Social News 1/10 Accused in central province murder sentenced to death Vi Van Hai, who stands accused of killing a family of four in July in this central province, received the death sentence at his first trial here today. Hundreds of people gathered outside the courtroom in Tuong Duong District to witness the trial, seeking justice for the cold-blooded killing that had shocked the country. The procurator accused Hai of killing the four victims after a quarrel broke out between him and Lo Van Tho, one of the victims. After stabbing Tho multiple times with a knife and killing him, Hai chased the victim's wife, Le Thi Yen, who tried to escape with her eight-month-old child upon witnessing the murder of her husband. While running after Yen, Hai spotted Vieng Thi Chuong, Tho's mother, in a nearby stream. He killed all of them, including the toddler. After committing the murders, on his way back home, a 15-min walk from the crime scene, Hai ditched the knife in the surrounding forest. He later confessed to the murders, placing the time of death at around 12.30pm on July 2, consistent with an earlier version of his statement to the police. He said he had lost his temper after Tho accused him of having an affair with his wife and tried to punch him. When pressed for details of the conversation with Tho, Hai said he couldn't remember it. Hai claimed he was solely responsible for the murders and positively identified the knife he used for the crime. He also said he regretted his actions.  Ha Noi drug trafficking cases rise in 2015  More than 2,500 drug trafficking cases have been detected in Viet Nam since early this year, double the number year-on-year, a report of the capital city's police department said. The department's head, Nguyen Hong Ky, released the report at a meeting in Ha Noi on Tuesday. It said 3,210 drug dealers were arrested during the period and criminal charges were filed against 2,425 offenders. Ky said the country's northwestern region was found to be a key route of drug dealers. Heroin was trafficked from Laos to Ha Noi, seen as a key transaction area, before being shipped to the northern provinces of Lang Son and Cao Bang and China. The north and northeastern region are seen as drug markets as they receive drugs from the northwest and the central regions, which are then shipped to China through Lang Son, Cao Bang and Quang Ninh Provinces. In this region, the dealers also received crystalline methamphetamine, commonly known as ice or glass, from China for sale in Viet Nam's northern provinces. Ky said the dealers also trafficked drugs and drug products via domestic and international airlines. The methamphetamine sent to Viet Nam and other countries came from Middle Eastern countries and the Golden Triangle. Cocaine was imported from South American countries. Meanwhile, heroin was shipped to China and Australia. Train customers to access services on smartphones Viet Nam Railways Corporation (VNR) on Monday signed a memorandum of co-operation with Ha Noi Telecom Corporation to set up a system of online services on handheld devices to better serve passengers. Railway Box, the name of the system, will be available at the VNR website and social networks. It includes seven main functions such as order on board, flexible shopping, onboard media services, ticket booking and payment, information and promotion, and journey information. Trinh Minh Chau, general director of Ha Noi Telecom Corporation said that the construction of Railway Box would consist of two phases. The first phase would be from now on until early next year. By next January, passengers could experience three initial functions of the system. They could order food, drinks and souvenir gifts via the system on their handheld devices and go shopping online with specialty products at stations along the journey. They could also access information on culture, tourism, gastronomy and the environment, and policies and customer services of the VNR. The second phase, which would be completed in next February, would offer ticket booking and payment, media applications for movies, newspapers, music and games, and information about the journey for passengers and their relatives. Vu Ta Tung, general director of Ha Noi Telecom Corporation said that Railway Box would be the next project to improve service quality and operation methods after a series of high-tech project to install free Wi-fi on board and an e-ticket system.  New public bus lines to Tan Son Nhat airport to be added Ho Chi Minh City will open more city bus routes to Tan Son Nhat International Airport to better serve its residents, as the city currently has only one airport bus line that makes about 100 trips per day, according to the municipal Department of Transport.  The plan will be initiated with the launch of a bus line connecting Ben Thanh Market and the airport, followed by another public airport bus service run every 15-25 minutes by the Southern Airport Transportation Joint Stock Company (SATSCO).  The department is also working on a project to operate electric car transfer services for distances less than 10 kilometres to Tan Son Nhat airport.  Tan Son Nhat International Airport is estimated to have handled more than 20 million passengers a year since 2013. Two Vietnamese nationals lost in Sydney receive support Two Vietnamese citizens who got lost in Australia’s Sydney airport and missed their flight to Vanuatu were supported by the Vietnamese Consulate General to arrive in their target destination safely.  Nguyen Nhu Tuyet, 33, and Chu Quang Thang, 32, were on their way to Vanuatu on September 27 to work as guest workers for a construction company there.  They received help with migration procedures to enter Sydney from several Vietnamese nationals as well as temporary accommodation before catching a flight to Vanuatu on September 30.  According to Vietnamese Consul General to Sydney Hoang Minh Son, the Foreign Ministry has set up a citizen protection hotline at +84.4.62.844.844 that helps connect Vietnamese citizens with representative offices all over the world.  He also advised companies sending workers abroad to give them clear guidelines on how to connect with Vietnamese representative offices abroad and cope with possible situations. OECD hails Vietnam’s impressive agricultural reform Vietnam’s agricultural reforms have generated impressive results over the past two decades, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) said in a report at a workshop in Hanoi on September 30.  The OECD Review of Agricultural Policies in Vietnam underlined that Vietnam has quickly established its position in global agro-food markets, becoming the world's largest exporter of cashews and black pepper, the second largest exporter of coffee and cassava and the third largest exporter of rice and fisheries .  The report said the “doi moi” (reform) programme launched in the mid-1980’s has helped spur the country’s production growth, reduce the proportion of undernourished people from 46 percent in 1990-92 to just 13 percent in 2012-14, one of the strongest improvements on the global scale.  Economic reforms have generated impressive results in the Vietnamese agricultural sector, as farm production more than tripled from 1990-2013, lifting rural incomes, reducing poverty, combating under-nourishment and sending agricultural exports soaring.  Looking forward, Vietnam should work to build on these achievements while addressing long-term challenges posed by slower production growth rates, declining commodity prices and limited land for further expansion, the report said.  Ken Ash, OECD Trade and Agriculture Director, said Vietnam needs to improve its policy environment to enable investments that will allow the farming sector to continue to adapt to opportunities created by rising demand and the challenges of climate change and limited resources.  Andrzej Jan Kwiecinski, an expert of the OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate, also suggested Vietnam reallocate land as the country’s agricultural productivity remains low in the context of land fragmentation. Vietnam, India boost agricultural cooperation Senior agricultural officials of Vietnam and India on September 30 agreed to form a joint working group to examine opportunities and resolve problems hampering the trade of agro-products between the two countries.  At a working session with visiting Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vu Van Tam, Indian Minister of Agriculture Sanjeev Balyan said India and Vietnam have many cooperation opportunities in agriculture, especially in husbandry and farming.  He affirmed that India is ready to cooperate and share experience with Vietnam in these fields.  Deputy Minister Tam noted that agricultural cooperation between the two countries has been under potential and expectations from the two governments, especially commitments and MoUs signed by the two countries.  Tam said India is strong in many areas Vietnam need to develop its agriculture such as animal husbandry and veterinary medicine research and production.  The Vietnamese deputy minister is in India for a working visit, during which he also met with the agricultural minister of the Haryana state in the north of India. Hanoi police work to prevent drug crimes Hanoi’s anti-drug police forces are concentrating their efforts on preventing drugs from entering the capital, according to the municipal police.  The drive is being carried out on routes most used by smugglers, which are roads from the northwest, north-northeast, central and southern areas, domestic and foreign air routes, railways and the postal service.  The city’s police will also intensify consulting operations for the drug-prevention Steering Committee at all levels in order to promote communications, thus raising public awareness of the danger of using drugs.  Movements to ensure national security will be launched while efforts to improve the quality of anti-drug and crime repression works will be promoted, contributing to curbing the number of drug offenders and addicts in the locality.  It will also work closely and share relevant information with the Ministry of Public Security and its counterparts from customs agencies, border forces and maritime police in order to effectively control drug crimes.  Colonel Nguyen Hong Ki, Director of the Hanoi Office for Drug-related Crimes Investigation (PC47), said drug crimes are becoming increasingly complicated in the city, with the number of instances of drug trafficking seeing a strong rise compared to 2014.  The capital anti-drug police force has brought 1,026 drug-related cases to light, arresting 1,343 suspects so far this year, up 374 cases and 467 suspects against those recorded last year. Activities to celebrate Hanoi’s Liberation Day A wide range of cultural and art activities will be held to celebrate the 61st anniversary of the capital’s Liberation Day (October 10, 1954-2015). At the Thang Long royal citadel, a book festival themed “Books and Heritage” is taking place from September 29- October 5 while the Monsoon Music Festival 2015 will be held from October 8-10. Meanwhile, a festival dedicated to traditional craft villages will be organised on October 1-4 at the Quan Ngua Sports Palace. On October 4, people will face in the 42 nd annual Open Hanoi Moi Run Tournament around Hoan Kiem Lake. On the nights of October 9 and 10, art performances will be organised at the Ly Thai To Park and in front of My Dinh National Stadium. Various public cultural and art activities will also be held citywide to highlight the capital’s traditions and achievements in recent years.- Outstanding individuals honoured for environmental protection efforts A ceremony was held in Hanoi on September 29 to honour 50 organisations and 20 individuals for their outstanding contributions to environmental protection from 2011-2015.  Prominent attendees to the event, which was part of activities for the fourth National Conference on the Environment, were Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) Nguyen Minh Quang and representatives from ministries, sectors, localities, socio-political organisations and enterprises.  Addressing the opening ceremony, MoNRE Deputy Minister Tran Hong Ha praised the awardees’ contributions to environmental protection, and called for each individual to join in the sustainable development of the nation.  Deputy PM Hai spoke highly of the initiative introduced by the Ministry, saying that environmental protection has seen significant improvements at all levels since the amendment to the Law on Environment Protection was introduced in 2014.  He pointed to challenges facing the sector, including wartime toxic chemicals, pesticide residue and industrial pollution, that threaten the sustainable protection of the environment and mankind.  He also called for more communication campaigns to engage the community in working towards a green and clean environment and for the sustainable development of the nation. Dutch dairy producer backs Vietnam in environmental protection The Vietnam Environmental Administration (VEA) and FrieslandCampina Vietnam (FCV) will cooperate in a joint programme titled “Vi moi truong Vietnam xanh” (For a green environment in Vietnam).  VEA Head Nguyen Van Tai and FCV Managing Director Arnoud Van Den Berg signed an agreement to this effect at the fourth National Environment Conference in Hanoi on September 29, stipulating that the two sides will work together on promotional events for environmental protection.  The VEA and FCV will jointly produce several television shows to educate students on the environment as well as organise Green Innovation Awards, community-based “Clean Up the World” campaign and a celebration of World Environment Day.  These events aim to raise public awareness of environmental issues, urge more drastic action towards environmental protection and reduce harmful activities.  The National Environment Conference is held every five years. This year’s event took place in Hanoi from September 29-30, welcoming approximately 2,000 deputies to discuss science and technology for environmental protection.  FrieslandCampina Vietnam is a joint-venture company established in 1995 in Vietnam by the Protrade Corporation of Binh Duong and Royal Friesland Campina, a Dutch dairy corporation with more than 140 years of worldwide operations.  It is well-known for several top brands such as Dutch Lady, Friso, Yomost and Fristi.  The firm has actively engaged in many social activities over the past 18 years with the aim of improving the quality of life among the Vietnamese people. Forest sector receives funds The Trust Fund for Forests (TFF) has received 28.9 million out of the 29.04 million EUR pledged by international donors, according to TFF’s Deputy Director Pham Hong Luong. He reported the figure at a conference to review the TFF’s activities held by the Vietnam Forestry Administration under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Hanoi on September 30. The TFF, a financing mechanism to deliver official development assistance for sustainable forest management, was established in 2004 and has received funding from the governments of Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland as well as facilitated technical support from Germany.  The TFF aims to harmonise donor requirements with Vietnam’s planning and administrative systems in order to support urgent priorities in the forestry sector as well as contribute to successfully implementing the Payments for Forest Ecosystem Services (PFES) initiative in Vietnam. So far, the fund has signed 40 agreements to provide grant support to 22 projects and non-project activities. Pham Hong Luong said the fund continues calling for support to implement the PFES policy, the national programme for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in developing countries (REDD+), and the national forestry development programme for 2016-2020. Technology application in medicine prioritised The Ministry of Science and Technology will continue prioritising the national-level key science and technology programme coded KC10/11-15 on the application and development of advanced technology serving health care activities, pledged Minister Nguyen Quan. The programme has been the most successful of its kind so far, having provided 10 out of 11 types of vaccines used in the expanded national immunisation programme, Quan said at a national conference in Hanoi on September 29.  Together with mastering molecular biotechnologies in defining disease-causing substances, the programme has also helped raise a number of Vietnam’s preventive medicine and vaccine manufacturing technologies to regional standards, he said.  Professor Dr. Pham Gia Khanh, the programme’s Chairman, said one of the highlights of the programme is applying world advanced biotechnology in medicine in Vietnam , yielding numerous outcomes.  Many new, highly efficient products and modern health care services have been introduced, improving community health, he added.  At the same time, Deputy Minister of Health Professor Dr. Le Quang Cuong said that the KC10 programme should focus on strengthening the application of world advanced biotechnology in the development of crucial and generation vaccine manufacturing technology, as well as the production of materials for Vietnam’s pharmaceutical sector moving forward.  The Health Ministry pledges to continue supporting the programme for the growth of biotechnology serving the medical sector in the future, he stated Quang Binh bomb victims receive international support The People’s Committee of central Quang Binh province on September 29 received a non-governmental aid package from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions Coalition (ICBL-CMC) to support local bomb and mine victims.  The aid package worth US$62,422 aims to help local authorities implement a community-based comprehensive rehabilitation project for people with disabilities and bomb and mine victims.  The project entails rehabilitation-training courses for the disabled, reproductive health examination for handicapped women, and establishment of self-reliant clubs for people with disabilities.  It also supports bomb and mine victims to improve living standards and integrate into the community.  More than 800,000 tonnes of unexploded bombs and mines left from wartime are buried in 21% of Vietnam’s land, mainly in the central provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Ngai.  Wartime bombs and mines have killed about 42,130 and injured another 62,160, according to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. Preventative medicine sector lacks workforce, investment The preventative medicine sector in Vietnam now lacks nearly 23,000 health professionals due to low salary and poor welfare, which has resulted in a recent increase in epidemics, food poisoning cases, and treatment expenses. It is universally known that sufficient investment in preventative medicine will lower the number of diseases and infection cases, limit health treatment costs, and thus improve community health. But in reality, Vietnam’s spending on preventative medicine accounts for just 16% of the total investment in the health care sector, according to a recent survey conducted by the Preventative Medicine Department under the Ministry of Health in 15 provinces. The southern province of Dong Nai is an exception, as authorities earmarked nearly 50% of the total investment in the health care sector for preventative medicine, the findings showed. The northern province of Lang Son spent 10% on preventative medicine. In certain years, such provinces as Lang Son, Bac Ninh, and Son La in the north; and Kon Tum, Phu Yen, and Dak Lak in the central part invested only 3-7% in professional activities. The law-making National Assembly rules that investment in preventative medicine must not be below 30% of the total funding for the health care sector. In 2008, the rate of investment in preventative medicine was a mere 14.2% of the total, while it was 26.1%  in 2009 and 25.7 % in 2010. Despite the low investment in preventative medicine, the actual expenses for professional activities are even lower than that because of a complicated administrative management system. V.A., who has a bachelor’s degree in community health care, has worked for the division of disease control under the Preventative Medicine Center of Thanh Tri District in Hanoi for six years and is paid less than VND5 million (US$222) a month. It is just half the income of those doctors holding same-level degrees and working for treatment units. In addition, a doctor in charge of treatment can be allowed to open a clinic at home to earn extra cash, but a doctor in the preventative medicine discipline cannot. A. said each professional officer engaging in the battle against the current dengue fever epidemic in Hanoi is given an allowance of VND2,000 (10 U.S. cents) for each household he/she covers but they must not do the job in over 25 houses per day. That means a person earns an extra VND50,000 (US$2.2) a day at the most. Sometimes, a preventative health officer is given tips by officials in the locality they are working to combat a certain disease, but it is no more than VND100,000 (US$4.4) a day. In remote areas such as Nam Po District of the northern province of Dien Bien, preventative medicine professionals are working in more harsh conditions. Nam Po has seven preventative medicine professionals who have to cover 15 mountainous communes. During working trips, each of them is given an allowance of VND5,000 (22 U.S. cents) a day. A report by the Central Preventative Medicine Department showed that preventative medicine centers at the district level now need to recruit 17,500 professionals and those centers at the provincial level need another 5,300. The leader of the preventative medicine center of a district in Ho Chi Minh City spoke on condition of anonymity that his agency has been unable to recruit any doctor graduating from a university in the last eight years due to low salary. It is estimated that it will take Vietnam ten more years to fill the gap of workforce in the field. The preventative medicine sector in Vietnam is suffering a lack of investment but keeping a bulky administrative management system, especially at province-level centers, said Pham Van Tac, head of the personnel department under the health ministry. The preventative medicine sector at the provincial level is managing numerous agencies such as centers for food safety, centers for health and the environment, centers for malaria control and prevention, and centers for HIV/AIDS control. Each center must have a director, some vice directors, accountants, administrative officers, and above all, an office building. Tac added that Vietnam is trying to learn from the US to build centers for disease control and prevention. Many countries in the world are applying this model. That is to merge all the centers that have similar functions into one to reduce administrative work and therefore increase the number of health care professionals. Mozambique, Vietnam foster human resources development The Vietnamese Embassy in Mozambique on September 29 held a meeting with 10 Mozambican students who have received scholarships to study in Vietnam. At the meeting, Vietnamese ambassador Nguyen Van Trung highlighted that education and training are priorities in bilateral relations and affirmed that Vietnamese relevant agencies are willing to create a niche for Mozambican students to fulfil their study in Vietnam. He updated the students and their parents on Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements in recent years and hoped that with their study, the students will contribute to consolidating the fine relationship between Mozambique and Vietnam He presented each student with a set of document with essential information on Vietnam’s land and people. So far, Vietnam and Mozambique have implemented five student exchange programs according to a protocol on education and training cooperation between the two governments. Accordingly, Mozambique has provided training in the Portuguese language while Vietnam trained Mozambican students in agriculture, mechanics, traditional medicine and marine engineering. Since this year, the two countries have decided to double the number to 10 scholarships a year. Up to now, more than 20 Mozambican students have been trained in Vietnam, some of them are currently working at Vietnam’s agricultural and investment cooperation projects in Mozambique. Exec of sports equipment company arrested for illegal property project Police have arrested the chairman of Vietnam’s sole importer and seller of sports guns on charges of abusing of power to appropriate property. Bui Duy Nghia, chairman of Vietnam Sport Joint Stock Company (Vinasport JSC), was arrested on September 28. Police also raided his house in Hanoi. Initial investigation found that Nghia decided to cooperate with Megastar Company to invest in a construction project in Thanh Xuan District, despite a lack of consensus from other shareholders in his company. Vinasport JSC, a trader of sports, construction and medical equipment, has not been allowed to expand to property business.  Police said after making personal decisions to cooperate with Megastar Company in 2008, he also appropriated more than VND1 billion (US$44,450) from the partner. Vinasport is the only company in Vietnam authorized to import sport guns and sell them to clubs and sports centers nationwide. Pollution from coal-fired power plants kills 4,300 Vietnamese every year Diseases linked to pollution caused by a fast growing network of coal-fired power plants kill around 4,300 people in Vietnam each year, according to a new estimate by scientists. A study released at a conference in Hanoi on September 29 claims that once all planned power projects become operational, the annual death count may hit 25,000.   Air pollution-related illnesses linked to power plants have been relatively well documented, but the new study also pointed out that water sources in Vietnam have also become increasingly contaminated by the waste discharged from these plants. It singled out the Dien Vong River in the northern province of Quang Ninh, saying a local power plant has seriously polluted the river with a wide range of toxic substances. Speaking at the conference, Tran Dinh Sinh, who runs non-profit group Green Innovation and Development, said the number of deaths caused by coal power pollution will increase, which will result in a heavier burden on the healthcare system.  Sinh was particularly concerned about Vietnam's plan to increase power outputs from thermal plants, eventually to 50% of its total power generation in 2030. He said with this plan, Vietnam is going against the global trend to move from fossil fuel to greener alternatives. Street food safety sees marked improvement Efforts to improve the food service quality in Ha Noi have spurred positive change, according to a recent review of a pilot programme that was implemented two years ago to encourage more hygienic street food options in 29 districts and towns. The initiative, launched by the municipal health department, will provide additional training to vendors to teach them about food safety and hygiene regulations. If their food stalls comply with the regulations, they will be granted food safety certificates. A series of fast food carts and shops have been set up along the participating streets over the past two years. Quan Thanh Street, Ba Dinh District, was chosen to participate in the pilot programme. The food vendors were given disposable gloves and medical checks-up. The local authorities have also opened training courses to raise awareness among vendors, consumers and food management officers on food safety and hygiene. The awareness campaign has included direct communication, radio broadcasts and information provided during the action month on food safety and hygiene. The number of managers in the city who are knowledgeable about food safety regulations has reached 86 per cent, up from 59.1 per cent prior to the project's implementation. The number of consumers who understand and follow food safety criteria has risen from 72.6 per cent to 74 per cent, while the same criteria for food vendors has risen sharply from 58 per cent to 75 percent. While checking food stalls on streets participating in the pilot programme, inspectors found violations such as raw ingredients with unclear origins. The effort to issue food safety certificates still remains slow, the Ha Noi Moi newspaper reported. The model is not easily implemented in a crowded city like Ha Noi, experts said. According to the report, some stall owners do not comply with basic regulations, such as wearing gloves when preparing food or keeping the bills of sale in order to prove where the food comes from. This is due to vendors' habits and hesitation to change, said officers in charge of food management within the districts. Hong Duc Hanh, deputy director of the city's health department, said violating stalls would not only be warned, but also handed strict punishments to ensure the effectiveness of the initiative. He advised consumers to stay away from stalls that are not eligible for food safety criteria, while encouraging consumers to report any violating individuals and unhygienic foods to local authorities.  Last spans of new city bridge joined The final spans of the Rach Chiec Bridge No 2 on the Eastern Beltway in HCM City's District 9 were laid in place yesterday. The bridge is 540.9 metres long and 19 metres wide and has four lanes. Construction is scheduled to complete soon, and the bridge will be opened to traffic in late December though its officially opening scheduled for Tet (the Lunar New Year) next February. The new bridge completes the Eastern Beltway, connecting the Hi-tech Park in District 9 with Cat Lai Port and Phu My Bridge in District 2 and Hiep Phuoc Port in Nha Be District. In fact, it will almost halve the distance from the park to Cat Lai Port to 8km. It will also improve ease of transport in HCM City by reducing the traffic flowing into the downtown area. The city's Urban Transport Management Division (under the Department of Transport) is building the bridge at a cost of VND871.2 billion (US$ 38.7 million). The contractor is a consortium consisting of Thang Long Construction Corporation, Civil Engineering Construction Corporation No 1 (CIENCO 1) and Thang Long Meco. Rach Chiec Bridge No 1 is located on the Ha Noi Highway near the toll booth.  HCMC opens second emergency centre The HCM City's Department of Health yesterday launched the 115 Emergency Centre at Binh Tan District's General Hospital. Located at the western gateway of the city, Binh Tan District with a population of more than 700,000 has five industrial parks. Fatal traffic accidents frequently occur in this area which poses a high risk of disease outbreak. It is the city's second emergency centre. The first centre at Sai Gon Gerneral Hospital opened in December last year. The city will open three more emergency centres at the city's gateways to reduce the number of fatalities due to late emergency aid.  Nurses and caregivers encouraged to work in Japan The Department of Overseas Labour, under the Ministry of Labour Invalids and Social Affairs, is recruiting more nurses and caregivers to work in Japan. Under the Viet Nam–Japan economic partnership agreement, every year, Vietnamese nurses and caretakers will be recruited to work in Japanese hospitals, where they will receive training over the course of three years. Training in the Japanese language will be provided free of charge to those selected. During the training period, they will also be given free accommodation and cash stipends. If they pass Japan's national exams, they will be allowed to stay and work in Japan for as long as they wish. The income for those who will stay and work in Japan as official staff could be as much as VND60 million (US$2,600) per month for each person. In 2014, there were 180 Vietnamese nurses and caregivers selected to work in Japan. A representative from the Department of Overseas Labour said this year, the number might increase. Currently, foreign nurses and caregivers are only allowed to work in Japan under bilateral Economic Partnership Agreements. At present, these have only been signed with Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Ha Tinh faces H5N1 bird flu threat Ha Tinh Province faces a high risk of the spread of the H5N1 avian flu due to inadequate community awareness and determination of local authorities to prevent its transmission. Nearly 1,400 poultry birds were culled during a recent H5N1 outbreak in Thach Ha and Can Loc Districts of the central Ha Tinh Province, the provincial veterinary division said. Previously, an outbreak hit the household of Phan Nhat Thanh in Phu Loc Commune in Can Loc District on September 17, when nearly 400 chickens and ducks fell sick and died with avian flu symptoms. All samples tested positive for the H5N1 virus. A week later, authorities detected another outbreak among 1,000 poultry birds in Thach Tri Commune in Thach Ha District.  The veterinary division said all sick and dead poultry birds were raised in unhygienic conditions and had not been vaccinated against the H5N1 virus. Phu Loc People's Committee Vice-Chairman Nguyen Xuan Chuong said that breeders' awareness was inadequate, especially regarding vaccination. Just 2,000 of the commune's 10,000 poultry birds have been vaccinated in 2015. This showed that the local authority and the people were not yet involved in disease prevention in the area, Chuong said.  The division also said the poultry vaccination rate was low, at more than 12 per cent in the province. The rates were even lower in several districts, such as three per cent in Can Loc; and two per cent in Thach Ha. There is, thus, a very high risk of the spread of the H5N1 virus in the coming months. The provincial agriculture and rural development department has asked localities to take efforts to prevent the spread of the H5N1 disease, focus on improving communication and poultry vaccination, maintain close supervision and to handle new outbreaks immediately.  Ministry detects fraud in packed goods The science and technology ministry has detected several instances of fraud in packed goods since August, Chief Inspector of the ministry Tran Minh Dung said. Following inspections, 265 enterprises out of 1,283 enterprises nationwide (20 per cent of the inspected enterprises) were found violating the rules. They had to pay VND450 million (US$ 2,000) in fines. Most of the fined enterprises were found committing fraud in the quantity of the packed goods. After the Law on Measurement came into effect, the ministry issued decree 21 in August 2014, giving instructions about the weights and measures of packed goods. A year after the decree came into effect, the ministry inspected weights, measures, bar codes and intellectual property of basic goods such as sugar, milk and oil.   Dung said the cases of fraud would be announced on mass media to spread awareness among the public to prevent further fraud and to create a healthy and competitive environment between enterprises. He said customers normally did not want to spend time going to the local authorities with their complaints because the amount of fraud in the small quantity of goods they bought was not considerable. However, producers can gain a large amount of money when large quantities of goods are involved.  VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri