Social News 14/11 PM wants fast work on airport Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructed ministries and other agencies involved to speed up construction of Long Thanh International Airport near HCM City. He tasked the People's Committee of Dong Nai Province, where the airport will be built, with making zoning plans for an area to relocate families moved out to make way for the airport, develop the area and do a feasibility study for the airport. The resettlement area will be approved after the feasibility study is. The provincial authorities have been instructed to work with the ministries of Planning and Investment, Finance, and Transport to arrange funding to build the airport. The transport ministry will help Vietnam Airlines to conduct the feasibility study for the first stage of the project. Located in Long Thanh District, the airport will be designed to handle 100 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo annually when the first stage is completed in 2025. HCM City plans multi-story parking lot near airport The Southern Airports Transport Corporation has proposed a multi-story parking structure where passengers can leave their vehicles and take shuttle buses to Tan Son Nhat Airport. The company is asking the city's transport department to lease land for the project, which it says is necessary considering that the airport is running out of parking space for cars and motorbikes. Under the plan, the structure will be built on Pham Van Dong Street, in the middle of Gia Dinh Park. A bus ride to the airport may take between 10 and 15 minutes. Dang Tuan Tu, director of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, said the airport has expanded the parking lot and it now can host more than 4,000 cars and motorbikes, mostly bikes, at a time, but it is yet to meet the demand. Tu said many people have been told to park elsewhere. He said the parking lots will stop receiving overnight motorbike. Hanoi police break up drug ring Hanoi police broke up a major drug operation after confiscating 10 kilograms of synthetic drugs of various types. Hai Ba Trung district’s police on November 11 caught Nguyen Thu Huong, 43, who lives in Thanh Nhan ward, and Nguyen Van Tam, 25, of Gia Thuy ward in Long Bien district, for illegally trading drugs. The police found 12,300 pills weighing 3.4 kilograms hidden in three boxes of children’s toys. At Huong’s residence, police found 6,755 tablets weighing over 1.7 kilograms, more than 2.8 kilograms of ketamine, nearly 359 grams of methamphetamine, 280 million VND, two precision scales and many other objects of evidence. Huong told the police that she bought the drugs from Than Thi Lien, 24, in Hong Thai commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province. At Lien’s house, the police seized 1.9 kilograms of methamphetamine drugs and nearly 20 grams of ATS. The initial investigation showed Lien travelled to China to buy the drugs, then hired Tam and others to transport them to Hanoi so Huong could distribute them. The case is still under investigation. Experts recommend ethics code for social work sector A code of ethics for social workers is necessary to promote professional conduct and prevent violations against the disadvantaged, experts said at a workshop held last weekend in HCM City. The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs plans to draft a code of ethics early next year for the social work profession and will submit it to the government for approval. In recent months, caregivers at Linh Xuan Welfare Centre in the city's Thu Duc District were caught on camera beating children by visiting newspaper reporters. Lawyer Thich An Dat, secretary of Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha's project Sang Kien Lanh Dao Phat Giao (Buddhist Leadership Initiative), said the rights of children and other disadvantaged people at social welfare centres had not been ensured. He told Viet Nam News that many employees for social welfare centres throughout the country had poor professional knowledge and skills in the social work field. "Their poor capacity has led to behaviour which violates the rights of children at these centres," Dat said. HCM City has 30 Buddhist welfare centres for 2,500 children. The city's Buddhist Sangha recently issued its own set of regulations including a code of ethics, to ensure the rights of children. Le Chi An, deputy head of the HCM City Professional Social Work Club, said such violations had occurred because of the absence of a code of ethics in the country. The country has a large number of social welfare centres under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. However, many of the workers at these centres had not been trained professionally, An said. Recently, the government provided short-term training courses for staff and managers of these centres to improve their administrative capacity and knowledge about the field. Doan Thi Ngoc, lecturer on social work and gender at Open University, said that social workers in the country needed a code of ethics. Many universities in the country use as reference the codes of ethics of the US and other countries. Viet Nam has 40 schools with a social work faculty. An said the number was too high to ensure training quality. Many of them do not have a sufficient number of highly qualified lecturers, curricula and facilities, he said. Vietnamese entrepreneurs conference opens in Russia A worldwide conference of Vietnamese entrepreneurs opened in Moscow on November 11, discussing investment and opportunities during the global economic recovery period. The event saw over 300 Vietnamese entrepreneurs around the world, including about 200 businesspersons from Vietnam. The conference was part a series of events in Russia in response to the signing of the free trade agreement (FTA) between Vietnam and the Eurasia Economic Union (EEU). Along with the high-quality Vietnamese goods fair-exhibition and the Vietnam-Russia business forum, the conference was expected to create a platform for Vietnamese entrepreneurs around the world to share their experiences, seek partners and promote Vietnamese products to markets in Russia and other countries. Addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Nguyen Thanh Son affirmed that the embassy will create all possible conditions to connect Vietnamese entrepreneurs around the world and promote Vietnamese brand names in Russia and other countries. The event was jointly held by the State Committee of Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, Vietnamese Embassy in Russia, Overseas Vietnamese Entrepreneurs Association and Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV).- Conference on nuclear power held in Ninh Thuan A conference on nuclear power development was held on Thursday, in the southern province of Ninh Thuan. The conference, which will conclude on Saturday, to supply people in the province with information on the technology, safety aspects and the development of nuclear power in Viet Nam and other countries. Attending the conference, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh said that the country's policies on developing nuclear power were reported in different documents including Decision No 1 of Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in 2006, which was about the strategy of applying nuclear power by 2020, and the Law on Nuclear Power issued in 2008. Bui Ngoc Quang, deputy chairman of the Ninh Thuan People's Committee, said that the conference was an occasion for experts to share information on nuclear power development in Viet Nam and other countries in order to increase people's knowledge and encouragement on the issue. Ninh Thuan was chosen to build the first two nuclear power plants in the country. It was a matter of pride as well as a challenge for the province, Quang said. The province had joined hands with concerned ministries and organisations to implement the projects effectively, he said. HIV/AIDS control programmes face several difficulties HIV/AIDS prevention and control programmes in different provinces and cities are facing several obstacles and challenges related to manpower and funds. The participants of a conference on HIV/AIDS prevention and control, which was held today in HCM City by the health ministry, spoke about these issues. Several representatives said the system of management and supervision from provincial-level offices to commune-level offices was inefficient due to worker shortage. Most of the funds for the programmes come from international sponsors because the supply of local funds is limited. Deputy Director of the Administration of HIV/AIDS Control Phan Thi Thu Huong said the number of international sponsors of the programmes had reduced, and so provinces and cities should try different supervision programmes to save funds. Vo Hai Son, head of the supervision, evaluation and testing division under the Administration of HIV/AIDS Control, said the public security, labour, invalids and social affairs and health sectors should jointly operate and conduct programmes to have unanimous statistics on the issue, which would provide a good environment to supervise the HIV/AIDS situation. During the past 25 years, since the first person living with HIV was discovered in Viet Nam, the country has made the HIV/AIDS supervision and evaluation programme as one of the programmes that is based on the United Nations' demands. Owners, not drivers face fines for highway violations Vehicle's legal owners, not drivers, will have to pay fines for traffic violations occurring across Noi Bai- Lao Cai or Phap Van – Cau Gie- Ninh Binh highways, starting from 2016. Nguyen Van Huyen, general director of the Vietnam Road Administration said the pilot project of installing surveillance cameras across the highways will use the violating ticket method, which means the tickets will be sent to owners of vehicles based on the number plate and the recorded registration information. Therefore, those who have resold their vehicles without the proper transfer process, besides having to submit traffic violation fines, will also be fined for violating vehicle registrations. Referring to the design technology of the surveillance devices, Huyen said they were able to detect both cars and motorcycles with high accuracy as the daytime detection rate is 95 per cent and night-time rate stands at 90 per cent. After screening out the plate numbers, the system will quickly issue tickets. Huyen said, "Time for detection and treatment accounts for 20ms to 50ms. (The cameras) can detect speed up to 300 km/sec with an accuracy of ± 1KM / h". The system will process information comprising images and videos with recording time to prove the authenticity of the violations. Bùi Dinh Tuan, member of the Vietnam Expressway Operation and Maintenance Limited Liability Company, said the maximum violations on the expressway such as speeding, wrong parking, and buses making unscheduled stops to pick up passengers, are threatening traffic safety. "The installation of surveillance cameras will definitely minimise the number of violations and traffic accidents," Tuan said. The cameras will automatically detect violations of drivers moving in the emergency stopping lane, driving the wrong way, and failure to comply with regulations on stopping or parking on the highway. The cameras are connected to the information centre of the Traffic Police Department to co-ordinate action, integrate with the registration database and to allow the officials watch online the situation of traffic on the route. As many as 58 cameras will be installed across the Noi Bai – Phu Tho section (KM54+640) of the Noi Bai- Lao Cai highway, while Phap Van-Cau Gie-Ninh Binh highway will have 35 surveillance spots, under the pilot project approved by the Ministry of Transport. Earlier, at a press conference on October 13, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong said the government had approved a six-month pilot project for installing surveillance cameras on Phap Van – Cau Gie – Ninh Binh highway and Noi Bai-Phu Tho section of the Noi Bai-Lao Cai highway. After that, the project will be moved to Highway 1, and Ho Chi Minh Trail through the Highlands to handle traffic violations. "According to regulations of the Ministry of Transport, drivers will be informed a month before being officially sanctioned," Nguyen Toan Thang, Deputy Director of FPT Technology Solutions, the contractor said. Nam Dinh's workers hospitalised after suspected food poisonings Fifty-six workers in northern Nam Dinh province's Truc Ninh commune, who were hospitalised yesterday after being diagnosed with suspected food poisoning, have recovered and returned home. This was announced today by the communal general hospital. Workers at Nam Dinh-based AMARA Footwear Ltd exhibited symptoms of vomiting, feeling dizzy, diarrhea, rapid pulse, sweating and low blood pressure after eating lunch at the company's canteen at 12 noon yesterday. More than 2,000 lunch portions were distributed over two shifts, said Hong Tien Cuong, head of the provincial health and hygiene safety department. The department has since inspected the premises to investigate the cause of the food poisoning, took food samples for testing and asking the company's canteen to stop serving meals for three days while the kitchen, eating area and culinary equipment are decontaminated. Recent statistics from the Health Ministry's Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) shows that 33 cases of food poisoning occurred during the first ten months of this year in processing and industrial zones, resulting in more than 2,000 workers being treated in hospitals. $23,000 fine for brand violations The central city's administration has fined Ha Trung Hau trading company VND500 million (US$23,800) for brand violations on monosodium glutamate. Following investigations of different agencies in October, it was learnt that the company had bought and packed seasoning powder in packaging that mimicked brands of Ajinomoto. The city's Market Watch and Management Agency said the company, which is based in Son Tra district, was caught with 20,000 bags of seasoning powder with brand Ajino-Takara, during an investigation in June. A test result at the Science Institute of the Intellectual Property Rights showed that the brand Ajino-Takara completely violated the registered brand of Aji-No-Moto. The city's Market Watch and Management Agency had suspended production and sale of the product and ordered the company to demolish seasoning powder bags with brand Ajino-Takara. The city has yet to announce the compensation that resulted from violation. According to the National Steering Committee on the Prevention and Control of Smuggling, Trade Fraud and Fake Commodities (or Steering Committee 389), most goods in Viet Nam can be easily faked. There were 316 cases of Intellectual Property Rights violations with regard to fake production and sale in the first six months of this year with 51 arrests nationwide. ASEAN Community contest launched in Da Nang More than 200 students from 20 high schools in the central city of Da Nang participated in the contest on ASEAN and the ASEAN Community held in the locality on November 12. The competition was held by the Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Information and Communication and municipal Department of Education and Training. It aims to raise teachers’ and students’ awareness about ASEAN, contributing to building an ASEAN community based on solidarity and sharing. The participating teams – five students and one teacher for each – competed in seven categories: ASEAN Association, ASEAN Politics-Security Community, ASEAN Socio- Cultural Community, ASEAN’s external relations, Vietnam’s participation and ASEAN member states. Two other competitions on the ASEAN Community were held for students in Hanoi in 2010. Since Vietnam was the ASEAN chair in 2010, the country has fostered the awareness about ASEAN, the ASEAN Community and Vietnam’s policies on cooperation with ASEAN nations. Two years ago, the Prime Minister approved the Government’s programme of action on the popularisation of ASEAN. The ASEAN Community’s establishment at the end of this year will mark a significant milestone for the block’s foundation and development in the past 48 years. As both opportunities and challenges will be brought to the 10 ASEAN member countries, it is essential their citizens have deep understandings about the ASEAN common house. Vietnamese, French localities promotes ties A French delegation from the Val de Marne provincial council led by Vice Chairman Alain Desmarest paid a working visit to the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai from November 9-11. The delegation visited the Val de Marne-funded mobile library bus at Le Loi junior high school in Nghia Lo town. Launched in 2008, the mobile library bus has provided free-of-charge books, newspapers and internet services for 64 posts in the province, serving dozens of thousands of local readers per year. On the occasion, the delegation made a field trip to a tea growing project Val de Marne province funded in Suoi Giang commune, Van Chan district. The project aims to promote the sustainable development and increase added values of Shan Tuyet-Suoi Giang tea products while raising income for local farmers and meeting international demand. Desmarest hailed the effectiveness of the mobile library bus and Shan tuyet tea growing projects. He said Val de Marne province will continue helping Yen Bai register geographical indication for the Shan Tuyet-Suoi Giang tea in Vietnam and Europe. It will provide expertise and technology for the province in a bid to diversify Shan Tuyet tea products, develop tea businesses’ brand names and promote them in international markets, he added. Int’l conference promotes human right education in Vietnam Domestic and international experts gathered at a workshop on November 12 in Hanoi to seek ways to boost the study and education of in Vietnam. The event was jointly organised by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law, the Law Faculty under the Vietnam National University Hanoi and the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam. Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Charlotte Laursen said human right education plays a key role in promoting and implementing human rights, as it enhances people’s awareness. According to the ambassador, Denmark has funded the research on human rights education conducted by three local academic and educational institutions, adding that the research provides information for students, civilian social organisations as well as agencies, thus fostering the connection among research and educational institutions in Vietnam. She noted that many educational institutions have developed new curricula and training programmes on human rights, while the subject has been made obligatory for law students. However, Vietnam needs to find other ways to promote the education on human rights in the context of decreasing international financial support, she added. Meanwhile, Vice President of the Academy of Social Sciences Vo Khanh Vinh hailed the significant achievements Vietnam has made in studies and education on human rights, as seen in the inclusion of the subject in the 2013 Constitution and in post-graduate training curricula. The country has also been elected to the United Nations Council on Human Rights. For her part, Dr Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Law highlighted the interest in the subject among lecturers and researchers. She, however, pointed to difficulties facing the studies of human rights due to limited English skills of Vietnamese students while most of reference documents on the subject are in English. Vietnamese businesswoman arrested in Philippines returns home A Vietnamese businesswoman who was arrested in the Philippines for carrying a bullet in her purse has returned home, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Le Hai Binh has said. The arrest took place at Ninoy Aquino airport on November 7, which was immediately informed to the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines, the spokesman said at a regular press conference in Hanoi on November 12. The Vietnamese Embassy promptly launched necessary protection measures for Vietnamese citizens abroad, he told the conference. After completing administrative sanction-related procedures required by the host country, the businesswoman came back home, the spokesman said. WB to fund second phase of suspension bridge projects The World Bank is working with the Vietnamese Government on the second phase of a project to build suspension bridges in disadvantaged areas with a planned investment of 250 million USD, said Victoria Kwakwa, the WB’s Country Director for Vietnam. The WB official joined Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Hong Truong in a field trip to the northern province of Tuyen Quang on November 11 to review the construction of suspension bridges there under the first phase of the project. Kwakwa highlighted the role of the bridges in connecting communities and facilitating travel of local people in remote areas. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister Truong stated that local transport department needs to build management and maintenance procedures for the bridges to ensure traffic safety. During the trip, they examined the necessity for a suspension bridge spanning Dong Chay-Ao Xanh area in Son Nam commune and checked the quality of Son Nam bridge and the progress of Muc Dom bridge. Tuyen Quang has five new suspension bridges worth more than 33 billion VND (1.47 million USD) built under the project. At the same time, 132 existing bridges in the province need repair with estimated cost of 275 billion VND (12.27 million USD). The WB has closely worked with Vietnamese Government in the transport sector. Some 4,000 bridges are expected to be built during 2015-2017, funded from the WB’s loans. Statistics from the transport ministry indicate that there are about 1,950 suspension bridges in Vietnam. About 810 operational bridges - roughly 40 percent - have shown signs of erosion and rust. Up to 94 percent of them are located on roads connecting villages and communes. Soc Trang province strengthens traditional bond with Cambodia Leaders of the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang had a working session on November 12 with a delegation from the Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (MCFA) headed by Secretary of State Menh Kossony. During the meeting, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Lam Van Man briefed the guests about the province’s socio-economic and cultural condition. Man also highlighted the improvement in the spiritual life of local Khmer ethnic minority as a result of the revival of various traditional festivals such as Ngo Ok Om Bok, Sene Dolta, Chol Chnam Thmay, Lakhon Bassac and the preservation of Khmer arts. For her part, Menh Kossony spoke highly of the solidarity of local ethnic groups including Kinh, Khmer and Chinese. She thanked the Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) for creating favourable conditions for the Cambodian Culture Week to be held in Ho Chi Minh City and Soc Trang. The week is taking place in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang from November 8 to 14, aiming to introduce unique and traditional Cambodian arts in a view to strengthen the solidarity and traditional friendship between the two countries.- Vietnam, Cuba youth organisations tighten bonds A delegation of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) led by First Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh paid an official visit to Cuba from November 9-12 and attended the 19th General Assembly of the World Federation of Democratic Youth. During a meeting with the HCMCYU delegation, First Secretary of Cuba’s Young Communist League National Committee Yuniasky Crespo Baquero said the gratitude and friendship nurtured by generations have connected the two countries’ youths. She expressed her hope to share experience with the Vietnamese delegation in building youth unions in non-State offices and encouraging young people to get involved in socio-economic development. Vinh stressed the Vietnamese young generation’s commitment to maintaining the friendship between the two countries’ youths. He proposed several specific cooperation programmes to intensify delegation exchanges and information sharing, and study cooperation in tourism in order to further tighten ties between the two youth organisations. During its stay in Cuba, the HCMCYU delegation laid a wreath at President Ho Chi Minh statue in Havana, and visited several education and scientific research facilities in the country.- Residents asked to donate relics The management of the Oc Eo Cultural Relic site in the southern province of An Giang has just launched an antique donation programme which calls upon residents to donate Oc Eo objects for preservation and promotion of their rich cultural values. To date, the residents of Thoai Son district, An Giang province, have donated 449 objects related to Oc Eo culture, including statues of Buddha made of metal or stone, gemstone necklaces, bricks from Oc Eo's architecture and other antiques. The exhibits are being displayed at the province's museum. The relic locates in the Ba The mountain, Thoai Son district, An Giang province. The site, first excavated by French archaeologist Louis Malleret in 1944, is believed to have been a prosperous commercial port of the once-powerful Phu Nam (Punan) Kingdom 2,000 years ago. There was also a system of canals and various temples and tombs built from bricks and stones in this area, which were typical of Oc Eo culture. The donation programme will continue until December 2016. IT essential for a smart city: conference Domestic and foreign experts, and representatives of businesses active in information technology (IT) are gathering at an international conference in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss the application of the Internet of Things (IoT) in smart urban area development and living standard improvement. The annual conference, the third of its kind organised by the managing board of the Sai Gon High-Tech Park, runs from November 12-13. Participants will hear a number of topics such as how to build a unique city, infrastructure solutions for a smart world, IoT security and smart transport, among others. Participating businesses will introduce IoT products used in daily lives, looking towards a smart city on the basis of sci-technological development. Vo Van Thuong, Deputy Secretary of the municipal Party’s Committee, said this year’s conference is expected to help the southern metropolis realise its goal of becoming an urban area with high living standards. The city is gearing towards a friendly business climate and a creative space where sci-technological activities are encouraged, the official said, explaining that IoT applications will serve as the pillar for the management of a smart city. Thuong called on scientists, entrepreneurs, experts and managers to propose solutions to challenges in the city such as how to raise growth quality and economic competitiveness, the role of sci-technology, especially IT, in handling such pressing issues as traffic congestion, inundation and administrative reform. IoT-related technologies and products of leading domestic and global groups are displayed as part of the event. The IoT is the idea that any physical object can connect to the internet and communicate with other objects to relay information to people.- Cambodian cultural exhibition opens An exhibition of Cambodian paintings, sculptures, and other ancient and modern artefacts opened at the Museum of HCM City on Tuesday as part of the ongoing 2015 Cambodia Culture Week in Viet Nam. There are modern and traditional drawings and artefacts made of bronze, stone, marble, and wood featuring images of traditional Khmer dances; Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Preah Vihear temples; daily life in Cambodia; and its UNESCO-recognised cultural heritages. Documentary films on Classical Khmer Dance, Cambodian Jewellery Arts and others are being screened during the exhibition, according to the organisers, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Arts. The exhibition will go on until today. The 2015 Cambodia Culture Week in Viet Nam, being celebrated from November 8 to 14 in HCM City and the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Soc Trang, is aimed at strengthening cultural links between the two nations. It features a series of traditional dance and music programmes besides exhibitions. A concert was also held in Soc Trang Province yesterday. Celebrity chef shows off seafood Canadian beef, pork and seafood as well as maple syrup, wine and beer is being featured at the month-long 2015 Canadian Food Festival in HCM City. Seafood items include lobster, geoduck, oysters, black cod, snow crab, salmon, mussels, and sea urchin. Also featured are Ambrosia apples, frozen cherries and dried fruits. Canadian celebrity chef Nathan Fong, a Vancouver native, will introduce many items to visitors. Fong is an award-winning food stylist, an accomplished food and travel journalist and founder of Fong on Food. He has been a pioneer in preparing food for photography and film since 1989. The annual event organised by the Embassy of Canada to promote the best Canadian food products to Vietnamese consumers will last until December 9. The highlight of the event is products of British Columbia and Alberta provinces. "These two provinces have unique advantages as world-class food suppliers," said the Ambassador of Canada in Viet Nam David Devine at the opening ceremony on Tuesday. "While British Columbia offers a wide range of world-famous fish and seafood products from Pacific coast, fruits and wines, Alberta is a producer of premium beef, pork and a range of wheat, grains and pulse products," he said. Several restaurants, hotels and shops in HCM City this month are offering a special discount on the Canadian food menu items during the festival. The two countries' bilateral trade reached an all-time high of CA$4.4 billion for the period September 2014-August 2015, making Viet Nam Canada's largest trade partner in ASEAN. Agriculture and agri-food are an important aspect of Canada's trade with Viet Nam, representing more than half of Canada's total exports to the country. There are bright prospects for advancing trade under the recently concluded Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, the Ambassador said. Young people in HCM City shun physical exercise: poll Most young Vietnamese people surveyed by Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper admitted that they are too lazy to do physical exercise. The poll was conducted on 100 young people aged from 18 to 30 in Ho Chi Minh City. Fifty-one men and 49 women working in different industries were polled, revealing an alarming statistic of 68% who confessed that they have never or rarely taken physical exercise in their free time. A female worker named Duong Thi Thu Thao in District 9 told Tuoi Tre,“I know it is good for [my] health to take exercise but I lack free time. After work, I just sleep or relax at home or chat with friends.” Those polled said they spend their free time mostly resting at home, going out to chat with friends, drinking, playing computer games and surfing the Internet and social networks. Despite the lazy lifestyle statistics, 60% of the people surveyed said they had a permanent interest in their health by regularly taking measurements of their body and weight. A high percentage of the young people surveyed said they did not have a sound and long enough sleep at night. Only 36% said they could sleep soundly for 6-8 hours every night, while 34% divulged they only had long and sound sleeps three or four days a week. As many as 30% admitted they rarely have a sound sleep. Police parade through streets of HCM City Thousands will line the city streets on November 14 as 200 members of military bands from four nations march through Ho Chi Minh City as part of the 20th World Police Music Festival. The Ministry of Public Security made the announcement on November 12, saying military bands from Vietnam, Osaka and Tokyo (Japan), New York and Singapore will participate in the extravaganza. The opening ceremony starts off on November 14 in front of the Municipal Theatre and will then wind its way through the city boulevards passing through Dong Khoi, Ton Duc Thang, and Nguyen Hue. A concert is set to get underway later in the afternoon at the Hoa Binh Theatre in district 10 at 2:30  in this second edition of the festival. Vietnamese girl bags medals at Asian rowing championships Truong Thi Phuong has won a silver medal at the Asian Canoeing Junior Championships in Indonesia, according to the General Department of Sports and Physical Training. Earlier on November 5, she also scored gold in the C1-500m at the Asian Canoeing Championships. Phuong, the youngest athlete at the event, finished with 2m20.376, followed by Fatemeh Karamjani of Iran with 2m26.046 and Lim Yuan Yin of Singapore with 2m27.291. Nguyen Hai Duong, head of the national rowing team, said Phuong has been training very hard recently. After returning home, she has moved to Haiphong to compete in the National Rowing and Canoeing Sprint Championships. Born to a poor farming family in Vinh Phuc Province, Phuong began practicing rowing in 2012. Three years later, she shined at the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore in June 2015 when securing a gold medal in women’s C1-200m canoeing. The gold medal was a pleasant surprise for Vietnam’s rowing team, who had not hope for any gold ahead tough competitors. Intricate procedures, capital shortage defeat social housing in HCMC Ho Chi Minh City has failed to develop its social housing program because of complicated administrative procedures and capital shortage, said chairmen board of a real estate market development project in 2016-2020 at a meeting hosted by the city Department of Construction on Thursday. The city People’s Committee has tasked the department of construction to implement the project with directions until 2025 and visions till 2030. The department has been collecting opinions to improve it before submitting to the committee for approval by the end of this year. According to the project’s chairmen board, social housing development has been modest in the city. Complex administrative procedures and capital shortage have hindered investors’ attendance. Most projects have been invested with the city's limited budget. The Housing Law regulates that businesses must use 20 percent of their land fund for social housing to projects of more than 10 hectares. However, few have abided by this regulation and faced no sanction. Dr. Pham Thai Son, deputy chairman of the project, reported that the city has nearly 1,220 housing projects. Of these, 40 percent have been built, 8 percent halted, 33 percent are doing investment procedures and 19 percent under construction. They have been developed inequitably in the city with most concentrating in new urban districts such as District 9 with 140 projects and District 2 with 120 projects and Binh Chanh suburban district. Districts 9 and 2 are located in the city’s main development directions East and South. Dr. Son said that there were many problems in social housing management and development and complicated admin procedures become one of the reasons. Currently, investors take at least 464 working days to do procedures for a project of less than 20 hectares and 486 days for those of 20-100 hectares. It is up to 605 working days for projects being put out to tenders. In fact, procedures consume much more time than regulations. That has defeated many projects and a number have been revoked because of sluggish progress. Another issue is that housing projects have not been connected with the city’s common development plan. It is necessary to build up public transport in development of a modern and civilized city. However, only 210 of the 1,220 housing projects have been approved 500 meters from metro stations, the number is too low which might affect metro system’s effectiveness in the future, Mr. Son added. Lack of transparency and stability were also mentioned by the chairmen board at the meeting. In annual reports by John Lang LaSalle company, Vietnam is ranked 68th in real estate transparency, belonging to low index group. This has resulted in speculation. A survey by a city-based company shows that 20 percent of house buyers were speculators for the phase of 2011-2014. The rate hit 50 percent during peak development time of the real estate market. Big difference between supply and demand has caused large inventory. In addition, basing on data by the Department of Construction, it is expected that about 330,000 apartments will be opened for sale in the upcoming years, which will pose a big challenge to the city’s housing development, Mr. Son stressed. The HCMC Real Estate Association proposed administrative reform towards transparency and quickness as integration is forecast to boost other real estate segments including industry, office and tourism. Administrative formalities have become a hindrance in the real estate market. Some projects have been done after three years or five years and some have been still half-done after even ten years, the association quoted. Many projects have been long delayed because investors must wait for authorized agencies to calculate land use fee, the association’s chairman Le Hoang Chau cited. Mr. Le Thanh Tai, HCMC People’s Committee's former permanent deputy chairman, said that the city would never be able to well perform in not only real estate sector but also environment, health and traffic sectors if development studies were not based on its specific conditions. HCMC confused in solving half-done projects Ho Chi Minh City decided to revoke over 500 dragging projects in 2013. However, local authorities have been confused in solving them after the decisions were made. Thousands of billion of dong poured into these projects have seemed to endlessly been buried underground with built parts. In 2009, the city People’s Committee permitted Binh Chanh Construction Company to develop a 12 hectare housing project in Phong Phu ward, Binh Chanh district. Five years later, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) issued a decision to withdraw it because compensation reached less than half of total. Deputy director general of the company Truong My Linh said that they had invested over VND200 billion (US$8.93 million) in the project. Although it has been suspended, the company till has to pay bank interest and staff's salary to maintain its operation. It has allowed local people to do farming in the area where compensation has been completed. A 38 hectare villa project by Trien Phong Service Company in the same commune has been ended with land being returned to local residents. However, no one has dared to build or repair houses because authorized agencies have not removed the plan of this area. Saigon-Gia Dinh Real Estate Company has been unable to complete site clearance over 4,700 square meters of a 15 hectare housing project in Thoi An ward, district 12 for failing to keep its words to compensate residents at VND2.5 million a square meter. The company pleaded real state difficulties to down the price to VND2 million but local people did not accepted. That has left the project incomplete with only a five story building having been built without leading roads or any other infrastructure. Customers who have made payment for the project’s apartments in advance have no choice other than moving into the building to live without management board, maintenance, fire fighting and prevention facilities. Explaining for the half-done condition of many projects, Mr. Tran Van Thach, deputy director of the Department of NRE, said that financial ability of some investors was limited. However when they asked for investment licenses, district authorities required their projects to comprise schools, hospitals and parks also. According to Mr. Thach, authorized agencies and businesses should work together to consider solutions. If investors are able to continue building with some adjustments to reduce the scale of their projects, local authorities should permit them to do so and return the remaining area to residents. If they are not able to continue, the projects should be revoked and handed over to other investors. Sharing the same view, director of the Department of Construction Tran Trong Tuan proposed to change projects' boundary so that investors could continue implementation in the area with done site clearance. However they must ensure that traffic, lighting and water infrastructure will be built synchronously. In case investors have strong financial ability, local authorities should assist them to reach an agreement on compensation price with residents. Another measure was inviting qualified tenders to complete the half-done projects, Mr. Tuan said. Vietnam Expo 2015 to take place in December The 13th Vietnam Expo 2015 will open in Ho Chi Minh City on December 2-5 with the participation of more than 320 local and international businesses. The international trade fair will display 350 booths of enterprises from 20 countries and territories such as Taiwan (China), Indonesia, Hong Kong (China), South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, China and Vietnam. The Vietnam Expo serves as a bridge between Vietnam and international trade groups, customers and manufactures as well as creat opportunities to expand export markets and improve economic cooperation. The event is expected to be a destination for enterprises to introduce their products and services, seek business opportunities, and have better understanding of investment and trade promotion in Vietnam in the coming years. On display are machinery, electronic products, household appliances, components, interior and exterior décor. As part of the event, the fourth International Bicycle Exhibition (Vietnam Cycle) 2015 showcasing bikes, electric bikes, bike components, bicycles for kids, and toys will coincide with the Vietnam Expo. Kangaroo fined for water filter advert exaggerations   The Kangaroo Group has just been fined VND10 million (USD447) for their false advertisement on their RO water filters. Kangaroo's controversial advertisement for its KG102, KG103, KG104, KG105 products have been doubted over its accuracy when it said the filters, besides killing bacteria including E.coli, coliform, can also help reduce lipid levels in users' blood. The advertisement said that the results have been announced by the Hanoi Heart Hospital following a survey conducted on patients. This information was rejected by the wider public and local health experts who said that there's been no official study of the issue so far. In a recent letter sent to Lao Dong Newspaper, Nguyen Quang Tuan, Director of the Hanoi Heart Hospital said that this results were just included in a recent hospital test report. "In April Kangaroo came and asked us to help them do a test on 20 patients who had lipid disorders in two months from April to June," Tuan explained in the letter. "These patients used water from their filters and had some positive results. We then issued this report on October 1, which suggested patients with lipid disorders use water from RO Kangaroo filters as support during their treatment." Nguyen Minh Tuan from the Inspection Agency of the Hanoi's Department of Culture and Sports said that Kangaroo had violated the Law on Advertising as they did not have permission from the department before launching their advert. According to Vu Thi Huong from Kangaroo's PR and Communications Department, they have removed all the content from their website and were informing all their shops to change the information on their leaflets and products following a request from the Culture and Sports Department. Saigon streets forecast to flood during peak hours this week There is a high chance that several streets and areas in Ho Chi Minh City will be submerged this week as rising tides of the Saigon River are expected to peak twice a day, the Southern Hydro-Meteorological Station has forecast. The flood tides are likely to occur around 4:00 am to 6:00 am and during rush hour (4:30 pm to 6:00 pm), which will continue to affect the lives of many citizens living in some areas and contribute to traffic congestion in several routes of the city. Downstream water levels of major rivers will also ascend along with annual rising tides, which will peak at the end of the week. Cold fronts are expected to cover the northern region of the country in the second half of this week, along with bad weather in higher altitudes, causing rain to fall at night and temperature to be as low as 17 degrees Celsius in early mornings. In mountainous areas, including Sa Pa in Lao Cai Province, Mau Son Mountain in Lang Son Province, Sin Ho District in Lai Chau Province, and Mu Cang Chai District in Yen Bai Province, temperatures are anticipated to drop to 10-13 degrees Celsius. Cold snaps will also extend to central Vietnam, bringing rainstorms and a drop in night-time temperature after the first few days of mild weather in the region. Provinces from Nghe An to Thua Thien-Hue will see temperatures as low as 19 degrees Celsius while the figure for the areas between Da Nang City and Binh Dinh Province will be around 22 degrees Celsius. The Central Highlands should anticipate light rain and fog starting in the middle of the week, with the lowest temperature being around 14 degrees Celsius in the highland city of Da Lat. The southern part of the country will be under the impact of a low pressure system coming from the south, resulting in rainstorms in the evening, which are forecast to decrease toward the weekend. Temperatures on the weekend will decrease by 1-2 degrees Celsius, bringing a cool atmosphere to the region. Eleven, foreigners included, rescued from Ho Chi Minh City hotel fire Rescuers saved 11 people, including some foreigners, from a fire that raged at a multistory hotel in downtown Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday evening. The fire broke out on the fifth floor of the nine-story Kim Linh Hotel on Bui Thi Xuan Street in District 1 at about 6:30 pm. No casualties have been reported so far. A large number of firefighters, five fire engines and a ladder truck were sent to the scene to put out the blaze. The power supply to the area was cut for safety reasons. As black smoke rose up from the fifth floor, many people on lower levels rushed out of the hotel, while others on higher floors cried out for help in panic. Many people broke glass doors to avoid inhaling smoke from the flames while waiting to be rescued. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire after 15 minutes and took 11 people including staff and guests of the hotel to safety, said Hoang Thanh Ha, deputy head of the District 1 Fire Prevention and Control Department. Of the 11 people, eight were carried out by the ladder truck and the remaining were rescued via the staircases, Ha said. Many of the rescued people were foreigners, according to news website VnExpress. Initial sources said the fire erupted from a mattress in a room on the fifth floor, with agencies concerned adding that they are investigating the exact cause. Korean film festival begins on Nov 14 Director Park Nark Jong of the Korean Cultural Centre has announced that a two-day film festival will get underway on November 14 at the Cong Nhan (Worker) Cinema at 42 Trang Tien Street in Hanoi. The event offers a variety of films including the historical drama Detective K: Secret of the Lost Island, romantic movie Goodbye Mom and animated films Cloud Bread, Super Wings and Mini Forces. All films are in the authentic the Republic of Korea’s language with Vietnamese subtitles. Besides film screenings, an exhibition featuring photographs on Korean culture and landscapes are planned. For more information on obtaining tickets and times please contact the Korean Cultural Centre at 49 Nguyen Du in the Hai Ba Trung District of Hanoi. Contact 043.9445980 (ext 100). Vietnam’s coastal city launches electric car tourism service The coastal city of Quy Nhon in south-central Vietnam has recently launched two electric cars to serve tourists. The eco-friendly vehicles, worth around VND300 million (US$13,390) each, can reach a maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour and carry 12 people, including the driver. Assembled in China based on Danish technology, these electric cars need a break to recharge after every 110 kilometers. Besides visiting popular local tourist destinations, the cars travel around five main streets in Quy Nhon, which is the capital of Binh Dinh Province: Nguyen Tat Thanh, Xuan Dieu, An Duong Vuong, Le Hong Phong, and Phan Boi Chau. The service, provided by local tour operator Eden JSC, costs VND20,000 (US$0.89) per ticket, and is offered from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm every day. The company is expected to provide around 20 cars which run at 30-minute intervals. The electric car model has been adopted in other places in Vietnam, namely Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Sam Son Town in northern Thanh Hoa Province, Dong Hoi in central Quang Binh Province, and Cua Lo Town in central Nghe An Province. Hanoi, which is the country’s first locale to pilot electric cars in its Old Quarter in Hoan Kiem District and around Tay (West) Lake, has seen the service embraced by locals and tourists since its launch three years ago. The electric cars have so far transported more than 1.2 million visitors and generated over VND20.4 billion (US$950,694) in revenue. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri