Social News 5/4 (Hourly Updated) Endangered cobras found in suitcases   Hà Nam police on Wednesday discovered some 130kg of cobras inside three wheeled suitcases, a backpack and a paper box wrapped in black nylon. - Photo courtesy of Hà Nam Police  Police in the northern province of Hà Nam on Wednesday made an extraordinary discovery: three cabin suitcases filled with venomous cobras. According to police sources, Trịnh Văn Nghị, 31, and his 30-year-old wife, Trần Thị Tuyền, from Hà Nam’s Thanh Liêm District were stopped by the police as they were passing Phủ Lý City. On examining their luggage, the police discovered some 130kg of cobras inside three wheeled suitcases, a backpack and a paper box wrapped in black nylon. The couple failed to present papers proving the legal origins of the animals, which were listed as an endangered species on Việt Nam’s Red List. Nghị told the police that a restaurant owner in HCM City had paid him VNĐ20 million (US$880) to transport the cobras from the southern city to Hà Nội. The police are investigating the case. Fire in warehouse to be extinguished by Thursday    Firefighters spray water to extinguish the fire that started on Wednesday morning at a fibre warehouse containing some 5,000 tonnes of material and commodities. The fire in TexhongYinlong Technology Limited’s Factory No. 4 in the northen province of Quảng Ninh will be extinguished by the end of Thursday, according to local authorities, Vietnam News Agency reported. The fire started at the factory’s fibre warehouse at 2am on Wednesday. The warehouse contained some 5,000 tonnes of material and commodities. Twenty-six fire engines and over 800 people have been mobilised to put out the fire. China’s Guangxi Province has also sent fire engines to help extinguish the fire. However, they failed to prevent the fire from spreading. As of 8am on Thursday, the fire was brought under control, but firefighters continued to spray water to extinguish it completely. No fatalities were reported, but all property in the warehouse was completely destroyed. Texhong Yinglong Technology Limited, a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s Texthong Textile Group, was established in April 2012 with a total investment of US$300 million. It covers 53ha in the Hải Yến Industrial Park in Quảng Ninh’s Móng Cái City and employs 5,000 local workers. Investigation into the cause of the fire is underway. Children drown in Hà Tĩnh Lake after school    The lake where Nhật and Thông were found drowned. Photo infonet.vn Two children drowned in the central province of Hà Tĩnh yesterday afternoon. The case has prompted calls for extra classes on swimming in schools. Võ Minh Nhật, 12, and Võ Minh Thông, 10, were found drowned in a lake in the province’s Hương Trà Commune in the mountainous Hương Khê District at around 5pm on Wednesday. Locals commuting past the lake on a nearby path spotted two sets of school uniforms on the bank of the lake but did not see any children. Out of concern, a few of them entered the water, where they discovered the bodies of the children. The children were taken to a local hospital but were declared dead on arrival. Nearby residents said they had seen Nhật and Thông, who were cousins, head towards the lake after school. Commune authorities assisted in transferring the bodies to the children’s families for funeral arrangements, according to Phan Thế Hòa, the commune chairman. Experts in the country have called for more playgrounds to be built for children to play in after school due to the high percentage of fatal accidents involving children who were trying to entertain themselves. A large number of legal and illegal extra classes have opened across the country, but few of them train children in survival skills. They teach almost the same subjects as the school curriculum to meet the desire for high scores among parents. Minh win stage, Tùng wins yellow jersey Lê Nguyệt Minh celebrates winning the seventh stage of the HCM City Television Cycling Tournament yesterday. - Photo laodong.vn Lê Nguyệt Minh won the seventh stage of the HCM City Television Cycling Tournament yesterday. Minh of HCM City-Minh Giang finished first in the longest stage of the event, 199km from Vinh City of the central province of Nghệ An to Đồng Hới City of Quảng Bình Province in a time of 4:55.52. For the second consecutive stage, Minh overcame veterans Lê Văn Duẩn and Nguyễn Thành Tâm with a sprint at the death to triumph. Minh also holds the green jersey award for best sprinter, while the white jersey for the best young cyclist is worn by Nguyễn Cường Khang of VUS-HCM City. Huỳnh Thanh Tùng of the Military Zone 7 retained the yellow jersey award for the best overall time after seven stages. Tùng’s good performance helped his team, the Military Zone 7 top the team rankings. Today, cyclists will compete in the eighth stage from Quảng Bình to Huế City, lasting 162km. Forum spotlights Vietnam–Switzerland cooperation for green growth   Scene at the high-level forum   A high-level forum took place in Hanoi on April 4, discussing potential for cooperation between Vietnam and Switzerland toward green development. The event was co-organised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Swiss Embassy in Vietnam for the two countries to share methods and solutions in the field. Addressing the forum, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said the Swiss Government has supported the private sector development in Vietnam, particularly in optimising usage of natural resources and translating the clean production concept into reality. Dung expressed his belief on the good potential for bilateral partnership in green growth arena, based on their fruitful political, diplomatic, and economic relations. He noted that the two nations had agreed to focus their cooperation during 2017 – 2020 on building effective economic intuitions and policies, fostering a competitive and efficient private sector, and promoting sustainable urban development adaptive to climate change. Doris Leuthard, Director of Switzerland’s Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication, suggested Vietnam study and apply methods to mobilize resources for green growth from the community and businesses. Swiss participants shared their experiences on building a clean and green economy, mobilising resources for the process, and lessons that could be applied for developing countries like Vietnam. Vietnam has adopted a national plan on green growth for 2016 – 2020, with prioritised subjects including climate change response, green production, green consumption, and greenhouse emission reduction. To date, the country has seven ministries and 39 provinces and cities designing and implementing their own action plans for green growth. Vietnamese in Malaysia donate to send body of Tran Thi Mai home The Vietnamese Embassy and expatriate community in Malaysia have raised enough funds to send the body of suicide victim Tran Thi Mai to Vietnam. Mai cut herself using a knife at the waiting room of the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia on April 2. She died of blood loss the same day. Before the incident, Mai, born in 1981 in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang, came to the embassy with a man to apply for a travel permit to return home. The two argued at the embassy’s gate just before the woman entered the waiting room. The man was said to have been violent with Mai. Early reports showed he was a Vietnamese middleman, hired to assist Mai to travel to Malaysia. The embassy is working with Malaysian police to investigate the case.- Twenty-seven more communes and wards this year join family medical practice   A health staff member takes blood for testing at An Hòa ward health station in Cần Thơ City’s Ninh Kiều District. Source http://soytecantho.vn  The Department of Health in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ this year plans to expand a model of family medical practice clinics to 27 more communes and wards. Family medical practice clinics aim to provide comprehensive and continuous health care services to each local individual and family in order to reduce overcrowding of patients at city or central-level hospitals. These clinics are located at health stations in communes and wards. Each commune or ward has one health station. Cần Thơ aims to equip more than 80 per cent of its 85 health stations with these clinics by 2020. According to Dr Bùi Thị Lệ Phi, the department’s head, the city now has 18 commune-based health stations with family medical practice clinics. These clinics are managing the health of more than 117,000 residents. However, they have not yet provided services such as hospice care, health consultation and screening for diseases because they have faced a shortage of health staff including doctors. Residents there did not yet trust these clinics because they were not yet familiar with them, Dr Nguyễn Thị Thanh Thúy of the department told Tuổi Trẻ (Youth) newspaper. Since 2015, all health stations in the city have met the national standards for health facilities in communes within period between 2011 to 2020, but several of them face a shortage of vital medical equipment. The department every year organises walks to raise funds from private sectors to buy this equipment which have so far provided 96 devices for blood pressure monitors, 26 ultrasound machines, and other equipment in order to improve the quality of health examinations and treatment. This year, the department will continue calling on various financial sources from private sectors to buy more medical equipment for health stations in communes and wards as well as towns in order to ensure they are able to provide basic health care services to local residents via family medical practice clinics, according to Phi. Cần Thơ City is one of eight provinces and cities carrying out Project on Building and Developing Family Medical Practice Clinics within the period between 2013 and 2020. The seven remaining provinces and cities in the project are Thái Nguyên, Thừa Thiên Huế, Khánh Hòa, Tiền Giang, Hà Nội, Hồ Chí Minh, and Hải Phòng. Three die from mushroom poisoning   Many kinds of toxic mushrooms are found in the northern provinces, including Amanita Verna and Amanita Virosa, all deadly fungi. Three members of a family were poisoned and died over the weekend after consuming mushrooms collected from the forest.  Sùng Diêu Hồng, 52, from the northern mountainous province of Hà Giang, had reportedly collected mushrooms from the forest for breakfast on Wednesday.  At 3pm that day, Hồng and his wife, 48-year-old Thào Thị Vá, their 28-year-old son Sùng Văn Hoàng and his wife Lý Thị Pà showed symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea and dizziness. They were taken to the provincial hospital for emergency treatment. Despite receiving intensive care, Hoàng and Vá died due to extreme poisoning on March 31 and April 1, respectively. Pà also died at the hospital the following day. Hồng was in a critical condition and has been transferred to the Hà Nội-based Bạch Mai Hospital’s Anti-Poison Centre for further treatment. The youngest victim of toxic mushrooms, Pà, was 23 years old, said Trần Văn Học, head of Emergency and Anti-Poison Centre at the Hà Giang Province General Hospital, on Monday. Hậu Giang to get urban clean-water supply by 2020   Hậu Giang Province hopes to develop a clean water supply system for rural areas by 2020.  The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Hậu Giang plans to build a safe water-supply network serving 70 per cent of residents in urban areas, with an average of 70 litres per person per day by 2020. The province’s People’s Committee approved the project for rural areas at a meeting held on Monday. The aim is to provide clean water to all residents in urban areas by 2030. The project will be divided into two phases with total estimated capital of about VNĐ1.3 trillion (US$57 million). Capital sources include state budget funds, ODA (Official Development Assistance), and other loan capital. Under the draft plan, water supply and drainage networks include three options: using water from water supply plans in Mekong Delta; buying water from the Aqua One Drinking Water Factory; and improving existing water plants and building extra reservoirs. Consulting engineer Nguyễn Quốc Bình said the upgrade of plants and more reservoirs could save a lot of money, compared to other more costly options which will take a long time to implement. Đồng Văn Thanh, deputy chairman of the province’s People’s Committee, said the project would require about 85.5ha of land to build reservoirs and good management of surface water. Planning for water supply and use in the province is part of the national target programme on clean water and environment in rural areas and the programme on building new-style rural areas, according to Thanh. New medium-sized and large water supply systems for residential areas, schools, medical stations and markets are needed, especially in areas with water scarcity and poor quality of water. Advanced technology is needed to treat brackish water in the case of saltwater intrusion, such as Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology for treatment. "The project needs to be adjusted soon to submit to the Ministry of Construction for approval," he added. Nguyễn Hoàng Anh, deputy director of the province’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said the province had nearly 200 water supply stations operating in rural areas. He said this project would contribute to exploiting water resources more efficiently and meet the need for clean water. By 2016, nearly 35,000 households living in rural areas had access to clean water, accounting for 24 per cent of total rural households in the province. The province has more than 46,000 wells supplying about 90,000cu.m of water a day. Bình Định fishermen to win damages   Final negotiations between 19 fishermen and the two companies involved in a steel ship damage case in the central province of Bình Định would take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.- Photo - nld.com.vn  Final negotiations between 19 fishermen and the two companies involved in a steel ship damage case in the central province of Bình Định would take place on Tuesday and Wednesday. The information was released at a press conference held by the provincial Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Monday, focusing on compensation paid to local fishermen following damage to their new fishing vessels built in accordance with the Government’s Decree 67. Issued in 2014, the decree aims to support fishermen and fisheries development by providing financial support for fishermen to purchase or build larger boats.  Late last year, the 19 fishing families sent a proposal to the agriculture department requesting the two ship-building companies of Nam Triệu and Đại Nguyên Dương to pay VNĐ45.6 billion (more than US$2 million) worth of compensation. According to the fishermen, the compensation includes the costs of repair, hiring of labourers, towing vessels, damaged seafood, profits lost and principal and interest payments to banks. “If both sides fail to reach a deal, the province will provide legal assistance to help the fishermen institute legal proceedings against the two companies within a month as of April 2,” Director of Bình Định Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Phan Trọng Hổ told the press conference. The fishermen claimed that their steel ships built in line with the decree were installed with unbranded devices and machines so they had not operated properly and effectively, Vietnam News Agency reported. Since the ships stayed inactive for over a year, the companies have not taken prompt measures to maintain and repair the facilities. A number of meetings have been organised since then by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development discussing the compensation and support for the ship owners. During these meetings, both companies denied any responsibility for compensation beyond a small amount of money paid for the repairs of damage, Vietnam News Agency reported. Đại Nguyên Dương Company argued that the five fishermen’s request for compensation was baseless whereas Nam Triệu Company said they had no responsibility for compensating the 14 fishermen. Authorities in the central province of Quảng Ngãi have made it clear that fishing vessels illegally encroaching on a foreign country’s sea area will have their operation licence revoked forever. The highest level of punishment is applied for the owner and captain of ships that go fishing illegally in a foreign country’s waters, according to the Government’s news portal www.baochinhphu.vn. Additionally, any repeat offender will be subjected to legal proceedings, along with organisations and individuals involved in taking Vietnamese vessels and fishermen out for illegally fishing in a foreign sea area. Local authorities also required vessels to be installed with a monitoring system which must be turned on whenever the ship departs to ensure a smooth connection is made with competent bodies on shore. Deputy head of Quảng Ngãi Fisheries Division Phùng Đình Toàn said no case of fishing activities beyond Việt Nam’s sovereign waters was detected in the past few months. 10% of Cà Mau homes to lack clean water in dry season   Ten per cent of households in Cà Mau Province have no access to clean water. - Photo nguoiduatin.vn Of Cà Mau Province’s 226,000 households, 10 per cent still do not have access to clean water. Nguyễn Hạnh Phúc, director of the Clean Water and Rural Environment Sanitation centre, said the province has 232 water supply systems but only 20 of them work effectively. Most of the water supply systems are damaged, use simple technology, and do not work effectively. In the dry season, many people lack clean water due to a shortage of water sources and saline surface water, especially in Đầm Dơi, U Minh, Năm Căn, Thới Bình, Trần Văn Thới districts. Phúc said it was difficult to supply water because many of the households are located in different places. He suggested that local residents try to collect and reserve rainwater during the dry season. The centre plans to upgrade and extend some water supply systems so they will work more efficiently, and will call for investment to repair damaged systems. Đồng Nai forges ahead in rural healthcare   A doctor treats a patient at a rural health clinic in Đồng Nai Province.  Many heath facilities are being developed in HCM City’s neighbouring Đồng Nai Province, especially in rural areas, to improve convenience for the public. On Monday the Long Khánh Regional General Hospital in Long Khánh District opened four clinics called Health Experts, where doctors from HCM City hospitals will treat patients. Phan Văn Huyên, the hospital’s director, said this would help reduce the crowding at HCM City hospitals, where many people from neighbouring provinces go for quality treatment. Dr Nguyễn Thế Luyến of the trauma and orthopaedics department at HCM City’s University Medical Centre said for instance that patients from other provinces and cities make a beeline for his hospital, with many arriving at 3am to beat the queue. The visit by experts from HCM City’s hospitals to the Health Experts clinics in Long Khánh would also enable young doctors there to learn from them, Huyên said.   The clinics treat vascular-heart, spine- bone and joint, gastroenterological, and liver problems on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays every week. In June last year the province People’s Committee announced an action plan for a project to develop grassroots health facilities. It plans to earmark more than VNĐ3 trillion (US$131.6 million) for the programme. Last year a health centre was opened in Tân Phú District besides nine more health stations, according to the Department of Health. Besides, new departments to treat infectious diseases and newborn babies were opened at the province Paediatrics Hospital in Biên Hoà City. All health stations in communes and wards had doctors last year, which increased the ratio of doctors to 7.5 per 10,000 population, the department said. There were 27.5 beds per 10,000 people last year, it added. Doctors at district health centres perform various kinds of surgeries. Obstetric surgeries have, for instance, been performed at health centres in the districts of Vĩnh Cửu, Trảng Bom and Nhơn Trạch. Phan Huy Anh Vũ, deputy head of the Department of Health, told Đồng Nai newspaper this was the result of Project 1816, under which central hospitals send doctors to train and work for a period in smaller hospitals around the country. "But the district health centres need to learn more sophisticated techniques," he admitted, suggesting that the Ministry of Health should allow them to choose hospitals in the province and elsewhere to learn advanced techniques. "Many of the hospitals and doctors designated by the ministry to train them are very busy and the training is delayed," he explained.    Dr Hồ Thanh Phong, director of the Nhơn Trạch District Health Centre, said his centre focused on developing various surgical techniques. It would build one more operating theatre with advanced equipment to speed up treatment, he said. The centre now has only one theatre. It sends its doctors to other hospitals including the District 2 Hospital in HCM City to learn surgical and anaesthetic techniques.   Not only obstetric surgeries but also other operations to treat trauma and orthopaedic problems are performed at the centre, according to Phong. Last year more than 250 patients received surgeries between June and year-end. Natural disaster-hit community expected to be evacuated in 2025   Resetlement houses in Muong La district of Son La (Source: http://dantocmiennui.vn)  All people living in northern mountainous localities with high risks of natural disasters such as torrential rains, landslides, flash flood, damaging cold and flood, are expected to be moved to safer places by 2025. According to Vu Xuan Thanh, deputy head of the Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, communications will be strengthened among the community and governments in risky areas to enhance their knowledge and skills in natural disaster prevention and response. A number of measures have been implemented to minimise loss of human lives and property due to the disasters, including installing early warning systems in high-risk areas, building landslides maps and planting warning signs, said Thanh. He noted that national disaster response drills have been held annually, while documents guiding local households to prepare for natural disasters have been delivered. In the last 20 years, 300 flash floods and landslides have ravaged northern mountainous localities with increasing heavy losses. Notably, a flood in Nam Lay stream in Lai Chau in June, 1990 left 82 people dead or missing. Eleven people died and went missing in another one in September 2013 in Sa Pa district of Lao Cai, while flood and landslides in Lao Cai in February 2016 also killed 15 people. Spring Culinary Festival Returns to Hotel Metropole Hanoi This April, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi celebrates the start of spring with a mouth-watering line-up of gastronomic events from France, Australia and India.  This year’s spring culinary festival kicks off at Vietnam’s most storied hotel with a special champagne buffet featuring select wines from Billecart-Salmon. The French champagne house is renowned for the quality of its delicate rosé, while its Brut Réserve is a beautifully harmonious and balanced wine. The champagne buffet-dinatoire will take place on April 5 at Le Balcon from 6:30pm and is priced at VND 1,200,000 per person.  Meanwhile, from April 7 to 24, foodies are invited to savour a “Taste of Australia”, featuring culinary offerings and wine from Down Under, at Le Club Bar.  The sensory explosion is set to continue throughout April as Indian Chef Halim Ali Khan is set to take Hanoi by storm with his sizzling and fiery North Indian creations.  At “Incredible India: A taste of the finest Indian flavours,” guests are invited to indulge in Chef Khan’s signature butter chicken tandoori, naans, tangy lamb curries, and Indian sweets. The Indian master chef, who will be flying in from the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, is due to showcase his culinary creations at the Metropole’s Vietnamese fine-dining restaurant Spices Garden from April 23 to 28.  Guests can also look forward to a special lunch buffet, featuring classic Indian dishes such as lentil pancakes with tomato chutney and stir-fried okra, as well as a dinner-time 5-course tasting menu, including a vegetarian option. The lunch buffet costs VND 790,000++ per person, while the tasting menu is priced at VND 1,950,000++ per person.  Chef Khan grew up in Odisha, a state in Eastern India, where he picked up traditional Indian recipes passed along by village tradition and families. He spent six years honing his craft at the Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa, before joining Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in 2012 as Indian Sous Chef and cooked his way up to Restaurant Operations Chef. Chef Khan is the masterful artisan behind the North Indian atelier of Spiral, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila’s multi-awarded flagship restaurant with 21 interactive dining ateliers. Boasting culinary experience spanning more than a decade, Chef Khan’s passion for the culinary arts has shaped his path towards creating gastronomic impressions for the eager gourmand. Japanese-funded tourism project helps Co Tu ethnic people    A community-based tourism project has helped to improve living standards of Co Tu ethnic minority people in the central province of Quang Nam. The project funded by Japan’s Foundation for International Development and Relief helped local people preserve their culture and traditional customs.     Briu Thuong, chairman of Co Tu community-based tourism co-operative in Ta Bhing Commune, said that the co-operative has attracted 300 members. Each year, the co-operative earn around VND1 billion (USD45,454) from tourism services. Part of this is shared equally among all members, while the rest is used to the development of tourism products.    When receiving a tour, the co-operative holds a meeting for all members to arrange them to serve visitors. Local people often prepare their cuisine, perform dances and play gongs, offer home-stays and serve as tour guides.  Young Co Tu girls are assigned to stand at the gates of local tourism sites to welcome visitors. Community-based tourism and eco-tour services will help Co Tu ethnic minority improve their living standards while reviving their culture. The young generations can learn from the elderly and by conducting cultural activities and performances.  The project has also helped people to compile specific regulations for tourists. Local residents can sell their traditional products such as brocade and souvenirs. The Japanese organisation has also assisted Co Tu people to develop their traditional brocade weaving. GDVT sets target for trained workers at 25%    The General Department of Vocational Training (GDVT) will seek to increase the number of vocational education graduates to 2.1 million, increasing the proportion of trained workers with certificates from 23% to 25%. For this year, the vocational education sector has set a target of enrolling 2.2 million people. According to statistics from 63 departments of labour, invalids and social affairs, in 2017 the average rate of college and vocational training school graduates securing employment after graduation reached more than 80%. The more prestigious vocational training schools, such as the Vocational College of Technology, the Ho Chi Minh City Vocational College of Technology, the LILAMA 2 International Technology College, and the Vocational College No. 1, have the highest rate of employment among graduates at 100%. The average starting salary for trained students after graduation is VND 5.2 million per month. Some jobs have higher salaries, such as driving inland waterway transports (VND7 million) or operating machinery (VND6million to VND8 million). Extreme heat wave hits north According to the National Hydrology Meteorology Forecast Center, the northern provinces have experienced hot and muggy weather with the highest daytime temperature of 29- 31 degrees Celsius, even up to over 33 degrees Celsius in some places of the northwestern region.  The northwestern provinces are expected to see rain, thunderstorm, cyclone and powerful wind in evenings. The extreme temperature is expected to keep until April 5.  By the evening of April 5, a cold air is forecast to influence in the northern and north- central regions, and after that it will spread out the mid- central region.  Because of its impact, the northern and north- central regions are going to suffer medium- heavy rain and thunderstorm. From April 6, showery weather and thunderstorm will hit both the mid- central and Central Highlands provinces.  The lowest temperature in the northern mountainous region could drop down 12- 14 degrees Celsius.  Meanwhile, the Gulf of Tonkin and the northern territorial waters including the Paracel Islands will see powerful wind of level 7- 10 and sea rough.  The central and southern offshore areas will see sustainable wind of level 6-8 and sea rough. Short-term social insurance required for foreign workers   Foreign workers are seen at a construction site in Vietnam   Foreign workers in Vietnam should buy short-term social insurance products like sickness, maternity, workplace accidents and occupational diseases in the immediate future, and will have to get long-term social insurance products, including pension and death insurance after 2020 or 2022, according to a draft Government decree. Under the 2014 social insurance law which came into force on January 1, social insurance is compulsory to foreign workers in Vietnam. However, such a regulation has yet to be applied as foreign business associations in Vietnam have objected to the rule and a guiding decree has not been issued. Many business associations and experts have previously proposed applying short-term or voluntary social insurance to foreign workers. Tran Hai Nam, deputy director of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs’ Department of Social Insurance, told the Daily that the National Assembly insisted on compulsory insurance. Social insurance is compulsory in many countries, which leads to double taxation for those working overseas. To avoid this, Vietnam has finished talks of double insurance avoidance agreements with Germany and South Korea. The labor ministry is preparing for talks with Japan. “In the draft decree, we manage to provide a reasonable roadmap towards social insurance,” Nam said, adding that short-term insurance will be applied in the near future. Insurance for pension and death will be compulsory to foreign workers in 2020 or 2022. In the meantime, Vietnam will work to conclude double insurance avoidance with other countries. It was said by foreign business associations that compulsory social insurance would push up business costs. Nonetheless, according to Nam, the compulsory insurance requirement does not incur additional costs at businesses and aims to ensure equality among local and foreign workers. The draft decree has been presented to the Government and will soon be introduced. Transport ministry says will speed up major projects   The Tan Son Nhat International Airport expansion project is an important project this year  The Ministry of Transport will accelerate key infrastructure projects such as Long Thanh International Airport, Tan Son Nhat International Airport and North-South Expressway from next quarter. At a meeting of the ministry last week, the ministry said its key job for next quarter is to prepare construction of the Eastern North-South Expressway, with feasibility studies for all 11 components to be approved by July. The ministry will also speed up preparations for the Long Thanh International Airport project to sign a contract with a consulting firm for a feasibility study in May. In addition, the ministry will put into use 10 projects and commence seven others in quarter two this year. In the first three months of the year, investors submitted final accounts for eight projects worth more than VND15.3 trillion (US$670.6 million), 62% of the target for the quarter and 15% of the full-year plan in terms of the number of projects. Agencies under the ministry have completed inspections and approved final accounts for seven projects valued at over VND1 trillion, beating the plan for the first quarter by 17% and reaching 8% of the yearly plan in the number of projects. As for traffic projects implemented under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) format, investors have submitted final accounts for 59 projects, of which 55 have been finalized. Regarding capital disbursement, the Ministry of Transport disbursed more than VND7.1 trillion in January-March, 23.04% of the target for this year. Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The said the ministry has cut some business conditions to facilitate private sector investment in infrastructure. The minister required agencies under the ministry to continue abolishing business conditions and simplifying procedures. Photo exhibition on French and Vietnamese culture set to open Saturday   “Pot Au Pho” photo exhibition depicts the daily lives of Vietnamese people through an art project by Vietnamese artist Nguyen Da Quyen and Frenchman Julien Brun - PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ORGANIZER  Pot Au Pho, a photo exhibition by Vietnamese artist Nguyen Da Quyen and Frenchman Julien Brun, will be opened at 10 a.m. this Saturday at Toong co-working space in District 3, HCMC. The exhibition features 38 artworks featuring the daily lives of Vietnamese people and the linguistics connection between the French and Vietnamese languages. Quyen told the Daily that the event coincides with the celebration of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The event is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at 126 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street in District 3. The free-entrance exhibition will be closed on April 30. English eloquence contest “TIS The Pitch 2018” seeks contestants   Le Ngan Giang, the winner of the “TIS The Pitch 2017”, shares her journey to victory during last year’s contest at a news conference on March 31 in HCMC An English eloquence contest called “TIS The Pitch 2018” is calling for contestants from high schools nationwide aged between 15 and 18. Contestants must demonstrate their public speaking skills in English and raise their voice over current social issues or come up with future business plans. In the qualifying round, all contestants are required to make a video with a length of three to five minutes to present feasible startup ideas or address social issues of shared concerns in the areas of education, health and urban issues. The deadline for submission is April 20. The top 30 topics will be selected to enter to the semifinal round slated for April 28 where all contestants will be challenged in a 5-minute presentation to prove their English-speaking ability as well as persuade the judging panel for the feasibility of business ideas or solutions for social issues. The top 10 topics will be eligible for the final round on May 28 at Dreamplex Co-working Space in Binh Thanh District, HCMC. The first-prize winning team will be given to a full scholarship totaling VND450 million, and five scholarships costing VND100 million each for an MA program at University of Greenwich Vietnam. Meanwhile, those contestants whose topics are eligible to the semifinal round can receive an IELTS scholarship worth around VND6.5 million to improve their English proficiency at TIS. Last year’s contest saw nearly 1,300 contestants from eight provinces and cities. The ninth-grader Le Ngan Giang won the “TIS The Pitch 2017” for her convincing presentation with the topic “Child Sexual Abuse”. Organized by The International School (TIS) and under the patronage of the HCMC Department of Education and Training, the competition has been an annual playground to instill confidence in high-school students about English speaking and critical thinking. Discovering colorful pinwheel art space in Danang   A foreign member of the Danang Fine Arts Club arranges pinwheels in an eye-catching way  More than 2,000 colorful pinwheels shaped in the miniature Milky Way and lit up along the iconic Han River in the central city of Danang drew large numbers of visitors on two weekend days. The pinwheel installation art display titled “Sunrise season” is part of a series of cultural activities to connect the two banks of the poetic Han River in 2018 and help prop up the city’s tourism. The program was pioneered by the Danang Center of Events and Festivals in conjunction with members of the Danang Fine Arts Club. It took five hours to complete the decorations of the vibrant pinwheel-covered art space with a highlight of a wooden boat in the heart of the “Milky Way”. First fresco painting-covered street in Danang   Women in ao dai (traditional Vietnamese long dress) pose for a photo in front of a mural on the fresco painting-covered alley in Hai Chau District, Danang City  The first fresco street which has been relived with glamorous mural paintings in the central city of Danang was opened for public viewing from March 29 after two months of implementation. A group of artists from Danang City’s Fine Arts Club and Phuoc Ninh Ward’s Youth Union participated in an art project which was initiated in early January this year by drawing mural paintings depicting cultural life, natural landscapes and people of Danang on the walls along alley No.75 on Nguyen Van Linh Street in Hai Chau District. Duong Huynh Trang, who is behind the fresco painting project, says the project has been funded by generous donors and that she is calling for more funding from local people to develop services such as food stalls and souvenir shops on the alley to cater to domestic and foreign tourists. Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway project may be put on hold   A view of the 40-kilometer HCMC-Trung Luong section of the HCMC-Can Tho Expressway, which was put into service in February 2010. The two remaining sections, including the Trung Luong-My Thuan section, are still nowhere near completion -  The investor of Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway project is facing financial difficulties and might be forced to terminate the investment contract if it fails to reach agreement with lender banks before May 31, putting the project at risk. The first phase of Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway project in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is developed under build-operate-transfer (BOT) format, requiring an investment of VND9,668 billion, or more than US$424 million. The investor has secured VND1,542 billion only, equivalent to 15.95% of the total investment, while a loan agreement for the remaining VND8,126 billion has not been reached. The investor has finished site clearance for a 49-kilomter section of the project, with a cost of only VND120 billion. According to Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong, the investor could not reach a loan agreement with banks because the lenders want to raise the interest rate ceiling in accordance with Circular 75 of the Ministry of Finance. In case the investor cannot reach a credit agreement with the banks by May 31, the Ministry of Transport will terminate the investment contract and select another investor. Dong said the contract termination shall slow down the project and result in extra cost. The first phase of Trung Luong-My Thuan Expressway will have a total length of 51 kilometers, plus 4.5 kilometers of access road. It will start from Than Cuu Nghia T-Junction at the end of HCMC-Trung Luong Expressway in Chau Thanh District and end at the crossroads with National Highway 30. The expressway in the first phase will have two lanes plus emergency lanes. It will be then expanded to six lanes using official development assistance loans in the second phase. According to the initial plan, the expressway is scheduled for completion at the end of 2018, but despite two kick-offs, the project has not got off the ground for some reasons. And now, it shall be put on hold once again with the completion date unpredictable. The Trung Luong-My Thuan section is part of the HCMC-Can Tho Expressway, which is expected to substantially reduce the traveling time between HCMC and the Mekong Delta. This expressway has three sections, namely HCMC-Trung Luong, Trung Luong-My Thuan and My Thuan-Can Tho. The 40-kilometer HCMC-Trung Luong section was opened to traffic in February 2010. HCMC has one more food street   People enjoy their dishes in the new food street  A new food street was launched along the Vinh Khanh Street in District 4 in Ho Chi Minh City on March 30, offering a variety of local cuisines. With more than 170 booths selling specialties snail dishes, the street has attracted locals and foreigner tourists. Before, agencies in the city agreed with the proposal of People’s Committee of district 4 about setting up the food street in a bid to create more cuisine street for travelers. Deputy Chairman of People’s Committee in district 4 Lam Hung Tan said the open of the food street aims to renew urban scenery, develop infrastructure and utilize available sources; accordingly, it helps to stimulate consumers to buy more and attract holiday-makers. Booths in the street will serve safe food with good behaviors to make customers enjoy their meals. One more dies after eating mushroom    One more person died after eating mushroom, said director of the General Hospital in the northern province of Ha Giang Dr. Hoang Tien Viet said yesterday. The death of 23-year-old woman has brought the total victim of a family in Ha Giang Province’s Vi Xuyen District in the incident to three. Before, on March 28, a man went to jungle picking up mushroom to cook soup for the lunch. Until the late afternoon on the same day, four family members including the man, his wife, his son and his daughter-in-law experienced headache, dizzy, diarrhea; they were taken to the local hospital for emergency treatment next morning when they were in critical condition. Because of bad poisoning, the man’s son and the wife died on March 31 and April 1. Next, the daughter-in-law couldn’t survive meanwhile the man was in critical condition; hence, he was transferred to Bach Mai Hospital for further treatment. Two rare blood donors awarded certificates of merit In the flag salute ceremony on April 2, Vice director of the Department of Health in Ha Tinh Province cum director of the local infirmary Nguyen Viet Dong had authorization of Vietnamese Health Minister to present certificates of merit to Nguyen Quy Hung and Nguyen Van Quan who voluntarily donated their rare blood to save an old woman.   Dr. Nguyen Viet Dong gives certificates of merit to two donors (Photo: SGGP)  Before, on March 3, 70-year-old woman Ho Thi Thi in Thach Ha District was rushed to the general hospital when she was fatigue and had black shit. After undergoing tests and stomach endoscopy, she was diagnosed to have anemia because of gastric haemorrhage. Further tests showed that the number of red blood cells decreased drastically; accordingly she needed blood transfusion as quickly as possible or else her life was put in danger. However, the old woman is Rh-positive types A (the rate of Rh- of types O, A, B, AB in Vietnam is 0.08 percent). However, only one person in the province belongs to the same blood type with her and he has gone abroad to work. The infirmary contacted the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion where confirmed the rare blood is not available. The infirmary phoned to the rare blood club in the Central to try its luck. Hung and Quan immediately arrived at the hospital in the night, spent hours from Quang Binh province to Ha Tinh province (around 200km) to give their blood for saving the old woman. The provincial Department of Health March 6 reported their good deed to the Ministry of Health proposing to award them certificates of merit. At the ceremony, Dr. Nguyen Viet Dong said their good deed develop the country’s tradition. Each person should follow them to donate blood to save others’ lives. 600 additional hospital beds introduced in Binh Dinh Province The central province of Binh Dinh People’s Committee and Binh Dinh General Hospital on March 31 co-held an opening ceremony for the extension part of the hospital. This leading medical institute in the local area is built based on the model of cooperation between the government and the private sector. The extension section of Binh Dinh General Hospital has 25 departments and 600 beds to serve patients. It is well-equipped with state-of-the-art devices such as digital subtraction angiography machines (DSA), 128-slice dual source computed tomography scanners (CT), 1.5-tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanners (MRI), and an updated automatic testing system. According to Vice Chairman of Binh Dinh People’s Committee Nguyen Tuan Thanh, this is the first case of public-private partnership in the medical field and being the milestone in the process of socializing health. Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Viet Tien affirmed that this model will contribute to clearing the congestion in the effort to increase health capacity of the nation and improving healthcare ability to serve citizens. $43,823 scholarships to be granted to needy medicine students This year, 141 scholarships worth over VND1 billion ($43,823) will be given to medicine students, said chairperson of the Nguyen Van Huong scholarship fund council Dr. Truong Thi Xuan Lieu at the fund council meeting yesterday. Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Sai Gon Giai Phong reporter Pham Truong said that the fund organizer found out more about each students’ family and studying condition who will receive the scholarship. Only students who come from poverty-line families but try their best in learning are eligible for the scholarship. This year, 50 annual scholarships will be granted to poor medicine students each worth VND6 million ($262.9). Moreover, Dr. Ta Trung Quoc’s wife will provide 60 all-course scholarships each worth VND6 million; 20 other scholarships funded by Sai Gon Construction Company each worth VND6 million. Especially, Ngoc Minh Clinic will give 10 full scholarships each worth VND25 million and one supporting scholarship worth VND10 million. The scholarship-giving ceremony will be organized on May 10 in Sai Gon Giai Phong newspaper’s hall. The scholarship has helped hundreds of needy medical students to complete their studies. Four Central and South teams for final round of 2018 Digital Race identified   Candidates in the semi-final round The semi-final round of 2018 Digital Race for  the Southern and Central regions took place in Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. Eight teams from three universities in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang University of Technology competed in the semi-final round in which the team assembled parts of their self-propelled cars, installed proper software and source codes to control these vehicles so that the vehicles successfully moved in accordance with the simulated traffic provided by the organization board. In the first race, only the car of DUT Stark team from Da Nang University of Technology was able to reach the finish line. All other cars failed the task because of technical problems. In the second race, adjustments in technical aspects helped all teams perform better, and the race became more thrilling. DUT Stark, however, still kept their leading position and impressively entered the final match. Three more candidates from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Ho Chi Minh City University of Information Technology were also determined to compete in the final round. It is quite notable that there are female members in 3 out of 4 teams to participate in the final round. This is a fascinating fact since the technology field is commonly the battleground of the male counterpart. The final round is going to happen at the end of  April, in which eight teams including four from the Northern region and four from the Central and Southern regions will race to win the prize of VND 450 million and best jobs in FPT Corporation. President of FPT Software Hoang Nam Tien appreciated all the considerable effort and the inquiring mind of all race participants. He also kindly asked these participants to think of  joining FPT Software so as to have better opportunities to perfect their skills. Danang bans coaches from CBD at rush hour   A coach of 45 seats is seen on Bach Dang Street. Coaches are now banned from Danang’s CBD at rush hour   Danang City has banned coaches with 30 seats or more from entering the central business district (CBD) from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. everyday to reduce traffic congestion and restore order at tourist destinations. From April 1, 2018, such coaches will be fined if they travel at rush hour on the streets of Nguyen Tat Thanh, Ly Thai Tong, Hoang Thi Loan, Dien Bien Phu, Nguyen Tri Phuong, Nguyen Huu Tho, Duy Tan, Hai Thang Chin, Bach Dang and Ba Thang Hai. Le Van Trung, director of the Danang Department of Transport, said these streets are usually crowded with coaches of 30 to 45 seats transporting tourists to places of interest in the city like Han Market and Dragon Bridge. The department has proposed building more parking lots for tourist buses in some areas. The city has started collecting fees from cars parked on Tran Phu Street. Drivers can pay parking fees using the Smart Parking app. Parking on Bach Dang Street is no longer free. Le Anh, chairman of Hai Chau District, said parking fees will apply on other major roads in the city to ease traffic congestion and restore order in the CBD. VNN