Social News 5/4 Vietnamese, Japanese agencies boost links A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on April 4 between the Government Inspectorate of Vietnam and Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in Tokyo, towards upgrading their cooperation and further promoting the relations between the two countries. The signing was part of Chief Government Inspector Huynh Phong Tranh’s working visit to Japan from April 2-6. At a meeting with the Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications Sanae Takaichi in the morning of April 4, Chief Government Inspector Huynh Phong Tranh appreciated the coordination between the Japanese ministry and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency in organising training courses to strengthen the capacity of Vietnamese inspectors over the last two year. The two sides looked back to their recent links, while discussing cooperation orientations in the future. Tranh said he hopes for a strengthened connection between his agency and the Japanese ministry in the coming years. During his stay, the Vietnamese official will have a meeting with representatives from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Administrative Evaluation Bureau (AEB) under the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. He will also work with JICA’s representatives to discuss increasing training courses for personnel from the Vietnamese inspectorate sector and other sectors.- Dictionary compiled for ethnic people The central province of Thua Thien – Hue and the Vietnam Institute of Dictionary and Encyclopedia have successfully compiled a trilingual dictionary for ethnic people in the locality. The dictionary includes around 8,000 words featuring Vietnamese, Pa co and Ta oi languages. It is compiled based on the phonetic characteristics the of Pa co and Ta oi languages and ensures they correspond with the Vietnamese script and that of other ethnic groups. The dictionary makes it easy for learners to read, remember, type and print documents in their language as well as allow them to learn the national script and other ethnic languages in an effective way. According to the authors, the project is expected to preserve and develop the writing of Pa co and Ta oi ethnic people, especially in the fields of culture, communication and printing. It also helps ethnic officials to have documents to study the lives, aspirations and cultural features of ethnic people. Pa co and Ta oi ethnic people mainly live in mountainous A Luoi district. They have their own handwriting which belongs to the Latin script. Director of the provincial Department of Science and Technology Hoang Ngoc Nam said the dictionary will facilitate linguistic research in the future. It also aims to implement the Party and State’s policy of preserving the scripts of ethnic minority people in Vietnam and Thua Thien – Hue province in particular. Soc Trang: Relief provided for saline affected farmers The Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang is delivering support to local farmers affected by saltwater intrusion-caused damage of up to 569.2 billion VND (25.5 million USD). The toll is predicted to continue mounting as localities across Soc Trang are still surveying the affected area, said Director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Huynh Ngoc Van. He added that the department asked the provincial authorities for an initial aid of 24.65 billion VND (1.1 million USD). Data shows that 12,605 ha of rice in Soc Trang have been influenced by saltwater intrusion, leading to a loss of over 250.5 billion VND (11.2 million USD). The phenomenon, which is also wreaking havoc across the Mekong Delta, where it has impacted 6,705 ha of sugar cane valued at nearly 305 billion VND (13.7 million USD). Quang Tri works hard to alleviate plight caused by UXOs Over 83 percent of central Quang Tri province’s area were contaminated with bombs, mines and explosives left from wars, according to statistics collected from a recent survey. Since 1975, the locality has recorded 8,459 accidents caused by unexploded ordnances (UXO), with over 3,400 deaths and more than 5,000 others injured. Among the victims, women and children account for 31 percent. In 1996, Quang Tri was the first locality in the country to coordinate with international organisations in an attempt to alleviate the UXO plight. Its partners included the UK’s Mines Advisory Group, Norway’s Restoring the Environment and Neutralising the Effects of the War and the Norwegian People’s Aid, the US-based Clear Path International, and Germany’s Solidarity Service International. In addition, the provincial Legacy of War Coordination Centre (LWCC) was established in 2013, helping accelerate the implementation of bomb and mine clearance projects. These organisations have provided the locality with financial assistance and equipment together with education on the danger of UXOs. They have also helped victims be independent economically. The number of UXO-related accidents in Quang Tri dropped remarkably from 456 during 2001-2007 to 127 for 2008-2014, and many areas of UXO-tainted land decontaminated. Besides, more than 270,000 local children have been educated about how to deal with bombs and mines. LWCC Director Hoang Dang Mai said between 1996 and now, the centre has combed over 10 million sq.m of land and found 10,000 UXOs of different kinds, providing clean land to locals to cultivate. However, the areas of contaminated land have outweighed their efforts amidst the shortage of equipment and technologies. Mai, therefore, emphasised the need for more effective coordination between local authorities, people and international organisations in order to reap best results in the work. Family, juvenile court makes debut in HCM City The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Court debuted a family and juvenile tribunal on April 4. The launching ceremony was attended by local officials and representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People’s Procuracy and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Speaking at the event, Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court Truong Hoa Binh said the formation of a family and juvenile tribunal as part of a People’s Court, can be counted as a success of judicial reforms. It is a step to concretise the Party’s viewpoints and the State’s laws on protecting and developing Vietnamese families, while protecting, caring for and educating children. It also demonstrates Vietnam’s strong commitment to ensuring children’s rights, especially in judicial activities. He added that the family and juvenile tribunal will professionalise and improve the quality of the settlement of family and adolescent-related cases. The tribunal headquarters at No. 26 Le Thanh Ton street in District 1 of HCM City also has specialised sections such as a conciliation room, a consultation room and a children’s room. Tran Thanh Minh, a division chief of the HCM City People’s Court, was assigned as the justice of the Family and Juvenile Tribunal. “Pho” whets Mexicans’ appetite for Vietnam’s culinary culture Visitors to the Day of “Pho”, organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico on April 3, had a chance to gain an insight into and taste the renowned noodle soup of Vietnam. Representatives of Mexico City’s authorities, federal officials, the press and local residents were among the participations. Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Mexico Le Linh Lan gave the guests a brief introduction of “pho” including its significance, ingredients, recipe, and the space to enjoy. She informed the guests that April 4 has been officially announced the Day of Vietnamese “pho” in Japan to highlight the representative dish of Vietnam’s culture. This is the first time “pho” has a specific celebratory day. “Pho” has become popular in many countries, including the US, the UK and Japan, Lan said, adding that she hopes through the Day, Mexican people will understand more about Vietnam’s cuisine and culture. In addition to watching a cook from Vietnam demonstrate the making of “pho”, the dish was also offered for visitors to taste along with Vietnamese-style coffee. Vietnamese Pho consists of broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat. It is primarily served with either beef or chicken. Hailstones wreck havoc in Tuyen Quang province   Hailstones rained down in Chiem Hoa district of northern Tuyen Quang province on early April 3 and seriously damaged houses and a vast area of vegetables. Locals reported that at around 6:40 am on April 3, the sky suddenly turned dark and followed by a roaring sound like thunderstorm and hailstones. The stones with an average diameter of 5-10 centimeters, with some having exceptional 15 centimeters, have broken the roofs of 200 houses. Fortunately, no human losses are recorded. According to the preliminary statistics, the hailstone struck 10 communes and towns in Chiem Hoa district, with Tan Thinh commune being the hardest hit. Chairman of the Tan Thinh People Committee Le Manh Cuong said the stones have also damaged dozens of classrooms and vegetable fields. The district’s steering committee for flood prevention, natural disasters mitigation, search and rescue is working with relevant agencies to address the consequences and help locals stabilise their lives as soon as possible. Green urban areas lacking: architect Vietnam needs to have detailed criteria and policies that promote the development of green urban areas to improve living standards, architect Le Thi Bich Thuan has said. Thuan wrote in a story for the Vietnam Architecture Magazine that green urban planning had not been given adequate attention as an overall solution for protecting the environment and enhancing living standards in urban areas. Both investors and residents were not sufficiently aware of “green urban areas,” while profits rather than the long-term interests of the community remained a higher priority. She said policies should be raised to encourage real estate developers to invest in developing green projects. The boom in developing property projects in recent decades in Vietnam, despite creating a diverse supply for the market, intensified pressure on the ecosystem and living environment and increased the demand for urban open spaces amongst city dwellers. Vu Cuong Quyet, Director of the Northern Greenland Service and Real Estate Joint Stock Company, said home seekers now had a growing need for green projects that incorporate amenities and energy savings as improved incomes would prompt them to search for projects with a good living environment. Quyet said developers should pay attention to developing a connected infrastructure as well as social amenities and open spaces. A representative from CBRE said projects with a complete infrastructure and a large percentage of green space, in fact, attracted more attention from home seekers. A property developer said green projects would have higher liquidity but noted that not every firm was capable of developing this type of project as support remains limited. However, the lack of detailed criteria for green urban development is confusing for both developers and buyers, experts point out. According to Nguyen Tien Dong, Head of the Credit Department under the State Bank of Vietnam, several banks have taken green building standards into consideration when granting credit for property projects. However, the shortage of detailed criteria makes this evaluation difficult. The government has issued several guidelines to promote energy savings and green development, such as Decree 102/2003/NĐ/CP and Decision 1393/QĐ-TTg, but more detailed instructions are needed. According to Thuan, developing a compact city combined with urban open spaces and public transportation that limits emissions could be a solution for urban development in Vietnam. Japanese city sets up friendship association with Vietnam A Japan – Vietnam friendship association was established in Mimasaka city, Japan’s Okayama prefecture, aiming to help boost multi-dimensional cooperation between Japanese and Vietnamese localities. At its first congress convened on April 3, Takashi Norimoto, President of Mimasaka’s industry and trade association, was elected the Chairman of the Japan – Vietnam Friendship Association of Mimasaka. At the ceremony, Takashi Norimoto thanked the Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka for active support to the friendship association’s inception. He stressed that the organisation’s members will do their utmost to solidify the cooperation, amity and all-faceted exchanges between Mimasaka and Vietnam. Vietnamese Consul General Tran Duc Binh said he hopes the association’s active and practical activities will contribute to the intensification of mutual understanding and economic partnership between the city, as well as Japan, and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Seiji Hagiwara – Mayor of Mimasaka city – expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s achievements in national development and protection, while underlining the importance of tightened connections between the two sides. He added that Mimasaka, the friendship association and the Consulate General is to display a statue of late President Ho Chi Minh at the city’s museum to introduce the great Vietnamese leader to local residents. Mimasaka city is promoting multifaceted cooperation with Vietnam, especially in education – training, labour, economy and tourism. It also inked a cooperation agreement with the Da Nang University in April last year to boost training. Dutch Lady builds school for poor students in Binh Thuan FrieslandCampina Vietnam's Dutch Lady brand of dairy products has begun a charity campaign to build a school for disadvantaged students in the south-central province of Binh Thuan. For every pack of Dutch Lady customers buy from March until the end of this year, the company will donate the cost of a brick under the campaign called "One milk pack – One brick". The money thus raised will be used to build the school. The campaign is a part of the company's " Den Dom Dom " (Firefly Light) programme it began in 2002 with the aim of stopping children from dropping out of school and helping disadvantaged students attend school. The programme has so far awarded 25,000 scholarships and built 18 schools. Locals join hands to fight against saline intrusion In their fight against drought and saline intrusion, farmers in Tieu Can district in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh have contributed their own money to build canals and ditches. Each household in Trung Hieu hamlet of Tan Hung commune contributes about 70,000 VND (3 USD) per every 1,000sq.m in order to hire people to pump water. The water is pumped from a big river named Can Chong to canals and ditches in the interior field. From there, the farmers pump water to their own paddy fields, said Truong Van Giang, head of Trung Hieu hamlet. “Up to 30ha of rice in the hamlet have been saved,” he said. Other communes in the region, such as Tap Ngai, Ngai Hung and Tan Hoa, also apply the model. “About 1,669ha out of the 2,369ha of rice in Tieu Can district that are at risk of being hit by saline intrusion have been saved,” Tran Van Quan, deputy head of the district’s agriculture department, said while talking about the model’s efficiency. In addition to farmers’ initiatives, the local agriculture sector has spent billions of Vietnamese dong on dredging canals and ditches. The sector has also sent officers to check the salt levels of fields and assess the destruction caused by saline intrusion in order to provide adequate assistance in the future, he said. So far, a total of 11 provinces in the Mekong Delta and Central Highland regions, including Tra Vinh, have announced a state of emergency due to the drought and saline intrusion. More than 11,000ha of crops were destroyed in Tra Vinh province. People with autism face social barriers People with autism face barriers to social inclusion without equal access to healthcare services, education and employment, as heard at the workshop “Autism in Vietnam – Current situation and challenges” in Hanoi on April 1. The workshop was held by the Vietnam Autism Network (VAN) and Asia-Pacific Development Centre on Disability (APCD) as part of a series of events to mark World Autism Awareness Day (April 2). The Department of Social Assistance at the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs estimated that Vietnam currently has about 200,000 people living with autism spectrum disorder or autism. Speaking at the workshop, Vice Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam said the law on persons with disabilities recognises the rights and equality of opportunity for disabled people, including those with autism. Despite that, many Vietnamese are not familiar with the concept of autism. Attendees to the workshop pointed out that today, autism is not only a health issue but also a matter of development. If people with autism are not identified and provided help in developing social skills and community involvement at the early stage, they can later become isolated and a burden to their family and society. These people are often confronted with social discrimination related to their condition and even their families think of them as shameful. The attendees voiced the necessity for people with autism to be treated equally and for their distinctive needs to be satisfied properly. VAN President Hoang Ngoc Bich noted that people with autism, among 7.2 million people with disabilities in Vietnam, need support, respect and love to have a normal life like others. Memorial house built for combatants defending north border Construction work started in Vi Xuyen district, the northernmost province of Ha Giang, on April 2 on a commemorative house for the soldiers who died while defending the country’s northern border from 1978 to 1988. The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by representatives from the war veterans association of the Office of the Party Central Committee, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Central Economic Committee, the Vietnam News Agency, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Earlier, the association officials visited and presented gifts to families of social welfare policies in Ha Giang. Chairman of the association Ngo Van Minh granted gift packages each worth 5 million VND (225 USD) to two locals in Thuan Hoa commune, Vi Xuyen districts, who were exposed to toxic chemicals during the US war in Vietnam. The war veterans also visited the Vi Xuyen martyrs’ cemetery where more than 1,700 soldiers laid down their lives to defend the northernmost frontier of the country from 1978 to 1988. They laid wreaths and offered incense to commemorate the deceased. The ex-servicemen later visited the battlefield at Thanh Thuy national border gate, soldiers at Ha Giang border guard high command, and Tan Trao historical relic site in Tuyen Quang province. Deputy PM requires quicker collapsed Ghenh bridge rebuilding Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged the Transport Ministry, the Vietnam Railways Corporation (VNR) and Dong Nai authorities to hasten the construction of the new Ghenh bridge in the southern province’s Bien Hoa city to restore the North- South railway line. The old Ghenh bridge collapsed at noon on March 20 after a badge crashed into its pillar, causing interruption for railway services on the North- South railway line. It was built more than 100 years ago and is used for both rail and vehicle transportation. Visiting the construction site on April 3, Phuc asked for close coordination and constant supervision to ensure safety and avoid labour incidents. Emphasising the importance of ensuring railway and waterway transport safety, the Deputy PM requested the Transport Ministry and localities to immediately check weak bridges across the nation to promptly take essential repairs. According to the VNR, the corporation is striving to complete the upgrade of Ho Nai and Trang Bom stations before April 12 and Bien Hoa station before April 22 to minimise negative impacts on the traffic of passengers and cargos. Construction work on the new Ghenh bridge across the Dong Nai River began on April 1 and is expected to be completed on July 15. The Prime Minister has agreed in principle to the allocation of nearly 300 billion VND (13 million USD) for the urgent construction work of the bridge. Immunotherapy represents a new hope for cancer patients Immunotherapy, which strengthens the immune system, enabling it to detect cancerous cells more effectively, promises new hope for cancer patients, health experts said. Immunotherapy, the latest cancer treatment approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, has been hailed as a breakthrough in oncology. At a counseling workshop on targeted therapy and immunotherapy for cancers held in Ho Chi Minh City by Singapore’s Parkway Cancer Centre on April 2, Dr. Lim Hong Liang, the centre’s oncologists, said cancer cells have the ability to “camouflage” themselves in such a way that the body’s immune system is unable to detect and destroy them. “The therapy, a protocol that uses drugs, can aid in stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells, and prevent cancer from spreading to other parts of the body.” People with cancer experience a breakdown of the immune system, which inhibits the body’s natural defences and ability to recognise cancerous cells. However, some other attendees told the workshop that the new treatment did not signify the end of humanity’s struggle against cancer. It is important for patients to know that, like all medical treatments, there are certain limitations to what immunotherapy can achieve, according to the experts. Doctors have a responsibility to share and clear misconceptions surrounding the therapy. For instance, there is a common misconception that immunotherapy can be used to all types of cancers. It has shown promising results, especially in treating lung cancer and melanoma, and is also effective in treating lymphatic, colon, gastric, head and neck cancers. Researchers and clinicians are just beginning to learn how best to use immunotherapy, and in its current stage of development do not use it in early state cancers. It sometimes causes short- and long-term side effects such as shortness of breath, skin rashes, transient fall in blood pressures and flu-like symptoms, but the toxicity profile is less significant than traditional treatments and considerably safer. As opposed to standard chemotherapy and targeted agents, the positive responses through immunotherapy are sometimes evident even after discontinuing the treatment. “However, prevention and education about healthy lifestyle and screening (are very) important,” Foo Kian Fong, the centre’s other oncologist said. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, in 2012, Vietnam had 125,036 new cancer patients, of whom 94,743 died. The five most common cancers in terms of both incidence and mortality were of the liver, lung, stomach, breast and colorectum. In 2015, the HCM City Oncology Hospital alone diagnosed and treated more than 100,000 people for cancer, 70 percent of them from the southern region. Salinity expected to rise again in southern rivers Salinity in southern rivers will decrease in the first days of the week from April 2-8 and rise again towards the end of the week, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecast. The salinity will rise to almost the same level as recorded in the previous week, keeping the warning for saline intrusion in downstream rivers at Level 1 and 2. Rain at under 5mm is forecast for some areas upstream the Mekong River, while there will be no rain in downstream areas and the southern region as a whole. Water level in upper Mekong River is expected to change little at a level 0.5-2m higher than the average for many years, while the level downstream will be 0.02-0.2m higher than average. Water flows recorded in the two main tributaries of Mekong River are rising at slow pace, and expected to reach the highest volume of 3,200-3,500 cu.m per second at Tan Chau gauging station on Tien River on April 4 or 5 and 600-750 cu.m per second at Chau Doc gauging station on Hau River. Meanwhile, the highest tidal level measured at Sai Gon and Dinh An gauding stations are forecast to be higher than the level for the same period last year by 20-30cm. Rainstorm is possible to occur in some northern areas of the Central Highlands on April 4 and 5 with rainfall ranging from 5-15mm. Water levels on rivers in the south central region and Central Highlands will remain at low levels with water flows reducing by 50-70 percent from many-year average. Hospital cleans water with reeds The first waste water treatment system using reeds in Vietnam has been successfully developed at Nhan Ai hospital in Bu Gia Map district of southern Binh Phuoc province. Next to the hospital’s Internal Medicine Department, eight reed beds, each 8 metres wide and 23 metres long, are planted on waterproof plastic panels with sand and soil below. The roots of the reeds are able to dispose of organic chemicals and absorb heavy metals in medical waste water. Nguyen Ba Viet, the system operator, said that hospital waste water was pumped into the reed roots through pipes. Each reed bed is connected to one pipe. After treatment, the water is pumped out to the environment. As much as 150 cubic metres of water is treated daily. Viet said the bigger the reed roots beds were, the more water can be treated. Nhan Ai hospital officials took a sample of the treated water and concluded that it met hygiene standards. The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health invested in the model in 2012 with a total investment of 4 billion VND (178,000 USD). During the trial, the waterproof plastic panels and reeds were imported from Germany. To cut costs, the hospital tested planting Vietnamese reeds. Although the roots did not develop as well as those from Germany, the results were the same. The system is cheap to operate and maintain. It is as effective as Japanese filtration systems which cost 6 billion VND (267,000 USD), compared to only 4 billion VND or the reed system, according to Vo Van Dung, head of the hospital’s administration and management department. The waterproof plastic panels can be used for up to 20 years and new reeds grow when the old ones die. The only expense of maintaining the system is operating the water pumps. Nhan Ai hospital is home to more than 300 patients. Treating medical waste plays a key role in protecting the hospital’s environment and limiting negative impacts on the patients. It is expected to pave the way for the development of waste water treatment models at hospitals nationwide. Mekong River’s water resources shared The water discharged from China’s Jinghong Hydropower Station to the lower reaches of the Mekong River is expected to arrive in Vietnam from April 4, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s Water Resources Management Department. Together with the amount of water released from Laos’s dams, saltwater will be driven back towards the sea by around 20 km, and provinces along the Tien and Hau Rivers will get direct benefits. However, the level of salinity in Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, and Soc Trang provinces is still high. It is estimated that drought and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta has caused freshwater shortages for 1 million locals and losses of about 700,000 tonnes of rice. In response to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ diplomatic note requesting China to jointly cope with drought in the Mekong River basin, China has announced that it will release over 2,000 cubic meters of water per second from its Jinghong Hydropower Station from March 15 to April 10. The regulation of water resources upstream will help address drought and salt intrusion in downstream areas. Head of the Department for Water Resources Management Hoang Van Bay said China’s release of water downstream at the requests of Vietnam and the Mekong River Commission is a positive start of joint efforts to counter natural disasters in the region, especially in the context of millions of people along the Mekong river grappling with the most severe salt intrusion over the past century. The Mekong River, known as the Lancang in China, is the common asset of six countries: China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The water usage from the river needs to follow the fundamental principles of the 1997 UN Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, as well as the Mekong River Agreement and other international practices. These agreements are fair provisions for the use of water in an equal, reasonable, harmoniously beneficial, and responsible manner between involved parties without causing significant damages for other nations. Bay added that if all six countries in the Mekong sub-region join the Mekong River Commission, there will be more favourable conditions for the building of a joint mechanism for the better management, exploitation, use and protection of Mekong water resources. It will also better ensure the observance of international principles and standards in the field as well as the sharing of benefits and responsibilities among involved countries. SBIC to accept returns of broken fishing boats The Việt Nam Ship Building Industry Corporation (SBIC) has promised to solve all issues raised by fishermen from Đà Nẵng and Quảng Ngãi pertaining to broken steel-hulled fishing boats, according to a corporation representative. Nguyễn Ngọc Sự, chairman of SBIC’s council, told VietnamPlus that the corporation was willing to accept boats returned by fishermen who suffered commercial losses. Lê Văn Sang, owner of a Sang Fish 01 boat, said the boat had not worked properly for the past six months ever since it broke down. He said the boat had problems about six out of every 10 fishing trips. Sang said he decided to return it to the manufacturer because he didn’t have enough money to pay for it to be repaired. Mai Thành Văn, from the central province of Quảng Ngãi, returned the Hoàng Anh 01 ship to the Nha Trang Shipbuilding One-Member Co Ltd for the same reason. Sang Fish 01 and Hoàng Anh 01 were the first two steel-hulled fishing boats to be built under Government Decree 67, which stipulates policies on investment, credit, insurance and tax incentives to support fishermen and ship owners who wish to build new fishing boats or upgrade their existing ones. Sang Fish 01 is 25.21m in length and 7.8m in width, has six cargo holds and can accommodate 18 crew members. In addition, the boats are equipped with GPS trackers, long-range communication devices and other modern equipment. Each has a 750-horsepower engine, and the cost of the vessel, including equipment on board, is VNĐ7.3 billion (US$327,550). Sự said the reason why Sang Fish 01 ship broke down was because some professional fishermen are accustomed to operating wooden boats, but are unfamiliar with the new style of steel-hulled fishing boats. He also blamed the purchasing of secondhand engines for the boat’s failure. Sự said other boats built by SBIC operated normally. Under the decree dated July 7, 2014, fishermen can borrow 70-95 per cent of the funds needed to build and upgrade their boats depending on the model and engine capacity. The measure aimed to help fishermen build boats that were safer and more effective than their wooden ones, thus raising their incomes. The lending term lasts 11 years, and interest rates range from one to three per cent per annum. Truck drivers die in Bình Phước crash Two drivers were killed when their trucks collided into each other early yesterday morning in the southern province of Bình Phước’s Đồng Xoài Township. The accident happened at 1am when a HCM City-Bình Phước truck was travelling at high speed down Tà Bế slope. The driver reportedly lost control and crossed the road to the other side and hit a truck carrying wooden sticks. The collision killed the two drivers and blocked the road. Local police are investigating the incident. Rural script writing contest launched The Ministry of Culture has launched a script-writing contest on farmers and new rural areas for amateur and professional writers.   The contest entitled Cả Nước Chung Sức Xây Dựng Nông Thôn Mới (We build new rural areas) encourages participants of any age and background to write about the life and work of farmers who play a role in building new rural areas and sustainable poverty reduction. The writers can highlight the happiness, difficulties, challenges and other issues that have changed farmers’ lives.    The work could be used for theatre, including tuồng (classical drama), chèo (traditional opera) and cải lương (reformed theatre). Contestants can send no more two works, to be staged for no more than 40 minutes, to the organiser by email at nghethuatquanchung.vhcs@gmail or to 51-53 Ngô Quyền Street, Hoàn Kiếm District in Hà Nội before September 30. The organiser will give one top prize, two second prizes and three third prizes. The best works will also be produced by drama troupes and film studios.   According to theatre director Phan Hoàng of the HCM City Television, some State-owned and private filmmakers and theatres are now involved in making productions about countryside. “The life and work of farmers, particularly those living in the Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta region, are hot topics on TV shows in HCM City,” said Hoàng, adding that TV and theatre producers have invested money and staff to produce works on the development of new rural areas.    Highlighted works such as Khát Vọng Đồng Quê (Countryside Ambition) and Ra Khơi (Sailing Forth) have attracted millions of viewers.   These productions highlight the ambition of young farmers who use their knowledge and skills to help local villagers escape from poverty. Việt Nam Television VTV has broadcast a new series, Gia Phả Của Đất (Source of Land), in hopes to attract viewers nationwide. The 38-part work tells the stories of farmers living in northern provinces, who have to change to develop their business. It is based on the novel  Đồng Sau Bão (Field after the Storm) written by Hoàng Minh Tường, which was awarded by the Vietnamese Writers Association in 1997. “Our producers need quality scripts, which feature the many challenges farmers face in the modern world, and changes in their culture and lifestyle,” Hoàng said. Needy but deserving students awarded scholarships for med school Six years ago, Dương Anh Vũ finally achieved his dream: to enroll in Phạm Ngọc Thạch Medicine University in HCM City. Vũ and his family had worried that they would not be able to pay the tuition of VNĐ17 million (US$760) a year. His parents, who are teachers at primary schools, could not afford the fee, and his sister had not found a job after graduating from university. But then Vu heard about the Nguyễn Văn Hưởng scholarship fund. He cried with happiness when he was chosen as his six years of tuition would now be covered. Vũ, who recently graduated from the medical school, was one of 120 students who received the scholarships, which have been sponsored by the family of the late Dr. Tạ Trung Quấc over the last nine years, including 90 scholarships for the Nguyễn Văn Hưởng scholarship fund. “I would have dropped out of school if I had not received the scholarship,” Vũ said, adding that he had put great effort to become a good doctor and help disadvantaged students. This year, 150 outstanding medical students at Phạm Ngọc Thạch Medicine University and HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy received Nguyễn Văn Hưởng scholarships worth a total of VNĐ860 million (US$38,400). Police patrol streets on bicycles in HCM City, Ha Noi For the first time in HCM City, ward-level police officers are riding bicycles to patrol  their assigned areas. About 115 bicycles were given to police in 15 wards in HCM City’s District 5 on March 30, according to Colonel Nguyễn Văn Tiến, head of District 5’s Public Security division. Police ride bikes that have public security logos of each ward. They can better interact with residents, who now have more trust in public security, Tiến said. He said that bicycle riding was good for the policemen’s health but also protects the environment and saves costs. Phạm Quốc Huy, chairman of District 5’s People’s Committee, said the bike-riding practice would enhance affinity between public security forces and local residents. Other localities, including Hà Nội, Cao Lãnh City of Đồng Tháp Province and Thừa Thiên-Huế Province began the practice a few months ago. The Hà Nội Police Department has received positive feedback on the police officers’ friendly image. However, the practice has also faced criticism as some people are worried that police on bicycle patrols would find it more difficult to chase thieves. Vietnamese women caught for disposing of newborn in Korea A Vietnamese student and her friend were arrested in the Republic of Korea on April 1 for allegedly disposing of the body of her dead newborn baby at a subway station two days earlier, local media reported. The 19-year-old mother told the police she left the body at subway station in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province so that "one of many passing people would find him and give him a funeral,” according the Korea Herald. According to the report, she was six months pregnant when she arrived in the Republic of Korea in January to enroll at a university as a language school student. She kept silent about the pregnancy, fearing it would hamper her relationship with her parents and cause problems at school, the report said. She gave birth to a baby boy on March 30, a month before her expected due date. But the baby "was not in healthy state" and died three hours later, the report quoted her testimony as saying. She then put the child's body in a shopping bag and left it on the staircase of Uijeongbu station’s underground shopping mall, with the help of a Vietnamese female friend, who is also 19. Four-and-a-half hours after giving birth, she disposed the shopping bag containing her dead child’s body on the staircase of Uijeongbu station’s underground shopping mall. A Vietnamese female friend, who is also 19, helped her carry out the deed. The police arrested the two women under charges of illegal disposal of a body. An autopsy will be performed on the baby to verify the cause of death. Saigon's largest art center opens in District 2 A huge contemporary art center with several spaces for art exhibitions and visual performances officially opened in the city’s District 2 recently. The Factory Contemporary Art Center (FCAC) on Nguyen U Di Street was inaugurated with a six-day exhibition starting from April 4, organizers said. The digital exhibition of TechNoPhobe features performances by six local and expat artists with the help of digital sound system, smart phones and 3D printers. Several workshops were timed to coincide with the first art show at FCAC. The founder of the art center, Ti-a Thuy Nguyen, who is a fashion designer, said she also offers private spaces in the 1,000-square meter center for team working and art creations. After the first art center operated in Ho Chi Minh City, a second center will be launched in Hanoi very soon, Nguyen added. Argentinean newspaper hails Vietnam’s tourist attractions Argentinean newspaper, Clarin, on April 2 comments upon Vietnam’s rapid tourist development over recent years. The newspaper introduced Vietnam’s cultural values and scenic spots across the country including the Red River Delta, the Hoang Lien Son range, Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba national park, and the Mekong Delta attractions.    Each place has its own distinctive features. Hanoi is a combination of traditional and French architecture, while Ho Chi Minh city reflects a French colonial architecture. Hue imperial city has preserved old constructions of the Nguyen royal family.  Besides historical places, Vietnam has many beautiful beaches, modern tourist hubs, and good accommodations. The newspaper said in the recent 15 years, the Southeast Asian nation's tourism has developed rapidly. Last year, the country welcomed 7 million tourists, while the figure stood at just 2 million in 2000. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri