial for digestion and nutrient absorption, which help to reduce cholesterol levels, absorb vitamins and improve the immune system. Studies show that the foods containing probiotics are dairy products, vegetables, fruits and cereals, as well as yogurt, cheese and kimchi pickle. Journalist congress looks at achievements and sets goals More than 500 delegates from the Viet Nam Journalist Association (VJA) will attend the 10th VJA Congress from today to Sunday, VJA Vice Standing Chairman Ha Minh Hue said in a press conference yesterday. The Congress will look back at the association's accomplishments during the 2010-2015 working term and honour its contributions building press firms and protecting the country, Hue said. Delegates would also discuss VJA's shortcomings and set goals, tasks and solutions for the next tenure from 2015-2020, he said. About 30 representatives registered to speak at presentations on journalism ethics, journalists' rights and the impact of social media on journalism, among others. Fifty-seven new candidates were also nominated for the next tenure of the VJA Executive Board to keep up with the growing number of members, which rose by 5,000 people over the past five years to 22,000. The oldest delegate, Tran Xuan Thuyet, was born in 1937 and the youngest, Do Thi Phuong Lan, was born in 1986. Spanish couple’s reportedly lost iPad, iPhone submitted to Ho Chi Minh City police A bus company has submitted to police in Ho Chi Minh City an iPad and an iPhone possibly belonging to a Spanish couple who reported these items lost on a bus owned by this company last month, local media said. Police in District 1 on Wednesday received the two items from the district-based Nam Phuong Bus Company, which said that “the devices had been sent to the firm by an unidentified person from Nha Trang City to be returned to their owner,” according to news websiteVnExpress. An investigator at the district police office said, “We will coordinate with the Office of Foreign Affairs to contact the foreign couple to verify whether the two items are theirs.” On July 21, Marta, 35, her 39-year-old husband David, both of Spanish nationality, and their two children took a trip from Nha Trang, the capital city of Khanh Hoa Province, to Ho Chi Minh City on a Nam Phuong bus, as part of their tour of Vietnam which started in early July. The couple lay the items on their bodies and fell asleep that night, and when they woke up at 3:00 am the next morning, they were gone. They reported the loss to the bus driver and requested a search for the lost items among the luggage of the other passengers on the bus. With the consent of the other passengers, a search was conducted, but the items were nowhere to be found. After getting off the bus in Pham Ngu Lao Ward in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, David reported the case to the ward police, with the aid of locals. Although the reported incident had not taken place in the ward, police still made a report on it and assigned officers to join the couple in working with the bus firm to handle the case. The couple’s loss was covered by the media and posted on Facebook, and it has received many comments from readers. After the incident, the firm suspended the two drivers who had operated the bus on which the alleged loss happened, pending an official conclusion from the investigation agency. The National Traffic Safety Committee requested that Ho Chi Minh City police clarify the property loss as soon as possible. The committee also asked the Departments of Transport of the city and Khanh Hoa to inspect the bus company’s compliance with regulations on passenger transportation and crack down on violations, if any. Source: VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri